"... ELF Haul No 2"

So with all these brill offers happening over the last few weeks on ELF website, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to add to my nail polish collection. 

So after, (not much) thought, I filled my basket with a few goodies. 

Now usually, I like to buy products/colours that I won't wear very often, so then I'm not spending lots of money on them. But this time, I filled up with lots of colours that are very me! Plus a few glitters ....

Swatches 

L-R Cranberry, Blush,Golden Goddess

L-R Dark Navy, Purple Dream, Metal Madness

L-R Midnight Mystery, Fairy Dusr, Love Me, Gold Star.

3 words - Perfect Stocking Fillers

xoxo

"... It's craft time"

So the week I made a strange purchase for what would normally be given to a primary school child or a handmade crafts sorta gal. 

It was these..... 

Decided to pick these up to use with tape when doing nail art; patterns like chevrons etc.

Don't you just love when you find another use for something? 

For example using Kirby grips/Bobbi pins to make polka dots or using nail top coat on costume jewellery to stop it going rusty. 

What other tips does everyone have??? Please share..... 

"...it's all old skool MAC"

This look happened to come about because I dropped my "purple" MAC palette on the floor as I was reaching for my Sleek colours. I don't know if it were the palettes way of getting my attention or it was just my fumbling mid-morning grasp; either way I took note and had a play about with some much loved albeit forgotten shades. 

What do you guys think??? 

Products used

MAC Expensive Pink

MAC Cranberry

MAC Sketch

MAC Shadowy Lady

MAC Brule

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 005 Nude

Bourjois Smoky Ultra Black Eyeliner

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara 

"... it's a Big Bang apocalips"

As the name of this post suggests, today I'm sporting a post box red lip, courtesy of Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in 400 Big Bang. 

This is definitely a bold red which would look stunning with thick black eye liner in a retro glam look. 

I have these in many colours and I would say, of the ones I have tried, this shade would be the one I'm most scared of. Not for the colour, but the formulation. They are quite thick, which doesn't bother me but with that it feels very slick and slidey! I feel that even a strand of your hair catching it in the wind would cause a great red streak to appear across your chin or cheek. 

But I think to a nice event, this lip lacquer would be perfect but you would have to tell your partner to only kiss you on the cheek haha! 

"... this time it's nude"

Having a very muted Wednesday with not much on the agenda :-( so kept my make up very minimal - yano neutral eye, nude lip yada yada yada!!

It has took me a while to find the perfect nude for me because I always find them too much on the pink side. I liken my skin to that of someone who would have one of the Simpsons in there family tree plus a touch of jaundice, so to find a good lipstick shade was a task I never thought I'd accomplish!! 

But, drum role please- I have found this ... 

Again it's another Kate Moss by Rimmel in the shade 03 but i thought if I like all the other ones, why not give this one a chance. And I'm very glad I did. 

"...manicure monday no 5"

For this weeks colour, I have gone for a fall appropriate brown. I know it's boring and some people (especially those with a more pink undertone in their skin) really despise this kind of shade but I really like it. It's easy to wear, will go with most outfits and it's less harsh than black but more dramatic than your typical nude. 

Therefore, I have chosen OPI You Don't Know Jacques. 

This is a shade that starts off very grey but builds up to an almost muddy brown (sounds delightful eh?). At least two coats are needed for this one (yawn!) as the formulation is very thin and with just one coat you are left with a streaky mess!!! 

This is with two coats and topped with Seche Vite for a nice shiny finish. Does this sort of colour suit you? What are some alternatives??? 

Recently seen this polish on iheartprettypolish.com where it's topped off with Model City Polish Dipping Chocolate and looks lovely- a good day to night transformation. 

"...there's some baking"

Anyone who knows me will know I'm not referring to the cooking type of baking as this would be disastrous ... But I am rearing to the Urban Decay eye shadows in half baked and twice baked. 

I have had these shadows for a long while now and although I love the colours, I never really like a golden eye on myself. I think it has something to do with my Marge Simpson skin tone and it all just looks to yellowish! 

However, as many make up lovers will agree, when you  rediscover a product, you kind of talk yourself into it... " well I didn't like it in the past, but I might feel differently now.." And that's the mantra that I was saying the morning I did this look.

The shadows themselves are highly pigmented as most Urban Decay shadows are. 

Here are some swatches of the colours I used;

Colour placement is quite basic, Half Baked across the lid, Twice Baked in the outer v & crease and Oil Slick as liner and to deepen the outer v. 

Think gold looks look a lot more flattering on green/blue eyed blondes- what do you guys think? (please excuse the un-tamed eyebrows!!! in great need of plucking session!!!!)

Products used

Urban decay Half Baked

Urban Decay Twice Baked

Urban Decay Oil Slick

MAC Brule

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in 012 Bronze

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro a Glam Mascara 

"...she's had a stressful morning!"

So I claimed my blog on a few different places and the RSS feeds where not uploading my newest content...NIGHTMARE!!!

So after much googling and youtube watching, I think I have mastered it!

I have now linked *fingers crossed" with Blogovin and Feedly.

Please let me know if my IT attempts have been successful (I swear you need to be an IT genius to be a beauty blogger haha) 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"...she buys a birthday dress"

It will be my 26th birthday in a couple of weeks and I wanted to get myself something to wear. I will be going out for a meal with my lovely boyfriend and need a classic dress that is not black (or red- I have a lot of red dresses- you would think my wardrobe was sponsored my Special K!!!)

So whilst doing a few errands in town earlier today, I picked up this dress from New Look (£19.99)

 Find the dress here

It is belted at the waist by a thin black belt (which makes me look like I'm smuggling two puppies; minimiser bra required!!)  it hits mid thigh and I think I will pair it with some black high heels and black tights.

I also picked up a statement necklace to go with it for £5.99

What do you guys think? 

"...she tries a red lip"

Feeling very Autumnal today so I decided to up the ante (is that the expression???) on my lips and dare for a deep, dark red.The darkest of them all in my collection, has to be Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss in shade 107.

This colour is somewhere in between a dark red and a dark purple resulting in a rich, vampy look on the lips which, even though it is a matte formulation, does not leave the lips gasping for some moisture.

I wouldn't say it was as matte as other matte lipsticks that I have, which I enjoy. I turn to matte lipsticks a lot in the winter as it is my pet hate when the wind blows my hair into my lip product and it either smudges all over my cheek or I end up with some strangely coloured strands in the ends of my do!!

But, my problem with matte formulations that are frankly just too good at being matte, is what I end up doing to my lips....which is picking!!! I suffer from really chapped lips when I am stressed or coming in and out of central heated areas etc, and I will peel the skin of my lips (yep, I know, gross!!) This 'need to peel' is magnified 1000x if I have a dry, moisture sucking, matte lipstick on (ouchy)

This colour however, feels very velvety and comfortable to wear.

Two words of warning though; wouldn't advise wearing it with a full, dark eye as it may look very Abby out of NCIS (nothing wrong with this ...just not my thing!)

and secondly, keep it with you for top ups as even though it leaves the lips a lovely berry toned stain, this stain demises into the halo effect, where the middle and fullest part of the lips revert back to their natural state leaving a scary stained outline which nobody wants!!

What new lipsticks have you tried this season?

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"... it's manicure monday no4"

Happy Monday Everyone,

So as you can see from my last post, I have dug out all of my favourite fall polishes and this week I decided to try a bit of a dark/shimmery combo.

As the main colour, I have chosen Barry M's Metallic Nail Paint in  #326 Dark Silver. This gives a good opaque layer with just one coat (always a plus for me as I am too fidgety to sit there whilst 2-3 coats dry!!!) For the accent colour on my ring finger I have layered Rimmel's I <3 Lasting Finish in #239 Your Majesty. This really brings out the metal-look in the Barry M polish as I have worn it on its own an it comes across rather black.

What are your favourite fall/autumn combinations?
Hope you guys enjoy x

"..its all about Autumn/Winter Nail Polish"

Hia Everyone,

Sorry I have been lacking in the blog posts over the last few weeks. I've been on holiday and have just started a new course of study so busy, busy, busy!!!!

Thought I would start back with giving you a snap shot of my fave picks for Autumn/Winter nail polishes. 

L-R Elf (Black), No 7 (Daisy Darling), Miss Sporty (13), Maybelline (Mudslide Tote), Nails Inc (Mink)

L-R All Rimmel London = 239 Your Majesty, 803 Man Overboard, 800 Black Out, 002 Ruby Crush,

L-R All Rimmel Salon Pro = 371 Sea Green, 703 Rock n Roll, 402 Urban Purple

L-R All Barry M = Matte 333 Crush, Magnetic 230 Dark Silver, 330 Berry Cosmo, 317 Blue Grape 

I'm sure lots of these will feature in upcoming Manicre Mondays so please check back soon.

x

".....her everyday hair care routine."

Hia everyone!

I thought today that I would go through my everyday hair care routine. But after thinking about it, it's not really everyday, it's every 3 days but that's not really a catchy title!!!

So ever since I had the short blonde pob courtesy of Victoria Beckham, I had been trying to grow my hair back to its original length and more. 

My one main tip for this is to go as long as you can between washes. I don't seem to suffer half as much damage now as all my washing, blow drying, straightening and curling has been limited down to just 2-3 times a week. 

I'm not a hair care junkie as I have fine hair and don't like to weigh it down with a lot of products, but here is what I use;

As I don't wash it regularly, I like to make sure my hair is really clean when I do. For this I switch it up between Bed Head's Superstar Shampoo and Lush's Big Shampoo. 

I follow up with Catwalk's Oatmeal and Honey Conditioner- all time favourite!!!! This conditioner always does a great job at smoothing out my ends and making it easy to comb through. 

For styling- I use the Tresemme 24 Hour Body Blow Dry Lotion. I spray this into towel dried hair into the roots. This (plus my velcro rollers) gives my fine hair a lift at the root so I do t look like one of the Aadams Family!!! 

For heat protection, I use Tresemme Heat Defence throughout the ends of my hair. 

Now for masks! I do a mask every other time I wash my hair - which sounds a lot but its really just once a week. 

For a quicks treatment I use a deep conditioner such as my L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist but when this runs out I will usually just buy whatever is on offer. 

However, when I have more time, I will put on 100% Argan Oil. The one I found is from Billy in the Tree and is a more affordable Argan oil as your not paying for any brand name like many others. I put this on the length of my dry hair and leave for 30 mins. I will then wash and condition as normal. My hair is left feeling really hydrated and strong (it's also really hydrating to use on your face as a night moisturiser)

So that's it- not a whole heap of products as you can see but that's mainly because I'm lazy when it comes to my hair!!!

What is your must have hair saviour product??? 

'...manicure monday no3'

Hi Everybody,

Just a quick post for you today...

Even though the nice weather seems to have been and gone - I still wanted to keep my nails feeling summery. 

So I chose this gorgeous coral colour from Rimmel's Salan Pro Line in the colour Cocktail Passion.

I really like this line - not so much for the formulation- even though what you see in the picture is just one coat - it is for the brush. Its almost a big fat rectangle but with the edges slightly tapered so it really fits neatly towards the cuticle. The size of the brush makes application double the speed too which is really good if like me you do your nails last thing on a Sunday night. 

I don't own a lot of Salon Pro Polishes- what 

else is good to try???

....there's a 3 for 2 on Bourjois!!!!

So, it was the first weekend after payday and there was offers on a Boots; which can only mean one thing - Make-up Haul. However, in my defence- this was a rather conservative haul in which I only ventured on two make up stands- Rimmel and Bourjois.

Starting off at Rimmel, I wanted to expand my Lasting Finish by Kate collection and was after a deep red. The one I picked up was No# 111 in Kiss of Life.

 

I wore this at the weekend into town at night and forgot to take it with me (shock horror!!!) But to my pleasant surprise after the initial shine wore off, I was left with a stain of the colour which did not feel dry or uncomfortable in any way. I actually had to keep asking my boyfriend if there was still colour on my lips!!!! 

Mooching on over to Bourjois, there was a 3 for 2 and free sunglasses offer on!!! It would have been rude to pass up on this so firstly I looked at the Colour Boost Glossy Finish Lipsticks. 

I picked up (L-R) 03 Orange Punch and 01 Red Sunshine. These claim to be waterproof and have a 10 hour little logo on the tube. However, after having a quick read of the promo literature, I think the 10 hours is only in relation to the comfort and hydration of the lips and not so much the colour unfortunately. That set aside, they have wonderful colour pay off especially in comparison to Clinique's Chubby Stick which is almost double the price. 

Here are swatches of all three lip products;

Left; Bourjois Red Sunrise/ Middle; Rimmel Kiss of Life/ Right; Bourjois Orange Punch

The last thing I picked up was not a necessity but a desire! I had read many reviews on this product and seen so many comparisons to Soleil Tan De Chanel. It is the Bourjois Bronzing Primer. Now the stand out thing for me is the smell- I kind of wish it was a lipstick just so I could lick it off. Instead I put it on my face and hope random strangers don't start licking me. 

This is promoted as a primer to your bronzer and that said I do agree. It doesn't seem to have enough colour in it to warrant being your primary bronzer but I have found that it does even and mattifies the skin as it promises to. 

Last but not least, a little present from Bourjois in the form of these sunglasses..........

It always nice to get a little extra for free when you feel like your constantly handing over money and these shades are of nice quality and would probably suit most face shapes. So thumbs up there for Bourjois- I am no longer squinting in the sunlight whilst wearing my bronzing primer and colour boosts!!! 

Have you took advantage of this offer at Boots? If yes, which goodies did you splurge on???

Take Care xxxx

...it's manicure monday no2

Hia everyone,

So before this nice weather completely disappears- I thought I would use some pretty pastels on my nails. I find nail polish the easiest part of makeup to integrate pastels into as I'm not a fan of using such colours in my eye shadows or really even lips.

So I delved into my polish collection and pushed aside any normal culprits in the pink/ coral colours and went for Barry M's Blueberry which is a baby blue.

On top of this I layered on Barry M's Confetti polish in Sour Apple. This has teeny pieces of what looks like hundreds and thousands in both a yellow and blue/green colour.

And here is the results..... Hope you enjoy xxx

"......she takes a trip to Superdrug!"

Hello everyone,

Made a slight detour into Superdrug last weekend. Whilst this may not seem a big deal - I'm not a Superdrug local :-( mainly because my local Boots is a bit bigger and the fatal attraction of the Boots Advantage Card gets me every time. 

But, I seen Zoella on YouTube raving about the Sleek blushes so I decided to dare into the unfamiliar store. It was so unfamiliar however, that since the last time I was in there, they had removed the Sleek stand and replaced it with NYC Cosmetics :-( 

So after much stamping of my feet, I decided to look down the remainder of the make up isles and oh how I am glad I did. They, of course have a few different make up brands than their rivals over at Boots, but even the same stands seemed much move inviting in this new environment I found myself in. 

Here is a little snap shot of the results.... 

Of all of this - I probably needed one of these - nope I'm lying!!!! - I did not need any of these but I did not have any willpower to stop Superdrug's Super Powers. 

So a quick run through of the products- firstly may I introduce my new fave brushes!!! These are the real techniques brushes designed by Samantha Chapman. 

From left to right there is the contour brush, pointed foundation brush, detailed brush and lastly the buffing brush. 

I have used these twice now and I'm in love. I am using the contour brush to apply my bronzer to the hollows of my cheeks and to the nose and chin. It applies really nicely and doesn't pick up to much product which decreases the amount I have to tap off. The pointed foundation brush is my new concealer applier. I use it under my eyes and in the centre of my face. The buffing brush has replaced my MAC 129 brush as this has now gone into retirement. The detailer brush I enjoy using to apply my inner corner highlight. 

Secondly, are some products for the eyes, namely Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow ( 05 Eternal Gold, 60 Timeless Black) Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Definition, and Bourjois Smoky Ultra Black Eyeliner. 

I have only used one item so far and that it the mascara. This gives a gorgeous feathery effect and just as Bourjois says, it's target is every single lash. This will be my go to mascara for everyday wear - the only downside is that it's a bit of a bugger to get off!!

The next three items are from Kate Mosses line of lipsticks for Rimmel. 

From left to right is 03, 110, 16 - I think these deserve their own blog post so be sure to check back for that.

I decided to switch up my bronzer from the ELF Mineral Glow to the infamous Chocolate bronzer from Bourjois. Not yet tried this but I have high hopes - fingers crossed!!!!

Lastly, is a hair mask by L'Oreal from the Triple Resist range.

 Now I'm not a massive advocate of hair masks mainly because I don't believe they do all the nourishing elements that they promise. Instead, I feel that they literally mask the hair with a soft, slippery coating that tricks you into thinking that your hair as been miraculously salvaged. But, not to generalise too too much !!! I decided to pick this one up to give it a go, just in case my hair is lacking in something that only a hair mask can provide.  

That's it for my little haul!!!

What do you guys think of hair masks and which other Kate Moss lipsticks shall I try???

Night everyone xxx

"...she's peaches and clean'

"Aaaarrgghh I've got nothing to take my make up off with!!!!!" 

So..... I picked up the Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean (oh how I love these names!!)

Now this was a repurchase from a gift set I received at Christmas.But, the sneaky Soap and Glory people decided to change out the packaging on me, which left me staring blankly for a good while at the shopping isle. Not only have they simplified the logo/writing on the bottle, it has also jumped from being a 4 in 1 cleanser to a 3 in 1 cleanser. Now without analysing the ingredients, I cannot think what the difference is between the two? They smell the same and that's good enough for me!!!!!

I like to use this product in the shower, as my usual make up remover (Clinique's Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm) gets a bit messy and fiddly if your not doing it over a sink. I squirt a couple of pumps into my hand and wipe over my eyes, hold still for a couple of seconds, then gently use circular motions to remove the makeup. Now, I don't really wear hard-to-get-off make up or anything of a waterproof nature, so I am probably not the best tester, but for eyeshadow, liner and non-waterproof mascara - it does a fab job!!!I then go in with a couple of pumps to work into the rest of my face. The product directs you to just rinse well and then finish off with your moisturiser, but I find that it leaves a residue on my skin. This is combated by my next step of cleansing with my normal face wash.But for the removal of my make up, I highly recommend.You get 200ml of product for around £7.

Edit; I have just checked the Soap and Glory's website and the 4 in 1 version is still being advertised????Is my local Boots having me on here????? Confused :-}

"....it's manicure monday"

So for my first 'Manicure Monday', I thought I would go for quite a bold colour. I have chosen Barry M's Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in the colour Blue Grape #317

I am a big sucker for royal blue from jackets to shoes and of course on my nails. I also love Barry M's nail paints as there is such a good colour range and the Gelly Hi Shine polishes seem to wear really well. 

I have only applied one coat of this polish and protected it with Seche Vite topcoat (which I need to buy Seche Vite Restore pronto!!!!) 

As you can see, it applies rather opaquely which is great for me because although I love having my nails painted - I do not have the patience to sit there applying numerous coats :-(

These are around £3-4 and are often on a buy 2 get 3rd free offer at Boots.

What is your favourite brand of nail polish from the drugstore/high street??? 

"... she buys Botanics Ionic Clay Mask"

Hello Everyone,

With summer bringing actual summer weather here to the UK, I thought I would invest some of my pennies into my skin. Now I usually have a  normal to combination skin type but due to the humidity over the past few weeks, I have been slightly oilier than my winter self.

So I popped into Boots- mainly to see what their skin care line - Boots Botanics had to offer.

After a lot of pondering- I decided to try their Ionic Clay Mask from the Shine Away section.

This mask promises to actively remove impurities and deeply cleanses to leave it clearer, softer and smoother. It emphasises its inclusion of willowbark which (after a bit of research) I know is a natural source of salicylic acid. This gets a massive thumbs up from me because this ingredient removes old dead skin cells to make way for new fresh younger skin cells- yey!!!! 

From handling the product in its packaging, it does seem slightly runny which I can see being a bit of a problem to apply- or in other words splat onto my face - but all in good fun!!!! - well, we shall see!!!!! 

Check back here for my review of this product very soon 

Xxxx