40 Questions Beauty Tag

So I just came back from my holiday abroad, so I do apologise for the lack of posts. I have a lot coming up but meanwhile I thought I should do a fun tag because I haven't done one in quite a while. I thought this one would be quite fun because there are ALOT of questions all to do with beauty. Also I haven't seen many people do this tags sooo lets get started...

Skincare

1. How many times do you wash your face daily?

   
2 times

2. What skin type do you have?

  

     Combo

3. What is your current face wash?

 

    Balea Gel Wash with grapefruit

4. Do you exfoliate?

   
Yes

5. What brand do you use? 

 
 At the moment, L'Oreal

6. What moisturiser do you use?

 
 Dr Jart V7 Relief Vita Drop moisturiser 

7. Do you have freckles?

  
      No

8.  Do you use eye cream?

 
     Rarely 

9.  Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

   
     No, not really, sometimes I get a few spots here and there but nothing much.

10. Do you ever have to use pro activ?

     
      No

Makeup

11. What foundation do you use?

   
       I don't really wear foundation because I have quite clear skin and I don't feel as if I really need to use it.

12. How about concealer?

   
      I love the Maybelline Fit me Concelaer in shade 10. It has a great light, whipped texture but has great coverage.

13. Do you know you undertone colour?

 

      Nope, not really, I've tried figuring it out but I just don't get it! I think I'm more of a neutral or warm tone ;)

14. What do you think of fake lashes?

      I've actually never tried fake lashes, I just think it's kinda scary but I think it looks really good when done properly.

15.  Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?

     
Yeah, but that probably doesn't happen often with my mascaras.

16. What brand of mascara do you use?

     
       I always like to switch things up so at the moment Im using many brands like maybelline, benefit and essence

17.  Sephora or Mac? 

     
       I don't have a Sephora where I live but I love going there when I'm abroad. I would have to say Sephora because there's a lot of brands while in Mac there's just the one brand. But I do love Mac too

18. Do you have a Mac Pro card?

   
      Nope

19. What makeup tools do you in your makeup application?

     
      Brushes  

20. Do you use makeup base/primer for the eyes?

     
      When I'm applying more eye shadow than normal, I like to apply a primer but everyday I don't really reach for the primers.

21. For the Face?

      When I know I'm going to wear more makeup than the usual I like to wear a primer but if I'm just doing the everyday makeup then normally I don't wear a primer.

22. What is your favourite eye shadow?

     I don't have a particular shadow that's my favourite but I do really love the loreal shadows and quads. They are some shadows I would really recommend.

23. Do you use pencil or liquid liner?

      I tend to reach for the eyeliner pens or the pencil/Kohl liners

24. What do you think of pigment shadows?

      I think that the colours are normally very pigmented and look gorgeous on the eyes but I feel as if their very messy and take a long time to clean up.

25. Do you use mineral makeup?

      No

26. What is your favourite lipstick?

      Maybelline Colour Whisper in Shade Mocha Muse

27. How about lip gloss

 

     Urban Decay Naked Lip Gloss in Liar

28. What is your favourite blush to use?

     Loreal le blush in sandlewood pink

29. Do you buy makeup on eBay?

      No

30. Do you like drugstore makeup?

      Yes, of course!

31. Do you go to CCO's

     Not really sure what this means so I guess no..

32. Did you ever consider going to makeup classes? 

      No

33. Are you clumsy at putting on makeup?

      Not really (I think)

34. Name a makeup crime that you hate?

      I would have to say this 1 thing which I know a lot of people like- overlly filled in eyebrows which make them look like boxes.

35. Do you like colourful shades in makeup or neutral?

      Neutral all the way

36. Which celebrity always has great makeup?

       I always love Taylor swift's makeup looks, their always very classic and just gorgeous. A bit off topic, but I also really love the Victoria's Secret angels makeup, it always looks so beautiful and flawless.

37. If you could leave the house using only one make up product what would it be?

      Definitely mascara because it really makes your eyes pop and just makes you look more awake.

38. Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

      Of course, I do it very often

39. Do you think you look good even without makeup on?

      Yeah definitely, I feel as if you should feel confident without make up and not feel as if you need makeup to make you 'pretty'.

40. In your opinion what is the best makeup line?

      I can't really decide because I love so many brands but maybe loreal, Maybelline and Mac

41. What do you think of makeup?

I personally love makeup! I think that it's so much fun just applying makeup and just having fun with it. I feel as if many women use makeup because they don't feel confident or pretty without it, but I feel as if makeup is something that should be used to enhance our features, not to hide them. I just want to say to all you reading this that you're beautiful with and without makeup and don't feel as if you really need to wear makeup.

So hope you guys enjoyed this tag, I tag all of you to do this if you would like to and please leave down in the comments any of your answers to these questions. Also leave some suggestions of anything you would like me to do next and see you later.

Lots of love

Alex joy xxx

     

My Summer Essentials

As summer has finally arrived, I have discovered some amazing  beauty essentials that I'm definitely going to be needing this summer. There are some amazing new products out there, which I have completely fallen in love with.

Body

The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Scrub

When summer hits the scrubs come out. I love having really smooth legs in summer since its all about shorts and dresses. This scrub is phenomenal! First of all the scent.. I cannot describe in words. It smells so fresh and Limey with a hint of mint. It just smells like a Caribbean vacation. This scrub is more of a gel type, rather than a creamy type scrub. It has very small grains but also there's large beads which give you slightly more exfoliation. It's not very abrasive, it's more something that you could use more often like 1-4 times a week. It's quite gentle and leaves your skin extremely soft and lightly scented. The Virgin Mojito range is actually limited edition for summer so I would get my hands on it as soon as possible.

Escada Cherry in the Air Perfume

Recently I got this perfume on sale, and was really excited since I love Escada perfumes, their just so fruity and sweet. This smells amazing, it has that very fruity, sweet scent that most Escada perfumes have. It has main notes of cherry, raspberry and apricot, middle notes of marshmallow, gardenia, vanilla and orchids and  bottom notes of sandalwood, musk and white sued. It lasts quite long on the skin and is overall just an amazing fragrance.

Skincare 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion 

You can see that I have been loving the body shop lately, but this I have to say is one of the products that's not gonna be leaving my beauty bag. I recently bought this product and after 1 use I could tell the difference. It really does make your breakouts less noticeable and is very light weight so It's perfect for the summer.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Lip balm 

Recently my lips have been super dry even though it's starting to be slightly warmer. Most of my lip balms are for making your lips really soft and conditioned but not that much to healing really cracked lips, so I decided I had to buy something to help my lips. I picked this because I heard that Candice Swanepoel uses this so of course, her being the beauty that she is I had to buy it. First of all it smells heavenly just like a cocoa, chocolate scent and it really does repair chapped lips. This lip balm is also very affordable so it's something that's gonna be a must have this summer.

Makeup

NYX Illuminator in Narcissistic 

The past couple months I have been all about highlighters. I've never been a person who really wore highlighters because I thought it just made you look shiny but recently I have fallen in love. The one I have been using is the NYX Illuminator in the shade Narcissistic. It is a really pretty shade that is quite peachy and warm toned. It gives the perfect amount of shimmer and gives an overall glowy look.

Tinted lip Balms 

Now, I don't have a specific balm but for summer I think these are necessary. I love the tinted baby lips, pixi and some other brands. I think they just give the right amount of colour and are really light and  super moisturizing.

Nails

Barry M Hi Shine Polish in Rose hip

Lately I've been seeing a lot of people with this gorgeous light pink shade and I just had to try it myself. The colour looks so good especially with a tan. Also this formula is very smooth and super shiny. It's a great light shade perfect for the summer.

So these are some of the things I will be rocking this summer, and hopefully I have given you all some more ideas. Please tell me your summer must haves in the comments below and talk to u next time.

Alex Joy xx

Battle of: Dry shampoos

Now on my blog I've talked a lot about the products I've loved but not about the products that weren't so good. So I wanted to make a series of different battles. So this week im going to be doing a dry shampoo battle. Leave down any requests for any other types of products I should do this for.So let's get started!

Garnier Ultimate Blends Dry Shampoo- Shine Revitaliser  1/10

This dry shampoo is pretty affordable and its part of the newer Garnier Ultimate blends range. Since I didn't hear anyone talk about it, I thought that I should try it out. The shine revitaliser has lemon and green tea. I think there is also another one with vanilla milk. I loved the smell, ( its really fresh and zingy) so I really had my hopes up. It claims to be a 7 in 1:

• Instantly cleanses 
• Absorbs grease at the roots 
• Light weight feel 
• Leaves hair feeling soft to the touch 
• Hair easy to detangle 
• Blissful fragrance 
• Leaves no visible residue

Well out of the 7 I only notice 2. One of them being that it is completely clear! It's like spraying water in your hair. There is no powder or anything, It is just a wet sticky liquid. It makes your hair look 10 times more greasier than what it already is. It does not absorb anything! It's like pouring buckets of water on your hair. I'm sorry but I just had to give this a 1.

 

Herbal Essences Uplifting Volume Dry Shampoo  4/10
 

When I heard that herbal essences was coming out with a dry shampoo, I freaked out! I have loved every product I have tried from their line ,so I was overly excited. There is several in the range. I picked up the one for volume because that's what I was looking for. This one smells absolutely amazing! It smells delicious ,just like oranges! I love how this one doesn't have a dry shampoo scent, because although a lot of them are scented I feel there's always some kind of powdery scent. This one doesn't have that! So anyway the product itself is very sticky and it just feels as if your spraying hairspray in you roots. It also makes you hair feel very coarse and almost dry. It gives a very unhealthy look to the hair and makes it just look hard. I'd suggest to avoid this one (try resist the scent!).

Dove Refresh and Care Dry shampoo  6/10
 

Now this dry shampoo was hyped up soooo much on YouTube I just had to try it. As you can see I find it much better than the other ones but to me it is stil not perfect. Overall it's quite good, it really does absorbs all the oils and makes you hair look clean but still healthy. The only thing is the texture it leaves you with. Although your hair look pretty, it feels quite dirty. So when you touch your hair it has quite a gritty, dirty feeling which some others don't have. It does have a white cast but it rubs away easily. I would buy it again if my fav ( wait till the end to see which one it is!) wasn't in the store but otherwise probably not. But definitely try it out.

Lush No drought Dry Shampoo 2/10

 

I've heard that this is some peoples whole Grail product, but definatly not mine. It leaves such a white cast that it can't be blended out! It's like dusting flour on your head. It comes in a bottle that is hard to use and it takes so much time. It is also quite pricey, the big bottle is around £7. I would avoid it ,but some people love it so definitely see what works for you.

Batiste Dry Shampoo   9/10

Now if you've stuck with me till the end.....tada!! This is my all time holy grail product. I can't recommend this enough. It really makes you hair look amazing and fresh. There's diffrent scents to choose from, at the moment I have been loving the neon one ( pomegranate and jasmine). This one smells like a really nice perfume, it gorgeous. I have tried the volumizing one but it didn't really work with me. But the others that I have tried are amazing. It's just the perfect dry shampoo anyone could ask for.

So I hope you guys now know a little more about dry shampoos and now know what to go for! If you have any recommendations please leave them down bellow and also tell me what other product battles you would like me to do. Enjoy your week!

AlexJoy xx

 

2014 Beauty Favourites

First of all Happy New Year everyone!! Hope you all had a very nice holiday and are recovering from all the food. So I'm here to tell you all of my favs from 2014 ( I'm sorry I'm kinda late on this) .This year has really flown by! I had to narrow this down since there was a flood of products. So anyway let's get started.....( This is gonna be a long one).

Skincare 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

This was the year I discovered this amazing product. Now this is a miracle worker for taking off your makeup. It just swipes it off with no tugging or any pressure. It also comes in a very big bottle so it lasts you a while. Since I love it so much  I've repurchased it over and over.

Simple Deep Cleansing Face Mask

This mask is the perfect mask. It's perfect for a weekly mask when your not wanting anything too heavy and stripping. It's not targeted for acne, tightening or anything like that, so it's great for just deep cleaning and taking of the dead cells making your skin really soft and refreshed.

Simple Rapid Action Spot Zapper

I loved to keep beside my bed so that before I went to bed I could just apply it to any of my blemishes.  I discovered this early this year and I am still using it. It's great for reducing redness and the size. The spot zapper contains zinc and chamomile which makes it very calming and soothing. It also had a rollerball at the top which makes it very easy to apply and very cooling.

Body Care

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel

This I cannot describe in words. The smell is incredible. It's smells of roses but it's diffrent. The rose jam scent is very warm and deep. The thing I love about this is that when your in the shower you can actually smell it, because I find often with scented shower gels they almost disappear, you just can't smell them at all in the shower. And when you get out of the shower, it lingers on your skin which I find amazing. Unfortunately it's limited edition so it only comes out in Winter, so I always stock up on the big bottles!It is pretty pricey but to me it really is worth it!

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter

You've all heard me talk about this, so I won't make this too long. This literally smells of fresh peaches! It really cannot get better. It's super moisturising and makes your skin silky smooth and very soft. I did use this more during the spring and summer but I still used it this winter because it really reminds me of summer! Someone told me that they are discontinuing this scent which I'm not sure about,so if you know please tell me!

Hair Care

Well Luxe Oil

This first of all smells of vanilla which is amazing! (Can you tell I love my scents) I like to apply this to my hair once I get out of the shower and leave it to soak in for a couple mins before I blow dry my hair. It makes your hair so soft and silky and it takes the frizz. Really is a great product but it is in the more expensive side.

Herbal Essences Bee Strong Leave-in Conditioner

This leave in conditioner has changed my hair. It's great at strengthening and detangling the hair. I also like to apply this to dry hair when I feel like my ends are getting dry or slightly frizzy and it just makes my hair look smooth and silky. It's also very affordable which makes it even better.

Makeup

Maybelline dream lumi touch highliting concealer- nude

I like to use this concealer for when I feel I have dark circles under my eyes. This just brightens them , making me look more awake and fresh. I also like to use this as a general highliter on the bridge of my nose or any other places for highliting. I discovered this product this year so I thought this was a must for my 2014 favs.

Mac Peachykeen Blush

This is the most perfect blush ever. It's a gorgeous pinky,peach shade and It has just enough shimmer to highlight the cheeks. It gives a very natural, glowy look without it beinging really glittery like a disco ball.

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder

I'm sure everyone knows about this. This is just a classic,well known bronzer. It's a really great Matt bronzer that I have been using all year round. And must I just say that this is around £1.99 which is just incredible! It lasts on the skin, gives a nice summer glow all year round and just looks amazing.

NYX Nude on Nude Pallete

This has become a staple in my makeup from 2014. It comes with 9 small shadows and 2 lip shades. The shadows are perfection! Their soooo smooth and silky and theirs a selection of matts, shimmers, sheens.Its a gorgeous natural bronzy, pinky Pallete. I don't use the lip products as much but they are still very nice. It's also very compact so it great for traveling or on the go.

Rimell Wonder'full mascara

First of all this attracted me because it said it had Argan oil inside, and knowing me anything with Argan oil gets me excited. When I heard it had just came out I literally ran straight to superdrug and bought it. I thought if it has Argan oil, not only will it make my lashes nice with mascara but it will make my lashes nice without mascara ( although I do have naturally very long lashes) because it will nourish them. Well now straight to the point... I love this mascara  and I think it really does volumize and lengthen your lashes. Definitely recommend it but unfortunately I haven't seen much of a diffrence to my lashes without mascara.

Model co Ultra Shine Lip Gloss- strip tease

This has been my staple this year. I didn't really have a lipstick to show since I'm always changing it up but this lipgloss has been my life in 2014. First of all it smells amazing like strawberries or something and secondly the colour and texture is beautiful. The colour is a gorgeous peachy,nude that has a tiny bit of silver shimmer. The texture is nice and smooth and the actual tube ( whatever it's called)comes with a mirror on the side thats very useful.

So I think those are all of my favs from 2014,hopefully I haven't missed anything out! Hope you all are having a wonderful 2015 so far and are enjoying what's left of the winter. Please tell me down below your favs and any suggestion for future blogposts!

Love AlexJoy xx

Top 5 Drugstore Products

I have some holy grail products from the drugstore that I just cant live without! These are my top 5 staples.

1. Maybelline Fit Me concealer- shade 10 Light

This has to be my favourite concealer of all time! I love it for everything. For correcting my blemishes and for using under my eyes. The concealer has quite good coverage, it hides all of your imperfections without being heavy or making it look cakey.It has the nicest whipped texture which is so creamy and blendable. It comes in a varaity of diffrent shades ranging from supper fair skin to dark.

2. Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks Blush- Sweet Cheeks

This is the perfect shade for everyday. It gives a lovely glow to the cheeks without it being too much. Although it is a matte shade it does make you look glowy and pretty. It's so natural and great for everyday. Also if you go to school or work and you can't wear too much makeup, this is perfect. It's a gorgeous pinky shade which is not too bright and great for all year round. The texture is not amazing but it's not bad either, It can be a bit chalky at times but overall I think it's perfect and it's only around £1.99.

3. L'oreal Paris Color Riche Quad- Nude Lingerie

These shadows are so creamy and smooth. They glide on your eyes and are really blendable. The packaging is also super cute and classy looking. I love the shades in this quad so much and if your a beginner to makeup it shows you all the steps at the back. It comes with a lid shade, crease shade,highlight everything.

4. MaxFactor Clump Defy Mascara- Brown/Black

If your not a big fan of really clumpy mascara like me definitely go for this one. It makes your lashes really volumized and long but not clumpy. Although the brush itself is plastic/rubbery it still manages to really separate your lashes. I love the shade brown /black because it gives a really natural look but it still makes your eyes pop.

5. L'oreal Paris GlamShine Stain Splash- Lolita 

I love to wear this when I'm in a rush or I want to do something quick. It glides on nicely and evenly. It's more pigmented than a lipgloss so Its kind of like a glossy liquid lipstick. This shade is a really pretty pinky, nude with some really small shimmer.

Hoped you all enjoyed, leave any comments down below on anything you would like me to do next and I'll see you next time! Have a Happy Holiday!

AlexJoy xx

Christmas Hot Chocolate

Since we're getting really close to Christmas I thought that I should do something more Christmassy. So as you can tell by the title I will be showing you how to make the perfect hot chocolate. As I also mentioned it in my winter essentials I thought this would be the perfect time to show you how I make it!

Ingredients: milk (estimate the amount or measure it into your mug first)

                   chocolate powder

                   whipped cream (optional)

                   marshmallows, Candy canes ( optional)

1. First you will pour the milk into your saucepan and heat gently or you can heat it in the microwave, whatever your preference .



2. While the milk is being heated add your chocolate powder ( 3-4 tsps.) into your mug. If you want it too be super Christmassy you can also add in some cinnamon.



3. Once your milk is heated add it to your mug with your chocolate powder. Mix it evenly so that the powder and milk dissolves evenly and add your toppings. You can use whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings or even crushed candy canes.

I Hope you all enjoyed this super easy Christmas recipe and try it at home. See you all next time

AlexJoy xx

Spa Night Essentials

Since we are starting to get into the super cold months, I have been giving myself much more pamper nights. I have a tone of essientials which I use to pamper myself so I thought it would be fun to show you all.

Face masks

This is an absoloute must, a pamper night is simply not complete without a face mask! One of my favs is the Montagne Jeunesse mask in strawberry souffle. It is made to purify and moisturises which it really does. But the smell! The smell is heavenly, it litterly smells of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. All of their masks are amazing , they have ones like chocolate,cucumber,guava there is really one for everyone.

Candles

Candles just make your house smell and feel super warm. Especially in autumn and winter it is just heavenly. One that I have been burning recently is the Bath and Body Works candle in 'Spiced Aplle Tody'. Smells of apples spices and caramel!

Cosy socks

Since it is super cold outside I love to keep warm with some fussy socks. And of course primark has the best socks ever!

 

Hot chocolate

This is a must! Hot chocolate just gives the wintery Christmassy vibe. A chocolate powder that I have been loving recently is the Twinings Dark Swiss Chocolate drink. I find that a lot of hot chocolate powders don't taste of real chocolate, but this one tastes of pure chocolate. Just as if you melted chocolate and added some milk.

Lip balm

Since your lips get super dry in the winter, you have to have a good lip balm. One of my favs is the Burts Bees Replenishing lip balm. This has pomegranate oil and is super nourishing. I love how it doesn't feel too thick on the lips but is still really moisturising.

Lush Bath Bombs

And I have saved the best for last! I cant even imagine a pamper night without lush bath bombs. I love using them all year round especially in winter. I have been obsessing over the Christmas ones!

Hope you guys enjoyed reading all of my essentials. If you have any I haven't mentioned feel free to comment. Looking forward to the next super Christmassy post!

Love AlexJoy xx