The Best Drugstore Mascara?

                            Hold your horses - I'm not saying that everyone is going

                    to fall in love with it, because everyone's different. But this 

                   little hidden gem, is my secret love. For the past few months, 

                        I have found myself using it everyday - without fail.

                       May I introduce you to the Barry M Lash Vegas Mascara... 

                   

                 It looks quite obvious how much use this baby has endured - it's looking

                   pretty worse for wear. I think people dismiss this mascara, as Barry M are much 

                 more loved for their nail products, and not so much mascaras. They brought this 

                  out probably a year ago now, when they re-vamped their collection, and I 

                     actually got this as a freebie. At the time when it was first released, they     

                   had a deal on, where if you spent so much on Barry M - you'd get a free

                    mascara. At first, I must admit I wasn't that excited, and my expectations

                       weren't terribly high, as nobody spoke about this product.

     

                 But my god, was I suprised. In fact, I can remember the first time I used 

                  it - It just lengthened my lashes too new extremes (believe it or not, it's up

                 there with my all time favourite 'They're Real' from Benefit) and it just made 

                   them look so lovely! Luckily, my eyelashes are naturally quite long, so

                 they just fan them out and make them all fluttery and pretty. Whenever 

                  I use this gem - the compliments on my lashes just come rolling in...

                   

  

                  One thing I really love about Lash Vegas, is it's brush. If you are a lover of small 

                 mascara wands - you need this mascara. Personally, I don't mix well with

                   big mascara wands ( I once tried out the Rimmel Scandaleyes - and it went 

                     everywhere. No exaggeration) so, naturally this works wonders for me.

                 I'd totally recommend using this alongside another volumising mascara - I add 

                  a coat of Max Factor's 'Wild Volume' mascara, and then even it, and lengthen

                     my lashes out with Lash Vegas. It works like a dream. Even using this alone,

                 is super effective - perfect for those 'no makeup' makeup days. 

 

       

            Left Side- Using Lash Vegas            Right Side- Bare Eyelashes... EEK!

                  This mascara is available on all Barry M stands in Boots and Superdrug,

                   or online on their website. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that this baby 

                     retails at around £5-6... which is a bargain if you ask me! 

                    

                     I'm running out of this mascara, and it's definately going

               to be repurchased, due to it's amazingness. Lash Vegas needs

                much more recognition! Try it out, and I guarantee you won't be

              disappointed! Barry M - if you're reading this, I BLOODY LOVE 

                YOUR MASCARAS... just putting it out there.

                SO that's all for today folks, I hope you're going to go out 

              and buy this hidden gem now. Although, I apologise in advance 

               for the upcoming addiction. :)  I will see you guys this time 

                 tomorrow, and in the meantime - have a lovely day, and 

                    keep smiling! Love, Yaz x

ED Recovery Advice.

                      Hello my lovely readers! As I said in yesterdays post - today is

                 something a bit different to my usual 'makeup' and 'fashion'.

                   As I have said before, I'm currently in recovery for an 

                  eating disorder, and I thought writing these kinds of posts would

                 not only help me out - but you guys too. 

                 Mental health is a big thing. It's NO joke. A lot of people are 

               currently battling one, and as hard as it may seem, and as much

                as you want to just give up - YOU WILL get there one day. 

                    

        

            In this series, I'm going to focus on a few different illnesses - starting 

              with eating disorders and the effects they have on your body.

              I've been living with Anorexia Nervosa for around 2 years now, after years of

                 hating my body, and wishing I could just be 'thin'. Now, this is becoming 

               increasingly popular within young girls - but the scary truth is that you 

                 won't just become skinny - you're at risk of dying. 

                 Believe it or not, eating disorders actually have the highest mortality rate out 

                  of all mental illnessess. The more you 'skip that meal', the higher the chances

                 there are of you dying. It doesn't seem that way initialy, but it's pretty scary.

               

                    Living with an eating disorder is actually HELL. As much as I want to just 

                 banish it for good, there are still parts of me that think I'll become 'fat' 

                   if I eat that chocolate bar, or them crisps. This is exactly why ED's are a 

                     vicious circle. Luckily, I have had a lot of support in my recovery,

                   as I was an inpatient at a mental health hospital for 8 months - where they 

                     really knuckled down on me, and I swear my diet plan changed everyday. 

                   As much of that time was horrible, I really have learnt, and grown a lot from 

                     those 8 months. 

      

           One common mistake about eating disorders, is people often asossiate them with

            'young' and 'vunerable' teenage girls. BUT this is not true. ANYONE, yes, 

             anyone can develop an ED.  Boys, Girls, Men, Women - the stereotype of an 

              anorexic is probably someone like me- but in my recovery, I've met many 

               different types of people who are struggling in the same ways as me. 

             Eating Disorders are sneaky little things, and I was lucky enough to have my friends

           pick up on my behaviours, and they went on to tell my mum. So if you 

              are worried about a friend, a parent, a sibling - or even yourself, PLEASE contact

          somebody, such as recovery website www.beat.co.uk. Because, the earlier

               you catch it, the sooner you can help them recover. Falling into the deep black

            hole of Anorexia and Bulimia is deadly. 

          

     

             In the meantime, I'm going to draw todays serious post to an end -       

            if you need ANY advice, then please don't hesitate to email me 

          at lipsticksandcandlesticks@gmail.com, and I will try my hardest

            to give you the advice you need. 

            If you liked this kind of post, please let me know in the comments -

             as I really want to educate people on the shocking truths about 

            mental health. Also, if there is a specific subject you'd like me to

             focus on, please let me know and I will try my best to do a post 

           for you. 

                Thank you all for reading this, tomorrow I am back to my 

               normal schedule - but I'm going to try and do a post like this

             every few weeks. Don't forget to follow my blog, if you don't 

               already! Stay strong my lovelies, and as usual - I'll leave you 

            with some motivational pictures. BYE!x

   

                        

    

                

                     

     

       

   

       

   

                            

MAC 'Vegas Volt'

                               Hello there my lovelies! Today I decided I'd do a 

                       spotlight kinda' post on one of my MAC lipsticks. 

                           I must admit, as beautiful as this stunner is - I hardly 

                            ever wear it. That needs to change...

        

       

                        I bought this little beauty around this time last year, after hearing many

                          people talk about what a perfect summer lipstick it is. My god, they were

                           right! Vegas Volt is just a really bright orangey-red colour, which to me -

                          screams "Summer" at me. I love it.

                      As an 'Amplified' finish, I think this is one of the reasons why I don't reach 

                       for it as much as I should. Don't get me wrong, Amplified finish lipsticks

                       are amazingly shiny, and extremely pigmented - but my personal choice 

                         of lipstick finishes, tend to be matte. I feel like I look better rocking a matte

                        statement lip. But this Summer, I am going to try and use this baby more, 

                          and possibly discover that I do suit non-matte lipsticks....

   

        

              Above- Vegas Volt swatched on my arm - It is MUCH brighter in person.

        

        

        

      And here is a swatch of it on my AWFUL lips. (Please excuse the ugliness,

            ugh)

               The swatches really don't do this vibrant coral ANY justice whatsoever, so

             if 'Vegas Volt' sounds like your kind of colour, I'd 100% tell you to go to the

              MAC counter and see this baby in the flesh. You won't be disappointed.

                So, that is all for today - I hope my awful lip swatches haven't 

              scared you away... anyway - tomorrow's post is not a fashion

                or beauty related post, so get following me on Bloglovin 

               (if you don't already) so you can get the first read of it!

              Please let me know if you enjoyed this 'spotlight' kind of post -

                as I may or may not, make a spotlight on each of my MAC 

                   lipsticks....

                 

             Lastly, as always guys - I hope you are all well, and you have 

                a lovely day wherever you are. 

                                     See you tomorrow! x          

Summer Makeup Bag

                                

          Hello again, my lovely readers! Today's post is something that I 

           thought would make a great one, now we're coming into Summer! 

          I LOVE this time of the year, and makeup just gets so pretty and 

             bright too. Here is the contens of my Summer Makeup Bag.

            Face-

                 My top foundation for this Summer is easily the light, and dewy Match Perfection

                    foundation from good old Rimmel. I just find it has a really light coverage, but 

                       still covers up any redness or dark spots. Concealer wise, I have reverted 

                   back to my trusty old 'Phwooar Paint' from Seventeen. I really love this concealer,

                     as the lightest shade matches my skin perfectly - covering up any dark 

                         circles or blemishes in a flash. Despite the cheesy name, it's one of 

                        my favourites. Too keep my foundation and concealer in place, I like to use 

                        a generous sweeping of Rimmel's 'Stay Matte' Powder. Every beauty 

                         lover has this in their stash - it's such a little bargain, but a little superstar. 

                   

                     

                             

                       In terms of cheeks, I contour the hollows of my cheeks using the NYX 

                      'Taupe' Blush - which I won't go into much detail about, as it was part of 

                    my May Favourites post. Then I bronze my face AND NECK up with Benefit's

                        'Hoola' Bronzer. I've not had this long, but my god - I BLOODY LOVE IT! 

                        Despite being so pale, a light dusting of this using a kabuki brush adds a

                        natural glow, to make me look all sun-kissed. Such an essential! 

                        Then I have 2 lovely and pink blushes. First, was also mentioned in my 

                        May Favourites, and it's the beautiful Lancome 'Rose Paradis' Blush. 

                      My second top blush is probably my most used in my whole collection - 

                          it's my very well-loved MAC 'Peachykeen' Blush. I bought it last summer

                       and I have worn it to death ever since. It's perfect all year round, adding 

                          a natural pink flush to your cheeks. Lovely...

 

       

                    

                    Eyes-

                      My favourite eyeshadows of this summer mainly consist of my 2 babies -

                        my MAC pro palette (see yesterdays post) and Urban Decay's 

                             drop-dead gorgeous Naked 3.  But the other eye product is a real old 

                          friend of mine. This little beauty has been in my makeup collection since 

                              I even used makeup- it's been very well loved and it's 4 gold shades 

                            just scream "Summer!". Rimmel's 'Heart of Gold' quad is a little 

                                 stunner.  For my eyeliner flicks- I use my Ted Baker Pen Liner, 

                             which I was very pleasantly surprised with, when I received it in a set 

                                for christmas. I love a good flick throughout summer, and this one 

                               stays put all day long!    A hidden gem!! 

                            For the last part of the eyes, mascara - I have been using a mix

                               of my two current favourites at the moment. Barry M 'Lash Vegas' 

                           and Max Factor 'Wild Mega Volume'. They work together like a treat

                             leaving me with long, volumous lashes. 

                      Lips-

                           Aaah. The last section, and my FAVOURITE section. If you've read my

                          blog for a while, then you'll know my addiction to lipstick. It's pretty 

                             freaky actually. So, as you can imagine - having to choose my favourites

                            out of my ever-growing stash, proved very hard....

                            

     

                Can we just take a moment to appreciate this beauty?  I managed to rustle up 

               my 7 favourite lipsticks. First up, Topshop's 'Ditzy', Rimmel's '110' and Lancome's

              'Miss Couqueliot'. These are all the reddy/orangey toned lipsticks. Ditzy is more of a 

               creamy and pigmented offering, whilst if you want to go matte - '110' is the choice, 

                and lastly, Lancome offer a more natural and subtle shine. For pinks, i've chosen

               the beautiful 'Pink Noveau' and the practically neon, 'Candy Yum Yum' from 

                  the best lipstick makers - MAC. Again, for a more delicate and sheer 

                     pop of colour, then Lancome's 'Rose Flaneuse' is your girl. 

                  Lastly, if you know me - I am a sucker for a bright lip, and this Revlon matte balm

                    in 'Shameless' is amazing to really make you stand out from the crowd at 

                      parties this summer. I love it so much!

                

      

        L-R; Ditzy, 110, Shameless, Miss Couqueliot, Pink Noveau, Candy Yum Yum

              and Rose Flaneuse. 

                     So there we have my Summer Makeup Bag (although I don't

                    actually use a makeup bag...) I really enjoyed writing this post

                  and I can already tell these swatches are gonna be a total 

                     pain in the arse to remove. The things I do for this blog, eh?

                   Let me know in the comments what's in YOUR summer makeup

                 bag, and which is your favourite of them? Don't forget to follow

                    me on Bloglovin - as I post every morning!! 

                                    Have a lovely day guys, and I'll see you tomorrow!

                                                     xxx

                      

       

                        

                      

    

My Most Used Makeup Brushes.

          Hey guys! In todays post, I just wanted to give you a little insight into

         what my favourite makeup brushes are on a day to day basis. Up until

         Sam and Nic Chapman came along and changed me - I was never really

         fussed about makeup brushes and what they do for you.

     

     Foundation-

       My go-to foundation brush is easily the 'Expert Face Brush' from Real Techniques.

        EVERYONE who I know, who has tried this - have fell head over heels in love. It just 

          blends in your foundation like no other, it's actually a lifesaver,. Since I got this around 

        a year ago, I have totally been converted. No more bog-standard foundation 

           brushes for me anymore...

     

    Powder-

       When it comes to powder, the perfect brush for me is also a Real Techniques offering,

         the 'Buffing Brush'. I find that this just dusts on your powder amazingly, Not too 

          cakey, and not too sparse - ensuring that all your shine is powdered away. Also, this

       brush works wonders with foundations too- proving a firm favourite of mine when I am 

         doing others' makeup. Infact, I love the Buffing Brush that much, that I actually 

                       own two of these babies.

    Cheeks-

       Blush-wise, I mainly reach for my lovely, fluffy EcoTools brush. Proving just the perfect 

          density and size to add a sweep of colour to the apples of your cheeks - this brush

         really can do no wrong, and out of all of my blush brushes - this one is used most,

    

   Eyes-

        I use that many eye shadow brushes, that choosing a couple of favourites proved a 

           challenge. The first one is of course MAC's legendary '217' brush. Everyone and their

         Mum use this brush. It's easily MAC's most popular brush - which is really no 

            surprise. The 217 is like no other, it just blends both powder and creame shadows 

          in so effortlessly, that even the most un-skilled at makeup, could easily rustle up a 

              smokey eye. This really is a god-send, and I need to get another one to add to my 

               artistry kit... A cheeky visit to MAC calls my name!! 

          My other choice of eye brush, is actually a duo ended offering. Again, it's from 

             EcoTools, and one end is much like the 217, but at the opposite end, it has the most

           perfect brush for under your eyes. It makes applying eyeshadow under your eyes 

             pain free, as you don't have to poke yourself in the eye with a normal brush anymore.

            I love this brush, and again - I would highly recommend it.

   Brows-

         If you didn't already know, I fill my brows in using an eyeshadow- and my perfect

             brush for that is this lovely angled UBU brush. I'm pretty sure this was from a set 

           you can buy in ASDA - but it actually is very good quality! Just the right size to fill 

            in my eyebrows, and make them look half decent. I couldn't live without it.

   Random-

             So the last brush I have to show you, isn't one I use with makeup. Well it is - It's

              hard to explain, but I basically I use this brush in my everyday routine to blend together 

                 things. Using this huge Cath Kidston brush, I blend together any harsh lines with my 

              blusher and bronzer. And it really is fabulous. Everyone needs a brush which just 

               blends things together - and this one proves very good at this job!

 

     So there you have my top favourite brushes in my stash. It is growing so so

      rapidly this year, and I'm now over-filling my THIRD pot with brushes.

       I have a new addiction, but I don't have any plans of stopping.

  

                                   The more the merrier, right? 

       Anyway, thanks for reading this post -  I have a post coming soon on how

        I clean my babies, so keep your eyes peeled and make sure you're 

       following my blog on Bloglovin, so you can read it first.

              

            Bye for now guys, have a lovely day - wherever you are! :) 

                                        xxx

May Favourites.

                    Apologies for the pretty late monthly favourites post... At least

                    you're getting one this month!! :) 

                    

                     

                      

    

                   So here is the post where I show you my favourite makeup

                  items from the past month- as well as one pretty random extra 

                     one at the end! Brace yourselves...

             

   

    

  

         Barry M 'Toffee' Lipgloss

            Shock horror for me this month- I have actually been wearing lipgloss more than

              lipstick, which is so not like me! This gloss has been my favourite to wear to school,

           as it's a very subtle 'Your Lips But Better' colour. Also, it smells delicious! Barry M 

             glosses are definately the best lip glosses out there (even better than MAC in my 

                                  opinion)

        NYX  'Taupe' Blush

               I have NO idea why NYX call this a blush, I use it to contour. My Dad treated me

                  to this earlier last month, and I haven't gone a day without using this beauty.

                  It makes the most perfect and natural looking sculpting shade, and has 

                   quickly become an everyday staple.

         

            

 

        Lancome 'Rose Paradis' Blush

          I received this blush with the freebie Lancome set I got, and my gosh- it's 

             really wonderful! It looks super bright in the pan, but when transfered onto

             the cheeks, it adds a beautiful summery pop of pink. Lancome is such an

            under-rated brand, as their products are incredible,  I'd HIGHLY 

               recommend this blush- even my Mum has been loving it.

     

    

      Rimmel 'Match Perfection' Foundation

         I've had this foundaton for a while now, and at first I wasn't that keen, as I was 

            convinced caused me to break out -  I was WRONG! At the beginning of May

          I found it at the bottom of my stash and tried it out agan, and I totally regret

            not loving it earlier! I have the shade 'Light Porcelain' which is literally the most

         perfect match to my rather annoyingly pale skintone (no pun intended) 

       The Body Shop 'Wild Rose' Hand Cream

            This is another thing thats been neglected, I got this out and put it on my 

              bedside table, to try and encourage me to moisturise my poor hands.  IT WORKED!

            Infact, I have actually encorparated it into part of my daily routine! Rose scents are by 

            FAR my favourite scents, and this one smells beautiful! 

    

    

    Real Techniques 'Contour' Brush

        This brush works miracles. Teamed with NYX 'Taupe' - I look like my cheeks are

           chisled. I got this baby in the Core Collection, and I have especially been loving

             it throughout May. Actually, I don't think a single day has gone by without

                                                     this life saving duo.

           

          Here's the bit you were all dying for, and it could possibly be one of

          my top favourites of May. Drum Roll please.....

                                     ...CROSSWORDS!

 

    

     Call me sad all you want, I am like an old pensioner! This month has really made

         my love for word puzzles grow - they're so relaxing, and recently it's my 

        favourite past-time to lie in bed with a book of crosswords, Bliss.

     Thank you so much for reading this post- I'd love to hear YOUR favourite

     things of May, whether it's makeup - or crosswords. Let me know in the

      comments below! 

     

      Also, DON'T forget if you aren't already, to follow me on Bloglovin

        as I am soooooo close to 100 followers- which is MAD! Thank 

        you all so bloody much!!

       Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling now, and I'll see you tomorrow! 

                   

                                            Bye Guys!! xxx

I'm Back! (Again)

         Hello there my lovely readers! (Although you've probably packed up and left     

due to my awful lack of posts!! But here I am again! :) Since we have finally moved house,

and we are all settled in- I thought today would be a perfect oppurtunity to get my 

blogging ass back into gear!!! I have literally so many things to post now, as well as a 

huge haul video, which I'm gonna try to film TOMORROW- so keep your eyes peeled!

In terms of my health, things have really been looking up! I was discharged from my 

inpatient unit in April, and things are really just going up from there! I'm thinking about

making some advice posts, or even videos- if that is what you guys want to see, of course.

Anyway, enough of chatting- It's time to get blogging! My posts will be uploaded every

morning from tomorrow (fingers crossed), so if you haven't already- give me a follow

on Bloglovin, and I shall see you beauties tomorrow!!

   Bye my lovelies!!

      

You're all worth it. xx