Getting a Tan Without Going on Holiday by Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula

The sun is actually shining here in the UK at the moment & that means showing a bit more skin!  I can't cover up anymore but I don't really want to expose my milky white legs! 

By day, I'm a mobile beauty therapist & sometimes that requires applying fake tan to my clients.  Now, despite the fact that my clients absolutely love fake tan, I don't really!  I really can't be bothered (or have the time!) with the faff of it all!  So, if I can get a bit of a glow without all that, I will do!

Here's where Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula comes in...

Their natural bronze body lotion is just perfect for me. It's a gradual tanning moisturiser & contains of course, pure cocoa butter with vitamin E (great for your skin).

It comes in a handy pump bottle so you aren't constantly having to take a top off when applying it. 

It suits all skintones & builds up a gradual natural looking tan in no time & without streaking - just be careful around the toe area!

I'm really pleased with it & it smells amazing!  Just like chocolate!

So, if you want to get your 'glow on' without that fake tan 'faff', grab the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Lotion & you will be ready to face the summer!

Bee x   

The Contents of my Face: My Everyday Makeup Routine

I thought I would share with you from 'The Contents of my Face' series an everyday makeup look.  Very similar to a post here but a bit more updated with a few different products...

Primer...

First up, after my morning skincare routine, I apply a primer.  I'm currently using Laura Mercier's radiance primer (an apparent favourite of the new Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle & I can see why!).  It really gives you a glowy radiant base.  You could possibly wear it on it's own.
I always feel you need a primer if you want your makeup to last all day & with this one it definitely does.

Base...

Next up, I apply a bit of peach colour corrector under my eyes from the Revolution colour corrector palette with a small concealer brush & blend with a mini real techniques eraser sponge.
Then it's foundation time!  I'm currently using L'Oreal's True Match foundation in the shade Linen. (My shades tend to vary throughout the year)  I use a Real Technique's expert face brush to buff this in.
After this, I pop some concealer under my eyes, around my nose & anywhere that needs a bit of concealing!   I tend to use my favourite Maybelline eraser eye concealer in either 'light' or 'brightener'.  I then of course blend this all in with my Real Technique's blending sponge.
Once my concealer is done, I set it with my Rimmel Insta Fix & Matte powder with a small Real Techniques setting brush.

Adding a bit of colour...

Now my base is set, it's time to brighten up my face a bit more with some bronzer, blush & highlighter. 
My current bronzer to contour my face is by Bourjois which I apply with a bronzing blusher brush by, of course, Real Techniques.
For blusher & highlighter I use a variety but my current fave is from Sleek.  It's their Face Form Contouring & Blush palette in the shade Fair.  I use a Spectrum brush for my blusher & a small Real Techniques brush for my highlighter.
I pop my highlighter on the high points of my cheekbones, a little bit on my nose, chin & cupids bow.

Brows...

For my brows, I use my favourite Hi-Impact Brows brow powder & set them with any brow gel.  My current one is by Browcote.

For everyday I tend to not use eyeshadow.  Just some black eyeliner on my waterline (I really look odd without it!).  I really love the Smokey Eye pencil by Rodial.
Then a few coats of mascara.  A real fave is by Givenchy in the colour Black Taffeta (I also love Roller Lash by Benefit!).  It is brilliant for giving both volume & length.

Lips...

Finally, a bit of lippie!  So many to choose from, but a current newbie I've been reaching for is Half n' Half by MAC.  A lovely nude.


So, that's my everyday makeup routine.  What's yours?

Bee x 

Healthy & Natural Lips with Burt's Bees

I've always been a fan of Burt's Bees lip balms.  They are just fabulous & really help my ultra dry lips.

Well, when I heard they did actual lipsticks too, I was pretty keen to try them! 

So I did! 

More on that later....

Now, a little bit about Burt's Bees.  They have been around for about 30 years when Burt the beekeeper met a lovely lady named Roxanne.  And the rest as they say is....history!  Their products are 99% natural - in fact, it says on their website that over half of their products are actually 100% natural!

They are also proud to sponsor the British Beekeepers Association.  You can find out more about the scheme here - www.burtsbees.co.uk

So, as I said before, I love their balms; I have a lot of different flavours! And, my blog is called 'Mabel's Beauty Bee' & my name is Debbie which means Bee, so it makes sense to try some Burt's Bees products, right?! (Any excuse!!)

Ok, first up....

The lipsticks....

I have two - 

First shade - number 501 Blush Basin.

And what a beautiful colour!  My kind of natural pinky corally shade - your lips but better! 

Second shade - number 523 Sunset Cruise.  

Another beautiful colour.  Very similar to the previous colour but slightly deeper.

Both colours are so easy to wear & will go with most makeup as they are so natural.  These are both said to be a satin finish with 100% natural ingredients.  Both are so comfortable to wear, leaving my lips feeling really hydrated.

I love the packaging too with the 'hive' detailing on the sides of the lid & its interesting to know that it is made with 60% recycled materials.

Finally.... 

The lip gloss....

Shade number 239 Spring Splendor.

Such a gorgeous pink shade which looks fairly dark & a sparkly mauve colour in the bottle but on application is not as intense & looks really natural on your lips.  Again, so comfortable (the gloss is enriched with nourishing oils) & easy to wear, with a high shine finish.  And of course, made with 100% natural ingredients.

I'm really impressed with these products.  I'd be really interested to know what their other lipsticks & lip products are like.  I may just try them!

Do you like Burt's Bees?  What products by them have you tried?  I'd love to know!

Bee x 

Putting a bit of (Gin)Zing back into my life with Origins!

Quite a while ago now I had a little sample of eye cream by Origins in a beauty box & let me tell you from the first time I used it, I was hooked! (In fact, I did mention it in a blog post here)  Ever since that sample ran out I have been meaning to purchase a pot.  It was from their Ginzing range.  

Promising to refresh, brighten & de-puff - it definitely did all these things! 

Now, as I say, I had been meaning to repurchase it....Little did I know that my amazing best friend Laura (www.lashingsoflittlel.blogspot.co.uk) would surprise me; not just with the eye cream but a whole set of Origins goodies wrapped up in a gorgeous red gift box! (Thank you!!)

Inside the box were 4 different Origins products, along with a little sample & a lovely purple makeup/toiletry pouch.

So, first up, a pot of the Ginzing energy-boosting gel moisturizer. 

 

As with the amazing Ginzing refreshing eye cream, this cream felt wonderful as soon as I rubbed it into my skin.  It really does awaken your skin & feels so refreshing with a lovely clean feeling.  It smells fabulous too!  A lovely orange-y scent!  I will definitely be repurchasing.  I love it as much as the eye cream! 

Next up, & not from their Ginzing range, their Original Skin renewal serum.  

It contains Willowherb to de-stress, smooth & renew your skin.  Again, it smells fresh & does the job well.  But, I must say I've not noticed as much of a difference in my skin as I do with the Ginzing moisturizer.  I apply this serum underneath the moisturizer, however sometimes I do feel my moisturizer is all that I need!

And finally from Origins & again from their Ginzing range, a refreshing scrub cleanser.  

Now this stuff does smell just like freshly squeezed oranges & reminds me of summer (we need the sun back!).  You massage just a small amount onto wet skin & rinse it off & it leaves your skin squeaky clean & SO smooth! 

Can you tell I love the Origins Ginzing range?  I think so! 

Origins - you have yourself a new customer! 

Bee x 

What I Bought In New York - Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Sephora & more!

Back in 2016, I wrote a blog post about what I had bought in New York (post here) - well, guess what? I've been again & so of course, dear readers, I thought I must let you all know what I spent my hard earned dollars on!

First up, Victoria's Secret...
They had a big sale on & so I thought I would treat myself to their lovely scented papers in the fragrance Bombshell for my chest of drawers in my bedroom.  

Great for keeping your clothes smelling fresh while they are folded away.  I also purchased two gorgeous fragrance mists in the scents 'Love Spell unwrapped' & 'Dark Flora'.

Onto Bath & Body Works...
I bought a fair few things!  I purchased three shower gels -
Tahiti Island Dream
Magic in the Air

& from their aromatherapy range - Comfort (vanilla & patchouli)

Lovely!
They also had a range of sheet facemasks, so I thought I'd grab a couple of those -
Totally Tea-riffic (Teatree oil & licorice root extract)
Sea You Soon (Sea minerals & Hyaloronic acid)

I can't wait to try them out!
Finally, you can't go to Bath & Body Works without grabbing their 'pocketbacs' hand gels & of course, I got quite a few!

Obviously a trip to Sephora was definitely on the cards while I was in NY, so I stopped by there & got their own brand face masks which I loved when I bought them on my last trip.  I got the orchid eye mask, the green tea eye mask & a new red clay mask to try.

I also purchased a NARS blusher which I adore!

Onto New York's famous MACY's store & I purchased a big red apron with the famous Macy's star logo (I fancy baking a cake now!).

 I also went to their MAC counter & bought a lovely new lippie in the shade Half 'n Half - it's an amplified finish & another great nude to add to my collection! 

I also bought another lipstick from Milani, while in a Walgreens store (love that shop - you can buy everything there!), in the shade 86 Tropical Nude.  Now I know I've just said I had just purchased a nude but this was more of a peachy coral tone.  Perfect for this summer (hurry up sun!).

Lastly, a bit of fashion...
I went in Old Navy in Times Square & bought some lovely silver studs, a NY tee & two pairs of I think the best jeans I have ever bought!   They are from the curvy range, both in slightly different shades & one in the straight style & another in skinny.  Both so comfortable, look great & a bargain price too! Couldn't ask for more!

Other than a few souvenirs, I think that's about it & I'm really pleased with my purchases!

I had such a lovely time in New York.  Not just for the retail therapy, but it's such a wonderful & interesting place to visit.

I can't wait to go again one day!

Bee x

The Perfect Way to Remove your Eye Makeup this Party Season

During this time of the year there are a lot of family get togethers or parties to go to & if those events tend to carry on way into the night, the last thing you feel like doing by the time bedtime comes around is removing your makeup, right?  (And especially if you have decided to wear that sparkly glittery eyeshadow you have been saving all year to wear!  There is no shifting that!!)  

Well, I think I may have found something that can remove even the most stubborn of eye makeup off in a flash!

Now, as many will know, I have a bit of a penchant for eyeliner ('a-la Claudia Winkleman!') & I don't need a party to go to, to wear it.  I wear it everyday - so I really need something good to remove it.

Going back to a few weeks ago - my mum gave me a free sample of an Yves Saint Laurent eye makeup remover she had received with her mascara (their mascara is amazing too!). I tried it out & I was sold!

That was it; I purchased a larger bottle.  The name is Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Expert Makeup Remover with Gentle Biphase.

And it's pink! 

All you need to do is shake the bottle up (so the 2 phases mix together), apply to a cotton pad & gently press & sweep over your eyes & sure enough it removes all your eye makeup.  As quick as that!   It can even remove waterproof mascara & lip products effectively.

It is also suitable for contact lense wearers (which I am!) & suits sensitive eyes too (ditto!).  It doesn't leave your eyes feeling like an oil slick either! 

It has taken me a long time to find an eye makeup remover that not only actually works but also doesn't sting my eyes!

Really happy with this product - a luxury brand that actually is worth the money.

Thank you YSL!  No more waking up with yesterdays mascara on my pillow & panda eyes!

Bee x  

The BEST Facial Moisturiser I think I've ever owned & it's by Olay!

This blog as you may know, is dedicated to my wonderful Grandmother, Mabel.  I'm sure it's from her that I inherited my love for all things beauty (my love of makeup comes from my mum!) & from what I can remember, when I was a child, her love of the brand Olay was very evident.  Without fail, she used their classic Beauty Fluid everyday (another great product I love!) & her skin always looked amazing.  Now, whenever I smell the unmistakable scent of Olay's Beauty Fluid, it evokes fond memories of my time spent with her.

Onto present day & I'm also a massive fan (as seen in other posts here & here) of Olay, so much so, that I think one of their moisturisers is the best I've ever tried.  I consistently repurchase it.  Whenever I deviate to another cream, once I'm finished, I always end up coming back to this!

What's it called?  It is Olay's 2 in 1 Hydration & Radiant Glow moisturiser with SPF15.

It glides onto the skin really easily - it's lightweight & doesn't clog your pores.  With light reflecting particles & really improves the look of your skin, making you look more revived & radiant! 

And the smell reminds me of being on holiday! 

It doesn't break the bank either - always a good thing in my book!

What's not to love?  I'm sure Mabel would have loved it too! 

I really don't think I can find a better moisturiser. Thank you Olay! 

So, do you have a favourite brand or product that you keep going back to? I'd love to know!

Bee x