28 June 2012 / , ,

~ NARS: night flight nail polish REVIEW ~

Night Flight - Black with cobalt blue pearls ~ £14 for 15ml
I bought this nail polish a while ago which i featured in one of my haul posts a few months back. I never got round to doing a post about it so i feel that this nail polish deserves a review of its own. As usual, i love the packaging which features that rubbery smooth cap and glass bottle as with all their other foundations etc which makes the brand feel more sleek and luxurious. I bought this colour because it was such a lovely shade which is very unique and interesting since I haven't seen anything like it before. It is a pretty midnight blue colour with alot of different coloured sparkles within it such as silver and purple flexes. Please tell me if you know of a dupe for this colour, as i will be so upset when this dries up or if it runs out...

The formulation is very impressive. It is very opaque and applies smoothly. It also dries relatively quickly which is very good for those who doesn't have the patience to wait till it dries completely before doing anything. One coat is enough to get the desired colour which shows how pigmented and high quality this nail polish is. However, the brush is quite thin and i do prefer a flatter and wider brush for a easier application...but i guess this Nars one does its job. The price is also quite high for a nail polish as with other high-end brands but i think that it is definitely worth the money! It looks so sophisticated on my nails and i feel that it also complements and brightens my skin tone :) If your looking for something a little more expensive and luxurious for your nails, then i do highly recommend this nail polish since i am aware that Nars nail polishes tend to vary in formulation and consistency across the different shades. 

What is your favourite brand of nail polish?
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27 June 2012

Blog Sale :)

Hey everyone :) Blog sale time! <3
Over years of spending my money on cosmetics, i realised that there are many products in my ever growing collection which i do not use anymore mostly due to the fact that that the products didn't work for me, or didn't complement my skin-tone or skin-type very well. So i thought that instead of these just collecting dust, i should sell them to people that can actually get some usage out of them. The pricing i think is reasonable according to the RRP of the product and also the remainder of it and the quality it is in. I have tried to provide the most information that i can and also many pictures for reference.


* This is an ongoing blog sale therefore i will be constantly updating with new stuff :) Keep checking back regularly*
Click here to see if you are interested in any products, or via the tab at the top. All information can be found there~x
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~ Quick tips for when you are in a rush! ~

So this post is dedicated to girls who prefer to get that extra snooze in the morning but then regret it when you are finally up due to the fact that you are faced with the insane rush of getting ready and everything seems to go wrong! So after you've finished your essential bathroom routine it is time to get ready and to be fair, there just is not enough time to spend doing your make-up or hair properly. Yes, i am always in a constant rush from over-sleeping or i forget to set my alarm, so i kind of learnt how to deal with it and make the most of the time i have left and i want to share some quick tips for you girlies:

1. Splash cold water on your face. This not only wakes you up, but it also increases blood flow to your skin and hence prevents water retention and leaves your face less puffy.

2. No time put on your usual liquid foundation? Just put on your favourite primer and if you still feel you need a bit of coverage, i recommend using powder foundation because your less likely to get streaks. I normally brush on my M.A.C mineralise skin finish natural because it provides a medium coverage just enough so i can walk out the house without feeling bare.

3. Eyebrows are also essential to frame your face, so less fuss with the brush and the eyebrow kit or gel products, use a pencil eyebrow pencil instead since it is precise and easy to put on without having to be accurate.

4. If your eyes are bare without eyeshadow, just use a neutral brown eyeshadow and apply with your fingers and smudge it out gently. This will give you a haze of colour and it wont look rubbish because you've smudged it out with your fingers so no harsh edges!

5. To make you feel more awake and less ghastly, put on a tinted lipbalm if you want so you can also hydrate your lips too :)

6. Right, onto hair? not having a good day? you can either tie it up in a bun since you cannot fault that. But what bout the girls that hate putting their hair up...like me. I just spritz a bit of sea salt spray onto the hair and use the hairdryer to heat up my hair and style it into a messy kind of bed head look and maybe finish off with a clip for my fringe.

7. Depending on how much time you have left, maybe some eyeliner? You can use pencil kohl liners, but some of you make like the liquid eyeliner for more precision therefore you can use the hairdryer on the cool setting to blast the liner so it dries quicker and avoids printing.

Thats all for now :) And i apologise for the lack of frequent posts, but i have been busy with interviews and sorting a few things out for my graduation. 
Stay beautiful <3


- Do you have any tips for when your in a hurry? -
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23 June 2012 / , , , ,

~ L'Oreal Telescopic waterproof mascara REVIEW ~



So it is after my exams and i finally have time to relax for a week with my lovely boyfriend and i have packed nicely all ready for the stay. However, shock horror came when i realised that i left my beloved holy grail Lancome hypnose waterproof mascara at home! How can i live without that to give me long lashes for the week?! Therefore i went down to the local boots to browse the make-up shelves for a make-do mascara that i will use temporarily. There were so many brands to choose from and i was overwhelmed. To be fair, i don't usually look into the drugstore mascaras much because i love my Lancome one the most and the results i am delighted with. I finally picked up this mascara which i have heard alot of great things on and i was content that they did a waterproof version which is really important for me. The pricing wasn't too bad, considering some mascaras were not much cheaper. 
The packaging looks sleek and tapered, like a telescope which is quite cute with all the grooves and accents along the shiny silver surfaces. It is quite a nice size to put in your make-up bag too which is a bonus. 

When i got back home, i was really excited to try this mascara up to see if it lives up to my standards and how it compared with my Lancome one since it is practically half it's price. This mascara has a thin rubbery wand with a well separated comb which resembles the Lancome hypnose design. The actual wand is blue so you can see how much of the product you have on it which is quite handy and different to what i usually see. After curling my lashes, i applied this mascara as i would with any other mascaras and i must say that i was very happy with the results :) It did take a little bit longer to build up the length and intensity i wanted my lashes to look compared with my Lancome hypnose, but the final result was worth it. This mascara also held my curl in place for a long time and there were no signs of drooping which i hate, since my eyelashes are already very short and pointing downwards.It provides length but not volume which is a little downfall, but it is appropriate for an everyday mascara and the standard is good for the price that you pay. However, one major point is that i found that this mascara does smudge under the eyes during the day but this maybe just due to my oily eyes. Overall great everyday mascara, great price and packaging. Rating: 3.5/5

What is your favourite drugstore mascara?
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20 June 2012 / , , ,

~The Body Shop Seaweed pore-cleansing facial exfoliator REVIEW~

"This facial polish helps to cleanse pores and rebalance oil.
Exfoliates
Rebalances oil
Refreshing"
- £8.00 for 75ml -

As i have done a post of my Vitamin E facial wash about how much i am liking it, i thought that i would give this product a little review too. I needed a facial exfoliator to use regularly as i find that the 'Origins modern friction' deeply exfoliates and sometimes during the week i need a bit of scrubbing to remove built up dead skin cells too. I picked this one up from the Body shop because there was a really good deal on where if you buy multiple items, you save on however much money like the usual body shop tactics to get you to buy more. At the shop i was contemplating on buying the Vitamin E gentle exfoliator, but when i tried it on my hand, i found that it was a little bit too gentle and i thought that it wouldn't really make much difference. This seaweed facial exfoliator is a gel consistency with little grains of different sizes within and it felt very pleasant on the skin.
I have now been using this every other day as part of my cleansing routine and i have stopped using my usual Origins modern friction and i have already seen and felt some major differences. My skin is more softer to touch and i feel that my make-up applies easier than before where i always had dry patches no matter how much i moisturised. I am happy that i picked this up because it is gentle yet effective and the smell is acceptable too. A little product goes a long way and it feels great using this product. I recommend this product to people who have sensitive skin or have combination skin with minor dry patches. The price is very reasonable for the amount of product and it is also free from animal testing! I am loving the body shop products again lately and i find that they have so many new ranges to choose from as well as their make-up expanding. 

So what is your favourite facial exfoliator?
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18 June 2012 / , ,

~ Body Shop Vitamin-E gentle facial wash REVIEW ~

"Vitamin E gentle facial wash - Creamy skin-caring daily cleanser with built-in antioxidant protection. Rinses away make-up and impurities. ALL SKIN TYPES" - £7.00

Recently, my skin-type has taken a little turning where my oily complexion has changed to a rather dry and dehydrated no matter how much water i drank, therefore i decided i should start investing in a facial wash which is more of a creamy consistency and rich in moisture. I was shopping with my friend and when we went in the body shop, the recommended me this one as she thought that it is very gentle and works very well with her skin leaving it soft and clean without over-stripping the skin from the natural oils. Given that the price of this wasn't too extortionate, i purchased it in the hope that this would help with the dry patches that i have been getting on some areas of my face which is very annoying when applying make-up because the product clings onto the area and emphasises it. The product is in a squeeze tube form which is matte to touch which i like, because it means it won't slip and slide in the shower that easily and provides you with a firm grip. I also like the simplistic pale pink colour of it too and the tube is tall and slim so it is much more convenient to pack when you travel around compared with other face washes that are bulky such as my previous origins one. 

When it came round to using it, i was delighted by the softly scented product that i only needed a tiny amount for my whole face. The consistency was a bit thicker than what i usually experience but once i rinsed off the product, i really felt a sense of hydration to my skin and left it soft and supple, although it may just be placebo to be very honest with you. This product didn't break me out which is a positive point for me seeing that my skin is very picky with products and has a tendency to have big break-outs if the product is not correct. I have been using this facial wash for a couple of weeks now and i must say that it has helped with my dry patches without it being too greasy for my skin. I love the packaging, i love the smell and also it is so much easier using it with my clarisonic because this foams up slightly into a lather as opposed to my usual gel cleansers that doesn't. 

I really recommend this product to people who have oily-combination skin, because i think that it is very good at providing adequate moisture required without being too greasy. I think that this is also excellent in hydrating tired out or dull skin because when you wash the product off, you immediately feel that your skin is clean and soft without it feeling dry. For a body-shop product that is affordable compared with other expensive brands, it is excellent and really does it's job well. It is gentle and doesn't contain harmful chemicals and the best part of it all, is that it is animal-cruelty free since the body shop is highly against animal testing which is slowly becoming a big issue nowadays. 

So what is your favourite facial wash?
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16 June 2012 / ,

~ Nutrition important for skin? ~

No amount of beauty products and skincare can rescue bad skin...well to a certain extent depending on how much foundation and concealer you use to cover up really, but even that will make it look worse sometimes. Breakouts, dry patches, redness and dull skin is really not what you want to wake up to basically! Skin can be improved by a good well-balanced intake of a nutrition as well as drinking enough water. During exam time, my skin was horrible due to the snacks, junk food and the high volume of coffee that i was consuming, therefore this just shows how important eating healthily is and i have learnt my lesson. So in simple terms, your diet has direct impact on the way you look and feel so why not try to consume healthier and more nutritious options. This post i am going to go adress some of the essential vitamins that you can obtain easily from very accessible foods and their beneficial effects:

Vitamin A
 This is important for the generation and renewal of new skin cells - obtained from eggs and dairy

Vitamin B
 This increases fatty acids in the skin (yes i know it sounds a bit gross) and it helps with exfoliation and increases the firmness and elasticity of the skin - obtained from yeast, eggs and veggies.

Vitamin C
 Most well known to help improve your immune system, hence intake more vitamin C when you have a cold or you are generally ill. This vitamin is essential for the generation of collagen that is a protein which gives the skin the structure and elasticity - obtained from citrus fruits, broccoli, berries and tomatoes

Vitamin D
 Needed for development of new skin cells. - obtained from Egg yolks, salmon and dairy products. In addition, it has been found that being in sunlight can generate the production of Vitamin D too.

Vitamin E
 Helps build and maintain healthy skin tissue, i think 'The body shop' has a vitamin E range which is based around keeping skin healthy etc. - obtained from wheat, leafy greens, nuts and whole grains.

FAT
 The dreaded word. Yes it is important to consume fat because it is an essential nutrient for skin and general health. It promotes soft skin and shiny hair - obtained from Olive oil, avocado, some seeds.


Do you think that it is worth eating healthily for better skin?
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12 June 2012 / , ,

~ Bourjois 1 second polish remover REVIEW~

" It's magic power? All you need to do is dip each finger into the sponge, twist and remove. Nail polish is instantly removed without the need for cotton wool"
So i purchased this a while ago and i have used this a fair few times so i can give you guys my opinions on this. For £4.99 from boots, you cannot exactly fault this product and it does it's job. I wouldn't say that it lives up to its 1 second removing standards, but i would say a few seconds? but maybe thats because i usually have so many layers of nail varnishes on. This innovative design is definitely mess free and very convenient too which is what i like about it and wondered why such product hasn't been released until now. The scent of the product is 'Strong' with a slight hint of fruity smells, but it doesn't smell that pleasant to be honest with you and make sure you use this in a well ventilated area because when i use this, sometimes it gives me a headache.
The bottle design itself is pretty cute and sturdy so thats a positive point because you can store it in most places and is very easy to use. However, this is where it goes downhill....I used glitter nail polish.
I have read that glitter polishes doesn't work well with this product but i used very ultra fine sparkle polish, hardly even glitter and it was just a nightmare! Bits of the sponge started tearing off and it was awful and i had no option but to try and be as careful as i can at removing all the varnish off my nails seeing as i didn't have any normal nail polish remover. Now that i have learnt my lesson, i will never use this nail remover when i use sparkly or glittery polishes and it seems that this cannot simply replace the conventional nail polish remover and some cotton wool. I then thought how on earth will i be able to use this if i paint my toes? It was a bit silly of me to think that this product will be holy grail and i will never have to fuss with cotton wool and pouring polish remover out of bottles. Overall, this product is good and does its job and it is definitely a new and unique product in the market and i appreciate the sturdy packaging and reasonable price, but it cannot replace the usual method of removing nail varnish i'm afraid and i think after the novelty has worn off, i will return to the standard nail polish removers.

Have you tried this product? What do you think of it?

~ Follow: Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr || BlogLovin'   ~
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10 June 2012 / , ,

~ My new Ted Baker Shoes~

I have been in love with these shoes ever since they were released! However, during the past months i didn't purchase them just yet seeing that the weather was still quite cold and wet therefore these would not have been suitable at all. Recently there has been some wonderful weather and i thought that it was about time to cave in and buy these gorgeous cute pumps from Ted baker. As i was a student, i would be entitled to a 10% student discount at 'office' shoe store, but they never ever have my size in stock so i was a bit frustrated and disappointed every time. Then, after exams, my mummy and i went shopping and i walked into the actual Ted baker store and asked the sales assistant for my size and she immediately got a pair for me to try. It was all boxed up in this cute little plastic box and as i was trying them on, she told me that they smelt like watermelons too! To be honest, i didn't really want to sniff the shoe in public, therefore i just took her word for it. As you can see, they are a jelly-like material so they are insanely comfortable to wear and i just fell in love with them on my foot so i just had to purchase them. My mum was being generous and paid for them as a post-exam present which was very sweet for her.
So the shoes, they are quite low on the sides so if your not a fan of shoes like that, then this isn't for you. The bows at the front can twist and rotate-which can be a positive or a negative aspect i guess. The price it retails at is £45 which i think can be justifiable for the quality and the cute design of them, although i am sure you can find many similar dupes of these across the market. I am in love with the gold plaque at the back embossed with Ted Baker logo which adds a bit more luxury and elegance to the shoes. They are the most comfortable pumps i have worn and i am sure that they will look amazing in the summer when teamed with a cute summer dress or shorts. The only bad thing is that you really cannot wear black tights with these because they will look a little strange. They also do this shoe in several other colours - the white one looks really nice but i know that it will get dirty very quickly, therefore i opted for the safer option with the black colour. Soon, i am planning to invest in the flip-flops too because they are so pretty and cute!

What do you think of these shoes? Will you buy them?
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8 June 2012 / , , , ,

~ Lancome Hypnose doll eyes Waterproof Mascara REVIEW ~

I got my hands on it finally. I've always wanted to try out this mascara ever since it was released. However, i have always been drawn back by its non-waterproof formulation. It is essential that a mascara is waterproof for me because of my watery eyes and my dead straight lashes that are really stubborn. If i use a normal mascara, my lashes would be weighed down and no matter how much curling i do prior or after the application. I remembered when i discovered how waterproof formula worked, it was the best thing in my life!
Anyway, back to discussing this mascara. The wand is very unique and different from other mascaras offered in the market (that i know of). It is tapered with a narrow tip and a wide base. This shape allows you to achieve a winged out effect with longer lashes on the outer edges which claim to give an illusion of elongated and enlarged eyes, much like a doll hence the name of the mascara. I have always been a fan of Hypnose waterproof mascara so i thought i would try out this doll eyes mascara to see if it lives up to my favourite mascara's standard and whether a change in the brush would make my application easier.
Firstly, i would have to say that the brush is really nice to work with, especially with the tapered narrow side as i could now reach my little tiny lashes on my inner corners of my eyes which is so great and something that i can never do with my current hypnose mascara. The formulation i thought was a little bit drier compared with the Hypnose and when you pull the wand out of the tube, a lot more of product comes out on the wand. Despite the tapered wand making it easier to apply mascara onto my inner lashes, i found that this was counter-balanced by the wide base which made it much more difficult to precisely apply mascara to my outer lashes! I just cannot win with this mascara at all. I have a love hate relationship with this tapered wand and i found that this mascara did not hold the curl of my lashes as well as the hypnose waterproof.
Overall, i think that girls with normal average long lashes would find this mascara a dream to use and work with since i have heard of so many positive reviews from people already. However, if your lashes are straight, stubborn and short, i recommend you to use the hypnose waterproof instead because the formulation is much better and gives slightly better results. Maybe it is because i had so much expectations from this mascara that i was a little bit disappointed in it and really wanted it to be better! 

What is your favourite mascara?
ps. I've just joined twitter. Follow? :) Here~
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5 June 2012 / , , , , ,

~ My post-exam haul~

Upon finishing my last exam, i was determined to catch up on my well deserved shopping which has been lacking due to revision. So this post will be mainly comprised of picture that i took of the stuff and hopefully i can review them in due course to tell you how i got along with them. I hope you enjoy seeing what i picked up and i apologise that this post is very picture heavy!

~First destination: The Body Shop~
+ Mandarin & Tangelo Scented Candle (£10)
+ Vitamin E gentle facial wash - (£7)
+ Seaweed pore-cleansing facial exfoliator - (£8)
+ Lipliner - Rosey Red - (£8)

~Second Destination: M.A.C store~
+ Paintpot - Rubenesque - (£14.50)
+ Lipstick - Speed Dial (Cremesheen formula) (£13.50)

~ Other stores~
H&M Body splash - White ginger + Drops of orange (£1.99 each)

+ Yankee Candles: Midsummers Night + Sparkling Lemon (£18.99 + £15.99)
+ Lancome Galateis Douceur cleanser 200ml - (£21.00)
+ Bourjois 1 second nail polish remover - (£4.99)

New Look: Kelly brooke collection bag (£19.99)

- Do you have any of these items? And what did you buy recently? -

~ PS. I just joined Twitter so it would be amazing if you followed me :) here ~

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4 June 2012 / , ,

~ Me vs Micabella cosmetics ~


Most of you shopper-holics out there may have noticed a make-up stand in shopping centres where their workers desperately try and grab your attention in any possible way....? Yes, the 'Micabella' cosmetic stand. Oh dear, i was casually enjoying my shopping trip where a lady came up to me and started talking about their brand. She was so lovely that it was difficult to walk away, since it was rude to walk away when she was still yapping on about the brand which did not leave me any room to speak. She then lead me to the make-up counter and sat me down (This was when i knew i fell for it, dear lord i will be there for ages and i was glad i wasn't in a hurry). Horrifically, she removed all of my foundation, my favourite Lancome foundation where i applied perfectly in the morning with my primer etc etc. I did not want to imagine what my face looked like without my cover up and especially in a busy shopping centre, i just wanted the ground to swallow me up and i was so angry at myself for giving the lady the opportunity to do this. She toned my face after removing my make-up and moisturised and everything. Then she matched me up with their 'mineral powder foundation' which was apparently 100% minerals, no chemicals or silicones and all the bad stuff. She dispensed a little bit on a piece of tissue and started off by using a small brush to dap at my blemishes, using the product as concealer. After, she used a large fluffy brush to buff into my skin. I wasn't expecting too much to be honest with you since mineral foundations doesn't tend to give me the amount of coverage that i want.

BUT, this is where the amazingness happens...She gave me the mirror and i was wowed. I looked in the mirror and the finish was absolutley amazing and was just so different to my usual liquid foundations and the feel of my skin was as if i had nothing on. It wasn't heavy or cakey and most of all, it didn't accentuate my dry patches in any way. Just a simple flawless finish that looked like i had no or minimal make-up yet covered up my pores nicely. I have always been loving mineral make-up because it claims to be better for the skin and allow it to breathe etc. I used to use my elizabeth arden one where you grind however much you need and i adored it but i never really repurchased it ever-since i've discovered the chanel mat lumiere, therefore i needed a new mineral powder foundation for the upcoming summer where i prefer a lighter face in the boiling weather.
The shock horror came...thinking that this is just a normal make-up counter, surely the price would be less than the big brands out there such as Laura Mercier, bobbi brown etc..but i was wrong. She told me it was £45 but you get a free brush and a free eyeshadow. Woahh, i wasn't expecting that. I really loved the foundation and i did not want the brush anyways since it was average quality and i had many brushes at home anyways. The mineral eyeshadow didn't tickle my fancy too because its such a hassle to work with! I asked her if i can just get the foundation and how much it would be. She was reluctant at first, still trying hard to sell me the brush and eyeshadow too, but eventually she sold just the foundation to me for £35 which was better considering the brush and eyeshadow would have been no use to me anyways.

Overall, the foundation was excellent and the finish it gave i cannot fault and i know i will be using this foundation alot therefore the money was well spent. However, i really hated the selling strategy adopted by the workers because it puts me under alot of pressure and stress even though i understand that they are just trying hard to sell products to customers so they get commission, but still, its unnecessary! On the one hand, i am glad that i discovered a great product, but on the other hand i reckon that the price is a little bit too high and the sales associates are too pushy and rude. It's such a shame because their products are actually not too bad, but sometimes the sales puts people off because they seem too desperate.

Has anybody had experienced with Micabella? if not, would you ever try out the products?
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3 June 2012 / , , , , , ,

~ FOTD #4 Simple Everyday ~

+ F a c e +
- Lancome Teint Idole ultra 24hour || 02 (Review here)
- NARS creme Blush || Cactus flower (Review here)
- M.A.C mineralise skin finish natural || Medium

+ E y e s +
- Bobbi Bown long wear gel liner || Sepia ink
- YSL Long Wear Eye Pencil || Black ink (Review here)
- Lancome hypnose waterproof mascara || noir
- Rimmel eyebrow pencil || 004 black brown

+ L i p s +
- Revlon Lipbutter || Sweet tart (Review here)

x


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