MARCH GLOSSYBOX

So I signed up to GlossyBox earlier in the week, I found out about it from a friend at uni, for those of you who don't know what it is basically you pay £10 + p&p a month and you get sent this really cute little box with samples inside it. Mine came today and it had a few goodies in it. It's really good as well because it gives you all the information on the products so if you want to go buy the full size version then you can. I will be making this a monthly feature on my blog and shall review any of the products that I think are worthy of sharing with you.

 I got five products in mine this month, the one I got most excited about was the Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush. I got it out of it's packaging straight away and put it on and I'm in love with it. I was really skeptical about trying lip tints as I've tried some before and was disappointed with them but this one is amazing. It's £12, it doesn't have a name for the colour but they only have two shades I think, this one is a summery bright red colour but they also do a pink one.

I also got some Pearlys teeth whitening powder which I'm excited to use and will definately be doing a review on this product. I haven't used any whitening products before just becuase I haven't found one that's been highly recommended and doesn't cost a small fortune. With this you are meant to substitute it for your toothpaste once or twice a week by dipping your damp tooth brush bristles in it and then brushing for 2-4 minutes.Mine is the tester size but for the full size one it's £15 which I think is fairly reasonable but I will keep you posted with how I find it.

There were also three little samples in the box: L'Occitane En Provence Brightening Hand Care SPF15 (full size RRP £19), Renu Flash Relax Mask (full size £32) and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (full size £25). I don't tend to use products like this just because they're a bit on the pricey side and once I find something that agrees with my skin I tend to stick to it but I shall give these a go and let you know what I think.

So that was my GlossyBox. I would recommend signing up for it as it gives you the chance to try something new that you wouldn't normally buy for yourself, and you never know you might end up finding something you can no longer live without.

Hope you enjoyed the post.
X

Just A Little Update.

Hi Guys. Sorry for neglecting my blog for the past week but have been so busy and was away over the weekend so this is the first chance I've had to actually sit down at my laptop and have a little blog catch up. This blog isn't going to be about anything inparticular, just a bit about what I've been up to and a few purchases which I feel the need to share with you.

So I'm sat here in my bed because it is freezing in my house, I've been to uni and work today so been quite busy but the highlight of my day has been picking up a pair of beautiful shoes which I won on Ebay for £6.50!! What a bargain! Aren't they gorgeous?

 

I've been away since thursday, firstly in Newcastle for my friends 20th which was a bit stressful but had a good time (I did eat a few to many burgers though). On the 7 hour coach journey up there I attempted the MUA fluffy nails that I bought in my Superdrug Haul. Basically I found some issues with the product, you open the pot and your meant to be able to sprinkle the fluff onto your nails but this doesn't happen, you have to take the lid off and dip your wet painted nail in and it doesn't come out very even. So after all that, it only stayed looking good for about two hours. I think the light pink colour isn't very successful as it picks up any dust or dirt and you end up with grey nails! Not nice. So I don't think I'll be using this product again.

Whilst in Newcastle we had a wander and found a stall full of cheap makeup, the only thing I bought was a £1.99 mascara as I'm trying to watch the pennies and it was the best money I've spent.

This is the miracle mascara. I recently bought Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara and was disappointed, the brush leaves clumps on my lashes and gets everywhere, it also doesn't dry very quickly so if you look up or around for any reason you are left with little black lines around your eyes. Well this beauty has a plastic wand which is small but it allows you to apply it precisely and it makes your lashes look soo long. This is the best mascara I've found in ages, a good cheap version of the L'oreal Volume Million Lashes which I love but at around £12 its not something I can always afford.
Try this mascara, it's amazing!

I was also in Bedford with my boyfriend over the weekend, I had bought him a driving experience at Silverstone for his birthday which we had booked but unfortunatly it was called off because of the snow. Despite this we still had a lovely time in a 4* hotel called The Swan Hotel. It was amazing, a bit pricey but well worth it for a romantic get away, we hardly left the hotel as there was a restaurant and a spa built in. The whole building was impressive and the suite room but the highlight was the spa day. Swedish massage, relaxation, jacuzzi, it was beautiful.

I didn't want to leave!!!

Anyway that's what I've been up to and distracted me from my blog. I have a few posts lined up for the next two weeks over easter so I won't be leaving it that long between posts again.

Hope you enjoyed
X

Shoe Envy.

Hey Guys, my last two posts have been beauty related so I thought I'd do a fashion related post today, being a fashion student and everything.
So recently I think I have been really good in curbing my shopping obsession and havent bought any new clothes (or shoes) for a fair few weeks now. However this hasn't stopped me internet 'window shopping' as it were. I think my last shoe purchase was a pair of leather block heeled ankle boots from Topshop and that was before christmas! My shoe collection needs a bit of a revamp and these are a few which I am absolutely in love with and shall be saving as many of my pennies to buy.
I don't really have a particular style when it comes to shoes other than generally I love a platform whether it be on a heel or flat but anything goes.

1. I have been looking at these forever! they are from Asos, £45 PRIOR Metallic Pointed High Heels. The pointed mule seems to of made a major comeback and since seeing most of the buyers and merchandisers at Topshop HQ back in september tottering around in them, I have been obsessed. I only have one pair of mules which are from Topshop in black and a rose gold colour. There's just something about these ones though which are quite fun, definately a 'dinner' shoe.

2.Recently I have been drawn in further and further to the trainer trend which seems to be taking over, comfort is finally being accepted within the shoe world. These are from Topshop, £35 HOUSE Mesh Sporty Lace Sandals and are most likely to be purchased when payday finally arrives. I love the sporty look to them and they look super comfy but I may have to wait until this horrendous rain finally clears up to wear them.

3. If you haven't seen the new Kurt Geiger collection then you need to! With one of my Vogues ( I think it was the one before last maybe?) I received a small magazine with it that had all the new range in it and I can't say there was one pair that I didn't want. These are £220 Race You Shoes. I don't think I am ever going to be able to afford them but they are just so pretty ( will be at the top of my birthday list). Everything about them is amazing, the colour blocking, the wedge, the leather panels and the HEIGHT. I need these in my life.

4. This style seems to be a favourite of Topshop and there are so many variations in colour and print but they are the kind of shoe that kind of goes with everything; the cobalt blue just makes them a bit different from the trusty black platforms. The platform is wooden and the incline of your foot isn't actually that big so they are very comfy. These are £55, LASSIE ankle strap platforms.

5. Last but not least, Asos £45 MOSCOW Flatforms. These have been on my wishlist for a while, I love creepers mainly because they are so comfortable at it adds a bit to my 5ft 4 frame. I own three pairs of flatforms already: a white plimsol, a  pale blue brogue with clear plastic inserts and the Underground inspired ones in black and leopard. They just make any outfit a bit more exciting especially when they are printed like these ones. I'm a huge fan of florals and the print on these is a bit different to your typical summery ones.

Well these are my top 5, do you like them?

X

Constellation Nails by MUA

Hey Guys, so in my Superdug Haul post one of the things I bought was the MUA Nail Constellation and I finally got round to using it and wanted to let you know what I thought about it.

The final outcome is pretty cool but I have to admit it was a bit of a hassle hence why I only used it on five of my nails. So I'm just going to talk you through how I achieved this style and how it's holding up on my nails the day after.

To start I had to file my nails as one of them had snapped and it just wasn't a good look. I don't use fake nails and these are my natural ones which I file into a point, I've been doing this since about November as I thought I'd give it a go not imagining it would turn out that well on natural nails but as my nails grow really quickly it actually looked really good and now I can't go back to square or rounded nails. I should of used a base coat but have no idea where mine has disappeared to. So using a Barry M polish in a lilac colour ( it's actually called Berry and is shade 308) I painted one nail at a time that I wanted to use the nail art on.
Step 1: Prepare the constellation nail art by taking the cap off and removing the film on the bottle opening.
Step 2: Apply one fairly thick coat of nail varnish. In the little label that comes with the MUA bottle it says to use MUA polish but this it not necessary, paint them any colour you like as long as it can be put on quite genously in one coat.
Step 3: Make sure you have a small tub or a sheet of paper on a flat surface under your hand and begin to pour the small beads onto your nail. There will be alot which dont stick and will fall onto the paper. It does take a while to cover the nail entirely, if the varnish dries before youve finished very carefully add more to the nail but make sure you dont cover the beads as it ruins the look. You can gently press your nail but I found its best to use one of your actual nails to do this as using your fingertip tends to stick to some of the beads.
Step 4: Do all the nails you want to cover first and allow them to dry and then go back and paint the others with two coats of whatever you're using. Then make sure you use a top coat to secure the nail art in place.

This is not something that can be done in a hurry!

So it's now the day after and one hand still looks really good but on the other some of the beads have fallen off and I caught my thumb on something when I was at the gym last night so I need to go back and redo the top of it. I do like the overal look of my nail but they do take ages to set so if your going to give them a go, do it in the evening when your not planning on doing anything as you need to use your hands as little as possible to make sure the balls dry securely onto your nail.

Hope you've enjoyed the post and I have inspired you to go and do something funky to your nails.
X

Night-Out: MakeUp Essentials

Hi Guys so today i'm going to kind of do a review and introduce you to some of the core essentials I use when i'm getting ready. On a day to day basis I don't wear masses of makeup and opt for a more natural look unless i've got heaps of time to get ready and have a little experiment. So anyway, saturday night was my auntie's 40th, quite a dressed up occasion with all the family, even my family from Cumbria came down which was so lovely and great to see them all. As well as the make up products i'll give you a bit of info on the outfit I wore as well.

So Firstly, the face!

One product which I only bought a few weeks ago but has quickly became possibly my favourite is my MAC foundation. It's the Studio Fix Fluid which also has an SPF 15 so when the summer eventually gets here it will protect you in addition to making you look lovely. I have a range of brushes from Next that were bought for me last christmas  which are so useful to have especially for  foundation as i find a sponge doesnt give you a full coverage and just pulls the makeup around your face instead of actually covering. Start by pumping the foundation just once of twice onto your hand, I don't put it straight onto my face just because I find it easier to blend as I go. Then using the foundation brush, dab away. Start with the cheeks then the chin, blending into the neck as I go because no one likes a glowing face and then a stark white neck! Just continue to brush on and blend over the rest of the face. This product is really good because you don't need to use that much, I find 2-3 pumps usually does it. I then carry on with the rest of my routine and will talk about a few more products in a moment. I just want to say that I had it on from about 7pm saturday night and didnt get in until about 1am and the night was non stop dancing, kisses and hugs all round and the makeup didnt fade due to this amazing base foundation. I looked pretty much the same when I got home as to when I left. Studio Fix is the way forward!

This is the amazing foundation. It come in this little black box with a screw on top so you have to purchase the pump seperately. The foundation is £20.50 and the pump I think was £3.50. The shade i use is NW15 and find it matches really well. The best thing to do if your interested in buying this is to go to the makeup counter and get them to match the best shade for you, on the website there are 39 different shades so theres something for everyone.

In addition to foundation I do use two other cover up products, one is a Benefit Erase Paste which I have been using for about a month and MUA Cover & Conceal which I only bought last week, featured in my Superdrug Haul but use it practically everyday now.

The Benefit Erase Paste I generally use just for my eye area to cover up dark circles and to generally lift my eye as well as create a base for any shadow I wont to use. I actually use a Next shadow brush to put this one as its small enough to use precisely but still a decent size and soft enough to blend with. I was bought this as a gift in a set but to buy the pot on its own it's £19.50 and comes in three shades, I use Medium but I think if I purchase this product again I would probably opt for fair. This is really good at covering and blemishes and like I said, dark circles because it is quite thick and also means you use the smallest amount and its goes far so should last for ages!
Next up MUA Cover & Conceal Wand, not much to say about this product other than it's amazing! I use it around my eye and blend with a large brush all around my eye and brow and then onto the top of my cheek bones. It's lightens your face and has a flawless finish and is light on the skin which doesn't leave you feeling like you've got loads of make up on. I use this quite generously and also apply it to the nose up to the start of my forehead, my chin and just above my lip. It is alot more fluid that the paste and is more 'liquidy'. This was an absolute baragin and is now one of my staple pieces at £1.50!! so stock up. The shade I use is fair as it's the perfect shade to brighten your face.

Moving on to the last products I just want to tell you about a shadow and a lash set.

Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes. Once again this was a gift I recieved for christmas otherwise I wouldn't of bought it due to its price, £24.50! However, despite the expense the colours in the palette work really well together and the brushes supplied with it are good quality minitures. This is an eye contour kit which supplies you with a concealer and three shadows: (from left to right) a base, contour shadow, liner shadow . If you dont use shadow alot and consider yourself a bit of a novice its does provide you with a little diagram on the back telling you what shade to apply where.These colours give a really natural look which can by worn everyday or for more dressy occasions.

Last but not least, Eylure Naturalites Evening Wear lashes 107. These were on offer buy one get a 2nd half price, I'm only reviewing one set though as I havent worn the others yet. Individually these sell in Boots at £5.35. I found these really easy to use and the glue provided stuck really well and didnt irritate my eye, these are one of the slightly thinner lases so they give a more natural look than some of the others and they are resuable which is another plus.

So I hope you've enjoyed my review of a few of my essentials and will let me know what you think of the products. I'll post a picture of my outfit and where everything is from below.

My dress: River Island, one of my favourite. Bright orange which neckline details, thickish fabric which feels like neoprene so is very flattering and smooths. Shoes: Zara. Jewellery: Dorothy Perkins and Topshop. My sisters dress: jersey midi from Topshop.

x

Superdrug Haul.

So I was looking at my makeup collection when I was getting ready this morning and realised its been ages since i've tried something new or treated myself to makeup in general. Most of my spare money goes on clothes and most days I walk around looking like a Topshop mascot, I love basically everything topshop and usually get a bit carried away. Anyway... so i decided to have a little look around Superdrug and see what was on offer and I ended up spending a fair bit but got a few things I needed as well as a few treats.

When I walked in I saw there was a new make up brand since the last time I was in there called B. I've not heard of it before but the products looked good, mainly foundations and lipstick/gloss/pens, I didnt buy anything from there just because there were so many offers on the other brands and it was a bit more than I was looking to spend.

Strolling up the isle I saw Collection had a deal that if you spent more than £4.99 you got a free eyeliner felt tip pen so I picked one up in black, I love having winged eyeliner on but I am so rubbish at doing it so hopefully this will help. I also got some liquid eyeliner also in black, normally I go for the Barry M one but as it was on offer thought I'd save the pennies and try a new one. Sticking with the eye makeup I picked up a shadow palette with three colours, purple, lilac and a shimmery grey/blueish colour mainly because I used to love wearing purple on my eyes but have got a bit samey recently sticking to a more natural palette as I know it suits me and it's easy for every day wear.

Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner £2.99, Collection Work The Colour Eyeshadow Palette £3.19, Collection Extreme 24Hour Felt Tip Liner £2.99 (free with the offer).

This palette is the trio 7 very berry, it has two shadows and then a cream to use as a base or highlight.


Next up I found MUA, i've heard such good things about it as it has a huge range of products which are quite young and fresh in the colours they use and just something a bit fun, because that's what make up is all about. I bought quite a few things from this brand as they also had an offer on nail items and the prices or everything dont tend to exceed more than about £3.

So after experimenting with many blushes at home and watching endless beauty videos on youtube I think i've found a pink blush to suit me. I have freckley skin and am quite pale with pink/red undertones so I always thought a pink blush was a no no and have pretty much stuck to just using bronzer but recently have played with using the bronzer for the contour and then a pink shade of blush for the apple of my cheek which I think works so fingers crossed this will be a good buy. I then picked up a liquid concealer just because I find them easier to apply than the ones that come in stick form, got it in a light colour, I think its ivory to use mainly around the eye to hide the ever growing black circles and just to highlight.
I was planning to go to the counter and pay at this point but as I swivelled the stand around all these lip glosses and tints were gleaming at me so I chose a lip tint as I really want to try one of these but so many of the other brands have quite a pricey label with them and this one was very affordable.

MUA Blusher in Shade 1 ( its a peachy/pink colour) £1, MUA Cover & Conceal Concealer in Fair £1.50, MUA Kiss Proof Lip Stain in Kissalicious £3.

Then comes the nail art. I love experimenting with my nails, ive tried loads of polishes and my favourites are Barry M, Topshop and Rimmel ( I'll share these with you in another entry) ive tried decals and stickers in a rainbow print and in leopard print, ive stuck gems on and had 3D bows on them... everything. My nails are really strong and grow quite quickly so I dont use fake nails or acrylics so all my nails stuff I do myself with some things being more successful than others. So when I saw MUA's version of flock for nails I had to pick some up, the velvet nail craze wasnt very long lived but I have been searching eday for nail flock FOREVER! as non of the drugstores seemed to stock it but I have finally found some so cant wait to try it out. The other nail thing I bought was their constellation nails which is basically tiny balls in different colours that you put on with nail varnish and it kind of looks like hundreds and thousands so i'm really excited to try these out.

MUA Fur-Effect Nails: Fluffy Puff (pale pink) £3

MUA Nail Constellation in Libra £3 (these were on offer 2 for £4)

Pulling myself away from the makeup isle I picked up a few of my faves, Garnier face wipes, I love them and get them all the time usually they are on offer like today I got them for half price so I picked up the blue one. As you can see below I have quite a few packs already but you can never have enough and disaster strikes when you run out.

 Garnier Skin Naturals Simply Essential Cleansing Wipes ( £1.49 on offer)


Also picked up my favourite tan ever! Rimmel Instant Tan in Medium as I am super white and in Matte as I dont want to look glittery. Theyve recently released the water resistant one so got that one as it is very annoying when a drink gets spilt and you then have a strange mark on your legs. Such a good look. This way £6.99 and is amazing, i've tried so many fake tans and as far as this one is concerned its the best instant one going.

The last thing I bought was some Samy Fat hair products, they were on offer 2 for £6.99 so thought I'd try some as I find my hair loses all its volume very quickly once I leave the house which is very annoying and these claim to thicken your hair as well as treat it so I shall try these out and let you know how it goes.

I bought Samy Fat Hair '0' Calories Thickening Spray £5.99 and Samy Fat '0' Calories Dry Spray Shampoo with Wheat Protein.

So I hope you have enjoyed my little Superdrug Haul, let me know what you think of the products or if youve tried them and will update you with how I found them soon.



Thanks Guys x

First Blog !

Hi guys, so I wanted to share with you some of my recent research. Based on a spring summer collection for 2014, i've had to begin to create a collection inspired by Reiss, there are so many designer references to use and Pinterest has become the Holy Grail to me! You need too go on there and look at some of the fashion boards, DVF is a favourite of mine and I get so much inspiration from there. So anyway i'll put a few of my favourite images below, theyre there for colour, mood and the general atmosphere that is created by them. Hope you like :)
 DVF : http://pinterest.com/dvf/