Friday 15 December 2017

7 Products That Beauty Gurus Made Me Buy!



I've seen this YouTube video floating around, and it got me thinking what things that I'd bought just because a beauty YouTuber was raving about it... It turns out quite a lot! If someone I love watching tells me I need something, I will buy it without a second thought. Sometimes it is the best thing I've ever done, but unfortunately, sometimes they don't quite make the cut...



Image result for beauty blender
I'm pretty sure it was Lily Pebbles who I first saw use a beautyblender. I will always take Lily's word as gospel, so of course I bought it if she loved it! I can safely say it is my holy grail and I cannot do my makeup without it. No other sponge can beat it - I'm on my third!



This foundation mix is the best foundation I've ever used, and it's all thanks to Holly Boon! Her skin always looks absolutely flawless, so I will take any recommendation she has. I have never really like drugstore foundations but I am obsessed with these two! Together they are so long lasting and I wear them every single day.



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Ruth Crilly knows her luxury makeup, so when I saw her recommend this I knew I had to have it. I do love it, and think it's really great for hydrating and brightening, but it's a bit too natural for me! I wear a lot of makeup so I like to use an undereye concealer that is more high coverage, like the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.



I saw Michael Finch use this powder to bake many many times on YouTube so I know I really wanted to try it because I love baking before a night out! Just before I bought it, I saw Michael say that he found the 'No-Colour' version a bit too white, and that he wanted to try the translucent one - so that's the one I bought! It's affordable, and so so good, so it's definitely my go-to baking powder.



Image result for nars laguna bronzer
So this was the fault of both Tanya Burr and Millie Mackintosh when I watch this YouTube video six years ago! Tanya used it on Millie, and they both agreed it was one of their favourite bronzers. I thought it was such a gorgeous olivey shade, so I had to buy it! I still think there's no bronzer quite like it, and it's definitely still one of the best!


This product it definitely the best liquid highlighter I've ever used! It is so creamy, so pigmented, it's amazing! I first saw Tati rave about this on her channel, and everyone knows she is the absolute expert so you have to buy her recommendations. I've had it for ages and I've still barely used any!



Obviously I saw these on NikkieTutorial's channel, she is the ultimate queen of highlighters! I have the shade 'Rodeo Drive' and I absolutely love it, it is truly blinding! The only thing that annoys me is because they are so soft and creamy for a powder, they do not travel well at all and they break very very easily. Apart from that, they are pretty affordable and I've not used another highlighter since!



Have you ever been swayed to buy something by an influencer? Was it worth it or was it a fail!?


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Saturday 3 June 2017

Summer Beauty Essentials 2017


This is our last post for Soap & Glory this academic year (cry!) 

To see ourselves out for the summer, I thought the BEST post would be my TOP TEN beauty items that I will be using to death over the next three months. Whether your going away on hols, or just enjoying the UK sun - these are the items that you NEED this summer!



1. LIP BALM
Protecting your skin is an obvious one, but loads of people forget about their lips! A good quality lip balm is so important on sunny days - it makes sense when you think about it! The one you'll hear a lot of gurus talking about is the Supergoop! AcaiFusion Lip Balm with SPF30, which i'm pretty sure you can only get on Beauty Bay. A great drugstore alternative is the Uvistat Lipscreen with SPF 50.



2. LIQUID ILLUMINATOR
Having a liquid illuminator in your makeup bag is such a blessing in the summer time! Apply a thin layer before your foundation, or even mix it into your favourite base for gorgeous dewy skin. I adore this liquid illuminator from NARS in Copacobana, but it is pretty pricey! An amazing alternative is the Soap & Glory Hocus Focus. On minimal makeup days, just dab it where you would normally highlight for a much more natural glow.



3. SALT SPRAY
I love how salt spray looks in the summer time! It makes your hair looks so effortless, wavy and beachy. This Surf Spray by Bumble and Bumble is the BEST one I've ever used! You can use it on dry hair, but I prefer to use it when my hair's still slightly damp. Spray and scrunch!



4. CREAM HIGHLIGHTER
 As well as liquid illuminators, I looove cream highlighters in summer - they are so essential. I love them because you can use them on your face, and then all over your body if you're going out for dinner on a summers evening. The one I'm loving at the moment is the Soap & Glory Glow All Out Cheekstick. I have always found that it works SO well in the heat, cream highlighters actually look a lot better if your face has been a bit hot and it's settled in.



5. RAZOR
 The downside about summer is that you have to keep your legs hair free! It's so important to ditch the disposables - they will NEVER do as good a job as a good quality razor. I love the Gilette Venus Embrace razor. I have had it for years, it really is more value for money! It's £6.66 for the razor and 5 blades at Boots! I rarely ever change the blades as they are SO sharp and long lasting - woo!



6. POWDER HIGHLIGHTER
Sorry, another glowy product! During the day time in the summer I tend to just stick to liquid and cream highlighters, but in the night time, I looove to use powders too. Using a powder over a cream or liquid highlight really gives the product something to stick to and makes it POP! In my opinion, the best highlighters EVER are the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors (my fave shades are Moonstone and Opal).



7. PASTEL NAIL VARNISH
(Images from pollypolish.com & britnails.co.uk)
I am sooo lazy and barely ever paint my nails. If I do then it's normally in the summer! Pastel nails are so so cute in the warmer months. I always buy Barry M nail varnishes, as they have the BEST range and are so affordable! I love their 'Speedy' nail paints in 'Eat My Dust' and 'In A Flash'. 


8. BRONZER
 Bronzer is probably my number one must-have for the summer! I never really contour when it's hot. I think it's so much nicer just to use a huge fluffy brush and warm up the face. My favourite bronzer of all time is Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess in 'Medium'. I know it's expensive, but it is literally the BIGGEST bronzer ever, and it lasts for months and months! I use the Morphe E33 Deluxe Fan Brush and apply it roughly to my cheeks, temples and jaw line.



9. BODY OIL
 This is definitely the most extra 'essential', but oh my god! Once you use it you cannot live without it! If you want to glow like J-Lo then you NEED to take this step. Once you've tanned, use a tinted shimmery body oil on to make your skin look incredible. Apply the oil to your colour bones, shoulders, and shins with a duo fibre brush.



10. CREAM EYESHADOW
 With bronzed skin, cream eyeshadow just looks so so gorgeous. I think it looks so much more shimmery, smokey and summery! I have always adored the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadows, but they are so expensive! A perfect dupe are the Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadows. They are just as creamy and pigmented! 



What are your 2017 summer essentials?! And what do you want Soap & Glory to bring to YOUR university next academic year?! Let me know!


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Wednesday 31 May 2017

Get Glowy & Bronzed With Soap & Glory: REVIEW


🌞 Summer is around the corner, which means we all want to be super bronzed and super glowy!😍✨

Today I'll be talking about my top 3 favourite Soap & Glory products that will make your skin amazingly tanned and flawless... 



If my aim is to be tanned, the first thing I'll do is tan my body. I prefer to tan my bod first because then it's easier to match your face up to your whole body, than your whole body to your face!

I never even knew Soap & Glory did fake tan until I got my hands on this! I absolutely love this product, I use it for every night out now!

Here is a before and after:


You can apply it straight to your body as it's a spray, not a fiddly mousse or lotion. I do tend to just blend it in with my hands if I'm in a serious rush, but I prefer to use a mitt!

If you've ever used Sally Hansen's Airbush Legs, it is really similar to that (but ALOT cheaper!) It has the same red terracotta undertone, and has a similar thick foundation consistency. It isn't heavy though, and still leaves your skin soft and with a lovely glow! 




I feel like the bottle for this is so medicinal and ambiguous (and the name is hilarious)... If you didn't know, it's basically a tinted moisturiser with a tan in it!

It is such a glowy, dewy tinted moisturiser, and the sun-kissed colour it gives is gorgeous. It's an instant wash-off tan, so when you take your makeup off it comes right off!

The coverage is sheer as you'd expect for a tinted moisturiser but it is definitely buildable.


The way it works is so so cool. You only need a tinyyyy amount, and it comes out WHITE which is pretty confusing?! If you look really closely it has weeny little brown beads in it, that literally burst when you massage it into your skin to give you gorgeous colour! 


It really really reminds me of the Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream, in the way that it adapts to your skin tone. If I've fake tanned, this will give me a bit of extra colour and glow, but if I am pale it doesn't make me crazy dark.

I love love love to put this after my moisturiser but before primer, it gives such a gorgeous colour and glow under your makeup. I have honestly used it every day since I got it, which is why the tube looks understandably battered! 




In summer I love to just ditch contour all together in the day time. The last thing you want on a hot day is to have your contour going muddy and patchy! I prefer to just roughly bronze my cheeks, temples, and jawline instead of attempting a chiseled look.


This bronzer is honestly gooooorgeous! I have never played with cream bronzers until now. I say that this is a bronzer because I'm super pale, but it would be an amazing highlighter on deeper skin tones!

It is super sheer, it literally just gives a gorgeous bronzy colour and GLOW! It is beautiful to warm the face up like I said, and if I'm on a night out I love to use it on my shoulders, chest and collarbones - it makes your skin look incredible!


I literally just swipe my stippling brush across the top of the stick and blend it in... It's as easy as that!



What are your favourite products to get tanned and glowy with? Have you tried any of these bits? What did you think?!


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Sunday 21 May 2017

FESTIVAL Beauty & Fashion Wishlist 2017 ft. Boohoo


Soap & Glory are talking all about SUMMER for the last few weeks of uni! 

In Manchester atm we are all thinking about festivals.. especially Parklife! Most of us will be hitting the festival on the 10th & 11th May to see the likes of Frank Ocean, BBK and Fatboy Slim. To get us all in the spirit I have put together a little wishlist of clothes and fabulous S&G products that are perfect for the season! 

All the clothes shown are from Boohoo, because imo it is suchhh an amazing brand for cheap festival and summer clothing (and it has student discount!) Obviously, all beauty products are from Soap & Glory!



DOUBLE DENIM
I looove denim, especially when it's layered. I am also obsessed with yellow lenses, I think they're so cool! Adding a bright red lipstick to a plain outfit really finishes it off in my opinion. So keep your makeup minimal and apply the Sexy Mother Pucker Lipstick in in 'You Say Tomato' for the most perfect orangey-red for summer.



GOLD & BRONZED
I am seeing so many of these 'chainmail' bralets all over Instagram. I think they look amazing if you've got the confidence to pull it off! The sandles and trousers dress it down a bit, especially paired with the festival tasselled bag. Wearing such a tiny top, it's important to make sure your skin is super bronzed and flawless! Blend in the Glow Getter instant fake tan with your tanning mitt for amazing airbrushed colour!



BERRY VIBES
Every year I get co-ords like this for festivals because they are always so comfy and such good value! Keeping accessories white stops the outfit from being busy, but I still love adding loads of rings! Finish off the look by creating a mauvey berry eye with the shades 'Pink T' and 'Aubersheen' from the Perfect Ten Eyeshadow Palette.



EMBROIDERED MESH
This is definitely the least summery of them all, but knowing England (and Manchester) it will probably be appropriate! I feel like embroidery is everywhere at the moment, and it's so cute! This mesh dress is so light and airy, but extreeeemely see through. Wearing a little bodysuit and shorts underneath means you wont get too hot but you're not baring all! Use the iconic Supercat Skinny Eyeliner to draw a standout wing to match the grungey look. 



What festivals are you going to this summer? What clothes are on your wishlist?


*This post is supported by Soap & Glory but all views and opinions are my own*



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Saturday 20 May 2017

Soap & Glory X University of Manchester: WHAT THE PUCK WENT DOWN?!

A post shared by Soap & Glory (@soapandglory) on

On 10th May, UoM campus was invaded with PINK, as Soap & Glory popped up on campus for the day! 

We had two fabulous events running: #WHERETHEPUCK and #SHESTHEBUSINESSMCR, which no doubt a lot of you guys got involved with...



WHERE THE PUCK
Students woke up on Wednesday to find ducks hidden all over university! If you found Puck the Duck, you got to come down to University Place and claim a FREEBIE! 

We were dropping hints all day, so hopefully, you used your kick-ass detective skills and picked up a little pucker somewhere on campus! 



Well done to everyone who managed to hunt down Puck, we hope you are loving your free product!



A special CONGRATS to our two FAB winners: 
1. Soph Soar: who's cute insta pic won our #PICOFTHEDAY competition, meaning she bagged a glamazing party pack for her and her pals! 
2. Viandrei Quavers: who's puck finding skills meant she won a YEARS SUPPLY OF S&G!



SHE'S THE BUSINESS

Just above #WHERETHEPUCK, on the first floor of uni place, was where we had #SHESTHEBUSINESSMCR. It was all about females kicking ass in business, and how to start your own company from scratch. 

It was an amazing day, filled with inspiring speakers and awesome workshops. The Digi Marketing girls even came down from S&G HQ to give an incredible workshop on social media!

Special thanks to Helen Wray for writing a fab post on her experience at the event - we're glad you loved it as much as we did!




Keep your eyes peeled to catch when Soap & Glory will be invading campus again...




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Friday 19 May 2017

FESTIVAL Hacks Every Girl Should Know!



Festival season is coming up!

Although partying and listening to music with your friends is fun, there will be parts of it that are not so kick-ass! To be frank, you'll probably be stuck in a freezing tent, with no electricity, rubbish showers and little space. That doesn’t by any means outweigh the whole experience, but you’ll need to get organised! Here are our top tips so that you can still LOOK your best, even if you don’t FEEL your best:



1. Pack your SPF
This is by far the most important! If you are walking around outside all day, you need to protect your skin (yes, even if it's cloudy!) Take this Garnier Ambre Solaire BB Cream with SPF50, and you won’t need to pack foundation!



2. Leave your perfume at home
Fragrances are bulky, expensive and normally made of glass! Save some space in your bag (and the risk of it smashing) and bring your favourite body spray to spritz when you need a lift. They are cheap and durable, so it doesn’t really matter too much if you lose it. My favourite is the Soap & Glory Body Spray in Fruitigo as it smells like citrus, grapefruit and lemons - so refreshing and summery!



3. Go minimal
Take as little makeup as you can. In my Beauty Hacks post, you can see my favourite multi-tasking products which will save you heaps of space in your bag! In the heat and the sweaty crowds, your makeup isn’t going to stay perfect anyway! Instead, bring these Festival Sparkle Glitter Kits from New Look - Glitter doesn’t have to be precise, and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t stay put throughout the day and night.



4. Ditch the lipstick
No one has time for lining their lips and reapplying lipstick! It is fiddly, high maintenance and makes it difficult to eat and drink. The Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks are a great alternative: they are hydrating, easy to apply and long lasting! They come in five gorgeous shades (and are 3 for 2 in Boots right now!)



5. Opt for waterproof
Bringing as much waterproof makeup as possible means your makeup has the best chance of staying on! Rain and sweat will cause standard makeup to slide around and run down your face. A lot of your fave mascaras will have a waterproof version – mine is the Too Faced Better Than Sex, it does not budge!



6. Grab some dry shampoo
The queues are long, the water is cold and the showers are awful! You will NOT have the time or the effort to fully wash your hair! Dry shampoo will be your saviour. Have you tried the NEW Soap & Glory Rushower Dry Shampoo? You might have heard Emily Canham raving about it on her Instagram story the other day! It leaves practically no residue and has the original pink scent, ideal for freshening up at a festival. It even comes in a perfect for packing mini size!



7. Plan your hair
Image from www.look.co.uk

That sounds like a huge effort, but I don’t mean literally plan every hair style. It’s normally best to save braids for the last day where your hair is super greasy, and do any cute wavy hair styles for the first days! Make sure you’ve always got a hair band on your wrist because there will be times where you just NEED your hair off your face and neck.



8. Prepare!
Before you leave, make sure you’re fully packed (obvs). Get a spray tan, curl or straighten your hair, and paint your nails at home – that way you don’t have to bring any extra products!



9. Sunglasses will be your best friend
If you have a total face fail, you can always rely on sunnies. If you’re tired, your makeup looks awful, or you just can’t be bothered – whack on a pair of sunglasses and no one will ever know! Get a few pairs you love and bring them along with you – I always go to ASOS for affordable sunglasses, they have never failed me!



Hopefully, these hacks have given you some ideas for when your packing for your festivals this year! 

What are your top tips for festivals? Which ones are you heading out to this summer?


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