*NEW VIDEO* Strong Enough (Cover), including Bloopers + Outtakes

SMOOTHIES: Tasty Recipes from the Trials and Tribulations of a Smoothie Novice

1. Veganberry

In this fresh creamy smoothie you will find the following:

• Handful of raspberries
• Handful of strawberries (with the leaves taken off, of course)
• Handful of blueberries
• 1 banana
• Bunch of mint leaves
• A few tablespoons (non-specific because add to taste) Alpro soya coconut yoghurt
• A glug of Alpro's 'subtly sweet' soya milk
• Add water until it reaches the consistency you'd like

TIP: the sieve is your best friend with this one, especially if your blender isn't that powerful. Those pesky raspberry seeds!

2. Green Man

This is such a fresh smoothie! You'll want to sieve this at the end for supreme smoothness!

• 1 apple
• About a thumb in length of cucumber
• A bunch of mint leaves
• Ginger to taste (might not be for everybody but is my soulmate)
• Agave nectre to taste
• Water, it makes up the majority of the liquid in this juice

3. Nectarine Dream

Thick and delicious, this fruity number tastes like summer in a glass!

• Flesh and skin of 1 ripe nectarine (don't try and blend the stone ok, that's not a good idea)
• 1 banana
• Handful of de-greened strawberries
• Handful of blueberries
• 1 Tbsp Alpro soya almond yoghurt
• A glug of Alpro soya milk
• Agave nectre
• Bunch of fresh mint leaves
• Water, as much as you want depending on how thick or thin you want the smoothie

TIP: add ice for a refreshing kick to your Nectarine Dream!

EMPTIES: Cleansers, Make-Up Removers, Dry Shampoo, Body Lotion

Well hello again! It has been quite some time since I last posted anything but to make up for that, I have for you today a decent number of empties to talk about.

I have been on a bit of a budget as of late so you won't be seeing gigantic hauls or anything like that for a little while, but what I do have is products to use up for days!

Excuse the lighting, you can thank gloomy Wales and my awkward room set-up for that, and also the grubby packaging of these empties - but such is the nature of an empties post!

Let me know if you have tried any of these products yourself and if you liked them or how they worked for you, I'd love to know. Also, please do let me know if you have any general questions or have a product in mind that you would like me to try! I hope this post is of help to you in some way - ENJOY! xo

LUSH 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion

 First up, we have Lush's 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion! I remember buying this on a complete whim, as it was relatively inexpensive, smelled lovely and I was just starting to dabble with different cleansers at this time.
The consistency of this is lovely. Described very aptly by Lush as a cleansing milk, it's pretty runny and very light on the face. A pro of this is that it really feels like it's cleansing in all those nook and crannies in your face, but a con for me was that it tended to sink into my skin before I could wipe it off properly with a cotton pad, as is suggested on the bottle. Alternatively you can wipe it off with a warm flannel, which I suggest you do as it's better for removing all the product. It's really, really good at removing make-up and always left my skin feeling soft and hydrated as well, a huge bonus for a cleanser!
To me is smelt beautiful: a really light, subtle floral scent that was slightly talcy and musky, but as is the case with all Lush products it seems, people either love or hate them! I just happened to love it.
Now I don't know whether it was my own laziness for not washing it off properly or if it's the product itself, but I felt like it irritated my skin and caused me to break out a little bit. I wouldn't say that I have sensitive skin so this baffled me, but every time I used it I came out in a slight rash/tiny spots around the sides of my mouth - weird huh! Especially so because this is such a gentle cleanser! I was pretty gutted about this because I actually really loved it!
Weird rash aside, this is a gorgeous little cleanser that I think, while it didn't really work for me, would be amazing for somebody else!

Colab Sheer + Invisible Dry Shampoo in Monaco

 It seems like beauty bloggers, vloggers and 'Tubers have been raving about this dry shampoo by Colab no end! I first bought the London scent which I loved because of the bergamot in it, and while this is not the best dry shampoo in my opinion - more on that later - I found myself going back for more and this time, I decided to try the Monaco fragrance in the Sheer + Invisible range. The scent is indeed fresh, as is described, and lingers on the hair all day. I would go as far to say as this is quite a masculine scent but not unpleasant in the slightest!
Now, I mentioned that I don't reckon this is the best dry shampoo out there and this is because it pretty much fails to do exactly what dry shampoos are supposed to: make my hair feel clean. While it's amazing in the sense that your scalp and the hair at the roots feel refreshed and are left with virtually no residue what so ever, it wasn't left feeling fresh for very long at all. My hair was still slightly greasy to the touch, and this is on second-day hair people!
And yet, I went back for more. I wanted to love this product! It didn't leave my hair with dusty grey patches and it seemed to work wonders for everybody else, so I gave it a second chance - unfortunately to no avail. I suppose this dry shampoo doesn't work for me! But fear not! My hair is fine but I have a lot of it - I also have really oily hair, so I shouldn't be too hard on this product. On lighter hair, with a normal oil production, unlike myself, I do not doubt that this product is amazing! For me, though, the heavy-duty Batiste will always be the one.

Superdrug Vitamin E Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover

 D'you know what I love? Inexpensive, decent, cruelty-fee skin care. I present to you, Superdrug's Vitamin E range! While this is described as an eye make-up remover, I used it to remove all of my make-up; if it's tough enough to work on mascara and liquid eyeliner, surely a bit of foundation shouldn't be a problem? And it wasn't. It effectively removes all make-up (this is the initial cleanse, you will need to have a second cleansing stage after removing make-up to ensure that your face is squeaky clean), and leaves your skin feeling soft, bouncy, hydrated and a little glowy if I'm honest!
To apply, I had a couple of methods: firstly, I would squeeze some of the product out onto my fingers and apply the product straight to my face, concentrating on the eye area. To effectively remove eye make-up, I would gentle massage th area, focusing on my eyelashes and using them as an indicator that I've finished: they'd be nice and soft, no longer crispy. I'd then take a cotton pad (or 4) and start to remove the product. When you're able to open your eyes you'll see that you're sporting the panda look, but fear not! I see this as good sign that your cleanser is doing its job and removing your make-up. The second method, one that I generally use when I don't have a great deal of make-up on, is I apply the cleanser straight to a cotton pad and then wipe this all around my face.
This cleanser is creamy and hydrating, but also light and easy to use. I actually found myself grabbing this to put on my face first thing in a morning when I have no make-up on, simply because I love how it makes my skin feel.
This was a really surprising little product, not to mention it's so cheap! Thank you Superdrug, thank you.

LUSH Angels on Bare Skin Fresh Cleanser

 Holy moly would you look at that! Another cleanser! It isn't obvious or anything but I bloody love a good cleanser and d'you know what, Angels on Bare Skin by Lush tops all the cleansing products featured in this empties post. Oh lordy, it's amazing. Unlike when I purchased 9 to 5, I went into Lush on one rainy afternoon specifically looking for cleansers. I remember being a bit dubious about whether Lush actually had many cleansers but why oh why do I ever even doubt them! All this time I thought cleansers only really came in liquid/cream form but oh no, the clouds parted that day, the Hallelujah chorus was sang and I basked in the heavenly glow of enlightenment: my relationship with Angels on Bare Skin was born.
It's gentle enough to use every day as a secondary cleansing phase (after removing make-up), and sometimes I was grabbing it twice a day which, being as gentle as it is, seemed to have no adverse effect on my skin at all.
I would describe this as a multi-purpose product. By that, I mean you could use it as a scrub on your face or body, varying from gentle to deep exfoliation, or you could also use it as a face mask by leaving the product on for 5-10 minutes (I would advice against leaving it for 10 minutes for people with dry or sensitive skin). You can vary the consistency of the product by adding water: to loosen up the product, I wet my face and hands, scoop a bit out of the tub and massage it between my fingers a little, then apply it to my wet face in circular motions. If I feel it's still a bit stiff (lol), I'll add more water by slightly wetting my fingers first and then continuing the circling motion all around my face. Once you're done, rinse it off with warm water to reveal, clean, soft, buttery, glowing skin.
For me, it's a miracle product. My skin has never looked so even in texture and tone. My skin is visibly brighter after using it and bloody hell I love it so much that it almost makes me emotional. Did I mention that it smells amazing? Yeah, it smells amazing: it's a fresh, soothing lavender scent that's slightly sweet, and I would happily hum of it every single day.
The only issue I have with this product, or, more accurately, an issue other people may find with it, is that it can get a bit messy: looks a little bit mingin' if it gets in your hair but hey ho brush it out with your hands or wait until it dries, rinse the sink out, no biggie!
Angels with Bare Faces, I love you.

Superdrug B. Pure Micellar Water

 This is the last cleanser, I promise. Micellar water is another of those things that was really hyped up by the beauty blogger community but came in the form of a Bioderma version and then a cheaper Garnier version. As both of these companies are extremely questionable in their cruelty-free status, I went on the hunt for an animal-friendly version and once again found myself at Superdrug. I remember this being pretty inexpensive but I have a feeling it was an introductory offer, as the product was relatively new to Superdrug shelves so may be a little bit more now.
I actually like this product! This is the second bottle I've finished. I find I go through it really quickly, which isn't great but the bottle is pretty small. I apply it to a cotton pad and then run the pad all over my face to remove make-up. I don't think it is particularly good at removing eye make-up as you have to work quite hard at it which ultimately goes against the "quick and easy" gentle cleanser. Also, don't get it in your eyes okay. Just don't.
Recently, I've found myself using this more after I've removed all of my make-up or in the morning to remove any excess oils that have developed during the night. It's refreshing, pleasant and more or less fragrance-free, and it's a totally adequate product. It hasn't change my life, and yet I found myself going back for more. Have you tried this micellar water? What did you think of it?

LUSH Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion

We have come to the final stage of our empties journey and what a finale it is! I present to you the dreamy body lotion by Lush, appropriately named Dream Cream. This hand and body lotion is just beautiful and I will most likely be buying it again as it is fabitty fab fab for summer.
Another impulse buy in Lush, this has a fragrance to die for that reminds me a great deal of Angels with Bare Faces - lavender, you do it to me every time! "A soothing and cooling cream" is perfect in its description of the product: amazing after shaving or being out in the sun, this light, absorbent cream glides onto skin leaving behind little residue and a whole lot of cooling soothing freshness. The sensation reminds me a lot of the fair trade foot lotion by Lush!
I completely annihilated this tub: it usually takes me ages to use something up but I could not get enough of this stuff. I found it started to replace my Vanilla Dee-Lite body lotion because the scent isn't as overpowering and is really nice after you've showered.
It's very hydrating, leaves skin feeling smooth and supple, smells amazing, would last a long time if you used it normally and not like a madwoman like myself and while it seems a little pricey, it's worth every penny.

BATISTE DRY SHAMPOO: Cruelty-Free Update

Well would you look at that! Welcome to the cruelty-free club Batiste! I don't know if they always had a vegan and cruelty-free logo but either way, I'm over the moon to be able to add this staple to the cruelty-fee list. Fresh hair for everybody!

WHITWORTH ART GALLERY: On a Rainy Afternoon in Manchester

 

   

For the first time since its reopening, I had a good look around Whitworth Art Gallery. I have to say, it really is an impressive space, and that's coming from a very naughty art student who generally doesn't enjoy going to galleries. This newly refurbished building feels fresh, cool, modern and welcoming, and I particularly enjoy the way they display their impressive collections of drawings and watercolour paintings. If you love Turner, then this is a great gallery for you.

Cornelia Parker's solo show is the first to be exhibited in the new space. A smart move I think: the perfect work to really show off a space. It's big, open, airy and steeped in natural light thanks to the windows overlooking the park everywhere you look. The cafe is also completely made of glass, and juts out from the gallery like a swanky pier. I didn't understand the queue until I caught a glimpse of it thought yet another floor-to-ceiling window. It really is impressive and a rather delectable place to enjoy a coffee I have no doubt.

Let's not forget the gift shop: oh holy mother of gift shops, it is a goody.

http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/

- REVIEW - Urban Decay Naked Skin: Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Make-up

"It feels like wearing nothing at all, yet Naked Skin transforms complexions. Skin looks natural, illuminated and bright: like the beautiful skin you were born with. Weightless and virtually invisible, this revolutionary, paraben-free formula creates a flawless, demi-matte finish; light diffusing spheres make you look professionally retouched. It's the ultimate in ultra definition.

Infused with Matryxil 3000 (a powerful anti-wrinkle peptide), protective and brightening Litchiderm, antioxidant green tea, and vitamins, this makeup loads skin with nourishing ingredients."

Since my commitment to only purchasing cosmetics from cruelty-free brands, I've found it really difficult finding a 'drugstore' foundation that really cuts it for me. I wanted something lightweight, natural-looking but still with a decent amount of coverage. I tried so many different drugstore brands that by the end, I'd probably spent more than if I'd simply tried a foundation by a higher-end brand.

So that's when it happened. That is when I spent £28, the most I have ever spent on a cosmetics product ever in my life, on a foundation. I do not enjoy spending that amount of money and I know it is not the kind of money most people, myself included, have lying around. I do also realize, however, that while Urban Decay falls under the category of 'luxury brands', it is one of the more affordable foundations that you're going to find in that market.

But here is why I wanted to review this product and devote a whole blog post to it: I love it and do not regret a single penny I spent on it. If there is one thing I've learnt from this whole experience of trying out new foundations, looking at formulas and swatching countless ill-fitting tones on the back of my hand, is that sometimes, it really is worth spending a bit more to get something that is actually going to work for you and do what it says on the bottle.

And so, let me begin with the basics: finding a colour that matches your skin tone. This foundation has a really helpful scale to determine what colour and best suits you. If the number of the colour ends in a .5, it is a cool, pink-toned foundation. If it ends in a .0, it is a warm, yellow-toned foundation. The number that comes before it dictates how light or dark the shade is going to be: the higher the number, the darker the colour. Before forking out a load of your hard-earned cash, you're going to want to make sure that this is the perfect colour for you, and so it is definitely worth going into an Urban Decay store (in selected Debenhams and Selfridges stores etc) and trying the foundation out for yourself. I'm sure it's dependent on availability, but when I went inquiring about the foundation, they offered to put a little bit around my jaw line to see how it matched. At this time I wasn't sure whether I was was warm or cool toned, I just knew that I was hella fair, so she placed the 0.5 (cool) on one side of my jaw and 1.0 (warm) on the other, and instantly she was able to identify me as a cool tone. It was perfect! I had found the perfect colour and shade to match my skin.

As indicated in the name, this foundation is very runny. Because of this I was a bit dubious at first as to how well I was going to be able to apply it to my face, but with a bit of trial and error and working out which brushes worked best in producing the look I wanted, applying the make-up is a doddle: usually, I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply the foundation to my face and did so using circular motions. If I want slightly more coverage, I use the So Eco Foundation Brush.
The foundation blends like a dream: you can see the look of your skin improving with every little circle of the brush. It doesn't dry out for quite a while so you can build up a bit more coverage or apply concealer on top without it turning cakey or pulling the underneath layer of foundation off. It has a demi-matte finish: I've always been a little bit obsessed with completely matte skin so usually cover my face in powder, but this is the first foundation I've used where I've wanted to leave as it is because the effect is dewy without looking...well for lack of a better word...sweaty. It really does give you that healthy glow everyone talks about, and I would say that it lasts as long as any foundation.

The only issue I have with this beaut of a product is that I'm not so sure how it would fare on dry skin: I find that if I don't moisturise heavily before applying it and my skin is a little drier than usual, it can cling to some areas and is no longer 'virtually invisible'. This is something that can be combated though, so do not fear! I suggest properly prepping and priming your face before application to get the best and longest wear out of this beautiful foundation.

So there we have it! Georgie tried her very first 'luxury' foundation - I'm moving up in the world!

Let me know in the comments below what your favourite cruelty-free foundation is or if there's one that you want me to review!

Tra for now!

G xo

CRUELTY-FREE?! COSMETICS?!

Hello everybody!

Today I'm going to attempt to summarize some of the research I've been doing into cruelty-free cosmetics. If you are new to the cruelty-free club then be prepared for a few difficult truths to swallow as I'm sorry to say that you will probably feel betrayed by some of your most beloved brands, and if you are not new to this, then I'm sure you are as sick as I am of the complete and utter mine-field that is the world of research into cosmetics companies that do and do not test their products on animals.

Now before I go any further, it is important that I clear a few things up:

Firstly, a cosmetics company stating on their website that they do not test on animals means nothing. The company may employ third-parties or other companies to test their ingredients or products on animals, meaning they are still allowed to say that they are cruelty-free because they technically aren't the ones doing the testing. Technicalities aside, however, they are: the products you buy have been tested on animals and the money you use to buy those products will subsidize animal testing. That alone should be enough for you to not consider a brand cruelty-free.

Secondly, cosmetics companies are required by Chinese law to have their products tested on animals before they can be sold in China. There are other countries that also adopt this law but the mega-market of China makes it tantalizingly tempting to big-time money-making cosmetics-giants. Many companies drop their cruelty-free status to get a slice of this this lucrative market and in short, are more concerned about the money in their pockets than innocent animals. That doesn't sound very cruelty-free to me.

Now here's where things get just that little bit more confusing: thirdly, some companies are owned by giant cosmetics conglomerates, known as parent companies, that do conduct animal testing. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer when it comes to buying from these companies and it's a very grey area for me. Put it this way: do we take a point of having nothing to do with either of the companies, regardless of whether the 'child' company is cruelty-free, OR do we support the cruelty-free companies owned by the cosmetics conglomerates as another way of making a point? For example, The Body Shop, known as a serious advocate for cruelty-free beauty, is owned by L'Oreal, a company definitely not for the cruelty-free list. The decision is up to you.

You can find below two lists: one compiled of companies that I have found to be cruelty-free and another of companies that I do not consider to be cruelty-free. This is not a list of companies that are vegetarian and vegan friendly - I'll deal with that in another post - but even though a lot of them are, it's still worth checking the ingredients anyway. Here we go!

Cruelty-free
This is an on-going list of companies that I have personally researched and concluded that they do not test on animals. I would not put any company on this list I would not purchase from myself:

• Barry M
• Urban Decay - owned by L'Oreal
• Superdrug
• Kiko
• Lime Crime
• Butter London
• Liz Earle - owned by Avon
• The Body Shop - owned by L'Oreal
• NYX - owned by L'Oreal
• Illamasqua
• ELF
• Charlotte Tilbury
• Models Own
• Sleek
• Beauty UK
• Too Faced
• LUSH
• OGX
• Nails Inc
• Soap & Glory - owned by Boots

Not Cruelty-free

We would be here forever if I listed all the cosmetics companies that test on animals, but here are some well known names that you should be aware of:

• MAC
• Estee Lauder
• Yves Saint Laurent
• Bobbi Brown
• Rimmel
• Bourjois
• Maybelline
• Garnier
• Revlon
• MaxFactor
• Avon
• Sally Hansen
• Clinique
• Dior
• Chanel
• Simple
• Lancome
• Collection Cosmetics
• Neutrogena
• Michael Kors
• Elizabeth Arten
• Clarins
• Giorgio Armarni
• L'Oreal
• Essie
• Vaseline

If you would like to know the cruelty-free status of a company that I have not mentioned, or would like further information on any of the companies listed above, simply comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I am able!

If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading!

See you soon,

Bye!

Georgia xo

ART ENDEAVOURS

To keep the whistle wet if ya'll know what I'm sayin', I just thought I would keep you posted about what's keeping me so busy at the moment:

 



 

 

And here is the semi-finished studio space! I've made a little more work since then that I'm including but I'll update you on those as and when.

I hope you enjoyed a little sneak peak into my life as and art student and would love to know what you think! Let me know if you have any questions.

Bye for now!

G xo

- BLUSHER DUPE - Mac in Sincere and B.Cheeky in Golden Peach

Hello everyone!

I've got a dupe for you today! It is the MAC Sheertone Blush in the shade Sincere and the B.Cheeky blusher in the shade 081 Golden Peach by the B. range of Superdrug cosmetics.

First of all, I would like to explain that I purchased the MAC Sheertone Bush in Paris last year, prior to my commitment to buying cruelty-free cosmetics products. There has been a lot of speculation about the cruelty-free status of MAC Cosmetics as once upon a better time they were openly against animal testing, claiming to test their products on models, not animals. However, they now state that their products are not tested on animals "except when required by law," and so this basically means yes, they do test on animals (aside from the fact that they are actually owned by the cosmetic giant Estee Lauder, a company who openly tests on animals which is enough really to not consider MAC a cruelty-free brand).

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to move on to talk about both blushes, starting with the MAC:
I'm not going to lie, this is a gorgeous shade. The lady that sold it to me described it a not being a peach yet not being a rose, but really I would definitely describe the shade as a warm peach. Having said that I'm really pleased about this, as rose shades generally make me look a bit ruddy. The texture is light and velvety and is really easy to build up colour. It's also great for contouring and can act as a very light matte bronzer on fairer skin in the winter.

But here is the best part: I have essentially found a cruelty-free version. Now I will say this: reviewing products and cosmetics that test on animals is not something that I want to keep doing because I don't want to be affiliated with those companies in any way. However, I may do so from time to time in posts like this for the sole purpose of comparing them to the far cheaper, cruelty-free dupes so as to show how utterly great (and a lot cheaper!!!) the animal-friendly products are in comparison.

And here we are! The B. Cheeky blush by Superdrug's cosmetics range. While you get a little less in the pan, the MAC is about four times the price so we can give that one a miss. The texture is uncannily similar: almost silky, and is easy to blend on the face and to build up colour. The one major difference is that this blush has a slight shimmer. I can't make up my mind whether I like that or not but I will say that the shimmer is very, very subtle on the face and does actually give the cheeks a nice glow. A tell-tale sign of the price difference is the lasting time of this blush. I feel like you would need to keep topping it up throughout the day BUT - look how small and cute and compact it is! And for such a good price, you can apply this stuff to your face as often as your heart desires without feeling in the slightest bit guilty. The colour is also not as pigmented, so you may want to combine this blusher with a matte bronzer or maybe a similar peachy shade to build up a lot of colour. I would say you only need to do this if you're going on a night out or for drinks and the like, but for everyday wear, the strength of the colour is perfectly adequate, especially on fairer skin like mine.

Overall I really do like the blushers by B. (is that it's actual name? I dunno!). I also have the shade 069 Rosy Brown, so if you would like me to do a little review of that just let me know!

I hope this little dupe/review was helpful or even the littlest bit insightful!
If you would like to see more of these kinds of posts or have found any cool dupes or alternatives to non-cruelty-free/high-end products, let me know in the comments below!

Bye for now!
Georgia xo

Hello Everyone!

I am an art student, animal lover, vegetarian, music dabbler and a fashion and beauty devotee and this blog that you have probably stumbled upon is an accumulation of all these things!

Over the past couple of years I've done a number of pretty cool things and with the arrival of brand-spanking shiny, new 2015, I want an incentive to keep up the momentum and a place in the world of blogging and social media to really call my own.

But more than anything, I want to share all these things with you!

This is a massive step for me and something that I've wanted to do for a long time but for one reason or another have felt like I couldn't. But like I said, the promise of a brand new year full of opportunities and exciting times, what better time to push myself and step out of my comfort zone than now!

Lovin's, Georgia xo