Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Hi my darlings - hope you are all having a good week so far and there is not too much last minute xmas prep to be done. I am sure most of you aren't as unorganised as me!!
Recently I decided to give some drug store makeup a go - back in the day when I was a young girlie I used to love using some of the cheaper brands, but that was mainly because I had the most amazing Garnier base that they stopped making. Hate that.
One of the foundations I picked up was Maybelline Super Stay 24. I am a sucker for a foundation that claims to be long lasting but absolutely nothing lives up to double wear in my experience (if you disagree let me know as I would love to find another!!).
The packaging is pretty boring but I do like that there is a pump on the top which makes it easier for application. It retails at the around £9 mark. As a lot of the high end drug store ones do these days.
Recently I decided to give some drug store makeup a go - back in the day when I was a young girlie I used to love using some of the cheaper brands, but that was mainly because I had the most amazing Garnier base that they stopped making. Hate that.
One of the foundations I picked up was Maybelline Super Stay 24. I am a sucker for a foundation that claims to be long lasting but absolutely nothing lives up to double wear in my experience (if you disagree let me know as I would love to find another!!).
The packaging is pretty boring but I do like that there is a pump on the top which makes it easier for application. It retails at the around £9 mark. As a lot of the high end drug store ones do these days.
I really like the finish of the foundation. It's very smooth and sets pretty well. I wouldn't say it lasts 24 hours though!! Definitely not. It really needs a touch up come home time.
It's not cakey or drying though which is a major positive for me at this time of year as I find certain foundations just don't agree with me at all and cause flaky skin. Not good.
This is what it looks like in the flesh anyway. I should say also that I am wearing an immense amount of MAC cream highlighter in this picture and MAC strobe cream as a base so it's highly likely you could make it a lot matte-er, if that is something you are in to. Personally, I prefer a more dewy look these days - hence the sheen!!! Also, this is work makeup so forgive my tired eyes and poor chapped lips - this is pretty much how I REALLY look :(
Sunday, 16 December 2012
Happy Sunday everyone! Last night I went out for dinner and drinks with the boyf. I hit Northern Quarter in Manchester and tried SoLita which was very nice! Yummy food. (I am going to have some serious gym work to do in the new year).
Anyway, after a wash and dry of the hair and trying out some new products (hello new obsession with L'occitane!) this is the look I ended up with and the products I used.
Products I used:-
Products I used:-
- L'occitane Precious Eye Balm and Face Cream
- MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation
- MAC Mineralize Powder
- MAC Lustre Drops in Sun Rush
- Brown e/s from Costal Scents 88 Palette for contouring and filling in brows
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara
- Lancome Liquid Black Eyeliner
- NARs blush in Orgasm
- NARs lipstick in Niagra
- Rimmel in Tiramisu
Most of you will now know that I am partial to a gel polish. It started with Shellac manicures every two weeks until I moved and purchased my own at home kit because to continue getting them done in Manchester would bankrupt me!
I have now used Shellac, Gelish, Red Carpet Manicure and Sensationail. Shellac is still my favourite, but I am not trained so I can't really get hold of that. So generally I use red carpet manicure and the lamp I had also is red carpet manicure.
Last week I spotted a new brand I had not heard of at the clothes show. Namely, Mint Shellac. They seem to be pretty new on the scene and their products definitely look to copy Shellacs. They even have a Mint Shellac Solar Oil!! As far as I know though they are not in any way affiliated with Shellac. Cheeky!
Anyway, they were offering manicures and had quite a wide range of colours and accessories so I was pretty interested. In the end I managed to pick up four colours and a lamp for a real bargain. Things were reduced but normally colours are £10.99 and the lamps are £69.99.
I picked up the lamp because it is a UV one (mine is presently a LED one) and I can fit in the whole of my hand (not just four fingers like my LED one).
The colours I got are St Petersburg (grey), San Diego (pink), Ciaro (nude) and Monaco (deep red) and I can't wait to try them all but for now I have tried the grey and I love it.
Having tried both the polish and the lamp I am so impressed! The colour is deep and so you only need two coats, with my red carpet manicure and sensationail the colours are always quite sheer even after a couple coats. It applies easily and cures well. I think that's partly due to having a lamp that all of my hand can fit in too as the lights aren't just based at the top, so the sides of the nail get cured too.
Here's the result...
Definitely going to be buying more of these.
You can our base them here.
I have now used Shellac, Gelish, Red Carpet Manicure and Sensationail. Shellac is still my favourite, but I am not trained so I can't really get hold of that. So generally I use red carpet manicure and the lamp I had also is red carpet manicure.
Last week I spotted a new brand I had not heard of at the clothes show. Namely, Mint Shellac. They seem to be pretty new on the scene and their products definitely look to copy Shellacs. They even have a Mint Shellac Solar Oil!! As far as I know though they are not in any way affiliated with Shellac. Cheeky!
Anyway, they were offering manicures and had quite a wide range of colours and accessories so I was pretty interested. In the end I managed to pick up four colours and a lamp for a real bargain. Things were reduced but normally colours are £10.99 and the lamps are £69.99.
I picked up the lamp because it is a UV one (mine is presently a LED one) and I can fit in the whole of my hand (not just four fingers like my LED one).
The colours I got are St Petersburg (grey), San Diego (pink), Ciaro (nude) and Monaco (deep red) and I can't wait to try them all but for now I have tried the grey and I love it.
Having tried both the polish and the lamp I am so impressed! The colour is deep and so you only need two coats, with my red carpet manicure and sensationail the colours are always quite sheer even after a couple coats. It applies easily and cures well. I think that's partly due to having a lamp that all of my hand can fit in too as the lights aren't just based at the top, so the sides of the nail get cured too.
Here's the result...
 |
| Shiny shiny! |
You can our base them here.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
 |
| Without Flash |
 |
| With Flash |
So I wanted to try and find a red that would work for Christmas time but red can be a very intimidating colour when it comes to lipstick.
I spotted a lot of pictures on the net with girls rocking MAC's Ruby Woo though so I thought I would give it a go too.
I really like it. It goes on matte - so watch out for it sticking to dry bits - I used my MAC Lip Conditioner underneath it so it applied nicely. I should also mention that I applied using a brush and built up the colour. It felt safer although I am not sure that I will do that next time. Was a pain!
What do you think??
Also, I dyed my hair using L'oreal's sublime mousse - got to say that I wasn't that impressed but the colour can be seen above.
Hmmm
I promise that not all my posts will be haul posts in the foreseeable future (feel like that is all I am doing at the moment). Mainly because I have no money to shop with now haha!
I had to share this with you though.
Absolutely amaaaazing time at the clothes show and lots of goodies!!!
Dedicated fashion show post coming soon!
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Yesterday I headed to the Manchester Christmas Markets. Again.
It was heaving. Everyone has now clearly got the memo that the markets are on. Jeeez.
I must say, I've not been as impressed so far but I think it is because I need to go at night. And since finding the nicest Spiced Cider in Dukes 92 I cannot find anything at the stalls to match it, so I just end up wanting to go back to Dukes! Ha.
Anyway, I wanted to be cosy but still pretty in my style of dress so I opted for the above look which is an Izabel London collared dress from here and a bargainous £20, with a Jumper from Glamorous from here and is £31.99.
Primark belt and primark shoes.
Also my coat is from Asda but I can't find the link!! Got it about a month ago and I think it was £19.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
So I thought I would give you a quick run down of how I remove my gel polish at home, without the need to go to a salon and pay for the service!
1. Get your Acetone ready (you can pick this up at boots for like £3)
2. Cut up tinfoil and kitchen roll, or cotton wool - your choice and have a nail file handy
3. File the posh gently to take off the top shine (not necessary but apparently makes it quicker)
4. Put some acetone on the kitchen roll and place it on top of your nail
5. Then wrap the nail and kitchen roll in tinfoil ensuring that the foil is wrapped around tightly
6. Repeat for all nails and leave on for 10 - 15 minutes.
7. Remove from nails and your nails should be clean, if not gently remove the rest with an orange stick (as long as you don't need to scrape - if you do - you need to soak for longer!)
End result is...
Nice gel polish free clean nails!
Friday, 23 November 2012
So after a slightly awkward moment earlier in which I was caught between two individuals arguing, I decided I needed some fresh air. And a new top. With some crosses on it.
Cue new cross top.
You like?
Obviously this is one of those awkward phone-camera-picture-taking-of-self-without-much-makeup-on-and-bad-hair moments.
But being an in the moment kind of person I thought I'd share it with you anyway!
Where can you buy it? Miss Selfridge. And it's a steal at £20.
Cue new cross top.
You like?
Obviously this is one of those awkward phone-camera-picture-taking-of-self-without-much-makeup-on-and-bad-hair moments.
But being an in the moment kind of person I thought I'd share it with you anyway!
Where can you buy it? Miss Selfridge. And it's a steal at £20.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Well I say haul, but it's really just a purchase. It could have been a haul as there were three I wanted but this was by far the best.
Am I too old to wear ghosts on my jumpers..? Probably.
Who cares!?
I love it!!!
£19.99 from New Look peeps! Buy it here.
Oh, and I am wearing M/L because I wanted it to be big so it could double up as a dress if I wanted. Works well!
Next up this bad boy...
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
I mean don't get me wrong, I also love a good shoe, but I get far more use out of my favourite handbags than I do my favourite shoes.
Now I have a fair few handbags and my most used are my Micheal Kors and DKNY ones seen here and here. I had found though, since moving to Manchester, I was in dire need (well want) of a bag that I could wear over my shoulder. I do a lot of walking now and found that my two have handbags just kept slipping off my shoulder or needing readjustment when I was walking to and from the centre.
So imagine my excitement when I was offered the opportunity to review one of Marc B's delightful handbags. It took me a week to decide which to try but it had to be the Amelia Marc B Handbag. It is just so pretty and has the desired over the shoulder strap!
(pssst - they also do it in cream)
So glad am I that I opted for this little beauty!! It turned up at work and the girl from the post room literally said, as she handed over the parcel, "you have great taste in bags". I had never actually come across this brand beforehand though, which of course added to my excitement.
I've now had the bag for around 3 weeks and I have literally used it every day since. I use it for work, at the weekends and even when going out for drinks. It is the perfect multi-use bag!
It is £49.00 and I think totally worth the price as you can use it every day. The interior also means that you can fit quite a bit in and organise it into various sections. There are two main areas split by a zippable pocket and then there are several side pockets in and outside and it zips at the top too so you can close it fully - no pickpocketing here!
Generally, I am used to HUGE bags yet even though this is small than my usual, I still fit in the following:-
makeup bag
lunch
purse
umbrella
business cards
keys
pens
note pad
Oooo I should do a "what's in my bag post"...
Monday, 19 November 2012
Well for those of you that have been reading my recent posts you will know that I have recently moved what you probably don't know is that the worst part of packing was all my makeup, products, toiletries etc. It was actually insane and in the end much of it (and I am talking 2/3's) didn't make the journey to my new home.
As a result of that experience I decided I needed my makeup to be more accessible as there were things in my collection I had not seen for years.
Off I therefore went to Muji in the Trafford centre and spent £50 odd quid. (And yes, it is totally worth it).
I (somewhat foolishly) believed that my present collection would fit in the drawers I bought. WRONG. So I was glad I had brought my old feel unique beauty boxes for storing my lipstick and lip glosses! I also ended up storing things rather ad-hocly in the split open top box in the middle (which was meant to be for jewellery!).
I will buy some more though so eventually I can see EVERYTHING as it is so much fun when you are a beauty blogger being able to see and use all of your makeup!
Don't you agree?
Monday, 12 November 2012
So this is going to be one of those posts where there will be lots of pictures of my new hair (which incidentally is now around 3 weeks old)
I should have taken some pictures of the salon (naughty blogger) but it was a last minute things and I felt too shy to ask!
So if you are familiar with Manchester the Nicky Clarke salon is on the avenue in Spinningfields (off Deansgate) which, without giving too much away, is very close to where I work. And also close to where I live.
So it was a natural choice for me when I was looking to try a new salon one Friday afternoon.
Now, I must say I was persuaded by the Manchester Confidential deal which allows you to get a restyle for £30. As that was what I paid back at home I was happy to give it a go. Albeit very nervously.
I needn't have worried. The salon was lovely and really big but you aren't on show. The girls take you upstairs and wash your hair with a mini head massage which was lush and then sit you in front of a big mirror and get to work. It's all very well lit and feels very chic. fI saw a girl called Roisin and she was fab. She listened to what I said and told me what she was going to do so that I didn't panic when I started to see hair on the floor and she kept the length which is what I asked for as although for a lot of you this won't be long - it's really long for me!
Here were the results (after a 15 minute walk back to the flat also).
 |
| Sorry about the red eye! |
Now I absolutely love this. It's got volume, it's what I like to call flicky and not super straight. I love how sweeping the fringe is too.
She managed this just by blowdrying my hair which no one has managed before. Very impressive.
Sadly I can't quite recreate this look although my hair is still manageable when styling.
A cut is usually £45. I will definitely be going back and would definitely recommend the salon and stylist. I was so glad I had a good experience as it's tough trying to find new hairdressers!
Now to try some Nicky Clarke hair products!
Going on holiday
Wishing I didn't have so many freckles post holiday
and then wishing they were still there when the tan faded.
Moving to Manchester (finally) into my new apartment.
Going for meals with the boyf. Mmmm Gauchos times below.
 |
| Love this dress (!) |
And waiting for the internet to be set up. Three weeks without it has been horrendous!! It's just not normal! It has finally been set up today so you will be seeing A LOT more of me!!!
Have a great day
xx
Saturday, 3 November 2012
 |
| Please excuse the mess - I was in the middle of moving! |
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Oh, and did I mention freckly!!
Had such an amazing holiday lovelies! Was just perfect. Sensatori in Sharm El Sheikh is well worth a visit and you must get a swim up sea view room - instant paradise!
Anyway, on zeee face I kept it very natural and used bare minerals medium beige, mineral veil and warmth, on the eyelids I used an estee lauder shadow in spiced peach and benefit bad lash mascara. On my lips is MAC costa chic (which is the perfect lip colour by the way).
Now it's on to moving! Finally got an apartment in Manchester city centre! Yay!
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Hey lovelies!!!
Hope your week is going well! I'm on the countdown to my holiday now - tres excited! 4 days until I'm in Egypt! Woo!
Anyway, you obviously now know that I'm obsessed with Gel Nail polish.
It started with Shellac. Ahhhh 2 weeks of beautifully polished nails. That are now long for the first time in my life, all because the polish acts like a protective layer on my nails stopping them from breaking. Result.
However, I'm moving to Manchester this month and that means I can no longer get my nails done as cheap. Booooo. Plus the experience I did have left a LOT to be desired for. I won't name names but a very poor salon experience.
So, cue the at home gel polish kit! What a life saver. I bought the red carpet manicure system because its pretty cheap and there are a good few American reviews out there (seems to be more popular there at the moment).
Sensationail (by Nailene) also do an at home kit too. Obviously I won't be buying the whole system as I love the red carpet manicure one, but because it's sold in Boots it's a lot easier to just buy a polish when passing.
Which is what I did.
And I'm so glad. This is my favourite at home gel polish so far. I love the colour and it applied so nicely. It has a finer brush than the rcm ones which means you can get right to the edge without accidentally catching your skin with polish!
I absolutely love it! And I am definitely getting more colours now! I just hope they bring out even more in time....
Hope your week is going well! I'm on the countdown to my holiday now - tres excited! 4 days until I'm in Egypt! Woo!
Anyway, you obviously now know that I'm obsessed with Gel Nail polish.
It started with Shellac. Ahhhh 2 weeks of beautifully polished nails. That are now long for the first time in my life, all because the polish acts like a protective layer on my nails stopping them from breaking. Result.
However, I'm moving to Manchester this month and that means I can no longer get my nails done as cheap. Booooo. Plus the experience I did have left a LOT to be desired for. I won't name names but a very poor salon experience.
So, cue the at home gel polish kit! What a life saver. I bought the red carpet manicure system because its pretty cheap and there are a good few American reviews out there (seems to be more popular there at the moment).
Sensationail (by Nailene) also do an at home kit too. Obviously I won't be buying the whole system as I love the red carpet manicure one, but because it's sold in Boots it's a lot easier to just buy a polish when passing.
Which is what I did.
And I'm so glad. This is my favourite at home gel polish so far. I love the colour and it applied so nicely. It has a finer brush than the rcm ones which means you can get right to the edge without accidentally catching your skin with polish!
I absolutely love it! And I am definitely getting more colours now! I just hope they bring out even more in time....
Sunday, 16 September 2012
 |
| Red Carpet Manicure - Professional Starter Kit £89.95 (buy here) |
 |
| Shimmery Silhouette £12.95 (buy here) |
I've been so excited to share this with you all as it is definitely my best purchase of the year!!
Most of you will know that I am obsessed with Shellac and if you don't - well check my previous Shellac posts here... Like I said, obsessed.
Now, I have been fortunate enough to have a fab nail technician who is really cheap and does such an amazing job in my home town. Unfortunately though, with me moving to Manchester for good soon, it means I will no longer be able to keep getting my nails done with her.
What is worse is that the cost of Shellac manicures in Manchester doubles!! So I will be paying minimum £60 per month for my nails. Now I just cannot justify that. There are so many other things I would prefer to spend my money on.
And after my most recent manicure experience which was in Manchester and did cost £30 and was RUBBISH I really cannot bear the thought.
So with that in mind I decided to search for an at home kit. Ideally, I would love to have tried Gelish or Shellac but these are really expensive and only available to the pro's in the uk. Gelish is available to people at home from Sallys in the US though.
So after having carried out some research I decided to take the plunge and go for the Professional Red Carpet Manicure Starter Kit.
Firstly, can I just say I was so impressed with their service!! It turned up the next day and postage was free!! Amazing - especially because when you order online the excitement can be to much to bear when waiting for delivery!
What's in the box?
Professional LED Light (with timer function)
PURIFY Pre & Post Application Cleanser (59ml)
PREP Max Adhesion Sanitizer (9ml)
STRUCTURE Base Coat Gel (9ml)
BRILLIANCE Seal & Shine Top Coat Gel (9ml)
ERASE Gel Nail Polish Remover (59ml)
REVITALIZE Nourishing Cuticle Oil
LED Gel Polish (9ml) in Red Carpet Reddy
How does it work?
Basically, you apply polish and cure it under the LED light.
Specifically it works like this...
After prepping the nail details of which can be found here, you carry out the following steps.
Step One: apply base gel coat and cure for 30 seconds
(I did 45 because that's the timer setting of the lamp)
Step Two: apply gel polish of your choice and cure for 45 seconds
(kit comes with a red but I ordered a lighter shade also as red isn't a colour I would normally wear)
Step Three: repeat step two again.
Step Four: apply top gel coat and cure
( I did two rounds of 45 seconds just to be on safe side)
Step Five: remove tacky layer with alcohol rub provided and voila! Nails are ready to go!
Results - See below...
I absolutely love this system, I found it really easy and hope that it last as well as my shellac does. I will keep you posted. I like the colour but I don't think you get the full high shine effect with shimmery shades of gel polish so I am going to place another order and get some darker colours but also a really girlie bright one for holiday! I will keep you posted as to how it wears!!
Definitely recommend this - I seriously think I have found my new obsession and cannot wait to build my collection!! Best purchase ever!
Buy it here!
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
 |
River Island High Shine Tube Pants (buy here) River Island Metallic Trim Vest (buy here) DKNY Bucket Bag (buy here) Primark Blazer Giuseppe Zanotti Leather Lattice Peep Toe Shoe Boot (buy here) |
So last week I embarked upon the task of locating a pair of Disco Pants I was happy with that didn't cost me an arm and a leg.
Research did I!! There are definitely a lot of dupes out there, but I turned to Llymlrs and decided on the River Island Tube Pants as she described these as best dupes so far in terms of tightness of fit.
And man are they tight. It's weird though because they are not remotely uncomfortable. It's just tough to get them on. And trust me I know - I ate a 3 course meal and still had room around the waist in them!
Unfortunately, due to forgetting my camera - once again it was a phone snap but I wanted to show how I wear them - which isn't too outrageous.
Which is my point as when I was looking for what to wear them with I really really struggled.
I'll be honest, I can't wear them like a lot of you out there all tops tucked in and butt cheeks fully on show. I mean don't get me wrong - you all look cracking in them - but I look RIDICulous. Probably my age!
So here is how to wear them if you want to wear them as a smart skinny trouser. Think step up from skinny jeans or leggings.
Who know's I might get a bit daring as I tone up a bit more - you will be the first to know if I do!!!
Monday, 10 September 2012
 |
| Shampoo - £5.59 (link) Conditioner - £5.59 (link) |
Ok, so this review (along with a good few others) has been a long time coming. I can only apologise. Life has been hectic with trying to deal with work, commuting, looking for a flat to move to and trying to fit in some socialising along the way.
I wish I was much better at multi tasking, but I am not quite there yet.
Anyway, the good news is that whilst many of you may have now tried this, for those of you that have not my review is based on a month and a half's usage!! So very thorough!
I received these samples back in July and began using them straight away. It was perfect timing because my hair was in dire condition, flyaway and frizzy and nothing I used seemed to ease that.
So I tried this in the hope of a miracle and that's practically what I got!
Why is it so good?
Well, firstly it smells lovely.
Secondly, it does not leave me with build up or an irritated scalp (this is something I had been suffering with and was finding flakes to be a real problem as a result - not good when you are brunette).
Thirdly, it seems to make drying my hair somehow easier.
Fourthly, my hair dries less frizzy and straightens fantastically. If I am wearing it curly I have so much less frizz than when I use other products.
Fifthly (and most importantly for me), it retains my style. So I don't find that my hair immediately changes and becomes really frizzy when stepping out the door (this is with the added assistance of john frieda hair serum - which I always use and is the most consistent element of my hair routine and has been since I was 14).
Is it worth the price tag?
Yes. Whilst I appreciate it is a little more than some of the other brands out there, I have used higher and lower end products and I think that this fits perfectly within it's pricing. You are not paying too much (which I have done in the past for less impressive results) nor are you paying next to nothing but achieving poor results.
Also, I haven't had to replace this yet in almost 2 months which is impressive for me (wash every other day and use a hellaload of conditioner)!
The good news is that they do a smaller travel sized version so you can always try that before you buy the full size!
I would definitely recommend this shampoo and conditioner and would love to hear how anyone else has got on with it!! I want to try the other products in the range yet so if you have tried and reviewed send me your links!!
Also, the John Frieda team are on YouTube!
Next mission - create the perfect top not!
Sunday, 2 September 2012
 |
| It's at moments like these I wish I had a better camera! Jacket - Primark - 5 years ago! Top - H&M - this season Jeans - Top Shop Boots - Primark Necklace - Primark |
Hey lovelies! It's been a while, but without going into too much detail things have been really hectic!
Hopefully normal posting shall resume shortly. I have some amazing products to tell you about that I am LOVING right now!
In the meantime, here's a cheesy and not so great quality picture of me. The boyf and I went for day time food and drinks and I felt this was appropriate.
The weather is definitely turning nasty so it's back to the practical clothing. Hence the jacket and boots.
The boots are a fab pair I found in Primark by the way for £15! Bargain!
Hope to be back on the weight loss this week, things have stagnated slightly since the bank holiday so I need to get back on it!! Only 4 weeks until beach holiday!! Eek. The panic is on so if you have any tips feel free to let me know!!
x
Hope to be back on the weight loss this week, things have stagnated slightly since the bank holiday so I need to get back on it!! Only 4 weeks until beach holiday!! Eek. The panic is on so if you have any tips feel free to let me know!!
x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Happy Reading
Blog Lovin
Popular Posts
-
Yay!!! Ladies- it's that time again. Giveaway timey!! Eeeeek! So you can tell by the heading that the giveaway is in celebration of reac... -
Anyone else excited for Christmas!? I am super excited! Only a couple of weeks to go! Yay! So to celebrate Christmas I have picked up s... -
One of my beautiful friends got married this weekend. It was such a stunning stunning day. I had the best time ever, the sun came out so t... -
As promised - NARS swatches! Lipstick in Niagara Pure Matte Lipstick in Bangkok And Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine My fa...
