Hello, Happy Monday! Today marks the last Monday of April so time for my Monday Monthly Summary but as there isn't much to summarise this month I thought that I would combine it with my Top 5 Blogposts of April.

The start of April was taken up by the Easter holidays where I stuffed my face full of chocolate after finishing lent and buying makeup for the first time in 90 days! Amongst this, I spent my time working for my dad and revising so nothing top exciting! Halfway through the month I started back at school and was happy to see my friends again but not happy with the workload! With four weeks now until stand down ( where year 11s finish school to revise) and two weeks until my first exam, school has been pretty hectic through April. The last thing that stands out in April was that I went to watch a local dance show where some of my best friends were performing so Molly and Imy if you are reading this, Well Done! You were fab!

As for blogposts this month, my top posts are as follows:

#1 17 On the Spot Foundation Review
#2 Face B4 Skincare Review
#3 My Skincare Product Collection
#4 Boots Haul
#5 March/April Empties

What post has been your favourite? Have you done much this month? Let me know if the comments below!

*As revision period is in full swing you may notice posts becoming more sparse up until the end of June however I will endeavour to post at least every Saturday and will be on Twitter at @CosmticLover*

Hello everybody! Today I thought that I would share with you my new favourite - Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer. You may have seen me mention this in my latest haul post and ever since trying this, I haven't applied foundation without it! I had never tried a primer before but I expected one to smooth my skin and prolong foundation wear and that is exactly what this does.

It applies as a white, relatively thick, cream that blends into the skin so you cant tell you are wearing it. When applying foundation over this, after letting it settle into the skin for a minute or two, I find that the overall finish is much smoother and not cakey at all. I think that this also helps to smooth over dry patches better too.

So far with this I haven't noticed any major breakouts in places that I wouldn't usually which hopefully means that I can continue using this and it doesn't cause spots!

I have also noticed improvement in the lasting power of my foundation as now I find that my drugstore foundations will last longer than the school day from approximately half seven till way past the school bell (10 hours) with only small areas of shine in my t zone.

Overall I am highly impressed with this primer and as long as this doesn't break me out in the near future, this shall be a product I repurchase.

£6.99 Boots

*As revision period is now in full swing you may notice posts becoming more sparse up until the end of June however I will endeavour to post at least every Saturday and will be on Twitter at @CosmticLover*

Hello! Its nearing the end of the month which means one thing, its time for me to share with you my April Makeup mix up. This month was a funny month makeup wise as I have been trialling out a couple of different foundations. Fortunately I have managed to find a foundation 'routine' if you will, that means it lasts and doesn't look too cakey either - I hope!

For base products I have been using my new Rimmel primer alongside my Bourjois 123 foundation. Before, when I wasnt using a primer, this foundation looked cakey no matter how I applied it but with a primer now looks much better, thankfully! I have been using my faithful Mac Studio Finish for my blemishes, which has been a saviour this month as my skin has gone crazy!

For powder I have been using my new Rimmel Complexion Powder, now I cant say this beats my stay matte but it keeps my makeup in place all day.

For eyes I have kept it simple by either wearing bare lids and my Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara, wearing my MAC Bare Study Paint Pot, used my MAC quad (mainly using Naked Lunch - top right) or using the lighter shade of my bronzer all over the lid. In the inner corners of my eye, when I remember, I have been using Benefit Eye Bright which brightens your eyes for early mornings.

For cheeks I have either kept them bare or have used my Accessorize Pearl Sands bronzer with a light hand to add a small 'glow'

That's what I have been using this month! What have you been using?

Hello! Today is an exciting day for BethMayBlogs, she turns two today! I started blogging back in April 2011 sat with my laptop reviewing a Simple product and since then, I hope you can agree, I have seen my little blog grow to now having over 400 GFC followers and nearly 200 Bloglovin followers which is very exciting! I never thought when starting my blog that I would keep it up for 2 minutes let alone 2 years so I am  very happy to see that my readers have stuck around!

I just want to thank everybody for your support on my blog and I hope you continue to read as I continue to blog!

Beth

x

P.S Can any of you remember my old posts?

Benefit High Beam, or similar liquid highlighters, are very popular in the blogging/beauty world and everybody has their own way of using it but recently I have come to find my preferred method of application which I thought I would share with you.

For my method you will need HighBeam/dupe, your daily moisturiser (the thicker the better) and a stipplying brush ( I use Real Techniques).

First I use the brush that comes the high beam to apply about a 5p piece of highlight to the back of my hand, this can be adjusted as necessary, I think apply a similar amount of moisturiser next to the highlight. Using my stippling brush I swirl these together. Once mixed I use the stippling brush to apply the highlight/moisturiser cream to all of my face, as I would foundation, and stipple or blend. I do this to bare skin which helps to blur imperfections, make your skin look more glowy and healthy and moisturise at the same time. If desired, you can then apply makeup over the top.

How do you apply highbeam?

Last Friday I made a cheeky trip to the Trafford Centre as a rest from revision and made a quick diversion to Boots. Seeing as I haven't posted a haul in a while, I thought I would share with you the three products I picked up and my first impressions of them!

Hello! Today I thought that I would share some tips that I have learnt over the past 2 years of blogging. I would not say I am anywhere near being an expert as I have always new things to learn but I thought that I would share some tips that I wish I'd have know when I had first started out. As I have plenty of tips I will be splitting this into 2 (possibly more) parts for you so each post isn't too long. A few girls from twitter also gave me some tips so thank you!

Take your own photographs

I am guilty as charged for this. When I first started blogging, and you can still read those posts if you scroll far enough, I used stock photos ( photographs of the product from google images) as I found it convenient. As a general 'rule' bloggers prefer to see a photograph of the product(s) that the blogger has taken whether it be from your phone or a dslr! This makes your blog much more easy to relate to and the clearer and bigger on the page the better, just make sure they are in focus!

Post Regularly

The best way, in my opinion, to get traffic to your blog is to have the content on your blog for readers to find! By posting regular I find that people will be more likely to find your blog and are more likely to return as they know you have fresh content. There is no set rule to this however and no matter how cliche it may sound - at the end of the day your blog is yours so post as and when you feel like it, whether it be 10 posts one day then none for months or once a week - the choice is yours!

Write own content

No matter how tempting it may be to copy the posts that keep popping up on your blogger feed  as they appear to be popular, I am pretty sure that many readers love seeing posts that they haven't seen before and are original. I know that I try to feature products that I don't hear much about and try not to give into the hype of products ( Apocalips I mean you!) but equally if I have something that have had lots of hype but I love/hate it I will share it with my readers.

Don't spam

Although I appreciate people want people to check out their blogs, it really annoys me when I see people commenting with 'follow for a follow' 'check out my blog' 'read this post' , as I'm sure it does other bloggers, and tend to do the opposite and delete these posts straight away. I don't find spamming is a great way to get traffic but instead I suggest writing genuine comments on blogs, perhaps with your url, and the blogger may choose out of their own freewill to check out your blog - I always check out links if they are left in my comments,

Use twitter

I didn't have a twitter dedicated to my blog for ages when I started my blog but I am so glad I did. Twitter allows you to find and chat to other bloggers find new blogs and even share your own - but please remember my previous point - DON'T Spam. If you have a blog twitter I urge you to join the #bbloggers chat every Sunday and Wednesday at GMT 8pm.

That's all for today's post! If you have any tips that I have missed out please leave them below and I may feature them in my next post!

 Hello everybody! Today I bring to you a well overdue empties post as since being on/completing my beauty buying ban I seem to have finished up a whole bunch of products! For those that haven't heard of Empties posts, basically I show you photographs of empty containers and give you my thoughts on the products now I have finished them.

Onto the empties...




Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Makeup Remover Gel - REVIEW HERE

I used to love this as it seemed to remove everything without irritating my eyes but I found that I woke up the next day when using this with panda eyes which defeats the purpose of this. I much prefer my Amie Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover.


Pure Revitalising Cleanser - REVIEW HERE

This worked, to an extent, to remove my makeup however I found that my skin soon started to dislike this and it would sting and get irritated everytime I used it and for that reason I will not be repurchasing

Clarins Multi Active Night

I actually really liked this. Although I don't need an anti-ageing cream at 16 I found this really moisturising and soothing on my skin and definitely helped my dry skin.

Garnier Dark Spot Corrector - REVIEW HERE

I really liked this moisturiser. It was lightweight but still provided enough moisture for my skin so I didn't have dry patches. It also lasted for ages.

Skinetica - REVIEW HERE

I really enjoyed using this so was glad when I found out that I had won Shonas (@FreshBeautyxox) blog giveaway. This is really effective at removing makeup without leaving your skin irritated and red. I highly recommend this.


Soap and Glory Girligo Body Moisturising Mist

I loved this; it made moisturising much more convenient and this smells lush too! I highly recommend it.



Vaseline Active Fresh

This lasted for ages and worked quite well but I still prefer my Garnier deodorants

Bath and Body Works Hand Gel - REVIEW HERE

I love BABW Hand Gels however I did find this scent very overpowering. Although I would buy the hand gels again I wouldn't buy this scent.


BENEFIT Bad Gal Lash

Despite the numerous raves from bloggers, I could not get along with this. It didn't seem to do much to my lashes, was clumpy and transferred to under my eyes, it was also a pain to remove. I shall not be wasting my money on this again.





EOS Lemon Sorbet Lip Balm - REVIEW HERE -

I loved this lip balm. It was creamy, smelt/tasted great, lasted for ages on the lips and the packaging makes for easy application.

BALMI Lip Balm - REVIEW HERE

This is another lipbalm that I love. These are very creamy, creamier than the EOS, smell great and, again, last on the lips.

NATURAL Collection Eyeshadow Duo (Mink/Sable) -REVIEW HERE

Although this is/was an eyeshadow duo I loved using this on my cheeks. I loved using this as it added a very natural flush/contour to my cheeks and it is dirt cheap too!

RIMMEL Blusher

This was a blusher that I have depotted from a christmas set. The colour is very pigmented so you only need a light hand. I don't think the colour is available anymore though so I shan't be repurchasing.

Woah that was a long post! I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you check out some of the reviews as there are some gems here!

Totals: (March/April)
Make-up -5
Body Care - 1
Skincare -4
Haircare -2
Other - 3
Samples -1
TOTAL:16

2013

Make-up -8
Body Care - 2
Skincare -5
Haircare -3
Other - 5
Samples -3
TOTAL:26

The lip balm comes in a no fuss twist up stick that makes it quick and hygienic to apply. It is also very small to fit in your pocket or handbag, in fact small enough to lose prior to writing this review! I have also had no problems with the packaging breaking or rubbing off!

This lip balm is the Original Bees Wax variety that contains Vitamin E and Peppermint oil, supposed to be refreshing and leave soft,smooth and 'supple lips'. I do agree with these claims as when I apply this it makes your lips very tingly (this is not painful though as I have experienced with said S&G mother pucker gloss) which also soothes them if they are sore ( mine have been particularly recently) and the balm glides easily over your lips to moisturise.

Burts Bees say to apply liberally and as often as needed. Unfortunately this is where the downfall of the product is. With this lipbalm I find it soothes and moisturises effectively with liberal application for 20-30 minutes before I need to reapply this as my lip feel dry and sore again. This may just be my lips but I can usually last up to a couple of hours with my Balmi and EOS balms without re-application.

Overall, despite the frequent need for reapplying this, I do love how soft it makes your lips and also the tingly peppermint this contains so this isn't all that bad, just not as good as other lip balms I have tried.

This is 100% Natural and retails for £3.69 HERE.

Have you tried the Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm?

*
P.S My lovely friend Molly has just started a beauty blog and I would love for you to check it out HERE

I love writing favourites posts so today I thought that I would share with you some of my current favourite makeup products.

#1 RT Buffing Brush

Technically this isn't makeup however seeing as I use it for makeup I feel that this is a valid favourite. I used to constantly use this for blusher or powder and really liked the result however more recently I have been using this for my foundation ( applying it with the pointed foundation brush first) to buff it in and give an overall 'flawless' finish without brush strokes all over your face.

#2 MAC Bare Study Paint Pot

This has been featured numerous times as an eyeshadow base however more recently I have been using this alone ( which I never dared to do previously)  and have been very impressed with it not creasing and lasting throughout the day.

#3 Mac Studio Finish -REVIEW 

I always seem to mention this on #bbloggers chats on twitter but this has been great for providing coverage on my pesky spots and dark under eye circles. It can be quite drying but I find if I warm it up and apply using my Deluxe Crease Brush this looks fine

#4 Urban Decay Lip Junkie

I, like others I'm sure, was miffed when I found out that the Naked 2 came with a lip gloss and not with the primer potion. That being said, I have grown to love the colour of this. It is very natural pink, tastes great and lasts for a couple of hours. It will get your hair stuck to your face if the wind blows but the stickyness doesn't bother me!

#5 Balmi Lip Balm (Coconut) - REVIEW

I love Balmi lipbalms. They are creamy, smooth to apply and last on the lips for an hour or so without the need for re-application. The packaging seems to always break with me but I cannot fault the balm itself!

#6 Naked 2 Palette -REVIEW

Last but not least is my Naked 2 Palette. I love these eyeshadows; they are creamy, blend easily, are pigmented and can easily last over 12 hours! Yes, 12 hours. I definitely feel that this palette is a worthwhile investment for someone who loves eyeshadow.

Those were my current makeup favourites!What have you been loving? Let me know below!

As we are at the start of a new month I thought I would share the Top 5 Blogposts of March for those that may have missed them!

#1 Primark Makeup Brush Review

#2 Tips for Organising your Blog

#3 Monthly Make Up Bag

#4 New Balmi Lip Balm Review

#5 Naked 2 Palette Review

Which post was your favourite?

This Month I ...

Got my January Exam Results: After all of the suspense and anticipation of my results I found out that I got a B in History and an A* in Science. I was extremely happy with my Science grade after being so close to an A* last year but slightly disheartened with my History grade after getting two A*s previously, that being said I have signed up for my resit and shall be practising my essays in time for May!

Saw Olly Murs!: This for me was the highlight of my month. I had only ever been to watch Robbie in concert before watching Olly and I am afraid to say that Olly topped it for me! I spent the whole 2 hours on my feet dancing and singing then singing for the hour journey home. If you get the oppurtunity to get tickets I highly urge you to sweep them up!

Did my final French Speaking: For those who have done GCSE French you may know that you have to do speaking assessments. After my hard preparation I was happy to find out that I got an A* which means no more French resits for me! This is such a relief as it means that there is less pressure for the summer exams.

Competed in two competitions with my Orchestra: I am a member of a local wind band/orchestra and this month we competed in two events, coming runners up both times. For those that don't know I play the flute.

Completed Lent: For me I gave up Chocolate and Beauty Buying. After scoffing a whole lot of chocolate this morning I really don't know how I coped! As for Beauty Buying, I realised that I actually haven't purchased any beauty product since the very start of Janaury which is almost 90 ish days! I am very proud of this but am definitely overdue a Boots splurge!



Had my Nails done: I, for the first time, was lucky enough to have my nails done by a family friend who owns a beauticians (you can see her website here)who did a lovely file and polish. She used Jessica nail polish and I am very impressed so far it has lasted 4 days without chipping and looks very glossy ( I would never be able to paint my nails this well and the photograph does not do it justice!). I actually think I need to invest in the Jessica top coat! I would highly recommend her if you live near Cheshire (Shade is Ruby Empress)

Those were my highlights from March! What have you been up to?