3 High-End Primers That Really Work

If you're into make-up and skincare, no doubt you've heard of and purchased multiple primers in your time. No doubt you've purchased some good ones and some terrible ones, that leave me looking like I applied my make-up with my eyes shut. I certainly have. And while I think some high-street cosmetic brands have great steals, I'm yet to find a primer that I love for under £20.

A good primer should help your foundation go on evenly, and last all day without caking, streaking or wearing off in patches.

Here's a round-up of my favourites from the last six months.

This Works In Transit Camera Close-Up (£30.00) 
This definitely has my number one spot. It isn't strictly a primer: it's a mask, moisturiser and primer all in one, and does every job perfectly. I love This Works; they have so many beautiful things (you must try their deep sleep range, if you haven't already) and this is one product that I buy regularly and have been doing for a long time.

With argan oil and other plant extracts, it's a beautiful natural product which ticks all the boxes. As the name suggests: this works.



Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil (£28.00)
I don't think any list of good primers is complete without a Smashbox mention. Possibly not good if you have naturally oily skin, but with combination skin this works a treat.

I think you get a lot for your money, and it lasted me ages. It made my skin exceptionally soft, and my foundation stayed put all day long. Definitely worth the splurge.

MAC Prep + Prime Skin (£21.00)
Surprisingly, since MAC are known for their price tags, this is the cheapest of the lot.

I wasn't blown away by this at first use, unlike the two above, but after about a week the difference in my skin was very noticeable. I goes on really smoothly, and lasted a long time since you only need a tiny amount. I found this one gave the best results for my skin overall, and the amount of dryness was visibly reduced after a couple of weeks. I use MAC's Fix+ spray to set my make-up, and the two work ideally together.

February Most Wanted: Topshop

While putting my entire wish list on my credit card and parading around in a new wardrobe seems like a wonderful idea, I'm not sure my bank manager would thank me for it. 

Until then, here's my Topshop Most Wanted for February. How gorgeous are those shoes?!

5 Lovely Things

I know most people hate Mondays, but I have to say I really love them, and I love Monday evenings. Perfect for curling up with a cuppa, reflecting on the previous week and weekend activities, and planning for the next 7 days. My normal Monday night consists of a quick hot yoga or Crossfit session, then home to cook dinner and meal plan for the coming days. And of course, this evening is going to be twice as great because The Walking Dead starts again (Daryl Dixon, anyone?) and I've been waiting what feels like forever for it.

01. This weekend saw the first wedding fair of my life, at a hotel in Harrogate, prefaced by breakfast at Betty's Tea Rooms with my mum. Family time is really important to me, so it was lovely to spend the day together and look at all the pretty things to choose from. I'm now a little confused, a little overwhelmed, and a lot excited!

20 Beautifully Rustic Cakes You'll Definitely Want at Your Wedding

For a self-confessed foodie, wedding cake shopping is pretty torturous. I just want to dive headfirst into every single one, and not give a hoot about that honeymoon body. Do we want buttercream, fondant, royal icing, all three or none of the above?! Chocolate cake, Victoria sponge, or fruitcake? (Probably not the latter.) Three tiers or more? So many choices, so many cakes, and so much time to get carried away!

I've been seriously drooling over rustic cakes garnished with beautiful flowers, berries, and intricate cake-toppers. These are some gorgeous rustic-themed cakes that will give you serious cakespiration.

 

Brownie Mix Overnight Oats

I'm not a breakfast person. (Or a morning person, but you can see some tips here for how to make mornings much more productive and enjoyable.) But one thing guaranteed to get me out of bed is a good breakfast, and if I don't have to do any prep then that's even better!

Prep for this is all done the night before, so when I'm putting together my lunch for the next day I can also make breakfast at the same time. I can't quite remember where I found the recipe for this - Pinterest I'm sure - but I adapted it slightly anyway.

1 cup oats

1 cup almond milk (or similar, whatever you prefer)

0.5 cup Greek yoghurt

2 tblsp cocoa powder (or more/less to taste)

Cacao nibs to decorate

Then all you do is mix it together in a bowl, and put it into a jar and refrigerate! This makes enough for 2, so split it into separate containers unless you're known for your raging appetite first thing in the morning. Ideally you want to keep it in the fridge overnight, but 1-2 hours should do it if you can't wait for morning.

Book Review: In A Dark, Dark Wood

My advice? Cancel your plans this evening, pick up a copy of this eerie novel on your way home, curl up with a cuppa, and get drawn in.

Summary:

Nora hasn’t seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s bachelorette party arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?

But something goes wrong. Very wrong.

Boho Wedding Inspiration

Before James and I got engaged, I had 101 ideas of what I wanted for our wedding. I had Pinterest boards and all sorts. (Don't worry, he knows and thinks it's hilarious that I was thinking about it way before he popped the question.)

But now that it comes down to making actual decisions, it turns out that I really don't have a clue where to start! Finding a band we like seems an impossible task; how do we choose which invitations we want when I'll be sending Save the Dates months before the actual invitations and might change my mind a hundred times; WHERE do we find the perfect cake that doesn't cost the earth but looks like it does; don't even ask me about dresses. My list of what I don't want is currently longer than what I do want. Is this a normal problem for a bride-to-be, or are you all more decisive than I am??

James and I are a fairly relaxed couple, and haven't been to look at a single venue yet, let alone fixing a date, choosing a colour scheme or going cake-tasting - that, in particular, I'm looking forward to. We like relaxing by the fire, long walks with the dog, good food and even better wine, and a minimal amount of stress or fuss. And we want our special day to not only reflect that but incorporate elements of our daily lives to make it even more 'us'.

Something rustic, something with a bohemian twist, would suit us down to the ground. Lots of candles, flowers everywhere, most things made or designed by hand... That sounds pretty divine. We've found a tipi company who supply their tents with wooden benches, faux-animal skin rugs, fire pits and plenty of space for little trinkets and details, so watch this space to find out how our meeting with them went!