a cult blogger fav?

 

I almost cant quite believe I've never written a post about this, seeing as I am now onto my third jar and cant see anything changing in my cleansing routine anytime soon, I thought it was about time that I graced my blog with this beauty and tell you all about it (although pretty sure the majority will have already read about this somewhere previously as its just too goddamn amazing). 

Having been a long time sufferer of teenage/adult acne & acne scarring, I had tried numerous and i mean numerous different products that claimed to be the cure to acne, Having spent a small fortune along the way (I could've had a deposit for a house with the amount I've spent) and many products thrown away, gifted to others or battled through with the hopes that one day they  *might* just work, I finally stumbled across this beauty! 

Hallelujah!!!! 

The Moringa Balm has not only saved my skin, but has saved my confidence, or lack of.. Too! 

The most beautifully soft, smooth balm, literally glides onto the skin like butter, is so lightweight and delicate it almost feels as if it couldn't really be doing anything to cleanse, then you look in the mirror and see every trace of makeup, dirt and the days grime just melting away.

Once adding water to the balm it emulsifies into a delicate milk that just gently washes away everything with ease, its such a concentrated balm that you could get away with one cleanse easily and feel pretty secure that your skin is freshly cleaned!

I can honestly say this product has single handedly cleared every trace of acne on my face, dramatically reduced the appearance of those blooming ugly scars and overall improved the clarity of my skin, its so much more radiant these days and I almost feel OK with leaving the house makeup free, I can't say I feel the overwhelming urge to slap on a full face of makeup anymore, a dab of lip balm is enough to make me feel put together these days!

Another thing I have noted is that I suffer with a very awkward patch of dry skin on the entirity of my toplip/ under my nose area and this has seriously helped in making it more moisturised and soothed, don't get me wrong if I don't moisturise for a day or so it does flare up ever so slightly but nothing like it ever did before, so this is a huge bonus for me regarding my skincare, as again I just couldn't find anything that didn't aggravate that area or help soothe it either! 

Another use I have found with helping soothe my dry skin is leaving the balm on overnight as an intensive mask treatment, or slathering it on whilst in the bath and allowaing the warm steamy air penetrate those pores, its a fabulous way of deeply moisturising the skin and also looks like I've had a facial the next day when I've done this.

I can honestly say if you are one of the minority that haven't ever picked up Emma Hardies cult classic Moringa Balm then what are you doing... Please please pick a tub of this up, if you are sufferers of acne, rosacea, scarring, dry or general dull skin, you really do need this in your life! 

I cant rave about this product anymore than I already have, unless I somehow manage to bag a job with Emma herself #dreamjob, it really is my all time cult fav cleansing product and I can fully expect to be using this years and years down the line, this better never be discontinued, I would cry rivers of tears haha!

Have any of you tried/not tried Moringa Balm, let me know your thoughts on it below, id love to hear your opinion and if you have any tips for products that would work well with it?

Lots of love, 

Frankie xo

diptyque - figuier | the candle editions

           

Ever the candle obsessive, I have added a new scent to the stash!

With a *mild* Diptyque obsession developing I felt the urge to pick up something fresh and summery, this fell in the form of Figuier!

On first sniff of this I must admit I really wasn't keen, it smells almost nettle like, something I wasnt drawn to, I considered exchanging it for a different scent, but persevered and decided to burn it anyway as I am a lover of fig scents and thought I'd see what it smelled like once it was burning.. Im so glad I did! 

The scent is very warming almost like baked figs and summer rolled into one, which isnt too over powering, for me I prefer this as there's just a subtle hint in the room i've lit it in once you walk into it, it almost leaves you wanting to know where the fragrance is coming from.

Diptyque describes this as: "The warmth of fig wood, the freshness of fig leaves and light milky sap all blend  to create a candle that is a glorious ode to the fig tree, with its light and delicious fresh fruit fragrance, figuier encapsulates the essence of summer" 

Figuier really is the scent you wish for at this time of the year, light and fresh but with a warming sence to the air, it almost reminds me of cosying up on a warm summers evening in the garden, eating salad and drinking pina coladas, I almost wish they would make this in a perfume, it would make the most  perfect summer fragrance!

Im so happy I picked Figuier up, and will definitely repurchase this in the larger size very soon, next on my list is the blogger cult classic Baies & my favourite perfume scent Roses, im desperate to try the candle version as I just adore the scent.

Have any of you tried Diptyque candles, know of any I should add to my wishlist?

Let me know in the comments below!

Frankie xo

most amazing brownies..

Evening everyone, hope your humpday has been as exciting as mine, i only say mine has been exciting as i have been baking today, and this is one of the creations i cooked up in my kitchen this afternoon..

Ingredients♥

185g unsalted butter

185g best dark chocolate

85g plain flour

Marbella blues..

So last week i travelled not to far away to a place called Puerto Banus, a Marina located in Marbella Spain, a much needed break away with Samuel, his sister & her partner.

We stayed in the most amazing villa in the mountains, the views were the most spectacular i've laid my eyes on in a while, awaking in the morning to views of the sunrise behind mountains, white wash buildings, palm trees and the sea was exactly what my life needed! 

Puerto Banus Port is the most amazing place to visit if you want to see a life of pure luxury, with high end store from the likes of Hermes to Dior and million pound yachts among speed boats and supercars, you leave with an insight into how 'the other half live'!

Bars are strewn with beautiful people with there shisha pipes and cocktails in hand, whilst men drive around in lambos and ferraris aiming to attract the attention of the passers by, dont get me wrong as lovely to look at as it is, it is very ego-tistical and a "look at me" lifestyle, but visiting just makes you feel like you are living that life just for five minutes so it makes it super fun! 

We travelled to the main island of Marbella via boat which was amazing, it had open canopies above the ocean water in which you could sunbathe (even if the weather wasnt exactly co-operating)

The weather was slightly shocking and we ended up travelling back to where we were staying due to nothing being open that day from the weather + a bank holiday which we had no idea was happening that day!

We shopped at local markets, which sold everything from replica handbags, ceramics and jewellery!

I picked up some beautiful pieces, although i couldve quite happily have come away with a lot more but unfortunately baggage allowances wouldnt have allowed me to do so (sad face) 

I have been wanting to find little additions like these for a while now, i knew that the markets would definitely have had something along the lines of what i was wanting but these pieces were better than i expected to find, the coasters are originally from Marrakech and i just love the patterns and colours of them, and the bowl is made locally, this will be used for my love of balsamic vinegar and olive oil!

Aside from all the site seeing and shopping, we had a lovely time just relaxing around our pool, taking in the views and having a real chill out time, we cooked ourselves BBQ's and also dined out in the port and at local restaurants nearby, your typical holiday! 

It was so lovely to have some time away, but its back to normality for now, and to start preparing for christmas time and snuggle up under fur throws and drinking hot chocolate! 

I also vlogged our entire trip so if you fancy having a little nosey further into what we got upto have a little watch of those here.. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, have any of you been away this year, i would love to hear about it as im always looking for new places to visit in the future and love hearing your reccomendations :) 

Lots of love, Frankie xXx

My everyday makeup routine

Good morning all my lovely followers, hope your all doing well this Tuesday morning?

As i explained in my previous post, i am finally back to making Youtube videos and my most recent video is my everyday makeup routine, i had a great time filming this but i am slightly disheartened with the quality so i am going to upgrade to a new camera, i have my eye on the Canon 750d does anyone have this camera or know if any other amazing ones out there that film high quality Youtube videos, if you do please leave me a comment and let me know your suggestions as im wanting to purchase this fairly soon and have a little play around in the shops with them all :)

Anyway i hope you like the video, comment, like, subscribe and all those good things if you would like!

Lots of love, Frankie xXx

ren - exfoliating body balm

Seeing as summer has fast approached us, we all need to amp up on our skincare throughout the warmer season as theres a whole lot more body on show these days and dry skin is a definite no-no!

Rens exfoliating body balm is the product of choice for me, exfoliating the skin is a key part to keeping your skin smooth, supple and flake free.

The body balm is full of beautiful oils which for starters smell heavenly but adorn the skin in rich moisture, its grainy texture removes dead skin cells allowing the oils to penetrate deeply for perfectly nourished skin.

Basil, peppermint and olive oil along with guarande sea salt make this the perfect combination for dry skin, they gently exfoliate, moisturise and nourish the skin, apply to dry skin before your bath/shower or for a gentler treatment apply to wet skin and rinse off.

I've been literally loving this the past few weeks and can't see myself putting it down anytime soon, I can imagine this being a lovely winter product too as the scent is very refreshing and uplifiting, so its large size tub will keep you going for a long while!

Have any of you tried Rens body products, I'd love to hear your opinions on them!

Lots of love, Frankie xxx

foundation favourite

As some of you may know, i previously worked for Clarins, during this time i discovered a few firm favourites and one of them is the True Radiance foundation.

True Radiance is literally the most beautiful, flawless-inducing foundation i have ever used, and believe me i have tried ALOT.

The formula is very lightweight but incredibly dewy, i would say a little powder is neccesary with this product just on the T zone, im someone who is more on the drier side and even this is a little

too dewy for me, as i said having drier skin makes this foundation a god send for me as it has some really fantastic skincare properties, shea butter nourishes the skin feeding it some well needed moisture, whilst moringa seed makes the skin luminous and bright.

The photo above just shows the product lightly buffed with my fingers, personally i use a duo fibre or stippling brush to give the most natural effect, the pigmentation is very high considering it feels so sheer and lightweight on the face.

I would even go as far as saying this is my holy grail foundation, it lasts all day, is natural, yet flawless without feeling cakey on the skin and just gives everyone ive ever applied it to the most perfect looking skin whilst remain soft and dewy!

What are you favourite foundations and are there any that you reccomend i give a try, and have any of you tried this particular foundation, what are you thoughts on it?

See you all soon, Frankie ♥

P.s

I have created a group for all you fellow bloggers/vloggers out there, its a group where you can share your links for your current content and meet like minded people, feel free to join and add your work!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/507521156065289/

the five minute everyday face

Minimal makeup is definitely my go-to right now, anything that takes longer than five minutes to apply just doesnt cut it for me right now!

My approach to makeup has changed drastically since changing jobs, from working in a department store as a makeup artist/beauty manager i learned how to apply makeup quickly and effectively with minimum effort and it is something that since leaving that career i still put into practise everyday!

The Base

The best way to look fresh faced and awake is to always apply a great moisturiser which works as a base for the products you will apply later on, seeing as this is a quick and easy look, i use the Dr Jart BB cream, this has a shed load of fantastic qualities for your skin to literally drink up, it contains serum, moisturizer and fantastic coverage all in one little tube, along with a beautiful radiant glow,

 it really is amazing!

If im feeling suitably pale i will just roughly contour and bronze myself using Soleil Tan De Chanel - Chanel, using a medium sized brush i just sweep this in the hollows of my cheeks and then naturally where the sun would hit my face just to give myself a healthy glow, something my face usually never has the honour of having!

On the apples of my cheeks i dab a little of the Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blusher, again a very quick and versatile product which creates a really lovely dewy glow.

Eyes

To fill in my brows i use the Sleek Brow Kit just to fill out the shape a little and make them a little darker than usual as my brows are very light, and for mascara the Chanel Le Volume is perfect for a one application wonder, its the blackest formula i know and the easiest for full foolproof thick lashes!

Lips

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know i am a huge bold lip coveter, think Mac Candy Yum Yum & brighter and I'm all over it, but when it comes to a natural quick look it has to be something that i dont need to line my lips with and if it wears off throughout the day doesnt neccasarily need touching up, my go to shade for that is Mac Pink Plaid, it is the perfect everyday berry pink colour that is fuss free and just looks a little more polished than wearing nothing at all!

So that concludes my five minute everyday face, and even though they take little time to apply the longevity of the products generally last me a whole day without the need to retouch throughout the day which is the best part of it all!

What are you fool proof everyday products, let me know below.

Lots of love, Frankie ♥

Life Update.. Blogging again, weight loss & getting engaged..

After procastinating over and over for the past few months, i've finally logged back into blogger and now im here writing this post for you all!

Sooo, whats happened over the past 6 months?

I thought i had literally done nothing so far but writing this post made me realise actually quite a lot has happened since my last post, weve finally moved back in with Samuels parents, a major shock to my system living with other people but we are already half way through our journey here and suprisingly to me im feeling quite settled here recently (thats not to say i dont massively miss my own space and cravings for all white interiors) but thats all to come and for now i will have to lust over pinterest and gather ideas for when we move.

-

In my last blog entry i had said how i wanted to lose the weight i had gained from being on medication and i can say i have succesfully managed to shed a ton of weight, 61 lbs or 4 stone 4lbs to be precise!

I lost the first 31.5 lbs myself, just by literally coming off of medication and allowing my body to adjust to the changes it had gone through, but during this transition i joined Slimming World, where i lost the remainding 29.5 lbs through there plan and also through light exerce at the gym and regular sessions at the local pool!

Losing weight has made a HUGE difference to my life, pshyically, mentally and to be completely frank, looks wise too! 

I feel comfortable in my own skin now, and finally feel like me again, a lot of the reason i hadnt posted much on here recently was due to the fact i was going through a huge lifestyle change and i really want to give you all the best of me and i just wasn't happy before.

Now you can look forward to much more fashion and beauty hauls, and i will finally feel comfortable posting outfit of the day posts on here, i literally cannot wait!

I still have around another half a stone i want to lose to be completely where i want to be but im so close now and really, if i had to stop now id be happy where I've gotten to :) 

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Im sure you can see by the title i also have some more amazing news to share with you all..

IM ENGAGED!!!

I literally never thought the day would come where Samuel would finally ask me to be his wife, i am so over the moon and so excited to be on such an amazing journey with the love of my life!

I have now become a Pinterest bride-to-be obsessor and have a million different ideas of how i would like our day to be, i believe we have a date set in our minds of when we would like it to be (around May 2017) so i have lots of time to plan everything and a lot more time to be saving!

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Andddd... finally as some of you may be aware, i have a new blog layout/background and this has given me a new lease of life when it comes to blogging again, i finally feel like im in a place where i can dust off the macbook and type away to my hearts content.

Im so happy to feel back in the swing of things again, in my life and with my little space on the internet too, everything just feels so good right now and im going to be sharing it all with you along the way!

I do hope you have enjoyed reading my little update and i would love to hear from you all how your doing too?

Lots of love, Frankie xxx

Life Update, Birthday, Kittens & More..

Hey guys!
So I know its been a very long time since I last blogged and I do have my reasons this time!

Life has been very manic, I started a new job with a luxury skincare and cosmetics company (I wont name them as they have no affiliation with my blogging) its been fantastic and have enjoyed many weeks in London training, with the odd luxury dinner and hotel thrown in there for good measure.

We've had four little extra babies join our household, in kitten form of course ;)

 

 

They are all absolutely adorable, the final two are leaving home tomorrow and im super sad, I've been in tears this evening at the thought of them all being gone now, but very happy as they all have really lovely homes to go to with lots of new places to explore!

 

Aside from all the mania at home Myself and Samuel finalllyyyyy went on holiday this year for the first time in over 3 years, it was extremely well overdue, we actually went with his parents as we had never been away with them before.

 

 

We stayed in Matagorda in Lanzarote (where me and Sam had our first ever holiday together 7 years ago) and it was actually a really lovely time, we ate delicious food, visited beautiful underground caves and visited the old town where we first went all those years ago, of course there was a little shopping involved which I will be filming a haul video of very soon :)

 

The past few months have been a whirlwind, as my readers will know I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and have previously been on medication for this which I can say after a manic few months of being all over the place I am finally medication free and have been for almost 8 weeks now and I feel so free and happy to finally be rid of the awful things, don't get me wrong I do still have all the same problems as before, I just manage them a lot better now with the added bonus of feeling like ME again!

 

See.. I told you I had my reasons ;)

Im really glad to be back to blogging again, I've been wanting to write a post for a while now but just needed the right time to come for me to get back into the swing of things and finally feel ready with myself to do so!

 

There are some huge things coming my way for 2015 and I literally cannot wait to share my journey with all you lovely readers, for now lets concentrate on Christmas and what the festive season brings us!

 

Lots of love, Frankie xXx

 

 

 

 

Phillip Kingsley - Elasticizer 40th Anniversary Edition

So im pretty sure most of you have heard of the Elasticizer - cult hair mask with a huge celebrity following, oh and created for the pretty amazing Audrey Hepburn?

Phillip Kingsley has brought out a 40th anniversary limited edition set which includes a beautiful pearlized bottle with a hair wrap to keep the heat in your hair which makes the mask penetrate the hair further and this means I can wear it overnight without any mess ending up on my pillow :)

I have the original mask in the usual tub which I actually have in the Extreme Elasticizer for extremely dry hair which is amazing but only needs to be used once a month on my hair, the downside to the tub version means you have to dig the product out, which I don't mind at all but I know that some people really don't like the idea of this, well with the anniversary edition it comes in a squeezy tube meaning you wont waste any product or get water inside the bottle from digging around for the product!

I use around two 50p pieces as my hair is rather long now and this covers it just nicely, I don't apply this to the root though as it can make my hair greasy quickly when I do, I apply this from around 3/4 of the way up my hair right down to the tips where I am the driest and leave it for around 15-20 minutes whilst I bath, I use a cap from my original tub to make sure no water washes any of it off and keeps the hair warm as I explained earlier to allow it to penetrate the hair shaft deeper for maximum use of the mask..

One ive washed this out of my hair I follow with my regular shampoo and conditioner as normal, upon drying my hair I can instantly tell the difference in the feel of my hair, it brushes through so much easier, there are virtually no tangles, no dryness it literally feels as if I have had my hair freshly cut!

I love this product as it really does the job in transforming my dry hair in between cuts, I highly recommend purchasing Elasticizer, the anniversary box is slightly more expensive than the regular tub version but you do get more for your money with this set, if you fancy just testing it out then you can purchase a mini version too :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this post, have any of you tried the Elasticizer before?

Frankie xxx

Elasticizer Anniversary Edition £38.
Elasticizer Tub £21
Travel Elasticizer £15

Dior - Fluid Stick - Kiss Me

Afternoon my lovelies, today im going to ramble on about another lip product ive added to my already big enough stash, and that comes from one of my favourite brands the wonderful Dior.

Dior Makeup have brought out a new release of these lipstick/lipgloss hybrids that every brand seems to be releasing a version of recently, they are a gorgeous formula, very pigmented whilst nourishing on the lips, there is also 16 colours in the collection, so something to suit everyone!

I chose the colour Kiss Me, aside from the cute name i loved the shade, i seem to have been on a mission this month so find the 'perfect pink' for me, as much as im loving my Hourglass Origami (post below) ive been using this for when i want a heavier pigmented pink on the lips rather than a flush of colour, and this does that perfectly in one sweep.

The fluid sticks contain water for maximum lightness on the lips, they literally feel asif you have applied a lip balm but provide intense colour at the same time, perfect for days when you have no time for touch ups as they create a stain underneath the gloss, so when it wears off you still have pretty lips :)

Ecxuse the pale awkward face, wearing Kiss Me (freshly applied)

I also adore the packaging, housed in the typical Dior lipstick style, it looks like a lipstick from the outside but when you twist the lid it reveals the doe foot applicator keeping the lipstick shape intact!

They also have a really lovely scent about them, which i love!

Have any of you picked up one of these yet? If so what colours did you go for, id love to try some more, what are you reccomendations?

See you soon, Frankie x


Dior Fluid Stick £26.50

Home Tour.. Beauty/Blogging Room..

Hi guys, apologies for the lack of posts in the previous months, have had sooo much to do recently that i just havent had the time to upload, im sure you will all here about what ive been upto in the next few months as i have so much to tell you all :) In the mean time if you follow my Instagram you will see more about me as i upload daily over on there @frankiebooblogx

As you will know from the previous post me and Samuel moved house, we now have a beautiful little Victorian Terraced Home with two bedrooms and i have the luck of having the 'spare' room as my own little officey/makeup/beauty/spare room space, Brownie points to him for knowing a girl with too much makeup needs a room to put it in ;)

Just to pre-warn you this may be a little photo heavy for your liking but i love posts like this so im hoping you guys will too :)

The room is quite large so i manage fit in a spare bed which is always handy as we usually have people stay over and as much as i want a pretty pretty makeup room we have to be practical too, i absolutely love my bed its from Feather and Black, underneath it also has a guest bed which pops up on legs and actually turns the bed into a super-king so you dont have to squeeze onto the small bed if a couple stays over :)

I wasn't really to sure what to do with this little area, i do want a huge floor to ceiling mirror to go in this gap especially for when im getting ready for an evening out, it currently holds my hair products, brushes etc a cake stand which i plan on popping my perfumes on and a little chair which i will be repainting white, i love it as it came from my mums and plan on using it for future baby in our lives when that day comes :)

In the wardrobe i keep my 'nicer' clothes in here, mainly dresses for going out and nicer tops etc, in the bottom draw houses all my 'extra' makeup, i.e the stuff that i dont keep on my desk in my Muji storage as its products i tend not to use so often or bits from my freelance kit, i will be doing an actual makeup collection post hence why i havent gone into more detail of this, hope you guys dont mind :)

The bedside/nightstand just currently holds these beautiful glass bon bon jars with my cotton balls/pads and cotton buds as its super easy to get to when taking off makeup in the evening, i love little details like these as i feel they add a classy but simple element to the room, i also have a little mirror tray with my earrings in and i like to keep my watch in here too!

My desk is actually the farm house table i had in the old kitchen, i wanted to purchase the Ikea Malm dresser which every blogger and there mum has but i actually really liked the idea of using this as its so large and houses everything nicely with lots of space to take photos, type up posts and do my makeup at.

The reason im using such a huge tv screen as my computer is as its a spare room i still wanted guests to be able to use the tv in the room and its makes typing at the desk so much easier than constantly having to have my laptop there at the same time.

Love this little area of my desk, it just makes me feel good when i walk in the room and always have pretty flowers to cheer me up, also how cute is my little bunny light <3

The light is from Ikea and the floral lights are from Asda, i love simple lighting to make the room look extra girly without being too in your face, the chandelier style shade i picked up from Amazon for around £12 and i love it, it looks super pretty in the room and catches the light from the window aswell so is always sparkling.

I hope you enjoyed a little tour around my beauty space, and let me know which room you would like me too show you all next <3

See you all soon lovelies, love Frankie x