I've been a busy bee! (OOTN)

I'm sorry I haven't been posting recently this month has been CRAZY! There's been tons of birthdays and with it being Christmas soon I've been working loads to get extra pennies for gifts. I have a few posts in the pipe line, however which I'll have up as soon as I have the time - I don't want to post half heartedly!
I did however want to share with you what I wore last Friday night for a friends birthday, I loved my outfit, even though it was so simple.

Sorry about the bad quality picture (I'm in the centre)

I looked very casual compared to everyone else but I felt really comfortable in what I was wearing!

• Leather jacket (not pictured) H&M - I can't actually find this online so here is a link to one similar :)
• White vest top New Look - Link
• Hollister Jeans - Link
• Black cut out wedges - Similar ones available on Boohoo
• Alexander McQueen scarf - Link

I can honestly say this outfit was a lot more drunk friendly than my other options! 

I kept my hair and make up really simple wearing some false lashes, a little eye liner, bronzer and MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick.

The best friend (L) - Me (R)

Eyelash Junkie's Heaven!

You all know I'm a lover of fake eyelashes so you can imagine, I'm sure, just how happy I was when I found a fabulous website offering quality lashes from just 99p! Too good to be true? I thought the same, usually when things retail at such a low price the P&P charges are extortionate. Again, not the case P&P charges start from standard 2nd class postage for FREE! The website: Eyelash Palace (link) doesn't just sell false eyelashes it also sells a wide range of accessories, also at amazing prices!

I'm going to share with you my 2nd order from Eyelash Palace, that's right I loved my first order so much I went back again!

As you can see one pair of lashes (left) has a MAC sticker, however these lashes are not advertised as MAC on the site so it seems to be an unintentional mistake. Whilst I'm aware this may put off some it doesn't really bother me as I  love the lashes.

Don't get me wrong, these aren't the best quality lashes in the world but they're far better than you'd expect for 99p each. They do have a slight plastic-y feel to them but once you're wearing them this isn't at all obvious. They're also re-usable. 

Some of the lashes do come with a little tube of glue but I haven't used it as I have an amazing eyelash glue which I swear by (post coming soon!).

So far I've worn the 107 Lashes (the ones labelled MAC) so here are a few pictures for you to check them out for yourself.

I love these lashes, and they're becoming a fast favourite. Where do you get your lashes from?

Sunkissed FOTD

Before I start this post, you may have noticed that a few recent posts are missing. I have deleted various posts which I will repost in the duration of this week, mostly because recently when I've blogged I haven't really put much effort into it - mostly because I seem to have been posting more for the sake of it than actually wanting to sit down and blog. So, I apologise about that and should be back to blogging as normal!


Recently, due to getting a little handy with the Piz Buen I've had to change my every day make up, yes I know it's winter but there's nothing wrong with being a little "sunkissed" all year round ;)

As I'm a NC15 usually all of my foundations are super pale so my Chanel Bronze Universal has been a god send in terms of making my skin that little bit darker. I used flash when taking the picture so it does look as though my face is a lot darker than my neck, I can assure you that this is not the case!

I've literally been rocking this same look for around 2 weeks now, I love it! In case you were wondering about the products I'm using:

• Diorskin Nude liquid foundation (shade 010)
• MAC MSFN "Light"
• Sleek Luminaire concealer L01
• Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer palette
• Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel
• Nars Laguna Bronzer (as a contour)
• MAC L/E Mineralize blush "Cheek and Cheerful"
• MAC L/E Semi-Precious "Crystal Pink" MSF (as a highlight)
• Guerlain Meteorites Perles "Teint Rose 01"
• Dollywink Liquid Liner/Bobbi Brown Gel Liner (Black)
• Fake Eyelashes (which I'll post about very soon!)
• Lanolips/Jill Stuart Lip balm

Although it looks as though I've used loads of products this is such an effortless but (in my opinion) effective look. I absolutely love, love, love the combination I've used on my cheeks, it's just so pretty. This is by no means a matte look, however it's also not reminiscent of a glitter ball either. 

What do you think? Is fake tan in the winter a no-no? 

Beauty Bargain: Powda Wowza

One of the things I love the most about Christmas are the amazing cosmetics/beauty sets you can get at faaabulous prices. Of course these are intended to be purchased as gifts but there's no rule against buying gifts for yourself! Whilst in a particularly self pitying and stropping mood on my break from work I passed the benefit counter (I say passed, I fully intended to go there but I like to justify presents to myself by claiming that it caught my eye or that it was the last one there...) and picked up this little beauty;

I was pretty shocked at how teeny-tiny this is, but for £19.50 it's a bargain, it had caught my eye on ASOS but it wasn't until reading Yu's post that I decided it just had to be mine!

The set contains mini 3 gram versions of Benefit's most popular boxed powders; Coralista, Bella Bamba and Hoola and also a mini brush. A little note on the brush, some hate this others don't really mind it I personally don't like it as I find it leaves me looking a little stripy - however that could purely be down to lack of skill on my behalf.

I have wanted to try the much hyped Coralista blush for a long time and after having Balla Bamba applied (if you can use the word applied, I was basically attacked with it) at a benefit counter it's been on my "to buy" list for ages. I wasn't too fussed about Hoola, it's a product many love but I have my HG bronzer (Chanel Bronze Universal) I haven't really used Hoola as a bronzer just yet however as it's matte I've been using it as a contour shade and so far I like it, due to the tone however I think I'd have to use a light hand if using it as a bronzer as I am very pale.

Top - Bottom: Hoola, Bella Bamba, Coralista

They're such gorgeous shades, I'm glad now that I didn't fork out the £23.50 for full sized versions of these products as although I'm only getting 3 grams in this set it's highly unlikely (at least with my ever growing blush collection - call me obsessed) that I'll use these up! I can see this being a great product to take on holiday as it's so compact!

Do you have Sex Appeal?

Now, if you follow me on twitter I'm sure you'll have noticed that I have been extremely excited about a certain package from Nars and it arrived today! I ordered 2 products the first of which I shall show you now.

It was a bit of a blind purchase as I was intending to buy "Deep Throat" (oh Nars...) however it was sold out both on the Nars Website and ASOS so I purchased this one instead as it's just so pretty and I liked the look of it from the (few) online swatches I managed to find.

The blush is a matte peach with a hint of pink, it's quite chalky and extremely pale. It's a buildable colour, by no means sheer however I think this blush would only be suitable for those with pale skin (I for example am NC15 and it gives me a subtle glow). This is definitely a natural glow-y blush, something which makes you look healthy and radiant rather than providing you with a stand-out look.

I'm not sure if you can even see the swatch, it's such a pale blush that it was incredibly hard to capture on camera (I took about 20 pictures and this was the best of the bunch!)

Please excuse the disgrace that is my eyebrows :(

As you can see the blush translates a lot better on my face, the picture was taken with flash in order to try and give you a better idea of how it looks. I'm happy I bought this blush as it makes me look glow-y and healthy, something which isn't so easy when you're as pale as me! It's also the perfect blush for when you're doing a very stand out smokey eye or something similar as it's effect is extremely subtle. 

This blush costs £20.50 however if you buy Nars cosmetics of ASOS you're eligible to 10% student discount with a valid NUS card.

Orly Mini's & NOTD

I recently read a post in which "Rage" by Orly was featured and I completely fell in love. I googled it right away to see where I could get it and to my surprise I found it on Cheapsmells! Admittedly I only found the mini 5.3 ml version but for £3.95 I couldn't pass it up!

I bought 2 polishes available "Rage" a beautiful rose gold (apparently a dupe for MAC's L/E Soiree nail lacquer) and "VIP" a gorgeous glittery pink. I did notice however that although both polishes were bought from the same site the packaging is slightly different, "Rage" contains 5.3ml whilst "VIP" contains 5.4ml of product. The symbols on the back are also different, this may be due to the polishes coming from a different batch.

I haven't used VIP yet, but judging by a quick swatch it seems more suitable as a top coat than a colour in itself. I have however been loving Rage and haven't taken it off since it arrived!

Excuse the *ahem* less than perfect nails.

Di Palomo "White Grape" Inspired by Italy Skincare

I was recently contacted and asked to review 2 products from the Di Palomo "White grape" skin care range, I hadn't previously heard of the brand but after a little research it seemed like these products would be right up my street. I have to be extremely fussy when it comes to skincare, not through choice but because I have extremely sensitive skin and I can say, thank fully I have not experienced any sort of irritation when using these products.
I was sent a Bath and Shower Creme and a Body butter from the range;

Both products contain Aloe and Di Palomo describe the products to be soothing because of this ingredient, I must say they do feel lovely on the skin. I love the smell of the products, they have a subtle grape smell which is not at all artificial, after using these products I feel like I smell clean, something which is hard to achieve with heavily perfumed products. 

The Bath and Shower creme is in itself extremely moisturising and feels lovely to use. 

Hopefully the picture above illustrates the texture of the Body Butter, it's a hard texture that melts onto your skin through the heat of your hands, it's lovely and extremely moisturising and a little goes a long way. The only flaw is that it does take a little work to actually soften up the Body Butter on your skin however that can easily be solved by just working it into your hands a little before hand to warm it up slightly. 

The products are priced mid-range at £9 for the Bath and Shower Creme (250ml) and £15 for the Body Butter (200ml). As much as I like these products I'm sure that cheaper alternatives could be found so I'm not sure I'd repurchase both products. I'd be more tempted to repurchase the Bath and Shower Creme however as it does leave your skin feeling lovely in a way that many body washes don't. 

I also have to comment on how beautifully the products were packaged, you definitely get your money's worth in terms of luxury packaging and attention to detail.

A Beauty Blogger's Dilemma

I like to buy pretty things, especially pretty limited edition make up items however after a conversation with a friend concerning one item in particular I have come to the conclusion that maybe I'm just wasting money...

Do you recognise this box? I featured this product in a haul a while back which you can read here. Now don't get me wrong I'm not going to pretend that I am sensible with money because I am not, hours after getting paid my bank balance again be back to a comfortable 37p or so and I resign myself to being poor until I next get paid, this is my life I would change it but I like buying myself presents too much. The problem with this particular present to myself? It's too pretty to use!

I'm all up for buying things that I don't necessarily need as I can justify such items by saying that I will use said items. I haven't used this though, so it feels extremely wasteful. 

So ladies (and boys) what should I do? Keep forgetting this I have this little beauty or just bite the bullet and use it?

Decisions, decisions.

October Favourites!

I have quite a few favourites to share with you as (being boring as usual) I pretty much did my make up exactly the same every day in October with only a few variables. I know a lot of these products have featured in previous favourites posts but I just love them!

Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream, Etude House Precious Mineral Make Up Essence, Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette, Sleek Luminaire Concealer.

I wont talk too much about the two Etude House products as I recently reviewed them so if you're interested you can read what I think of the BB Cream here and the Make up Essence/Primer here. I'm really loving using these two products together as it leaves my skin looking naturally flawless.
I've been meaning to post about the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette since I received so expect a post soon! I love this, it includes three concealer shades (a light concealer for blemishes, a peach-toned concealer and a green-toned concealer) and a setting powder. I love the creaminess of these concealers, they're so easy to blend and offer great coverage.
I use my Sleek Luminaire concealer under my eyes every single day, it's brilliant - under the eyes it gives the same effect of YSL Touche Eclat but is a fraction of the price, it conceals and illuminates under eye circles amazingly!

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel, MAC L/E MSF "Crystal Pink", MAC Matte Blush "Melba"

Since dying my hair brown I've been using my Soleil Tan De Chanel every day to warm up my complexion so I don't look too washed out. It gives a lovely, subtle, sun kissed look which is very dewy and natural looking. Bronzers are quite hit and miss for me as I'm very pale but I feel like I can pile this stuff on and still not look like I've been tangoed! 

I fell in love with the "Crystal Pink" MSF when it was released with the semi-precious collection was released as it is extremely pretty however I didn't reach for it very often. I have since dug it out and started using it as a highlight over Soleil Tan de Chanel as they make a very lovely pair!

Gosh I seem to be piling it on this month! My final cheek product is MAC's Blush in the shade Melba it's a lovely, natural colour which looks so pretty!

Inglot Freedom Palette, Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara, Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner, Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara.

I was so excited when Inglot started shipping to the UK but as I had to rely on online swatches when choosing my shadows I was quite nervous about whether I'd actually like my palette (click here if you would like to see swatches). I was over the moon when it did arrive though, the colours are so gorgeous and I'm definitely going to order again! Oh and if you were wondering, I prefer my Inglot shadows to my MAC shadows, they are as good as everyone says!
I've been using mascara quite a lot recently due to my excessive use of fake eyelashes resulting in gaps in my real eyelashes :( I'm not really one for subtle lashes, I like them big so I've been pairing Bourjois Volume Clubbing mascara and Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara surprisingly I love the effect they have on my lashes as you'd think they'd just end up in a big clumpy mess!
I've also been using my Dolly wink liquid liner quite a lot as it's so quick and fuss free! It's such a deep black and you get a lovely precise line.

MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Russian Red.

I've been going for a bright lip recently and I've alternated between MAC's Vegas Volt and Russian Red. I love how a bright lip transforms a boring look, it's so effortless and gives the impression you've spent a lot more time on your look than you really have!

So, that was quite a long winded one wasn't it! What have you been loving this month?

Paul and Joe Beaute L/E Manhattan Collection Lipstick

How cute is the packaging?! You might recognise this from a haul I posted quite a while back, you can read that here if you're interested. The Paul and Joe Beaute range is so pretty, I think that's the appeal of it most of the time. Although I love the packaging I don't like that it's cardboard as opposed to the standard plastic lipstick bullet, it's gorgeous but just seems like it would get scuffed and battered easily.
On to the actual product!

It's so lovely, isn't it? I bought the shade 073 Uptown Girl as it looked the most wearable of the three shades available, I often go for safer, foolproof shades when shopping online as there I have no access to a Paul and Joe counter.
The colour is a lovely peachy-pink very pretty and very wearable.

The finish is lovely, similar to my favourite MAC lipstick formula "cremesheen" it's slightly glossy but extremely pigmented, this lipstick is extremely hydrating, it feels lovely on. It has quite a subtle scent, it smells like sweets  which I know wont appeal to all however it isn't over powering and there is no flavour to it.

It's so pretty! I don't tend to reach for this often as I'm scared of just popping it into my bag in case it gets ruined but the colour is lovely. I think I'm going to start using this a lot more than I already do, I forget how much I like it until I put it on!
Although L/E this lipstick is still available from ASOS and Beautybay. RRP £15.

Blogsale: MAC, Benefit, Urban Decay & more

I desperately need to get rid of some make up/beauty products which I don't use very often/at all which were getting neglected.

Terms and Conditions.

• Postage will range from £1.50 to £3 for 1st class depending on how many items you buy/weight.
• No returns/refunds so if you are unsure and would like to see swatches or get a little more information on the product then please don't hesitate to ask, I don't mind at all!
• Payment made by pay pal (gift) only and within 24 hours of me sending the invoice to you.
• Comment below with the item(s) you are interested in and your email address so I can contact you regarding your postal address/payment.
• UK ONLY.

So, lets get to it then!

1.Simple "smoothing facial scrub" £1 (never used)

2.TIGI "love peace and the planet" Cherry Almond firm hold hair spray £2 (used once, love the bottle, hate the smell!) PENDING

3.Simple "vital vitamin day cream" £1 (never used)

4.Soap and Glory "hand food, hand cream" £1 used a couple of times (125 ml)

5. Heroine Make Kiss Me L/E mascara and mascara remover set (Used a couple of times, IN BOX) £6.50 *Asian product

6. Benefit "celebutante" L/E set, contains: *Mini* Benetint (50% used) High beam (100% used) Lipstick x2 "no competition" "ladies choice" (both swatched a few times) Lipgloss "I'm with the band" (used Once), Eyeshadows x2 "Leggy" "Dandy Brandy" (Both used quite a few times) Dallas Blush (used quite a few times) and a mini blush brush and mini double ended "fluff shadow/talent" brush. £6 

7. Avon Smokey eyes Quad (used twice) £4 SOLD

8. Barry M "Wink" Fat felt tip liner (black) (used Once) £1.50

9. Eylure 24 Hour Eyeliner (felt tip, black) (used Once) £2

10. Urban Decay Primer Potion (full sized) (used 3-4 times approx) £4.50

11. E.L.F L/E eye shadow palette (all shadows swatched a couple of times) £3

12. Natural Collection colour foundation "Porcelain"  50p (used Once)

13. MAC *sold out* L/E Mineralize blush "giggly" £12 (used twice)  SOLD

14. Topshop Kabuki/Powder brush £1.50

15. MAC lipstick HUE  £7.50 used a couple of times/over 90% left SOLD

16. Natual Collection "Apple Blossom" 50p usage shown

17. Bourjois 32 Fashion Rouge £3 used twice SOLD

18. Bourjois 04 Rose Croisette £2 swatched once SOLD

19. Mary Quant "41 artful pink" £1 usage shown SOLD

20. L.A Girl E/S "Mud Slide"

21. E.L.F cream shadow duo "Black Licorice"

22. Avon "shooting star"

23. 2true duo "3" 

All swatched, 50p each or all for £1.50 SOLD

24. Paul and Joe nail polish trio £4 each or all 3 for £7.50

26. Nails Inc "Hampstead Heath" £1.50 used once SOLD

27. ELF "Light Pink" 50p used once SOLD

28. Rimmel "409 Coral Crush" used once £1

29. MeMeMe "63 Exotic" £1 never used

31. Revlon "Pink Pop" lipgloss £2.50 used twice

32. Sleek Pout Polish "Pink Cadillac" £2.50 used 2-3 times

33. MAC Cremesheen glass "Partial to Pink" £9 used once RRP £16  SOLD

That'll all for now!

Rock 'n' Roll FOTD, inspired by Beauty's Bad Habit

I loved Lily's recent Rock night FOTD (link) and when I got dressed this morning I thought a similar look would look great with what I was wearing!

It look me less than 5 minutes to create this look, I simply put on some Etude House BB cream, MAC's Russian Red lipstick and Lancome Doll eyes mascara and Topshop Bold Liner in Graphite, which is a lovely grey colour that looks great against my blue/grey eyes. Simples.

I'm going for a really casual look today so I'm wearing:

Artwork in the background created by the wonderful Sadie (age 2, it's a butterfly apparently). 

I love the denim waist jacket it was a bargain £20 from H&M a couple of years ago, it was a Limited Edition item so I never see other people wearing it, which is always a plus!

Kawaii Nails, cute NOTD.

I don't often do NOTD posts because I have such teeny tiny nails that I can never really do anything too exciting with them - aside from getting false nails, which don't look right on my tiny hands (apart from short acrylics but I'm giving my poor nails a break from those!).
I do occasionally however get a little handy with nail stickers, the ones used in this look were £2.99 (£2.49 before VAT) from Sally's.

Sorry about the slightly messy application, this isn't obvious off camera.

The stickers are so easy to use, you simply apply on top of dry nail polish and then once applied to the nail you apply a top coat. Simple! 

It's such a cute and pretty look created with such little effort, I am slowly building up a little collection of nail stickers so that I can alternate looks. 

Cute gift set (present to myself)

First of all, I'd like to apologise for my erratic blogging I've been really, really busy so it's been hard to post regularly. I did want to share with you something which caught my eye in Boots today, I was having a browse around the Christmas gift section when this cute little set caught my eye.

Sorry about the bad quality pictures, I had to take them in artificial light as I was too excited to wait until the morning to share this beauty with you all!

I've seen the Fearne Cotton make up range before but never actually purchased anything, I couldn't resist this set of six nail polishes though. The packaging is so pretty, I love the box, it's a little drawer and the print on both the outside and inside is just gorgeous.

A better look at the colours included.

The colours are gorgeous, unlike most sets I actually love every single shade and would wear each one! There are two sets available and I chose the brighter set as although the darker shades were also very pretty I think the shades in this set are just gorgeous! 

I will probably pick up the other set at some point though :)

In terms of the actual polish, I have only used the red but I can say after 2 thin coats you get a completely opaque finish. None of the shades in this set have any shimmer or glitter at all. This set is a completely bargain at £12! 

Cosmetic Candy shop!

I'm sure when you hear the words Cosmetic Candy (link) you think of Rowena's amazing blog - which I must say was the first beauty blog I ever read and inspired me to create one myself - however she also has another website selling eyelashes, jewellery, hair accessories, stationary, beauty tools and phone accessories. All of which are completely adorable!

Screen print of the website.
Cosmetic Candy Shop

Rowena was kind enough to send me various items to try out which are available from her website.

 I was sent Scrublets which are priced at £6.50 and are used for exfoliation your face to give a deep clean. Another beauty tool I was sent is the adorable Mascara guard priced at £3.25 this is for avoiding any mess when applying mascara, I think it's such a cool item to have especially if you often end up with mascara all over your eye lid. 

What's great about this website is there is an explanation about each tool when you click on it so you always know what you're buying and how to use it (very handy as most of the products are Asian and don't have English instructions).

How adorable is this little compact mirror?! I can't actually find this on the website so I'm not sure if it's still available, if you can find it though snap it up because it's the cutest thing! I was also sent this fun Cowboy hat ring which again I can't find on the website however Rowena has a beautiful selection of rings here (link). 

I was also sent some stickers from the stationary range however I can't include these as they were so adorable I used them all up! 

I'm looking forward to making an order from http://cosmetic-candy-shop.com/ as the products are gorgeous and original, not to mention the prices which are also very pocket friendly! I think a lot of the products on the website will be great gifts and I'm definitely checking out the HUGE selection of eyelashes!