First Outfit of the Day! Semi-Casual

I think I have finally figured out how to take photos, how to pose now is another question but I’ll figure that out too!

I was pretty casual today for a wander round the shops and then out for a family meal. All I did was take the cardigan off in the evening so I could put a coat on since it’s so cold! I love how slouchy and warm this outfit is, it’s the comfort of wearing a big jumper and tracksuit round your house but looks that much more like you’ve tried!

The cardigan and jumper dress were both from Asda, jeggings from New Look and Boots from River Island, the belt was from Primark.

’till next time! x

Disney Couture, My new Obsession!

I have had my eye on a lot of the Disney Couture pieces for a really long time but held off from buying because of the price and the fact that I had never seen them to know what the quality was like.

Recently I decided to treat myself since for the longest time I wanted the Tinkerbell hoop earrings. I love hoops and I thought this would be such a nice addition since they would just give an outfit a special touch without being ott. Every picture I had seen online looked like they would be beautiful, so I opted for the silver colour, not entirely sure if the gold would be a more yellow shade than I like.

I was so pleased when they arrived, they were packaged beautifully within a pretty box and then with the Disney Couture bag. They feel so solid, so worth every penny and are a good size. I haven’t worn them yet but I will (I don’t like labelling something as best and then never pulling them out for an occasion!). I found these on eBay since the other online sellers didn’t have this style anymore (adding to the NEED to buy!).

QVC also did sell Disney Couture at one stage but everything they have is on clearance now, so I am not sure if they will get anything new. I picked up two pieces, the first is intended for my cousin, the Tinkerbell sitting on a pearl necklace, this was only available in gold, however it is a lovely gold and the piece again is really solid. She is only 8, so I know she will love this and it will be something she can keep for a long time. It was just over £20 with the postage, so a very good price compared to the full selling price of there things usually.

Finally, I picked up this gold bangle. ‘A dream is a Wish your heart makes’. The bangle is very dainty looking but solid. Like the other pieces it is something that can easily be worn any time. My only reservation with it is that there are small charms hanging off near the clasp, which although pretty, I am worried can potentially catch and snap off. This was dearer than the necklace but still good value since these bangles retail much higher on other websites.

I really want to add one of the necklaces to my collection, they have some with cinderella quotes which I like the most. I had ordered one from the sale in ASOS however the gold of that was more yellow than I liked to it did make it look cheap and I returned it. So when I do find the ideal one I’m going to go for the silver colour.

Please share your thoughts of any of the jewellery if you own it, or even better link/comment with photos!

‘Till next time xx

Nails of the Week - Courtesy of Diet Coke

So I hit Boots this week on the hunt for the Diet Coke exclusive Nails Inc polishes. With every 2 purchases of 500ml diet coke you get 1 of 4 shades of polish (10ml). I knew I wanted the denim colour having seen it advertised on another blog, but faced with the other shades I then had a dilemma………..

I quickly rejected perfect plum since it is very close to Rasberry by Barry M. Having to then make the choice between the caramel and heather grey, I decided I would just buy the extra two bottles of coke so I could have both!

Of course when I got home I then had to decide what colour to go for, and in the end decided on an alternating denim and caramel, which I think complement one another well. I took too coats to get a good colour, especially with the caramel shade.

I do love Nails Inc, looking forward to next years collection. Go out and get yours now!!

Pocket Watch Necklace Fix

So anyone who saw my jewellery haul on YouTube would have heard me talk about my pocket watch necklace which broke, (I also lost the chain), and I wanted to fix.

Here is the pocket watch…..

…….and on a random shopping trip I came across a suitable chain/necklace on sale for £5 in Miss Selfridges……

I didn’t like the cameo attached since it is difficult to make out even looking at it what the image is (a bird I think). I thought the chain colouring would match that of the watch so I brought it and replaced the cameo with the watch.

Here is the finished result……..

I’m really happy with it, just hope this one stays attached! I like knowing that this makes the piece more unique and I think that the colourings worked out really well, so it almost looks like it was meant to be!

Anyone else got any jewellery fixes?

ELF Lip Products Review

In ELFs recent facebook promotion I decided I would pick out a few of their lip products I have been wanting to try. Luckily the face Mist and Set was thrown in as a freebie which was an added bonus since this had been on my wish list since it came out, once I have tested this fully I will do a review on this separately.

Here is my small haul;

For starters, I love ELF. Their studio line products feature in my daily face and I have never been disappointed. That being said I haven’t actually ever purchased eye shadows or lip products from them, not for lack of want, but more never being able to decide what colours to go for.

I brought two new shades of the £1.50 lip glosses, in maltshake and pink kiss. Maltshake came out a lot darker than I expected but is still a nice colour, it is more a brown than the I was expecting. I really like these though so a big thumbs up for these two.

I also decided to go for the Baby Lips lipstick also from the £1.50 range. It is more like a gloss than a lipstick to me and with the pigmentation of my natural lips this added little colour. Although I do really like the combination of my Rimmel Lipliner (pink) all over my lips with this on top.

From the studio line I wanted to go for a lip-stain and thought I was getting a nice peach colour with first date. However, this was a lot brighter than I expected though and I can’t see myself wearing this, unless I find something to mix it with. I don’t think I will repurchase any of these as from what I have tested the product doesn’t act as a lip stain. As you can see in the image below, once you reapply the gloss it dilutes the colour lip stain which is not what you would expect.

I finally brought one mineral lipstick in bare brown. A much darker brown that I was expecting so I was worried initially to wear it as I thought it may be too dark for my skin tone but it is a really lovely colour. I will definitely be repurchasing these as they are so creamy and lovely to wear. On the negative side they aren’t very long lasting. This also looks lovely with the maltshake gloss on top to darken it a bit or candlelight (not shown) to lighten it.

My only complaint from this whole purchase has been that the website colours/pictures are terrible at giving an accurate representation. In this instance I was lucky that I liked most of the colours and they suited me, but that could have easily not been the case. I think ELF would benefit from a brief description of the colour on the website to help. Otherwise I still love the brand and I look forward to adding more of their products to my collection.

Thanks for reading!

Please see my YouTube video for more ramblings!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7k5TXY9Fc4

Mascara Overload!!! Plus No 7 Extreme Length Review

Does anyone else have this problem??

This is my collection of freebie mascaras from other purchases. I just realised how many I have to work through! There must be a good 2 years supply if I am strict about when I throw them out.

I am currently using the No 7 Extreme Length mascara (mini gold one pictured), although not that particular one since I seem to have accumulated two! I picked this one because I previously had another freebie, (mini Bad Gal Lash from Benefit) and I liked being able to keep it in my handbag for ‘emergency.’

Hopefully I will review these as I go through but trying to organise myself today I couldn’t believe how many I have collected.

I actually really like the No 7 mascara, the colour is a good black and it does have a good lengthening effect ( I am actually wearing it in my hair colour pictures). I do and don’t like the brush, I think my favourite is the bad gal lash but this one does a good job in distributing the product nicely without clumping. The bristles are plastic and I don’t have a problem with that but occasionally a lump of mascara will accumulate at the end of the brush and if I don’t look I end up with that on my lashes. Additionally, I don’t have a problem applying to my lower lashes since it isn’t too wide.

Overall I do like it, and the mini size I have works well to take with me on a night out or when I go away.

So anyone else have this problem? I say ‘problem’ but who doesn’t love a freebie? and of course the extra cash to spend on something else!

My new hair colour - Chocolate Brownie L’oreal

I decided I needed a change of colour, bored with my hair now and feeling my natural colouring is too dark for my skin. I didn’t have a product in mind since I have only every used highlights and that was about 6 years ago. I hit Boots and went for a semi-permanant colour since I am pretty lazy when it comes to regrowth. I picked this L’Oreal colour seen as it seemed simple enough to use and liked the name!

It was simple enough to prepare and put on, washing out took a long time though and you do have to be careful not to let any colour remain in the bath/shower or it will stain. Even after that though there was a lot of residual colour left on my towel and the same after the second wash. Having not used these products before though I am not sure if this is normal. My hair felt very, very, dry when I was first rinsing but the conditioner provided is lovely and 2 washes in my hair condition feels as before.

A link to the product specifically….

454 Chocolate Brownie

Here is the before shot….

and after (please excuse all the posing!)

I know the lighting isn’t exactly the same in both images but hopefully you can see that my hair is a lot more tonal in the after picture. Originally I felt that it was a little too red in tone but I think that was just the adjusting period. Seen as my hair is a naturally dark brown I wasn’t sure if this would work at all but I would definitely use the product again once it does fade and probably try a different shade in the same range too.

UPDATE: Over a month after colouring the colour is still noticeable and I am still getting compliments on the shade. I haven’t noticed any real change in my hair condition either. I have repurchased the same shade and plan on re-colouring once I get the opportunity. I am excited to try out other colours from the same range now since I wasn’t really sure there would be a noticeable difference in dark hair but this shade has taken that doubt away.

Mario Badescu Whitening Mask Review

Having suffered with years of breakouts and consequently a combination of dry skin and touching my face too much has left me with some scarring and an uneven skin tone. I had always used exfoliators and products containing salicylic acid to help reduce this which had worked fine, although of course this is not a quick solution and requires a lot of patients.

Having watched YouTube videos about reducing acne scarring I came across the Mario Badescu whitening mask, and then after a lot of thought I took the plunge and purchased it for around £20 on beautybay.

The product claims;

Benefits;

This hydrating mask will help brighten uneven skin tones and gently minimise the look of old acne scars and discolouration from the sun. Skin lightening, natural ingredients like Kojic Acid, Licorice and Mulberry make this mask gentle for all skin types. Contains no Alpha Hydroxy Acids making it safe and gentle for acne erupted or very sensitive skin.

The Good You are meant to use it 2-3 times a week for around 15 minutes. Having read around on forums though I started leaving the product on for as long as I could even overnight (just applying to the areas with the worst scarring and pigmentation). The mask has a clay like consistency and I actually liked the smell, it does smell more artificial than natural to me though. As you leave it on your face it hardens and of course once you start moving your face, it cracks and you leave residues of white powder falling off everywhere. I would remove with a wet muslin cloth, pressing it down to my face to dampen the mask before gently wiping away. My logic was that this would act as an exfoliation step too. My face always looked so bright after use and I could see that the mask was helping to reduce the pigmentation. My skin also felt smooth and did not feel dry. I would them just place over my usual moisturiser. The Bad When I first brought the mask I used it every day, or every other day, and only later reduced the use to 2-3 times a week. For the size you do get a lot of applications from the 2oz tub. However, my big problem with the mask is that with at least 2-3 applications worth left it has dried up and become useless. I will try to add warm water and see if this will soften it enough for me to use but otherwise I haven’t managed to get full use out of what is an expensive face mask. I think this problem is just an issue of packaging, had it been in a tube this might not be an issue. I had notice the drying of the product around the edges earlier on so I should have had the foresight to know it was going to happen to all of it eventually and made an effort to use it sooner. Aside from that I do like the mask and would potentially repurchase. In the mean time though I am testing some other whiteners and products with claims to reduce the look of scars. Please let me know your experiences and thank you for reading.

Chinese Miracle Moisturiser Review

I picked this up from Asda on a whim after browsing in the ‘ethnic’ section of the health and beauty aisle. They had a number of products from the range but this is the one that caught my eye mainly for the claim that it can fade scars (of which I have plenty).

The packaging reads;

'Capture your skin’s natural tone, nourish and moisturise daily with our NON GREASY - Chinese Miracle Skin Complexion Cocoa Butter.

Enriched with pure Cocoa Butter, Carnauba Wax, Vitamin E, Marine Extracts and Mushroom Oil. Chinese Miracle Cocoa Butter replenishes moisture, protects the skin and gently fades scars and blemishes for an even skin tone.

Use daily for treating dry skin, stretch marks, moisturising following exposure to the sun and relief from harsh elements of cold weather.

Our complexion ingredients features Mushroom Oil Extract and is completely natural’.

I believe I purchased this for £3.99 for 450ml of product, which is a lot! Especially considering the consistency is closest to a soft wax/butter than the traditional cream. The product does not have a huge number of ingredients listed, however I recognised very few, so I am not entirely sure of the ’natural claim,’ although the wording makes me think this is only related to the mushroom oil.

As yet I cannot vouch for its properties with regard to scar reduction (mostly because I haven’t been making a point of keeping an eye on the one area), this product is extremely moisturising and a little goes a long way. I have been using this 4-5 times a week for close to 2 months and you can see in the pictures how far I have got. Having applied after my morning shower I can still feel the softness of my skin in the evening. I probably initially applied more product than necessary, so it did leave a greasy texture. Although, I actually don’t mind this hugely. I have very dry skin and my legs generally would get itchy particularly toward the evening but I haven’t found this since using this product.

Other than Asda, I have found one other website listed below which sells the full range of products (as well as an extensive range of other brands and ships internationally!) I haven’t used the website however so I cannot comment on their service.

http://www.pak-super.com/home.aspx

This is a moisturiser I would definitely repurchase since for the price it works as it claims on the whole. I prefer this far more to any other cream/butter moisturiser I have used in the past.

I will update this post with any advances on the scars claims since I have plenty of product left to test this fully! I imagine though that it is something that would work slowly over time. Since your skin does become more moisturised, it is likely to improve the your complexion somewhat.

If you have used this product previously please comment and let me know your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks for reading!

This weeks nails…

You may have seen my previous haul post that I brought a new nail polish from Bourjois, so that was this weeks choice. I do not know the name but its number 28 and is a beautiful gunmetal grey.

The polish reads; 1 nail=1 stroke=1 sec. Dries in 50 seconds, no smudges. I didn’t quite have this experience, the fan brush, which is basically a wider and thinner than traditional brush was easy to use and certainly for smaller nails like the little finger one stroke did cover all, but I did need 2 for the thumb. It also needs a second coat and although it dried quickly it wasn’t that quick, although my top coat could have affected that too.

However, I do love the colour, and I expect it will go well with whatever I wear. Very pleased.

Favourite Online Beauty Sellers

Since I am always on the look out for a bargain I have managed to compose a list of different online retailers who I have found to have great product selection as well as good pricing.

This is in no particular order.

1. http://www.love-makeup.co.uk/

I discovered this site whilst desperately looking for a UK based seller of NYX products. The range of NYX and other brands such as Sigma, Michael Todd, Mac and other high-end brand products on offer is extensive and the pricing very reasonable. Whenever I have browsed the site there have always been products on offer and I emailed them recently since they are very close to where I live and they are opening to the public next month! Also in the same contacts section you can request products for them to get in stock, although not having tried this I am not sure how they do on that.

2. http://www.justbeautydirect.co.uk/

I found this website when I was searching for cheaper Smashbox products. They also have a whole range of other brands. The pricing is cheaper than buying directly or from a department store, but still falls in the more pricy of the websites I am naming. With regard to Smashbox, they offer foundation samples for £1, giving you a chance to test before you fork out for the whole thing. They were very prompt with delivery when I ordered, and they always seem to have offers for free gifts with purchase.

3. http://www.amazon.co.uk

Might be a surprise to some but I have always found great deals on hair styling tools on amazon (they even have the odd beauty products on there). Worth having a quick browse before deciding where to buy, and a lot of the time you can get free delivery or its very cheap.

4. http://www.qvc.co.uk

This is on the list purely for their 30 day money back guarantee. It is the only place I know of where you can buy something, use it and send it back without even having to explain yourself, great seen as you don’t have the opportunity for colour matching when it comes to cosmetics. They also have some great deals where you can get a whole selection of products for very good value. The range of brands is extensive and they also sell hair styling tools and products and nail polishes.

I hope this is helpful to someone. Let me know your thoughts and experiences if you do go ahead with any purchases. I’ll be sure to update this post with any other useful websites!

Clothes and Jewellery Haul: Primark Boots and more!

It's the first time I have been to a shopping centre after all the festive period madness and it was such a lovely experience. The shops were really empty and tidy, staff were friendly and helpful, obviously not a good thing for my pocket since I stay looking around longer!

I wasn’t on the hunt for anything in particular but I did find a few things……

First stop was Primark, recently I haven’t found anything that I have liked especially in the jewellery/accessories department but I could have picked up a lot more than I did today, all the small necklaces are only £1.50. Usually I don’t go for the gold toned since they are more yellow than I like, but the matted gold that some of these have is very pretty. I haven’t decided yet if I will keep the charms on the necklaces as they are, generally I buy and wear much chunkier jewellery (see Debenhams example!). At the time of purchase I had already decided I would make the nautical style necklace into a double bracelet and remove the charms I am not too fond of and replace with others. My favourite piece though is either the ring or the flying bird necklace. There was a lot of peach and gold tones around so I guess that is the trend this season?

I also picked up a pair of skinny jeans/jeggings which remind me of a pair I have and love, since they are thicker than traditional leggings but thinner than jeans and makes them a good inbetween item. In the past the jeans I have brought from Primark although fitting well and looking good initially eventually lose shape so I am hoping these will last that bit longer.

There was a lot of colour options with the shirt but I liked the red base best since I am not always planning to wear it done up but with a white/brown/black vest or t shirt underneath to tone it down a little. The sleeves are also able to button up or down to mix up the look a bit and the thicker fleece like fabric makes it wearable in the colder weather.

Finally the beading and detail on the vest top is what made me purchase, all the t-shirts and vests I have ever brought from Primark have been see-through thin, so I will probably be layering this!

The bobble hat was a random purchase after spotting another hat and then getting distracted with this one! I love the detailing on it….the next one I am looking out for is the turban style which is meant to be in this season.

Pen-ultimately a quick trip into boots since I randomly decided the other day that my hair is too dark and I want a change……hopefully before and after pictures to come. Having heard great praise for the Rimmel exaggerate eyeliner I also picked up one of these. I have high hopes for it to be an eyeliner which lasts in my waterline without smudging all over the place. Also expect to see a nails of the week with the new beautiful gunmetal grey nail polish from Bourgeois (as well as a review on the weird new brush applicator!!).

Finally, a trip through Debenhams had me stopping in the sale section where I found this beautiful necklace 70% off. I do love a bargain.

Do expect to see outfits featuring these, I have nearly sorted out the camera situation so hopefully will have nice clear pictures soon.

'Till next time, thank you for reading.

Favourite Barry M Nail Polishes

I don’t think a special offer for Barry M paints has gone by without me taking advantage of it and adding new colours to my collection.

This is by far my favourite brand, I agree totally with the 2010 In Style awards which deemed the nail paints as the best beauty buy in the inexpensive nail polish range. The range of colours is huge and the colours are strong and bold, most of the time if in a hurry you can get away with just the one coat. The polishes last very well too as long as you use a base and top coat to finish it off properly.

So I have picked 5 of my favourites in my collection, generally the ones I go to grab when I can’t decide on anything else and what goes with most outfits (since I do hate a colour clash!)…………….

Going from left to right the colours are:

1. Shocking Pink - My go to colour in the summer for my hand and toe nails, bright and very pretty.

2. Grey — This and mushroom are what I consider to be my neutral no worry colours. I like that it is not a metallic finish and not too dark a grey (I also really like the look of this colour with a matte top coat)

3. Mushroom - actually was disappointed the first time I used this but have grown to love it, I believe they consider it a beige colour. Its very neutral so you don’t have to worry about colour clashes. I have tried this with matte but not sure if that works really.

4. Rasberry- Red with a pink undertone I would say. Its quite a bit brighter than I expected it to be though, I like to use this as an alternative to a standard dark red.

5. Vivid Purple - a metallic (?) colour, beautiful and a darker shade so not (again I think this looks great with a matte topcoat).

I didn’t want to add the nail effects paint to the list since strictly it is not a colour, but it does go on top of all of these colours perfectly if you wanted to add your own 'nail art' (I have shown an example of this in a previous post). I also use that as a cheats way to touch up my look after any chipping etc when I am not ready to remove and re-paint.

I can’t complain at all about the finish of any of the Barry M polishes I have used. For sure I will be adding more of their range to my collection soon as soon as the next offer comes along and who knows maybe an updated favourites in the future!

p.s I have found that some of the paint colours have been a perfect match to fill in scrapes on the bottoms of my heels! Bonus!!

25 Questions Tag; Get to know me

1. Do you apply your foundation with a brush, sponge, or fingers?

I use mineral foundation daily, so has to be a brush! I use fingers and a brush with liquid foundation

2. Do you apply your eyeshadow from light to dark? or dark to light?

Light to dark (do people do this the other way round?)

3. Do you prime your eyes?

Yes, urban decay primer potion

4. Concealer first, or after foundation?

concealer first, and then after again if extra is needed :-s

5. Go for manicures, or manicure yourself?

manicure myself, I find it very therapeutic

6. Exfoliate lips, face or both?

both

7. On average, how long does it take you to do your makeup?

on a daily basis, less than 10 mins. For a night out, about an hour.

8. Do you wear makeup everyday and everywhere?

yes, unless I’m having a lazy day at home, generally for the sake of my skin I try to have make-up free days

9. What release are you most excited about? (Makeup)

I don’t really follow collections

10. What's your weakness? Shoes, purses, clothes, jewelry, eyeshadow, lipstick or other?

probably jewellery, followed by clothes although my shoe addiction is growing

11. Do you whiten your teeth?

yes, I buy Crest White Strips online, but I would much prefer to have it done professionally one day

12. Wax eyebrows, or pluck?

I get my eyebrows threaded and pluck if I have to

13. What do you use to contour?

My Sleek contouring kit

14. False lashes, or natural?

Natural, I’ve used falsies once and it was too much hard work!

15. Favorite makeup brand?

I love urban decays eyeshadows, benefit mascara and blushes. I love the affordability of Sleek Barry M and ELF.

16. Liquid eyeliner, pencil or gel?

pencil

17. Lipstick, lipgloss or chapstick?

lipgloss

18. Pigments, pressed or cream eyeshadow?

pressed

19. If you had to wear only one thing, excluding foundation; what would it be?

That’s a tough one! Probably mineral glow (a sort-of bronzer!)

20. Favorite color?

Make-up wise I generally go neutral

21. Favorite color combination?

I have been going for my Naked palette and for sin all over with buck in the crease and virgin to highlight.

22. Natural? or Dramatic? (Eye Makeup)

Dramatic!

23. Do you care more for quality or name brand?

Quality

24. Do you enjoy using face masks? If so which ones

I love face masks. I use Mario Badescu Whitening Mask regularly to reduce old scarring I have. My favourite is Body Shops Warming Mineral Mask, the smell is lovely and the warming effect is really nice, that and I do believe it has a positive effect on my skin.

25. What is your current addiction? (example: lipsticks, eyeshadows, earrings..)

lipsticks, I’m on the hunt for the right nude shade for me!

Thank you for reading!
I TAG ALL!

Lush Products Review

I love the philosophy behind Lush and therefore always wanted to try them, so armed with a 10% off voucher I hit my local store. I was more interested in the face products, initially drawn to the fresh face masks and was soon chatting to a very keen employee. She performed an entire facial routine on my hand (following a quick chat about my skin type and concerns (dry, breakouts, blackheads)) consisting of;

1. 9 to 5 orchid oil cleansing lotion,

2. Fresh Farmacy (sic) bar

3. Oatifix Fresh Face Mask

4. Eau-Roma water

5. Full of Grace serum bar

5. Skin’s Shangri La moisturiser

Unfortunately there are no pictures to accompany this post, since I have used all these products for over a month now and they don’t look very presentable

Well after all this I brought all items apart from the toner and moisturiser, as well as buying the shower/emotibomb, in the ‘up you get’ scent.

The cost was still pretty high even with the 10% discount but generally these organic/natural products are, and I have been using most for well over a month and they should still have a few more weeks use.

First off was the shower bomb, which had a lovely scent and I believe that is it’s only purpose, so at £2 a use I can’t imagine I will be repurchasing this too often!

At the store I was told that the 9 to 5 should be used as a pre-cleanser to remove make up and oil before using the fresh farmacy or other soap/cleanser. As a makeup remover I wasn’t too impressed it didn’t remove very much and I had to repeat at least twice before I was happy to move on to the fresh farmacy. The smell of the product isn’t to my liking although it is not offensive. I also didn’t like the feeling on my skin after wiping away, it was almost itchy, so I definitely couldn’t have used this alone without washing my face again after. So I can safely say I will not be repurchasing this one. My sister uses and swears by the Ultrabland cleanser used in a similar way to the 9-5 so I may well be swiping a pot of hers to try that out.

Fresh Farmacy is advertised as an ‘cleansing chamomile and calamine bar for troublesome skin,’ this was given to me since I complained about my monthly breakouts. Also added are rose, tea tree and lavender oils all known for their skin calming properties. Tea tree is also known for its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. I do like this soap apart from the fact that I find it a bit drying so maybe if my skin wasn’t so dry this would be better. I don’t know if it really has helped with breakouts although I can’t say my skin is worse following its use over the last 2 months.

The fresh face masks are suitable for use if kept in the fridge for 3-4 weeks after purchase, in this time I only ever used it twice mostly because it was such a messy formulation to work with. The result is soft, smooth, hydrated feeling skin, the process of wiping it the mask off acts to gently exfoliate. However, I also had oat particles all over my clothes from initially putting it on my face and then anything which fell off in the 10 minute treatment time which was a big off-putting factor. I didn’t like the smell, but my mum and sister really liked it. I know the other fresh face masks have different consistencies so I will definitely try one of those since I do apply face masks 2-3 times a week but just didn’t get along with this one.

Finally the full of grace serum bar, this is probably my favourite product of all I brought. The smell took some getting used too I think that was the portobello mushrooms used for its antioxidant properties. This serum is designed again for soothing properties, although they do have another which is more suitable for oily skin. You just let the serum bar melt slightly with the heat of your hand and smooth over your face, alternatively, massage into the skin. The lush website suggests that you can use this before a fresh face mask, but I have used this daily since I brought it after cleansing and before moisturising.

I hope this small review was helpful for some. Lush has great customer service and they are very willing to provide samples of products if you ask for one. I think its just going to take me a little longer to find products I love and that are suitable for me. Let me know your experiences either with these products or any other Lush products, I would love an idea of what to try next!

Christmas Sales Haul! New Look, ASOS and Zara

I love a bargain but I really don’t enjoy shopping and going out in general in the post-christmas sales, I hate the experience of it. Generally people are rude and have lost the nice spirit before Christmas and there is nothing I want that much that I want to rummage through the pile of mess the stores lay out. Therefore anything I do find is a treat and a bonus!

First off I hit New Look late one evening and surprisingly it was pretty empty, I skipped the clothes and headed straight to shoes and ended up with 4 pairs, 2 shoes and 2 boots.

I haven’t had a chance to wear the shoes yet but I have strutted round my room in them to make sure they fit right! Although New Look have now changed their policy (without too much attention in the stores to it annoyingly) which means that only an exchange can be made, so you really have to make sure whatever your buying fits and you love. The platform at the front means that they don’t feel as high and are therefore a lot more comfortable to wear. On the other hand, I have worn both pairs of boots and no complaints (although I have to get used to not being able to bend at the knee easily in the knee highs!).

I also had a browse online, and I never really go for ASOS since I don’t like not being able to see and feel what I am buying but what I spotted was too good to potentially pass up. The brand is ringspun and the sale made it 50% off!!

Heres the link: http://www.asos.com/Ringspun/Ringspun-Scarf-Detail-Cross-Front-Coat/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1203084&SearchQuery=scarf%20coat&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Grey

I brought it in the black in 2 sizes since I normally go for a size bigger to allow for big jumpers etc and a bit of extra movement. I ordered it late on a Saturday night and was offered free next day delivery, which meant because of a bank holiday I could expect it on the Tuesday. The delivery service was very good, I was informed by email of the whole shipping process. I was not at all disappointed when they arrived. The coat is lovely quality and looks really nice on, I just need to let the creases fall out and undo the stitching at the back. Also since the main feature in my eyes is the waist belt/tie I decided to go for the smaller of the two sizes as it gave a much nicer definition, although it probably means I just won’t wear a very chunky knit underneath. I am hoping to do some outfit of the days in the future so be on a look out for this.

Lastly, another coat, short length this time, from Zara. I have never shopped in Zara before. I always assumed it was pricy and I like colour, so whenever I looked in it seemed like a bit too much beige and black for me. Anyway, I spotted this coat for the collar/hood. I love the funnel necks and this reminded me a bit of that, I also liked having the double breasted button front. This wasn’t as good a saving as the ringspun coat, but being coats I am always willing to spend that little bit extra since through the colder months you will catch me in a coat the majority of the time!

Look out for outfit of the days featuring all these, some are still available so check it out soon!

Also I have started a YouTube channel now and have a video showing all these and me rambling on a bit so check that out too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/discoveringbeauty?feature=mhum

xx

Barry M Nail Effects - Nails Refresh

So I decided I couldn’t have my nails looking all chipped and nasty for the new year but seen as it hadn’t been a week yet since changing my colour I didn’t want to remove it and re-paint and of course this saves time which is a bonus.

I painted Barry M’s nail effects on top of my existing nail polish, which worked really well in covering up the chipped parts of my polish and giving me a edgy nail look along with my silver/black smoky eyes.

I added a top coat to finish it all off which is needed for this since otherwise it leaves a matt looking effect. I was really pleased with the turnout. I love this polish and I hope Barry M have plans for a few more colours soon.

I hope all had a lovely New Years night, and wishing you a happy and successful 2011.