Essie Nail Wraps

If I'm being completely honest my nails usually look a hot mess. I enjoy painting them but never seem to have the time to re-do them every couple of days, so they're often chipped. I figured that nail stickers may help my issues and I've wanted to try them for ages now, but I've heard lots of mixed reviews. With the party season approaching, I thought I'd give them a whirl!

24 Hour Lipsticks - TESTED!

Last week I compared three highly available lipsticks that all claim to last 24 hours. I tested to see which one really is the best long lasting lipstick!
I wore each one for a whole 24 hours (yes even in bed!) to really see if this industrial strength lippie is really worth the hype. I drank lots of tea, ate lots of food, brushed my teeth ...basically everything I would do on a normal day!

Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash - Review & Swatches

Makeup sets are everywhere right now, and although I love seeing all of the limited addition gifts, it can be tricky deciding which one (or two, ...or three) to buy! Palettes and gift sets also make amazing Christmas presents - hint hint friends and family lol!!

If you're looking for something a little different, I stumbled across the Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash. A lipstick gift set is a little daring I know, but hear me out ....here you're getting SIX  lipsticks in a variety of shades which is perfect for the lipstick lover out there, but also great for someone like me who generally isn't that adventurous when it comes to picking lipsticks shades. I like that I get six mini's to play around with, and inspire my makeup looks as well as future lipstick purchases. 

SILVER Sparkly Party Eye Makeup - Max Factor Shimmer Eyeshadow Pearl Metallic

If you read my previous post, you'd know that I recently purchased the new metallic Max Factor Excess Shimmer eye-shadow's in shades Copper and Pearl. Metallics are big right now, and I always love some bling bling around the Christmas season!
Yesterday I focused on creating a gold party look (click here to take a peek), and today I'm focusing on silvers: 

MAX FACTOR EXCESS SHIMMER : PEARL

 

GOLD Glam Party Eyes - NEW Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow

I recently purchased the new metallic Max Factor Excess Shimmer eye-shadow's in shades Copper and Pearl, so I thought I'd create two different glam party looks - today focusing on golds and tomorrow focusing on silvers.

MAX FACTOR EXCESS SHIMMER : COPPER

 

Perfect Winged Eyeliner - Tutorial with video!

I recall being about 12 years old when I became interested in watching my mum doing her makeup. I would sneak a couple of items from her makeup bag and try to apply them before school. Those were the days before YouTube tutorials; I remember buying a magazine just so that I could try and copy the eye-makeup from a Revlon advertisement. 

REVIEW: No 7 Radiant Spheres Highlighter

I spotted this highlighter on Instagram and loved the design (I'm such a sucker for pretty things). I initially thought it was a more expensive brand, so I was really excited when I found out that it was from Boots No 7 range. I really wish I could remember who posted the pic, to say thank you!

LUSH Lovin'

Everyone who knows me, knows that I love Lush. For years my mum has bought me a hamper of Lush goodies every Christmas, and I spend the first half of every year having mainly baths and smelling of roses and lavender.

I love all the amazing scents that are concocted in to their cute handmade products, and I also like the Lush ethos of using fresh and honest ingredients. Plus who doesn't love the fact that they don't test on animals! Hurray!

My favourite way of relaxing is to have a bath. I don't actually stay in it for very long (mainly due to eczema) but I adore the initial sinking into the water and just letting go.

I have MANY favourites (Think Pink bath bomb, Space Girl bath bomb, Dream Cream body lotion to name a few), but I thought I'd share some recent purchases:

TISTY TOSTY BATH BOMB £3.35

This is a floral scented bomb that releases rose buds when dissolved. It also contains oil which is super amazing for dry skin. Plus I just love the look of this one - I have this sat in my bathroom as a decoration at the moment. So cute!

Polka Dot Nails

After experimenting with nail polish and posting the result on Twitter, people seemed interested in how I created the effect, so I thought I'd quickly write a post.

Highlighters, Illuminators and Shimmers

I have a crush on highlighers, illuminators and shimmers. Anyone can wear a highlighter and needn't look like a disco ball; there are plenty of different looks you can create with these products:

Latest Makeup Letdowns

When I love something I will tell everyone in sight ...this doesn't just extend to makeup, this could be anything ...shoes, jewellery, food blender (true story!). Some of my friends say I'd be great in sales - which is funny because it's the one job I 100% couldn't do - purely because in sales you usually have to convince others to buy something even when you don't believe in it, and to me that's sacrilege!

NARS Skin : Double Refining Exfoliator Review

I bought this from ASOS during their one day flash sale. I was so excited when it arrived that I took all my makeup off any tried it straight away! I've never tried NARS skincare products before ...I actually didn't even realise they had a skincare range.

Brighten Up with Highlighting Concealer

Firstly : What is Highlighting Concealer??

It can all be very confusing but in simple terms it's a thin concealer that bounces light to brighten and contour the face. 

A standard concealer has a thicker consistency, and is used to cover blemishes and dark circles under the eyes. A highlighter can cover minor blemishes and circles but the texture is very light so isn't always suitable to help with problem areas.

THANK YOU - 1,000 views!

I started this blog as a hobby; I'm not one for sports (other than walking Teddy) so spending an hour each day writing about my favourite topic seemed like a great way to escape from reality, and practice some writing skills whilst having a good excuse to natter about my love of makeup.

Autumn / Winter Makeup Trends 2014

1. BOLD BROWS  

This certainly isn't a new trend, but apparently it's not going away any time soon. It's NOT okay to forget to pluck the mono-brow, nor is it an invitation to draw two giant slugs above the eyes with a marker pen.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Wild About Beauty Golden Bronzer

 

No matter what time of year it is, I always wear a bronzer. As the weather gets colder and my skin becomes whiter (if that's even possible?!) I turn to my beloved, trusty sunkissed friend for help. 

How To Apply False Eyelashes (the easy way)

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5 Steps to Perfect False Lashes 

Before we begin, make sure you have already applied mascara and you have cut the end of each false lash so that it fits the length of your eye. My last tip before we start is to sit very closely in front of a large mirror and TAKE YOUR TIME.

The Best Drugstore Makeup

Inexpensive Highstreet Makeup Options

I use a wide range of products and still get a thrill whether I'm spending £5 or £50! I've had a look through my collection and these are my fave inexpensive budget beauties: From Left to Right:

1. L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara, £10.99

This is one of my favourite mascara's full stop, it's just a bonus that it's also at the cheaper end of the mascara spectrum. The wand is on the thin side which isn't to everyone's taste, but it stays on all day - no smudging and no flaking. I prefer this over most of the highend mascaras I've tried (which is a lot!).

2. L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstic, £7.99 

Sheer and very soft on the lips; leaves them feeling gorgeously moisturized. This lipstick has the most lovely light texture to it, similar to a tinted lip-balm - but with better coverage! My favourite shade is Dating Coral - warm, soft, pinky coral with a slight orange undertone; Beautiful!

3. Max Factor Bronzing Powder, £6.99

Not only do you get a lot for your money in terms of product size, but this is also an incredible bronzer. It has a very slight shimmer leaving a lovely glow to the face. I sometimes use all over for a bronzed look, or as a light contour for my cheeks, jawline and forehead.

4. L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim, £6.99

This liquid liner is very user friendly; it's in felt- pen format and has a very thin, precise tip which enables a lot of control when trying to create a wing effect. I use this when I'm in a rush and don't have the time to use gel liner. It's quick and easy to use. 

5. MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette, £4.00

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette springs to mind here! By no means are the eye shadow's as pigmented as the Urban Decay, BUT I actually found this to be far better quality than I expected! It has a great selection of colours and at £4.00 it's a bargain!

Finished Look:

Using all the products listed above, including my favourite Revlon Colorstay Foundation:

Image 'highlighted' to show true colour likeness. No other editing.

Makeup Storage

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How to store your makeup |

This is my 'tidy' dresser where I apply the majority of my makeup. Looks lovely and neat doesn't it....

WANT. NEED. LOVE

MY CURRENT WISHLIST |

1. You Beauty Advent Calendar 

I'm Currently Loving

  MY TOP PICKS : November 2014 |

 

1. Purple Nail Varnish

I've had this Barry M Nail Paint for a while now, completely untouched, but with the change in weather I'm loving purples and reds right now, so I dug it out of my nail varnish drawer and hey presto! As usual Barry M is cheap and cheerful, big thumbs up! www.barrym.com

PRODUCT REVIEW: Majorette Blusher, by Benefit

Majorette Cream Blusher, by Benefit

I bought this cream blusher on the release day back in September 2014. I have been using it on and off for a couple of months now and thought it was time to give my verdict. As someone who prefers powder blush, I was interested to see how I got on with it.