Instagram Round Up - April 2017

Hey guys, hope you're all well! I wanted to kick off May with a new monthly series, rounding up some of my favourites posts from the last month over on Instagram. Everything is linked, but you can also find all my loves on the new shop tab, located on the top right. So here's my beauty and style diary for the month of April, enjoy!

2nd April 

Jacket - Topshop* (Similar)

Sweater - New Look* (Similar) 

Bag - Ted Baker* (Same style but no longer available in Rose Gold)

Leather Trousers - Next

Boots - New Look* (Similar)

2nd April

Soap & Glory The Ultimelt*

Garnier Micellar Water*

L'Oreal Fine Flowers Toner

Bioderma*

Drugstore Skincare Week Series 

3rd April

L'Oreal Total Cover Concealer Palette 

4th April 

Models Own Lilac Icing

7th April
Jeans - American Eagle
Bag - Ted Baker* (Same style but no longer available in Rose Gold)
Pom Pom - Next*
Shoes - Converse*

10th, 12th & 18th April
Jumper - New Look* (Similar)
Bag - River Island*
Jeans - Bershka* (Similar)
Espadrills - Matalan

11th April
Benefit Dandelion Dew*

13th April 
Zoella Daisy Picking Candle*

13th April
Maybelline Lip Contour Palette

16th April
Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter*

17th April 
Sunglasses - Quay Australia*
Jacket - Topshop* (Similar)
Jumper Dress - Boohoo*
Bag - River Island*
Trainers - Converse

18th April
Primark 2 in 1 Straighten & Curl Iron

20th April
Soap & Glory The Ultimelt

21st & 26th April
Maybelline Baby Lips Crayon

22nd, 24th, 25th & 28th April
Sunglasses - Quay Australia*
Jacket - Topshop* (similar)
Jumper Dress - Bohoo*
Bag - River Island*
Trainers - Converse

22nd April
Bag - River Island*
Nail Polish - O.P.I You're Such a Budapest*

24th April
Spring/Summer Nail Polish Picks & Trends

25th April
Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette*

27th April
April Favourites 2017

28th April
Barry M Holographic Lights*

29th April
Maybelline The Pixie Collection - Available from 3rd May exclusively at Superdrug

30th April
It's First Impressions Week over on my channel here, so a keep a look out for product reviews on all of these new highlighters!

The Pay Day Lust List - May

The Pay Day Lust List - May by pinkparadisebeauty featuring a gold desk lamp

I cannot believe it's May this coming week already, does anyone else feel like the days, weeks and months are just flying by!? With that being said I've collected together a few of my April favourites which I shared over on my channel here, as well as a few items I've been lusting over right now as well...

1. Gold Desk Lamp - Target 
For a few months I've been on the search for the perfect gold desk lamp for a chest of draws we have up in our bedroom. Usually these kind of lamps are more suited to office spaces, however I love dressing rooms with decor pieces that don't necessarily have to be placed in the room that they are meant for, if you get my drift! This one from Target is just what I've been looking for with regards to shape and style.

2. The Denim Jacket - New Look
If you've seen my latest fashion post here, then you'll know I'm loving the jumper dress for Spring. Last year I was also keen on the t-shirt dress too for the Summer months. But here in the UK it can get a bit nippy and so I've been after a light wash denim jacket to throw on over these kinds of dresses. I adore this version form New Look as it's oversized which means you could wear this just over the shoulders too.

3. Dandelion Twinkle - Benefit 
I'm already a big fan of the Dandelion Dew liquid version that came out last year, but when I heard they were bringing out a highlighting powder version, I knew this had to go straight on my Pinterest Wishlist asap!

4. Trinket Dish - Oliver Bonas 
Throughout the house I have many versions of the 'trinket dish' scattered around that I use to store everything from jewellery to essential oils and hand cream to cuticle oil. But surely one more trinket dish wouldn't hurt, right?!...

5. Succulent Wall Art - Etsy
Palm tree's and succulents are hot right now, especially in the form of anything homeware related. I've recently been doing up a new office space and I'm addicted to searching out these beautiful prints from Etsy to decorate the office with. I adore this one especially because of it's pretty pink background.

6. Makeup Sponges - Eco Tools 
I'm all for trying out new and affordable make-up sponges and recently I spotted this vibrant duo from Eco Tools in Superdrug. I've never actually tried anything from the brand before and so I'm keen to put these to the test...

Product Empties & Products I Regret Buying No14 - The good, the bad and the ugly!

Product Empties and Product Regrets

Although it makes me sad when I finish a product I've truly liked, it also gives me satisfaction knowing that I've finally got to the bottom and I can decide whether I would re-purchase that particular product again or not. So here's my round up from the last few months of what's hot and what's not!

PRODUCTS MENTIONED:
1. Soap & Glory Clean On Me Shower Gel
Beauty Talk Podcast - Episode 9

2. Soap & Glory Sugar Scrub Body Scrub

3. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

5. Revlon Colorstay Foundation

6. Revlon Photoready Foundation

7. Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder

8. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

9. Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

10. The Crème Shop Animal Sheet Masks

11. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructer Conditioner

12. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

13. Tresemme Beauty Full Volume Conditioner and Shampoo

14. Vaseline Intensive Care Healthy Hands, Stronger Nails Hand Cream*

15. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

16. Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil

17. L'Oreal Brow Artist Brow Pencil

18. L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Hippie Mascara
*This product was sent to me but all opinions are my own.

Benefit Hoola Zero Tan Lines Review & Photos

Benefit Hoola Zero Tanlines

To finish up my Benefit reviewing trio, I have the new Hoola Zero Tanlines to try out. This caught my eye of course because of the stunning packaging, but also because I am partial to a quick fix if I haven't got time to tan and I'm in need of an instant glow for a night out. Rimmel Instant Tan is usually my go to saviour, but with the release of this Benefit version, I wanted to see if a higher end version worked just as well as my affordable one, so here's my thoughts.

Price
This retails for £19.50 for 147ml of product, which is expensive for an instant tanner, but I have to be honest the packaging alone sold this to me!

Packaging
As I mentioned above the packaging is gorgeous as not only is the box stunning, but the tube inside is also packaged beautifully too. This also has a neat application sponge tucked away in the top for non messy tanning application.

Application
Upon application this instant tan has a light gel texture and a lovely fresh, tropical smell. It's also fairly easy and non messy to apply because of the added sponge included, but it can be hard to blend seamlessly in places with the sponge only, so I would recommend using your hands to finish blending, making sure to either wear disposable gloves or washing them thoroughly after.

I was quite surprised at how light this looked initially, especially on my pale, freckly skin, but the colour is buildable so I ended up applying two coats which gave me a subtle matte, natural glow.

 

After application I had to wait a fair few minutes for this to dry properly and it did feel slightly sticky to touch in places, so if you are doing more than one coat, which I would recommend, I advise waiting a little in between coats.

Longevity
The colour overall did stay on throughout most of my day until I was ready to wash this off.

Overall Thoughts
As I mentioned above this is expensive for an instant tan that only lasts until you wash it off, but the packaging did reel me in hook, line and sinker because of the gorgeous design, fresh tropical smell and nifty sponge applicator concealed in the lid.

The formula is nice if not a little a sticky and therefore I do recommend waiting for it to dry in between layers, as well as using a combination of the sponge to initially apply and your hands to finish, nevertheless this does last well throughout the day.

Overall I did like this for a more subtle quick fix, but I do think this is best suited to either paler skins who are only after a hint of colour or for anyone who wants to further enhance an existing tan. So if your hoping this will give you a deep, dark instant tan then the Hoola Zero Tanlines may disappoint you and therefore something like the Rimmel Instant Tan would be more suited as it has a great selection of darker shades, plus it's half the price!

 

I award the Benefit Hoola Zero Tan Lines 3.8 out 5

Benefit Dandelion Dew Review and Photos

Benefit Dandelion Dew Liquid Blush

Theses days I lean more towards a powder blush as they just seem to work and blend better on my cheeks and I'm a total fan of the Benefit boxed blushers, although I have never tried the original Dandelion powder blush. (I know, I know again!) Liquid blush is also something I've never delved into either, but luckily Benefit recently released Dandelion in a Liquid formula, sweetly named Dandelion Dew, so I thought now would be a perfect opportunity to not only try the Dandelion Blush but in the new liquid formulation!

Price
This retails for £22.50 for 30ml of product, which again is pricey, but as I mentioned in my Dew the Hoola review, this is a premium branded product.

Packaging

This yet again is another beautifully packaged product from Benefit. The box and name sells the blush alone for me, but inside the actual blush is prettily packaged in a stunning mint green unusually shaped bottle. It also has a pump dispenser and hygienic cap too.

Application

To apply the product initially I used a Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush, I then used my fingertips to blend this out completely. Upon application half a pump was all that is needed as a little goes along way, this also blends out beautifully and is buildable if desired. The leaflet included also suggests applying Dandelion powder blush on top to further enhance the dandelion dew. The overall finish and look is a super pretty pink/peach flush to the cheeks, that looks gorgeously subtle and would also look perfect on Brides too!

Longevity

This lasts reasonably well right into the evening, but as I mentioned above, if you have the Dandelion powder blush, you could always set this further with a tiny bit on top of the liquid.

Overall Thoughts

Overall this was another super pretty product release from Benefit and having never tried Dandelion blush before, I thought the colour and overall look was gorgeous on the cheeks. I absolutely adored the packaging as well as the formula of the product and I think if I had to choose between a cream or a liquid, I would choose liquid as I much prefer the overall finish and how easily this blends into the skin.

 

Longevity was pretty good, but if you are wearing this well into the evening and you do have the original Dandelion boxed blush, I would set this with a little of the powder for longevity re-assurance. So if your after a blush for Summer that gives you the perfect soft pink/peach pop of colour to the cheeks, or your a bride who prefers a more subtle look for your big day, then this may be just the ticket!

 

I award the Benefit Dandelion Dew 4.5 out of 5