BLACK FRIDAY DEALS LIST (UPDATED HOURLY)

Hi my Loves,

Black Friday is upon us and you know what that means, prepare yourselves to shop!

I am not a big sales fan especially Christmas sales - I don't have time to be sifting through old season junk, plus I know how true sale clothes & items get treated - and I know the process for deciding what makes to sales!! Black Friday however is mostly about new & stock that would never usually make it into a sale getting reduced and I'm all about that!

I have been sharing like a lunatic any deals I have found on Snapchat (@rebekahwithlove) but I wanted to create a list too for those of you who don't have snap. I'll be updating this throughout today and tomorrow so keep checking back! Anything I amend will be highlighted so you can see it!

FASHION

Missguided: 

• 35% off for students
• 50% off everything (GOGOGO)

PrettyLittleThing:

• Up to 50% off everything

Boohoo:

• Up to 50% off selected items

ASOS:

• 20% off everything

In the style:

• 40% off everything (BLACK)

Misspap:

• 20% off Loungewear (BLACKLOUNGE)

My Bandage Dress

• 20% off (EARLYBIRD)

Pull and Bear:

• 20% off starts at 10pm

Bershka:

• Up to 50% off selected items

Stradivarius:

• 20% of coats and jackets

Zara:

• 20% off selected items

Ego:

• 30% off selected shoes (CASJ30)

Public Desire:

• 30% off all shoes (CYBER30)

Missy Empire:

• 30% off everything (EARLY)

River Island:

• 20% 8pm today -8am friday (BFRIDAY15)

Topshop:

• Up to 50% off selected items

Office:

• 20% off (WONDER)

Hollister

• 25% off everything (31308) - THURSDAY ONLY SO FAR

LASULA

• 35% off everything (BLACK35)

H&M:

• Up to 50% off selected shoes & bags

Vavavoom:

• 20% off (Black20)

BEAUTY

Love Makeup:

• Spend £40 or more get 15% off (treat15)
• Spend £80 or more get 20% off (treat20)

Cloud10beauty:

• 20% off everything (BLACK20)

Beauty Bay:

• Up to 30% off selected lines

Makeup Forever Ireland:

• 15% off all stock (BF15)

Charlotte Tilbury:

• Buy one get one free on Nocturnal cat eyes to Hypnotize eyeshadow & eyeliner sets

Arnotts:

• 20% off Keihls

Tarte:

• 25% off (FRIYAY)

Lime Crime:

• Up to 85% off site wide

Cult Beauty:

• £5 off when you spend £50 (BLACK5)
• £15 off when you spend £100 (BLACK15)
• £30 off when you spend £150 (BLACK30)

Colourpop:

• Free International shipping till 6pm GMT

Debenhams:

• 10% off beauty
• 15% off perfume THURSDAY ONLY

Anastasia Beverly Hills:

• 10-60% off items 

JOUER:

• 25% off site-wide (FRIDAY)

Gerard Cosmetics:

• 45% off site-wide (GIVE45)

Lilly Lashes:

• 15% off (BLACKFRIDAY)

iikonn lashes:

• 40% off lashes (BLACKFRIDAY)

Sigma:

• 25% off + free worldwide shipping

Makeup Revolution:

• Up to 80% off site-wide

Foxy Locks Extensions:

• 10% off (FoxyBlack10)

SOSU:

• 20% off everything from 10pm (SOSU20)

Crown Brushes

• 25% off everything (Makeup25)

GADGETS

Sudio Sweden:

• 25% off all headphones starting Thursday evening

Boots:

• £40 off the InStyler Max, was €120 now €80.

Look Fanstasic:

• 25% of Foreo skin brushes (starts friday)

Abbott Lyon Watches:

• 30% off everything (BF30)

Happy shopping!

With Love from,

Rebekah x

iWhite instant teeth whitening kit | Review

Hello my loves,

Today I going to share my thoughts and feelings on the iWhite instant teeth whitening kit.

I decided to review this because so many of you asked me questions all about them when I put up some pictures up on snapchat! I also get asked regularly how I keep my teeth. I have personally used this kit 3-4 times myself now so I feel that I can really give you guys a true and accurate review! 

So let's get straight into it!

Where to buy: iWhite.ie or boots.com

Price: €29.99

Product breakdown:

Basically what this product is, is a home whitening kit that says it can take your teeth up to 8 shades whiter. In each box you get 10 pre-filled trays that you will be using on your top and bottom teeth for 5 consecutive days. The trays aid the whitening of both the front and the back of your teeth. The trays themselves are like gum shields and you keep them in your mouth for 20 minutes at a time. These are sold in chemists so they are totally safe to use at home and they are 'clinically proven to be both safe and effective'.

My thoughts:

So firstly, I really like the ease of this product. The fact that the trays are pre-filled eliminates mess and makes the whole process easier - so there's less of a chance that will skive out of doing them. However, keeping them in your mouth for 20 minutes can be a challenge - and do careful to not swallow any of the over flowing liquid!

After 5 consecutive days I have noticed a difference each time I've used them! My teeth are pretty white; they are slightly off white, some worse than others and that is down to my tea habit. To be honest I don't think they've ever gone the whole 8 shades whiter - I would say maybe 4 shades whiter on my teeth but each time I've used this kit they have certainly been whitened and they felt extremely clean which I loved, staining on my back teeth was also reduced. I also have overlapping on my front bottom teeth that can get quite stained and I always find that this kit does the job at removing and fading a lot of those stains! Another thing that loved about this product was the fact that it did not increase the sensitivity of my teeth. I have super sensitive teeth and these did not irritate that  at all which I am very happy about!

I just want to note that sometimes people forget that products cannot work magic, and if you have very badly stained teeth you are not going to get sparkling white teeth from any SAFE product on the market . If your teeth are heavily stained from years of coffee, cigarettes or red wine (or all of them combined!) that is a job for a dentist and a professional teeth whitening session if you want beaming pearly whites. I'm not going to sit here and claim that a product can lift highly stained teeth - but if you just want to brighten up your discolored teeth or kick some stains then I think that this product will work for you and you're going to love it like I did.

Tips:

I have read previous reviews from people claiming that the teeth whitening did not last and to be very honest if that happens, that is nothing to do with the product and totally to do with your lifestyle. After and during teeth whitening courses I would always recommend that you use a whitening toothpaste to aid your results and to prolong them. I have two favourite whitening toothpastes and they are the iWhite teeth whitening toothpaste and Colgate Max Expert White toothpaste. I get either or from Boots and these are the only two whitening toothpastes that I've ever found to actually work!

  I also recommend drinking anything staining with a straw. I try to drink my tea, my coffee even my red wine with straw!

Another thing I want to add is that sometimes people can think that discoloration on their teeth is staining but sometimes ( especially if you notice staining on the surface of your back teeth) it can actually be where enamel has begun to wear away. So do keep this in mind if you notice teeth whitening kits or toothpastes having no effect! 

I feel like this is turning into a dental lesson!

Product rating:

I would rate this product 4/5.

I am deducting a point because I wish that they took my teeth a shade or two whiter, but I do understand that I probably have long standing stains that might actually need some dentist action. You also have to keep in mind that the box does say 'up to' so I will depend on how badly your teeth are stained.

I would recommend this product as personally for my teeth it does a good job! But as I mentioned above these are not for heavily stained teeth if you want a wham bam blinding white smile! 

I hope you guys found this review helpful!

With Love from,

Rebekah x 

Beauty Blender VS Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Hello my loves,

Today I'm going to do a little comparison post between the Beauty Blender and the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (that is a MOUTHFUL!). Before I begin, for those who do not know both these products are sponges you use to apply makeup to your face. A sponge is my favourite way to blend the foundation into my skin. I will apply my makeup roughly with a brush to place where I want it and then I will use my sponge to blend it out over my skin. This ensures there are no brush stroke marks and the finish is totally even. The sponges also help to absorb any excess makeup from your face so you avoid the dreaded cakey face.

(For the purpose of the post I will be referring to the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion as the Real Techniques sponge.)

Real Techniques Sponge

The Real Techniques sponge is the Orange sponge and that is the only colour you can buy it in. You can pick one of these up from most Boots and Superdrug Chemists and online. I actually have seen this particular sponge in most chemists & pharmacies I have been in. It retails for roughly €7.99.

The shape of this sponge is basically egg shaped, with a piece removed - what I'm trying to say is that the base of the sponge has a flat edge also.

Beauty Blender

This is the pink sponge. You can actually buy this in a variety of shades - red, nude, black etc. and you can get these from Boots.co.uk (I haven't seen this in any in-store Boots or chemists), Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, Sephora and the Beauty Blender website. They retail from roughly €20.
This is sponge is just totally egg shaped, it has no edges.

Similarities

• Both sponges need to be used damp. Never use either dry - they will totally absorb all your product (bye to your expensive foundation!). Run both of these under the tap until they swell & fill with water and then squeeze out all the water to give yourself a damp sponge.
• Both need to be used in a patting motion when applying your makeup. you don't drag these across your skin, you bounce them over your skin to blend your makeup in seamlessly.
• Both can be used to blend other products such as contour, blush etc into your skin.

Differences

• Once dampened, the Real Techniques sponge swells considerably bigger than the Beauty Blender - this can be good in the sense you cover more space when blending, but it can make it hard getting into awkward areas like around your eyes.
• The Real Techniques sponge tends to absorb more product than the Beauty Blender - you can tell that this is the case right from when you are dampening them, it is harder to get the water completely out. You will also notice when you are cleaning your sponges, it is very hard to remove all the products stains from the Real Techniques sponge.
• While they both look like they are made out of the same material(?), there is actually a difference in texture between them. My current Real Techniques sponge is not as bouncy and solid as my Beauty Blender. This is very hard to explain without showing it physically but when you squeeze your Real Techniques sponge hard while it is damp you will see you can leave finger print indentations but this won't happen with your Beauty Blender. I notice that this particular material doesn't allow for as seamless a blend on your makeup in comparison to the Beauty Blender.
• The flat side of the Real Techniques sponge is actually a very handy addition to the sponge - it makes it easier to blend contour under your cheekbones or your nose contour. The flat side of this sponge is very handy for applying the 'baking' technique under your eyes or under your contour.

Conclusion

So out of the sponges which would I choose? 

If I had a choice, money no object, I would pick and recommend the Beauty Blender based on the points above. I feel like the overall application and finish it gives to your makeup is second to none. HOWEVER, considering the price of the Beauty Blender; I would expect it to do all this indefinitely. 

For the price that it is, I feel the Real Techniques sponge is very good competition. Yes, I do find it can take longer to get the same effect as the Beauty Blender, but it is possible to achieve a very similar result - considering it is even less than 1/2 the price of the Beauty Blender I think it is a very good addition to anybodies makeup bag - it beats out any other of the cheaper brand sponges I have used by a mile!

I hope you all found this helpful!

Any questions, leave them below <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x 

*Updated* Skincare Routine + Skincare Tips

Hello my loves,

I did a skincare routine blog post previously, however since then a lot has changed in my regime. I'll link the post here so you can read that one too because it's not that I still don't love the products I mentioned in that post, it's just that I have just found some new ones that make my skin the best it can possibly be.  My previous post was very budget friendly, so if that's what you are aiming for with your skincare products that post might be more of an interest to you.

I believe in investing in your skin because lets face it, how you look after your skin when you're younger DOES have an impact on how your skin will look in the future (obviously some of it is totally down to genetics and out of our control, so you can blame your parents!) This being said, that is one of the reasons why I do use slightly more expensive products, with proven results in my skincare routine at the moment.

Another outlook that I have is that I believe that your makeup can only look as good as the base you provide for it. I like to look at in the sense if you're painting walls, you always need a clean, good conditioned base or else no matter what you do, the paint job will not turn out the best it could of if you'd taken the time to prepare the walls.

 Does this make sense? It makes sense in my head haha!

Before I fly into my routine, I want to list some skincare tips that I have picked up over years:

1. Drink water. I know you're going to be like okay as if we don't know that, but I want to stress this. Not only is water good for keeping your skin blemish free, it also combats dehydrated skin. Dehydrated skin is often mistaken for dry skin however it is treated very differently. Dehydrated skin lacks water not oils as dry skin does - this means your skin will look dull, feel tight and will show signs of aging i.e intensified fine lines on the face. Dehydrated skin also produces more oil to make up for the lack of water therefore leading to breakouts. Do you notice your concealer creasing and caking under your eyes but you don't have dry, flakey skin? You're probably dehydrated. Now do you see how important water actually is?! Drink at least 8 glasses a day. 
2. Sleep. Again, another basic point, but tiredness shows on your skin - be it temperamental breakouts, dark circles, dry patches - this can all be results of lack of sleep. Recommended sleep for adults is 7 - 9 hours.
3. Taking off your make-up. I die inside when I hear people telling me they just use makeup wipes daily, because they are absolutely not sufficient for taking makeup off, they also drag the skin causing aging and upset the balance of the skins natural oils. They are fine for a once off night out or staying somewhere that's not your own house but they shouldn't be a habit. In order to remove your makeup fully and treat your skin you need to cleanse your face with a cleanser (cream, foam, oil, up to you) TWICE. once to remove the makeup, second time to double make sure it's all gone and to care for your skin needs (e.g. acne etc.) Also, this goes without saying I hope, PLEASE, DO NOT SLEEP with makeup on, it's a skincare sin.
4. Dermaplaning. This is controversial  so I debated adding this in because you absolutely DO NOT have to do this. This totally preference, but it does make a difference to how makeup applies if you notice that the hairs on your face catch in your makeup. Dermaplaning is basically using a single blade razor to remove the light peach fuzz hair off your face. It originates from Japan and is very popular in american facials as a procedure for exfoliating the skin. Contrary to popular belief NO it does not make the hair grow back thicker/blacker/stubblier, If you would like a blog post dedicated to this topic let me know below and I can talk you through the pros and cons and how-to's if this is something you would safely like to try.
5. Facials. The above leads on to this point I suppose. I am a huge fan of facials & microdermabrasion - if you have the funds you can get these done as much as you like; I try to get them minimum twice a year as I feel they really renew the skin and give you a good basis to take care of at home. Facials aren't as expensive as people presume; sign up to beauty parlor's newsletters and keep an eye on Groupon for deals. My favourites are Microdermbrasion, Vitamin C peel and Image O2 lift facials.
6. Facial oils. I call facial oils miracle products and I like to use them during the night mainly. Facial oils help to add hydration and nutrition to the skin; they also help topically with concerns like acne scars and signs of aging like fine lines. I also find the definitely help enhance your glow. Look out for facial oils that include vitamin E, rose-hip, Argan oil, almond oil or coconut oil. You apply a drop of facial oil AFTER your moisturiser. If you have oily skin, facial oils are something you may not require but you can use a very little amount if you do want added benefits. 
7. Eye cream. Totally over looked product, even by me. I tend to forget this step for some reason. If you notice your makeup isn't holding well under your eyes - that it's cakey etc - an eye-cream can help with this (but as I said above under dehydration, dry under eyes can be sign of that too.) Eye  creams are basically your tailor fit moisturiser for your eye area because the skin is thinner and more delicate, they help to combat aging and fine lines around the eye area.
8. Wear sun protection every single day, even when it's not sunny. If I could ever preach something, it would be this. Wear a minimum of factor 30 every single day - even if your makeup contains some. The sun has two types of UV radiation, UVA & UVB. UVA is what causes skin aging and wrinkles whilst UVB is the skin cancer developer. I know it's great to have a natural tan in the moment, but the damage that you are doing to skin by going without sun cream in the long run is just not worth it, especially with the education you are given on it now-a-days. I'm not even going to touch on sunbeds, as that is a totally other post that I could write pages on!

I hope that everyone can take take at least a few things from my tips above. I am asked a lot how I keep my skin good ( I am only 23 so I don't have to worry majorly - but i believe in prevention over correction!) and these are tips I religiously follow.

Now, on to some of the products that I currently use and swear by:

Products:

Pixi Glow Tonic, Lancome Visionnaire cream, Dr.Dennis Gross Alpha beta extra strength daily peel, Lush cosmetics Love Lettuce fresh face mask, Clarisonic Mia 2, Clarisonic Refreshing Gel cleanser, The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence lotion.

Step 1: I use my Clarisonic Mia 2 every night & every second morning. This is the product I attribute my good skin texture to. It is worth every penny in my eyes. I use it combined with Clarisonic Refreshing Gel cleanser after I have taken off the bulk of my makeup off with a makeup remover. I have no preference for a makeup remover, I just try to avoid one that is too oily as it hurts my eyes.

Step 2: I use my Pixi Glow tonic as a toner after I have removed my makeup fully. I use this morning and night. It has 5% Glycolic so it helps your skin to literally glow!

Step 3: As my serum to put hydration back into my skin I use my Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua boost Essence lotion every morning and night.

Step 4: I know it is expensive, but I swear by my Lancome Visionnaire cream; once I stop using it I can see a difference and that's how I know it works. It is a gel like consistency, which I love because it works well under makeup. I then apply eye cream, I haven't it pictured here, but I use the No 7 protect & prefect eye cream. I use both these products day and night.

Extra steps: 

- Twice a week I will use a mask. I love Lush face masks as they are fresh and I like that I know exactly what is in them - I love things with natural ingredients.

- I am also a massive fan of at home peels which are amazing for reducing pores & fine lines and fading scars and pigmentation - I use a month supply of  Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta extra strength daily peel every three months or so and it keeps my skin perfect. 

- As mentioned above, I use facial oils and I'll use them 3 - 4 times a week roughly before I go to sleep.

So there we have it, that rounds up my skincare tips and routine! 

I hope I've helped you all in some way. I know the products I use are expensive, but they are very much worth it. My skin is not perfect & I have my bad skin days; we are all only human - but if I can make my skin good 90% of the time I'm happy!

With Love from,

Rebekah x♡

Missguided Peace + Love collection

Hello my loves,

Today saw the drop of the new part to Misguided Peace + Love collection and I wanted to share with you guys my favourite pieces from this entire collection because there are some real gems from both the first and second drop, I saw a lot that I wanted!

 The prices of this range are a little more expensive than the standard Missguided stock (premium is the most expensive - but the quality is worth every penny), it's described as 'high end' in the link description and it does look very 'high end' to me!

These are my favourite pieces that are online now:

peace + love satin wrap mini dress burgundy

peace + love kimono wrap dress white

peace + love plunge collar belted jacket pink

peace + love silky wide leg trousers duck egg blue

peace + love strappy bodysuit copper

peace + love metallic choker copper

peace + love slinky midi dress gold

peace + love dollar print kimono wrap dress gold

peace + love satin tie waist maxi dress orange

peace + love satin wrap playsuit nude

My favourite things about this collection is the use of silky, satin and slinky material and also the selection of colours - I feel the colours look so exotic and luxurious!

What are you favourite pieces from the collection?

With Love from,

Rebekah x

(All pictures are from www.missguided.com)

My favourite Australian online Boutiques

Hello my loves,

So, I contemplated doing this post and held off, purely for selfish reasons if I'm being honest - because I know the minute I share these sites with you all, you're going to love them as much as I do - and my secret shopping sites will no longer be secret!

But, you know I share everything with you guys because that's what I'm here for.

That being said, this post is going to be about some of my favourite Australian online stores.

Whenever I go out or have an event I like to wear something that not everyone has. that's why I usually turn to online shops. In the past few years however, online shopping has blown up and now everyone and their mother shops online. ASOS & Boohoo used to be my babies 9/10 years ago, (I used ASOS when it was A.S.O.S; As Seen On Screen - and they used to specialize in celebrity clothes and one of my 3rd year school disco dresses was from Boohoo so..I'm really showing my age! I used to beg my dad for his card to shop online!) I could nearly guarantee that nobody would have the same outfit as me, but now people shop one these sites as much as they do regular shopping if not more. So now when I go out, I see a lot of people wearing what I am, or else a very similar style. I don't mind this most times, but you know them times when you want to look super fabulous & special; I like to have something just a little bit different so I turn to my favourite Australian online stores.

1. Showpo

This site is a firm long time favourite! The thing I have noticed about their maxi dresses is that they are not super long, not sure if this means that this site leans towards petite/average height people as opposed to tall - but I love it as I've never had to turn up a dress, so this suits me perfect. They have the most AH-MAZING work wear range called Executive Ponies, and my god, the clothes themselves are enough to make me switch career so I can wear office clothes every single day! 

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

2. Hello Molly

If you want an amazing going out dress or playsuit, this is the site for you. Not only is the price point fantastic, (I have seen some items from these sites being sold on american & European sites for nearly double the price in some cases) the quality is just on point. Their items are extremely unique - there is a SLIM chance of seeing anyone rocking your 'fit on a night out! You could pick me any item on this site and I would wear it and adore it.

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

3. Miss Holly

This site is a boho girl's dream come true. They have the most stunning co-ord sets featuring beautiful maxi skirts with slits and lacy tops - to me this site screams festival/hippy and boho chic, beachy waves, summer. This site makes me feel some kind of way! I was attending a festival, I would definitely be rocking outfits from here. When I think of Australia, I imagine all the girls walking around on beaches dressed in these clothes! 

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

4. Sabo Skirt

So I think if you've ever heard of any Australian online shops Sabo Skirt will of been one of them. I found out about them off Carli Bybel (she is my favourite you-tuber of all time). Again, a boho lovers dream. Every item looks so enchanting and I just want every single thing! They have lots of flow-y, chiffon-y, silky items. Another great site if your are going to a festival or on holidays. They even have some gorgeous going out/evening dresses that would just be amazing for night time holiday outfits.

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

5. White Fox Boutique 

Ever wanted to look like those forever perfect Instagram girls who seem to always have their lives (and outfits) together?? This site has everything you need - they have the going out clothes yes, but they have an amazing collection of daytime outfits. They have all the amazing items you see on Pintrest and wonder where they came from! They also have a very good range of Quay Australia Glasses. These are the most GORGEOUS sunglasses you will ever lay eyes on I promise. You will want every pair!

Team them with a bodysuit and pair of their destroyed Boyfriend jeans and you will be the most chic person in town. White Fox Boutique also stock the brand 'Nookie' Which is loved by Emily Ratajkowski & Shanina Shaik.

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R pair 1, pair 2, pair 3, pair 4, pair 5, pair 6)

6. Lioness

Again, where do I begin - I want everything every time on go to Lioness fashion - I want the entire site! For me, their playsuits/rompers are the best and most beautiful I have ever bought. They fit like a glove and they are always the perfect balance of flirty, yet cute and classy. Beautiful silky, float-y material is used in many of their items

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

(L-R Outfit 1, Outfit 2, Outfit 3)

So now that I have emptied all your wallets, let me give you the factual details about shopping from Australia:

1. When you go on the sites the items look expensive, but they are nearly always in Australian dollar and when you convert that to euro - most of the times you will be shocked at how amazing value the items are!

2. Shipping prices range from $9 AUD for standard shipping and $25 AUD for express shipping; which is roughly €5 or €16 respectively. Where possible I use standard shipping. It takes longer yes, but there is less chance of it picking up taxes.

3. Sizing wise I feel like Australian clothes are some of the truest to size clothing that I've ever tried - I feel like they are very consistent. 

So there we have it, a round up of my favourite Australian online stores and a very small few of my favourite pieces they all currently have!

What are your favourite Australian online stores? I love finding new places to shop!

If you like this concept I can do my favourite UK and/or USA stores - let me know below <3

With Love from,

Rebekah x