NOTD

Sunday 27 February 2011

So i indulged this weekend and treated myself to 2 new nail polishes. I couldnt decide on which one to wear so i decided to wear both; one on my tootsies and one on my fingernails.
Both are by 17 (Boots brand) but from different nail polish ranges. RRP: £2.99

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish - Woo Me

This was an impulse by purely because i was buying two other 17 products and it was 3 for 2. I loved the colour - a soft pale lilac, ideal for the upcoming spring days :)

Unfortunately this didnt go on too well, it seemed watery and thin. I have quite a few different 17 nail polishes and this is the first time i've expereienced this while using them. It also dried extremely quickly which can be a plus but it was drying before i had even finished painting the nail! Once i'd put on a second coat the colour thickened up and looked much better.

The colour is divine though, soft and light. I'm thinking of trying out some different nail art techniques and i think this would look great with something added to it (possibly black polka dots?) The range of nail polish is 'Lasting Fix' and it claims to last 5 days chip free ... we shall see!

17 High Gloss Nail Polish - Sphinx

This nail polish went on better than the one above, it was thicker and didnt slide around too much. The colour however wasnt what i was expecting. The swatch above shows it being a light golden colour which is how it appeared on my toes, the bottle shows the colour to be a nice rich gold/bronze which is really what i was after!
The coverage is great and i would definately buy another from the High Gloss range.

Do any of you use the Boots 17 range? What nail polishes can you recommend?

'don't be a stranger xoxo'

Lush!

Monday 21 February 2011

So i recently had a birthday and my sister got me some delicious Lush products. Up until a few months ago i had never tried any of their products but was bought some for Christmas and adored them! I'm really looking forward to getting a few more bits in the near future and have a 10% discount voucher to use so will definately be stocking up!

Out of this World

How neat is the packaging! My sis got me the Out of This World giftset which includes a soap bar and one of Lush's famous 'Bath Ballistic' fizzy bath bombs. As you can see from the pics the products come boxed and wrapped up in space inspired wrapping paper. Once opened the two products lay inside the box on a bed of 'popcorn'!

And the products inside the gorgeous packaging are even cuter!

Rock Star Soap
I dont usually use soap and tend to favour shower gels as i find soaps dry my skin out and leaves a squeaky sheen over my skin so i was unsure whether i'd like the Rock Star Soap .... it is adorable though! It has the most amazing scent .... the Lush website claims for the soap bar to be vanilla. It took me a couple of uses to identify what the smell was and then it hit me.... Parma Violets (remember the little purple tablet sweets!) Gorgeous! The soap bar cleans well and although the smell is divine it isnt long lasting but i would defiantely purchase again :)

Space Girl Bath Ballistic

I absolutely adore Lush's Bath Ballistic fizzy bombs! I first tried one at Christmas when i recieved a Christmas Pudding fizzy bomb. I've tried lots of different bath bombs in the past and most of them loose their fizz after a few moments in the water and you have to tease the bomb and help it to disintegrate. With Lush's Bath Ballistics this is not the case...they completely break up, fizz and froth all on their own. The Space Girl Bath Ballistic was a gorgeous grapefruit flavour (although this also smelt like Parma Violets just like the soap bar - maybe this has something to do with them being stored side by side unwrapped in the box?). It turned the bath water purpley blue in colour and had glitter mixed throughout the bomb. A great little treat to jazz up bath times!!


Do you have any suggestions of what to try next?

'don't be a stranger xoxo'

Mwahhhh xx

Sunday 20 February 2011

In the deep, dark depths of my handbags you will always find these things; screwed up receipts (often months old!), chewing gum covered in hair and grime that have escaped from the packets and an abundance of different lip balms.

The other day while swapping over my handbags i found 3 different lip balms! A Vaseline Lip Therapy pot, a Carmex tube and my new fave Soft Lips - French Vanilla.
The Useful One
Vaseline Lip Therapy - This brand has been in my handbags and makeup drawer for as long as i can remember. Not only does it thoroughly moisturises and soothes dry & chapped lips but this little tin has long featured in all the beauty tips and tricks pages of the glossies (probably since the dawn of time!)
Just some of Vaseline's other uses include: Moisturiser for hands, feet, elbows - any area of dry skin actually!, a thin coat over your eyelashes before bed can over time help with the condition of your lashes and a tiny dollop of Vaseline to tame & smooth frizzy hair and seal split ends.
The Classic

Carmex - I've used Carmex lip balms for about 5 years now. I started off using the little pots but have now switched to tubes due to my nails being longer now and i tend to find i get more Carmex lodged under my nails than actually on my lips!
Carmex has a nice menthol smell to it and gives that nice tingling feel when first applied (i like this as then i can really feel it soaking into my lips), its ultra moisturising and quite frankly looks funky and eye-catching.


This is the first lip balm i recommend to my friends and family when they say they have dry or chapped lips. You can really notice a difference instantly! Carmex now have the Cherry flavour available in the tubes and pots but i have not got on with this.... i think i may be slightly allergic!


The New Fave


Soft Lips - This is my new favourite lip balm! I was looking for something different to try and i absolutely adore anything vanilla flavoured so it seemed a perfect match. It retails at about £3 and comes in a very thin, long stick - unique from other brands. Cute packaging, and has a twisty cap at the bottom of the stick to reveal and hide the balm stick. Really adds moisture to your lips and has a nice sweet smell to it. One thing i have noticed is that i need to apply this balm more often than i would with Vaseline or Carmex (this may be because of the yummy flavouring or the theory i have that lip balm companies add an additive to their products that proves addictive....). I've never used any of the Soft Lips lip balms before but would definately try more after using the French Vanilla flavoured stick.

Anyone else think lip balm companies add something to their products that makes them addictive so we have to keep buying them?

'don't be a stranger xoxo'

This week's Swag ...

Sunday 13 February 2011

So here's a little post about the Swag i've picked up this week on my travels.... hadnt been shopping since Christmas so it was a bit of a treat and i definitely over-indulged. Not going to show everything just a selection....

New Outfit for Work

As i spend most of my time at the office and dont go out a whole bunch mid-week i like to look nice for work and experiment with my outfits. Got a fantastic minky-brown sheer blouse with a black velvet heart print and ruffle bib, absolutely love it!
As you can see here i teamed it with cropped peg-leg trousers, pumps and a pale pink belt (which i also picked up during this weeks shopping trip. Added a black cardi as its sleeveless and a bit too cold still to bare arms and layered with a black cami underneath! Top and belt both from Primark.

Make up

I love blush and like to wear a pale pinky-peach colour on the apples of my cheeks and a darker more pink-red colour higher up around my eyes (sounds odd but works well - try it!) Decided to try a Models Own dark pink/red blush for the first time.
Honestly i wasnt too impressed with this blush. It blended well which is something i need when wearing two blushers but it didnt last all day unlike the cheaper brand ive been using recently (Boots 17 - China Pink). Models Own - Cheeky Pink. RRP: £6

Also picked up some gold eye dazzle eyeshadow - been wanting some gold eyeshadow for a while for a new look i'm working on. Golden eyelids with a black smokey eye effect (will post a pic when i've perfected it). Decided to go for a dust type eyeshadow as its easy to blend and layer on - after walking round and round the make-up aisles i eventually opted for 17 - Eye Dazzle in Good As Gold.

I like this one a lot as it can be used for day or night. The pot has a 'pepper pot' top and only a little comes out, ideal for day time wear as your brush isnt too overloaded. It layers and builds well for evening wear and a darker, brighter look. Also blends well. Despite all of this i still prefer Barry M's Dazzle Dusts but they didnt have the shade i wanted when i bought this item. RRP: £2.99

Special Mention

So a special mention today goes out today to Chit Chat - Plump It! Lipgloss which i bought from...... wait for it........... Poundland!! Yep, Poundland have a small selection of make-up. As well as this lipgloss i found some old, discontinued [products by Rimmel, Collection 2000 and W17 but unfortunately didnt have any shades i would wear.... This lipgloss claims to plump your lips and for only £1 i thought it would be worth a test.
Well, i didnt notice a change in my lips but out of all the lipglosses that claim to pump your lips none have worked on me. The Plump It! Lipgloss did however provide a gorgeous clear shine albeit a bit sticky. All in all cant complain for a quid! Looking forward to checking out Poundland again for more beauty bargains!

Have any of you tried any of the make-up available in pound shops?

Like i said at the beginning of this post i got a whole lot more loot most of which i havent tried yet so as and when i do i will update you on what i got and and what i think :)


'Don't be a stranger xoxo'

Review: Barry M's 'Effects' Nail Paint

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Barry M's 'Effects' Nail Paint - RRP: £ 3.99


Heard a ripple of excitement among friends for the new Barry M  'Effects' Nail Paint and just had to try it for myself!

It comes in the usual Barry M style nail polish bottles with a little tag attached detailing what to do:

'Easy to create Instant Nail Effects'

1. Paint your nails with your chosen colour and let them dry

2. Apply a SINGLE COAT of Instant Nail Effects, dont overlap.

Watch the unique effect appear before your eyes!

Sounds simple enough so i gave it a go and it works! Creates a funky salon look - works with any make of nail polish.

I'm currently sporting a 'leopard print' look - Barry M's Mushroom coloured nail paint (see thumb in pic below) with the black crackle paint over the top - looks grrrrrrreat!

'don't be a stranger xoxo'

Top 5 Mascara's

Wednesday 9 February 2011

I have been on a quest for the perfect mascara for as long as i can remember. If i was to create a mascara of my very own it would be ultra pitch black in colour, have a huge curved wand while extending, thickening, and adding volume and curl like a pair of false eyelashes. As you can see I'm expecting a lot from the average high street mascara!

I have stepped up my game recently and went on a bit of a mascara mission and tried out a number of different ones in a small space of time so i thought it would be the ideal time to write my first proper blog post and let you guys know what i think of them.

Top 5 Mascara's:

# 1. Rimmel - Volume Flash the Max Bold Curves - 001 Black

This mascara is my latest buy and in my opinion the closest i can get to ticking off everything of my wish list. Fantastic thick curved wand that gets a good coating of the mascara, fans out and separates the lashes while extending and adding volume. Doesn't flake, goes on super dark even with only one coat, stays put all day. Funky coloured tube - wont get lost in your make-up bag! RRP: £6.99
10/10

# 2. Maybelline - Great Lash - Blackest Black
This is an old classic that I've only recently discovered - my gosh! Wish i had found this years ago. Its colour - blackest black is true to its word and comes out nice and dark even with just one coat. It separates and lengthens and gives good coverage even though it only has a small wand. Funky coloured tube and a good price too - RRP is coming in at about £5 but if you're a bargain hunter like me you can pick this up for £2.99 on eBay!
8/10

# 3. 17 - Va Va Voom Volume Mascara - Black
Cheap inexpensive product, very good value for money! Really big thick wand, adds a lot of length to lashes and separates as well which you don't always get from the thick bristle wands. Only down sides to this mascara is that it doesn't add a lot of thickness/volume to lashes and its not as black as I'd like but all in all a great find. RRP: £6
7/10

# 4. Rimmel - Lash Accelerator - 001 Black
I was a little disappointed with this product but this might be because i fell for the advertising and believed it would make your lashes grow. In my opinion this hasn't worked. The wand was thinner than i had thought it would be but it does separate and adds length to lashes. Again not as black as I'd like but i think we've discovered that i like jet black lashes! I have been using this mascara as a base coat to add a bit of length and separate and then using one of the other ones featured here on top to add volume and definition. RRP: £8.99
6/10

# 5. Collection 2000 - Volume Sensation - Ultra Black
I was really disappointed with this mascara. Apart from waterproofs i have purchased in the past this is by far the worst. It does have a nice thick wand which i like and nice bright packaging but that's where the praise stops. When i first went to use this mascara it was sticky and hardly any came out of the tube (maybe i had one from a bad batch?) i had to heat the tube up myself to loosen the contents. The mascara does thicken the lashes but adds no length. The colour states 'Ultra Black' but this was definitely not a dark black. Looking forward to trying out some more Collection 2000 mascaras soon so hope i don't have the same problem! RRP: £4.99
 3/10
 

Special Mention:

Maybelline - The Falsies Volume Express - Black Waterproof
I've been using the Maybelline 'Falsies' mascara for almost a year now on and off. It is a decent mascara; it separates and adds length due to the curved wand but it does not thicken enough for my liking so have recently been using it on top of the Rimmel Lash Accelerator. I have found this mascara to flake quite a lot and although it says it is waterproof i have not found this to be true. RRP: £7.99
7/10

TIP: I am a huge bargain hunter - if there's a bargain to be had I'll sniff it out! So when there's a new mascara or make-up product that I'd like to try i always check eBay first. I have picked up a few of these much cheaper than on the high street - worth a look :)

"don't be a stranger xoxo"



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