Recent Haul

My bank balance does not like me this month as I’ve not been able to resist the shops. I’ve seen so many beauty bloggers putting themselves on spending bans recently, and I think I may be next! Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some of the products I picked up on my recent shopping spree.

My first stop was at the MAC counter in Selfridges. I literally cannot come away from Mac without purchasing anything. I picked up a new Natural Skinfinish as the shade I have is too light now, an eye pencil in Coffee, a Lipstick in Coral Bliss and two eyeshadows for my palette, Mystery and Black Tied. I love all these products so far and been using them pretty much daily. I was disappointed with the lipstick though, as it broke the first day I used it. Unusual for Mac products. :(

Next stop was Boots. I think we’ve all had moments where we’ve popped in Boots to pick up some lunch and come out having spent a small fortune! I’m guilty of this most days. In this particular visit I picked up an Essie nail polish from the new range in Naughty Nautical, a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Kiss Me Coral, a Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Bashful and a Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Taupe.

I also popped by Tophop to pick up one of their cream blushers. I rarely wear cream blusher, but I absolutely love these from Topshops range. They are so pigmented but blend really well. I got another colour to add to my collection in the shade Afternoon Tea.

The last few products I picked up online from Illamasqua. They had kindly emailed me a 20% discount code, and it would have been rude for me to waste such a discount (or that’s what I tell myself). I decided to try the Hydra Veil after hearing so many positive reviews on this product, so far so good. It definitely withstood the heat test last weekend with the gorgeous weather we’ve been having. I also picked up an eye palette called Complement. It features four eyeshadows, three powder shadows in the shades, Slink, Forgiveness and Queen of the Night, and then a liquid metal shadow in the shade Focus. I wanted to try the Skin Base Foundation, so thought no time better to give it a go. :) I used Illamasquas handy colour chart to see which shade to buy. I managed to match myself nicely using my Mac and NARS shades.

So lots of new products for me to try and test over the next few weeks. I’ll be reviewing any favourites I find out of these, I’m sure they’ll be a few. Has anybody tried any of these? Let me know your thoughts! :)

On a last note, it’s my blogs first birthday next week. I’ll be doing a BIG giveaway in celebration containing some of my all time favourite products. So make sure you keep posted for that!

Colourful Summer Nails

As you may have noticed by my recent tweets and blogs, I've become obsessed with nail varnishes recently. I can't seem to stop myself from buying them! 

I saw a deal on Wowcher a while back for five Essie nail varnishes for £15. Bargain I here you say? Essie polishes are normally £7.99 each!

Top to Bottom - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The website that was offering this great deal was Cosmetics By Candy. They were really quick to arrive and featured mostly colours from last season, but still perfect for this summer. I tried so hard to get my hands on Bikini So Teeny last year but it was sold out everywhere. 

L - R - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The colours that arrived were gorgeous and exactly what I'd buy in the shop. I couldn't wait to try them out. The above nails were painted with 2 coats. The colour is really opaque and gives great shine even without a top coat. 
I'm totally obsessed with Essie polishes, and on this website, even without the deal I got, they sell some for £2.99.  Really amazing value.

Who else is an Essie fan? Favourite colours?

Spring Nails

Even though it's still majorly cold outside, we've seen the beginnings of some sunshine in the past couple of weeks which has certainly got everyone hoping that Spring is finally here.

I've been rethinking my nail polish colours recently to match the brighter weather and get ready for Spring. Pastels are always a popular choice for Spring, and look so pretty with any outfit. 

Here are just a few of the colours I've been enjoying wearing recently. From left to right we have, Essie - Mint Candy Apple, Essie - Miss Fancy Pants, Sally Hansen - Pink a Card, Rimmel - Pear Drop and Essie - Play Date. I'm a big fan of Essie nail varnishes as they do the loveliest colours and seem to last the longest on my nails without chipping.

This is how the colours look with 2 coats of colour and a clear top coat. The colours from the thumb clockwise are, Mint Candy Apple, Pink a Card, Miss Fancy Pants, Play Date and Pear Drop. I use Sally Hansen's Insta Dry or OPI's Rapidry top coats as I hate waiting for my nails to dry and these both work really well for me and don't chip for days.

Recently I picked up this Rock Your Colour top coat in Disco Gold from Rimmel which adds a glittery finish to your nail colour. I think it looks really great and adds that extra sparkle to any colour. Picture above layered over Mint Candy Apple.

I have been buying so many nail varnishes recently, there seem to be so many new formulas released at the moment. What's your favourite spring nails? 

November Favourites

So I'm a bit late of the mark for this post but once again, time has just flown by this month!

So here are the products that I really enjoyed using throughout the month of November.

 It was difficult this month to condense the number down to a few faves as there were so many I enjoyed using this month. November sees the beginning of the 'party season' which normally means lots of outings and different make up looks.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

I used to be quite loyal to my foundation, using Mac's Pro Longwear as a staple part of my daily make up. But in the last couple of months I have enjoyed trying new foundations, and seeing what works best for me. When I heard about Maybelline's new Fit Me range, including a gel foundation, I had to try it. At £7.99, it's an absolute bargain and has several colours so you get the perfect match for your skin tone. I got mine in number 210 which is Sandy Beige. It wears really well and last all day. 

Bobbi Brown's Creamy Corrector

I've wanted this corrector for such a long time, so I bought it in duty free when I went on holiday recently. I absolutely love this product. It absolutely does what it says on the tin, covering all blue tones from under the eye and leaves that area looking so fresh and bright. I use this along with the Bobbi Brown concealer, and the two together are an unbeatable combination.

Benefit They're Real Mascara

I'd heard a lot about this mascara so when I found it on offer on Look Fantastic's website for £13.60, I snapped it up! I have not stopped using this mascara since. It's amazing! It really separates the lashes and if you curl them as well, gives amazing length. For a fuller look I still reach for my YSL Shocking mascara, normally when I'm going out. I love this product, it's great and I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Unite 7 Seconds Detangler

This product is literally a hair miracle, I can't live without it. Please Unite, never discontinue it! :) I use this product after washing my hair. It just takes a few sprays on to towel dried damp hair, leave for 7 seconds, and then brush through. My hair gets really tangled, and it used to be a nightmare to brush. This spray makes it so much easier.

Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Body Lotion

I think most of us are depressed when winter sets in and our summer tans are slowly evaporating. It means we have to work so much harder to look bronzed and drag out all our fake tanning products. I love using this moisturiser but I usually just use it in summer to top up my existing tan. This winter I've been using this as a base daily tan and I love it. It gives a subtle glow which can then be built to a deeper intensive tan for a night out.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter

It's no secret that the Revlon lip butters are an absolute fave of mine. My lips get quite dry and I love how moisturising these are! I have them in several colours, but I have been loving wearing their red shade called 'Candy Apple'. It's a lighter red and has a slight gloss to it. It lasts so well on the lips and looks especially great with a tan. I couldn't stop wearing this while I was on holiday.


Top: Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple /  Bottom: Mac Lustreglass in Flusterose


MAC Lustreglass

I’m normally not a big gloss fan, I usually only use a lipstick on my lips. I saw a swatch of this gloss and thought it looked absolutely gorgeous. It is a light pink gloss with glitter and sparkles in it and really does shine on the lips. It isn’t sticky at all which is great as I hate that with lip glosses. I wore this recently over Mac’s Creme Cup lipstick and they looked so pretty together. Definitely a big fan of this gloss.   

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish

This is another purchase I picked up in Duty Free recently. I actually wanted the Dior Amber Diamond highlighter, but it was out of stock so I picked this up instead. I am SO glad I did, I love it. I use the shade Soft and Gentle which is perfect with just the right amount of shimmer. I use this as a cheek highlight and it gives the makeup look a gorgeous finish. I can’t stop using this, it’s great.

Essie Nail Varnish

I am loving this colour by Essie at the moment, it’s quite an opaque grey colour, and only needs one coat to look great. It’s in the colour Miss Fancy Pants and even though Essie can be a little more expensive that other varnishes they are so worth it. I find these nail colours really last on my nails and rarely chip. I’ve been wearing this colour so much recently as it’s so wintry and goes with anything.  

So there are my November favourites. Sorry they’re so late, it won’t be long till we’re discussing Decembers, and I have so many already! J Have you tried any of these products? What are your current beauty faves?

Budget Caviar Manicure

While in Superdrug picking up some last minute holiday essentials with my friend, we spotted the MUA Nail Constellations. 

These are the perfect budget solution to Ciate's Caviar Manicure. I picked them up in the colour Gemini to test, and I must say, they didn't disappoint. The price difference is amazing, MUA costing a mere £3 compared to Ciate's £18! Although with Ciate's version you do get a matching nail varnish, which you don't with MUA. But any nail varnish works great with these beads. 

I chose to use an Essie nail polish in the colour Bahama Mama. I was really impressed with how easy this manicure was to apply. I envisioned a messy affair, but it was reasonably quick and easy! 

I started by painting my nail with the nail polish, then sprinkled the Nail Constellations all over my nail until it was completely covered. I shook off the excess then moved on to the next nail while it dried. After a couple of minutes, I pressed slightly on the beads to ensure they were all stuck fast.

I really love the finished result, I think they look great, and for the price, it's fantastic! I sprinkled the beads on to my nail over a bowl, that way you can pour the unused beads back in to the bottle. There's enough beads for dozens of applications. I will definitely be purchasing some other colours, they look great for the christmas party season!

Has anyone ever tried either the MUA or Ciate version? One things for sure, I'm definitely sold on the Caviar Manicure.

Mini Boots and Superdrug Haul

I headed in to town to celebrate a friends birthday last friday and ended up having an hour to kill before meeting her. Only one place for it... Boots! So after some browsing (and a majorly long time at the new Ojon stand) I picked up a few items.

Burts Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme

I am really enjoying using this hand creme since purchasing it. It is an incredibly thick formula, therefore more of a night treatment for your hands. It smells gorgeous (reminds me of Christmas for some unknown reason), and i've really noticed a difference in my hands. I smooth this over just before bed time and wake up with lovely soft hands! Perfect.

Essie Nail Polish in Splash of Grenadine

I fell in love with this colour as soon as I saw it. It's so pretty, I had to have it. I think it'll be perfect for an autumn pink as it's a darker plummy shade. I applied two coats and that seemed perfect. I wore this for 4 days, and didn't even chip even without a top coat. I can see myself wearing this colour a lot this autumn.

Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Serum

I was very excited to see Ojon finally had a stand in Boots. After talking to the rep and trying some products out, myself and my friend were sold on this brand. I've been wanting to try there products for a long time, so this was a welcome opporutnity. I have written a full review with my thoughts on both these products, so if you would like to read more on these, you can do so here.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

This product truly is a wonder. We've all been at the point where our nail varnish is chipping, but we just can't be bothered having to sit down with nail polish remover and several cotton pads to take it off. Well this makes life soooo much easier. As it says in the title, this product is truly 'magic'! You basically put your finger in the hole, twist it a couple of times, pull it out, and hey presto... no nail varnish. I literally had my nails "varnish free" within 30 seconds! Wow!

MUA eyeshadow 
Lastly, i just picked up this eyeshadow from MUA. I wanted a really bright white colour for the inner corners of my eyes for a particular look I wanted. I got this in Shade 1, Pearl. It's such a bright shimmery colour and really brightens up the eye area. And for a £1 who can argue?

So that's it for my mini haul this time. Really enjoying using all these products at the moment. Have you tried any? What are your thoughts?