Dior Nudeskin Foundation: Review ♥

Hey guys,

Another cheeky little review as I recently bought myself a new foundation and when I say recently I mean the end of October - I needed some more foundation for my Graduation.I have to admit I did go into the store with the intention of re-purchasing my trusty Estee Lauder Double Wear Light, but as a result of inattentive staff just talking to each other and not bothering to check if I wanted anything, the lovely lady from Dior spotted her chance and stole me away from Estee Lauder, and I'm actually really glad.

My Double Wear Light is still a favourite of mine but this new Dior foundation is a definite contender for the top spot. The foundation literally glides over the skin, and provides a medium coverage which is enough to cover any blemishes but not too much to look thick or cakey. I apply it with my Real Techniques buffing brush after prepping my skin with either my Mac primer or my Benefit Porefessional and then apply my Bobbi Brown concealer and corrector on top (post coming soon on that).

Face in different lights...

 Finished day to day make up look...(will do a post on my 'daily face' too soon)

The foundation isn't the cheapest on the market and will set you back around £31 and I would say that some 'drugstore' foundations are up there with this one (Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation I'm looking at you) but I have been impressed with it and a little really does go a long way - thankfully, because I wouldn't like to have to keep buying it every month at £30. Its staying power is brilliant and it will easily last a full day at work and there's only the odd occasion if my skin is particularly bad that I'd need a little concealer help throughout the day.

I initially bought the foundation with my graduation pictures in mind as I wanted my skin to look flawless, especially as I was having them taken at 7:30am, and that's exactly what it did, it definitely brightens up morning skin and I love my grad pictures. I would buy this foundation again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a high end foundation that adds a medium coverage whilst being light enough to look like you aren't wearing much make up at all...oh and it smells nice too. Winner.

Have you ever tried this foundation? What do you think to spending £30 on a foundation? Would you buy it?

Love 

x

La Roche Posay. Effaclar Duo: Review ♥

Hey guys,

Another product I've used on the quest to have perfect skin. A couple of months back my skin went through a stage of having breakouts and as my Liz Earle had ran out whilst I was waiting for christmas for some more, my cleansing routine wasn't having the great effects it would normally have. Although I was cleaning my face properly and haven't gone back to using face wipes (they do nothing for my skin, apart from move the make up around and clean about 5% of it off) the Hot Cloth Cleanser I bought from Superdrug just wasn't as good as my Liz Earle and my skin wasn't clearing up as fast as I'd have liked. My skin type is mainly dry/sensitive as opposed to being oily but I think with all the products I use on it, it does have the tendency to develop imperfections, so I need these remedies in my life.

I've heard about La Roche Posay on numerous blogs and youtube videos, but it wasn't until I watched one of Tanya Burr's haul videos and she was talking about using Effaclar Duo to clear a breakout on her face that I thought about getting it. I bought it a few days later and I have to say I saw results from day one.

The consistency of this cream is more like a serum, and isn't thick so it doesn't feel like it's clogging up the pores, it just smooths over the skin and gives it enough moisture whilst doing it's thing on any spots. It has a cooling effect when it's applied to the skin which is nice and just what you need to sooth any redness.  I used it morning and night after cleansing, sometimes after using my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair if I wanted to give my skin that little extra push to clear up. A little goes quite a long way too, I used about two or three blobs (the size on the picture) all over my face and that was enough, and after just a few days my skin had cleared up considerably. You have to hand it to the French, they do produce some fantastic skin care!

The cream claims to be 'corrective and unclogging anti-imperfection care' and has lots of magic scienc-y ingredients to do just that and I definitely agree that it works. The scent is quite hard to describe, it smells a little like a cleaning product if I'm completely honest but at the same time, it smells like it would work? A weird concept I know but sometimes some spot products just smell like they are thoroughly cleansing out your skin...hard to explain, but trust me on this one. It's not unpleasant anyway, that's all that matters.

For £13 it's not the cheapest skincare product of it's type on the market but it does what it says and as a little goes a long way I think it's worth the price and if you buy it in Boots you could use your points if you have enough saved anyway :).

Have you ever tried this cream? What did you think? Will you be purchasing it any time soon?

Love 

x

Revlon Lip Butters: Review ♥

Hello lovely followers,

Firstly, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Is it too late to say that now? I hope you all had lovely Christmas' and New Years, and that you all ate and drank too much and were very very merry. I had a lovely Christmas and skiing holiday in Austria over new year, and I'm now back to my usual motivated blogger self with lots of exciting posts coming up featuring some of my new presents and goodies.

To start 2013, I thought I'd do a long awaited post about my Revlon Lip Butters - they've caused quite a stir since hitting our shelves and I think most bbloggers have at least one in their collection, so this won't be the only review out there, but I'm going to add my pennies worth anyway. It was back in summer that I bought my first one, a light pink shade, 'Strawberry Shortcake' and I found it perfect to just add a bit of colour whilst on holiday and it looked amazing with a tan, whilst also giving my lips a burst of moisture which is essential in sunnier climes.

Along came autumn/winter and I have to say I forgot about it a little bit and was more focussed on darker shades and strayed more towards my Mac Plumful and other similar lipsticks, then one night whilst I was browsing Boots I remembered how much I loved my 'Strawberry Shortcake' and decided a darker shade would be perfect for winter as it also has a lip balm effect which would combat the inevitable dry winter lips. 'Raspberry Pie' jumped out at me and I just fell in love. I loved it that much I even bought my sisters one each too as a stocking filler for christmas as I knew they'd love it too (even better was the fact that because I bought three I got a gorgeous gold glitter nail varnish for free!!)

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie

Raspberry Pie has been my go to winter shade as the bright colour definitely spices up any outfit and it's so moisturising it barely feels like a lipstick at all, the shine it offers too is amazing. They each retail at around £7.99 I think, which isn't bad at all compared to Mac lipsticks being around the £13-14 mark and the pigmentation is amazing for a lip butter. All in all 10/10 from me! I can't wait to add a few more to my collection.

What do you guys think of these lip butters? Do you have any in your collection?

Love

x

Eyes Lips Face Brush Cleaner: Review ♥

Heyy guys,

I don't know about you but cleaning my make up brushes seriously is the bain of my life. It's just so time consuming and the more brushes you have the worse it is. It's just not a fun task. This is why I decided I needed to get myself a daily brush cleaner to keep my brushes hygienic and clean in between thorough washes. I'd heard lots of good things about e.l.f cosmetics, particularly the amazing prices so I thought I'd have a look there before splurging on the Mac cleaner I was considering buying. Needless to say, they sell everything on that website and for around £3-4 I spied this massive 250ml bottle, so it would have been pretty rude not to buy it really.

I use this cleaner every couple of days, not daily as it suggests because if I'm honest I don't have the time, although the spray head does make it SO easy quick to use.I just spritz a few times onto my make up brush and rub the brush with a clean cloth and then leave to dry for the rest of the day and then my brushes feel lovely and soft and fluffy again when I come to use it my foundation or concealer is applied much more evenly.

I'm in two minds about its scent...you can sort of smell the anti-bacterial ingredients in it (if that makes sense) because it smells a bit like germ spray/gel for your hands, which is good because I know that it's probably doing a good job killing germs and it smells like it's actually deeply cleaned, although it makes me feel a bit sicky if I use it too much all at once because it's quite strong. The after-smell on the brushes once they've dried isn't strong though and it leaves them smelling quite fresh, and it certainly hasn't done anything bad to my skin which can sometimes be quite sensitive. The consistency is just like water as well so it's really easy to spray and coats the brush enough to know how much you're using, I hate products with a spray nozzle that don't spray evenly because they're too thick to come out. Overall I'm a happy bunny with this cleaner as for around the £3-4 mark it's an absolute bargain for such a large bottle I think. I've had it a couple of months now and Ive still got loads left. The good thing about cleaning my brushes regularly with it means I don't need to use lots every time because they're pretty clean with only a couple of days worth of make up on them (handy tip there) so it saves me pennies in the long run.

The bad news is I think they've downsized the bottle online, unless it's sold out because I couldn't find this bottle when I looked but it's still only £3.75 so it's still a bargain compared to others on the market.

Have you ever tried this brush cleaner? What do you think? What other brush cleaners would you recommend?

Love 

x

Shellac Manicure: Review ♥

Hey beauts,

So I'm currently off work ill and as I've not left my bed all day, I needed a bit of cheering up (there is NOTHING good on tv in the day) so I thought a little post about my current Shellac mani would be a good way to take my mind off being poorly.

I've had a pretty busy couple of weeks, what with my graduation and then a wedding and an awards ceremony, so I obviously wanted my nails to look as perfect as possible. I was tempted to get acrylics again, but they really ruined my nails in summer so I opted for a Shellac manicure instead. I had french tips done for my graduation and was really pleased with how they looked....however, the day after my graduation, the polish started to peel away from the sides on both my index fingers which was so disappointing as they were supposed to last up to three weeks

I went back to the salon and they said that it shouldn't have happened and the UV light which they put them under to dry might not have set them properly down the sides of the nail beds so I went back and had them done free of charge. The second time I had them done I had them painted a full colour instead of french tips as the beautician said this would be stronger, so I went for black nails and a silver accent nail with tiny black gems to go with the two dresses  I was wearing for the wedding and awards evening.

Here is the picture I instagrammed straight after having them done so my cuticles are still a bit oily...

This time they've lasted perfectly and even when I've knocked them or scraped them they haven't even chipped, which is amazing because usually no matter how many top and bottom coats I apply to my nail polish it still chips within a day. They're still beautifully shiny and smooth which I love because I find that normal polish usually goes quite dull after a while and I can't see them chipping anytime soon, they're definitely as strong as they should be this time. I paid £30 for the manicure, which is quite expensive but it does take about an hour and they last up to three weeks so in my opinion it is worth it if you've got some pennies to splash or you have a nice event to look forward to.

I'd definitely recommend them to anyone considering having something a little bit different on their nails, there are some gorgeous festive colours like red and gold glitter which I definitely fancy trying after this. They also protect your nails unlike having gel or acrylic nails put on as you get given a cuticle oil to massage on daily which protects the nail underneath and doesn't result in ridges or thin nails like acrylics. Although they don't add length, it doesn't matter because short nails look just as glamourous as long talons would. All in all I'm really happy with them now I've got a colour on and I can't wait to try out the different range of colours.

Have you ever had a Shellac manicure? What do you think of my nails?

Love 

x

Impress Nails: Review ♥

Hey beauties,

I was thinking of what better way to start posting again than with a good old review of a product I recently tried out. Throughout the summer I had gel nails with a white tip, so that I could paint them when I liked or go for the simple and classy french mani look for the rest of the time. Obviously as they started growing out they looked a mess and my plan was to just keep getting them done, until my last few pennies had to go on other holiday essentials like clothes and I couldn't afford. As my nails were in such terrible condition from being gelled and filed until they were almost non-existent, I needed something to glam them back up again, so I tried out Impress Nails.

I'd heard a lot about this brand on the internet and had wanted to try them at the start of summer but I couldn't because of my gel nails, so as a much cheaper alternative (£8.99 compared to £25 for new gels!) I got them for my holiday to Spain. I applied them the day that I left for the airport and they were SO easy to apply, all you have to do is choose the appropriate size, peel back a sticker and press on to the nail and voila! Beautiful nails! The ones I chose were in the colour 'Lovestruck' and were so cute and girly, perfect for a summer holiday, but Boots, where I bought them had so many different colours and styles it was actually quite hard to choose.

This is the photo I instagrammed from the airport! Impress Nails - Lovestruck - £8.99

In terms of staying power, this is where I had a few problems...because of my gel nails, some of my nails ended up quite uneven on the surface, with quite big ridges in them so sadly the nails didn't stick very well to those. I think it was one thumb and one index finger that had the biggest problem and came a bit loose. The rest of the nails stuck so well though and when it came to taking them off after losing a couple, they were quite tough to get off, even after travelling all day and washing my hands numerous times. So overall, I was really impressed with the staying power to say it's just a sticky back and no glue is required. It was only my nails which made them loose, nothing to do with the product itself.

I'd definitely buy these nails again, and I'm patiently waiting for my nails to grow properly and the ridges to grow out, I'm thinking the rich, red colour 'Tweetheart' for the autumn and winter months!

What do you think of this speedy manicure? Have you ever tried Impress Nails?

Love

x

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stains ♥

Hey beauts,

I've been wanting to post this for ages but never got around to taking the pictures. The other week I accidentally fell into Boots and accidentally bought two Revlon Lipstains because I have zero will power and they were screaming out to me to buy them in all of their £2 off goodness. I wanted a coral-y orange colour to make a nice change from all my pink lipsticks so I chose Flame, but not wanting to be left out, Passion also persuaded me to buy it and I got that too. These are my first lipstains as my collection consists of mostly lipsticks and tinted lipbalms.

I would say that the pigmentation and the brightness of each are pretty good, although this could be because they are brand new, but I was quite impressed with how bold they are, as this is great for a night out as you can build it up to be even more intense if you like. The only problem I did find was that, although you don't have to apply a lot, they can go a little patchy so a few coats are sometimes needed, it just seems to depend on how much comes out each time.

As you would expect from a lipstain, the staying power is fantastic. I even tested it out (unintentionally) by eating fish and chips for my lunch, and it still looked as good after the meal as it did before which was amazing as you definitely don't get this with some lipsticks. I'm not entirely sure what the lip balm at the other end is for as it doesn't make much difference to the overall look, but I suppose for really dry lips it's a good addition as lip stains are quite drying at times. I have heard that they can dry out quite quickly so I'll have to keep my eye on that and see how I get on, I hope they don't though because I do love the colours.

Haha had to put this cheeky shot from the boyfriend taking the pictures. A mirror is deffo needed for precision, not as easy as lipstick!

 Flame...

Passion..

This one did apply easier and definitely looked less patchy.

I think for summer, Flame is my favourite as it's a gorgeous colour to brighten up day to day make up, and I think it would be the perfect transition from day to night make up, Passion is that shade of pink that will be cute all year round.

Have you tried the Revlon lip stains? What did you think of them?

x

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation: Review ♥

Hello lovelies,

I bought the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation a few months ago as an alternative to my Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, as I wanted something that was a little bit more lightweight (as well as being cheaper) for the good skin days when I didn't need too much coverage or when I was only going to lectures or other day to day things that didn't require a full face of make up.

After it being recommended to me by my housemate and around 40 minutes in Superdrug swatching about a million other foundations I took the plunge and bought it. I was sceptical at first as I didn't think anything would  be comparable to the coverage or finish my Estée Lauder gives, but I was surprised at how natural and blend-able the make up was, whilst still offering a good medium coverage. I chose the shade 103, True Ivory as the closest match to my skin and I found that it applied really easily to my skin and didn't make me look caked in make up at all. I really like the dewy finish as it does make you look more awake and fresh-faced, it's also perfect for my skin which is sometimes prone to dryness and gives it a glow, so maybe those with oily skin wouldn't find it as good because of the dewy and anti-fatigue properties.

The smell is also lovely as it's quite fruity and refreshing for applying in the morning, and I find that it's pretty long lasting as well, which is a massive bonus for me, as I hate when I get half way through the day to find my make up has rubbed off. I sometimes set it with my MAC mineralize skin finish if I know that I need my make up to stay in place longer or I don't want the dewy effect as much and it stays put for the day. Overall a great high street alternative to my Double Wear Light :) and considering I wear it most days and I bought it a few months back, I've still got quite a lot left which is great because a little goes a long way.

This foundation retails at £8.99, and here's some pictures of how it looks on the skin with no powders or blushers on top :) *these pictures had to be taken inside because of the weather, but it will probably feature in most OOTD's which are taken outside*

Have you ever tried this foundation? What is your go-to high street foundation? 

Estée Lauder Day Wear: Review

Hellooo,

I recently gave in to temptation and bought the Estée Lauder Idealist Pore minimizing Skin Refinisher, I bought it online and chose the set, so that I could get a pot of the Day Wear moisturiser as well. I've been using my Liz Earle skin repair religiously since I took the leap and started using the Cleanse and Polish in April as I find it works amazingly on my skin. I have normal/combination skin and sometimes feel that the areas around my chin and nose get a bit dry so I like a product which is deeply nourishing and moisturising but not oily.

I've loved Estée Lauder since I bought my Double Wear Light and the mega-hyped-about Advanced Night Repair is amazing, so I thought I'd expand my collection and add a couple more beauties to the box. The Day Wear cream is just as lovely as I expected! It claims to diminish and prevent against early signs of ageing, which is always a bonus, even though I am only 21 it's never too early to protect against fine lines and dullness. It also contains SPF 15 which is perfect for the summer months and means I don't have to smother my skin in oily sun creams before applying my make up.

The moisturiser, although being super moisturising and hydrating, is really light, which again, is perfect for the summer months where my skin benefits from something a bit more lightweight rather than being slathered in a thick moisturiser which takes a while to soak in. It instantly hydrates the skin and leaves the skin looking fresh and glowing without it feeling oily on the surface, so make up can be applied pretty much straight after. It also has a refreshing cucumber scent so is lovely as a wake up in the morning, which is when I tend to use this cream. It can also be used in the evening, however, I still stick to my Liz Earle cleanse and polish routine at the moment because it really works for me.

I would recommend this moisturiser to anyone who wants a lightweight moisturiser which is still deeply nourishing and hydrating, and I think it's perfect for the summer months.

This retails at £37.00 for 50ml, but I got mine in a set with the Idealist Serum and also the ANR eye serum for £38.00 - well worth it!

Have you ever tried this moisturiser? What's your favourite?

x

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara ♥

Hey beauts,

I'm sure I'm not the only one who jumped at the chance to get some benefit goodies with the Glamour mag this month, I loved that they were giving away freebies and I even treated myself to two of the same magazine to get two goodies! I got the Bad Gal Lash mascara and the Porefessional primer. I have already got the primer (mentioned here) but thought getting a little tester sized tube would be perfect for travelling or as a back up for when mine has ran out so I snapped it up.

I was expecting good things with the mascara as I had a Benefit mascara years ago and loved it, I just never bought it again, not sure why. I naturally tried it out as soon as I bought it and haven't stopped using it since, it really separates the lashes whilst lengthening them as well. I already have quite long lashes so length isn't a main priority of mine but I do look for something that separates them as I don't like it when my lashes look clumpy and recently I feel like my eyelashes are getting quite sparse so I want something that doesn't give this impression and makes my lashes look full and beautiful! This is definitely the mascara for the job. This little tester size has convinced me to buy the full size when this has run out and it definitely beats my L'oreal mascaras hands down.

Have you ever tried this mascara? Did you snap up the Glamour freebies? 

x

My Top 4 Lip Balms ♥

Hey lovelies,

I don't know about you, but a lip balm is one of my 'must have' beauty items. I get quite dry lips throughout the year so keeping them moisturised is essential, so that lipstick glides on and doesn't look all clumpy and patchy. 

After trying lots of different types of lip balms, I've narrowed down to my top 4:

Carmex - This claims to give long-lasting relief for dry chapped lips, and I love it! I find that it first tingles when applied and feels quite cold when you put it on your lips but it soaks in well and doesn't just feel like it's coating your lips as some do, it actually moisturises them and leaves them feeling smooth for a long time after. Perfect for preparing lips for lipstick all year round! The only thing I'm not keen on with the one I've got this time, is the fact that it's in a tub as I feel this can spread germs more easily, although it does also come in a handy squeezy tube which is better for me I find and easy to apply.

Burt's Bees Replenishing lip balm - This claims to be both nourishing and hydrating and again it does what it says on the tin! This comes in many different 'flavours' and I like the one with Pomegranate oil as it tastes and smells really sweet and being pinky/red in colour it leaves a nice little tint on the lips. I also love that it comes in a twisty tube form as it's really easy to apply. It soaks into the lips really quickly and leaves them feeling instantly moisturised and soft. Again, perfect before applying lipstick.

No7 Protect and Perfect Lip Care - I love this one as it's so creamy and moisturising. It also has a real vanilla-y sweet smell and taste which is addictive. It claims to smooth and hydrate lips for 24 hours so I like to apply this before I go to sleep or in the morning to give my lips a moisture boost for the rest of the day. This is in a squeezy tube too, and comes in creamy form as opposed to the other two which are more oil based, but it's perfect for when your lips need a little bit of TLC, and is a nice little treat to apply at night. 

Nivea Essential Care - Out of all my top 4, this one is my least fave but still good enough to be up there! The reason it's my least fave is because I sometimes feel it just coats the lips rather than soaks in straight away but it does soak in eventually after rubbing it in slightly. This is another twisting tube lip balm which I like, and leaves quite a whitish sheer colour on the lips as opposed to the glossy colour from the others which I quite like some days when I don't want to wear a lipstick as it tends to leave a nudey sheen on the lips. Obviously it does work well and really reduces the dryness to leave softer lips so it's a good one to have in the make up bag. 

Have you ever tried any of these lip balms? What are your fave 'go to' lip balms?

x

Let's get Wavy ♥

Hey beauts,

So a month or so ago I got a little crazy with my online shopping as the weather was so grim outside and I hadn't stepped out the house for a whole weekend!! I needed perking up so took a peek online, then one thing led to another and before I knew it I was a few pennies down and waiting for my new goodies to arrive!

I came across Wavy Handmade Jewellery  and there were so many things I wanted. I ended up buying quite a lot as I originally ordered some things and then found out more had been added to the shop so I made another cheeky little order too - no willpower. I wanted something a little bit different as I have a lot of jewellery already and I found some lovely pieces to add to my collection. I thought the prices were amazing too as they were all relatively cheap which made me feel less guilty about buying quite a lot! I was also really impressed with the service, as the packaging was really cute with a little sticker with my name on, and because my order took a while to get to me, due to having to wait for some parts, I was sent some freebies to make up for my wait! I was so happy with them all as each freebie was really my style as well and I liked that thought and effort had gone into my order to make sure I was a happy customer! :)

The freebies I was sent were the: Skull ring, the Red stone bracelet with the little hand charm, and the Purple Cross bracelet, all the rest I ordered  myself :).

I love all my jewellery, and you'll be seeing them in lots of future outfit posts as they've been making an appearance in lots of my outfits lately! :) Will definitely be buying more jewellery soon! :)

What do you think of my new goodies? Have you ever bought anything off Wavy Jewellery?

x

Liz Earle Energising Hip and Thigh Gel ♥

Hey girls, I'm finally back in business, as my dissertation has been handed in :D, I feel so relieved, I actually might have a life again soon (after my exams anyway, which I should be revising for at the moment). So I quickly just wanted to write a little something about my new Liz Earle product.

After hearing lots of amazing things about the C&P I took the plunge and got a try-me kit, which I loved (I can definitely see what all the hype is about) so I then went on to buy the full sized kit. I got the April deal which was all the C&P goodies but with this lovely hip and thigh gel thrown in - full size as well, might I add - amazing for a freebie! This gel is supposed to tone, firm and soften skin when massaged into skin daily. Naturally as soon as I got it tried a bit out on my hand to see what it felt like, and the smell hit me before anything, it's smells SO fresh and reminded me a little bit of that spa smell and all their natural products, first brownie point scored right there!

I then tried it on my body after showering and used it on my thighs, hips and also my tummy and upper arms as it says it's recommended for those areas, and  I'm always looking for a bit of toning and firming on my arms. I loved it as soon as I tried it! It left my skin feeling so refreshed and smelling great. As I'm a serious moisturiser addict, I was a bit cautious about it at first, worrying that it would dry my skin out, but it hasn't and has left my skin feeling supple and smooth. The only thing is, I wouldn't use this if I was in a hurry to get dressed as, being a gel it leaves the skin feeling a bit sticky if you put quite a lot on and don't have time to massage it in properly, but after just a few uses, I've really noticed my skin feeling more supple and definitely feeling a lot softer. All in all, a lovely product, which I'd certainly buy again after this it's ran out and would recommend it to anyone who needs a bit of skin lovin' before getting into a bikini for summer!

Hip and Thigh gel - £17.75 for 150ml 

Have you ever tried this? What did you think?

x

Mythic Oil ♥

Hey lovelies, this is just a little post about a beauty of a hair-rescue remedy! I know MoroccanOil is a hard product to beat in the hair treatment stakes but this oil really is a strong contender. Enriched with avocado and grape seed oil, Mythic Oil is designed to be a nourishing product for all hair types and it really does what it says on the tin! After all the bleach, heat and backcombing my hair can handle it really deserves a splash of moisture and this oil really gives it what it needs. After applying it to damp hair and blow drying, my hair feels instantly smoother and rather than any split ends being horribly obvious and making my hair look dry and damaged, my hair feels nourished and supple rather than weak and life-less, without looking greasy from the oil at all.

I know the Moroccanoil does all of this too but retailing at around £28 for 100ml the Mythic Oil is certainly a go to product as a cheaper alternative, at around £12 for 125ml. Like Moroccanoil you don't need to use a lot so it lasts a long time so you do get a lot for your money. I actually got both oils as freebies off my hairdresser so was lucky enough to try both out and really value them both as great hair treatments because they really are 'hair-saviours' but I know that if I needed to save the pennies, a cheaper hair remedy is out there for me!

Have you ever tried the Mythic Oil and if so, what did you think? 

x 

Umberto Giannini Indulgent Beauty Moisture Mask ♥

Hey lovelies,

I got this hair mask for christmas off my sister but have always forgotten to use when I have a shower. Although recently I've started to feel like my hair could to with a bit of TLC so I made sure I took it with me, to give my hair a bit of much needed moisture and hydration. The mask contains Shea butter to replenish dry damaged hair and smells quite fruity which I love because I hate when products don't smell nice even though they do good things. It's so thick, so you don't need much, I slathered my hair in it this time though as I felt it would benefit from quite a lot, and all you have to do is leave it on for around 3 minutes to damp hair so it can soak in and moisturise to it's little heart's content. When I washed it out my hair felt instantly smoother and looked a lot shinier, which I love because I've been feeling that it's looking so dull lately! The tub is such a good size too at 200ml, I'm definitely going to get a lot from it, and it has a pretty, colourful little picture of a woman on the top which I like as it makes it a little bit different! I think my sister got it from Boots so that means I'll be able to re-purchase easily once I'm finished! I can't wait to keep using it, my hair is going to be so smooth and gorgeous!

Overall such a lovely product, works a treat on dry hair to instantly make it feel smooth and sleek again!

Have you tried this hair mask and what did you think? What other hair masks have you tried?

x

Avon Update ♥

So recently I purchased some Avon goodies and as they were my first ever Avon supplies and I'd obviously never tried them before, I thought I'd do an update of how I've got on with them!

The Blemish Mark Treatment - The roll on makes it so easy to apply and it is isn't too drying on the skin when it's rubbed in, but I haven't really been able to see a difference. To be honest, I don't have too many marks on my skin anyway, I just thought this would be good for when I have a breakout and want it to disappear quickly but I've found that the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is really good for my skin and I really prefer that! As a cheap alternative though I will definitely reach for the Avon when I fancy a little break from the ANR.

Japanese Sake and Rice Refreshing Eye Smoother - Lovely and refreshing but as I said it's more like a serum so I don't feel it soaks in as much as a good moisturiser would do. It does make your eyes feel nice and cool though and less heavy and tired which is a great in the mornings when I need something to wake me up! I would buy this again but it probably won't stop me repurchasing my Clinique 'All about eyes' as well.

Japanese Sake and Rice Luminous Face Treatment - I use this more as a primer as I feel it really smooths the skin which is ideal before applying make up. It isn't too heavy either which is good because although I love feeling like my skin is deeply moisturised I hate when I feel like products are clogging my skin! It has a shiny/glimmering sort of look to it too which does mean it makes your skin look luminous, so on a summers day with a tan, where no foundation is required I think I'd probably use this and nothing else, as it does make the skin look healthy and fresh! I love the smell too - it reminds me of after sun and summer holidays! :)

Nail Experts Strong Results Nail Strengthener - Now I really expected this to be a nail polish and apply a shiny coat, but this is completely different and is more like a treatment for the nails as opposed to a polish! It soaks into the nails and I have to say I have really noticed a difference in the strength of my nails and they haven't been breaking at all! This is something I'm definitely going to continue using as I think (dare I say) it beats my Sally Hanson Diamond Strength which I've been reaching for for years! I would really recommend this as it has really worked for me, and because it's just a treatment, it means you can apply a colour straight on top!

I think I'll definitely be re-purchasing these goodies and trying out some new ones soon! Let me know if you've ever tried Avon and what you thought?

x

Bargain buy of the week #3

Hey lovelies,

Firstly, a bit of a cheesy one - thank you to all my new followers it means a lot having people follow my everyday ramblings, you're all lovely, and I'm working my way through your blogs and loving them all too :)

So I know I haven't really kept up the weekly bargain buys but this week I received my Avon goodies that I'd ordered after being peer pressured by my housemates huge list! Her friend off her course is the 'Avon Lady' and constantly sends new magazines and temptations to our house, so I gave in and decided to try some out for myself since my housemate always loves them! We had a sales magazine and also her staff book which is a little naughty but as my housemate is so loyal it was a nice thing to do as everything was reduced in price.

I bought quite a bit and I was amazed how cheap some of the stuff was, I got 5 things for only £5.80 and a free foot scrubber thrown in for good measure, such a bargain for what I got as they're all full size. Here are my little goodies...

Blemish Mark Treatment, to clear any marks on the skin for a clearer complexion £2.80. This little bad boy is a roll on applicator so is so easy to use and feels really refreshing on the skin. My skin has been quite horrible lately so I'll do an update soon to say how this is working.

Japanese Sake and Rice refreshing Eye Smoother - £1. I needed a new eye cream after using  Clinique 'All about Eyes' which I love, because it's nearly all gone so I thought I'd try this, and so far so good, it's like more like a serum and makes my eyes feel so soft and hydrated after removing my make up.

Japanese Sake and Rice Luminous Face Treatment - £1 - again, more like a serum, so it's not as moisturising as I'd like as I feel my skin gets quite dry, but it does make my skin look and feel quite refreshed and it smells lovely which I love in moisturisers and creams! I will do an update on this too in a few weeks to see how I'm getting on with it.

Nail Experts Strong Results nail strengthener £1 - My nails have been so weak lately and my Sally Hanson Diamond Strength is running out so I thought I'd try this out as it's so cheap. It claims to clean nails after use once or twice daily for a week. I have applied it once now and I'm going to do it again later so we'll see how it goes, but it smells lovely on the nails, a really fresh smell so that's one good thing so far!

What can only be described as a foot scrubber I think, it's so compact but has three different features, a 'grater' which I don't know if I'll use because my feet aren't very dry, a 'nail file-type foot scrubber' which might be quite good after being the bath and a Pumice Stone, which again may be used after having a bath just to keep my feet nice and smooth. Not bad for a freebie! 

So that's all my weeks bargains! Quite a hefty post with all the pictures but so far I'm really impressed considering this is my first Avon order and I didn't know what to expect, especially as they're all bargains! I'd definitely use Avon again because I do think you get a lot for such good prices and I have my eye on some new treats.

Have you ever used Avon before or any of these products? What do you think of them?

Mid-Week Treats ♥

Hey lovelies,

Today I was a little bit naughty and went to buy a present but ended up buying some things for myself! I couldn't resist and as we're only half way through the week, I thought I'd treat myself to get me through the next two days of hard work before the weekend. I cleaned out my bedroom a couple of weeks ago and threw away a lot of old jewellery and I'm slowly starting to build up my collection again with lots of beautiful staple pieces. I only went into Outfit for a quick look this afternoon, after lunch with a friend, but when I discovered that Dorothy Perkins had a 'buy one get the other half price' deal on and also an amazing Topshop jewellery sale I couldn't walk out empty handed! I treated myself to a gorgeous ring from Dorothy Perkins which was half price at £3.75 with the necklace I bought as a gift, and a gorge necklace from Topshop at an absolute steal, reduced from £14.50 to £1!!!! It would have definitely been rude not to!

I also snuck the little Barry M eye and lip crayon on there too, even though I actually treated myself to that on saturday from Topshop in London. But I thought I'd give it a little mention as I quite like it so far. I got it to wear as an alternative to my day-to-day brown eyeliner pencil that I wear for my everyday make up, as I heard that wearing a pale colour underneath your eye can make you look more awake and so far so good! It's quite shimmery which was a little weird at first but it actually stays on all day and makes a lovely change to my brown. It's not too harsh either and requires a few layers to build it up, which I like as I can build up the shade as much as I like. You can also wear it as a lip crayon, but I personally don't think I'll be using it for that! (P.S. Sorry the swatch isn't great, it's a really light colour)

Barry M - Shimmering Eye and Lip Crayon -£4.59 with 10% student discount in Topshop - another good price! So I wasn't too naughty and didn't spend too much I suppose :)

What do you think of my treats? Have you treated yourselves to anything new this week?

x

Nail Rock Nail Wraps ♥

Helloo lovelies,

Last night I went to Liverpool for a night out to celebrate a belated birthday for me and an early birthday for my housemate and just for general fun times in a different city than Chester with my lovely uni housemates. We stayed in a lovely apartment that we found for a real bargain and got all dressed up and hit Concert Square. I'd been looking at nail wraps for a while but not really known whether to try them out incase they weren't very good. but considering it was a night out, I thought I'd go for it. I chose the gold and black Cheetah print style as I'm a bit obsessed with animal prints at the moment and got them for £6.50 in Outfit. I LOVE them! They're actually really easy to apply..just choose the one that most fits your nail, place it on and apply pressure around nail to make it stick and file down to the length of your nail and done! Simple. They really glammed up my outfit and looked like I'd gone to lots of time and effort to have them done professionally. I teamed them a couple of gold rings and bracelets from Topshop and Miss Selfridge and was ready to go.  I'm so keen to get different patterns now and I try out different looks! Here's how they looked last night...

I'd definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to try something different with their nails :)

x

Manicure me...♥

So yesterday I thought I'd treat myself to a bit of relaxation time after stressing over all of my upcoming deadlines at Uni and have a night off working to just watch some good TV and give myself a nice new manicure to make me feel fresh and pretty again. Doing my nails always helps de-stress me and I just been rocking a dark purple colour so this time I went for a light colour which my friend was using as I thought it would make my hands look girly, yet clean and soft looking. I didn't actually realise before I started using it that it's really just a base coat, but it's in a lovely pastel pink shade so works really well as an all over colour and gets me in the mood for the SS'12 pastel trends! The No7 'base coat' glides on really well and I did two coats just because I felt I wanted it to look a little more pinky, but one coat would have been just as nice if I didn't have time to do both. At around £7 a bottle I suppose it's quite pricey for a base coat but when it applies well and you can use it as both a full colour or a base it's justifiable. Heres how it looks on the nails...

No7 'So Smooth Base Coat' 

What do you do to relax and what are your go to shades?  

x

Don't forget to follow me, by clicking here :)