& A Happy New Year

(image from weheartit)

 

Here's to an amazing 2013. I can't believe how fast this year has flown by.

 



 

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

(image from weheartit)

 

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

 

Something to Remember

I saw this on Kellie's blog over at Bigfashionista at the weekend, and I just think it's such a wonderful idea, and decided to share this on my blog with you all. 

 

I know most of you are fortunate enough to be spending this Christmas with the people you love, but sadly that isn't the case for everyone. Some people are going through a really rough time, but they are not alone. If you find yourself alone, or you just need someone to talk to this Christmas, Kellie has put together a list of numbers you are able to ring in times of need:

 

MIND

www.mind.org.uk

0300 123 3393

 

SAMARITANS

www.samaritans.org

08457 90 90 90

 

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/newcomers

0845 769 7555

 

STONEWALL

www.stonewall.org.uk

08000 50 20 20

 

LONDON LESBIAN AND GAY SWITCHBOARD
www.llgs.org.uk

0207 837 7324

 

SANELINE

www.sane.org.uk

0845 767 8000

 

PREVENTING YOUNG SUICIDE

www.papyrus-uk.org
0800 068 41 41

 

FOR PEOPLE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

www.lifeline.info

0808 808 8000

 

CHILDLINE

www.childline.org.uk

0800 1111

 

DEPRESSIONALLIANCE

www.depressionalliance.org

 

REFUGE

www.refuge.org.uk

0808 2000 247

 

EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION

www.edauk.com

0845 634 1414

 

SHELTER

www.shelter.org.uk

0808 800 4444

 

NHS DIRECT

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

0845 4647

 

NO PANIC
www.nopanic.org.uk

0808 808 0545

 

CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE

www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

 0844 477 9400

 

These organisations are so, so important, and can really help if you feel alone, or are having difficulty this festive season. If you need any of them, please, please phone them.

 

Wishing all of you an amazing Christmas, and a happy new year.

 



Weekly Wishlist #17

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve?! I don't honestly know where this year has gone, it seems to have absolutely flown by. This will probably be the last weekly wishlist of the year, as next Monday will be New Year's Eve and I will be working (only until 4pm though, so I guess it's not too bad!).

 



[1] MAC Lipstick in Hue

I have been lusting after a MAC lipstick for I don't know how long and I am thinking of treating myself to one to wear on New Years Eve, and this colour has caught my eye.

 

[2] Mela Navy Lace Long Sleeve Bodycon Dress

I need a dress for the New Years Eve party I'm going to and this is perfect. I am a big fan of lace, especially navy lace, and I really like the style of this one.

 

[3] Aqua Pug Ankle Socks

I absolutely love pugs. I mean seriously, I really, really want a pug, but I just don't have the time to look after one properly at the minute. I guess I'll settle for these amazing pug socks until I can finally get a real one!

 

[4] MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural

I have wanted this for so long now, I hear amazing things about it on an almost daily basis, so I think I may have to cave and buy this at the same time as the lipstick!

 



Garnier Simply Essentials Cleanser & Toner

I had been using the Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Cleansing Milk (mouthful!) for a few weeks, and everything was fine, until I kept getting quite a few spots here and there. It took me a while to work out what was causing the spots - I tried changing foundation, everything, but I finally discovered that it was the S&G cleansing milk causing the breakouts. I have been using this particular Garnier range for months and months now, and after taking a break from it while I was using the S&G cleanser, I have now come back to using it daily, and I absolutely love this combination.

 

 

 

 

 

The Garnier Simply Essentials Cleansing Lotion and Toner claim to be enriched with soothing plant extracts and pro vitamin B5, and claim to remove even waterproof make-up. There is also a specific eye make up remover in the range, but I tend not to use that as I find that this cleansing lotion removes my eye make up easily.

 

The cleansing lotion isn't an overly thick consistency, which I like as I find it's easier to work into my skin, and it genuinely does remove all of my make-up in one go, even waterproof mascara. It is unscented, which makes it perfect for sensitive skin.

 

The toner is a normal liquid consistency, and I don't find it makes your skin tight or dry like some toners can. It actually helps boost moisture in my skin, as I have quite dry skin in the first place. This is also unscented.

 

I absolutely love this combination of products for cleansing my skin and removing make-up. I have been using them for months, and although I have tried other face washes and cleansers, I always seem to come back to these. They're also really cheap, which is an added bonus, and readily available, as you can pick them up from most supermarkets too.

 

These are £2.99 each from Boots and Superdrug, although I know Boots often have them on a 2 for £4 offer, or something similar!

 

Festive Red Nails

I  barely ever wear red nail polish except for this time of year. I don't know what it is about them, I just am not a fan of red nails unless it's Christmas. So naturally, I pretty much constantly have red nails over the festive season. These are my three favourite red shades that I find myself reaching for more often than not.

 

 

 

L-R Barry M 'Raspberry', Barry M 'Bright Red', Maybelline Express Finish 'Cherry'

 

Barry M 'Raspberry' is, as the name suggests, a true raspberry colour. It's perfect for Christmas as it's slightly deeper than a traditional red, so to me, it feels slightly more sophisticated.

 

Barry M 'Bright Red' is a traditional true red colour. It's the shade I think of when someone says 'red'.

 

Barry M is my all-time favourite nail polish brand, and these two colours are absolutely perfect for Christmas.

 

Maybelline Express Finish in 'Cherry' is in between Bright Red and Raspberry. It's deeper than Bright Red, but not as dark as Raspberry. This one is such a lovely colour, and it dries in super quick time as well. It also lasts for quite a while, which is always good!

 



I *heart* Drugstore Makeup Tag

I saw this tag on Tanya Burr's youtube channel, and really enjoyed watching it, so I thought I'd do a blog version, so here goes!

1) What is Your Favourite Drugstore Makeup Brand?

Either Barry M (for nail varnishes!) or Rimmel. I used to use quite a lot of Maybelline products but for some reason I think they've gone downhill a bit lately :(

 

2) What are your favourite face, cheek and lip products?

I love the Revlon Lip Butters, for cheeks I actually like MUA's blushers, and for face it has to be the Natural Collection Loose Powder.

 

3) What is your least favourite Drugstore Product?

I don't really have many products that I've bought and don't like, but the Maybelline Coloursentational Popsticks were terrible! They hd zero pigmentation, and just seemed a bit pointless!

 

4) What is the best makeup bargain?

Anything MUA! I love MUA, they're such amazing quality for such low prices. I especially like the blushers, but the nail varnish is good too!

 

5)What is your favourite underdog product?

I do like the Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder - a lot of people talk about the Stay Matte one (which I do love!) but I never hear anyone speak about this one, and it's actually quite good!

 

6) What is the drugstore product that is really over priced?

As much as I love them, I do find Revlon Lip Butters a little pricey. Though I suppose compared to higher end lip products they're cheap! I just don't like paying almost £8 for a lip product, it feels like a lot!

 

7) Whats the best drugstore dupe?

 I do think the Undressed Palette from MUA is such a close dupe to the Naked Palette from Urban Decay - I don't own the Urban Decay one but I have seen so many comparisons and it really is very similar!

 

8) What drugstore product is not worth the hype?

At first I really liked the Balm Stains from Revlon which were a dupe for Cliniques Chubby Sticks, but the more I used it, the more it just disappoints me. Firstly I think I got the wrong shade as it does nothing for my skin tone, it smells funny, and it just doesn't really last as long as I'd hoped.

 

I tag you all!



Andrew Barton SOS Help Me! Twice a Week Conditioner

My hair is in such bad condition lately. I know I've only got myself to blame, as I dye my hair way too often, and use way too much heat on it, but split ends and dry hair still annoy me. I have been using this for a few weeks now, and I have really noticed a difference in my hair, so I thought I'd share it with you all.

 

 

 

 

"The Superstar of hair treatments for when hair needs SOS care". This is a deep conditioning treatment which is supposed to be used twice weekly to "gently mend all the cracks, sooth the hair cuticles and add supercharged shine".

 

First things, this smells AMAZING. I can't put my finger on exactly what it smells like though - it's sweet and almost vanillary, but it literally smells good enough to eat. It also leaves your hair smelling like this all day too, which I love.

 

This has quite a thick consistency, and it's not the easiest thing to work into your hair, but aside from that I have nothing bad to say about this. It genuinely leaves your hair feeling super soft, and I have noticed that my hair looks less damaged and flyaway.

 

I apply this twice a week as suggested, and leave it on for around 5 minutes before rinsing. Like I said, I have been using this for a few weeks now and I absolutely love it.

 

I would really recommend this to anyone with damaged hair, and even better, it's super cheap too!

 

This is available from Asda - £3.00 for 300ml.

 

 

Rimmel Clear Complexion Pressed Powder

This is a product I actually picked up completely by accident. I actually meant to purchase Rimmel's Stay Matte powder, but I was in a rush and accidentally got this one instead. I had never read any reviews or even heard about this before, but as I had already bought it I thought I'd give it a whirl.

 

 

 

 

The packaging is pretty standard for a pressed powder really - it has a clear lid, although the base is a really lovely bluey green colour. It's not amazing packaging, but it's not the worst I've ever seen. It feels quite flimsy, so I wouldn't want to be throwing it around in case the powder smashed inside it.

 

I have the shade "Transparent" and from looking at the Boots and Superdrug websites, that is actually the only shade it comes in. This is supposedly a translucent powder which won't add any colour to your face, but I would imagine this might not work too well on darker skin tones.

 

Rimmel claim this gives a "pure and shine-free finish for up to 5 hours". They also say it controls shine and mattifies skin. I actually like that they say it will last 5 hours - none of these claims that state the product will last for 24 hours, when 9 times out of 10, it just isn't true!

 

I find this product does last around 4/5 hours before I feel it needs touching up, mainly around my nose and on my chin which are the oiliest parts of my face.

 

I usually suffer from quite dry skin but lately it's been getting more and more oily so I was keen to see if this would mattify my skin. I find that it does help to keep oil at bay, but if you want something that keeps oil at bay throughout the entire day, then I probably wouldn't recommend this. I tend to touch up once or twice during a typical day.

 

Overall, I do think it's a good product. I love the fact they are truthful about the longevity of it, although I do wish it lasted slightly longer!

 

I probably wouldn't repurchase this, simply because I do prefer the Stay Matte powder, but I know some people don't get on with that so this may be a good alternative.

 

This is £3.99 and available from Boots and Superdrug.

 



 

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter



Soap & Glory is one of them brands that almost everybody loves. The Righteous Butter is one of their best-selling products, and it's something I have been using off and on for ages now.

 

Soap & Glory describe it as an "award winning body butter with softening shea butter and aloe vera. Smooth on a handful after your shower and you might swear you're wearing velvet. Scented with our Original Pink fragrance".

 

 

 

If you're familiar with Soap & Glory, then this body butter smells like a traditional S&G product. If you're not familiar, then the scent is really difficult to describe. It's one of them smells that you either love or hate. It's quite sweet, but it's a very unique scent.

 

When using this I apply if straight after getting out of the shower, and it works wonders for my skin. It smooths and softens, and leaves my skin smelling lovely for hours after.

 

It applies easily and melts into your skin quickly so there is no greasy feeling which can sometimes happen with body butters.

 

Overall, I do like this. Honestly I prefer using the Body Shop Body Butters, but that is only because I prefer the scent of them. The Body Shop ones are more expensive however, so I tend to use both!

 

This travel sized one (here) that I have is £2.50 and it lasts quite a while, but the full sized one (300ml)(here)  is £10.50. I think it's really good value considering it will last for ages and it does a really good job of moisturising the skin!

 



 

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Rapid Clear Treatment

 

I cannot explain how long I have been searching for a product which actually reduces spot size and redness. I have heard a lot about the Origins spot remover, and I was so so close to buying it, but then I tried this and really have no need to!

 

I picked this up on a complete whim in Boots, I hadn't read any reviews on it or anything, but it was relatively cheap so I decided to give it a go. If I'm honest I wasn't expecting much from it, but I have been pleasantly surprised!

 

 

 

 

 

The product comes inside an orange and silver box - I always like it when a products comes in a box, it just makes it feel more expensive than it actually is! The tube inside it is a squeezy tube which is handy for getting just the right amount of product that you need out.

 

As you can see in the pictures, the gel itself is a sort of cloudy-white colour, but it blends in with your skin so you can't tell you've applied anything after a few seconds.

 

This claims to "reduce spots to keep skin looking clear and healthy without drying it out. The gentle gel works without damaging or over-drying the skin".  It also claims to visibly reduce spots in just 4 hours.

 

Honestly, this isn't a miracle worker, and it won't reduce spots in 4 hours. However, if you apply this before you go to bed, in the morning the spot will be smaller and less visible on the face. I found it works best if you apply it as soon as you feel a spot coming rather than waiting for it to appear properly on your face!

 

This is without a doubt the best spot treatment I have ever used, and plus, it's really cheap too! I have never experienced any dryness where I've used this, and I have quite dry skin in the first place. It smells a little bit, but this is typical of most spot treatments, and something I'm willing to overlook as it works so well.

 

This is £3.99 and available from Boots.

 

Anyone tried this?

 

Models Own Northern Lights Review & Swatch

This is definitely my new favourite nail polish. I have had this pretty much since the moment Models Own brought out the Wonderland Collection as I immediately knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it. I used to avoid using glitter polishes as I hated how much of a pain they were to remove - I still hate how much of a pain they are to remove, but the prettiness of them outweighs that!

 

Anyway so Northern Lights is a pink coloured, holographic glitter polish. The glitter particles are all the same, small size. I actually thought this would be quite a sheer coverage, and imagined it being almost a topcoat, but in fact it's quite dense, and I think it would cover most of your base colour if you were to use it as a topcoat!

Without flash.

With flash.

 

Without flash.

 

With flash.

 

Out of focus shot so you can see all the colours!

 

I think this polish is absolutely stunning. The swatches above show 3 coats, which is perfect for full opacity. In natural light, it just looks like a simple pink glitter which is lovely, but it really comes to life in the sunlight. When the sun hits it, you get a whole rainbow of colours!

 

As is usual with Models Own, the polish is really good quality and has a nice consistency. I find the Models Own glitters have a thicker consistency than their normal polishes, but they are by no means difficult to work with. This also dries really quickly as well which is a bonus!

 

If you prefer a smooth finish it does take around 2 coats of topcoat to do so, and with a topcoat I find there is minimal chipping, even after a few days. I think this wears really well for a glitter polish.

 

The only bad thing I can find to say about this is that it STINKS. It smells like nail polish (obv) but it's really, really strong! I find this with all Models Own polishes, I don't know why, but even that doesn't put me off them!

 

This is £5.00 and available from Boots or direct from www.modelsownit.com 

 

 

Weekly Wishlist #15



 

[1] Michael Kors Rose Gold Chronograph Watch

[2] Topshop Lips in Secret Admirer

[3] Navy Velvet Sleeveless Skater Dress

[4] H Initial Ring

[5] Philosophy Candy Cane Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath  

 

xx

Ted Baker Butterfly Gift Set

With Christmas just around the corner, we're all searching for gifts for people! I actually recieved these for my birthday way back in July, but just haven't gotten round to writing about them! I thought now would be a good time to do so, as they would make nice little stocking fillers for any beauty obsessive like me!

 

Ted Baker beauty is not something I am extremely familiar with - I know they have it in Boots around Christmas, but I wasn't aware you could buy things all year round!

 

The items I have to show you are actually from the Ted Baker Butterfly Collection - specifically the "Butterfly Wings Blossom Gift Set".

 

The kit contains a 50ml body lotion, a 50ml body wash and a 50ml body spray.

 

 

 

 

Ted Baker describes the Butterfly range as being "delicately fragranced with bergamot, red fruit, tuberose and patchouli". I'll be honest - I didn't have a clue what any of these things were! It is however a very feminine, floral scent which is really lovely.

 

The Body Lotion is a really nice thick lotion which is white in colour. I usually use this just before I go to bed and my skin is really lovely and soft when I wake up. It doesn't make your skin sticky or oily after you use it, and I personally really do like it!

 

The Body Wash is also one of my favourite shower gel type products (technical term!). It creates an amazing lather, and I genuinely believe it does a really good job at cleaning my skin. I also find that after using this, the scent lingers around for a good few hours, which I love!

 

The Body Spray is my least favourite from the set. Don't get me wrong it smells lovely, it's just I am not really a fan of body sprays! I also find that it sort of just squirts out at you rather than coming out in a nice mist!

 

I would really recommend this set - it smells amazing, the products are really good quality and on top of that, they're great value too! You can also buy these products seperately in their full sizes, but I have only got the miniatures and although the body wash and body lotion are nearly gone, the minis have lasted me a good 5 months! (Bear in mind though that I have been using other products too, so if you were solely using these they wouldn't last you as long as that!)

 

The set is £7.50 and availabe from Boots.

 

xx

 

 



John Greed £250 Blogger Pandora Challenge!

If you've read through some of my old posts, you will know that I am a huge fan of Pandora Jewellery. I absolutely love my charm bracelet - I think it's so personal, and love that you can make it totally unique to you, with each charm representing something different.

 

I recently saw a tweet from John Greed Jewellery, which is an online stockist of Pandora, which mentioned a blogger competition, and I instantly knew I wanted to enter!

 

Basically, the idea is to design a bracelet using Pandora products on the John Greed website, up to the value of £250. If you win, you win the bracelet you designed! So, here is what I came up with :)

 

 

I chose all of these charms simply because they are charms I would personally wear on my bracelet! I have a traditional silver bracelet already, but I have always liked these leather ones, especially the double leather ones! I chose grey instead of black because I don't wear much black, and prefer a softer colour such as grey! The safety chain for me is a necessity as I wouldn't wear my bracelet without it - it prevents the bracelet from falling off your wrist if the clasp failed for any reason!

 

Breast cancer is a charity which is quite close to my heart, and I love the idea of being able to show your support through a charm. I know a certain percentage of the money paid for this goes to breast cancer charities so even more reason to buy it! The heart cube I just think is amazingly cute, and the openworks heart is one I have often looked at but I just don't think it fits in with my current bracelet so I haven't actually purchased it! Finally, I absolutely love the little gingerbread man, and it's especially perfect for this time of year :)

 

xx



Top Christmas Decorations!

xmas decs

I have seen many bloggers doing this, and I am a huge fan of Christmas and LOVE putting the decorations up! I thought I would share with you my personal favourites this year :)

xx

Weekly Wishlist #14



wishlist

This week's wishlist is a day late as I just didn't have time to schedule it at the weekend, but better late than never as they say!

1. Dior Pure Poison Eau de Parfum
This has been on one of my wishlists in the past but I recently smelt it again and remembered how lovely it is! This is definitely on my Christmas list this year!

2. Urban Decay Vice Palette
I'm not one for eyeshadows, and never got sucked into the hype of the Naked palettes, but this new offering from Urban Decay contains the most gorgeous shades!

3. Khaki Fur Trim Hooded Parka (New Look)
I am in desperate need of a decent coat as it's getting colder and colder and my current coat just isn't keeping me warm! I have always loved parkas, and the classic style means they won't outdate quickly.

4. Black Stud Heel Bar Wedges (New Look)
I am on the lookout for some shoes to wear for my work's Christmas Party in a couple of weeks, and think these are perfect. I can't walk in heels to save my life, and find wedges much easier, so I think I may have to invest in a pair of these!

5. Nails in Hope Floats (Topshop)
I think this may be a new addition to the Topshop Nails collection as I haven't seen it before, but the colours look absolutely gorgeous!

6. Benefit She's So Jetset Kit
I am a massive fan of the kits Benefit do, I think they're a great way to try out the products at a fraction of the price. In this particular set, you get 4 eyeshadows, the POREfessional, they're real! mascara, face powder, lip gloss and a double-ended applicator. If this doesn't sound up your street, Benefit have loads and loads of other kits to choose from!

7. Gunmetal Sequin Skirt (New Look)
This is the sort of thing I would never normally wear, but I actually love it! I think it's perfect for Christmas Parties!

xx