Monday, 28 November 2011
So recently I popped down to my (not so local) H&M in Manchester - primarily for a fur collar I had seen a couple of girlies sporting.
I got the fur collar, which incidentally I don't actually like on, and spotted this little beauty at the till point.
It was only £1.99 and given that my lips were near enough dropping off at this point I couldn't resist.
So I didn't.
This purchase I was a little more pleased with than the fur collar but one thing I would say is that it doesn't last very long.
It's a lovely smelling (mainly vanilla and not ginger) lip balm, which provides instant relief but does not really work to improve the overall condition of the lips. I find it very thin in consistency which can be a positive, but definitely too slidey.
That said, I do not regret this purchase being only £1.99 and would recommend it if you want something that gives you a light quick fix. This just doesn't really cut it for me in winter I'm afraid.
Anyone else tried these??
I got the fur collar, which incidentally I don't actually like on, and spotted this little beauty at the till point.
It was only £1.99 and given that my lips were near enough dropping off at this point I couldn't resist.
So I didn't.
This purchase I was a little more pleased with than the fur collar but one thing I would say is that it doesn't last very long.
It's a lovely smelling (mainly vanilla and not ginger) lip balm, which provides instant relief but does not really work to improve the overall condition of the lips. I find it very thin in consistency which can be a positive, but definitely too slidey.
That said, I do not regret this purchase being only £1.99 and would recommend it if you want something that gives you a light quick fix. This just doesn't really cut it for me in winter I'm afraid.
Anyone else tried these??
Sunday, 27 November 2011
There's something about red lipstick for making a girl feel glam. I think it is to do with all the old movie stars think Marilyn Monroe/Sophia Loren and then the more recent beauties such as Dita Von Teese.
So naturally, I felt that my makeup collection was lacking a certain glam given that the all time classic red lip was not available. I stumbled across Barry M's Lip Paint in Pillar Box Red #121 last week and picked it up for the price of £4.49.
Here's a peek of the colour:-
Excuse the horrendous eye makeup and bloodshot eyes - just wanted to demonstrate the colour after a long day! I absolutely LOVE the colour, but I'm not sure about whether I love it on me. I feel like it's too much.
Not quite Marilyn or Dita eh! Ah well - until next time - I think I will go back to my nudey pinks thanks!
So naturally, I felt that my makeup collection was lacking a certain glam given that the all time classic red lip was not available. I stumbled across Barry M's Lip Paint in Pillar Box Red #121 last week and picked it up for the price of £4.49.
Here's a peek of the colour:-
Excuse the horrendous eye makeup and bloodshot eyes - just wanted to demonstrate the colour after a long day! I absolutely LOVE the colour, but I'm not sure about whether I love it on me. I feel like it's too much.
Not quite Marilyn or Dita eh! Ah well - until next time - I think I will go back to my nudey pinks thanks!
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Hi lovelies! As you all no doubt know, hair oil seems to be taking the beauty world by storm. I have used various oils since I first relaxed my hair back when I was 15 (lonnnnng time ago!), so I have been extremely happy to see them become more mainstream. So when I was lucky enough to be sent a Beauty Box from Boudoir Privé in September with this sample enclosed I was very excited.
As I was only able to pick it up from the post office in October I guessed you had all already had your monthly fill of blog posts on the contents of September's box and therefore concluded I would review each product in turn after I had been able to try them thoroughly.
The Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment was provided in a sample size of 10ml, although it usually comes in a 125 ml size pump bottle. Macadamia Natural Oil describe this treatment as a therapeutic oil perfect for all hair types and is especially beneficial to dry, damaged hair and I must say, I am certainly convinced.
The product is alcohol free which is an instant positive for me and although I don't use it before drying there is plenty of information on http://macadamiahair.co.uk/ regarding usage and reducing your drying time by 40-50%. I personally apply it after I have dried and styled my hair to nurture and smooth out the ends. It works fabulously for this by the way. It instantly smooths my hair with the added bonus of making it smell divine. I can use a teeny tiny bit all over, which is why I know this product will last me ages never mind the full size one.
So would I purchase this when my sample is finished? I think so, yes. I love how it makes my hair feel and do believe it is a good substitute for some of the harsher products I have used to keep my hair neat and sleek in the past. It seems to retail at around £18 on amazon
Overall a definite recommendation from me and I will certainly be testing out other products from their range in the future, as they look as equally promising. To find out more click here.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Hi lovelies - hope your week is going well! I'm presently trying to type with super cold hands as I have just got in from work. It's so cold!
Anyway, some of you who follow me on twitter or instagram will have seen my recent post showing some shoes that I recently found in my wardrobe. I have had them for like 5 years and was so excited when I rediscovered them!
Quite a few of you also commented on how much you like my tattoos, which brings me onto the subject of today's post...
I think I should start by coming clean. The reason for me finding the shoes was to show off my tattoos and the reason for this was because they aren't real and are actually temporary tattoos!!
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| Yes, I am a fraud. |
The tattoos themselves though are absolutely fabulous - simple to apply - just apply face down and put a damp sponge over the top for 1 min until you can remove without any problems. Word of warning though - don't do what I did and forget to take the plastic off as I sat there wondering why it wasn't working until the tattoo had stuck to the plastic! Gutted as it was my favourite design too.
I can't wait to try all the others in the range which look like this...
What do you think ladies, would any of you buy these?
They retail at £8.00 at Boots xx
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Happy weekend lovelies! Hope you are all having a lovely time - I know a lot of you are at the Leeds bloggers meet up today so I hope that's fun!!
I am in a super mood today - hence the reason for the title above. I am so inspired I am thing of doing one of those 100 things posts... Not sure yet.
This is a bit of a random post really but I was feeling pretty positive because the suns out and it's a Saturday.
I am in a super mood today - hence the reason for the title above. I am so inspired I am thing of doing one of those 100 things posts... Not sure yet.
Anyway, not much point to this post other than to say I feel like I have got my blogging mojo back and I am really enjoying posting regularly again. Hope you are enjoying reading!
I have lots of exciting things coming up, including a giveaway - so keep them eyes peeled *_*
Aso, I am on a diet now so hopefully I will be able to share with you how that goes over the next few months. I am trying to lose 14lbs which is basically what I have gained over the past year through working super long hours, commuting, eating the wrong food and at the wrong time with no exercise.
Speaking of which - I am off out to go on a run now as my horrendous daily headache I seem to have at the moment has just disappeared so I better make the most of it.
That's all for now really, except for a MASSSSSSSIVE thank you to my new followers and of course thank you to you lovelies that have stuck around the past year during my absences!!
Enjoy your Saturday! xx
Thursday, 10 November 2011
So no doubt like many of you ladies out there I have recently been pretty excited to actually feel enthusiastic about a Limited Edition Collection. The more recent ones really haven't done it for me so I was really pleased when this collection came out because it is just so pretty.
So I trotted off to MAC at the first opportunity I got and had my eye on a couple of pieces which I thought would be nice to get. Sadly (or happily for my bank account) they were sold out! Gone without a trace! So I could only pick up one thing from the collection which was one of their lipsticks in What Joy!
Firstly, can I just say - what a cute name!! I love it when the name of a shade is as cute as that. For some reason it makes me like a product so much more. The lipstick comes in a white outer case and is packaged in a silver box which really adds to the wintery theme. Such a novelty given MAC's usually matte black packaging. I really like it. Plus, if you haven't yet seen the collection you must go and look at it - everything is white and glittery with some of the eyeshadow palettes having a sort of snow globe on the front. Divine.
In terms of application the lipstick glides on seamlessly but I must say I was expecting it to be darker. It looks very dark before applying but goes on much lighter. I think you could build the colour up though as I applied a little and was conscious that I didn't want it smudging. I think for ordinary use I will apply with a lip brush. Anyway, enough description - I'm guessing you want a proper look at how it looks on!
I love a good strong lip colour in winter and this does not disappoint. I absolutely love this colour and think not only is it good on it's own, but also it is a really good colour to mix with nudes if you want to tone down in the day.
They retail at £14 and the best part of all that I haven't mentioned until now is that it literally smells like chocolate. Honestly, you should have seen my excitement before when I applied and was like omg CHOCOLATE SMELLS yummy!
What do you think girlies? Do you like??
Have any of you picked up any of the new collection or grabbed yourself this lipstick?
So I trotted off to MAC at the first opportunity I got and had my eye on a couple of pieces which I thought would be nice to get. Sadly (or happily for my bank account) they were sold out! Gone without a trace! So I could only pick up one thing from the collection which was one of their lipsticks in What Joy!
Firstly, can I just say - what a cute name!! I love it when the name of a shade is as cute as that. For some reason it makes me like a product so much more. The lipstick comes in a white outer case and is packaged in a silver box which really adds to the wintery theme. Such a novelty given MAC's usually matte black packaging. I really like it. Plus, if you haven't yet seen the collection you must go and look at it - everything is white and glittery with some of the eyeshadow palettes having a sort of snow globe on the front. Divine.
In terms of application the lipstick glides on seamlessly but I must say I was expecting it to be darker. It looks very dark before applying but goes on much lighter. I think you could build the colour up though as I applied a little and was conscious that I didn't want it smudging. I think for ordinary use I will apply with a lip brush. Anyway, enough description - I'm guessing you want a proper look at how it looks on!
I love a good strong lip colour in winter and this does not disappoint. I absolutely love this colour and think not only is it good on it's own, but also it is a really good colour to mix with nudes if you want to tone down in the day.
They retail at £14 and the best part of all that I haven't mentioned until now is that it literally smells like chocolate. Honestly, you should have seen my excitement before when I applied and was like omg CHOCOLATE SMELLS yummy!
What do you think girlies? Do you like??
Have any of you picked up any of the new collection or grabbed yourself this lipstick?
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
So I decided to revisit this foundation. I had tried it in the past and decided that personally it didn't float my boat. (Previous post here)
It was worth trying again because my foundation applying technique has changed and I find that having moved to the cosmopolitan beauty blender my foundation is always smoother on application these days. Meaning it looks more flawless rather than cakey as it could previously.
So out it came and after wetting the blender and squeezing out the excess I poured the foundation onto the back of my hand and then from their to my face.
First thing I noted was that it was shade perfect (320 True Beige). Now that's rare. So far so good I thought.
Then I realised that whilst it definitely looked better it's still a bit "meh". I mean, my skin doesn't look bad. But it doesn't look amazing either. Here's some close ups for you all...
I think what I am not keen on is the fact that you can still see my flaws. I noticed the pores weren't really covered and my skin didn't really look smooth. Just covered.
Now I could and did go out with this on over the weekend and didn't feel like it looked bad or anything but I think the problem I have is this:-
It's not heavy enough. Sounds strange I know but here is my position on these things. If I wear a sheer foundation (eg. MUFE face and body or mineral makeup) I want it to look like I just have extremely good skin. If I wear a fuller coverage foundation (estee lauder, this one, MAC studio fix) I want to look made up - not in a drag queen way but in a wow her makeup looks beautiful way. And this foundation does neither. It's in the in between camp which still doesn't do it for me.
I think I have used this like 5 times. There is loads left and I have no use for it if I am honest. Isn't it depressing how the search for the holy grail foundation often ends up like this.
It was worth trying again because my foundation applying technique has changed and I find that having moved to the cosmopolitan beauty blender my foundation is always smoother on application these days. Meaning it looks more flawless rather than cakey as it could previously.
So out it came and after wetting the blender and squeezing out the excess I poured the foundation onto the back of my hand and then from their to my face.
First thing I noted was that it was shade perfect (320 True Beige). Now that's rare. So far so good I thought.
Then I realised that whilst it definitely looked better it's still a bit "meh". I mean, my skin doesn't look bad. But it doesn't look amazing either. Here's some close ups for you all...
I think what I am not keen on is the fact that you can still see my flaws. I noticed the pores weren't really covered and my skin didn't really look smooth. Just covered.
Now I could and did go out with this on over the weekend and didn't feel like it looked bad or anything but I think the problem I have is this:-
It's not heavy enough. Sounds strange I know but here is my position on these things. If I wear a sheer foundation (eg. MUFE face and body or mineral makeup) I want it to look like I just have extremely good skin. If I wear a fuller coverage foundation (estee lauder, this one, MAC studio fix) I want to look made up - not in a drag queen way but in a wow her makeup looks beautiful way. And this foundation does neither. It's in the in between camp which still doesn't do it for me.
I think I have used this like 5 times. There is loads left and I have no use for it if I am honest. Isn't it depressing how the search for the holy grail foundation often ends up like this.
Monday, 7 November 2011
So I recently purchased the Yogi Hair Wand on Sarah's blog. I picked it up for a mere £20 which was a bargain given that they retail at £59.95.
I haven't had time to experiment with my hair until this weekend, so I was of course very keen to try them on Saturday.
So I washed, conditioned and dried and then wrapped my bushy locks around the barrel and voila - beautiful, bouncy and full waves!
I haven't had time to experiment with my hair until this weekend, so I was of course very keen to try them on Saturday.
So I washed, conditioned and dried and then wrapped my bushy locks around the barrel and voila - beautiful, bouncy and full waves!
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| No Flash |
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| With Flash |
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| Yogi Hair Wand |
I really like this look and if you have seen any of my weekend posts you will have spotted me sporting the waves in them.
It was easy to do - took 20 mins to do whole head section by section. This probably wasn't necessary - I think if I ran the straighteners over my hair I may have been able to just do the ends and create a really subtle look.
I loved this look though. I went out for a meal on Saturday night and it was perfect for that - not overly styled but not boring, flat, straight hair (my hair always looks better with curls and waves). Definitely impressed with how well it hid my desperately needing a hair cut hair.
The style stayed in until the next day and was a little looser when I woke up - but I liked it. Perfect for a weekend relaxed look.
I will definitely be using these again and I am really glad I bought them off Sarah! In all honesty though - I probably wouldn't pay the full price for them personally, but that is because I already have tongs and also believe I can create good curls and waves already with my GHD's.
If you do fancy looking at the wand though you can view their website and full product listing here.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Hey Everyone!
Hope you're having a happy Sunday!? I've been very productive today and popped a video on YouTube while searching for a home to buy in Manchester. Still not quite found the right place yet but here's hoping...
Anyway, I found out about Proto-col Baked Mineral Cosmetics this week and I'll be honest - I hadn't really come across them before. Once I had read the press releases though I was very intrigued and super excited to give their foundation and lipgloss a try.
First Up - The Foundation
As you can see below the foundation comes in a pressed compact format. This is a rarity for mineral foundation which of course is usually loose. The shade is Moroccan, which looked slightly dark at first but when I applied it and let it sink into my skin I found that it was a really good match.
You can build up coverage and it lasts for a good while on the skin too, so you won't get that annoying situation where it looks like you have no makeup on an hour after application! Plus, if you do need to retouch you have the joy of the lovely mirror with the compact.
This is how my skin looked up close after application using my Bare Minerals Fawless Face Brush (you can have a look at my video applying it here if you like).
Not bad eh!
This is shade Coconut Ice and it's just so pretty. I have it on in the above picture for you to see! It's not sticky at all and lasts for ages.
I definitely recommend these products and would say check out the range in general because they have eyeshadows and all sorts! I love and I am so glad I have found out about them!
If you want to have a look at these products and the different shade options you can go to www.proto-col.com
Happy looking!
Hope you're having a happy Sunday!? I've been very productive today and popped a video on YouTube while searching for a home to buy in Manchester. Still not quite found the right place yet but here's hoping...
Anyway, I found out about Proto-col Baked Mineral Cosmetics this week and I'll be honest - I hadn't really come across them before. Once I had read the press releases though I was very intrigued and super excited to give their foundation and lipgloss a try.
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| Happy Wearing of New Products Times! |
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| LED Lipgloss £10.95 Baked Mineral Foundation £27.95 |
First Up - The Foundation
As you can see below the foundation comes in a pressed compact format. This is a rarity for mineral foundation which of course is usually loose. The shade is Moroccan, which looked slightly dark at first but when I applied it and let it sink into my skin I found that it was a really good match.
You can build up coverage and it lasts for a good while on the skin too, so you won't get that annoying situation where it looks like you have no makeup on an hour after application! Plus, if you do need to retouch you have the joy of the lovely mirror with the compact.
This is how my skin looked up close after application using my Bare Minerals Fawless Face Brush (you can have a look at my video applying it here if you like).
Not bad eh!
I do really like this foundation. I know it is a little pricey, but I really do think it has the potential to last a long time and it makes my skin look so dewy and healthy. Definitely going to be using this on a regular basis!
Secondly, the LED Lipgloss
Before saying anything else I want to just say that I absolutely love this. Can you see the LED light in the lid???
So cool. Also there is a mirror on the side so you can apply it in low light conditions without worrying you have it all over your face!! Yay!
This is shade Coconut Ice and it's just so pretty. I have it on in the above picture for you to see! It's not sticky at all and lasts for ages.
I definitely recommend these products and would say check out the range in general because they have eyeshadows and all sorts! I love and I am so glad I have found out about them!
If you want to have a look at these products and the different shade options you can go to www.proto-col.com
Happy looking!
Saturday, 5 November 2011
So firstly, I feel like I totally missed a trick by not reviewing this before Halloween given the name of this concealer, but the good news is I have had plenty of time to test it and therefore you can rest assured I now have a good sense of how this concealer works.
Which by the way is well, in case you couldn't wait to get to the end of the post...
This concealer is much creamier than the Kick Ass Concealer I loved and reviewed last week here.
So why does this concealer work well? Here's the thing - it's super super blendable, it's incredibly long lasting and it brightens the whole under eye area.
This concealer is specifically for the under eye area. I can only assume that this is why it is so easy to blend and very lightweight in consistency. It doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes in the slightest and literally makes a huge difference to my under eye area.
To get the best use out of this I put it on top of the Kick Ass Concealer. The Kick Ass Concealer itself does enough to cover my dark circles. It conceals and they are gone. What this specific concealer does however is brightens up the whole area, so it's not that it covers more but the fact that it makes me look so much more awake. I cannot leave the house without it now.
Most of you will be able to use this alone and I would recommend getting this before getting the Kick Ass Concealer as my dark circles are severe and at weekend I am happy to use this under eye concealer alone. It's only when I am applying my heavier makeup in the week do I use both for a completely flawless look.
This concealer retails at £9.00 at Boots although I have seen some other cheaper listings online when carrying out a google search. I definitely paid £9.00 though. It is definitely worth the money and I will be asking for family to buy me this for xmas in the bucket load because if I ran out and it stopped being made I really would be gutted. This concealer, along with their Kick Ass Concealer has totally replaced all the other concealers I have used - which I really did not think would happen.
Buy it now!
Which by the way is well, in case you couldn't wait to get to the end of the post...
This concealer is much creamier than the Kick Ass Concealer I loved and reviewed last week here.
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| I just love the packaging! |
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This concealer is specifically for the under eye area. I can only assume that this is why it is so easy to blend and very lightweight in consistency. It doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes in the slightest and literally makes a huge difference to my under eye area.
To get the best use out of this I put it on top of the Kick Ass Concealer. The Kick Ass Concealer itself does enough to cover my dark circles. It conceals and they are gone. What this specific concealer does however is brightens up the whole area, so it's not that it covers more but the fact that it makes me look so much more awake. I cannot leave the house without it now.
Most of you will be able to use this alone and I would recommend getting this before getting the Kick Ass Concealer as my dark circles are severe and at weekend I am happy to use this under eye concealer alone. It's only when I am applying my heavier makeup in the week do I use both for a completely flawless look.
This concealer retails at £9.00 at Boots although I have seen some other cheaper listings online when carrying out a google search. I definitely paid £9.00 though. It is definitely worth the money and I will be asking for family to buy me this for xmas in the bucket load because if I ran out and it stopped being made I really would be gutted. This concealer, along with their Kick Ass Concealer has totally replaced all the other concealers I have used - which I really did not think would happen.
Buy it now!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Here is my hair after use of the Split Remedy Range. This is a near miracle - my hair won't tame for anyone at the moment and the fact that it is actually falling down rather than frizzing left, right and centre shows that this product works for me.
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| Apologies for the lack of face - I was makeup-less |
So on to the formal review.
Most of you will now know that TRESemme launched the Split Remedy Range in September. I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch, but alas - as much as I wanted to go, professional life got in the way as it so often does.
I was very kindly offered the chance to try the range anyway and I naturally jumped at the chance. My hair is as split as the next girl who has a passion for heat styling and I love TRESemme as a brand generally.
I was provided with the Shampoo and Conditioner, RRP of £4.99 each.
And also the Serum and Leave In Treatment, RRP £5.50 each.
What you don't get to see was how silky my hair felt to touch and also the fact that it lasted 2 full days of looking sleek without needing to be washed. Definitely a positive.
So what do I think of the range? Thumbs up from me.
The Shampoo and Conditioner smell lovely and my hair instantly feels softer. Lathering up is easy and the products rinse out easily.
In relation to the serum and leave-in treatment - I used these both. I firstly applied a little leave in conditioner (one pump only) and then some serum (one pump also). I could feel the product on my hair at this point - but no more than any other products I use.
One thing I did notice was that my hair stayed wetter longer, which meant it took longer to dry with my hairdryer. It didn't make it anymore difficult to dry though like some products can i.e. it didn't leave my brush dragging through my hair or anything.
Once it was dry though I would have left my hair as it was if it only had a bit more style. My hair was full and bouncy and the ends look so much smoother. Straightening was a doddle and took much less time than usual. Yay! When I have my hair cut back into shape I imagine I will be able to just blow dry it with a round bristle brush and leave it.
So all in all I would say these are a good product if you are looking for something to make your hair smooth and shiny. It certainly worked for me and the use of the leave in treatment and serum did not leave my hair weighed down. If in doubt use a little and build the product up is what I say!
I would guess that some of you have already had good results with this range, but if you haven't got around to trying it I would definitely recommend as it works a treat for me!
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
So I've had a few days off to have a bit of a time out with the boyfy. Fun fun times. I went off to York, which is stunning. We ate and we drank and we were merry!! We took a trip to the Viking Centre and acted like kids for a bit! I love times like that!
Although I didn't take any pictures of York itself, here are some of the pictures I took during my time off this week...
Although I didn't take any pictures of York itself, here are some of the pictures I took during my time off this week...
Got to love a bit of Marc Jacobs
Yay for Marc Jacobs MacBook Sleeve Presents
From the Boyfy!
Luxury Shopping Bag Times
My favourite re-discovery of a long time
(don't get excited ladies - it was an old one I hadn't opened)
Naughty!
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