Spring Has Sprung

So as daffodils start sprouting and the sun is finally shining, it's really beginning to feel as if spring has finally sprung. With spring I feel the need for brighter, lighter, fresher products are in much need.

Introducing new patterns and colours into my wardrobe slowly to lighten it up in transition for summer. But beauty wise it's a chance to wipe the dust of the pale nail polishes, pull out the pink lipsticks and pull out the florals print clothing.

Something I've been thoroughly enjoying lately is expressing my mood and self with my scent. May sound weird, but a scent can bring amount memories, feelings and emotions attached to them. It's too easy to get stuck in rut, keep going for the scent that you've had for years or the same kind of smell. If you're a musk kinda gal sticking to heavy scents, or if you're used to light floral smells sticking to much of a muchness. But I've tried to expand my collection of perfumes in order to be able to wear different scents with my mood, season, outfit, moment, or occasion.

So here is an insight into a few perfumes I have in my little collection.





Gucci, Bamboo - Quite a heavy musky scent. Definitely a less is more kinda job. With floral tones I like to wear this when I'm feeling 'grown up'. I imagine women who are jet setters, business women, fashion forward trendsetter women smelling like this. As a more expensive brand I tend to save this for special occasions when I'm feeling a little fancy. It lingers so nicely, so no need to splash it on, just a little will go a long way.

Moschino, Pink Bouquet - This perfume is definitely a does what it says on the tin product. Smells so sweet light and packed full of floral scents. It's youthful, fun, fresh, great for the spring and summer and perfect for those who don't like anything heavy. Lasts okay throughout the day, would probably need topping up in all honesty. This is what I imagine Disney Princesses to wear.










Christian Lacroix, Ambre - Fragrant, rich, sultry. This scent reminds me of romantic dinners out, middle eastern vibes in the fragrant undertones. Confident women, beauty and grace. I get an awful lot of comments on this whenever I wear it, whenever I wear this other women comment on how nice it smells. Lasts very well too.











Avon, Luck (for her) - Perfect perfume for those of you who don't like florals and don't like anything too heavy. Still fresh in smell, it has a fun elegance about it. Great for everyday, youthful yet sophisticated. A recommendation by a friend, lovely everyday smell.







If you would like to see anymore of my fragrances from my collection let me know! Until next time, take care.

Feeling Fresh as a Daisy - Avon Cleansing Brush - First Impression.

I have ordered from Avon for many years I used to spend my pocket money as a 12 and 13 year old on their colour club cheap makeup range - perfect for those wanting to experiment with fun colours in their youthful packaging. I spent many a weekend playing and experimenting with cosmetics in the confines of my bedroom with music blaring.

Years later I am still impressed with their products now discovering the wonders of their skin care ranges and slowly becoming a hoarder of Avon scents. Having a best friend who does Avon is awesome; personal, honest and subjective opinions mean great recommendations for products. She has never got it wrong yet. Just goes to show how well she does her job and how Avon products really do deliver.

For quite some time I have lusted after my own Clarisonic Mia sonic face cleanser but could never quite bring myself to pay out the hefty price. At a price bracket of around the £100 mark it is an investment into your skin care routine. One I wasn't sure I could ever justify as my skin care routine in all honesty is a little sporadic. So its safe to say I was pretty chuffed when perusing my friends online brochure one evening, I discovered Avon did a similar concept for just £16.00 with their cleanser gel at £4.00 a grand total of £20 seemed very achievable budget wise compared to the Clarisonic I had once lusted for.

First impression its relatively light weight - very tactile, fits in the hand well and its very straight forward to use. Simply pull the brush and silicon heads off and click them back into place. It has two speed settings. And the pamphlet comes with recommended times for how long you should focus on each section of your face. Simply wet the head of the cleansing brush - add a small amount of gel cleanser I used the same amount as I would toothpaste on a toothbrush - wet again and turn it on using the button. Starting with the forehead allow the rotating head to push the product into your skin.   It works best if you dampen your skin first with luke warm water. Once you have gone over all the skin rinse any residue cleaning gel off your skin. I was left feeling fresh, crazy clean and my skin supple and soft. 

Would highly recommend. Particularly for those who like me are a little lazy with skin care - 30 second job to feeling as fresh as a daisy. I'm going to enjoy this product. I have quite sensitive skin but this was invigorating enough without being too invasive and abrasive. 

If you would like to find this product - ask your local avon representative. 

Love L'Octaine

So the best place to find new products to try out? The magazine isle at the supermarket.

Seriously? ... SERIOUSLY. You get to read a somewhat fashionable magazine, whilst trying out a product for free. Some of the higher branded magazines have larger sample sizes and better brands included as a gift. But if you're looking for a new nail polish brand last month Orly Polish was a gift with I believe Elle magazine, and Instyle Mag were giving away free two L'Octaine Provence products, a Shampoo and a Conditioner.

So here we are. A magazine section at Tesco later. Two L'Octaine en Provence bottles in hand, and a love affair has started.

Back in April I had a 16"pony tail of hair cut off in the name of charity. Since then I've been growing out my pixie crop, and its gotten down to my shoulders. But I have struggled in keeping my hair in good condition. I always find at a certain length when my hands are running through my hair more, I find that my hair becomes more oily, and responds less well to my usual shampoos such as Pantene, Alberto Balsam, and Cien. As my hair grew I found myself washing my hair more often, which is actually bad for the hair, as it strips your hair of the natural oils in it. So I was doing my hair no justice. Its a battle. A battle for glossy tresses.

But when I saw L'Octaine en Provence I HAD to try it. For one it was free, and secondly it was with Instyle Mag which I've never read before. Perfect excuse to spend £2.50 I think.

I have used the Shampoo twice now, (I tend to only condition my hair once a week, otherwise it weighs my hair down.) It is packed full of essential oils, which I thought would only make my hair more oily. But in fact it has worked well for me. My hair feels lighter, bouncier, and more nourished than before. I think it'll also help in trying to wash my hair less.

It smells divine too, which of course is very important. It smells like pouring Ian Snows onto your head, or walking into spa and the smell you experience after a massage, with all that essential oil, and incense. Its a calming scent that feels like you're lapping your hair in luxurious liquid.

I hope this review has encouraged you to scout out the supermarkets for your next favourite product!

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So... Shellac

I recently had a birthday, for which I was treated to my first ever Shellac manicure.

I have been aware of the phenomenon that is the world of Shellac Nails but had always been a little wary of the idea of a polish being on your nails for so long. Weird eh? I just thought that something that sat on the nail for so long could be really damaging, despite what I was being told by reviews and nail techs etc...

I got mine done at Centre Parcs Aqua Sana Spa, by the fabulous Kylie, she is the Nail Specialist at the Whinfell Forest Centre Parcs and is by far the most amazing person I have ever met in the Salon and Beauty industry. She is really passionate and so welcoming - she even remembered me from the year before! Her customer service is second to none and you should deffo give her a visit if you're ever near there. Last year I was there for my birthday and she gave me a bottle of sparkling wine, and a card. Literally how many people ever go that extra mile anymore?

In the short of it, she greatly inspired me to continue with this blog and look at training in nails (more about that another time.)

So back to Shellac. I chose a metallic antique gold colour, which I thought would do for my birthday and would look nice everyday after for as long as it would last. Which is has - I didn't purchase any cuticle oil - which is suggested as it helps preserve the quality of the Shellac, instead I have been rubbing my Bio-Oil into my cuticles at night and that seems to be doing the job just fine.

I have had mine on now for two weeks, and they are still great - no chips no breakage of the nail and still looking as fresh as they did when I first got them done, and I've been doing other peoples manicures since using nail polish remover and other chemicals and they've been unaffected. So very impressed.

The only downside is that my nails grow really quickly so I have perhaps about as much as 1millimetre re-growth that is showing, but I have some ideas to use black polish and do a backwards french mani to help cover the re-growth so I can keep it on for a little longer.

You can remove your own Shellac by soaking your nails in nail polish remover and then gently scraping away the Shellac with a cuticle pusher. But as its my first time using Shellac I want to get it removed by a professional just so I can see it be done exactly, and will be able to then know exactly the technique to use - as I wouldn't want to go ahead and remove it myself to then do it incorrectly and ruin my nails!

I have attached some photos for you - one taken day of my manicure, and the second two weeks later so you can see how its lasted.

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Maybelline Baby Lips - Electro!

So as some of you may know I was obsessed with the Maybelline Baby Lips as they hit America and the wait for them to come to the UK was agonising for me. My sister kindly informed me the other week of a new range of Baby Lips much to my amazement (I didn't believe her at first) there they were Baby Lips Electro just sat in my Superdrug. A lack of funds lately has meant even browsing Superdrug and Boots has been banned from my life.

I've been very bad at keeping up with my trends and beauty items lately so was completely unaware of this new range, so for all I know they are BRAND new but they may well have been in stores for a while now, especially as when I discovered them I purchased some of the last stock they had in store.
These new colours are beautiful and definitely pack a little more punch than the last range. They are still balmy and super moisturising to your lips with a sheer coat of colour to make your lips look lively and luscious. However I have found the formula to feel more buttery than the last range. The original Baby Lips had very much the consistency of lip balm, just your bog standard smooth feeling lip balm, the Electro range feels more buttery along the lines of Revlon Lip Butters but much more light weight. It slips and slides on the lips and frankly feels delish! They are less kiss proof than the original range - so expect sticky lip stains on your drinking glasses, but perhaps this is down to the different consistency? But the feel whilst you wear it, to me is much more luxurious.

All I know is that I'm in love, and with them currently on Buy One get 2nd Half Price in Superdrug I would use that as a good excuse to get trying some. The colours are fab too, great for living out these last days of summer, and bringing you into Autumn.

As always happy shopping and enjoy exploring this product as much as I did.

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Macbook Mad

Are you one of those people glued to some sort of screen all day long?

Well here is the PERFECT beauty accessory for you.

A mini teenie tiny Macbook Pro compact mirror. That way you won't get anxiety about leaving your precious laptop, as you can take it everywhere you go AND fix you makeup with it.

HOW PERFECT!

Came across this find on Amazon - to shop for it follow the link.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Macbook-Notebook-Cosmetic-Compact-KingOfHearts/dp/B007TPFA2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1402411704&sr=1-1&keywords=Mac

Barry M - Lip Paint Review

Barry M are known for their bold colour choices, and their range of Paint - whether it be for your lips or nails. They have great colours at great prices.

I found these few Barry M Lip Paints via my Ebay expeditions and paid a pound or so less than you would in store, but only because I'm a cheap skate and if I can avoid paying full price I will find a way! 

The colours I went for are very bold and I realise not everyone's taste but I think there is at least one shade here that will catch each of your eyes. They are £4.49 from Superdrug and Boots that carry Barry M in store. There is usually a lovely selection of various colours. I like these as they are great for spring and summer and perfect for those who dare to wear a bright lip. 

Unfortunately I do not have the shade names, neither do I have the numbers as mine have worn with wear and tear. But I do believe the bright pink and the orange are still carried in store, but I'm not too certain on the berry shade and the glitter pink. 

As you can see from the swatches the colour pigmentation carries well from Lipstick to skin, and hold for hours well without need for re-application. 

The berry is a rich tone plumy-red, its perfect for a bold daytime and an easy going nighttime wear lipstick. I think this would carry well across skin tones and would suit most people as its an easy to wear colour. Its bold without being too far gone that it would be too bright for some people to carry off. 

The bright pink isn't shown justice in the swatch, it is NEON its perfect for rocking with a tan in Summer and bringing those beach vibes to your makeup look. I am obsessed with this shade but struggle to find occasions at the moment with the weather as it is to wear it, but can't wait for the sun to come and for me to start rocking this bad boy of a Pink again. 

The glitter pink is a more subtle shade, the actual pigmentation isn't that powerful, it is mostly a clear lipstick with a slight sheen of colour and then glitter. It's perfect to add a sparkle for that party do you're attending at work, or if you're into fun makeup! Its very light on the lips and the glitter doesn't get everywhere either! 

And lastly the orange! This is also a bright colour, but less in your face than the pink,  a much more wearable alternative I think. It is easy to wear, although I wouldn't suggest that people with paler complexion that myself try it as I think it might make you look a little paler/ill. I struggle to wear it unless I have some colour as it can wash me out a little, and I consider myself to have fair/porcelain type tone to my complexion. But all the same it is a gorgeous shade and I think those with darker, more tan complexions would look stunning in this! 

So next time you are in the Barry M section of your drugstore make sure you check out the pigments of the Lip Paints as they are beautiful. 

Maybelline Colour Show - Review

Colours left to right:
130 Winter Baby,  282 Glitter, 220 Brocades Range - Knitted Gold, 181 Charged and Ready, 214 Green with Envy, 654 Superpower, 749 Electric Yellow, 118 Urban Coral, 248 Power Red, Brocades Range 224, Brocades Range 221, 198

Maybelline Colour Show, is a super fun collection at a crazy affordable prices. At just £2.99 a bottle it is Maybelline's answer to Barry M. A collection full of fun bold bright colours, with sparkles, and texture to knock your heart out! There is a little something something for everyone, and with regular promotions on their cosmetics you can get more for your money. 

I kindly, being the brilliant blogger I am (just kidding) swatched each colour on my nail art wheel and stuck them to the bottle so you can see exactly how the pigmentation holds from bottle to nail. As you can see, it holds pretty well. Colours are exactly as they appear in the bottle, the texture of the formulation changes with each range. For instance the standard Colour Show range is although quite thin in formulation lovely and smooth and easily build-able and the more coats you apply the colour just gets more rich and shiny! The brocades range, which is a glitter based formulation is a little thicker, designed I believe as a top coat you can apply to colours to add lovely textured glitter look, or for a bold statement you can use them simply on they own using two coats to create party ready nails in no time! 

If you love bold colours and statement nails then this is the collection for you, and it won't by any means break the bank either! So get yourselves down to Superdrug or Boots and get looking. 

Lush Laquer Nail Polish

I fell across this company from youtuber CupcakesandCompacts (a makeup and beauty youtube channel - she has an amazing nail polish collection, check it out!), Lush Laquer is an American based hand-made nail polish company run by Karin and Lexi a self confessed "BEST FRIEND" mother and daughter team, they created this company as a way to spend some quality time together. Karin a costume jewellery designer and Lexi a professional nail art artist collaborated to create the brand, deriving expertise from Lexi's profession.
Having only created their Etsy page just last year the duo had over 500 pending orders when I contacted them, which goes to prove their ever growing popularity. Shipping anywhere in the world Lush Laquer is available to all, however if shipping far away like me to the UK it may be worth getting a few bottles to make it worth while. Due to such high demand in orders and customs shipping times can vary but it is more than worth the wait!
Lush Laquer offers a wide range of beautiful neons, brights, pales and every colour under the sun. Their polishes are infused with flecks of other colours, almost like a speckled egg effect, speckled with flecks of colour or glitter they offer a dynamic burst of colour and shape. Very much like Illamasqua's Speckled nail polish, but Lush Laquer uses the flecks to add dimension and enhance the base colour. Lush Laquer also offer clear glitter top coats with amazing pigmented flecks of glitter. At £6.11 a bottle they come in around the same price as Revlon or high-end drugstore and highstreet polishes. However Lush Laquer offers amazing deals such as any three bottles of polish for £10.18 which for custom handmade polish is very reasonably priced.
I decided on the bottle 'Haywire' an off-white colour with pink undertone with various shaped coloured specks in neon shades of pink, green, yellow orange and blue. The formulation is a good consistency good coverage with one coat. Due to the state of my nails currently I found that a light base coat of white was needed prior to applying Lush Laquer in order to get an even spread with the glitter. But in doing that found the colour popped more and was perfectly distributed. I found that the formulation held up 'chip free' about 3-4 days that included me doing gardening work and other things that would offer plenty of opportunity to chip. So I'm sure that with a good hold top coat would last much longer.
'Haywire' is fast becoming my favourite nail polish out of my 70+ collection. The customer service given at Lush Laquer was brilliant, Karin and Lexi were extremely helpful in answering all my questions and offering continued help in any queries I may have. I received my polish approximately two weeks after purchase, but due to their high demand and the fact it was shipped all the way from the U.S found this highly acceptable.
Highly reccommend you check out the etsy page and explore their beautiful collection for a unique nail polish to add to your collection!
http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/lushlacquer?ref=shop_sugg

Photo Credit: Crystal's Crazy Combos

Smooth Sailing

I recently went on eBay to find Essie nail polish without paying £8.99 a bottle. I know that the colours that come up on eBay won't be the latest ones and I'm fine with that as you can still get your hands on beautiful shades even if they are a year or two old. I like to consider them Essie classics!
I already got my hands on Tour de Finance in T J Hughes for £1.99 and I love it, and now managed to get my hands on Smooth Sailing off of eBay for £1.59, although it is mini size it packs a lot of punch in colour!
A mauve shade with blue undertones its finished with a silver shimmer. Its formula is nice and thick without being gloopy so perfect for a quick one coat if in a rush! Im loving Smooth Sailing.

April Favourites - Beauty Products

So in this post I will go through all the beauty products that I have been really enjoying throughout April.

Starting with skin care, some products I've been really loving this month, is Garnier Skin Naturals Youthful Raidience night cream. I'm a great beleiver in good creams for your skin early on. I may only be 20 years old but its important to look after my skin now so that it remains youthful for longer. I love the garnier cream, I use it after a shower and a little at night, its great at driving moisture into the skin and soaks in quickly. It also smells amazing! The only downside to this I find, is it opens up my pores so found I'm having to use a blackhead scrub along side this as it makes me more subseptable to blackheads, althought its great for my dry skin.
Next for skin care I have Emma Hardie's 'amazing face' cleansing balm. I use this in the shower, wet my face and gently rub this into my face in circular motions, and its just a great   gentle cleanser. My skin feels amazingly fresh and clean prior to use.
A great cheap tinted moisturizer I've been loving is the E.L.F. tinted moisturizer SPF 15. Its very lightweight not the best moisturizer but its great at a very light all over tint for those mornings that you don't fancy bothering with foundation. The best thing about this product has to be the price, the small but mighty tube is £1.50!

Onto makeup products, having been trying to follow the runway trend of using blue and green eyeliners in creative ways I've been attempting to create my own runway inspired looks with Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in Junkie. I got it off eBay for a few pounds, I got the smaller size. It's a great emerald green with a gold glitter to it. I'm really loving this for the product and for the great price I got it for on eBay.
Next is the previously mentioned Along Came Betty All Concealed concealer kit, for a more indepth description check out my previous post.
Another thing I've been loving makeup wise in April is lipgloss, I recently re-discovered a Rimmel London Vinyl Gloss that I purchased in Poundland, I don't know why they come up in Poundland, whether they are un-used testers or a discontinued colour but I'm not complaining, its the real deal and I am loving it.
In terms of makeup brushes I am adoring my new E.L.F small angled brush its amazing for using to fill out your brows or for eyeliner. The next brush is a Real Techniques dupe to their contouring brush, bought on eBay from China, its Joursna Professional Brush, the bristles are super soft and its so much like the Real Techniques and more than half the price.

Finally, body spray or as the americans say body splash from French Connection. I've had it for quite a while now so am unsure as to whether it is still available, however I've been using it more and more lately and love it its a florally musky scent perfect for day and night as its a body spray its lighter than a perfume. The scent is pure and described as a soft oriental scent built around a delicious fusion of violet, pepper, and vanilla notes.

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