clinique chubby stick in TWO TON TOMATO

I've always wanted to hop on the chubby stick bandwagon but it's taken me a while to do so. I first saw the Clinique chubby sticks in a magazine way before I started blogging and have wanted to try one ever since. Therefore it was safe to say I was very excited to give them a go when I finally picked one up for myself. I chose the colour Two Ton Tomato which is a very bright and classic red and I'm really happy I did as it's such a beautiful colour!

clinique chubby sticks: £17 CLINQUE

As a sufferer from extremely dry lips I was very enticed by the offer of moisturising properties along with pigmentation. Two Ton Tomato is a slightly orange based red but shows up as very true red when put on the lips. The product gives a subtle but build-able colour which I very much liked. It meant that I could just have a slight hint of colour for a laid back look but add more layers to give a more noticeable pop of colour. One swipe gives more of a stain effect but when wiped a few times over the lip it looks a lot like the above swatch picture - a gorgeous red. There's also a juicy look to the lips which is very appealing and gives the face a fresh sort of look.

It's very moisturising and when I use it, it feels a lot like a coloured lip balm (which it did actually set out to be). Unfortunately, if you haven't prepped your lips before use, it does highlight any dry patches you may have and sits in the creases but as you continue to use it, the dryness of your lips starts to deteriorate and I found that it acted very much like your normal high end lip balm. My lips felt much smoother during/after use and a lot less dry so not only would I recommend this on pigmentation properties but also the moisturising promises that come with it!

It really is a gorgeous, gorgeous colour and it's not too bright so perfect for day time wear. I've worn this on a number of occasions during the day and I definitely don't feel like I was 'overdone' in any way. I think these chubby sticks would be great for topping up on the go, especially the lighter colours but maybe for the darker colours, such as this one, a mirror would be handy just to make sure you don't end up with any smudges. The wear time isn't too good, I found, but I do tend to rub my lips together a lot. Even so, I don't think it really matters as there is always a slight red stain left behind and they are so super easy to keep applying!

I felt that this was a great product for those starting out on bold/red lip colours or those who may be afraid to try a bold/red colour. They're also perfect for those who want a more subtle lip colour to use during the day that isn't a light pink or nude. For night time I would, personally, pick something else as the longevity isn't too brill but I really do recommend these Clinique chubby sticks anyway!

radox shower gels

I bought these shower gels a very long time ago but due to having a whole host of other shower beauty bits to try out it's taken me a while to get round to giving these a go. I have very much enjoyed using these too and can assure you that this is going to be a very positive post that I hope will persuade you to give at least one of them a go!

radox shower gels: £1.98 each BOOTS

So there are three scents/flavours: Berry Burst, Cherry Blast and Coconut Kiss. I picked them because they stood out a bit more than your average shower gel and were a lot brighter. They also appeared slightly 'juicy' (if that makes any sense at all) and just overall very appealing! They smell really amazing even from just opening the lid which is very promising. The berry and cherry ones were super fruity and the coconut one gave off a sort of soothing and relaxing feel. All three gels contain oils/milk which makes them sound like they'll be nice and nourishing which is great for someone like me who does suffer from dry patches but can never be bothered to do the extra step of moisturising after they get out of the shower!

I found that each of them is quite hard to get lathered up (even with exfoliating gloves) but once they are lathered they are a dream to work with. The scent hits you instantly which is lovely and lingers on the skin afterwards but nothing overpowering so you could still use a perfume over the top. The smell also lingered in my shower which meant my whole room smelt lovely afterwards too. They are quite runny so you could pour out more than you intended to but there is nothing wrong with using too much shower gel to be honest. Plus at that price, it doesn't really matter if you run out quickly as they're super cheap to stock up on! After use my skin gelt so so smooth and soft meaning they all have wonderful moisturising properties. My skin felt really clean too which is great when you need a refreshing shower.

I felt that the fruity ones would be great for the morning as they left my skin feeling really clean which is perfect for when you need a quick, refreshing shower. The coconut one also left me feeling clean but gave off more of a luxurious, relaxing feel and may be good for evening showers or just before you go out for the night.

Overall I would say that these shower gels are just so lovely to use. Obviously you don't need to buy all of them but if I was to recommend one it would be Berry Burst. It's my favourite, is super fruity, has the best scent and the smell lingers the longest afterwards.

little manchester haul

So my exams finished a couple of weeks ago and I still had a week or so until my new term starts so I decided to go home for a bit. I did it as a surprise and it's safe to say that my mum and dad were very very shocked. It was super nice to make them happy and I'm very much enjoying just relaxing at home - I've mostly been watching This Morning and having a Harry Potter marathon...

But on one of the days I decided I'd make a trip into Manchester. I haven't actually had a good shopping spree/bought something lovely for myself for a while and I was really in the mood. I still had some money/gift cards left from my birthday last year and some from Christmas, along with a bit from my student loan that I've got saved up so I figured a trip to Manchester would be the perfect chance to use some of it!

I also thought this would be a great opportunity to do a haul style post to show you what I bought!

grey dress: £22 TOPSHOP

checked dress: £32 TOPSHOP

t-shirt: £20 TOPSHOP

bomber: £50 TOPSHOP

I don't regularly go clothes shopping unless I need a particular basic or if it's for an event so I thought I'd pop into Topshop to see what they were offering at the moment. I loved these two dresses and figured they'd be great to wear just casually to uni or if I'm off out with friends during the day. I fell in love with this top as soon as I saw it. I'm a huge cat lover and thought it was quite a quirky top that I knew I would just love wearing! Now I don't usually go for wacky jackets and I was a bit wary of buying this one as it was quite pricy and I didn't know whether I would get away with wearing it but as soon as I tried it on I fell in love!

I was also looking into buying some new makeup and thought I'd pop into the huuugggeee Selfridges in Manchester to just have a little browse. I naturally ended up gravitating towards the MAC counter and as usual one of the sales assistants asked if I needed any help. However, instead of saying I was fine, like I normally do, and carrying on just looking, I actually asked for her help with looking at some base products and the basics that she recommended. It ended up with me having a slight make over and getting to grips with using brushes (which i was an absolute flop at before then!) before spending an awful lot of money, but I'm justifying it with the fact that a) the sales assistant was so so lovely and b) I do need actually need all of it... But one moral of the story is that from now on I will always ask for help/the opinion of the assistants as most of the time they do actually know what they are talking about and most of them are genuinely nice people!

studio fix fluid: £21.50 MAC

foundation pump: £4.00 MAC

prep + prime highlighter (in radiant rose): £18 MAC

prep + prime transparent finishing powder: £20 MAC

powder blush (in fleur power): £18 MAC

I also popped into Boots to pick up my most wanted beauty tools. Ever since these brushes exploded onto the blogging scene with an abundance of positive reviews I knew I had to get my hands on them. I have some Bobbi Brown brushes and whilst I love them, they're getting old now and I definitely don't have as many as this! After my mini make over at the MAC counter I was more eager to get some brushes as they really do change the finish to your whole look. So I sort of went for a big splurge and got all the sets on offer. I cannot wait to try these out and I'll definitely be giving my thoughts on what they're like some time in the future!

the core collection: £21.99 BOOTS

the starter set: £21.99 BOOTS

the limited edition duo-fiber collection: £23.99 BOOTS

So there is my little haul from Manchester! I definitely spent too much money but I very much enjoyed doing so and definitely felt like I deserved too after my exams and not really spending that much on myself for a few months!

I'm super excited to start using the make up and brushes so I'm sure individual reviews will be coming soon!

eos lipbalms

EOS lipbalms are something that I was very eager to give a try but lusted after from afar due to their near impossibility to get hold of in England. As a result I had to wait until I ventured over the pond to pick some up and that's exactly what I did when I went to New York (in 2012... a very very long time ago!). There were a variety of flavours to choose from each with their own set of promises and properties but I chose these three - summer fruit (the red one), 'medicated' tangerine (orange) and strawberry sorbet (pink).

From what I gathered when looking for these, they are very similar to Vaseline in that you can pick them up in your local supermarket and they're relatively cheap. However, the packaging is so much more interesting and as usual when it comes to beauty products, it was the packaging that I was drawn to! They're super easy to use and much more fun to whip out than your average stick lip balm. It's also good that you can just pucker up and coat both lips with one swipe. The shape is very functional and super unique!

Unfortunately the scent of them is actually quite synthetic and there isn't even that much of a scent that resembles their supposed 'flavour'. When I first smelt them I was quite put off as it is very artificial. However, when actually put onto the lips the real taste and scent is revealed and as use goes on, the scent comes out more and more. Tangerine and strawberry sorbet have a relatively nice taste and something I quite enjoy applying but summer fruit isn't as enjoyable and probably something I'll have to get used to.

After first application, my lips felt like they had a 'layer' on them and it took a while for the product to actually sink in. But once it was all sunk in, my lips felt super moisturised. I do think they have the same sort of effect as your normal drugstore lip balm and not like your more expensive lip balms that offer more intense moisture. I felt that my lips were smooth and soft once I used them and there was a slight improvement to the overall condition of my lips but they did very quickly go back to being dry. However, I think this is very much down to my lips generally, because they are beyond dry normally, so when used on non-dry lips, I'm sure they would be great. I also think they'd be super handy for just popping into your bag or putting on your desk for a quick top up of moisture.

I also mentioned that each one comes with it's own claims and properties. Summer fruits came without a packet so I'm not sure what that one was for but I assume it provides what a typical lip balm provides and the packet for strawberry sorbet didn't claim to have any outstanding promises. Tangerine, however, is labelled as medicated with ingredients that immediately soothe the lip and protect from any anti-bacteria. It also helps relieve symptoms of cold sores and defend against bacterial contamination. Overall, though, I think each provides general moisture and protection from the everyday conditions that we put our lips through.

So as I mentioned I wouldn't necessarily recommend these for those with super dry lips unless you used a scrub type product with it as other balms/treatments would be better, but these would be nice for when lips are in a good condition and just need a little smoothing.

Here is the link to the lip balms on the EOS website but I don't think it ships to the UK, unfortunately. However, there is a variety of ebay sellers that also sell them and most for very reasonable prices!

As I'm writing this post my cat is pushing the lip balms around so whilst they're great for us girls (and guys!) to use to moisturise our lips, they're great toys for pets as well - something for all the family!

prada candy perfume

So this post has been a long time coming. Mostly because I just haven't gotten round to blogging about it (read: lazy) and also because it's taken a while for me to really test out this perfume. Since purchasing it, I've just not been that drawn to it and I very much think it's down to the fact that I buy perfumes based on their appearance rather than their actual fragrance and that is exactly what happened with this one. I just popped it straight into my basket at duty free without so much as a whiff of it so it's my own fault for not being as into it as some of my other perfumes. However, when I made the move to university I thought I'd take it with me to try and give it another chance and I'm actually enjoying using it so I feel that I can now give it a justified review...

Prada Candy Perfume (£39.50 (30ml) @ the perfume shop)

Apologies for the battered box, it didn't travel too well...

So as I mentioned, this was definitely a perfume I bought because of its packaging and the advertising that went with it. This is partly a good thing because that's what the company's aim is to do and I very much fell for their tricks. But it's bad because I bought it without smelling it. I also said that I got this in duty free which is where I get most of my perfumes from and I also end up going on a whim spending spree whenever I'm in duty free because I like to think that whatever I buy in there doesn't really count (who doesn't justify in this way?!). So again, I didn't really think through this purchase in the most logical of ways.

I initially thought it'd be really sweet and fruity and a great summer fragrance. Oh how wrong I was! It's actually super strong and I continually get wafts of it throughout the day no matter how busy I've been. I personally think it's better for an autumn/winter day perfume as it's not too deep as to just be saved for the evening/night but it's definitely not a light, fresh scent. It is very feminine and slightly seductive, but not so much that it can't be worn during the day. As I've started to wear it more it has very much grown on me. My flatmate has even commented on it a couple of times when I've worn it and he's a typical 'lad' so that's really saying something!

I'm absolutely rubbish with describing scents so I've had a little look on some websites and it says that "magnified by white musks, noble benzoin comes together with a modern caramel accord to give the fragrance a truly unique signature" - this was taken from the Debenhams website where you can also get it for £41.50 (30ml).

It isn't my favourite ever scent but when I do make the effort to wear it, I actually really like it and it makes me feel very sophisticated as it's such a strong scented perfume. I do usually prefer lighter scents so I'll be interested to see what the newer L'Eau release is like (this time i'll definitely give it a spritz before i buy it!).

Overall I do think I'd recommend this for those that do like a heavier perfume that'll last all day and gain you some compliments along the way but if you do prefer something lightweight, fresh and girly I'd probably steer clear.

2014 is a brand new start

So most people's main resolution as the new year comes in is to make a fresh start of things and to do all that stuff that they've been putting off for so long or that they've wanted to do for a while. And every year I succumb to this tradition and take part in trying to kid myself that I will become a better person. Most years I fail and fall into a vicious circle of self loathing that I haven't done what I wanted to do or that I've not been the nicest I could. However, 2014 has been pretty different...

Unfortunately my year has started out with my first ever set of university exams which were probably the most stressful and the most fear inducing I have ever undertaken. But I really worked my ass off for them and I'm proud to say that I feel quite confident about them. I'm yet to see the results but they're the first exams that I have ever come out of feeling happy, and I very much think that's down to the amount of revision I have done. Therefore I have managed to stick to my resolution of working harder. But due to this huge amount of work and revision I've had to put everything else aside and as per, my blog has been neglected. However, with the new year, I've had a rethink and a bit of a revamp of my blog.

As you will see there's a new name - Beth's Bias. I decided to change because I felt that 'The English Girl' was just a little old and a little too young for me and I wanted something more personal and grown up. So I've chosen something that has my own name in it and something a bit more catchy. I also chose the word 'bias' because it's another word for opinion and that is essentially what my blog is - a pace to voice my opinion about all sorts of things. With this new name I'm hoping to sort of start my blog again. Obviously all my old posts will remain but I'm hoping to just make things a bit better. I've actually had my blog for about 2 and a bit years but it hasn't really gone anywhere and I think it's because I slack a lot when blogging. But I'm hoping that this change in name will give me a little boost to blog regularly, even if it's a just a couple of times a week (it's definitely a blogging resolution!).

But as there's been a change in name, most of my social media platforms have also changed names! My twitter name is now '@bethsbias' and my e-mail is 'bethsbias@outlook.com' - feel free to contact me through either of these ways. Also I've had to claim a different blog on Bloglovin' and as a result I've lost all of my followers on there which is a shame! So please go over and refollow me! You can use the button to the left side of my blog if you scroll down slightly or just go over to the website/app and type in 'beths bias' into the search bar and it's the top one!

So anyway, apart from all the changes to do with the blog, not much has been happening with my life. I finished my exams on Friday and spent the night just relaxing with friends and having a few drinks which was nice. I had the best lie in yesterday as it was the first time I hadn't set an alarm in a long day! I spent the day not doing much, just doing my washing, watching films and pampering myself which was very long overdue! And today, I decided to make a very impromptu surprise trip home to see my parents! Luckily I don't go to university far from where I live so it was very easy for me to get home. Safe to say my parents were very shocked and I've had the loveliest evening just being with them (and getting very frustrated with my new blog header - cue lots of googling and altering of the picture!).

I thought I'd also do a little round up of all the Instagram snaps I've taken since christmas time/the new year started :)

chocolate christmas yumminess /// krispy kreme goodies /// chocolate reindeer /// manchester christmas markets /// tapas lunch /// charity tree decorations /// naughty pencil case /// cath kidston christmas phone case /// christmas care package from my mum /// beautiful sunset /// new shoez /// tackiest christmas jumper going /// christmas necessities /// wagamama lunch /// my presents to my parents and cat /// new beautiful vagabonds /// my very own moomin toy (!!!) /// adorable new bunny phone case /// favourite ring /// freshly painted nails

So that's what I've been getting up to lately which isn't all that much. I really need to start taking more photos and putting more on Instagram I think. I'm hopefully going to keep up with these updates, maybe not weekly because I'm not sure I take enough for that, maybe monthly? One thing I am going to try and do for a weekly update though is something called a 'Sunday Reading'. Another of my resolutions is to read more books! I'm such a bookworm but never take the time to just sit down and curl up with a good story. So this year I'm going try and read a book a week and by doing a Sunday round up based on which book I've read that week should be good motivation. If you want to keep up with which books I've read, I'm reading or want to read, you should check me out on Goodreads. It's a great website for all book worms so feel free to go over and follow me on there - my display name is Beth Sutton.

That's all from me I think... I don't have much else to update on I don't think. Bit of a rambly post but I hope you got this far! Hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting! 

:)

LUSH christmas goodies

So today I thought I'd share with you all the christmas themed offerings I picked up from LUSH this year. I honestly could have taken all of it but I narrowed it down to 5 bath products and a soap from the christmas collection. I've also asked my mum for one of the LUSH box sets for christmas so hopefully I'll be able to try out some more products then! But for now, here's what I picked up!

Just a little extra note: Unfortunately, as I am at university and have no access to a bath, full reviews on what these goodies are like will have to wait until I am home later this month. I will give you some thoughts on their scent and appearance though!

So the first thing I picked up was this LUSH christmas classic, the Magic Wand Bubble Bar! The idea with this is to swirl it about in your bath in order to produce an endless stream of beautiful bubbles. I remember seeing this last year and being gutted about not getting my hands on one so I'm super happy to be able to try one out this year! Now this is very sweet smelling and has the same scent as the Snow Fairy shower gel (which i'm gutted i forgot to get on my little LUSH trip!). It's super girly and just adds that little bit extra to your bath time!

Now if this isn't just the most adorable thing you have ever seen in your life then I don't know what is! The lady in the store (who was possibly the nicest, most informative person i have ever met!) actually told me that this little bubble bar is based on the blue penguins that live all the way in Australia which not only enticed me even more to buy one but also showed me how LUSH really do think about all their products. This little guy has a much more fresh scent to it than the Magic Wand bubble bar which is slightly citrus-y and also a little bit floral. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to put him in the bath as he's just too cute to see melt away!

I was actually a little bit sceptic about purchasing this bath melt due to all the glitter. I remember Zoella in her LUSH christmas haul how much glitter it shed (see above picture for proof!) and I personally don't want to be coating myself in a layer of glitter when I go to moisturise. However, I was very much drawn to the scent which is super uplifting and has a really strong scent of lime (honestly, every time i can come into my room i can smell it even though it's still in it's packet, in the carrier bag!). The lady I was speaking too also said that there's only really one thin layer of glitter so it's not actually too bad. Plus it does look really pretty... I guess I can make do with a little sparkle in my life this christmas!

I wasn't actually drawn to this when I walked into the shop, purely for it's appearance. It sort of looked like two different coloured play doughs moulded together. However, the slight iridescent shimmer and scent convinced me to go for it. The Candy Mountain bubble bar smells deliciously of bubble gum and I just know it's going to be a luxurious bath when I use it. There's a slight hint of vanilla to it as well so it doesn't get too sickly although I would advise not to use the whole bar at once! I actually can't wait to use this and turn my bath water a lovely shade of pink!

Now this is another LUSH classic, the Cinders bath ballistic, but as I'm not really keen on bath ballistics (they don't really add much apart from some colour to a bath) I wasn't going to bother getting it. However, as I'm a sucker for the hype I gave in and added it to my basket! I think I chose this one over the other bath ballistics because it has popping candy on the top and I really can't wait to see what they're like in the bath! I think they'll just be a little more exciting than your average bath product. 'm not too keen on the scent as it's cinnamon but I think there will be nothing more perfect than this in a nice bubbly bath on Christmas Eve so I think I'm just going to deal with it!

So after I'd put Cinders into my basket, I was heading to the till to pay when my flatmate actually pointed this soap out to me. I gave it a big sniff and I was actually pleasantly surprised. It's the Snow Globe soap and it's super fresh. Again, quite citrus-y (are you seeing a theme here...) but this time, lemon. I think I'm going to save this for when I have a bath but I'm really interested to see if the scent transfers to the skin and lingers for a while afterwards. I also think it would be nice to use in the morning to perk you up a bit and give you a really fresh start to the day.

So there are my picks from this years LUSH christmas collection. There were so many other things I wanted to pick up but I think I did a pretty good job at limiting myself to only a few. I'm super excited to try everything out and as I've said, I'll give full and proper reviews once I've had chance to try them out later this month. But I really recommend going and checking out the offerings in shops and talking to the employees who are always so nice and informative! I never walk away with anything I don't like!

Have you picked anything up from the LUSH christmas collection? If so let me know in the comments!

OPI you callin' me a lyre?

I've finally got round to posting about the third nail varnish I picked up when in New York (last year! eek...). Now I tried all of the colours separately and reviewed them as I used them but I really feel I've saved the best until last. I absolutely adore this colour and out of the three I've tried from the New York Ballet collection this is the one I think you should all get!

Like the other two colours I've tried from the collection this is a very sheer pastel colour but actually provides a much nicer finish than the other too as it's a much more natural colour. It's also a very gorgeous colour, the perfect pale rose pink.

It's an extremely watery consistency (as were the other too) which made me a bit doubtful at first as to what it was going to be like and it is only slightly pigmented but I actually quite like that as it's unlike any of my other polishes. I think it would actually work really well for when you want to do a french manicure.

Unfortunately you can't really do one/a couple of thick coats to increase pigmentation as it's so watery that it would just run everywhere and smudge like crazy so I've just had to go for the thinner coats and a lighter finish. However, just one coat instantly made my nails look brighter and lovelier and healthier that I wasn't going to bother with any extra layers (but i did for the purposes of this review!). Honestly, I was so impressed with the way the polish looked on the nails. 3 coats is about as much as you can do before it starts to get a bit messy and you can still see my white tips through the varnish but that is, obviously, just because of how pale the polish is anyway.

It really is a very simple nude pink (occasionally looking beige in some lights) but honestly THE perfect nude. It's very natural and super subtle so would be great if you wanted a discrete nail varnish or if you're not allowed to wear any at school/work. I feel that it's a very sophisticated colour as well and whilst it is subtle, it's not completely unnoticeable and when I was wearing it I often gazed down at my nails to admire how lovely they looked!

Another way I'd wear it is under glitter polishes as a really simple base (it's actually how i'm going to paint my nails next so look out for a picture on my instagram! @bethsutton_).

It has a relatively good drying time but smudges very easily unfortunately. I actually learnt the hard away and about 15/20 minutes after painting my nails, I completely messed one of them up! I think how easily they smudge is to do with how many layers you use but you need more layers to get a good colour so it's a tricky situation! On the other hand, I found the staying power of this polish to be really really great. I never use a top coat (naughty!) but it didn't chip at all! It lasted for days (about 3 which is pretty darn good considering no top coat!) before any signs of chipping which I'm super happy about!

The colour is very true to the bottle unlike the other shades I tried and because of this I didn't actually think I'd like it that much but it's just so pretty. I can't wait to repaint my nails with this colour! Unfortunately it's not really an autumn/winter colour but I love it nevertheless and come spring 2014, it'll be perfect!

There we go then, the last of the polishes that I tried from OPI's New York Ballet collection. I have to say that they are mixed feelings for the colours that I tried but this is by far my favourite so if you have chance, go and check it out!

Updates!

1. I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to post a little more regularly but this post has come a little later than hoped. Unfortunately I've just been super busy with university, university work, university life, catching up with friends, regularly calling my parents etc. I've just had a lot going on and my blog has had to take a little back seat... I've also been turning to X Factor in my spare time as I have so much to catch up on and it requires very little energy!
2. I've really not been up to much recently and the most exciting thing I've done is go to one of the club's in town with my flatmates for a night out. It was pretty cool and I actually managed to meet up with a friend from home which was great. I was very tired the next morning but worth it I think.
3. Today has been super chilled and I've just been reading blogs, catching up with X Factor, watching YouTube videos and reading articles for university - not all that interesting really. 
4. And it's exactly what I'm planning on doing tomorrow as well! 

I'm off to finish watching some X Factor but fingers crossed I'll be here tomorrow! Night!