NOTD – Essie ‘Don’t Sweater It’

Having bitten my nails for years, I think I have finally stopped ( I have been bite-free for over a month and a half) and my nails are finally at a length where I can paint them! So, I’m pretty behind the times but Essie in ‘Don’t Sweater It’ is the first Essie nail polish I own.

I absolutely love it – the fomula, the colour, the brush, everything! Obviously I’m a nail painting novice and I think I managed to do a pretty neat job ( yes?) because the brush was just the right size for my nails. I applied three coats but this is only because after having done two I did the dishes so I wanted to freshen my nails up a bit before I look the pictures – I think a base coat and two coats of Essie would suffice otherwise. The colour is a mauvy, mushroomy, grey which for me is the perfect neutral autumnal colour for the nails. I think ‘Don’t Sweater It’ looks great paired with jewel colours such as deep purple and emerald green ( I wore a purple jumper today and I thought it looked so lovely with my nails!).

I will definitely be buying Essie polishes again – I already have my eye on ‘Head Mistress’ and ‘Recessionista’ from the same Fall 2012 collection. Essie nail polishes are available at http://www.essie.com priced at £8.50 and from Superdrug for £7.99 (after a quick look on the website, I don’t think they have the Fall collection though). Also, Feel Unique sell the Fall Collection however they only have the shade ‘Little Brown Dress’ in stock.

My internet is being horrendous at the moment and won’t let me link the stockists but I will do that tomorrow! Sorry!

xxx

Guest Post – Sophie from Sophie’s Next Chapter!

So today I have a guest post from the lovely Sophie over at Sophie’s Next Chapter, make sure you check out her blog, it’s great!

Hi! I’m Sophie and I’m so pleased to be able to guest post today! I’m new to the blogging scene, I’ve just started a blog and it’s only a few days old, so be gentle with me! Okay so…I’m into hair, well okay, I love hair! I mean we all have it, might as well get obsessed! Ha-Ha. I’m going to be showing you how to get this look! It’s perfect from proms, for Christmas eve, or just a special occasion. 

 

What will you need? Well firstly you will need a bobby pin/ hair slide. You will also need some straighteners or curling tongs/ a wand, some heat protectant and some strong hold hair spray…to hold your curls and keep the whispy bits away! 

First off I sprayed my hair with the hair protectant and straightened my hair, as you can see below this is before I straightened it, it’s a frizzy mess! Excuse the no make-up I did this after I took my make-up off! Which was a bad move! haha!

 I have no used heat on my hair for 4 weeks until today, and it didn’t frizz or go frazzled on the ends so it’s working! Ha-Ha…This is with it straightened, it’s good to start with a clean base, you want to be able to mould your hair, and if you have bits flying everywhere you won’t be able to, and your get annoyed and give up. Basically! :p

 You want to section your hair off so that only the front pieces of your hair are free, I used some clips but you can use anything, bobby pins if you want. This is so that you have a nice clean platte and don’t pull any stray bits of hair into it. 

Okay, a French platte. Take three pieces of the front of your hair starting at one side. You then want to start a platte but grab more hair as you go along, if that makes sense, so your adding to the platte. It’s really simple when you know how, the best thing to do is practice. 

 I then pinned the platte underneath my hair so you couldn’t see the end of it, then I curled one side, and then the other. You want the curls facing different ways but the ones that out-line your face should face out-wards as it compliment the face! It did this all over with any loose hair. 

When you’ve done that just apply your hair spray and walla! Your done. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, it’s the first one I’ve ever done and will definitely be posting some more on my blog! ha-ha I love this look, you could wear it every day, or maybe if your going out for a meal, I love how the curls turned out! 

This is another picture of the finished look, thanks for reading, and thank you for letting me guest post on your blog! Lots of love Sophie xxx

Thanks so much Sophie! You can find her blog here, and follow her on twitter: @_sophieoxox

xxx

MUA haul!

Just a quick post to show you what arrived this morning! I bought the MUA lipstick in shade 1, the New Blush perfection Cream Blusher in Bittersweet and the Brow Kit!

Basically, I’m a bit scared of blusher, so I did some research and as I have dry skin I decided a cream blush would be better than a traditional powder one! So I will be giving that a go this week and reporting back haha.

I got the Brow Kit as many people have recommended the Benefit Brow Zings to me and I want to make sure I know what I’m doing with a brow kit before I spend so much money on the Benefit version. So watch this space for ultra groomed brows… hopefully.

Lastly, the lipstick! I love lipsticks and I have never tried MUA lipsticks before. I’ve heard lots of good things though so I’m sure I’ll love it, and the colour is amazing.

xxx

All available here.

L’oreal Paris Collagen Filler Lip Review

I have wanted to try this product out for ages having seen adverts for it on TV (who doesn’t want fuller lips?!)

, but always thought it was a bit expensive seeing as I was a bit dubious as to whether it would actually do anything. But a few weeks ago I was browsing TKMaxx and saw it for only £4 so I thought why not give it a go!

I have been using L’oreal Paris Collagen Filler Lip for about 3 weeks now, morning and night. The product consists of two creams: one for around the lips and one for the lips. You apply the Anti-Feathering Cream around your lips and gently dab it into the skin, and then you use the Plumping Serum on the lips. The Anti-Feathering Cream is very light and absorbs very quickly, which is great as no-one has time in the mornings to wait for heavy creams to absorb! The Plumping Serum is a little bit thicker, but still absorbs really quickly and has a lovely moisturising effect on the lips.

As you can see, the applicators are really well designed making the product easy to use – you don’t even need a mirror! It’s probably one of the reasons I have actually used it everyday.

 

Right, so has it actually worked though? I haven’t really got any lines around my lips as I’m only 21, so I suppose there wasn’t really much for the product to do in the first place. Apart from the fact that my lips do feel like they are in better condition due to the moisturising effect, I am sad to say that my lips and the surrounding area haven’t changed much. However, I think I would give this product a go again in a few years when I might have more wrinkles as I think it would be a fairer test.

I look a before and after picture, can you see any difference?

I would love to read a more positive review of this product, anyone written or seen one?

xxx

The product is available here priced at £13.99 – or maybe you’ll find it in your local TKMaxx too!

This or that tag!

Hey guys! Just a quick this or that today, I got the idea from the ladies over at A Brunette Duet!

Blush or Bronzer?

Blush, but only a bit!

Lipgloss or Lipstick?

Lipstick! In theory I love lipgloss, but if there’s the slightest bit of wind it’s in my hair EW.

Chapstick or Lip Butter?
At the moment I’m loving my Revlon Lip Butter, but I’m also partial to chapstick in winter when my lips get realllllllyyy dry!

Matte or Sparkle Eye Shadow? 
A hint of shimmer is fine, but nothing too OTT for me! So I will have to say matte.

Gel, Liquid, Cream, or Pencil Eyeliner? 
I have only used liquid and pencil, but I prefer liquid purely for its staying power.

Foundation or Concealer? 
Concealer definitely! I hardly ever wear foundation, usually only for dance shows so the lights don’t drain my face haha.

Liquid or Powder Foundation? 
I have both, but probably liquid because my skin is dry so powder can look pretty cakey on my face! Nice.

Neutral or Statement Eyes?
Neutral. I tend to focus on my lips more! And I’m not the best at creating ‘statement eyes’ anyway…

Pressed or Loose Shadows? 
Pressed because they don’t create such a mess!

Waterproof or Non Water proof? 
Non-waterproof always!

Brushes, Sponges or Fingers?
Either brushes or fingers depending on the products, but never sponges.

Powder, Cream, or Liquid Highlighter?
I’ve only ever tried liquid so it will have to be that!

I tag all of you, let me know if you do it!

xxx

Lacura Beauty Lipstick Review

Being a student, I have been doing the majority of my food shopping at Aldi for the past two years, so that’s how I became familiar with the Lacura brand. In the past, I have tried their anti-wrinkle cream, shampoo, make-up and baby wipes, but I had never tried their pretty extensive make-up range! I have kindly been sent this Lacura Lipstick in Classic Red by Lauren at Aldi PR.

The colour is really vibrant and I can see myself wearing this on a night out. However, because it is a moisturising lipstick, rather than a matte one, it isn’t too heavy for the day time either. I have been wearing it all day and the lipstick has lasted pretty well, although I had to reapply after having lunch. But to be honest, this is the case with the majority of more expensive lipsticks out there, regardless of what their advertising says!

The lipstick contains avocado oil meaning that the lipstick doesn’t leave your lips dry, and it glides on really easily.

Bearing in mind the price, the only downside I can think of is the packaging. The tube itself has no indication as to what the colour of the lipstick is, so if you had a few in your make-up bag then it might take a while to find the one you are looking for. Also, in store the lipsticks are in cardboard packaging, which seems a bit wasteful (I forgot to take a picture!). But hey, this is actually nothing to do with the actual product!

Overall, I would recommend this lipstick, and I will definitely be going to have a look at the rest of the make-up range soon!

Lacura Beauty Lipstick is priced at £1.99 (bargain) at Aldi stores nationwide. Sadly, it cannot be bought online though.

Have you tried any Lacura products?

x

Maghrabian Hair Oil Review

So I received this sample-sized bottle of Maghrabian Hair Oil in this month’s Glossy Box but I didn’t have a chance to try it before I posted my Glossy Box review.

I was worried that there wouldn’t be enough in bottle to cover my hair but the oil is actually quite thick and I easily covered all my lengths with about half the bottle (so around 5ml). I didn’t apply it to my roots because my hair can get greasy really quickly – I only apply hair oil to my roots too if it’s a big night out and I know I will be styling it that night and therefore washing it the next morning! But that’s just me.

I applied the oil this morning and wrapped my hair into a bun for 25ish minutes. I shampooed my hair twice just to make sure I got it all out. I then conditioned and blow dried my hair as usual. It has definitely made my hair feel softer and I will definitely be using the rest of the sample bottle. Would I but it again, though? Probably not, because it’s pretty expensive (£24 for 100ml, compared to around £10 for 100ml for L’oreal Elvive).

Also, the oil smells really strongly of mens’ deodorant when applied! After washing this smell disappears but it’s really strong! I didn’t mind it, but some might.

I know a lot of people got this in their Glossy Box – if that was you, what did you think?

 x

Maghrabian Hair Oil is available here priced at £24 for 100ml

L’oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil is available from boots.co.uk priced at £9.99 for 100ml

September GlossyBox Review

I received the Lady Gaga Fame Fragrance, the Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum and 5 Minute Facial, the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream, the Vichy Idealia Day Care Cream and the Maghrabian Hair Oil.

I was really apprehensive about trying this the Lady Gaga Fame Fragrance because I’m sometimes a bit wary of celebrity perfumes, but it’s actually a lovely fragrance. It has a really deep, sweet, floral smell. I would recommend it as a going out/ evening fragrance rather than something for the day, though. I’m pleasantly surprised and I’m glad I got to try the sample because I wouldn’t have otherwise!

I applied the Rodial 5 minute facial the same day I got the Glossy Box as I was really excited to try. It’s quite a high end line and most of the products are quite a bit more than I would usually pay for skincare. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised that I really loved it! It left my skin feeling incredibly smooth and I can still feel the effects 2 days later. Also, my skin is pretty sensitive and a lot of face mask products are too harsh for me but not this one. I’m definitely going to either save up for this (OR add it to my Christmas list haha). I haven’t tried the Glamoxy Snake Serum yet but I have a feeling I will like it too.

I don’t usually use eye creams because I don’t really get the point. I haven’t really started thinking about wrinkles and stuff yet, and a lot of people say it isn’t necessary. Therefore I am by no means an expert! The Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream claims to ‘…revitalise, smooth away dark shadows and reduce the appearance of fine lines…’. I’ve just been standing in front of the mirror to see whether my eyes look any different from usual – I’m not sure! What I do know is that I love the light, natural fragrance of the cream and it didn’t sting at all when I applied it (many general face creams do sting if I apply too much). I’m grateful for the large 7ml sample, it means I have more usages to make my mind up! It isn’t very expensive so I would consider buying the full size version.

The Vichy Idealia Day Care Cream is definitely my favourite product in the box and I love it. It has a light raspberry fragrance, it reminds me off Rachel’s Organic Raspberry Yoghurt which is my fave haha! I didn’t have to use very much to moisturise my entire face even though my skin is really dry. Even though it’s been quite cold and windy the last couple of days, my face has stayed fully moisturised all day. I will definitely be buying the full size version of this.

I haven’t tried the Maghrabian Hair Oil yet, but I’m really glad I received it as I ran out of my usual hair oil last week so I was looking into new ones at the weekend. I’m expecting it will be quite good as it contains the much hyped about Argan oil. My only complaint is that the sample bottle is pretty small so I’m not sure if there will be enough to actually cover my ridiculously long hair. I will be posting a full review at a later date.

I have to add: the box is gorgeous this month! It’s designed by Maggie Li, a London-based illustrator.

What products did you get?

 *I would like to apologise for the state of my nails, I had acrylics on recently and they have not recovered yet*

To order next month’s GlossyBox, visit glossybox.co.uk

Lady Gaga Fame is available online at The Perfume Shop priced at £24.50 for 30ml

Rodial 5 minute facial and Glamoxy Snake Serum are available at rodial.co.uk priced at £35 for 50ml and £127 for 25ml respectively

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream is available at balanceme.co.uk priced at £20 for 15ml

Vichy Idealia Day Care Cream is available at sempleandsemple.com priced at £22 for 50ml

Maghrabian Hair Oil is available here priced at £24 for 100ml

x

Boyfriend Q&A

I got this idea after reading Nykki’s blog post here. Thanks!

I thought it would be interesting to see how well my boyfriend of 2 years actually knows me. I assumed pretty well, seeing as we have lived together for the majority of the time we’ve been together (thanks to university halls first year and with others in second year).

So here goes…

Q: She’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?

Him: Desperate Housewives.

Me: Yep, even though I have seen all the episodes many times, I still watch it whenever it’s on TV!

Q: You’re out to eat, what kind of dressing does she get on her salad?

Him: Balsamic vinegar?

Me: I wouldn’t usually order a salad salad, but if I did it would be Caesar. I do like balsamic though!

Q: What is one food that she does not like?

Him: Milk

Me: Milk. This question was toooooooo easy!

Q: You go out to eat and have a drink, what does she order?

Him: Cosmopolitan.

Me: Correct. Or diet coke if I’m not drinking.

Q: What size shoe does she wear?

Him: 5…

Me: Afraid not, I’m a 6.

Q: If she was collecting anything, what would it be?

Him: Shoes.

Me: Correct!

 Q: What is her favorite type of sandwich?

Him: BLT.

Me: Yep! If I make it at home I add onion as well, does that make it a BLOT?!

Q: What would she eat everyday if she could?

Him: Cheese

Me: Salted licorice, actually. It’s very popular in Finland where I’m from but you can’t get it in many places in England! I understand why he said cheese though, sometimes I like multiple different types in the fridge.

Q: What is her favorite cereal?

Him: You don’t like milk, Frosties or Crunchy Nut corn flakes? Something you can eat on it’s own.

Me: Like he says, I don’t like milk so I don’t really eat cereal. Sometimes I might indulge in a handful of cornflakes though, so incorrect! I actually hate Frosties, too sugary.

Q: What’s her favorite music?

Him: Chart stuff.

Me: Most of the stuff I listen to is in the charts, but that is not to say I like everything in the charts! Some is awful.

Q: What is her favorite sports team?

Him: Finland.

Me: I don’t really follow sport, but obviously I support Finland when they are playing haha.

 Q: What is her eye color?

Him: Hazel I suppose, they’re weird. They start a bit yellow, get a bit green then a bit brown.

Me: Hazel! I knew he would have a detailed answer for this one, he’s mesmerised by the myriad of colours.

Q: Who is her best friend?

Him: Erm your closest friends are Chloe, Sophie and Rosy.

Me: Well done. At least he’s paid attention!

Q: What is something you do that she wishes you wouldn’t?

Him: There are probably so many things…

Me: I actually couldn’t think of anything. I suppose his texts are a bit short sometimes!

Q: What is her heritage/where she is from?

Him: Finland obviously.

Me: Yep, I’m from Finland.

 Q: You bake her a cake for her birthday, what kind of cake is it?

Him: red velvet.

Me: I do like red velvet cupcakes but I looooove strawberry and cream cakes,

 Q: Did she play any sports?

Him: Ballet is the closest thing to sport that you do.

Me: Dance/ Ballet. It isn’t a sport though, but as he says it’s the closest thing I do!

Q: What could she spend hours doing?

Him: Shopping.

Me: I would be even more specific and say internet shopping but same thing really.

Q: What is one unique talent she has?

Him: She’s not very talented… violin, dancing?

Me: Aww thanks babe (not)! Although I can’t think of anything unique either. I suppose not many people play the violin and I have done it since I was 5!

*Phew*! Well I think he actually did pretty well, except I’m pretty surprised he didn’t know my shoe size bearing in mind the many times I’ve made him sit and watch me try on shoes…

x

My current favourite lipstick – Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait Review

As the blog name suggests, I have a bit of a thing for lipsticks and I go through A LOT. My friends also know this and bought the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait as part of an early birthday present a couple of months ago. Apparently they saw the advert featuring Emma Stone who has similar colouring to me and thought it would suit me. It isn’t a colour I would have picked out myself but I definitely agree with my friends, I love the colour. It’s a shimmery, coral colour. The shimmer is quite subtle though and there are no big glittery bits in the lipstick.

A lot of people are wary of lipstick – they think it’s dated, or simply a bit of a hassle. I think that the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters are great for you if you fall into this category because it’s more like a lip gloss when applied. It’s also got a lovely, creamy texture which moisturises your lips really well. This is another huge reason behind why I’ve been wearing it so much later – I apply it instead of lip balm.

Overall, I think it’s a lovely daytime lipstick because you don’t have to mess around with lip liners and there’s no worrying about it bleeding like with darker shades. It’s also really easy to apply and just glides on, as opposed to some more matte lipsticks.

Has anyone tried any of the other shades in the collection?

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter is available at Boots priced at £7.99