Get ready with me..morning routine

I was going to do a get unready with me post but at the moment my night time routine keeps changing so I thought I'd do my morning routine. I will be honest and say that watching juicystar07 channel gave me this idea, although I do think maybe watching it on YouTube might be better than reading it in a blog.

Firstly I tie my hair back using a hair bobble and put my Lacoste spa band over the front of my hair so no soap or water gets on my hair. 

I brush my teeth using my pink toothbrush, although I do have an electric toothbrush I keep forgetting to charge it. I  fill the sink with warm water and use my Clinique soap for my face and neck. I rinse my face and tap it dry. 

I use a cotton ball to wipe my face with my Clinique toner (the second step of the three step system) and then I apply the dramatically different gel. I use one pump of this for my whole face and rub any excess onto my neck. 

I apply a tiny amount of the Clinique all bout eyes sample under my eyes as I want to use up all of the sample tub.

I leave this to sink in while I put my clothes on (I apply deodorant obviously) and then I apply primer (currently this is the porefessional by benefit) . 

I like to let this sink in a bit so I straighten my hair before applying the rest of my makeup. I use a Remington straightener which I was bought as a present by my fella a few months ago, and it works amazingly.  I separate my hair into sections to straighten it.

I pump two pumps of no7 matte foundation to the back of my hand and lightly dab my real techniques brush into it then swirl it onto my face in circles. This buffs the foundation into my face and gives a flawless finish. I start with my cheeks then chin then my forehead and nose. If I have dark circles under my eyes I use my concealer but I need a new one as this doesn't cover them very well

I apply my blush with my real techniques contour brush as this works fine as a blusher brush. I was using the revlon blush brick but I have recently started using peach party by soap and glory. I then do my eyebrows using soap and glory archery brow products, which are amazing, and then I start on my eyes. I apply my eye primer, let it dry for 30 seconds and then I apply my eyeshadow.  Currently I use a white shadow from revlon, and a mocha shadow from no7. 

If needed in apply a face powder but usually I just leave this until later on in the day when my face gets a bit shiny as I found that when I was using the fitme powder it started to look cakey by the end of the day.

Lastly I apply mascara, which is the no7 sample that I got. 

This is my morning routine, I hope you have enjoyed reading it. What is your morning routine?

X

@mackembeauty2

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Benefit posie tint review

As you all know I got this product in a little benefit pack from boots, I said I wasn't sure how to apply it and that still stands. Usually I have a few tries of a.product before I decide I don't like it but honestly after just one use I know I hate this.
It has a nail varnish style applicator to apply it which I don't understand, and it says it can be cheek or lip tint.
The colour of this product was poppy pink, which looked bright pink when opened. I tried it on my hand before my face and on my hand it smoothed out into a nice pale pink colour. I tried to apply it over my foundation but as I wasn't sure how to do it, I dotted it in places and tried to brush it into a usual blusher shape. This didn't work at all. All it managed to do was remove the foundation in that area and after a few hours I just looked like I had a bright pink rash. This could be because I didn't know how to apply it which is fair enough but it doesn't come with instructions.
I then tried it on my lips but it was really liquidy and took ages to dry, it also then didn't even keep its colour.

I am not sure how much a full size of this costs but I wouldn't buy it. Maybe it would have been better if I could apply it properly but I won't even be using the rest of this sample.
Has anyone else tried this product and if so what did you think of it? 
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@mackembeauty2
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New blog posts

I have been trying to post loads recently but because of my shifts at work and decorating the house etc I don't think I can make new posts as often as I want to. I have decided to try and do two posts per week but if that becomes too much then it may have to be one per week.
I hope you all still come and visit my blog as I love you all and appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts. I will continue to read and comment on other blogs :-)

@mackembeauty2
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Benefit samples and a soap & glory primer

I went into town with the intention of buying some benefit makeup, but my fella complained that he didn't want me spending that much on a product that I haven't tried before so instead I got a happy beauty day pack which contains sample sizes.
The samples included are the porefessional, posie tint and bad gal lash.
I will be honest and admit that I only purchased this (£9.95) for the porefessional but I can't wait to try the others.
Porefessional is a primer that you apply over your moisturiser and underneath (or on top of) foundation. It claims to minimise the appearance of pores and fine lines. I have heard so many good things about this product that I can't wait to try it!
Posie tint is a lip and cheek tint. It is poppy pink in colour which looks a bit bright to me but may look okay actually on my lips or cheeks. Weirdly, it has a nail varnish style applicator which I'm a bit dubious about but I am willing to give it a go.
Bad gal lash is a mascara. I haven't read any reviews on this product at all, but I do love mascara so I will give this a go!

As well as my benefit samples I also bought a eyeshadow primer from soap & glory, (£8). I have wanted a eye primer since my makeup artist used one on me for my wedding day and my eye shadow stayed on all day (which was about 21 hours long!). I have heard some good things about this so I am looking forward to trying it out. I haven't been wearing eyeshadow lately as when I am at work and a bit sweaty (minging I know but the lab has to be a specific temperature and unfortunately it is a bit hot) the shadow gets creases or it slips and I end up with shadow all around my eyes which is never a good look. This product promises to keep the shadow in place and crease free.

I will review each of these products soon :-)

X
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Soap & glory butter yourself review

As you all know, I am a little obsessed with soap & glory products, I get a new get set every birthday and Christmas off at least three different people. As far as I can remember there is only one product that I haven't liked by soap & glory.
In one of these gift sets I got 'butter yourself' which is a moisturiser that comes in a bottle with a pump rather than the tub like the body butter comes in. I didn't use this for months as I don't like to use half of one product then start using another one and I have been using the body butter for a while now but when I got out of the shower a few days ago I thought I would give it a try anyway.
It says to apply to damp skin which is exactly what I did, and a little goes a long way which I love. The smell isn't the original recipe smell that I love so much, and the bottle states that it has a fruity smell. I am going to be honest and say I had to check the ingredients as all I could smell was coconut (there is coconut in it) which is why I fell in love with it. The coconut smell is my all time favourite smell, and I will generally love anything with that smell. The coconut smell lasts a few minutes and then is replaced with a more subtle fruity smell, which is gorgeous. I actually made my fella smell my arm as I loved it so much!
It is a little bit more creamy than the body butter that comes in the tub, and soaks into the skin immediately. It makes the skin feel so soft, like all soap & glory products. It definitely does what it says, and as always I am impressed by it and would recommend it to everyone.
I don't have dry skin, but I'm sure that this would be perfect for those who do!

I will buy this product again (although it is a very big bottle so I think it will last a while).

What are your thoughts on this product?

@mackembeauty2
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Clinique eye cream review

When I got my three step cleansing products the clinique lady gave me some samples of some more of their samples. One of these was an eye cream, I don't usually use eye creams (although maybe I should start, I'm not getting any younger!) But I thought I would give this a go.
I tried using it every day for a week, and used it at the same time as my moisturiser before my primer. Honestly though I will never use this again. My eye lids developed some really rough patches which I didn't even know what was possible! It was like eczema but on my eyes (I don't even get eczema) which I'm guessing isn't meant to happen. Now, I may just be allergic to something in this product, and other people may love it but personally I don't think it does anything.

The smell is lovely,  it doesn't smell clinical like some of their other products. It's a creamy texture (well it is a cream) and is pale yellowy in colour. I'm not sure what the actual container looks like as I only have the sample but that was in a small tub with a green lid on it. Perfect for taking on weekends away if you use this product as it is small enough to fit in any bag.

Overall I won't be purchasing this product but if anyone else has used it please let me know what you thought.

@mackembeauty2
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My may favourites

I was recently watching a vlog that I haven't seen in a while by Blair fowler juicystar07 (I used to love watching her vlogs but then stopped when I moved) and it made me want to start showing what my favourite things of the month are.

Firstly my absolute favourite thing is my new makeup brush cleaner by no7 which I did a review of after the first initial use but now I have fallen even more in love with it. I never used to clean my brushes  but now that I do my skin looks so much fresher and healthier and I can only assume it's because where the old makeup was still.on the brushes there would be bacteria too which I now clean off. I can not recommend this product enough.

Secondly is my no7 lip crayon which I did not buy myself but got as a free gift when I purchased some foundation. It does dry my lips a little bit so I do use it with vaseline but the colour is perfect for the summer and seems to go well with my skin tone.

I also love my soap&glory archery brow tint and precision shaping pencil as it comes with both a crayon and a pen to fill my brows in with and is amazing! I think the colour was called brownie points, because I have very dark brows I tend to have to use the crayon more as the pen doesn't fill in as much as I feel it should but my brows still look natural.

I couldn't live without my revlon high lighting palette in rose glow. It is amazing for the summer, although I also want to try the more.golden one to make me look a bit more tanned. This product doesn't cake on so you control how pink it goes, and it looks very gorgeous! A lot of people have actually asked me about this product since I started wearing it.

Lastly my favourite may nail varnish I'd from the Barry m silk collection and is the colour heather. It is a pale lilac and is perfect for the summer, and also lasts about 10 days without chipping which is good for a normal nail varnish. 

That's it for the beauty products so now I will talk about my other may favourites.

My fave bag is still my pale pink river island satchel. It fits everything I need for work while looking stylish and very much in fashion right now.

My fave TV show this month has to be men at work. It is hilarious! It is basically about four American guys who work together and their life,  but it is what I assume all men are like when they are with their best mates. It is worth a watch although there aren't any men to perve on which is a bit of a downer.

My fave song is still timber by pit bull and kesha, I am a little obsessed with this and if anyone sees me in my car at 5am after I've dropped my fella off, you will probably notice that this song is on very high and I sing and dance along to it!

My favourite ice cream is bounty, it reminds me of holidays and I am in love with coconut! I once drank a cocktail out of a fresh coconut, as well as drinking the liquid (coconut water I think) straight from it on the island of women near mexico and fell in love. They are my fave summer thing and are the one thing that is guaranteed to make me smile!

That's all for may, if anyone has any of their favourite may things they want to share feel free to email me at mackembeauty@gmail.com or tweet me.

@mackembeauty2
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My sad cat and friends

Recently a twitter account was brought to my attention by a girl I work with about a cat. I didn't think i was a cat person but even the tweets made my heart melt. I always get this wrong but I think it is @mysadcat but if you search for that or why my cat is sad then it should come up.
The cat is called the bear and he is the most adorable cat-person that I have ever seen, even from the photos it looks as if he is thinking something very wise or looking into your soul to find out everything about you. I looked forward to reading these tweets and looking at the accompanying photos, and then I found out there were books written by Tom Cox who is the 'creator' of my sad cat.
The books are called 'under the paw' 'talk to the tail' and 'the good the bad and the furry' (the titles are actually longer but if you go onto amazon and type what I've given in they will come up). I got them on my kindle immediately.  I was going through a bit of a tough time and honestly reading these books about the cats that tom has and his life as a result of this made me smile and laugh, I couldn't put them down!
The books also made me want a kitten as I had seen the effect that cats had on people mentioned in the books, and they also seemed a lot more affectionate than I thought cats would be (also my house is too small for the husky dog that I want) so I went to a shelter and got myself a kitten who had been handed in as the owner didn't have any more room for her.
My kitten is not as intelligent as the bear yet, but she is the cutest thing I have in my life and I wouldn't have got her if it wasn't for the bear.
Me and Princess (my cat, I know I am.thinking of alternative names but when I brought her home she looked so much like she was thinking she was royalty and I should bow down to her) would like to recommend these books to everyone who needs cheering up (although there is a couple of sad parts) even if you don't think you are a cat person. I actually challenge anyone who doesn't like cats to read about the bear, and Shipley, and Ralph and the others and not love them!

Keep up the good work tom Cox

@mackembeauty2
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Soap and glory heel genius

This is a bit embarrassing to admit but I have horrible feet!
Well maybe not horrible but i have dry hard skin on the balls and heels of my feet which i hate!
I got soap and glory heel genius in a Christmas gift set so thought there would be no harm in trying it seeing as i use soap & glory for everything else!
First off, I'm not going to lie it smells awful! I gagged I really did! Other people might like the smell but each to their own.
It comes in the usual gorgeous pick tubes that the moisturiser comes in (I love this) and it is a blue/grey colour which is a bit unusual.
It contains allantoin,  glycerin, macadamia oil, menthol, bilberry, orange and lemon fruit acid smoothers.
It recommends putting this all over your feet and then putting cotton socks over the top, I have pink Cottom socks off a spa set I got a few years ago so I used them. I wasn't expecting much the first time I used it, I thought I would at least have to try it a couple of times a week to see any difference but I left the socks on overnight and in the morning I was amazed! Gone were the dry hard patches of skin, in its place was moisturised soft gorgeous skin!! I have used it a couple of times since then with the same results every time!
This is perfect for the summer when I will be flashing my feet in wedges and sandals without feeling embarrassed and trying to hide my feet!
I would highly recommend this to anyone!!

Well done soap & glory another amazing must have!

@mackembeauty2
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No7 makeup brush cleaner

I'm not gonna lie I am usually one of those people that just buy new brushes instead of cleaning my old ones- usually because I hadn't ever seen brush cleaner and someone's tip to use shampoo was stupid...well for me anyway. But then my fella bought me some proper amazing brushes and I don't want to throw them out. So I went on the hunt for makeup brush cleaner. 
I say on the hunt, what I really mean is that I Googled it and clinique came up so I went to town but boots didn't have any and then I happened upon one by no7.
It was cheaper than the clinique one and to be honest I wasn't expecting much.
It says spray some cleaner onto a tissue and wipe the brushes along it, O M G the amount of makeup that came off! It took me about fifteen minutes to clean them all which is amazing and now they all genuinely look as good as new. I will do a before and after pic next time I clean them as I was genuinely amazed.
It's only £8 in boots and is in the 3 for 2 deal atm so Is worth every penny!!

@Mackembeauty2
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The village spa newcastle

I will be honest and say I hadn't really been to a spa weekend before until my mate got a good deal at the village spa and hotel in Newcastle. The offer was for two treatments per person, breakfast and a three course evening meal and unlimited use of the gym, pool, sauna and steam room. Now I used to be a lifeguard so I love swimming so that is what swayed it for me! Free swimming for the whole weekend....boss!
We had to get the bus there cos I didn't have a clue where it was and I don't deal well with driving to places I don't know but the bus stop was right outside.
First impressions were that it looked like a hotel and not at all like a spa, there was even a club in it which was booked for the night by a tribute band, and a coffee shop in the foyer (we got free hot choc cos we used to work with the girl there and she recognised us...its not what you know it's who you know!).
We were sharing a room with twin beds, and honestly the room was okay for what it was but nothing impressive. There was a TV and coffee making facilities but other than that it was quite bare and the view was of some allotments. Couldn't really complain for what we paid though.
We got there late on so we decided to go swimming straight away and have our treatments the next day. The pool was lovely, and empty other than a few gym heads (yanno the lads who look a bit triangular with their muscly top half's and skinny legs...not impressive) and a lifeguard (who my mate fancied....cue us trying to swim seductively past him then me nearly drowning cos my belly bar ball  came off and I panicked and swallowed water...smooth I know). There was some Jacuzzis full of old women who were actually lovely and we had a nice convo about where to holiday in America (they were rich so everywhere they suggested was dead expensive). We alternated between swimming, jacuzzing and going in the sauna (the steam room was broken). There was also some sun loungers which we commandeered. ..typical mackems!
After a while a group of lads came in which perked r up (my mate) as she fancied her chances with all of them. I was with PB so wasn't interested which made them more interested in me...lads eh! R got a bit sick of them hitting on me so we went back to the room (there was no changing rooms free so we had to change in the communal bit. Dunno if you have ever been in that situation but no way was anyone seeing my lady parts so I made my towel into a tent ha ha).
The meal that night was amazing, I'm not gonna lie it was fit! I was full just off the starter though! I had garlic mushrooms and they were huge. For main I had chicken with garlic mashed potato and veg (I was disappointed with the mash actually) and dessert was a huuuuge piece of chocolate cake. By huge I mean bigger than  my head! I couldn't finish it so the nice waitress boxed it up for me :-)

In the morning we went swimming again, then got changed for our treatments. I had a facial (so lovely and my skin looked boss after) and a massage.  Now, I don't know if I'm thick but I thought a massage was meant to relax you. Not mine. I got a moody girl who literally damaged the muscle in my back and jaw and I couldn't open my mouth for a good hour (to the delight of r) and I ended up going to a&e for my back later that day. R also had a massage and hers was fine so maybe I was just unlucky.
R went swimming again while I sat in the jacuzzi due to not being able to move and r finally got the number from the lifeguard. 
We had another meal and honestly I would go there again just for the food! And we had a quick hot choc before we left.
I haven't mentioned drinks yet, we both were boring and had archers and lemonade and then moved onto vodka.

Overall I would go back again and my mate did go back there when she was pregnant! I would Deffo not get a massage again though!

@mackembeauty2
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Lip voltage

I heard about this on twitter, I feel a bit like I was missing out as everyone had heard of it before me! I'm not sure what happened there other than I had been busy doing other things.
I read some of the reviews and seen some of the images of people using lip voltage, and I had to have some. Now, it was sold out everywhere but once I set my mind to something I generally get it. I know a man who knows a man who has a sister. ...anyway I got my hands on some and had to try it straight away.
In the past the only lip plumping thing I have used is the one by soap and glory and that tingles but was nothing on this!
I only put two drops of the lip voltage in as I heard how uncomfortable it was to use more and I'm a bit of a wuss!
Basically the selling point of this product is that it makes your lips look as if you have had fillers without actually having fillers. I didn't think that it would work despite seeing the pictures online, products like this generally get loads of hype and then turn out to be nothing exciting.  However I thought I'd give it a go anyway...
It does tingle so much but once that passes it is so worth it! My lips were full and actually looked darker in colour (a bit red which I'm not sure is part of the appeal but I liked it). It lasts for ages too, so is perfect for a night out! I wouldn't recommend using this if you have dry chapped lips though as mine felt quite dry afterwards, although that could have been the air con at work!
I have only used this once but so far I am impressed and people kept asking me if I had had fillers in my lips!!
This is a must have for any woman!!

@mackembeauty2
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Clinique 3-step

A couple of years ago I tried the clinique 3-step system, I had the level 3 for normal to oily skin.  I stopped using it until I moved in with PB. At Christmas time we noticed that clinique had an offer on the 3step system, there was a larger size of step 2 and it all came with free travel sizes which would have been perfect for me as I travel alot. Unfortunately the clinique lady told us that it only came in level 2 which is normal to dry skin and so wouldnt have worked for me. I was gutted but the lady gave us the three steps in my level for the same price, (think it was about £68)  and gave us some clinique samples (she even gave PB some men samples which he loved), and she put them all in a gift box with a clinique travel bag. She is the nicest clinique assistant that ive met and ive met a fair few of them over the years.
Anyway,  I started using these again and honestly I am in love.
I got the solid soap rather than the liquid soap as apparently it lasts longer, it comes in its own soap dish (which is green with silver writing and looks lovely in my bathroom) and is a yellowy orange colour. It lathers up quite well, nearly as good as the liquid soap which is good. The only problem I have is that I have to remove my makeup first as this soap doesnt get rid of it all. It makes my skin feel lovely, and it doesnt have an overpowering smell like some clinique products
The second step is the clarifying lotion (mine is pink). It has a slight clinical smell but it doesnt bother me much. I use it with a cotton wool ball, the larger size that was available at christmas for level 2 had a pump but the normal ones don't. I hold the cotton ball over the top of the bottle and tip once, that is all I need for my whole face. It does leave my skin feeling dry but as I follow it with the moisturiser it doesnt matter so much. It acts as an exfoliator and gets rid of skin flakes etc and helps to refine pores.
Step 3 is the moisturiser,  mine is the dramatically different moisturising gel. It comes in a cute bottle with a pump top and is yellow in colour. Because it is gel it is better for my skin, and it leaves my skin feeling super soft. This is my favourite step as I love the gel so much. One pump is enough for my whole face, unless it is the winter as sometimes my forehead gets a bit dry (my skin is a bit weird and never really knows whether to bw oily normal or dry). It doesnt smell either which is good.

I dont have spots (except for that time when I forgot my pill for a few days and got some but that was a one off) so I dont know how well this would work on keeping skin clear if it wasnt naturally clear. But it does help to keep my skin smooth and gorgeous looking.  I dont think I will ever stop using this, people have suggested cheaper alternatives but I would rather pay the extra for a quality product. I have a travel sized bottle of clarifying lotion so with the soap and the moisturiser I can take it anywhere with me, which I also love!
I would definitely recommend this to everyone (although I can only comment on the type that I use but I have heard that the others are as good).

@mackembeauty2
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No 7 matte primer

I have been using this primer for a couple of weeks now, at first I was really impressed but now im unsure.
The primer is white in colour, and if you put too much on it does leave white marks on your face. It doesnt go on very smoothly, it seems to drag across the skin which isnt something ive come across in any other primer. I suppose it is how it tries to make the skin matte by drying it, but it makes it a bit more difficult to apply.
It doesnt seem to have a smell, or not one that ive noticed anyway.
It claims to ' stop shine for a matte finish and improves blemishes'. I have worn this both by itself (when I was just lounging around the house) and under foundation and I have noticed that it does keep the skin matte when used alone, but doesnt when under foundation. I have tried three different types of foundation, including no7, and it doesnt seem to make a difference. I am a bit disappointed in this as I had read some good reviews before I bought it.
I dont usually have spots but as some of you know I did get a few when I forgot to take my pill and this doesnt seem to have improved them (they have mostly gone now but this could be because I am taking my pill regularly again, and also use the clinique three step system).

Overall I dont think I would purchase this again as there are many other primers out there that work better.  It may be good for people with dry skin but as I have combination oily skin it doesnt work for me

@mackembeauty2
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Soap & glory sugar crush body wash

A couple of years ago I hadnt even heard of soap & glory, then I was given a gift set off my mam and I fell in love. I admit I have become a bit obsessed with the girly smell (I even have the hand gel as I work in a hospital and everyone pinches it off me) so when I was given this body wash the scent surprised me.
I can only describe the scent as being citrusy, it is amazing for a morning shower as it wakes you up and smells fresh :) To be honest it is the smell that PB loves and I keep catching him using it (he is a bit of a mans man so ive been told not to tell his mates he washes with soap & glory) and he loves it!
The consistency is the same as other soap & glory body washes, and I use it with the soap & glory scrunchie I got in my gift pack which leaves my skin super soft.
You only need a small amount as it lathers up really well, so the bottle should last quite a while (although PB does tend to use a bit more than needed).

I would recommend this product, but I still prefer the scent of the original products but if it makes PB happy then it makes me happy :)
@mackembeauty2
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