Monthly Round Up | Favourite May Posts

It's the end of another month and that means it's time for a monthly round up post! It's been an exciting month so it has been tricky to choose just 8 favourite blog posts and I was sad to leave out some of my other favourites such as the Smash Box Event and La Roche Posay but I'm happy with my selection so here goes.....

#1 Sleek Sparkle 2 Eyeshadow Palette Review | Link 

I recently noticed that Sleek hasn't appeared on my blog very often and I wanted to change that because it is a really good, high quality, affordable highstreet brand.

This month saw not one but two blog posts, one being a review of the Sleek Sparkle 2 palette and the other being a review of my Sleek Blush Collection.

#2 Yves Rocher Moment de Bonheur Perfume Review | Link

I love perfume and the most recent addition to my collection was Moment de Bonheur by Yves Rocher. This is a wonderful scent to wear during the day which was much needed because almost all of the other fragrances I have are more suitable for the evening.

This unusual scent is bright green so screams Spring and Summer. It is also the first product I have used by Yves Rocher so it was great to give it a try and share my thoughts with you guys.

#3 Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel Review | Link

I'm a big fan of Lush so of course one their products had to appear on my blog in the past month and this time it was Happy Hippy. This is a refreshing shower gel which is wonderful to use in the morning to brighten you up and the smell is fresh, crisp and clean.

#4 6 Must Have Spring Beauty Products from the Highstreet | Link

Last month I did a post about my 6 Must Have High End Spring Beauty Products so it was only right I also included my favourites from the Highstreet too.

I love each and every one of these products and it was great to share them with you all.

#5 Tres Semme Oil Elixir Review | Link

I love Tres Semme products and the most recent one to be added to my collection is the Oil Elixir. The product is very much like Moroccan Oil but considerably cheaper so it is a brilliant alternative if you don't want to spend so much.

Having long hair, I love to use treatments on it so this has been a great product to use and incorporate into my routine. Hair care is probably the regime I mix up the most because my hair adapts well to trying new things but I always go back to my favourites.

#6 Top 10 Revision Hints and Tips | Link

I remember revising hard for my exams year after year during April, May and June so I really feel for those of you who are in the middle of studying. I'm glad all that is behind me now I'm in the big world of work but I learnt a lot during school and university so I wanted to share my experience and tips with you all.

#7 Fashion Holiday Essentials | Link

This month got me thinking about my holiday in July so I thought what better post to have than a fashion holidays essentials one? I haven't actually booked my holiday yet as I want to do something last minute but I love the sun, sea and sand so it will definitely be something along those lines.

This was a really fun post to put together because there are so many nice things in the shops at the moment and I definitely plan on buying some of these items (if not all of them oops) soon in preparation for my own holiday.

I tried to think a little outside the box with this one to keep the post interesting so it isn't a full list of essentials but definitely some of them!

#8 The Do's and Don'ts of Blogging | Link

I love writing posts about blogging and this month saw one about the Do's and Don'ts of blogging. This proved popular and was really enjoyable to write and I hope it helped some of you!

If there are any other blogging type posts you want to see leave a comment below and I will include them. It could be tips, advice, help, tutorials.. anything you like.

What was your favourite post on Kimberley's Beauty Blog during May?

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Fashion | Holiday Essentials

It's coming up to that time of the year when everyone starts to think about going on holiday or the weather starting to improve. In the UK we had a lovely few days last week where it was so warm I was even able to do some sun bathing but sadly it didn't last very long and the rain has returned. 
This hasn't stopped me from thinking about my holiday in July, though so this post is all about fashion holiday essentials. It isn't a complete list but definitely a good starting point and a challenge because there are so many lovely things in the shops at the moment!
River Island Light Wash Ripped Denim shorts | £25.00 
Shorts are brilliant to wear on holiday because they can be worn casually during the day when you are out and about, on the beach over your bikini or blinged up in the evening.  I love denim shorts because they are the most versatile and these ones at River Island are super cute.
New Look Green Tropical Print Crepe Kimono | £19.00
I'm loving kimono's at the moment which is great because they seem to be popping up in lots of shops. They look gorgeous with a simple outfit with solid colour if they have a heavy print and instantly transform the outfit into something more interesting. I love those with a floral print and spotted this one in New Look a few days ago.. I really wish I'd bought it now!
Topshop Slim Tailored Blazer | £48.00
I'm loving blazers at the moment too because they are another staple piece which can instantly transform an outfit. They add colour and structure and finish off an outfit really well. I find them flattering too because they pinch you in at the waist and make it looks like you've put a lot more effort into your outfit than you actually have! This lemon coloured one at Topshop is such a pretty summery colour and would be perfect for a day or evening look. On holiday I'm thinking more evening because it would be too hot to wear a blazer during the day but of course that depends on where you go.
New Look Pink Roll Sleeve Plain T-Shirt | £4.99
A must have fashion holiday essential are simple t-shirts and vest tops. They can be teamed with shorts, trousers or skirts or even your bikini to stop you from burning. I love the colour of this pink one from New Look but I would take a selection of these on holiday in different colours.
Accessorize Woven Coachella Flip Flops | £15.00
If you're going on a beach holiday you definitely need to have flip flops to protect your feet from the hot sand. They are also perfect to wear around the pool or during the day when walking about because when it's hot I hate to have my feet closed in! 
Accessorize Sienna Top Kaftan Top | £39.00
When chilling by the pool or on the beach a must have if a kaftan top which is quick and simple to throw over your bikini. This one at accessorize looks very pretty on and will turn your sun bathing attire into something suitable to walk around in when you go and grab a bite to eat.
Boohoo Myrtle Mould Push Up Bikini | £16.00
I've mentioned sun bathing a few times in this post (I can't get enough of it when I'm on holiday) and I have a slight addition to bikini's. When I go on holiday for a week I won't take one or two with me.. it's more like 7-8 oops and I'm loving this bright red one at Boo Hoo! It would look really great with a golden brown tan.
Kurt Geiger Carvela Klix Wedges | £75.00
I love to wear heels on holiday, especially in the evening and these nude pink ones from Kurt Geiger are great. I have these in another colour and wore them a lot last summer because they are very comfortable and easy to wear!
Miss Selfridge Petites Coral Cutout Dress | £35.00
Last but not least is this pretty coral dress by Miss Selfridge. I love coral shades at the moment and this piece would look lovely during the day or evening. The bright colour shouts Summer and I really like the style of it. I would definitely wear this out in the evening to dinner and drinks.
There are obviously a lot more fashion pieces you need to take on holiday with you but I hope you enjoyed looking at my mini list here. I love every one of these pieces and would love to add them into my collection for July!
What do you think of my Fashion Holiday Essentials?

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Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

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Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nail, Topdraw Fashion, Confessions of a Secret Shopper, Pink Confetti, Two Little Owls Blog 

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Review | 6 Must Have Spring Products From the High Street

I recently wrote a blog post featuring my 6 must have high end Spring products and you guessed it, now it's time to share my 6 must have high street/drug store products with you. This was very challenging because there are so many amazing products out there but eventually I managed to narrow it down, although three are lip products! 
Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in #101 | Link  | £3.99


Rimmel is a popular high street brand and I think one of their best products are their lipsticks. My favourite is 101 from the Kate Moss range because it's a pretty matte 'your lips but better' shade that looks lovely during the day to finish a natural make-up look or when teamed with a smokey eye in the evening. I find it a little drying so I always wear lip balm underneath and I re-apply it as little as possible. It's a really pretty shade to wear during Spring and Summer.

Collection Lip Gloss in Cupcake | Link | £2.19

Collection probably one of the first make-up brands I bought from when I was younger and now I find myself going back to try more and more of their products. One which recently appeared in my favourites is this pretty baby pink lip gloss in the shade Cupcake. It has a shimmer running through it which looks lovely and also makes your lips look a little plumper. The texture is very light but is a little on the thin side so it comes out of the tube very quickly. This means you need to be careful when applying it because you can end up with too much on your lips but the shade works really well on it's own or when paired with lipsticks. This is the perfect shade for Spring!

Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink | Link | £4.49

Sleek is an amazing brand when it comes to blush and is definitely my favourites on the high street. The blush pictured here is a bright pink called Pixie Pink which is very pigmented so apply with caution if you don't want to end up looking like a clown. I would definitely recommend tapping of the excess and making sure you have time to blend it out properly. 
This isn't a quick blush to apply but it is beautiful and gives your cheeks a gorgeous pop of colour. Lots of other shades are available too and they are definitely worth a look because the formula is smooth, creamy and blends easily over the skin making this product easy to work with and perfect to wear during Spring.

Soap and Glory Solar Powder Bronzer | Link | £11.00

 
You can tell this product is well loved because I have it pan on it. I find Soap and Glory Solar Powder a great alternative to Nars Laguna and it has been been the one I have been reaching for over the past few weeks. 
The finish is matte which is perfect because I prefer to have my shimmer in a highlighter or eyeshadow and the soft, creamy texture is very blendable so you're never left with streaky marks. The shade is also great to use if you have a pale complexion because you're not left looking orange! You skin is given a beautiful sunkissed glow which is perfect for Spring when you want to add a little extra colour to your face.
I'm not sure why the lighter shade has hit pan where the darker hasn't because I always swirl the two shades together before application, I assume maybe it is a softer formula so more picks up on the brush. 
Revlon Lip Butter | Link | £5.99
 
The Revlon Lip Butters were a really popular product with beauty bloggers last year and I can definitely see why. The formula is so creamy it melts onto the lips making them extremely hydrating and comfortable to wear. A beautiful range of shades are available and the one pictured here is a pretty shimmery baby pink named Cotton Candy. This is a similar shade to the other lip products which is definitely my 'go to' colour for Spring.
The formula of the lip butters is a hybrid between a lipstick and lip balm and some are sheerer than others so definitely give them a swatch before you buy. Cotton Candy is more on the sheer side.
As you can see, I hardly have any left and I would love to tell you it's because I've been wearing it so much I've used it all up but sadly that isn't the case. Instead, I had a bit of a disaster with the lipstick after leaving it in my handbag on the floor with the underfloor heating on......
MUA Undressed Eyeshadow Palette | Link |£4.00

If I'm honest when I first saw MUA in Superdrug I was a little sceptical about the products because of the low price tag but I saw so many people raving about their eyeshadow palettes I decided to give one a try. I bought the Undressed palette because the shades are all very wearable and perfect to create an evening or day time look all year round. They are also very similar to those in the Urban Decay Naked 1 palette but considerably cheaper! See my comparison post here.
I was surprised by the quality of the shadows for the price and I actually find them easier to work with than some MAC ones because they seem to blend better. It's a brilliant palette for the price.
What do you think about 6 must have high street make-up products for Spring?

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Review | Spring Handbag by Bolder Bags

Hello Everyone! Spring has well an truly sprung so I have swapped my dark nail polishes for my pastels and my darker clothing for my light, bright and pastel colours. I'm really loving re-discovering my Spring and Summer wardrobe because I love wearing my favourite pieces and finding ones I had forgotten about. It feels like you have been shopping without any of the expense!

Today's post features a stunning hand made *bag by Bolder Bags which is perfect for Spring and Summer. Bolder Bags is owned by a lovely lady named Marketa who is based in the USA but luckily for us ships world wide. Marketa was inspired by her great grand mother to sew and spent her childhood learning numerous skills from sewing, knitting and crochet before creating her own gorgeous pieces to share with us all.

In 2012 Bolder Bags was born and all of their products are available online at Etsy. I love this brand because each and every product is handmade and the style of the bags are so unique. I love the pretty colour combinations and the fact you can request your own if you had something different in mind

The colours of Bolder Bags are true to name and are bright and vibrant, although there are some more neutral coloured ones available too. The finish is to an extremely high quality and the pretty pleated detailing on the front of the bags makes a lovely addition as well as the pocket hidden instead. The strap is completely adjustable so you can wear the bag as high or low as your like and the size is spot on for carrying your essentials plus a few extras.  It would be really great if these bags were available in larger sizes too as I think that would make fantastic beach bags.

As much as I love designers and shopping on the high street I love to find amazing brands like this where you can pick up beautiful unique pieces that are different from what the majority of people have. I like knowing I can turn up to a BBQ or another Spring/Summer occasion and know I will be the only one sporting this accessory and I love using this bag. Without doubt this bag screams Spring. The pretty white and pink chevrons against the bright turquoise look lovely when teamed with other coloured pieces like in my picture above or white jeans.

You can buy one of these lovely bags (there are many different ones available as well as scarves) from the Bolder Bags website for very reasonable prices. Priced at around £23.00 these bags are brilliant value for money and shipping to the UK is very quick! If you're interested in finding out more take a look at the Bolder Bags Twitter and Facebook page.

What do you think of this bag for Spring?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Panther: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, MissLJBeauty, Satchels and Pearls, Adventures of an Anglophile, Polkadella, Beauty Queen UK 

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef's Nail, Topdraw Fashion, Confessions of a Secret Shopper, Pink Confetti, Two Little Owls Blog 

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6 Must Have High End Spring Make Up Products

Spring has definitely sprung, the leaves are green, the blossom is a flurry of white and pink on trees and the flowers are beginning to bloom.  This was the inspiration for today's post, make-up that is perfect for Spring time.  I've been using these products more and more over the last weeks and each and every one of them is beautiful.  For those of you that prefer to use high street products rather than high end keep an eye out for a similar post that will make an appearance over the next couple of weeks.
#1 YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in No.8 I absolutely love YSL lipsticks because they are so soft and creamy. They never leave my lips feeling dry and uncomfortable and although they aren't particularly long lasting they never smudge or look patchy.   My most worn YSL lipstick is definitely no.8Fetish Pink in the Rouge Volupte Shine range which can definitely be described as the perfect nude or 'your lips but better' shade.  This lipstick gives me a gorgeous pop of colour which isn't too subtle but at the same time isn't too overpowering and the lipstick goes with every make-up look I create.
I can't talk about a YSL lipstick without mentioning the stunning packaging. The gold case and intricate detailing exposing a flash of the lipstick colour that hides within is beautiful and is definitely the best I've seen on the market.
Priced at £24.50 the YSL lipsticks are very expensive but I absolutely love them. Read my review here.
#2 Nars Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo
Next is this beautiful eyshadow duo from Nars called Alhambra.  The shades are perfect for when you want to brighten up your eyes and wear very light natural make-up for an every day look. Both have a pretty shimmer and the pink champagne and subtle gold look perfect all over the lid on their own or with a darker shade added into the crease for a little more depth. 
The formula is soft and creamy meaning they blend very well and the staying power is pretty good when combined with a primer such as the Urban Decay Priming Potion.  Team this with mascara and a little eyeliner (if you wish) and you're good to go!
You can pick up this eyeshadow duo for £25.00. Read my review here.
#3 MAC Soft and Gentle Highlighter MAC Soft and Gentle highlighter is a popular and well loved product which is perfect to use in spring. I love teaming it with a pretty pink natural blush to give my cheek bones an extra healthy glow as well as my brow bones. This is one of those products that everyone notices when you wear it and it really finishes off a make-up look.
I will be wearing Soft and Gentle almost every day throughout the Spring and Summer months!
You can buy MAC Soft and Gentle for £22.00 and read my review here.
#4 Nars Laguna Bronzer Everyone has their Holy Grail bronzer and when I was first looking for one it was a toss up between Nars Laguna and Benefit's Hoola.  Having never tried anything from Nars before I opted for Laguna so I could try something completely new and I haven't looked back since.
Nars Laguna may look a little scary in the pan for some people but it is a bronzer that can easily be worn by people with different skin tones because it doesn't come out as dark as it looks. The creamy texture blends beautifully into the skin so it doesn't look streaky or cakey so it's perfect to use if you have a pale complexion like me.
This is now the second Nars Laguna I've had and sadly I hit pan a couple of days ago.. I will definitely be re-purchasing it as I will be using this a huge amount over Spring and Summer!
You can buy Nars Laguna for £26.00. Read my review here.
#5 Chanel Inspiration Cream Blush The most recent make-up product to find it's way into my collection is this stunning cream blush by Chanel.  In the past I haven't been drawn to cream products that much but lately they have been appealing to me more and more so whether it's a cream eyeshadow or blush it has caught my eye.
This particular blush is called 'Inspiration'  and is perfect for people who have a cool complexion. The pretty pink shade gives my cheeks the perfect pop of colour without being too in your face and since buying it I have worn it every day.  
The formulation is soft and creamy but not as wet as some other cream blushers I have used but it still blends perfectly onto my skin and gives the perfect finish.
You can buy this blusher for £28.00. If you want to read a full review take a look at yesterday's post.
#6 Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Last but not least on my Spring must haves is the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation because the formula is very light so it is perfect to wear when the weather is getting a little warmer and you don't want to wear anything heavy. This is a great alternative to a BB cream and is my all time favourite foundation. 

I'm not going to talk too much about it because this product has popped up in a number of posts and I don't want to bore those who have already read about it before so if you want to find out more have a look at this post.

You can buy Chanel Vitalumiere for £33.00 and read the review here.

What are your Spring make-up picks?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Amanda Loves, Looks and Lifestyle, What Shell Says

Pink Pearl: MissLJBeauty, Satchels and Pearls, Scottish Stef's Nail, One Stop Savvy 

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