SugarPlumPosts.: 2015

beauty

OOTD: Simple Winter Outfit

By SugarPlumPosts - 23:32

Unfortunately, the photos for this OOTD are mainly mirror selfies as I was in Manchester and, as usual, the rain is persistent so I couldn't really get outside to take any. So, apologies for lack of scenes.

I like this simple outfit for the winter as it keeps you warm without looking frumpy. With heeled boots, a scarf and a leather jacket this look is complete and toasty for nights out! Here I wore a brown and neutral makeup look (see here), with a nude lip using the rimmel lipstick I rave about in THIS post.

For this look I wore...

Primark roll/turtle neck ribbed top in deep plum

ASOS Skater Skirt In Swallow Print

Komono Estelle Light Blue Leather Watch

3 Comments

Flower Pharm Wild Rose Products

By SugarPlumPosts - 23:41

Flower Pharm Wild Rose - Luxurious Bath Products

These beautiful little flowery gems I got for Christmas from my parents. And boy have I fallen in love. Not only is the packaging cuter than a button nose, the products work and smell heavenly too. My parents bought me the bath soak and the body butter and 2 days later I went and bought the body wash to add to my collection. The price is very cheap for such a luxurious product, only costing you just over a couple of quid at sale price (which is on RIGHT NOW might I add...).

Wild Rose Bath Soak

One drizzle of this into a warm running bath and you will instantly feel like a princess in a rose garden... ok, maybe not that far but it is still the most glorious scent my bath has ever had! It's very delicate, so not an overpowering chemical smell like you might find with some rose scented products. It creates a bubble bath which lasts about 20 minutes before all the bubbles disappear, but the scent still remains.

Wild Rose Body Butter

The same scent but in a luxurious thick, body cream. You get a nicely sized 300ml in a tub which will last you a while. Sinks in easy leaving your skin smelling amazing.

Wild Rose Body Wash

Again the same gorgeous scent...but in a clear shower gel. This gel doesn't lather up as much as I'd like, but it's gentle and leaves the skin with a light floral scent after drying.

Any of you tried these product which have sprung up out of nowhere? I guarantee you wont be disappointed!

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Xmas Gifts #2 Benefit Cheek set

By SugarPlumPosts - 22:03

Watt's uppppp! It's Benefit! I love Benefit and their quirky product names and the way everything just looks so cute. Alongside that, the products are amazing quality. Although Benefit is classified as a 'high end' brand, I think it's more on the lower end of the 'high' brand scale. So, not too expensive but still a luxury.

One of my main girlies (love ya Rach!) got me this gorgeous set for my birthday this year and I am confident this will induce smiles on Christmas day :) So what's to love?

Benefit REAL CHEEKY PARTY blushing beauty kit

First of all, the main purpose of this set is the cheek powders. This set includes:

dandelion brightening face powder

I love to use this as a girly, light pink blusher. It gives the cheek a light sheen and flush and is perfect as an everyday blush.

hoola bronzing powder

To be honest, I was getting sick of hearing everyone going on and on about benefit hoola bronzer. All I thought was, 'what's the big deal?! Surely it's just a generic bronzer...?!' How wrong I was. I'm now officially on the Benefit hoola bandwagon. This bronzer is perfect for my skin tone. It doesn't leave a dirty streak of brown across your face, it blends into the contours of your face leaving a subtle, but effective glow.

sugarbomb “sugar rush flush” face powder

Swirl your brush around in these four lovely colours for the perfect flush. Very shimmery and gives a gorgeous glow to the face.

rockateur famously proactive face powder

This blusher is a little darker than the rest so I prefer to use this if I'm going out in the evening to have more of a rosy red cheek.

CORALista “a rio pleasure” face powder

A perfect coral blusher for a summery blushed cheek.

There is a little travel version of the Benefit watt’s up! soft focus highlighter in the set too. This is great to brighten under the eyebrow bone or to use as a cheek highlighter to make those cheekbones pop!

Next is the travel size eye makeup...

they’re real! mascara

Again, a lot of hype over this product and there is me just thinking it will be an average mascara. This really does lengthen the lashes and make them just look thicker without being clumpy. Definitely one of the best mascaras I've used in a long time.

they’re real! push-up liner

When I first used this, my initial thought was, 'what is this crazy alien contraption..?' and couldn't get to grips with it at all. However, after a bit of practice I think this eyeliner is easy to use and make a dramatic line.

All in all, a beautiful makeup set which looks cute and has everything you need for a gorgeous blush! Would any of you like to receive this for Christmas? Have you already bought it for someone as a present? :)

5 Comments

Xmas Gifts #1 Champneys Beautiful Butters Duo

By SugarPlumPosts - 21:29

I've decided to start a Christmas gift idea series where I will post about beauty related items which will make wonderful gifts for loved ones this Christmas. I'll do a review on the products so that you can be sure the gifts will be adored and appreciated!

Champneys Beautiful Butters Duo

This product was bought for me by my work colleagues for my birthday. It was such a lovely surprise to have received a gift from everyone, especially considering I had only started the job no more than 2 months prior. And this gift is just so luxurious! The packaging is sophisticated and the body butters are gorgeous. I scoop out a generous amount of the butter, rub it in my hand and then smooth it all over my body. It's very rich and thick but it sinks in within a couple of minutes leaving the skin nourished and soft and smelling amazing. The body butters come in two scents.

Citrus Blush Enlivening Body Butter

This smells HEAVENLY. For anyone that loves citrusy scents then this is certainly for you. It's more of a sweet citrus scent than a bitter one, smells more of lemon than anything else. It's not overpowering though. Quite mild and subtle but scrumptious.

Cloud Nine Indulgent Body Butter

This scent is a bit more difficult to describe....but it is equally as sumptuous. It's a sweet light fragrance.

I would definitely recommend this product as a gift, having received it as a gift myself and LOVING it.

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Max Factor Miracle Match Foundation – First Impression

By SugarPlumPosts - 14:51

Max Factor Miracle Match Shade Matching Foundation

Recently, I purchased a new foundation... shock horror. I have ventured away from the safe haven that is L'Oreal True Match. I never buy new foundations because I always find I am disappointed. Usually with the shade. As I am so pale it is difficult finding a shade which suits my skin without making me look like a tangerine, even if it is the lightest option. So I was hesitant as no matter whether its cheap or expensive they don't seem to do their job properly. However, I took the plunge and found myself pleasantly surprised. I bought the shade Light Ivory which I believe is the lightest shade available. I did test the foundation on the back of my hand in the shop and found that for once it actually matched rather than making a horrid orange blob on my hand.

Swatch on hand after rubbing the foundation in lightly.

I've used the foundation a couple of times and I really like it! It blends really well without caking the face or leaving any brush lines. It lasts all day giving the skin an even coverage. Love it! It's a little bit more pricey than the L'Oreal True Match but for a high street/drugstore brand it certainly is worth the extra few quid.

Any one else love this foundation?!

1 Comments

Natural and Organic Face Masks

By SugarPlumPosts - 20:26

I like to use a face mask once a week, usually on a Sunday when my face is having a break from make-up, just to draw out any impurities and give my face a bit of a pampering. Here are two natural face masks I've been loving, especially now that the weather is getting colder and my face need a bit of extra help keeping soft.

John Masters Organics Moroccan clay purifying mask

This product is certified 70% organic. The mask applies quite wet to the face but dries slowly to a firm clay mask. The Moroccan clay feels quite tight by the time the 20 minutes is up. One of the main noticeable scents in this mask is rosemary which is mild and pleasant. After I've washed off the mask my skin just feel cleansed and clean. I always follow up with a rich moisturiser to give my skin the care it needs. At the minute I'm loving Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Night Renewal Cream. This cream is just rich and thick, smells gorgeous, sinks in well and makes my skin really soft. Basically, it does absolutely everything someone wants in a moisturiser for a decent price.

Weleda wild rose smoothing masque

This mask is a little different as it is one of those which should be applied to the face and then left to sink in for a bit before removing any excess product. With these I like to apply the product at night, about 20 minutes before bed to give it time to sink in. Instead of washing off any excess product I just sleep with it on so that in the morning I have super soft skin ready for the day ahead. The main scent in this mask is wild rose, which I adore. I think rose has such a subtle but lovely feminine scent. Another beneficial ingredient within this mask is Rosa Mosqueta oil which helps to stop fine lines and prevents wrinkles.

What masks do you like to use? Any natural/organic products you love?

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Vanilla Iced Cupcakes

By SugarPlumPosts - 11:06

There is nothing more comforting than a pretty iced cupcake! I tried making these cakes before but they failed miserably... well they tasted good but they did not look pretty. I made these recently with my boyfriend and I finally got to grips with piping. We decided not to pipe all the cakes as it became quite thick and sickly...and started messing around with the icing. Obviously you can ice the cakes to your taste and however you like.

So here is the recipe and method:

Ingredients

I did double mix so make sure you do as much as you need. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Cakes:

125g unsalted butter, room temperature

125g caster sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

125g self-raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons milk

Icing:

125g unsalted butter, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

250g icing sugar

1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one by one and mix.
Add flour and baking powder. Sift it in bit by bit and mix until well blended.
Add milk and mix.
Divide the mixture into muffin cases that have been lined in a muffin tin.
Bake for around 15-20 minutes until you can poke your cakes with a knife and comes out clean.
When the cakes are baked remove them onto a cooling wrack and leave to cool.
When your cakes are fully cool (leave for about 2 hours just to be safe) you can then ice them (which is the fun part!).

Cream the butter and vanilla extract together just to soften up the butter.
Add the icing sugar and milk in bit by bit until it is well blended.
Use a piping bag and pipe your cakes with as much icing as you like! For these cakes I also bought some pink sprinkles to make them even more pretty. But be creative and add whatever you like!

3 Comments

John Masters Organics - face mists review

By SugarPlumPosts - 18:24

These John Masters Organics products are made with mainly certified organic ingredients. This means there are no nasty chemicals in the products which might irritate people's skin. Instead it uses lots of different essential oils and natural ingredients meaning the products are 100% natural and smell luxurious too!

The face mists in general are an alternative to toners. You can just spritz them directly onto the face, or if you prefer spray onto some cotton wool and then apply to the face. These are great applied before applying make-up or under any moisturiser.

Lavender hydrating mist for skin & hair – all skin types

This mist is refreshing to the face and is very soothing. You can also spray this mist into the hair to add shine. It's a simple mist but does the trick and smells great!

Rose & aloe hydrating toning mist – All skin types

Rose is one of my favourite scents. And this just hits the spot! With aloe vera for a calming effect it's guaranteed to be suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. This mist claims to actually reduce facial pores whilst hydrating the skin. I like to use this mist first thing in the morning to wake up and refresh my skin.

Bearberry skin balancing & toning mist – oily/combination skin

I'd never actually heard of bearberry until I owned this product. It has a light and pleasant scent which again, wakes your skin up before applying moisturiser/make-up. With claims to balance pH, lighten pores and leave skin glowing and refreshed, this is a nice product to add to any beauty collection.

I've managed to get you all another discount code! This is for 20% off at hejhog to buy ALL John Masters Organics products.

Just enter the code 'SUGARPLUM' at the checkout :) The code is valid until 24.10.15 so hurry!

Click on the links on the product titles to purchase. You can buy the products in packs of three :)

Have any of you used John Masters Organics products?

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Boutique of Molly – DAKOTA Top

By SugarPlumPosts - 21:51

I've never owned a lace up top but always wanted one. I think it makes a simple top just have that little bit of an edge without being over the top.

That's where this lace up top from Boutique of Molly comes in.

The top is made from a floaty, stretchy material which is silky to the touch which makes it comfy to wear. As crop tops go, it's great for everyday wear as it is only slightly cropped so easy to thrown on with jeans. It can also be worn at night too for a more glamorous look with a skirt and heels.

The clothes are reasonably priced and something a little different. Which is always nice as I'm sick of walking down the street and seeing people wearing the same clothes as me from New Look, Primark etc... Another aspect of this clothing brand I like is that a lot of their stuff is made in the UK.

Check out the Boutique of Molly website for more clothing! I have managed to get you lovely readers 20% off Boutique of Molly clothing with this unique code: 'SUGARPLUMPOSTS'

Enjoy! :)

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OOTD: Simple Winter Outfit

Flower Pharm Wild Rose Products

Xmas Gifts #2 Benefit Cheek set

Xmas Gifts #1 Champneys Beautiful Butters Duo

Max Factor Miracle Match Foundation – First Impression

Natural and Organic Face Masks

Vanilla Iced Cupcakes

John Masters Organics - face mists review

Boutique of Molly – DAKOTA Top

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