Beauty: Hoola vs. Laguna

Nars Laguna

Benefit Hoola

Left: Laguna  Right: Hoola

There is a lot of love for Benefit's Hoola Bronzer and Nars' Laguna Bronzer amongst beauty bloggers and there are blog posts galore - so why not add to that amount? They are both really good bronzers and I never find that they are too similar, nor do neither of them make me look orange. They both give me a lovely healthy glow.

Hoola, which is £23.50, is a matte bronzer which is very pigmented therefore you only need a light hand to achieve a subtle glow. Due to the matte finish, it is brilliant for contouring and creates a lovely shadow in the hollows of the cheeks. I use this one mainly for contouring because of the matte finish and how easy it is to blend. I use Laguna, which is slightly more expensive at £27.50, for an all over bronzed look and makes you look fresh and healthy even when you're half asleep. It has tiny flakes of gold shimmer which catch in the light. Although some would disagree and find this an unattractive property in a bronzer, I love it as it brightens up the face so much. It gives a warm finish, yet still natural and is perfect for my skin tone - it never makes me look muddy.

With both, they last all day on my skin without hardly any retouching. They can be applied with a light hand for a natural look or built up for more of a sun kissed look. They blend into my skin seamlessly and never just 'sit' on the skin. Although they both look similar in the pan, they are very different to eachother and hold their own special traits. I love them both just as much as each other, however if I had to choose one, I'd choose Laguna due to the fact it can be used all over the face and as a slight contour if I want to without flattening my face. Despite the high end price tags they are two products that I will always repurchase.

Which one is your favourite out of the two? Are there any other bronzers that give these two a run for their money?

I hope you've enjoyed reading,

Holly x

Travel Essentials

As you're reading this I will be in the beautiful country of Italy skiing. I will be freezing and longing for my own bed, but I will have the time of my life, I know that for sure. My skiing skills are sure to improve or if all else fails, I will have a lot of fun falling on my behind! Seeing as I am heading off across the border, I thought I would collate together what I deem to be some of my travel essentials. 

A book: I have 3 books that I've got lined up to read however so far this year I have had no time to sit and read them. I am going to be using my travelling days as days to catch up on some much missed reading. My book of choice is going to be The Great Gatsby. I have yet to watch the film and after hearing so many good reviews about the storyline, I am keen to read the book!

Hand Cream: As it's winter and I am going to a place where it will be in the minues, hand cream is a must for me because although my hands are necessarily like a desert, they will soon lack moisture when I arrive at the other side! The one I had in my drawer is Dove Regenerating Nourishment hand cream. A perfect cream for someone like my who doesn't like to walk around feeling like everything is going to slip out of my hands once I've applied it.

Moisturiser: My face has developed so many dry patches this winter and as I am going to be in a plane which will dry out my face even more and I'm going to be outside for a large proportion of the day, a hydrating moisturiser is a must. My absolutely favourite is Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser. It sinks in so quickly but leaves my face feeling refreshed and moisturised. You can still feel it lightly on your skin after you apply it which is something I like in a moisturiser .

Lipbalm: My lips can get very dry very quickly so to avoid having dry, chapped, lips, I'm taking my trusty Nivea Lip Butter. It is just a standard lip balm, but I love it and it's always handy to have one in your bag. I do prefer the stick version (not shown) as I feel I get a thicker layer of moisturiser and it's more hygienic.

Headphones: These are just the standard iPhone 5 and newer models headphones. They will be perfect for when I want to catch up on YouTube videos or disappear into my own little world. They aren't noise cancelling by all means however it is nice to have that barrier that enables me to block out everyone else.

Camera: As this is my first time skiing, I want to document every second of it. My little camera is going to be used so much during this next week, but I'm going to document some great memories with it. My Cameria is a Canon PowerShot A3400 and it is a great little portable camera and has fairly decent quality.

So there are a few of my top travel essentials. Obviously food and drink is also up there but there is only so much you can say about water, right? What are your must have travel items?

I hope you enjoyed reading, 

Holly x

I'm Only Half Crazy!

Many people have different hobbies that are sports related. However, if you ask me to play a game of netball or play table tennis then your team will most certainly lose. I am rubbish! What I have found a passion for though is running. I absolutely love it. Iremember a few years ago I was selected to be in the school cross country team and I came 9th out of around 80 kids. That was the day I wanted to properly start running. Early last year I set myself a goal to complete a half marathon. I devised my own training plan to suit my routine at the time and it comprimised of 3-4 runs a week, both long and short.

I already had a lot of stamina from going to the gym for the past 3 years however my running took it to a whole new level. I'm very thankful I have the stamina I have as it helps with all the exercise I do and more.

It took me around 7 months to get my long runs to a comfortable 12/13 miles - I took it slow and steady because I didn't to have another injury. When Summer came around I went for runs each morning and I was in my element. There is something really stimulating about starting your day with running! I managed to knock out around 250miles in 6 weeks and I was dreading going back to school and not having the time to keep up with the level of running I was doing. When September came around I completed my first real Half Marathon in a time of 2hours which I am immensely proud of.

Now my running schedule isn't quite as full on however I have a few half marathon races lined up for this year! In the interim, I race in 5k's and 10k's which I love just as much. Hopefully one day in the future I will compete in full marathons.

What is your hobby? Have you ever considered running?

Hope you've enjoyed,

Holly x

Tools: Mac 217 - Is It The Best?

After hearing so many raves about the infamous MAC 217 brush, I finally bought it to see what the hype was about. I am so glad I bought it! Applying eyeshadow has never been easier. The brush picks up just the right amount of product due to the densely packed bristles and applies the eyeshadow very evenly. It is extremely easy to blend eyeshadow out with this brush or even use it to define the crease - you can use the product for all types of eyeshadow application (highlighting the brow bone, cream eyeshadows..). The fibers are so soft and don't scratch on the eyes at all, also they don't shed.

I used to use the Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush which I love and find it brilliant for applying eyeshadow, however I find that for multi-tasking the 217 is better.
It is a staple brush in my collection and I am postive it will last a very long time and be worth the price tag! Out of all my eyeshadow brushes, it is certainly one of the best!

I hope you've enjoyed reading,

Holly x