Beauty | Midweek Picks #1

Happy Humpday! Today marks the start of a brand new beauty series on the Bluebird & the Robin, Midweek Picks, designed to give you a taster of the products I've been reaching for most throughout the week so far. Let's kick things off with the following four gems!

Perhaps predictably, I'm a big fan of a berry lip during Autumn/Winter and Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon (£7.99) in '06 Plum Russian' is just the ticket for a delicious plum pout. The shape of the crayon makes it quick and easy to apply neatly, and the moisturising formula feels so comfortable to wear. It gives a slightly darker kick of berry than other berry toned lip crayons I've tried, which I like as it makes it a little more glam. 

Ooh look, another celebrity fragrance! I'm making no apologies, being a huge fan of all of Britney's perfume releases to date! While 'Radiance' is my favourite of the bunch, 'Fantasy'(£22 50ml) (pictured) comes a close second, and I've been craving its sweet scent over the past week or so. When I say sweet, I mean sweet; sugar loaded with hints of creamy vanilla, this is a really romantic concoction. Mmm! While I do like musky scents, sometimes I feel like being girly and 'Fantasy' is what I reach for. I actually snagged this 50ml bottle as part of a set for only £15 in the Superdrug sale, so do have a look and see if it's still available if you're a fan!

I reviewed Seventeen Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter (£5.99) upon its initial release, but it's only now that I've fallen properly in love with the glow it's capable of giving on cold Winter mornings! I tried using this with my favourite summer foundation, Maxfactor's Facefinity 3 in 1, but found that due to the matte texture of the foundation I had a hard time applying Skin Wow! on top. However, now that L'Oreal's Lumi Magique foundation has become my base of choice for Winter I've been able to make great use of Skin Wow! due to the dewy finish of L'Oreal's base. I tap a little Skin Wow! cream coloured lotion along my cheekbones, brow bones, nose and temples and I LOVE how it instantly adds a pretty glow! 

Last but by no means least is my new hand cream obsession: Salonniere By Jenny Packham Hand Cream. This came as part of a £10 Christmas set available at Boots (now half price!) and I quickly picked up plenty more in the sales. A true rose scent with hints of violet, geranium and sandalwood, the Salonniere range smells divine. My hands tend to get very dry all year around so a good hand cream is vital, and Salonniere's offering doesn't fail to impress. Satisfyingly thick and creamy yet easily absorbed, with pretty pink and black packaging and a gorgeous scent, this takes pride of place on my dressing table while another tube resides in my handbag for on the go application.

What have you been loving this week so far? Are you reaching for  new discoveries or trusty old favourites? Spill the beans below!

Baci e abbracci, 

                                                     

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If you only do one thing

We set resolutions with the best of intentions but sometimes they can start to feel a little overwhelming. Bridging the gap between dreams and reality isn't always easy to visualise, and although I do want to write a series about detailed SMART goal setting I think it's worth bearing in mind that baby steps and a smaller focus can work wonders in building confidence and instilling a sense of success. 

I felt a little overwhelmed this morning when reading through my resolutions and couldn't figure out where to start. Which resolution comes first? Should I work on them in tandem? How should I begin each one? What should the first step be? 

It occurred to me that by wrapping my resolutions in the above quote I can cut myself some slack, take time to breathe, and begin making my dreams a reality. If I make it my mission to do one thing every day that moves me forwards in some way then I can safely say I'm on my way to accomplishing my goals. Plus, through doing one thing every day in relation to those dreams I hold so dear I'm actually living out an aspect of the dream right now, in the present moment, no matter how seemingly small. 

Tracing each little step definitely delivers a self esteem boost, particularly handy when anxiety strikes and sends me into an action coma. Today I decided to contact my local Mind centre to ask about the discounted Reiki sessions and relaxation sessions they offer. This one thing connects to many of my goals: training as a Reiki healer by experiencing Reiki as a 'patient' first hand; finding healthy and productive ways to handle my anxiety; and getting out there and meeting new people, building links with the community as a step on my path back to work. 

One small action, but one connected to my goals and dreams. I'm not sure yet what tomorrow's action will be, but by sticking to one overarching resolution of doing one thing every day to move myself forwards on my path I know I'm well on my way to accomplishing all I've set out to do this year. 

What will your action be today?

Baci e abbracci,

        

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Beauty | New Year, new purchases!

Gosh, it's been a while since I last blogged a beauty post! I'm trying hard to stick to a schedule but with the wedding fast approaching (three weeks from today!) it's proving mighty tricky to post as often as I'd like to *sad face* I thought I'd do a little 'first impressions' post of the beauty booty I've been hauling lately, seeing as it's a brand new year which can only mean one thing: new beauty discoveries!

 While I may still be on first impression terms with some of the goodies pictured above, I've already started full blown, long lasting love affairs with one or two things! 

'Taylor', Taylor Swift (£11.50 on sale)

It's true, I'm a sucker for celebrity perfume! I always pick up a new bottle in the January sales. This year I went for 'Taylor', Ms Swift's 3rd perfume offering, and oh my is it a beauty! While 'Wonderstruck' and 'Wonderstruck Enchanted' are quite sweet and 'fruity floral', 'Taylor' has more of a musky aroma and as such makes for a wonderful Winter fragrance. I picked up this 30ml bottle as part of a set including matching shower gel and body lotion in the Boots half price gift set sale, meaning I paid only £11.50 for this beauty! Bargain! (Last time I checked there are still sets available online!) And can we take a moment to admire the bottle? How cute is the little pearl detailing around the neck? Adorable!

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser (£7.99)

I can't resist a primer, and so upon spying this colourful little tube in Boots (and after having sneaked a peek of a review over at Kirstie's gorgeous blog) I had to give it a go. Claiming to 'instantly vanish pores', Maybelline's Instant Pore Eraser promises perfectly smooth skin. It's clear in colour and has a strong 'silicone' texture (which I'm not a huge fan of, to be honest), but I've found it does a pretty good job of smoothing out my pores and lessening any redness and uneven skin tone, so all is forgiven on the silicone front. I reckon if I had clear skin I would wear this without foundation on no make-up days, as it makes my skin look nice matte and smooth, but alas because of my current skin woes I'm loathe to do this yet...

OPI Nail Lacquers 'The More The Marry-ier Minis'

Aren't these colours adorable?! So romantic and perfect for a wedding..! I received these as a Christmas present and I love them! I'm a huge fan of pinks and nudes and these are no exception. I haven't given them a try yet but I'll be sure to report back with my verdict! I had to include them in the photo as they're so mini and cute in size, haha. 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation (£10.99) 

I usually go for a matte base but recently I've found my skin looking a little dull, which isn't helped with it being so grey and miserable outside. I decided to try this out as with the aim of injecting a bit of a glow to my Winter worn complexion! So far I'm loving the results, as my skin definitely looks less dull after smoothing this on, although I do need to set it with a little powder as there's a fine line between dewy and greasy. It's super comfortable to wear and the colour match is pretty good with my pale skin, which is something of a relief! Coverage is medium, I'd say, meaning I do need concealer on problem areas afterwards, but this is something I've come to expect when using a high street foundation so it's not really a problem. 

L'Oreal Le Blush 'True Rose' (£7.99)

I've been on the lookout for a brighter blusher for a while and this little pot has just the right amount of punchy colour and shimmer to satisfy my blush requirements. I team this with my Real Techniques blusher brush for a gentle flush of colour. It definitely helps perk up my ghostly complexion in the mornings!

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL 'Pink Out Loud' (£10)

This came as part of Soap and Glory's 'The Yule Monty' bumper gift set, which is packed full of amazing Soap and Glory products! As a super fan of the brand I was excited to give this little gloss a go, and it has quickly become a firm favourite of mine. It gives a very slight hint of colour and tingles like crazy, which I really like! My only word of warning would be to avoid wearing it with your hair down if it's windy outside... I keep making this mistake and getting gloss all over my face, which isn't particularly attractive. Oops! 

L'Oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss 'Sin For Peach' (£6.99)

A bit of an impulse buy, I realised after purchasing this that I already have quite a few nude balm sticks... Ah well! I actually love the texture and colour of this one as it's a little darker than others I've tried and it feels really moisturising. It's easy to apply and doesn't require a mirror, making it handy for on the go application. I'd like to try some of the more adventurous colours in the range such as the plum coloured stick as I fear I'm becoming too comfortable wearing nudes! 

Makeup Academy Undress Your Skin Radiant Under Eye Concealer (£3)

This is in fact a repurchase of a much loved product; it's bloody brilliant! From the thick and not at all watery texture to the light reflecting particles that instantly help deflect attention away from my tired peepers, this is one of my makeup bag must haves. And it's a total bargain! I don't often repurchase makeup from cheaper brands as I usually end up falling for base products from slightly more expensive ranges, but this is without a doubt one of the best bargain finds I've ever come across during my Superdrug sprees. Run and get one right now, I urge you!

Seventeen Miracle Matte Loose Powder (£5.49)

I like applying a light dusting of loose powder to set my makeup and I decided to try Seventeen's newest offering, in part due to it's matte promise. Now I know that might seem to conflict with my aim for more 'radiant' skin, but actually this works really well with L'Oreal's Lumi Magique foundation! As far as I can tell Seventeen's Miracle Matte comes in one universal translucent shade, and it works with my pale skin perfectly. I've found I don't need to re-powder much throughout the day when using this (although I do have bit of an addiction to powder so I can't say I've stopped completely!) The only gripe I have with it is the packaging, as there isn't a powder puff included and although powder puffs are generally rubbish for applying product, they do come in handy for preventing spillages when the pot is rolling around in my makeup bag! When opening this I have to be careful as often a lot of powder has collected right underneath the lid. 

Et voila, we've come to the end of my new purchases rundown. I've got some fun wedding related beauty posts lined up over the coming weeks, so hopefully there won't be such a long gap between beauty posts throughout January! Have you purchased your first products of 2014 yet? I'd love to know what you went for!

Baci e abbracci, 
      

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