Hello you beauties!

I hope you all had a great Christmas.

Back with the beauty posts this week and today I wanted to talk to you about the Revlon ColourStay foundation. With the colder weather, my skin has been getting a lot drier which I've found really annoying as no matter how much moisturiser I use, it stays dry. And the foundations that I usually use aren't the best for dry skin as they tend to stick to the dry areas of my skin, especially around and on my nose.

Yes, these foundations are good for normal or oily skin so they're perfect for me during the summer but not so much during the winter. So a couple of weeks ago I went looking for the perfect foundation for during the winter months. The one I chose to try for now is the Revlon ColourStay foundation for normal/dry skin and this is what I thought about it.

I have heard many great things about this foundation over the past couple of years but have always experimented with other foundations and so never got round to trying this one. But when I was trying to decide which one to try, this foundation was on the top of my list.

Once I tried it out, it left me wondering why I hadn't tried it before. It is definitely the best foundation I have ever used.

I chose the shade 'Ivory' as it was the lightest shade they had. Of course, I had no clue if it would be the right shade for me but due to the fact that I'm like super pale I always usually go for the lightest shade (which is usually the right shade for me) but there is always the risk that it can be too pale. However, 'Ivory' was the perfect shade for me and it doesn't oxidise at all.

It offers really great coverage too, which I wasn't expecting. With a lot of things happening in my life recently, I have been very stressed and have had a few serious spots on my face (you can tell I was stressed as I never usually get spots) and this foundation actually managed to cover them quite well. Obviously they didn't cover them perfectly, but it would take a very high coverage foundation for it to be fully covered. It just meant that the spots were less obvious and I didn't have to use as much concealer to try and cover my spots more.

This foundation is also very easy to apply. It doesn't dry too quickly so is easy to blend and isn't left with streaks when applying with a brush (although I think that is usually an issue to do with the brush and not the foundation). It also stays on for a while during the day which is great if you have a busy schedule where topping up on your foundation will not necessarily be easy to do.

I believe this foundation is very affordable to. Maybe not as affordable as other foundations that I've ever used (such as my Rimmel London foundation and my Bourjois foundation) but it isn't as expensive as other foundations can get. I bought my bottle of this foundation from Superdrug for just £12.99 which means I can easily afford to repurchase this in the future if I decide that this foundation is the right one for me.

And the most important part? It definitely does what it says on the bottle. It really is great for dry skin as it doesn't stick to my usual dry areas and make it look worse like the other foundations usually do. I really do feel like this this is a foundation I will use all year round and not just in the winter.

Have you tried out this foundation yet? What is your opinion on it?

I'll be back on Sunday with a special New Years' Eve post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

As this is going to be my last post before Christmas Day, I thought the only acceptable post for me to write today would be my planned makeup look for the special day. I wrote one of these posts last year as part of Blogmas (which I apologise for not doing this year) but because I've had a whole year to experiment with new makeup so, while some of the items I'm using this year may be exactly the same as last year, there will probably be some different items in the look too.

Primer: Nivea Men Post Balm Shave
Foundation: Revlon Colour Stay Foundation for Normal/Dry Skin in the shade 'Ivory'
Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade '1-Fair'
Powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder in the shade 'Translucent'
Bronzer: Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Blush: BareMinerals ReadyBlush in the shade 'The Indecent Proposal'
Highlight: One of the gold shades (probably one of the lighter ones) from the Makeup Revolution Sophx highlighter palette
Eye Primer: Gosh Prime 'n' Refresh
Eyeshadows: I will probably create a nude eye look using my Makeup Revolution Ultimate 144 Eyeshadow Palette Matte 2017 and then, from my other Ultimate 144 Eyeshadow Palette with shimmer shades, I will use a gold, red or green shimmer-y shade for that pop of Christmas-sy colour
Mascara: Princess Marcella Borghese Superiore State of the Art Mascara
Eyebrows: Soap and Glory Eyebrow Archery Pencil in the shade 'Brownie Points'
Lip Colour:

What is your Christmas look this year?

I'll be back on Christmas Day with a 'What I Got For Christmas' post.
Byeeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Today's post is a little different than usual. I've been thinking a lot about the past year and what has changed. And one significant change in my life has to be my attitude towards body confidence - mine especially. It probably helps to think about it now because it is being talked about a lot in the media these days

For anyone who knows me well, they will know that I am not happy with my body. And I know that I'm no where near skinny or slim, and yes I am medically overweight. But should that stop me from doing anything though? No. But does it? Yes.

I used to hate looking at myself in the mirror and would always avoid places like fitting rooms, and if I ever walked past a mirror in a shop, I'd hurry up. I'd hate when people took pictures of me, so I'd avoid it wherever I could (yes, that does mean me and my boyfriend have very few pictures together). I also haven't been swimming for years - not because I can't swim but because I don't have the confidence to wear a bikini or a one-piece. To some people, lack of body confidence might not seem like that bad a thing but to someone like me, it can massively affect your life.

I've seen a lot in social media with celebrities encouraging you to embrace your natural beauty and encouraging body confidence. But in my experience? That doesn't help. These celebrities are always stunning and I KNOW that I look nothing like them but there always is that pressure there to look like them.

And when you know that you definitely look nothing like them, it can be damaging. You're always thinking you're not good enough. There's been many times where I've thought my boyfriend deserved better just because of the way I looked. Why should he stick with me when there's skinnier girls out there? Isn't skinny what all boys want girls to be like? Of course it's not. Every guy has their own preferences (most just don't care at all what your body looks like) and it's just the media making us think that we all have to be skinny like the supermodels that are shown on TV, in newspapers and magazines.

I used to hate looking at my body. Every inch disgusted me. The fact that I don't have a flat stomach. The fact that my thighs are actually quite large and covered in stretch marks. I hate many things about my body, as do many other women/girls that I know. A year ago, there were many many things I would have changed about myself (basically everything). But that has changed.

In April, I met my boyfriend and I will admit that meeting him really helped me with my body confidence. Before I met my boyfriend, I was actually in a very on-off relationship with a guy who finally decided that he didn't want to get back together with me because I was too fat. Getting comments like that really does hurt and makes you feel worthless. That all changed when I met my current boyfriend.

He's always encouraging me to love myself as I am rather than trying to impress anyone else. And obviously that is the sort of support you need from someone. And because of that, I am definitely a more confident person now.

So how has my body confidence changed? Well, I'm no longer finding it as hard to go into fitting rooms and actually do it more often now so that I'm not risking buying clothes that don't fit or don't suit me just because I'm too scared to look at myself in a mirror.

I've also started wearing clothes that I would not have worn before because I was too self conscious. I've started wearing skirts a lot more recently and even bought myself a new dress at the weekend. Yes, I do still wear really dark tights to cover my legs as I do still feel very self conscious about them but my confidence is improving, hence why I'm wearing skirts more often.

And I'm actually starting to appreciate my body more in general, especially my stomach. It definitely isn't a flat stomach (and probably never will be) but the more and more I look at it, the less disgusted I feel by it. I think it helps that I have actually lost weight and that's helping me be more positive about myself. But the most useful thing is knowing that I shouldn't care what other people think and my boyfriend loves me for who I am.

If you want to share your experiences with body confidence with me, then feel free to by either commenting on this post or emailing me at instaurabeauty@gmail.com.

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeeee!

 Hello you beauties!

I must admit this to you, but I never really thought about what I actually want for Christmas this year and, to be honest, I haven't actually asked for anything this Christmas. I will admit, that is probably because anything that I might possibly want is too expensive to consider asking for it from friends/family (I never want anyone to spend too much money on me) or it is the sort of thing that I would love to own but would probably never use because of how much it costs and then realistically it would be a waste of money. But if I could ask for absolutely anything for Christmas, regardless of the cost, from my loved ones, then here is my short wish list.

1. A Morphe eyeshadow palette
I have a feeling this may have been on my list last year, or may have been on one (or multiple ones) of my lust lists that I sometimes do, so if you've read my blog before then you may know that I have been wanting a Morphe eyeshadow palette for so long. Who wouldn't want one!? The shade range seems so great and I've heard that the pigmentation of the eyeshadows is amazing.

2. Calvin Klein underwear
Okay, this probably sounds a little weird but recently I have really been wanting some Calvin Klein underwear. A few years ago I used to see all over social media that everyone (well, it seemed like everyone anyway) owned some of this underwear and also back then I thought it was really expensive (which I suppose it is for underwear but it is branded after all). But now I just really want to own some myself - they just look so good and so comfortable! It's a really weird request, but I really wouldn't mind if someone bought me some Calvin Klein underwear for Christmas.

3. Spectrum makeup brushes
As a beauty lover, I will admit that I probably own more makeup brushes than I actually need. But that doesn't stop me from wanting more. And the Spectrum brushes (again, some that I have been wanting for a very long time) are probably some of the most beautiful brushes I have ever seen. I have noticed that they have started to sell a few of these individually in Boots at a reasonable price (priced between £5 and £20 for one singular brush) so I could easily buy them for myself but there would be nothing more satisfying than opening a special set of these on Christmas morning.

4. Harry Potter wand makeup brushes
Yes, there are even more brushes that I want, but these ones are probably some that I wouldn't use but just want to own because they're so great to look at. I am genuinely in love with the Harry Potter wand brushes - they're just so magical (excuse the pun)! If anyone was to buy these for me this Christmas I swear I will love them forever.

5. Mermaid blanket
I am a 20 year old seriously wanting a mermaid blanket this Christmas! I don't know if you have all seen them (but obviously I will include a picture) but I found these mermaid blankets in New Look a few months ago - probably around August time - and immediately wanted one. They come in a pink or a blue-ish teal colour and personally I would go for the blue. They're around £20 each so I've never really felt the need to buy one for myself (as I've never really had the money to be able to spend £20 on one item) but I have been dropping hints at my boyfriend ever since I first saw them.

6. Mini cactus
Okay, so this item may be just as weird as the request for expensive underwear. I always feel like a room needs a plant to make it complete and at uni (when I was in Brighton and then when I move to London next year) having a plant in your room makes everything feel cosy. But I'm just not the sort of person who can look after plants very well. I did buy myself a fake lavender plant to take with me when I moved to Brighton but I genuinely would love to have a little cactus in my room, especially in London. A real plant that takes very little looking after.

So this list was a little bit longer than I originally thought it would be but this would genuinely be the full length of the list of things I would love to receive for Christmas this year. Obviously any gift I receive will be appreciated and loved but these are the only 6 items I would specifically ask for.

What is on your Christmas wish list this year? Is any of it the same as mine?

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeeee!