Saturday, 2 August 2014

Video || Monthly Favourites || July Edition


Hey guys!!

I must admit I haven't really bought or tried that many beauty products this month - I know, slap on the wrist for me - to be honest I've been so busy lately, I've not really had time to leisurely browse the make-up counters and I haven't really fancied any new products either.  Perhaps it is just me but there is a distinct lack of new launches / products to get excited about at the moment?

So instead of the usual beauty favourites I thought for the month of July, I would share with you guys what clothes I have purchased recently and what I've been loving wearing.

I attended Wireless Festival at the beginning of the July and because the weather was so unsettled I ended up having a huge clothing splurge - you know, to make sure I was covered for all weather occasions.  Therefore I have a few items to share with you guys and hopefully this may give you some inspiration now the weather is hotting up here in England because most of these items are summer related.

Hope you enjoy this video and August will be back to beauty related favourites.


What I am wearing:

Top - New Look
Necklace - Dorothy Perkins

Face: Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Ivory, Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Light, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory,  L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Noir Excess Mascara, Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara in Dark Brown, Sleek Face Form kit (blush and highlighter), Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner Pen Black, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Peach Club

Products Mentioned:

Dorothy Perkins Khaki Tropical Skater Dress - £35.00 - http://goo.gl/hDq8Bu

Topshop White Frill Hem Sun Top - £26.00 - http://goo.gl/U8C9Vi

Dorothy Perkins Ivory Crochet Trim Shell Top - £26.00 - http://goo.gl/rQf7cm

Topshop MOTO Bleach Wash New Baxter Jeans - £40.00 - http://goo.gl/w5whMn

Topshop MOTO Bleach Rip Leigh Jeans - £38.00 - http://goo.gl/TVIXBQ

Dorothy Perkins Ditsy Spot Skater Skirt - £20.00 - http://goo.gl/NICPfr

Dorothy Perkins Multi Floral Channel Floral Joggers - £24.00 - http://goo.gl/VwrTBJ

Dorothy Perkins Flower Ring - £6.50 - http://goo.gl/Xyey9y

New Look Bag - Couldn't find the link but similar bag £15.99 - http://goo.gl/tyinEh

New Look Leather T-Bar Strappy Sandals - £12.99 - http://goo.gl/N4Vk1K

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my non-beauty favourites this month so let me know in the comments or tweet me @EmsyLous :o)



Thursday, 31 July 2014

Review : Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 754 'Pandore'




Hey guys,

Today I'm going to be talking about the Dior Addict Fluid Stick in the shade 754 ' Pandore'.  

I should start off by says that I already love Dior make-up.  I think it is probably my favourite high end brand out there and I have owned several lip glosses, mascaras (don't bother they dry up and clump), foundations, eye liners, you name it, I've bought it.  I'm a sucker for Dior.

So when I happened across this little baby, I thought why not?



First off, let's talk about the packaging.  Owww-eee, I love the Addict packaging, so distinctive.  You can just see straight off from looking at this without the 'Dior' down the side that it's Dior, the lid gives it away.

I thought I would give the Fluid Stick a whirl because I've never actually tried one before and guess what, this girl likes to try new things.  I have owned a few of the Dior Addict glosses in the past but what sets this apart from the glosses is - my favourite thing - it's a hybrid between lipstick and gloss.  I have previously expressed my love for hybrids in the past, try my rave reviews of the Rimmel Apocalips Lip LacquerL'Oreal L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick or the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick and I just cannot believe that these types of products are only just coming about now.   However, as if I didn't have enough already, I've added another one into the mix.  

And I'm so pleased I did.

This is just as good, if not better, then the other hybrids I have tried.  And because the formula is a mix up between gloss and lipstick you ultimately get the best of both worlds.  The colour is so vibrant but unlike a lipstick it is not drying on the lips.  The product goes on with high shine but unlike a gloss, there's no fade.

All lips products should be made this way!



I love brights lips and I have been searching for a product in this shade for a very long time.  At last I have found it and it is the most amazing mix up of bright pink, coral and red and when you are wearing this it just says 'look at me' so beware if you don't like your lips bold and bright.  However, I am a big fan of this colour and I probably own way too many other variations already but hey, if it's not broke, don't fix it, right?

I recently wore this colour in two videos my Skin Secrets video which can be found here and my June favourites which can be found here if you want to see this baby in action.



I will definitely be getting myself some more shades from this range and I already have my eye on 'Wonderland'.

RRP is £26.00 and link can be found here.

Have you tried any of the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks yet?  If so let me know what you thought in the comments below or tweet me @Emsylous.





Tuesday, 29 July 2014

Life \\ Currently Loving : TV series

 Hey guys,

I am a total telly addict and so in view of that and keeping in with my 'currently loving' series, I thought I would share with you the shows I love watching at the moment.


1.  Ray Donovon - Sky Atlantic 

First up we have got Ray Donovan which has only just started its second series recently on Sky Atlantic.

This show is about Ray who works at a law firm as a 'fixer' to the rich and famous.  This basically means that Ray will come along and fix a problem which someone famous has got themselves into and **poof** make it go away.  But the main story revolves around Ray and his family with his wife, two kids, two brothers and father.

Ray has a troubled relationship with his father who has just been released from prison and the first series is really about the difficulty Ray faces when his father becomes more involved with his life and family.

The second series has only just started but this is much more fast paced and interesting than the first series (and I really enjoyed that).  I haven't watched much else like this series; it is a crime drama with many twists and turns with some great dark humour.

Watch if you want to see a more scandalous version of Scandal or if you want to see the same sort of dark humour as Dexter.

2.   Geordie Shore - MTV

Well it can't always be high brow, stimulating television all the time can it?  Sometimes you just feel like kicking back and watching something which doesn't require much concentration.  And watching Geordie Shore gives me a perfect excuse to do that.

I am so excited that the new series has just started, I think this is probably the best "reality" show I have watched since The Hills.  If you're not sure what the show involves it's about a group of boys and girls from Newcastle and you basically watch them get drunk, get in fights and the majority of the time vomit on themselves after a night out.

Having said that, I am just obsessed with this show.  You can just tell these people are totally being themselves which is one of the best things about it because there's nothing worse than a scripted show.  Not only is it honest, but it is actually really humorous and there's always some drama going on which you'll get drawn in to.  It's an easy watch and my guilty pleasure.

Watch if you want to see the late night version of Made in Chelsea or the unscripted version of The Only Way is Essex.

3.  True Blood - FOX

True Blood has been one of my favourite shows for years and I am so sad that this is the final season :o(.  If you don't know what the show involves, it's a TV adaption of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (The Southern Vampire Mysteries) which revolves around a waitress called Sookie who is this amazing character with so much sass and charisma.  Sookie is a telepath and when she discovers that she can't hear vampires thoughts, it opens up a whole new world to her.

It is quite naughty and probably one of the raunchiest shows I've seen but it's so good, there's always good plots and the characters and actors are amazing.  It was spawned off the success of the Twilight movie but overlooking that fact, it's just a great show in its own rights.

It should be worth noting that the books are some one of the best series I've ever read and it's just great to read something where there is a strong protagonist and not some feeble woman always looking for love.

Watch if you want to see Skins with vampires or a sexier version of The Vampire Diaries.

4.  Silicon Valley - Sky Atlantic

This series has only just started and already I'm hooked.

The show is based in Silicon Valley, which is not where everyone with a boob job lives but actually the nickname for an area in California where all the big technology companies do their biz.

We follow Richard who is a tech geek trapped in a big corporation who has developed in his own time a music downloading app.  After failing to present his product to big shot Peter Gregory he then shows his app to some 'brogrammers' at his company we realise that this app could be used for bigger and better things then Richard knows.  He is then faced with the decision to either sell his code to the company he works for for $10,000,000 or invest with Peter Gregory, who after hearing that this code could be used for much more, will help him run his own business and keep a small percentage of the profit.

It's full of faces where you're like 'hmmm, I have seen you somewhere' and some great dry humour.

Watch if you like The Social Network or want to see a tech-y version of Greek.

5.  Hannibal - Sky Living

Don't worry if you haven't seen The Silence of the Lambs because neither have I.  All you need to know is right here in this series which is the precursor to the above (loosely based on the book Red Dragon).

The series follows Will Graham who is an FBI employed psychologist who has a special gift for catching killers using his skills as a criminal profiler.  After some stressful cases, the FBI decide to assign Will a psychologist, Dr. Hannibal Lector and herein begins their relationship.

This is one of the darkest TV programmes I've watched and it never stops shocking me.  There are so many twists and turns in the first series and now with the second series drawing to a close, I actually think this has been a lot better than the first.  The sheer graphic content in this show is enough to keep you watching; I have never seen anything like it, I really don't even understand how they come up with some of the things I've seen!  Not only that but the relationship between Hannibal and Will just gets stranger and more complex as time goes on and the end of an episode always leaves you wanting more.  I can honestly say this the best psychological thriller I've seen on TV.  And Hugh Dancy is quite easy on the eyes.

Watch if want to see a more gory version of Bates Motel or more shocking scenes than the The Following.

Hopefully this post has been helpful if you're looking for a good TV series to get into.  I have concentrated on the ones that are currently on TV at the moment but I always have lots of recommendations for good shows so if you want to you can comment below or catch me on Twitter.




Saturday, 26 July 2014

Video || Empties #1


Hey guys,

I have noticed that my videos are getting slightly long and rambling so I am making a conscious effort to cut these down to a reasonable amount of viewing minutes.

Today I'm showing you guys my all used up products.  If you are unfamiliar with empties videos, to give you an idea of what to expect the products contained in this video will be products I have used up fully and I will also give a little explanation on what I thought about these products and if I would or have already repurchased these.

As a beauty blogger, there are a lot of products that I test but don't always have the staying power to make all the way to the end of their life (more often or not because something better comes along).  So that's why I personally always love watching empties videos because you know these products are ones which have got a good use and that's often because someone has enjoyed using them.

Hope you enjoy this week's video and if you want to get in touch then give me a little tweet @emsylous :o)


What I am wearing:

Top - £18.00 from TU at Sainsbury's

What's on my face:

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Ivory, Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Light, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory,  L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Noir Excess Mascara, Sleek Face Form kit (blush and highlighter), Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Taupe, Rimmel Apocalips in Celestrial.

Products Mentioned:

Mitchum deodorants : http://goo.gl/b4CIR1

Garnier Intensive 7 Days Daily Body Lotion in Aloe Vera http://goo.gl/KGZcWY

VO5 Plump It Up Volumising Spritz - http://goo.gl/iixG6b

No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for Normal / Oily Skin - http://goo.gl/4SQHNb

Soap & Glory 'The Ultimelt' Deep Purifying Hot Cloth Cleanser - http://goo.gl/bKk7so

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Fresh Balancing Exfoliator - http://goo.gl/jYbJpI

bareMinerals Original SPF15 Foundation in Light - http://goo.gl/jjgS63

NYC Smooch Proof Lip Stain in Champagne Stain (493) - http://goo.gl/Nc1gSb

No7 High Shine Intense Lip Crayon in Sultry Kiss - http://goo.gl/bxZEak





Friday, 25 July 2014

Life \\ Happy Birthday to.... My Blog & Getting Personal

Hey guys,

Today is the 6 month birthday of my little corner of the internet, my blog.



In view of the above I thought I would post up a little ode to the blog and also open up a little more to you guys about why I started blogging and why I love blogging so much.

I started my blog back at the end of January 2014 and this was a product of spending pretty much my whole Christmas cozied up in my pyjamas watching endless YouTube beauty tutorials, clothes hauls and favourites videos.   And I thought, you know what, I think I could give that a go.

It turned out however that I did not feel confident enough to plonk myself in front of a camera and start talking to myself so instead I grabbed my Dad's DSLR camera and started taking photos and writing up my thoughts on the recent make up products I had purchased.

Starting a beauty blog (as opposed to any other subject) seemed like a natural step to me because I am constantly buying new make-up products and I am also always nosing at beauty reviews before I buy.  I also love trying new skin care and I think I have a bit of an angle on that I suffer from blemish prone skin and so I thought I would try and concentrate on that aspect and helping out others by suggesting better products for skin related issues.

You see the thing is, I think it is a good time to share with you lovely readers why I suffer from blemishes constantly as opposed to occasional hormonal breakouts and that's down to the fact that I suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  I have, up until now, completely avoided talking about it on here and in my videos simply referring to the reason why my skin has good days and then really bad days by calling this a 'medical condition'. I realise this is a very personal thing to share but I have been toying with the idea of sharing this information for a while now and I feel comfortable enough to talk about on the internet.

If you're unsure as to what exactly Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (hereon known as PCOS) is then to put it simply it means I have cysts on my ovaries.  This is not always the case for everyone that suffers with PCOS because you can suffer with the side effects of it (which include acne, unwanted facial hair, trouble losing weight and irregular or no periods) without the cysts being present but I know that unfortunately in my case they are there.  I don't want to go into too much of what this entails but I will in the future cover the subject in greater detail and I plan to do a whole post about how this affects my life and I also want to start including content about PCOS on my blog from time to time.  

The reason I'm choosing to share this now is I have done a few skincare posts and videos lately and I want you guys to know that when I'm talking about having bad skin that I genuinely know what it is like to suffer with really bad acne and that I don't suffer from only 'hormonal breakouts' but more of a constant battle to get my skin in a good place.

I don't want this to be a blog about PCOS because that's not all I am about but I want there to be some comfort in the fact that I know what I'm talking about and if you feel like you're really struggling with your skin that this could be a place of advice and guidance and hopefully somewhere to resolve some troubles you may be dealing with.  Having said that I would love this to be a positive place for fellow PCOS club members to come and get tips or helpful information and just somewhere where you're not alone.

I hope sharing this will make me, as a human being, slightly more relatable to beyond the pages of my blog, because to you I am just someone writing up a post every few days about an item I have enjoyed or a collection of my favourite lipsticks.  But I want you to think this is someone who knows what I am going through and can hopefully suggest some remedies, tips or products to try to help turn things around.

So, a full blog post will follow but in the meantime I just want to give a HUGE shout out to +Clare C whos blog inspired me many months ago to explore the possibility of even talking about this subject and she has been someone who has supported and encouraged me to talk about this since that time.  If you want to read an inspirational and amazing blog then head over to fightingthefear2013.blogspot.co.uk.

For further information on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome then please visit the NHS Choices website.

Now we've covered why I started blogging and my big announcement, lets move onto why I love this blog.  I originally started this blog because I was bored with life and my job and I thought it would give me something fun to do.

It has definitely done that and sometimes I don't think there is a enough time for everything because I film my videos and take my blog pictures over the weekend (because I work during the week and I miss the good light!) and sometimes I do run out of time or don't get something done that I wanted to but I try and stay motivated and organisation is so important.  If I plan what I'm going to blog about for the weeks ahead, I can then work this around my social life and if on the odd occasion it means I need to get up extra early to get things done I don't mind.  And I don't mind doing it because I enjoy my blog so much and I'm so proud of it.

This blog brings a sense of fulfilment to my life that wasn't there before and it's opened me up as a person.  Did I ever think I would be able to put myself out there on the internet and on YouTube when I was pondering starting a blog back at Christmas?  No.  But I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone which is not something I tend to do and it's totally gratifying because now I have this amazing thing that I'm so proud of and enjoy so much and it's all because I just pushed myself to make that first step.

Even though I have had some ups and downs, I feel like my blog is one of my favourite things about my life.  It is a place where I can express my opinions and write down my thoughts on what I hope someone else will find interesting but also it's a creative outlet for me.  I get to interact with people via social media and comments and they're people I would never have been about to talk with if I hadn't started this blog.

It's such a great feeling when I watch a video back or when someone leaves me a comment telling me how they have found my post useful or helpful.    The beauty blogging community scared me at first because I thought it would be too clique-y but it is so amazing and for the most part everyone is so encouraging of one another and positive about each other, it's a great place to be a part of.

Which leads me to my final point and that is if you thinking about starting a blog, GO FOR IT.  You won't regret it and if you do it then leave me your link :o)

I hope this post wasn't too long and I hope it was both positive and encouraging and hopefully you've got to know me a little bit better.

As usual, any questions then please feel free to tweet me @emsylous or comment below, as always I'd love to hear from you and if you want to leave your links feel free because I love reading new blogs :o)