Summer Handbags

I am sure I am not the only person who changes my handbags with the seasons right? I do, more so because for work, I like to be able to chop and change, I carry more in the winter than I do in the summer oddly.  

With that in mind, i've been looking at handbags for the Summer (hopefully the Mister isn't reading this) and there are a few that I have got my eye on and they range in style, range and colour:

Summer Handbags by beautyqueenuk 

Top Left is BeckSöndergaard pink handbag which retails at £57and is from Asos.com

Top Right is Red Dune Handbag which costs £55 and is from Asos.com

The Middle handbag is by Ted Baker and it retails at £149 from Selfridges

Bottom Left is a Salmon-pink Dune Handbag which retails at £75 from Asos.com

Bottom Right is the Cath Kidston blue handbag which you can find in John Lewis for around £30

The first thing I do before I purchase anything online is look around for money off coupons, discount codes, offers and whether or not I can purchase items through sites such as Quidco.   It really is worth looking around to see if you can find something, or even ask on Twitter because it is amazing how many ways there is to save money or even get cash back on some of your purchases.  Over the last year I have managed to save myself over £500 with shopping around and using sites like Quidco and discount vouchers.

The bags featured above are from ASOS, Selfridges, John Lewis and of course Cath Kidston and because in the summer I am not so brave when it comes to wearing brightly coloured clothes, I instead opt for brightly coloured accessories which may include handbags, purses, cardigans and necklaces and beads.

Do you choose handbags based on each season? Do you have a summer bag already picked out?

Guest Post | Top 5 Summer Products

Hey guys, I am still sunning myself on the beach somewhere in Majorca and today I have the lovely Sonia from Casualyetchic as a guest blogger for me today.  Thank you Sonia.

Before, I get onto the post I thought I should introduce myself. My name's Sonia, I'm 17 from the UK and I write a blog called casualyetchic.blogspot.com (quick plug you can follow it here if you like). The lovely Rachel has kindly let me guest post while she is on holiday, so thanks for that.

Today's post is all about my top 5 summer products which I go to every summer without fail. 

 Topshop cream blusher - head over heels - £7.00 - here

Cream blush is my favourite thing to add into my make-up routine in the summer as it make my face look a lot more brighter and healthier. I prefer to use a cream product over a powder because it prevents my make-up from looking cakey as in the summer I love a dewy look. This cream blush is a lovely coral colour which I think looks perfect in the summer because it is not too pink or rosy just the perfect shade.

Rimmel stay matte powder - translucent - £3.99 - here

Even though, I don't use a powder blush I do need a face powder in the summer as I don't really like looking shiny. I use a translucent powder as it doesn't add any colour to my face, I let my bronzer do that but it just sets everything perfectly. This is a great powder from Rimmel as it is really cheap and matte but it doesn't cover your foundation so you lose the dewy look. My tip for using this is a little goes a long way. 

Models own - bubblegum - here

Neon nail polish is a must for me in the summer as it makes my (little) tan stand out that bit more. I love this shade from models own as it is a really vibrant pink. I also love to use the gelly nails paints from Barry M as they last a lot longer and don't chip as much as I hate having to repaint my nails all the time in the summer.

Dove summer glow - normally £4.99 - here

Speaking of tans I normally fake tan in the summer as I hate having to sit in the garden waiting for a tan which is never even. So, to keep my tan topped up (fake or real) I use the Dove summer glow lotion as this is a gradual tanner, I put this on every time I have had a shower as it adds a glow to my skin, keeps my tan topped up and leaves my skin feeling soft. If you are like me an don't like to sit in the garden then you should definitely pick this up.

ELF setting spray - £3.95 - here

Even though I set my make up with the powder, in the summer I want some extra make-up falling off face protection so I use a setting spray. I have been wanting the Mac fix plus for a while but for now I am using a much cheaper option from ELF. This does help my make-up last all day and when I spray this on my face it feels very refreshing and hydrating. Sometimes if it's a really hot day and I am going out I will just pop this in my bag because it's small enough and cool myself down with it.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I would like to thank Rachel again for letting me guest post.

Here is where you can find me:-
Blog - casualyetchic.blogspot.com
Bloglovin - follow here
Google+ - here
Twitter - @casualyetchic
Instagram - @casualyetchic

Top 5 Summer Scents

This post is about my favourite scents for the summer, it appeared on the lovely Vicky of Lots of Love, Me blog as a guest post. I am a huge lover of perfume and my collection is slowly growing, there are one or two favourites that I could never be without - Bvlgari Pour Femme being one of them.  Every now and again though I like a change and often find my inspiration from some samples that I receive.  All of the perfumes which feature within this post have grown on me and have been purchased from samples.

So as you can see there us quite a few brands here and starting in the top left we have Bvlgari Rose which was released in 2006 and is a scent that I loved from a very first spritz. described as follows:

Rose Essentielle is the richest and most sophisticated fragrance in the Bvlgari pour Femme Collection. Since 2006, this scent has been the ultimate expression of luxury, it offers women who seek an extremely sensual floral signature the perfect evening complement.

The ingredients add a youthful and graceful touch to the original scent, reminiscent of a delicate Rose. The added fruity notes of Bergamot and Orange add a zesty sparkle to the richness of the precious Rose notes in the heart of the composition, making this fragrance refined, transparent and luminous.

The fact there are two rose scents make this perfume absolutely stunning and is something you should all try and sample if like me you love rose scented products.  It has a really good longevity about it once spritzed and is one of those fragrances which will last all day.

Next we have DKNY Be Delicious. This is the only perfume from the range that I currently own, I say currently because I am keen to add more of them to my collection. Again I loved this from the first spritz and is described as follows:

"A modern feast for the senses, this juicy fragrance combines the scent of apple with a sophisticated blend of exotic flowers and sensual woods"

It literally smells just like the description and is one of those scents that has a long lasting scent and I find that if I spray it on my way to work in a morning, I can still catch a sniff of it on my way home 8-9 hours later.

Givenchy Very Irresistible is next and I got a sample of this in a perfume sample subscription box and wore it everyday until the sample ran out and then bought a full sized version.  It is described as follows:

"Very Irresistable Givenchy eau de toilette was created, from a unique alliance of 5 roses, the queen of flowers, emblematic of Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. The 5 roses are sublimated by their association with star anise, giving a bright, radiant, energetic and mouth-watering twist to the fragrance. The end result is a unique sensation of sheer seduction and luminous attraction".

Again for me it is that rose scent which catches my love and attention, there is something about it which works well with my skin and makes it last for a long time once it has been spritzed.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Sunshine was gifted to me by my work colleagues and at first I wasn't too sure that I liked it.  I persevered with it and now I absolutely love it, more so than the original Daisy.  It is described as a:

"Radiant and sparkling, the fragrance captivates with a mood-brightening infusion of juicy red fruits. The heart blooms with notes of vivid spring blossoms and tender lychee, then dries down to a velvety base of blushing apricot skin and musky woods".

Once you spritz it, the first scent you get is one of fruit and as the scent settles it does become less vibrant and in your face and more subtle and that is when I love it the most. Again it lasts a good 5-6 hours before you would need to re-apply it.

The final perfume is Miss Dior Cherie, a classic and another scent which took a while to grow on me, but once it did I loved it.  Described as follows:

"Romantic by nature, Miss Dior Chérie inspires an intense and playful love, for which she is also searching. She personifies the spontaneous joie de vivre of today's young women, representing a particular type of freedom and seduction. The fragrance is characterised by an instant and captivating charm".

Again this fragrance combines the use of Turkish Rose and Bulgarian Rose to give it one of its main scents so it is not a surprise that I like it, but it also includes Patchouli and Neroli which make up the fruity scent.  This perfume is one which needs just a slight spritzing as it is quite a powerful scent and another one which can and will last all day long, it takes a good 2-3 hours when on my skin to fade slightly and again I can still smell it on my skin 8-9 hours later.

So those are my favourite scents for the summer.  Do you change your perfume during each season?  Do you have a signature scent for the summer and is there anything you would recommend I try?

The Summer Tag

The lovely Georgina over at Makeup-Pixi3 created this 'The Summer Tag' post and as I really enjoy filling them and taking part, these are my answers to those questions.  If you decide to do this tag, there are one or two stipulations which are:

"Feel free to consider yourself tagged as well, IF you do it, please remember to credit me as the source of the tag, and feel free to use the image above too.  Either tweet me or (ideally) leave a comment with your post URL of the tag, and I'll add it to the bottom of this post so others can find all the summer tag posts :)  Lets get on with the questions"

1.  What's your favourite thing about Summer?

It is my birthday.  Yes I am due to be celebrating my birthday in July therefore exciting.  I do also love the sunshine, going to the beach, sitting in the park, picnics, BBq's and so on.

2.  Do you have a favourite Summer drink?

I love going into Starbucks to try their latest Frappuchino which are always quite immense, the only time I tend to drink them.  Otherwise, because I have cut out caffeine, I tend to drink a lot of water during the daytime and to spice things up a bit, I love Vimto.

3.  Is there a location you like to go to each Summer?

I love being beside the seaside, beside the sea. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on a beach, near to the sea just listening to the sound of the waves when the tide is in.  I am also a bit of a demon for the arcades and love the 2p and 10p slots, just as the mister!

4.  Favourite makeup look for Summer?

Simple  - BB Cream and mascara with lip balm to stop my lips from drying out. 

5.  Dresses or skirts?

Both.  I have recently started to like wearing skirts again, though I do need some sort of colour on my pasty white legs, so for the time being it is either a maxi dresses or a skirt with some nude tights.

6.  Sandals or ballet pumps?

Pumps definitely, though my favourite item of footwear for the summer are my Fitflops, the most comfortable shoe I have ever owned.

7.  Do you prefer to wear your hair up or down for Summer?

Depends on my mood.  I tend to wear it down a lot more than I used to, but if it is really really warm then I put my hair up so that it is off the back of my neck.

8.  Deep smokey eyes or bold lips?

Neither in the summer.  Simple is the way forward to me and that tends to mean nothing on the eyes except mascara and nothing on the lips except maybe a touch of colour from my favourite Dior lipstick and lip balm.

9.  Favourite perfume for Summer?

Either Bvlgari Pour Femme because it is my favourite perfume or at the minute I am loving Irresistble by Givenchy.

10.  Last but not least, favourite music for Summer?

My taste in music never changes, my iphone which doubles up as my ipod will be playing Queen, my all time favourite band, Five Finger Death Punch, Metallica, Bush, Guns N Roses, Terrorvision, Black Sabbath, 90's dance classics, 80's cheese and some songs that I generally like singing along too but would never admit to ever knowing them ;)

If you do this tag I would love to know. Happy Summer my lovelies!!!

Protection from the sun!

With all the gorgeous weather we have had recently, I decided to try out a new SPF I’ve been waiting to review – MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield Unscented SPF 28**.  The product arrived packaged inside a lovely green and white cardboard box and everything you need to know about the product is clearly visible on the box.  Inside there is a 68ml plastic squeezy tube which is perfect for carrying in your handbag ready to top up during the day.

Described as "MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield SPF 28 is an unscented, environmentally-safe, full spectrum UVA/UVB sun defense that offers powerfully effective protection, yet is gentle enough for infants* and non-irritating near the eyes. Translucent Zinc and Titanium Dioxides provide a safe alternative to harsh chemical sunscreens".

Us Brits love nothing more than moaning about the four wonderful seasons that we have, I personally am a huge lover of all the seasons and I am never one to complain once the sunshine comes out, that said I am always conscious about sunscreen and am the kind of person to always be wearing it and carrying some in my handbag.  

I applied it in a morning before going outside, as instructed to do and then every few hours during the day.  The Cream itself is quite thick and luxurious but absorbs itself quickly into the skin and the best part is that it has no 'sunscreen' smell that you associate with suncream, something I have to admit I am not a fan of.  Once applied onto the skin there is no stickiness or tacky feel left behind, another pet hate of mine when it comes to sunscreen and it also left my skin feeling moisturised.

As I have mentioned, this product is completely unscented and uncoloured and because it is made entirely from natural ingredients there are no harsh chemicals. Infact this product is also:

• Cruelty Free
• Vegan Friendly
• Gluten Free
• Recyclable 

Add to that it also contains Aloe Vera and Vitamin E to help reduce signs of sun-induced irritations.

I have quite fair skin and tend to wear a factor of between 25-30 depending on where I am, some people might think that is a tad high for the UK but having once burnt rather badly on my shoulders, it is not a pain I intend to go through again.  Whilst wearing this suncream, even by the sea, I did not burn, so for me it definitely offered the relevant sun protection, especially on my shoulders and face.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield SPF 28 retails for £19.50 and is available to buy here.

Do you wear a high factor SPF? 

This post also appeared on Futures by Bex you can see HERE