Sunday 9 March 2014

February Favourites


I seem to have bought a lot of new products this month and found it ridiculously hard to pick my favourites but this is what I went for;
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ash Brown: By God, this is the best eyebrow product I've ever used. The pencil itself is very soft without being waxy, which I love - too waxy and it seems to just slip off my face. It stays put all day and the little spoolie on the end is a nice touch.
Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen: This is the holy grail of eyeliners for me. I always prefer a pen style of eyeliner as this is just the application method I prefer. It gives a really intense colour pay off, the nib is thin enough to get a nice thin start to the line. It doesn't budge all day, which is such a bonus as I'm not having to wipe the black panda circles away from under my eyes.
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow: Being a pale gal, it's hard to get a contour shade that doesn't leave me looking like I've put an orange line on my face but this Illamasqua pigment is an ashy, slightly grey toned, brown so it looks super natural.
Laura Mercier Colour-To-Go Portable Palette For Eyes, Cheeks & Lips in Smoky Violet: This little box contains everything you need for a great cool toned makeup look. This has made it in to my favourites mostly for the eyeshadows. I use the pink all over the lid with the satin purple through the crease and it creates a great daytime smoky eye. Plus, they don't crease, at all - hooray.
Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance: All hail the best moisturiser in the land. There is literally nothing more I can say about this, apart from the fact that if you have dry skin, you need to buy this as it is a little miracle worker.
Essie Nail Polish in Aruba Blue: This seems to be the nail polish that everyone compliments me on when I wear it. It's a sapphire blue shade with a frosty finish. I love dark nails and this is dark without looking like black from a distance.
LOreal Paris Studio Line TXT Volume Supersizing Spray: My mission in life will always be to make my thin hair look like a fabulous mane and this definitely gives me a helping hand. It doesn't make my hair feel dry either, which is such a bonus as I find most sprays like this do.

Sunday 2 March 2014

Sunday Post #3

This week I have finally gotten around to booking a week of work - thank God. I've got to wait it out till the end of April but it's going to be pure joy when it finally comes around. I've booked tickets so I can visit London at the start of the week, my shopping saving fund is now in full swing and I expect to see most of it disappear in Vcitoria's Secret and Topshop and I am nothing but happy about it. 
This weekend, I went in to Cardiff on a mission for some Spring like clothes. I'm not one for colour and seem to permanently live in black clothes so thought I should try and make them slightly more suitable for the (hopefully) soon to be changing weather. I picked up two crop tops, a white t-shirt style one from H&M for £3.99 and a black and white gingham print one from New Look for £9.99. In New Look I also got this big black jewelled necklace for £12.99 and thought it would look great over plain t-shirts to make them look a bit more intersting. I've been desperate for a little wool hat for ages after initially seeing one in Topshop but begrudged paying £25 for it so when I saw this one in H&M for £7.99 I snapped it up and then took many photos posing in it. My last purchase was this palm tree top from Topshop, I love this palm tree print that seems to be everywhere at the moment and the colours of this were right up my street, I also love the thick material of this top so I feel for £20 it's really reasonable.
As for today, I plan on eating too much fudge and watching the new Thor movie in my pyjamas - always an adventurous Sunday. 

Saturday 22 February 2014

Wet N Wild Walking on Eggshells Palette



I am beginning to realise just how many eyeshadows I own but will that stop me buying any more? Of course not. So please welcome, the newest edition to my pretty magnificent collection, Wet N Wild's Walking on Eggshells Trio.
I love these palettes, they're so simple but contain three really pretty shades with engraved instructions, genius. Walking On Eggshells contains 3 shimmery shades; the highlighter is a creamy white colour, the crease is a goldren brown and the eyelid is a champagne gold with just the right amount of pink thrown in the mix. I'm all about eyeshadows that brighten up my eyes and over all complexion and I find these are the perfect shades for doing that. Brighter eyes is making me feel much more Spring like and definitely leaving me wishing for better weather.
I picked this palette up for £6.28 (including P&P) on Amazon and I can't get over what good quality they are for such a small price tag. The shadows are really pigmented and they last all day without creasing on  me at all (I always use the Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base for my eyeshadows).
I really can't believe what a bargain these eyeshadows are and I can't wait to pick a few more palettes up from Wet N Wild. And, if you're after a bright, spring eye look then this palette is definitely for you.


Wet N Wild Colour Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Walking On Eggshells available at Amazon for £6.28

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette



Did somebody say bandwagon? Because I definitely just jumped on it. Urban Decay is becoming well known for its 'Naked Collection' and I am a proud owner of the original Naked palette and now the Naked 3 palette.
This palette consists of mostly rose hue shades and seems to be a big hit or miss amongst many make-up fans. I get that pink shades aren't for everyone and can sometimes leave you looking like you're suffering from a serious case of red eye. However, this is right up my street. Being a constant eye liner wearer, I find this allows separation between my shadow and, you know, eye ball so I don't get that red eye effect.


I love the range of finishes in this palette, look at all the glittery shades *screams internally*. I always apply eyeshadow over the Urban Decay Primer Potion and I find that these last all day with only slightly minor creasing. One thing I will say is that the matte shades are a little hard to blend so extremely fluffy brushes at the ready, ladies.
Just like with any palettes I have some clear favourite shades that I find myself gravitating towards, for the Naked 3 it has to be; Strange (a pearlescent white), Dust (a glittery light pink), Trick (a shimmery rose gold) and Factory (a satin brown).
This palette also comes with 4 Primer Potion samples and a very handy dual ended brush with a fluffier end and compact, flat side which is ideal for the glittery shadows.
In comparison to the original Naked Palette, that enormous mirror is a bonus and I find that the packaging has really improved and love the metal tin that it has upgraded to as I found the velvet just attracted fluff and dirt.
All in all, I love this palette. The colours are just beautiful and all very wearable and like all Urban Decay products, the quality is amazing. The extras that come with this palette are also a lovely little extra.



Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette available at Debenhams for £37.00

Sunday 16 February 2014

Sunday Post #2

Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, that is indeed blue skies and sunshine you see before you. It's becoming such a rare sight that I had to take a snap of it before it gets engulfed by the next storm.
I definitely feel like work has drained me of any energy this week and I think I might be in need of a week off soon. However, the 1975's album has definitely been getting me through and I would strongly suggest giving it a listen if you haven't already.
I had a ridiculously unsuccessful day shopping yesterday where all I bought was a bloody bikini, in February... A bit of a silly purchase, maybe? So, I picked up Vogue today and I'm attempting to be inspired and I have come to the conclusion that a pair of Slip On trainers is definitely an essential purchase and this leopard pair from Office has definitely caught my eye, plus they're only £20 with free delivery. They're becoming pretty hard to turn down.
Plus, my recent healthy eating kick was slightly compromised today after purchasing a pack of Jammie Dodgers alongside my magazine but hey, you have to treat yourself every now and again.
Anyway, back to preparing for the dreaded Monday morning.

Friday 14 February 2014

L'Oreal Paris 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil


I saw a photo of this L'Oreal cleansing oil on Instagram some time ago now and that was all I needed to persuade me to buy this. I have never used an oil make-up remover before so I was a little weary about it but it was labelled as 'non-greasy' and for the reasonable price of £5.33 (usually £7.99), I couldn't turn it down.
When I think 'oil cleanser' a few things spring to mind: greasy, sticky, messy, blocking, my list could go on. However, my preconception could not have been more wrong. I apply this to my skin when dry as my first cleanse. I use about three pumps in my palm and then slap it all over my face. I then leave it for those 15 seconds, remove with a cotton wool pad (am I the only one who can easily goes through a pack of cotton wool pads in a matter of days?) and ta-dah, my face full of make-up is no more.
The biggest test for me with a make-up remover is how well it can remove my mountains of eyeliner and I can happily report that this has well and truly past with no brutal scrubbing and rubbing involved. It genuinely does appear to dissolve the thick lashings that I seem to apply.
It leaves my very dry and dehydrated skin feeling really soft and smooth, no greasy residue is left behind and leaves me with no irritation. Maybe extremely oily skin might not get on with this but I would think this would be great for most skin types.
All in all, this is a great pre-cleanser/make-up remover. As far as the comparison with Micellar Water, this wins hands down. It is so much more gentle and just simpler to remove make-up, as I find with the waters there is far too much harsh scrubbing involved in comparison to this, which you gentle smooth over all your face.



LOreal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil available at Boots on offer at £5.33 (usually £7.99)

Saturday 8 February 2014

Maybelline Kiss Pearl Lipstick



My obsession with pink continues but this time in the form of this beautiful lipstick from Maybelline. The shade is called Kiss Pearl and is part of the ColorSensational Lipstick range. It's a fairly sheer, light baby pink shade with a pearlescent finish. Because of how light the colour is, I blot out my natural lip colour (which is quite red) with whatever is leftover on my concealer brush so that I can get as close to the colour in the bullet. As far as staying power goes, it's not one of the greatest and I find myself reapplying this about every hour in work to keep a noticeable colour. It's not drying at all but leaves the lips with a really nice moisturised feeling.
I love this colour but I really want something similar but with a lot more impact, I'm thinking something like Lime Crime's Great Pink Planet but would love some other suggestions so throw them my way.



Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Kiss Pearl available at Superdrug for £6.99

Saturday 1 February 2014

Essie Fiji


Since Essie has been made so easily available (thank you Boots!), my collection seems to grow increasingly larger every week. My most recent purchase was Essie Fiji and I'm now beginning to question why I didn't buy it any sooner. It's the most perfect pale, milky pink and just like all Essie nail polishes, it lasts so well on the nails. Granted, the first coat you apply of this does look a bit streaky and scary but after the second it turns completely opaque. I think I'm a little bit in love with this colour and it's going to be perfect for Spring. I'm also enjoying how many people comment on this colour when I'm at work so it's a definite winner for me.



Essie Fiji available at Boots for £7.99

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Dermalogica Dry Skin Kit


My battle with dry skin has been going on for just over a year now and I'm not talking a little bit of dehydration; my skin basically looks like it's peeling off of my face, particularly around my nose and the top of my cheek bones (bet I'm painting a beautiful picture right now, sorry guys!). 
I have tried so many products to try and get my skin to look even the slightest bit better; so after many hours scrawling through the internet for some miracle solution, I'd seen a few people suggesting Dermalogica as a brand that may hold the key. As their products are on the pricey side of life, I decided to pick up the dry skin kit, which for £25 includes 5 generous sample sized items and 2 sachets. 
I've now polished my way through the majority of these items and it has to be said, my skin is looking pretty glowing right now. I would say you get a lot bang for your buck with these samples. All my severe dryness has cleared up and it has left my skin looking radiant without the help of a bit of cheeky highlighter. I can't say this is down to one of these products alone as I have been using them all in combination with each other (as well as a few other products in my skincare regime) but the stand out ones have to be the Essential Cleansing Solution and the Intensive Moisture Balance. They leave my skin feeling super soft and well nourished and are promptly being ordered in full sizes but I do plan to buy the eye cream, toner and exfoliant. The two sachets have not given me enough of a trial of these products so I'm reluctant to part with my cash for the full sizes. 
This is a great starter kit for anyone who has skin on the dryer side of life and is looking to get themselves in a good skincare regime. It has worked wonders with me and  I cannot say enough good things about it and can't wait to build up my Dermalogica collection.
If you would like more in-depth reviews of these products please let me know and I'll get to work on it.

Sunday 26 January 2014

Sunday Post #1


Sunday is genuinely my favourite day of the week. I'm guaranteed a day off from work where I can be a bit of a sloth and catch up on things from the week.
So far my day has consisted of drinking copious amounts of tea and trying to plan some blog posts for the next few days in my amazing Wonder Woman notepad, courtesy of my Brother at Christmas. I also cannot stop swooning over my most recent purchase, my Ted Baker purse. The colour is beautiful, it's a patent mint colour with dog print inside and cost me a fairly reasonable £50 as I bought it in an outlet store so I am extremely pleased. Sunday also means browsing the Urban Outfitters site looking at bedding that I can never justify the price of (but it's so pretty!). My room needs a major overhaul and I'm trying to be inspired whilst sticking to a reasonable budget so if anyone has any ideas where I can get some bedroom ware from please let me know!