Reading Fest 2016 Packing and Makeup!

I've never been to a festival before, so of course I've done so much research concerning what to pack and what makeup is best, and I thought I'd pass on the info I've collected onto any of you who might be interested!

Clothes

While the festival might only be for 3 days but my friends and I got early entry passes so we'll be there from the wednesday til monday, which means I'm gonna need way more stuff, so I've had to plan my outfits carefully to reduce the amount of stuff I'm gonna have to carry.

A staple piece that I'm bringing is a pair of Levi's recycled black high waisted (not sure if they're meant to be high waisted but I'm 4'10 so I have no torso) shorts that I bought from Urban Outfitters in the sale. They no longer have them on the website but they still have the blue denim version here - Urban Renewal Vintage Originals Blue Raw Edge Levi's Shorts - £36. They were meant to be £36 but were reduced to £10 in the sale, and then I got 10% student discount to make them £9! They're so comfy, and because they're black I can wear them with pretty much any top, and with tights underneath if it's too cold for bare legs.

Photo from www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk
Black Levi Shorts

I then have a bunch of different crop tops that I can pair with the shorts to make simple outfits.

Blue crop top from Zara

Stripey black and white top from Primark

As stand alone items I have a floral dress (super old from H&M), and a floral playsuit from Boohoo that can be found here.

Boohoo Bell Sleeve Playsuit - photo from www.boohoo.co.uk

I'm also going to take an old pair of jeans. I know everyone says not to take jeans but I have some really comfy old ones that I'll happily burn afterwards, it could get cold and I'll be the one laughing when I have toasty denim covered legs. I'll wear them on the train there as they'll be the heaviest clothing item so I don't have to carry them. Going with the theme of old bottoms - leggings. Comfy, versatile, comfy, cheap and comfy. Wear them outside, wear them in the tent when it's too cold for one layer. I'm going to steal one of my boyfriend's hoodies that I can wear to keep warm or to use as a makeshift pillow (thanks Adam). Also many pairs of socks, I hate cold feet, and in wellies you need some nice thick socks so you don't get blisters. One thing I don't have yet but need to get is a waterproof coat/rain mac.

Speaking of wellies, lets get onto shoes. When I first looked at the weather, it said that during Reading it would be pure sunshine and rainbows. Now the weather is apparently leaning towards showers and thunder, which is ideal if you hate life. So, I'll be opting for a classing pair of wellies, which I'm borrowing from my mum (lol) because she has a snazzy pair of green Joules wellies, something like these.

photo of the snazzy wellies from https://www.shoetique.co.uk/

 In case the rain subsides for a while and the grass is dry, then I'll be opting for a pair of these converse-style low tops from New Look that I've had for ages and are wrecked already, so I won't mind binning them afterwards. Yes, they're on the teens section from New Look, and yes, I'm a 20 year old with feet smaller than my 10 year old sister. (I'm a size 2 for those of you who are interested - it's cute but try getting nice heels).

Mine are exactly the same as these but covered in grey/black smudges.
Photo from www.newlook.co.uk

And last but not least, it wouldn't be a festival without a bumbag! Found this beauty on the Skegness market for a fiver, what a treat.

#BringBackBumBags

Toiletries

While some people might be able to embrace the filth and enjoy being muddy for 5 days, I just dont think I can do it. So, I'm bringing a little travel bag with the essentials. I got a little set of travel bottles from Primark to decant things into. I have:

- Shower Gel (Superdrug)
- Shampoo (Wilkinsons Passionfruit and Green tea)
- Conditioner (same as shampoo)
- Facial Cleaner (Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash)
- Toner (Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner)

Mini travel set in the bag from Primark (£1)
Extra spray bottle for toner from Wilko (50p)

- Toothpaste (Whitening toothpaste from Primark)
- Toothbrush (obvs)
- Disposable razor
- Moisturiser (Talika Photo Hydra Day)
- Serum (Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum)
- Hairox Hair Brush
- SPF 15 from Ladival
This looks like a lot but I'm guessing my skin is gonna need all the help it can get.
I'm also taking paracetamol (hangovers suck), my contraceptive pill, some tampons (be prepared for anything), and spare toilet roll, as well as hair bobbles and sun glasses.

Make-up
The best part. I know that by day 2 I'm gonna be too tired to care what my face looks like, but that doesn't mean I won't do it. I know I won't want to spend forever on something that I also have to maintain throughout the day however, so I'm going for simple with minimal products but still bright and festival themed. I'm also taking stuff that I'm not scared to lose or break because it can and will happen, so the naked palette is staying at home!

Base products
Primer - Freedom Pro Mattifying: it could get very hot and I don't want to sweat my makeup off so this will ensure that doesn't happen.
Eye Primer - Freedom Pro Eye Primer (you need this for glitter eyeliner)
Foundation - I've used a mix of the Caudalie Vinoperfect Broad Spectrum SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid (which minimises pores and corrects skin tone to create a flawless and radiant but natural looking finish) with the GOSH Foundation Plus+ to add a little coverage and darken the Caudalie product which is a little too light for my skin.
Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection: those eyebags are gonna be huge
Powder - Makeup Revolution Radiant Light Powder in Breathe - mattifying but still pretty and glowy

Brows
My brows are a hairy mess right now so I went with Benefit's Goof Proof brow pencil to attempt to define and fill, and then Primark's £1 brow gel to set them.

Contour/Blush/Highlight
All done with the MUR Ultra Sculpt and Contour kit in Ultra Fair. Sprayed my RT Fan brush with toner to intensify the pigment of the highlighter.

Eyes 
- Set the primer with a light base powder, then used a mid-toned brown to deepen the crease slightly. Can use the contour palette and face powder for this if you're planning to bring less makeup.
- GOLD GLITTER EYELINER (yes I'm excited about this part). I bought a cheap one from poundland so it's a bit more work but layer up until you're happy with your wing. Do it thicker than you would your regular black liner. I found that it was easier to use a shimmery gold eyeshadow as a base to get a more opaque line with the glitter.
- Black liquid liner - applied over the top but a thinner line than the gold
- Black WATERPROOF mascara - pls do use waterproof unless you like being a panda, in which case use whatever you like. I used the Icona Milano Emotion Allowed mascara.
- smoke the lower lash line out a little using a brown shadow
- highlight the browbone and inner corner

Lips
Basically use whatever works for you! I'm going bright lips here because I rarely use bright lipsticks, so what better time to experiment. In the photos I've used Freedom Pro Melts in No Heroes (a deep pink colour) and then an I Heart Makeup Lip Lava in Tremor which is a lighter pink. I'll also probably go with a nude lipstick too just for easy upkeep.

It was really hard to get a close up of the glitter eyeliner as I don't have a fancy camera but you can kind of see it! 

After taking the photos with the Freedom Pro Melts and changing the lip colour I also threw caution to the wind and used the glitter as a highlight too, and I think it looks pretty cool! I threw my wild hair in some space buns which looked pretty cute and that was the finished look!

Glitter on your whole face is the best and only way.

I'm obviously going to take food, drinks, a tent, a sleeping bag, money, my ticket and my ID. I'm also taking powerbanks for some sneaky on the go phone charging.

Gosh this post was long! It's probably too much but I had a lot to say! Hope you enjoyed it anyway.

See you again soon!

Paige x

GOSH AW16 Launches!

Back when I wrote my last post on the GOSH cosmetics products that I love, I ended up being in contact with the lovely Sophie from their PR team, who told me that there were some exciting new launches coming for AW. I love AW fashion and beauty, and I can tell it's going to be a good season this year! Being a very new and small blog I wasn't expecting to be too involved in the campaign. but she actually sent me 3 of the launches to try out and review, for which I am so so grateful! 

The Velvet Touch Matt Lipstick in Grape, Foundation PLUS + in 004 Natural
 and the Giant Pro Liner

The Foundation PLUS + in the shade 004 Natural is the first thing I tried out. It claims to be a foundation and concealer in one, which means it's medium to buildable coverage, while being light and natural. It's formulated to be pigmented with active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, liquid sea minerals and seaweed which makes the foundation nourishing and light on the skin whilst still providing good coverage, and has a satin finish.

GOSH Foundation Plus + in 004 Natural (photo from Superdrug website)

I was so looking forward to trying this foundation, but when I received it the shade is far too dark for my skin. From swatching it on my hand I was able to get a good impression of the coverage of the foundation, which is definitely medium buildable, as it's so lightweight! I had to mix it with my GOSH X-ceptional Foundation to lighten it, which did make the coverage slightly lighter but I am building up my tan with the Garnier Summer Body and Utan Gradual Facial tan so hopefully soon I'll be able to use the foundation on its own (or at least mostly). I absolutely loved the finish of the foundation, it blended beautifully into the skin and looked so natural but with great coverage, and it didn't settle into any dry patches. The foundation is £9.99 for 30ml, which is an absolute steal for this foundation!

The next new release I tried is the Giant Pro Liner, which I have to admit was a little scary because the nib is quite thick, but I have to say it gave me such a quick and accurate application! You can use the fine point to draw out your line and use the thicker edge to fill it in. It's a nice, strong black and I was surprisingly impressed! It retails at £6.99. A little tip GOSH suggest is if you're new to applying eyeliner, you can use their kohl white liner to sketch where you want the liner and trace over the top with the Giant Pro liner. You can also use tape to get sharp and symmetric wings!

GOSH Giant Pro Liner

If you read my previous GOSH post (link) then you'll know that the formula for the GOSH lipsticks are possibly my favourite of any I've tried, especially with the matte lips, so of course I was so happy to find one in the little PR package. The one I received is the Velvet Touch Matte liptick in the shade 'Grape', which is a beautiful deep wine red with a hint of berry, it's bloody gorgeous and I feel like it's all I'll be wearing on my lips in autumn and winter. They're made with natural waxes and hyaluronic acid to moisturise and smooth the lips. They're creamy, long lasting, and beautifully pigmented, as usual. There are 4 new shades in total and they're all beautiful.

The GOSH Velvet Touch Matt Lipstick in Grape swatched - such a beautiful deep colour!

Velvet Touch Matt Lipstick in Grape

The range also includes a few things I haven't yet tried. 

One of the products I don't yet own but will definitely be purchasing soon is the Overnight Primer Oil Essence (£14.49), which is ideal for prepping your skin the night before applying makeup. It's slightly more pricey than other items in the range but it's definitely worth it if you're looking to really pamper your skin. Your skin regenerates at night, and we usually use serum to give this process a boost, but for a little extra nudge this is perfect. It's full of anti-oxidants, fatty acids and oils which help to provide moisture, vitamins and minerals so you wake up with glowing and primed skin! It can be applied before night cream or alone, but I'd probably apply it before night cream in place of my serum. 

Overnight Primer Oil Essence (photo from Superdrug website)

The Lash Sculpting Fibre Mascara (£9.99), contains fibres up to 2mm long which add an amazing amount of volume, and the wand is formulated to scuplt and define the lashes with the fibres.

Lash Sculpting Fibre Mascara (photo from Superdrug website)

They also released a Brow Sculpting Brow Gel (£6.49) which helps create full, groomed brows using the fibres to make thicker brows. There are currently 2 shades (Nutmeg and Chestnut) in the range, but again I'm yet to try this. I like that the wand isn't super short, and that the bristles are super tiny which will really help to get into the hairs. 

Brow Sculpting Fibre Gel (photo from Superdrug website)

The last release that I haven't tried is the Contour & Strobe kit (£12.99), which contains 2 bronzers (which is a really nice touch, as you can mix them to make your perfect customised bronzer), a semi-matte blusher and of course a highlighter. There's a Light option and a Medium one. I really like the blush choices in these. In the light one it's a pretty peachy-coral colour, which is so flattering on pale skin, and then the pink in the medium kit is equally flattering on medium and darker skin tones. They claim to be ultra-light, soft and creamy to make them easy to apply and blend, and I can't wait to try this. 

Contour & Strobe kit (photo from Superdrug website)
L - Light
R - Medium

Finished look using the Foundation, Liner and Lipstick! 

All of the products mentioned can be found here: Superdrug Website and GOSH is currently on a 3 for 2 offer so snap them up quickly while you can get an item free!

I'm sure it won't be long before I've bought the rest of the range, so look out for my review of those, but for now I hope you enjoyed this and thank you to GOSH for letting me try a few things from the launch! 

See you again soon! 

Paige x

This post contains PR samples.

Setting Spray Suggestions!

I don't know about other parts of the world, but right now in the UK it's absolutely boiling! This means that if you're like me and you can't not wear makeup even in the scorching weather, then you need to be prepared, or anything you put on your face will melt off in a matter of minutes, especially if you're going to be moving around. This is also helpful for those of you who like to go out in the evenings - makeup and sweaty clubs don't go together too well unless you're willing to put the time and effort in to complete the necessary steps. I'm going to talk about primers when I''ve finished trying out all the ones I currently own, but for now I'm going to talk about the last step - setting spray. Not only does setting spray help your makeup last, I also use it to dampen brushes for stronger shadow and highlight!

My makeup routine has inevitably had to change to suit the weather (let me know if you want an updated makeup routine post!) but one thing that hasn't changed is needing a setting spray. While I have really dry skin, I get quite an oily t-zone, particularly if it's warmer. When I worked in Superdrug I had a lot of people ask me to recommend them one, so I'm going to tell you all what I told them.

Hands down THE BEST setting spray I've ever used is the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray. I received a little travel bottle of the stuff and Urban Decay my Lord and Saviour did it again. It made my makeup stick to my face and last for hours longer than it would have without setting it. Holy grail product right there. Unfortunately, my love affair with the UD setting spray came to an abrupt end, when I ran out of the product, and realised that it was £22 to purchase the full size 120ml bottle. My bank account said no, even though my heart was saying yes yes yes do it buy it plssss. So, I went on the search of a good and cheap(er) setting spray.

Photo by Urban Decay (http://www.urbandecay.co.uk/) - Urban Decay Setting Spray

The first I came upon in Superdrug was the Makeup Revolution Setting Spray. The bottle's big, in fact you get 100ml for £5! Unfortunately my excitement didn't last long. I love Makeup Revolution and I really wanted to like this, but it just didn't do anything for me. I was so disappointed, I've heard so many people say they like this product, but for me it just kind of felt like spraying water on my face, without any improved staying power for my makeup. So sorry Makeup Revolution, I love you, I just didn't get on with it. Maybe it's just my skin? Who knows. Have you tried it?

Photo by Superdrug (http://www.superdrug.com/) MUR Pro Fix

The other two alternatives are Freedom and Makeup Academy, and I have to say both were pretty on par with eachother. Again, both the Pro-Fixing spray from Freedom and the Pro-Base Mattifying Fixing mist were £5 for 100ml of product, and these ones were definitely worth the money. While the staying power wasn't as good as the UD setting spray, who's going to complain for such a huge saving?

Photo by Superdrug (http://www.superdrug.com/) Freedom Spray  

Photo by Superdrug (http://www.superdrug.com/) MUA Spray

There are other notable setting sprays that I'm yet to try:

- L'oreal Infallible Fixing mist
- NYX Dewy Finish Setting spray
- Maybelline Superstay 24hr spray
- Evian Facial Spray (apparently!)

And of course the MAC Fix+ which I am desperate to get my hands on!

I've linked to the Superdrug website for the drugstore sprays, and makeup's all 3 for 2 at the minute there so you can treat yourself!

Is there a setting spray you've tried that you'd recommend? Have you tried the MUR and did you like it? I'd love to know.

It has been a little over a week, I was in a little bit of a blogging rut but I'm hoping to be posting more often now!

See you again soon (hopefully!)

Paige x