Boots haul...

Hello ladies,

I went on a little shopping spree yesterday as I needed some new foundation so as per usual I spent way to much but as a defence I have saved up a lot of points so some of these items I paid nothing for :D

The Real Techniques brushes I have been wanting to buy for a while but was not sure I would like the due-fibre, seeing as I had a load of advantage points to spend I figured I would give them a go so maybe do a review of these soon for you lovelies.

No7 had a promotion on to buy 2cosmetics and get a free gift so seeing as I wanted a concealer anyway, as I had run out of mine, I thought I would get this Coral Peach lipstick as well. The free gift items are really good, my favourite is the lip gloss it looks so nice over the lipstick I got so I'm really happy with this.

If you read my blog regularly you will probably have gathered by now that I love this foundation, it is not super matte so I do mix my foundation but it is great for the apples of my cheeks and forehead where I don't need as much coverage. As there was a 3 for 2 promotion on I also got this eye shadow quad that I have had my eye on for a while and this lip tint. Lip tints are great for when it is mega windy as you can have a really nice pop of colour on your lips without your hair becoming glued to your mouth as with glosses and lipsticks.

I got found this BarryM sharpener which I have needed for a while so glad I finally got one. My favourite colour this season has to be coral I have so many makeup products, nail polishes and clothes that are coral but while walking past the Natural Collection stand I saw this nail polish and just could not resist it is such a cute shade and goes really well with my new lipstick. This also brings me on to the last thing I got which was a No7 lip liner, while walking to the till I figured I would have a look at all the brands for a lip liner that goes well with my coral and peachy tone lipsticks and this is the best I could find. Its not orange in the slightest, its shade melon, but I do think it will go well with all the lipsticks I want it to so I'm really happy with this find.

So that's all my buys ladies, comment your links if you have done a haul recently and let me know if you have a liner you like to use with your coral lippy so I can give it a try :) follow and share if you like my blog and let me know if you want a review of any of these products.
 

Ciao

  xxx

 

beautiful skin...

Hello lovelies,
Thought I would share one of my favourite finds with you guys; Olive Shower Gel from The Body Shop.

As with all Body Shop products this is vegetarian friendly and fair trade; no animal testing and the olives are from family farmers in Italy.

 

This is soap free therefore I always use soap before using this product to make sure I'm clean :) Olive oil has so many good properties and its silky quality makes it the perfect remedy for dry skin and if you also have sensitive skin then you will be happy to know it can reduce risk of allergic reactions as it is usually the perfumes added to products that cause these reactions this is a great alternative.

 

The instructions state not for facial use and to avoid contact with eyes so if you are suffering from dry skin on your face then moisturiser is still probably the best solution for you but I cant stress enough just how well this has worked on my legs. I had such dry skin even though I apply cream twice a day, this has meant that my legs are whiter than white, but since using this my skin is much healthier and I have a distinct hint of beige on my legs now :P I'm not saying chuck away the moisturiser and fake tan but this has worked for me so its definitely worth a try.

 

Now from looking online I think they may have updated this product since I purchased it so this is the new packaging, it is £4 and now called olive bath shower gel/cream.

 

Although I love this product I do have some little tips for you lovelies should you not wish to purchase it. Adding a few drops of olive oil to your bath water will also do the same trick if done regularly, just make sure there are no other products in the water and you should get the silky soft skin you desire :) You can also simply rub the oil on to a specific area and just wash of with water after a few minuets. A tip someone told me was to put oil on your hands or feet before bed and put on gloves or socks to let it soak in over night, I personally have not tried this as I fear waking up with oil everywhere and it does stain but I'm assured it works if you want to give it a go.

 

Hope this has been helpful to you girlies, comment and share if you like this kind of post and I will try to do some more for you.

 

Ciao

  xxx

does quality cost?...eye shadow palettes

Hello ladies,

Today I thought I would compare my three favourite eye shadow palettes for quality and price and see if spending more really does mean getting more.

I will score out of 10 and give an explanation. You may find them different to me as we all have different skin types, so for reference I always base my lids with the smashbox photo finish lid primer to create a smooth matte lid. This primer is tinted so works like a highlighter and leaves your lid all the same colour.

1) Estee Lauder: Pure Color 07 surreal skies (RRP £36) This is the highest price palette I own, similar cost to the Naked palettes but as I am not 100% a fan of those palettes I thought it best to use three I do actually love and wear all the time.

The 5 colours are really complimentary of one another, the dark brown colour provides the perfect shade for smoky eyes, lid crease definition and under eye liner for a less harsh alternative to eyeliner. The dark brown is a matte shade, the lightest colour is super shimmery and the other three have a very subtle shimmer to them. I think this is a perfect combination, I love that the brown is matte and the creamy colour is so shimmery as it allows you to create such dramatic looks but due to the subtlety of the shades this can also be worn as a really neutral every day look.

I love the packaging the mirror is a really good size and the two applicators are also really good which I think is only ever the case in high end products. The only thing I would say is although its nice to get good applicators, if you are anything like me you will not use them anyway as the real techniques are just too good.

Quality: 10/10

Value for money: 8/10

 

2)L'Oreal Paris: Color Riche E2 Nude Lingerie (RRP £7.99) This palette looks really similar to the Estee Lauder one however the shadows are in fact much more pigmented. They all have a shimmer to them which I am not keen on I do think at least the darkest shade should be matte but considering there are only 4 colours and it is £28 cheaper this is a really good product. The packaging looks nice but there is no mirror and the applicator is not great but again I would not use it anyway. The only thing I would say is that considering its named nude I personally do not think the colours are as neutral as they could be; the pinky shade is a pinky coral so as soon as this is applied I would say it no longer looks like a neutral eye look but it is a great quad for smoky eyes and the shadows are high quality.

Quality: 7/10

Value for money:9/10

 

3)MUA: Undress Me Too (RRP £4) I have spoken about this palette before so you know I like the combination of matte and shimmer shadows and the variety of shades that all look great together.

In a comparison of cost and quality it has to be stated the packaging, although not an eye sore, is not really that nice and the applicator is rubbish in my opinion. It would also be nice if there was a mirror and I'm sure people would not mind paying an extra £1 for this as it is so cheap anyway.

The colours are well pigmented the only quality issue I have noticed with this shadow is that when I apply it a dust of the colour does stray and land on your cheek unlike the two palettes above. This is easily solved using tissue under my eye when applying but it is one of my pet hates and its the reason I use pressed powder as opposed to the shadow dusts I have but for £4 its not the end of the world.

Quality: 6/10

Value for money 9/10

 

I hope you have enjoyed this post and found it useful ladies, Please click here if you would like to view a makeup look using the MUA palette.

 

Ciao

   xxx

MUA favourites

Hello ladies,

MUA boast such affordable products but still maintain such high quality so I had to dedicate a blog to them. As a teenager I was obsessed with the Natural Collection at Boots for the exact same reason but when I got a job and started earning I started using more expensive brands. Now I have discovered MUA I feel that with most of their products I am not having to compromise quality for budget so with that said here are my favourites from the products they offer.

 

The Undress Me Too palette is my top favourite. The eye shadows are so pigmented and the shades are all really complementary of each other. This is a good doup for the Naked 2 palette, but its also just a really good starter palette. When I look at cheaper brands I always look at them from a younger girls perspective as I feel they are the main audience they will be selling to, MUA have managed to target a much wider and older audience too due to good packaging and great quality, but for me it is really important that the cheaper brands are good for girls just starting to test out makeup styles. I think the whole range is perfect for this as they offer such a lot of natural and pastel shades with just the right amount of daring colours available. This allows the younger customer to see how good natural makeup can look as everyday wear as well as being school appropriate.

 

My personal favourite shades are Reveal and Devotion but I am also in love with the matte shades in the palette it is so hard to find a mixed palette of matte and shimmer shades these days so I really do love this one.

The Liquid liner has actually strayed me away from my all time fave Superliner by L'oreal. The applicator is so slim and so precise it is perfect for creating a clean line and thin wings. It looks shiny in the picture as it is still a little wet but unlike other liquid liners it looks nice and matte when dry. The only thing I would say is that if you wear it all day and then in to the night it goes a little bit crumbly. I would suggest only using this for a 9hr stint or so, any longer it does feel a little tight and begin to crack, don't let this put you off though, it costs £1 so having to reapply in the evening is not too bad after all!

The Glitter eyeliners are one of my favourite products for the summer they are such good quality. Again these do crumble after long wear but the applicators are nice and thin and sturdy allowing for precise application. I personally wear these on my lid above my liquid liner or on my lower lash line as this really catches the light and opens up your eyes. There are other colours available, which I also have :P, but I think the gold and silver just look good with every eye look.

 

My final favourite is the Heaven and Earth palette as you can see I'm all about natural earthy shades and this shimmer palette is full of them :) The shades are great for creating brown smoky eye looks and as with all of MUA's products they are all super pigmented.

 

Hope you like this post ladies, comment bellow with your MUA favourites or your blog links; I always like a good read :) Get your products now and get free delivery till the 30th July http://www.superdrug.com/search?q=MUA

 

Ciao

  xxx

jolly holiday makeup...

Hello lovelies,

 

I will be going on holiday for the next 10days so will not get chance to upload any posts in that time but will be jotting down some new ideas while I am away so should have a new post every day when I get back :)

 

Before I go thought you may be interested to see the makeup I will be taking with me. I shall be on my jollies in England so seeing as the car will be full I am only taking basic makeup that is relatively low cost, just in case of any damage I would hate to have my expensive eye shadows crack etc.

 

So as you can see I have only gone for natural colours except for my coral lipstick which I am taking to match some jewellery and jeans I have packed. I have gone for a mix of real techniques and ecotools brushes as I am only taking the ones I could not apply my makeup without.

 

My Olay touch of foundation is probably the most important product as this will be the only moisturiser I am taking, however I will be applying sun cream each day also so felt it would be ok to have a weeks rest from all my lotions and potions :)

 

For more product information or reviews please check out my other blog posts as most of these items are featured. Hope you all have a lovely week in the sunshine.

 

Ciao

  xxx

makeup & OOTD

Hello ladies,

This is my first OOTD post, I've decided to show you both the makeup and outfit as I think its really nice to tie them together, so if you would like more of these comment below and I shall do so :)

This outfit is a really simple summer look, if you like me get warm very easily you probably will have also found a love for these sheer fabrics. On hot days sheer dresses matched with plain leggings and simple pumps and a clutch or bag is just such an easy outfit to wear. I always wear a top underneath the dress as it is see-through but you can also pop a long cardi in your bag as well if you think it may get a little chillier in the evening.

I personally leave this as a relaxed look but this can be glammed up simply by adding a belt to clench your waist and wearing statement jewellery in matching or complimenting colours. This kind of fabric looks great with big subtle curls in loose hair and simple makeup.

For makeup I tried to tie it in with the pink undertone the dress has towards the bottom patterned area. To achieve this I used the MUA undress me too palette's wink shade all over my lid adding a little of the metallic shade from my Estee Lauder pure color surreal skies palette in the outer crease. I then used my MAU liquid liner and Maybelline's one by one volum' express mascara to complete my eyes.

For my lips I matched Bourjois levres contour in shade 11 with my Elizabeth Arden color intrigue effects lipstick in pink honey pearl. Finally I layered on a little of my Miss Sporty perfect colour lipstick in strip tease to add a little shimmer, matching it to my eye makeup.

If you would like more makeup information please comment bellow. Hope you like todays look, please send me your links for more summer look ideas.

Ciao

  xxx

natural makeup look

Hello ladies,
I love really natural make up so here is a simple neutral look you can pull off everyday...

Hair: First tip I would give for a classic natural look is curly hair, whether you have natural waves or silky straight hair all girls look lush with a few twists. Two simple ways I achieve this are, firstly, braiding my hair when damp and spritzing it with a little spray gel giving it a rest from the heat, and secondly using big heated curlers on dry hair spritz a small amount of hair spray and leave in for 10mins as I have done in the above picture.

Face: The most important thing for natural looking foundation is to not wear too much, if you can get away with a tinted moisturiser then perfect, as I currently have a few breakouts I have gone for the Revlon pohotoready foundation. No matter what you are using try to get it as close to your natural skin colour as possible, if you want to look a little tanned then simply add a little bronzer on your contour.

 

A problem I often see is girls that have been out in the sun and have caught a really gorgeous tan but are still using the same shade foundation. Always remember to match the shade to your current colouring. A cheap way to do this is to buy one foundation 2-3 shades darker than your current foundation, then as you get darker just add a little of the darker colour to your normal foundation.

 

Powder foundation is the key to beautiful matte skin, I have such shiny skin after a couple of hours outside a little powder compact is my best friend just to lift that shine. Here I used my ecotools powder brush and applied Estee Lauder's double wear powder all over my tee zone.

Eyes: Firstly I used Smashbox photo finish lid primer on my lids to keep this a really matte natural look. I use this as more of a highlight on my lid under eye and a line down the centre of my nose as it really gives you a refreshed look.

I then used the obsessed shade from MUA's undress me too palette and my ecotools brush to fill in my eyebrows. I used MUA's liquid eyeliner to create a really precise line of medium thickness with a small flick. Finally I used my B.All mascara to create thin long lashes.

Lips: As I wanted this look to be only neutral shades I chose to use two lipsticks together. First I applied Revlon's colorburst lipstick in crème brulee and then applied a little of Miss Sporty perfect colour lipstick in strip-tease which provided a little extra sheen.

Hope you have enjoyed this post, please comment if you would like more of this type of blog, or if you have any blog you would like me to do I am always trying to think of ideas you ladies might like.

Ciao
  xxx

Mascara review: helping find the right one for you

Hello lovelies,

I think most of us would agree that mascara is one of the most important elements of our make-up, but with so many on the market it can be so hard to find the perfect one for us.

Some mascaras may be amazing for one girl and rubbish for another; we all have different lashes, some girls have super curly, some have gorgeous thick lashes and some have lovely long lashes, if you think you have none of these than chances are no matter how good the mascara you find you will probably be more satisfied with a pair of falsies than attempting to layer your mascara and end up with clumpy lashes but there is always something on the market for you that will help to showcase what you naturally have.

I am blessed with long lashes with a reasonable thickness and a reasonable curl, but I have used so many mascaras that I dislike. Here are 7 mascaras I think offer everything you ladies will need, the rating is how good I think they are for my lashes but I will also comment who I think they may be a 10/10 for.

1) Rimmel London day to night mascara £7.99: I love this applicator I think it is the best idea and I cannot understand why there are not more mascaras like this. One of my pet hates is having too much product on the applicator not only does it increase the chances of smudging but it makes lashes look so clumpy and fake. I personally think that a thin natural effect pair of false lashes is much more attractive than clumpy lashes and I have never seen a model or celebrity made to have clumpy lashes so I think the beauty industry would agree with me. By having the option of the day applicator and the night applicator it allows you to build on your product, it takes off the excess better than any other mascara out there. I think this product would be good for all lash types. 9/10

2) L'Oreal Paris volume million lashes £10.99: For you girls with long lashes like me this may not be the mascara for you. When I hear volume I think thickness not length but this mascara just gives me the longest spidery thin lashes ever. Having said that I love to apply this over false lashes and if you have thick lashes then this will be perfect for you. I like the applicator I think the rubbery applicators do tend to apply better than bristles as they hold less product allowing you to build on your mascara to get your desired look. 5/10

3) Maxfactor masterpiece waterproof high definition mascara £8.99 : So I don't love this mascara for me, it makes my lashes long and thin again but it fans them out beautifully and does look gorgeous on bottom lashes. Its thin rubbery applicator really does define your lashes so I'm happy that it actually does what its name states. This is the perfect mascara for girls with thick lashes any length. 8/10

4) Rimmel London scandaleyes mascara £6.99: So the price is good but honestly I am not a total fan of this product, The applicator has long bristles and the product seams thicker than others, the tube does not seam to wipe of any excess product, all in all this is just not the one for me. If you wipe off all of the excess then it does make your lashes long and thick but I an not keen. 3/10

5) Maxfactor False Lash Effect mascara £10.99: I love this mascara the applicator has short thin rubbery bristles which is perfect for creating long curls and as the applicator does not hold too much product you can really apply it a few times and develop thicker lashes as desired without them looking clumpy. This is perfect for all girls I would say as it targets length, curl and volume. 10/10 

6) B.All lengthening defining & volumising mascara £6.66: I have only started using this recently and I love it, it is a great price and it is vegetarian/vegan friendly which is always a plus for me. It rely does lengthen your lashes without making them look spidery as for volume, it does not overly make them thicker and I would not suggest applying more than three times as it can look clumpy however I would probably say this is the best bristle applicator mascara I have tried. It is a great product for girls with medium to thick lashes that want to add length and a little curl. 9/10

7) Maybelline one by one volum' express mascara £7.99: This is a recent buy but I have worn it every day since I bought it, it lengthens and curls your lashes beautifully, it separates your lashes but still provides volume without making your lashes clumpy. This has the best tube as it is thin at the top which grips the applicator when you want to use it wiping off all the excess product. I would say this is perfect for girls with short or medium length lashes that are reasonably thick. 9/10

Ok so a little bit of a long blog today ladies but your eyes really help to bring out your personality so it's really important that they look as natural as possible but that you still feel satisfied that they are long, volumous and curltastic.

I hope this has helped you girlies, I think the best advice I can give you is to ensure that you wipe off excess mascara from the applicator and blink the mascara on to your lashes (hold the brush still and blink). Always ensure that you remove your mascara each night, I also wipe a small amount of olive oil 3-4 times a week using my ring finger on to my lashes to keep them nice and smooth and healthy which will also help make mascara slide on and sit beautifully on your lashes. Other than that it's really about considering what you want to achieve and what brush is better at achieving it.

please comment if you have a favourite mascara you think I may like.

Ciao

  xxx

What’s In your Bag?..

Hello ladies,

One of our biggest downfalls can be how nosey we are but blogs are one of those safe havens where you can be as nosey as you like! so with that said here is a little sneak peak at my handbag and how much I carry around with me :)

The Bag: I love this Ted Baker bag as I love black & gold and all things patent. I love the fabrics they put inside their bags, they are super cute and make them stand out from other bags on the market. I have had this bag for about a year so cannot remember the exact price but think it was around £150 maybe a little more or less, I tend not to remember when I feel guilty about the price :P

The Purse: My Jasper Conran purse was around £30 I think in a 20% discount or something promotion at Debenhams (I have such a bad memory/I buy too much to remember) I like to match this purse with the bag as I think the Ted Baker purses cost too much to buy one and still have money to put in them but I have an obsessive compulsive kind of rule that I have to match everything I have on me with at least one other thing and lets face it I'm not going to be wearing a patent skirt or anything so a purse or some pumps is usually how I tie in my bag into my outfit :)

I always carry with me a little comb or brush dependant on my hair style, and my must have is a pack of Kleenex tissues, I don't think I have ever gone a day without using them. the comb was about 50p and the tissues I buy in multipack so was about 30p

I always have my railcard with me as I live in Huddersfield but work in Manchester and I can't yet drive. It only costs £30 and has saved me so much money!

I always have my IPhone 4s and its cute little red holder, I tend to wear dark colours a lot so a funky phone case is an easy way to put across your personality. The case cost about £15 and the phone is worth about £400.

So as I mentioned I live in Huddersfield which I think gets more rain than the rest of the UK/World so my umbrella is probably my most essential item here. I'd even go as far as to say I'd rather have my brolly than my phone :O (scary thought I know) I think this cost me about £8 from Boots.

My Perfume: Lady Million by Paco Rabanne, think this was about £50 and oh my gosh I am so in love with this smell! I get so many compliments when I wear it and I just love it, it lasts all day and is almost intoxicating :)

My Makeup: The little make up bag was a freebie when I purchased some No.7 products and I normally only carry around a couple of bits of makeup I think I may need to touch up throughout the day. My Double Wear stay in place powder by Estee Lauder was £27.50 and I don't tend to touch up much as its so good but I like to have a mirror so usually will have this or maybe a bronzer depending on my makeup look. The B.All mascara costs £6.66, the Super Liner by L'Oreal costs £5.49 and the Revlon colorburst lipstick in 095 crème brulee costs about £8, these are some of my favourite products so I may change the mascara but I will always have these in my bag.

Total cost= £733.25 

jeje oops, so I could have gone for a cheaper bag but this is the bag I mostly use so I wanted to be true to my normal day. Obviously my phone was going to boost up the total cost but overall I think I have done rather well. I would much rather carry a book than a Kindle and I'd rather have an IPhone that a phone and an IPod, I'm not big on technology so you always only find simple items in my bag but to be honest, I'd rather spend the money on the bag than the things in it :P

Hope you liked this blog ladies if you did please follow and share and if you have done the What's in your bag tag then please comment me your links as I'd love to have a nosey.

Ciao
  xxx

Estee Lauder & Elizabeth Arden Haul

Estee lauder
Double Wear stay in place powder make up SPF 10 £27.50:

This powder really does stay in place providing full matte coverage all day, perfect for us ladies with shiny skin and they will find you the perfect match colour. I would not use this everyday as it is a little costly but it's definitely worth the money for special occasions.

Pure Color five color eye shadow palette in 07 Surreal Skies £35:

I love this palette the colours go so well together but still look lush on their own, there is a combination on matte and shimmer shadows and I love the contrast of the dark colour in the centre to the pink and nude colours. the applicators are really good if you are using it when out and about and the mirror a nice size also. Again this is a rather costly for an eye shadow but the quality and pigment are great so I think it is worth it for a special occasion or even just a pay day treat.

Powder Foundation Brush £28:

You need to have this brush ladies, I love the Real Techniques and Ecotools brushes but for me this is the best powder foundation brush I have tried, it's super soft, does not pick up too much product and has a good size head. It gives great even coverage, a little costly compared to others on the market but if you look after it then it will last you forever. 

Elizabeth Arden:
(from left to right)
Lip Definer in Rustic 03 £8 (sale):

This is such a lush colour, a deep red/brown, the liner is great quality as it is thick but still feels creamy, it does not smudge but blends nicely when you apply your lipstick, will be looking out for more shades in the range think.

Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick in copper tan shimmer 10 £9.75 (sale):

This is such a cute shade, natural enough to wear everyday but the shimmer and caramel-esque colour realy help to bring out a summer glow. It is super moisturising and long wearing.

Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick in pink honey pearl £9.75 (sale):

I love the shimmer on this lipstick, the picture does not do it justice, I wear a lot of pink lipsticks but this if deffinately my new favourite, its great for a statement lip with a neutral eye and soft pink cheeks.

Hope you have enjoyed my little haul ladies, please comment if you would like any more product information.

Ciao
  xxx