Tuesday 31 January 2012

January Haul.

I wasn't very impressed with the sales this year, although I normally never am, but as I was taking the pictures for this post I realised that I did manage to pick up quite a few nice things. I'm thinking of doing a haul post at the end of every month with everything that I have purchased in that month (instead of doing a haul every time I go shopping), would you be interested in seeing that?

Anyway, here is my haul, I can't remember all the prices as I didn't think to keep the price tags, but I have done  my best! I have included links to the things that are still available online.

 Feather Print Dress: LOVE £38.00 £20.00
I adore this dress, I'd had my eye on it for ages but I couldn't justify spending nearly £40 on it, so I was so glad when I saw it in the sale. I have done an OOTN with it here.

 Culottes: Primark via Charity Shop £2.50
So these are actually from a charity shop but I thought that I would include them anyway. They are originally from Atmosphere at Primark and had never been worn! I think they are perfect for Spring/ Summer.

 Skater Dress: New Look £21.99 £11.00
I had always been a bit unsure about skater dresses; I love how they look on other people but I didn't think they would suit me. I tried this on in store and I love it, definitely need to purchase more dresses in this style. I think it's perfect for dressing up or down aswell.

 Skinny Jeans: H&M £19.99 £10.00
I haven't owned a pair of jeans in years now, I usually go for jeggings as I used to find that skinny jeans would never fit right and they would always go baggy around my knees. These fit so well though, and I love how unique they are with the panel design.

Silver Cross Bracelet: ASOS £6.00 (I got it for just £1 with a voucher)
Earrings: Miss Selfridge £5.00 £2.00
Armour Ring: Primark £2.50 £1.00
Aztec Necklace: eBay £2.48

Sweet Snuggles Chocolate Vanilla Hand Cream: Superdrug £0.49
I don't know the original price of this, but when I spotted it in Superdrug for 49p, I thought why the hell not? I had been looking for a hand cream as my hands had been super dry in the cold weather, and this one really isn't bad, and it smells so good!

Lush Australian Igloo Body Scrub: £2.75 £1.37
This is all I picked up in the Lush half price sale. When I went in, I couldn't find anything I really wanted as I already got the Star Dust gift box for Christmas which contained a few of the Christmas Lush products. I wish I had purchased more now though! I haven't used this scrub yet but it smells gorgeous!


I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have done a January Sales post, feel free to link me to it, I'd love to see what you bought :)

Monday 30 January 2012

100 Things: 71- 80

Part eight of my series of 100 things that I love/ that make me happy :)
(Pictures from WeHeartIt)


71. Hearing good news

72. Creme Eggs
73. Songs which you can relate to the lyrics

74. My iPhone
75. Holding hands

76. Sunny days

77. Pretty tattoos
78. Having smooth legs

79. Acoustic versions of heavy songs

80. Cafe Mochas

If you do a series similar to this, link me to it, I'd love to read it :)

Sunday 29 January 2012

NOTD #6: Barry M Silver Cascade

I haven't done a NOTD post in a while, so here is another difficult to photograph polish for you that I wore last night with the outfit I wore in the OOTN I posted earlier. I got Barry M's Silver Cascade for Christmas from my grandparents along with a couple of others (Mushroom and Dusky Mauve). It is a sheer pink based nail polish with lots of tiny silver glitter with bits of red and blue. It is supposed to be a near dupe of O.P.I's Mad as a Hatter.




You can probably achieve opacity with this polish in about three or four coats, but I prefer to just layer two coats on top of another polish. This is my most favourite combination that I have tried so far. I picked up the Next "Oh So Nails" polish in Metal for £1 in the Next sale. It is a lovely metalic gunmetal colour and looks stunning (in my opinion) with Silver Cascade over the top of it. I find Silver Cascade quite easy to apply, the glitter distributes itself quite nicely and the drying time isn't too long.

Unfortunately, I think that Silver Cascade is a discontinued polish. However, if you do a quick search on eBay, I'm sure you will find a few sellers :)

 

Do you have Barry M's Silver Cascade? What is your favourite glitter nail polish?

OOTN #2

I went out for a friend's birthday last night and quickly snapped a few outfit pictures before I went out. I originally wanted to wear this shirt tucked in to a pair of shorts but me being me, I left my shorts at my flat at uni so I had to settle with wearing leggings instead.




Blouse: Charity Shop
Leggings: Primark
Shoes: Desire
Earrings: Coleyyyful
Bracelet: ASOS
Bag: Primark


I hope you enjoyed this post! :)


Saturday 28 January 2012

Review and Swatches: Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Creams

This review was requested last month, so to everybody who requested it, I'm sorry about the delay! 
I tried the Angel Delight lip cream back in October, and have raved about it since. Since then, I have purchased and tried out all the other colours so here is a full review of them all, with swatches (I apologise for the sloppy application in my pictures, I was in a hurry to get the photos done before it got dark haha).

 L-R: 1. Cotton Candy, 2. Powder Puff, 3. Fairy Cake, 4. Angel Delight

 L-R: 1. Cotton Candy, 2. Powder Puff, 3. Fairy Cake, 4. Angel Delight

 
 1. Cotton Candy
This is a lovely blue- toned pink colour. It is very pigmented and only takes one coat to get pretty Barbie pink lips.

 2. Powder Puff
This is the one that I am least impressed with, but I do think it could work for other people. I wish that I could give it a good review because it is actually a lovely nude colour that is perfect for my skin tone. It might be because it is a pale colour and there is less pigment in it, or it might be the fact that my lips are already quite pigmented, but the colour just didn't want to show up on my lips. The above picture took a few goes of applying, waiting for it to dry and then applying again. I also found that it clung to all the dry bits on my lips. Not attractive. I think this is better for people with a naturally paler lip colour.

3. Fairy Cake
I love this colour and I think I will get a lot of use out of it in Spring/ Summer. It is a very pretty coral pink colour. It is slightly more orange-toned than what is showing up on the photograph (see the swatch at the top for a more accurate representation), but it isn't over-powering and doesn't make your teeth look yellow. It is also very pigmented and the colour shows up nicely in one coat.

 4. Angel Delight.
This is my most used colour, and the first one I tried. I have loved using it over the winter months as it is natural, but not too pale like Powder Puff which could make me look a bit lifeless. It looks a little bit scary in the tube, at first I wondered if I would look a little bit odd wearing a brown lip colour, but it is actually really subtle, just a darker nude colour.

What I love the most about Cream Puffs is that they are matte (my favourite lipstick formulation) but they are also very moisurising. With the exception of Powder Puff, none of these cling to the dry, flaky bits of my lips. When applying them, however, they can be quite streaky, so the best way I find to apply them is not to just swipe the wand across your lips, but to use it to dab the product on and then dab it in to your lips with your finger.
These lip creams have a very sweet, vanilla-y smell, which doesn't bother me, I think it is quite nice, but of course it isn't for everybody.
Cream Puffs aren't the most long-lasting of lip products, but I guess that is reflected in the price. You will get a good 2-3 hours wear before it needs reapplying.

Collection 2000 Cream Puffs are normally just £2.99 each so they are very affordable and I definitely recommend that you try them out, but they are on offer in Superdrug at the moment at 2 for £4.99 (and 2 for £5 in Boots) so if you want to try out a couple of the colours, now is the best time to purchase them!

Or, if you fancy the chance of winning Fairy Cake and Cotton Candy, they are included as part of the prize for my giveaway, which you can enter here! :)

Have you tried the Collection 2000 Cream Puffs?

Review: EAU THERMALE Avene Skincare.

Last month, I won a giveaway that Serenity of Beauty held with EAU THERMALE Avene, and I was sent these three skincare products;

  • Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser
  • Gentle Toner
  • Hydrance Optimale UV Light SPF 20 Hydrating Cream
I haven't seen very many reviews or mentions of Avene products around the blogging world so I thought I would try these products out and review them for anybody who may be looking to try a new skincare brand.

Here is a little bit about Avene:
EAU THERMALE Avène is a unique French dermo-cosmetic brand dedicated to each level of skin sensitivity; from sensitive, intolerant to allergic.  Each product contains the Avène Thermal Spring Water, a unique ingredient whose properties have been endorsed by dermatologists over the years.


I have been using these products in place of my usual Liz Earle skincare for just over a month now, and here is what I think.


Cleanance Soapless Cleanser (For oily, blemish- prone skin) 200ml £8.25
 After discovering my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, I was a bit sceptical about switching to this one, unsure whether a 'lather-and-rinse' cleanser could leave my skin feeling as clean as it feels when I use my muslin cloth to polish off the Liz Earle cleanser. However, I was quite impressed. This lathers up really nicely, and a little goes a long way, you can see in the photograph a month's usage, so I think this is going to last me a long while. It is also soapless, meaning that it won't dry your skin out. It does a great job of removing make-up and leaves my skin feeling very clean; I don't find any excess make-up on the cotton pad when I use toner afterwards. I have been suffering from a lot of blemishes on my skin recently, due to stress, and this has really helped clear them up. One thing I don't like about this cleanser, however, is the smell. It isn't necessarily a bad smell, it just has a very strong soapy scent, which is a bit strange considering it is soap free, I was expecting there to be very little fragrance. Apart from that, I give this product a thumbs up.


Gentle Toner (For dry and very dry sensitive skin) 200ml £11.50 
I really like this toner. It separates so you have to shake it before use and then use a cotton wool pad to apply the product to your face. It is really cool and refreshing on the skin, and it feels gentle, you can tell that there is no alcohol in it and it is very moisturising. This has the same soapy smell as the cleanser, but it is nowhere near as strong. As you can see in the photo, this product doesn't seem to last as long as the cleanser, which is a little bit annoying as it is a bit more expensive, but I think that is a fault when it comes to most toners, they are usually in squirty bottles like this one which makes it hard to control how much product you are using.


Hydrance Optimale UV Light SPF 20 Hydrating Cream (For normal to combination sensitive skin) 40ml £14.50
I find it difficult to review moisturisers as as long as they are light, they usually work okay for me (heavy ones some times break me out). I was glad to see that this one is a light moisturiser, and it has SPF 20 which is always a big plus. It has a nice, creamy consistency and sinks into the skin well when I rub it in. Likewise to the other products, it has that odd, soapy scent, but it isn't as strong as it is in the cleansing gel.

Overall, I do think that EAU THERMALE Avene is quite a good skin care brand. I like that they cater for all the different skin types, and also that all their products are paraben free. I don't think I like them better than my Liz Earle skin care products, but honestly, I think it may only be the smell that is putting me off, I do much prefer the herbal scent of the Liz Earle products. I am considering repurchasing the toner when I run out as I really do like it, and I am willing to pay the £11.50 price tag for it. I would recommend that you take a look at their range if you have sensitive skin and you can look past the soapy smell, as it looks as though they will have something to suit even the most sensitive skin. Avene products are available in Boots and range between £5 and £25.

Have you tried any Avene products?


    Wednesday 25 January 2012

    Enter My Giveaway! *Now closed*

    Hey girls :)

    I haven't been able to write a proper blog post the last couple of days due to an assignment deadline which is due tomorrow. I promise I will be blogging like my life depends on it once my work is submitted though :)
    To make up for it, I popped into town after class today and finally bought the prizes for my giveaway! My initial plan was to have this giveaway when I reached 100 followers, but then life got in the way and I had to take a break from blogging, so I never got round to it :( But it is here now and I hope you all enter! :)

    Here is what you could win!


    • Two Collection 2000 Cream Puffs (Fairy Cake and Cotton Candy)
    • Two MUA Single Eyeshadows (Shade 11 and Shade 12)
    • MUA 3 in 1 Extreme Contour Eye Pencil (Black)
    • Multicoloured Gem Nail Art Wheel
    • Montagne Jeaunesse Strawberry Souffle Face Mask
    • Two Pairs of Earrings of Your Choice From My Shop (Not Pictured)
    • A Few Mystery Bits and Bobs that I will throw in ;)

        All that you have to do to enter is be a follower of my blog via GFC (new followers are welcome) and fill in the form below- There are plenty of opportunities for extra entries! :)
        The giveaway will run for two weeks and will end on February 8, 2012.
        Open Internationally!

        This is a thank you to everybody for supporting me and reading my blog :) Good luck!


        Monday 23 January 2012

        Review: Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

        I had never tried a gel eyeliner before this and I was interested in giving one a go after getting fed up of all my pencil eyeliners smudging after half an hour of wear, and my liquid eyeliners flaking or having rubbish applicators. I didn't want to get a really expensive one in case I didn't like it, so I did my research and asked my grandparents to get me the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (try saying that five times over) in Black for Christmas.


        I have to say, I don't think I will be going back to pencil or liquid eyeliners any time soon! I had seen so many people on blogger saying that gel eyeliners are much easier to apply than liquid, and I found it hard to believe, but it's true! This glides on so smoothly and the brush that comes with it is actually quite good, it is thin and quite stiff so that you can draw a precise line, perfect if you're like me and you like to wing your eyeliner. You have to make sure you clean the brush regularly though, otherwise the gel will dry on it making it hard, which can feel scratchy on your eyelids.

        I really like the packaging of this product; the frosted glass pot makes it look more expensive than it actually is. The pot makes it seem like there is more product than there actually is though, however, this doesn't really bother me as a tiny amount of product goes a long way, so I think that it will be a while before I need to repurchase.

         

        The formula is quite thick and creamy, and it is well pigmented so you only need to dab your brush in to the product to be able to line one eye. 
        This eyeliner claims to get you through 24 hours of wear. Personally, I don't know anybody who would wear their make-up for 24 hours, but I definitely think that this will stay on for as long as you need it to. Once it dries after application it doesn't budge, unless you excessively rub your eyes. However, it comes off easily with a bit of make-up remover.

        Maybelline also claims that this eyeliner is:
          • Safe for sensitive eyes and ophthalmologist-tested
        • Contact lens safe


        One of the problems that I see people talking about regarding gel eyeliners is that they can dry up. I can't really comment on that as I have only had this product for around a month, but I can report that it doesn't seem to have dried up at all so far, so just make sure you screw the lid back on tightly after each application!

        This gel eyeliner usually costs about £7.99 in Boots and Superdrug, however it is currently on offer in Superdrug for just £5.99, saving you £2.00! I don't know how long this offer will last so I would definitely purchase it now if you want to try it out! It is also available in three other shades; Brown, Charcoal and Eggplant.


        Have you tried Maybelline's gel eyeliner or a gel eyeliner from another brand? Do you rate them more than pencil and liquid eyeliners?

        Sunday 22 January 2012

        100 Things: 61- 70

        It's been a while since I added to this series, so here is part seven of the 100 Things I love/ that make me happy :)
        (Pictures from We Heart It)

        61. Disney

        62. Nando's

        63. Finding things I thought I had lost

        64. Waking up and realising that I still have a few hours before my alarm.

        65. Weddings

        66. Romance
        67. Seafood

        68. Watching TV programmes from my childhood

        69. Reading comments from my readers

        70. Submitting an assignment

        If any of you do a series like this on your blog, be sure to link me to it, I'd love to read it :)