Running Girl

I'd be that kind of  girl that never wore trainers, nothing against them just felt they didn't represent my style. As the years past running trainers have somewhat delivered something other than it's intended purpose - to be worn for fashion and not always for a run in the park or by the Thames!

Below are some great styles from Nike, which I received for my big 25th as a prezzie! I'm a football match attender, life long Gooner and heels and flats weren't always fitting for those kind of days. I'm also that kind of girl that likes to meet with her mates for a casual coffee and I didn't always want to be dressy. After not ever wearing trainers I'm now an avid fan thanks to the beautiful styles. 

Both styles can be picked up at ASOS.

Black and white is the Polka Dot Roshe and the grey is the Internationalist style, both unbelievably comfortable! so dreamy enjoy the pictures...

x

Clarins Ever Matte Review!

Hey Guys! So recently you are most probably aware that I have begun a new series called 'The quest for perfect?' I have invited fellow bloggers to share their stories and reviews. Below is my first guest blogger and I have been more than excited to share her post! Please show your support and visit her blog. If you are interested in sharing your stories follow this link for guidelines. Enjoy guys x

"To Those Who Said I Can't Do It, Well, Watch Me"!

 

Hello everyone!

I am not sure whether any of you read my blog, A Sprinkle Of Emily, where I post hauls, beauty tips and just general chat posts every Wednesday and Sunday at 6pm GMT. Once you have finished reading this post make sure to head on over to my blog (click here). I just want to thank the lovely Kerry for letting me post on her blog:)

Today I am going to be talking about confidence and products that have helped me boost my confidence. I don't know about you but I have definitely had those days when I have felt really self conscious, in fact, I am having one of those days today.
 

 

I often get asked "Why do you wear so much makeup?" and every time my answer is the same, because it helps me feel confident. People have different tricks to make them feel confident and mine is simply, wearing makeup. I often envy all of those girls that are 'naturally' confident, and I ask myself why can't I be like that?

I know that no one is perfect, even if I often call models in magazines perfect. I also know that I am not perfect, even if I often wish I was, no one is perfect. In our society today, even the skinniest prettiest person still isn't 'good enough'.

And remember...

Be nice to yourself. That may seem a little bit obvious but a lot of girls are really hard on themselves, just chill out and compliment yourself because YOU are great!

Don't compare. I have done this far too much where I have thought "If I looked like..." or "She has better... than me". Stay focused on you as everyone is different.

I also just wanted to say that you are all beautiful people. You shouldn't feel you have to change your appearance to please others, you are awesome as you are:)

I really hoped that you liked this post because I will start doing similar posts on my blog, I know it was a little rambly but I felt I had a lot to say. Make sure to leave a nice comment and I look forward to seeing a lot of you over on my blog.

See you soon,

Emily xo

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St Tropez gradual in shower tan

What? A in shower tan!? ...That's how I reacted. I am as pale as a ghost, if not paler - in fact I'd probably scare a ghost I'm that translucent! I have been a fake tanner on and off for more than 5 years. Although you'd think I would have plenty of practise, fake tan would never look natural on me. I'm a girl on the go, there's always places for me to be - nothing exciting just a full time job and seeing friends from time to time but tanning isn't always easy to fit in, especially after getting in from work and just wanting to eat and sleep! The St Tropez in shower tan appealed to me because of its simplicity so I thought id give it a go...

 

The idea that something that has been driving me bonkers for years can actually be done in 3 minutes was magic to me, almost to good to be true? When applying the cream it went on very easily and felt as if it was moisturising my skin right away. The tanner contains sweet almond oil that is said to help moisturise your skin for up to 24 hours and I must admit my skin is feeling a lot smoother. The idea is to cleanse in the shower as normal, apply the tanner and wash off 3 minutes later - as simple as that! I have used the tan twice and I have seen positive results. My skin actually appears to have a natural glow about it and for once I don't have dark orange patches.

My upmost favourite part of the tanner is that its so different in terms of the body cream, there's none of that sticky residue left after application and that's not something you want to face in this hot weather!

I did notice a slight smell during the night and the smell slightly developed a little while later but its not heavy and nowhere near as strong as some usual self tan characteristics.

There have been mixed reviews on this product, but for me I have had nothing but good times with it. It hasn't built up around my nails nor on my dry skin areas. Its easy, new and I'm tanned without looking like an idot!

At the moment you can pick up 200ml for £9.67 (On offer at boots)

 

Birthmark Removal

In my last post I revealed I was starting a new series called 'The quest for perfect'. This is probably the post I have been most excited about. From a young child I was insecure about my birthmark. Although no bigger than an inch in size I would never leave the house in a skirt or dress as it was on my leg. My insecurities would make me feel trapped, I never realised how controlled by my birthmark I was - crazy as it sounds I was just to embarrassed by it. I am fully aware that there are millions of cases that are more outstanding than myself but because it stemmed from when I was so young it had a profounding effect on me.

I had tried make up to cover the leg, as the birthmark wasn't large in size at all I thought the success rate would be high. As I am incredibly pale (the perks of being English lol) make up would just be visible and appear quite orange. After constant researching I discovered Sk:n Clinics. They specialise in many non surgical treatments including laser treatments. I booked a consultation to see what was treatment was available to me and to be honest I was terrified! I would spend numerous occasions on their website thinking it through as I wasn't aware of cost implications and if it would actually work, normal doubts that would cross anyone's minds. The reason I went with the Sk:n Clinic is because of it's reviews and great service. Trust me, I would look for reviews all day long just to make me feel less worried.

On the day of the consultation I was nervous, I dragged my mum along with me, I felt like a big baby. Talking with the doctor he actually said that I could have the laser treatment there and then, from that point the excitement kicked in forgetting I was going to have my leg lasered. From my understanding I had what was called a cafe au lait spot which is a light brown mark. The treatment that is offered is the same that is used in tattoo removal.

The pictures below aren't the greatest in quality as some were taken in the clinic - so apologies!

Before



After the laser treatment

The healing process went really well, it took around 2-3 weeks before I could see the skin almost healed. It was tender to the touch and the healing process isn't the nicest as the skin would scab and slowly fall away, it has a very similar feeling to a sunburn sensation.
The first question on everyone's lips is 'Did it hurt?' I will be very honest and say it did. The best way to describe the sensation is by saying it feels like elastic bands hitting the skin in a repetitive motion. You can actually see the laser work its magic so in a sense I was distracted by the excitement. I did move around a little but the consultant was great. Overall the mark has faded quite significantly although you can see a slight hint of what it once was, it's a improvement!

 

After the laser treatment

 

I would advise those considering having the laser treatment done to visit a clinic and ask any questions you have. The Sk:n Clinic had a very calming atmosphere with friendly staff. Remember if its not for you, you don't have to do it! Readers, please remember that everyone is different and costs are individual. Some may need more than one treatment depending on the severity. My laser treatment cost around £400 (this included a consultation, treatment and creams) You can visit their site here. They really looked after me from start to finish!

Have you considered having treatment? Share your stories, I am looking for you guys to get involved!!

Blog soon,

Kerry x

 

New series - I want your help!

I can't actually remember a time when I didn't feel self conscious about my appearance. I'm a shy girl that often likes to hide in the background, I know that's because I'm continuously worried about what I think people see when they look at me. I know I should love myself or at least learn to, but in this modern day everything and everyone especially in the celebrity world is 'perfect'. Now, I'm not naive I know that its at a certain degree of 'fake' and its all perceived wrong but when I have bad days it's as if im brainwashed and yet I still don't feel good enough. My insecurities have ruined relationships for me in the past; don't get me wrong past boyfriends never understood the battles I'd face, but I genuinely didn't think that because of my 'looks' I was good enough.

This series is about the bloggers that struggle with thoughts like me but also those that have risen.The title is a question, why? Does perfect exist? Is it actually worth aiming towards? Us beauty bloggers are real women/men and for those that are not rolling in money, aren't beauty products reviewed better by us, we are real and therefore our views will also be. Its easy for picture perfect person to sell a product - but our imperfections allow for a product review to be true and honest!

This series covers a whole range of things. I'm going to be reviewing products from a real girls point of view but also considering and researching about cosmetic procedures and reflecting. I wonder, if I had the money would I actually consider any procedures? 

You may ask what do I need your involvement for? Have you ever felt these insecurities? Have you had or considered procedures? I want your stories on here! Have you tried products that actually have made you feel more confident?

I really look forward to working with you!
What you need to do:

• Write a blog post
• Introduce you and your blog with a short paragraph
• Email me your post along with your blog link and photo (kerrytalkboutique@gmail.com)

I'll learn to love myself one way or another but first, lets go on this quest for 'perfect' and see if it actually exists!

Kerry x
 

Benefit Fake Up Concealer

I definitely do not have the greatest skin in the world, it's blotchy, full of freckles and uneven! Hence  why I love concealers so much, they help hide all the things I feel so paranoid about.

 

I recently went out and purchased the Benefit fake up concealer not only because of the great reviews but to be quite honest it also looks great. I have dry skin from time to time and certain concealers sit on the surface of my skin and look heavy and obvious. The Benefit concealer comes in the form of a lipstick style packaging that not only holds the colour but a hydrating formula. Some may ask - Does it actually hydrate? I can only answer that with a yes, once applied it had a very moisturising and dewy feel from the start.
I often have spots that dry out when healing leaving a dry/peeling area of skin, it can become quite red and hard to cover up - which is frustrating, especially when you've got to be places!  With other concealers I have used in the past my spots would actually become more obvious as they'd look cakey from endlessly trying to cover them up. The great thing about using this concealer is that my dry spots didn't actually look so prominent and blended into the skin really well. Because of it's a creamy texture it sank into my skin like a moisturiser and didn't crease for the duration of the day. If you are looking for a full coverage look then this is a great base. Don't get me wrong it also blends really well over the top of a foundation too.

Now, I know its main purpose is for dark circles under the eyes however it works great across the whole of my skin (See below)

 

You can see in the images above that I wasn't exaggerating, my skin isn't the smoothest but with the concealer applied using my finger it helped even the skin tone in seconds. With a foundation applied I get a really great overall smooth finish - I usually use Mac studio after applying the concealer as they work a treat together. *please not the image above is just the concealer*

 



So what's in it? Its ingredients are vitamin E and apple seed extracts that help smooth fine lines. Taken from the Benefit website I have pasted the overall percentage of what people actually thought and to be honest this is what sold me!

100% said fakeup hydrates skin*

100% said fakeup feels comfortable on skin*

100% said the texture feels silky*

94% said the effect is long-lasting*

94% said fakeup doesn t run*

97% said the formula is lightweight*

91% said fakeup conceals dark circles*

91% saw a natural appearance*

97% said the packaging makes it easy to use*

*Results observed in a consumer panel survey.

I really hope that this post has helped. Have you tried it? Tell me your stories!

Talk soon

Kerry x
 

Dove Deeply Nourishing Body wash

I don't know if anyone else has ever had a beauty product that they used daily or every so often without even realising its full existence - if that makes sense? I'll elaborate...
There is always a bottle of Dove body wash in my bathroom, its always there and everyone in my family uses it. It wasn't until the other day I was taking a shower and it hit me, wow - I love this stuff.
I have used it for years and yet I have never appreciated it before. As a product fanatic I will jump from one body wash to another, its what I do and its what I enjoy ( I am a beauty blogger after all)

Anyway, I'm here to tell you my love for Dove. The brand its self is a classic, its grown with the time. I have very sensitive dry skin and many body washes I have used in the past just didn't do the trick. So here's a little background: Dove deeply nourishing body wash has NutriumMoisture™ which allows the moisturising elements to actually be absorbed into the skin. Very scientific stuff I know! Not only does it do all that it actually smells amazing, Dove has always has a significant scent. What I love most is how thick and luscious it feels, its like I am using something a lot more pricey than I actually am for example a 250ml bottle is around £1.29. Like I say I have been using Dove on and off for years I've always been left with soft skin, I often use it as a shaving cream alternative because a little goes a long way and it really does stop my skin from feeling like its lacking in moisture.

It's a shame that not many classic products are blogged about these days - I'm always blogging about the new craze but what about the old ones eh!? Is there any classics you've forgotten about? Do share.

Until next time... take care! xx