Review: Bare Minerals Buxom Time To Shine Set

Hello!

Apologies on not blogging for the last week, I've been busy with work and then I was really ill :( I'm feeling better now and will hopefully not feel crappy when I return to work tomorrow....

I've been meaning to do this post for quite a while now as I originally brought this set a month ago but I've been so busy that it's just been left until now, which actually works out well as I've had time to use them all so can give you a proper review rather than just a first impressions deal.

Now then, if you look back in previous posts you'll see that I've never been a lipgloss kind of girl, but when I first started working at Bare Minerals I discovered that the range of lipsticks I get on my mini counter was not enough for there to be one that actually suits me. They're all a bit too brown toned or very pale pink. This was a shame as I love the consistency of their lipsticks but will have to get some that I don't sell on my counter, which will be awkward when someone asks me which colour I'm wearing! (this happens a lot on counter!) So I started wearing the Pretty Amazing colours instead. I love these as they are kind of a liquid lipstick but are really long wearing and also very glossy. Now then, for hygiene reasons, I never actually use the applicator for putting these on, so when you use your finger they lose a bit of their glossiness....this led me to trying out the lip glosses in an attempt to make my lips look a bit glossier and healthier. I do like the Natural Lipglosses but I personally tend to find them a tad stickier than the Buxom glosses (although they do feel amazingly soft when you put them on!) So, I started to use the Buxom lipglosses everyday and eventually realised that I bloody loved them! Obviously, working in the company, I got to find out what was coming out for Christmas way before Christmas....and as soon as I saw this little set I knew I had to have it! I'd been thinking about getting one or two of them for a while, but was finding it hard to narrow down the choice between all the colours. Literally as soon as this came in I put one aside for myself as they are limited edition and I didn't have that many come in, so I know it's bad, but with it being my counter, I get first pick of the goodies! Haha! So, on with the review...

Buxom Time To Shine is a set of 6 mini Buxom lipglosses with different finishes to them. They're all 2ml of  product, which puts them at about £8.00 each (the full size ones have 4.45ml in them and are £18.00 each) I'll be honest the packaging is ok but not particularly "high end" or anything. I say this because I had to re-glue a few of them as they had come unstuck down one edge in transit. It was a fun way to spend a Wednesday morning...

So the 6 colours (and the finishes) that you get are (from left to right):

Buxom Lip Polish in Sugar - Sheer Finish

Buxom Lip Polish in Katie - Sheer Finish

Buxom Lip Polish in Gina - Diamond Finish

Buxom Lip Polish in April - Diamond Finish

Buxom Lip Cream in Berry Blast - Cream Finish

Buxom Lip Cream in White Russian - Cream Finish

I must admit that when I first saw the set in person, I thought that I probably wouldn't use White Russian or Katie because they are both nude colours and I'm not a fan of the nude lip...however, again I have changed my mind completely on this! Sometimes you have a look that just NEEDS a nude lip to complete it and these two are perfect for that. Katie is also perfect over the top of intense lip colours too just to give them some shimmer without changing the colour at all. The sheer finish colours all have a tiny bit of shimmer to them and then the diamond finish colours have this really intense glitter which I personally think is awesome! The cream finishes are a more intense colour with just a glossy finish and no shimmer or glitter. These also look great layered with other colours.

Swatches in the same order as above.

I think it's a good colour selection and a good mix of finishes too. I personally love the diamond finishes the most but that's because I love to go all out with my lip colour most of the time! I've found that I've used them all quite a lot and am very tempted to get another set before they run out!! The one that I use the least is probably Sugar, which is odd because it's my Mum's favourite! I think it's because it's quite brown toned but it's quite nice for a really natural bronzed look.

All the glosses have this doe foot applicator, which I find quite easy to use. I know some people prefer the brushes on the Natural Lipglosses but I generally find these ones easier to use and to line my lip shape.

All in all, I absolutely love this set! I know I might seem biased because I work for the company but I will always be honest in my opinions and I really do just love the colours and finishes in this set. I also love the slight tingle too! This set retails for £26.00 but I got mine with my staff discount which made it £20.80 and then I used £5 off my Debenhams Beauty Card which took it down to £15.80! What a bargain! I highly suggest this as a nice gift for Christmas (or for yourself!) or you can buy it and split it between people too (this was something that was suggested to me by a customer actually!) You can get this on most Bare Minerals counters (if they still have it in stock!) or on the Bare Minerals website. You can also get this on the Debenhams website, which currently has 10% off this week too (and a free 500 bonus points when you spend £40.00 on beauty or fragrance in one go! That's £5 to spend on yourself when the points have been converted!)

So what do you guys think of this set? Is it something you'd want for yourself or get for a gift? Or do you think the colours aren't quite for you? 

Until next time,

xoxo

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Exotic Fruits Face Mask Range

Hello!

About a month ago the lovely people over at Montagne Jeunesse sent me an email asking if I'd like to try out their new face mask range....obviously I said yes, as their face masks are my absolute favourite and my skin was in need of some pampering!

The new range is called the Exotic Fruits range and includes two peel off masks and a self heating one. I for one, absolutely loved the names of them and they do sound very exotic (well....to a very pale girl living in England anyway!) I instantly feel in love with the bright packaging as well as it cheered up my dreary afternoon straight away! I normally take pictures of my face with the masks on so you can see what they look like on, but I've been really ill with a horrendous cold and frankly, the thought of putting my face on the internet is scary enough, without looking like absolute death! So sorry for the lack of photos but hopefully my reviews will help any way...

So first up is the Pawpaw Peel Off Mask...

What Montagne Jeunesse say: Care, repair and revitalise skin with the Montagne Jeunesse Paw Pore Peel Off, packed with fresh papaya to help heal damaged skin and remove dead skin cells, as well as juiced mango, rich in Vitamin C which helps to control pimples and blemish prone skin. With a sweet squeeze of grape and noni juice, both full of antioxidants to help fight off infection, this masque also helps to reduce the appearance of scarring and inflammation. So, say farewell to those not-so-perfect pores.

What I say: Firstly, this mask smelt AMAZING!! So much so, that the urge to lick my fingers after applying it was a little to much! Haha! Like all of their peel off masks, enough is in the sachet for all face sizes, but as mine is relatively small I was left with a bit in the sachet. It actually dried quite quickly but didn't leave my skin feeling like it needed to be peeled off quickly (if that makes sense?) Once I peeled off the mask my skin was left feeling very soft and smooth. I think you'd probably see more effects from this if you used it once a week, but the softness of my skin was very nice!

Next up the Dragon Fruit Sauna Mask...

What Montagne Jeunesse say: Get a fabulous glow with the Montagne Jeunesse Dragon Fruit Sauna, a self-heating masque packed with extracts of Dragon Fruit, rich in vitamins C, B1, B2 and B3 with anti-ageing and healing properties. Other ingredients include Watermelon, rich in Vitamins A, B and C to help remove blemishes and moisturise the skin, plus pears and kiwi which are rich in Vitamin C and help to produce collagen, great for soft and supple skin. For warm yet wonderful results, this is a face masque must.

What I say: I really enjoyed this mask. Normally I stay away from self heating ones as they are either too much heat for me or they just melt from my face and cause all kinds of horrible messes. This one did neither of those things for me and was actually really nice to use. Again, it smelt nice and left my skin feeling very smooth but not at all dry or tight like some masks do. This one actually seemed to help with some blemishes that I had but also with the dry skin that had formed around my nose from blowing it so much! (Gross I know...) This one had little black beads in it from the fruit (I guess...) so it almost felt like it was giving my skin a tiny bit of an exfoliating experience too without being too harsh. This did feel a bit warmer on impact but cooled a little when on. I really liked this one and was surprised at how much I did like it! I'd probably pick this one up again if I saw it in the shops.

And last but not least, the Prickly Pear Peel Off Mask...

What Montagne Jeunesse say: Banish those blemishes with the Montagne Jeunesse Prickly Pear Peel Off, with fresh extracts of Prickly Pear, rich in minerals and Vitamin C – unlike its name, you’ll be left with noticeably smooth skin! Other unique ingredients include Melon, rich in Vitamin A and antioxidants, and a fresh squeeze of Mangosteen known as the ‘Queen of the fruits’; a super-fruit renowned for its anti-inflammatory & antibacterial properties, so it pretty much rules the face masque world.

What I say: Having already tried one peel off mask in this range, I wasn't exactly expecting anything spectacular really. A peel off mask is a peel off mask right? Well I used this one after a stressful week at work (lots of stress spots!) to really test it out. Again, it smelt amazing and after using this one I felt like I had softer skin. I didn't notice a huge difference in my skin but my blemishes felt nicer than before. I did feel like I  needed a little bit of moisturiser after this one but nothing drastic.

My overall thoughts of this range: I really enjoyed all the amazing smells of these products but I didn't see a huge difference between the two peel off masks really. I was really surprised by how much I liked the self heating one as I usually don't like them at all, but I actually think that one was probably my favourite of them all! I would definitely buy them if I were to see them in stores but would probably only buy one of the peel off ones rather than having two of them....although for only £1.29 each, I think I can afford to treat myself to the extra mask....

Montagne Jeunesse is available online (with the exotic fruits range being found here) and in Asda and Boots and are suitable for vegetarians. They also always try to use the most natural products in their masks, which is one of the reasons I love them so much!

So what do you guys think? Does £1.29 tempt you to try this range? Do you have a favourite face mask that you would recommend?

Until next time,

xoxo 

Disclaimer: This was a PR sample sent to me for review. All my opinions are 100% mine and 100% honest.

First Empties Post...

Hello!

So, I really enjoy these kinds of posts by other people, mainly because I enjoy reading mini reviews about products to see what people would re-purchase and what they wouldn't. It's an interesting way to get small reviews of lots of products in one go. I've been meaning to do this post for ages and have had a small bag under my desk for me to put my empties in...but...well...it's sort of started to overflow because I keep forgetting to do it! So this post is a little bit epic, but hopefully it'll become a bit of a regular feature so I won't have such an epic post for you next time! I also find posts like this always give me an incentive to actually make an effort to use up products, rather than just keep buying more for no reason... So on with the epic post (lots of pictures too...I'll try to keep the waffling down as much as possible I promise!)

Hair Products:

• Alberto Balsam Blueberry Shampoo and Conditioner for Extra Nourishment - These were both poundland picks when I couldn't find my usual Alberto Balsam ones. These smell really lovely but I didn't really notice my hair feeling "extra nourished" really. Would I buy again? Only if I couldn't find my usual ones really. It wasn't amazing enough to sway me.
• Alberto Balsam Coconut and Lychee Shampoo and Conditioner for "pampering and nourishment" and "detangling" - This smells delicious and makes my hair feel really soft. Would I buy again? Yes! I've already got a new set and a backup (it was on offer in Sainsbury's at the time.)
• Original Source White Pear and Avocado Damage Limitation Conditioner - This was a 99p store special and was mainly because I felt my hair needed a little something extra but I wasn't rich enough to be able to afford a high end hair mask. I love the smell of this (the body wash is fab to!) and it feels really nice. Would I buy again? Yes. It's a good treat for my hair but isn't like a proper hair mask, so if I could afford a proper one I'd rather go for that.

• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask - This smells AMAZING!! I only needed a tiny bit of this (very short hair is very handy sometimes!) and it really made my hair incredibly soft. Would I buy again? Yes! But only when it's on offer. It's usually a bit too expensive for me.
• Macadamia Deep Repair Masque - This was a sample form a beauty box and lasted me ages. Only issue is that it was in a sachet...always annoying when you don't need to use it all at once. This was really really nice. It left my hair feeling really soft and nourished. I really liked it. Would I buy again? Yes without a doubt....if it wasn't so expensive! I think you can sometimes find it in TKMaxx sometimes so it's always worth a look!

• Fudge Membrane Gas - This is maximum hold and amazing. I need extra firm hold for my hair as it goes quite flat quite easily. Down side to this is that it tends to a) leave a fine film of white powder on ANYTHING it touches and b) it sets my asthma off a little bit....oops! Would I buy again? I probably would if I saw it in TKMaxx again for as cheap as I got this one, but I would have to use it outside because the fine film of powder was just the worst.
• L'oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray in Supreme Hold - Love, love, LOVE this hairspray in any form. I personally find that the Diamond Hold is better for me, but this one is still fine. Would I buy again? Yes I would, but maybe not this hold. If it's the only one I can find, then I'm happy with it but I'd prefer a firmer hold for work. 

Body Products:

• Original Source Mint and Tea Tree Shower Gel - This really wakes you up in the morning! It makes my skin feel very cold when there's a slight breeze though! I did buy this when I was with Mr Rude (slight name change there...and somewhat milder than I would like to make it tbh...but I'm a better person than that...well, for the time being anyway! Haha!) because I knew he liked using this one, so I had it for when he stayed over. I'm nice and thoughtful like that you see. Would I buy again? Probably not if I could get a different scent. I like the smell of this one but I really don't like feeling cold after a shower!
• Original Source Lemon and Tea Tree Shower Gel - This smells so lemony and wakes me up quite well in the morning. It makes my skin feel really soft too. Would I buy again? Yes because it smells good and feels nice. I like most Original Source products and you can pick up a lot of them for cheap in Wilkos and the 99p store so their always a bargain, especially as I find I don't need to use that much in each go, so they last for ages!
• Radox Shower Smoothies Tropical Tranquillity - This was free from a girl I was on training with recently as she wasn't going to take it with her. I gave her my mini Soap and Glory body butter as I didn't like it at all so it was a nice trade! Anyway, this was nice enough but I wasn't thrilled by it. It has a vague exfoliating property but it doesn't really do much to be honest. Would I buy again? No. It did leave me skin feeling a bit slimy if I didn't stand in the shower for a good 5 minutes afterwards. No good for an early morning rush!
• The Body Shop Mango Shower Gel - I'm obsessed with this shower gel. It's the yummiest smell ever! You don't need much to feel like you're properly clean and it leaves a really subtle scent on my skin after, so for days off when I don't want to wear perfume, this is lovely! Would I buy again? Yes and I already have! I love this so much that I'm tempted to get another one as a back up just in case they suddenly decide to stop selling this...

 Face Products:

• Boots Cucumber Cleansing Wipes - These are really nice and refreshing and don't make my skin feel dry or anything afterwards. I think they are good for taking my make-up off fully too, which is handy for lazy nights. Would I buy again? I like them but they've been put up in price recently and they aren't THAT great you know? So no, I probably wouldn't buy them again.
• Pure 3 in 1 Make-up Removal Wipes - These cleanse, tone and moisturise all in one wipe and are amazing for lazy nights (or drunken ones...) I still moisturise after these just because I do have very dry skin on my cheeks and I'd rather not mess it up too much. Would I buy again? Yes, and I have. They are 2 for a pound in poundland and very handy to have around! I try not to use these for everyday because I know how bad they can be for my skin, but they are still handy to have for just in case (for the one night out that I have a month...)
• Boots Cotton Wool Pads - Standard for any nail obsessed person, but also a standard in my skincare routine. These ones are really good as they don't fall apart easily or anything. Would I buy again? Yes but only on offer. They are actually quite expensive normally and Superdrug ones are really good and cheaper most of the time.
• Wilkinson's Cotton Wool Pads - These were crap. They fell apart so easily and just didn't work for me. Would I buy again? No. Unless I was completely desperate, but I can't ever see that happening really...

• Clean and Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash - This has really fine micro-beads in it and isn't very harsh on my skin at all. I think it does help with my dry skin but I feel like I need to get a face wash that might help moisturise my dry skin and then just use this one twice a week instead. Would I buy again? I did recently re-purchase this as I needed a face wash and was in a rush, so I just went with what I knew. If anyone can recommend a good face wash without exfoliating properties, I'd love to know! (I would use the Bare Minerals one as loads of people love it...but it has Pineapple extract in it and I'm allergic to pineapple so it dries me skin out more! Rubbish.)
• Estee Lauder DayWear - The lovely Lyn gave this sachet to me so I could try it before deciding on which free gift to get (for myself of my Mum) and I liked it but not enough for me to get the gift for myself (I'm such a nice daughter! Haha!) Anyway, she ended up giving me another little gift anyway with a small pot of DayWear in! This sachet contains enough for a few uses and it is nice, but it's a little too scented for me to be comfortable with putting on my skin every day (it's so sensitive!)  Would I buy again? No, I wouldn't. It's quite expensive for something that I wouldn't want to use on my face everyday.
• Superdrug Tropical Smoothie Self Heating Mask - This smelt divine I must say! It heated up very quickly too. However.....it also melted off my face (into my mouth and onto my clothes I might add!) and was just WAY more hassle than it was worth. I liked the tropical/cocktail peel off one they do but I didn't like this at all.  Would I buy again? No. Not ever.
• Listerine Total Care Mouth Wash - (Not technically for my face but close enough) I really liked this. It's in "Clean Mint" flavour (which is the purple one) and I really liked the way this left my mouth feeling fresh without over doing it.  Would I buy again? Yes definitely. I'd choose this one over the other mint ones any day.
• Vinies Luminous Skin Mask - Another Beauty box sample that has been around for far too long. This was a really nice mask...as long as you weren't going anywhere too soon as it did leave my skin looking quite red for a while afterwards!  Would I buy again? No I don't think so. It's difficult to get and quite expensive so I'm not that fussed.
• The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream - I got this in a small set quite a while back and used it everyday for about 3 months before this was used up! I still have a bit of the night cream and the cleanser and toner left. This was really nice on my skin and absorbed quite quickly, which was nice! It helped calm my redness and dry skin as well and is for sensitive skin so I've had no problems with it! Would I buy again? Yes....and I already have. I brought the bigger sizes though as I knew I liked them all. My daily skincare routine has become much easier!

 Make-Up Products:

• Natural Collection Clear Mascara - I used this on my eyebrows to tame them on bad days. It;s really good at what it does and is a nice clear mascara (well...until it turns murky brown from my eyebrow powder of course...) Would I buy again? No. It's lovely but there are cheaper clear mascaras out there and I only need to spend a pound on one if I want to.
• 17 Falsifeye Mascara in Brown Black - This was free when I brought two products aaaages ago. It does create a nice effect but I'm not a fan of the huge brush on it really. Would I buy again? No. It's not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
• 17 Photo Flawless Mascara in Black Copper - I really liked the curved wand on this mascara and the colour was nice too. Again, it was free when I brought 2 products and I ended up preferring this to the other one. Would I buy again? probably not. If I had to pick one 17 mascara it would be the Wild Curls one for sure as it's really good...but since using the Bare Minerals ones I probably won't go back to other mascaras.
• NYC Lengthening Mascara in Black - I quite liked this for an everyday mascara but the wand is a brush one and I prefer the comb wands personally. Would I buy again? Again, no. I didn't see any lengthening properties to it at all.
• 17 Blusher in China Pink - I loved this colour so much! It's subtle if you wanted it to be or you can build it for an intense look. Just a really pretty pink. Also the first powder item that I have EVER used up! When it got to the very last dregs it did break but I kept the remains in there as I could crush them down to use as a loose powder! Would I buy again? I did re-purchase this..and then sent it off to someone else. Again, working on a make-up counter means you can't wear other brands so this would just sit around waiting for a night out (rare!) so it was nice to pass on this lovely colour!

 Nail products:

• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat - My go to top coat every time I paint my nails. I haven't tried any others yet because I love this one so much that I don't feel I need to change it up at all. It does exactly what it's suppose to and makes my polish touch dry in 30 seconds. They are usually smudge proof in 2-3 minutes unless I've done fancy multi-layer nail art, then it can take longer. Would I buy again? YES! I'm on to my 6th or 7th bottle of the stuff now and always have a back-up just in case!
• Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips - I got these on a whim to try them out in a "these could be good for emergencies" but they were a hassle to put on and didn't look great either. I can see why people might like them but I just found that painting my nails would've been easier. Would I buy again? No. Just not worth it.
• Superdrug Nail Polish Remover - I've found that this stuff just works really well for me. It doesn't make my nails feel gross or anything either. It smells a bit because of the acetone but I don't mind that really. Would I buy again? Yes because it works and I like how quickly it can remove polish (even glitter polish!)

 Perfumes:

• Calvin Klein Euphoria Sample - I really love this sample but it settles weirdly on me and give me a headache. My Mum loves it though! Would I buy again? Not for myself, no. But for my Mum, yes!
• Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sample - I have the full size of this so I use these samples as handy ones for in my handbag, and boy have they come in handy. I really love this fresh scent and am in love with the bottle it comes in too! Would I buy again? Yes and I already have (ok, technically it was a Christmas Present last year but still...)
• Marc Jacobs Dot - I like this perfume but it doesn't last very long on me at all for some reason. Would I buy again? I do love it but if it doesn't last very long, then what's the point in spending so much money on it?

(Just a quick note...all of these perfume samples are fully used but there's still the smallest amount left in the spray bottle. It's about 3 sprays worth and it's SO frustrating to not be able to get it out! Anyone else annoyed by that??)

So there are my empties for the last....while... Next time there won't be so many I can assure you! I have so much stuff and tend to very my products a lot but maybe I'll do individual empties posts so I can fully review the item? I'm not sure yet. Give me a shout on which you prefer if you want!

So have you reached the ends of any products that you loved or loathed? Disagree with any of my loves or loathes?? Any face wash recommendations???

Until next time,

xoxo

NOTD: 2true and Claire's Accessories

Hello!

So in my last post I showed off a couple of new nail polishes that I got when I went shopping the other day. Obviously, I needed to try them out asap so here is a quick nail of the day for you all!

Here is the base colour which is 2true's Shade 4. I really like this nail polish and will be having a little look at the other colours when I can.

Without Flash.

Final look with Claire's Accessories Holographic Bar Glitter over the top. 

With Flash.

I actually really liked this manicure. It was kind of tacky but in an over the top kind of way so I loved it! The bar glitter is really pretty and I can see it being used in lots of NOTD posts!

What do you guys think? Too tacky and over the top, or just the right amount of tack??

Until next time,
xoxo

I needed new clothes... - A Haul Post.

Hello!


So I'm going to set the scene for you a little bit....so imagine your a depressed 17 year old who is somewhat (read as: very) overweight and not at all interested in appearance...now imagine being taken on a shopping trip and having new clothes brought for you....now remember that you're said 17 year old and that you're basically only interested in covering up all the time (unless you're out in which case you'll make an effort, which seems odd doesn't it...) so you basically only buy comfy hoodies and some jeans. Now imagine that it's 7 years later (7 YEARS?! How the hell did that happen?!) and that you've basically only replaced said jeans and hoodies and maybe, occasionally brought 1 top that you liked. Aaaaand....you've become me. I'm so sorry for your loss of fashion sense! Haha! Basically, what I'm saying is I'm really really bad at clothes shopping and get very frustrated because I don't really know what suits me. I also have this weird fear about looking terrible in my clothes. I think it's from a long standing loathing of my body shape. I think I have a mild form of body dysmorphia that stems from years of comfort eating as a teenager - I want to be clear that yes, I may be a little overweight for my height, and yes, my hips are pretty big, but I'm actually not as big as I used to be. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you're happy with how you are, then that's all that matters! But I pretty much spend my time either thinking I look fab or thinking the complete opposite. I know this is the same for a lot for people but, unfortunately, when I'm having a day where I think I look fat and frumpy and just generally not at all how I'd like, I tend to punish myself either physically or verbally...or both. It's not pretty and if I'm having a bad day and clothes shopping then I used to be an absolute nightmare. I have recently been able to calm myself down and use clothes shopping as a form of therapy, as I have found that when I'm having a "my body is the worst" it can actually be quite good to go and pick out lots of clothes and try them all on. When I was in H&M a couple of weeks ago, I actually got the girls who work there to help me pick out a few different pieces that i would NEVER have tried on. This was really helpful and when I found a top that I was in love with, it really boosted my confidence quite a bit. Plus the girls were lovely and honest with me too, which was refreshing! I'm under no illusion, I've still got some way to go with my issues and I still want to lose a tiny bit more weight (and most importantly, firm the hell up!) but that's something that I've got to work on. When my room is sorted (ie: when I'm not in this guest room prison cell...) I've already got a little area pegged out for exercise. I've pre-warned my mum that I might be yelling at a woman called Jillian in my room for a little while! Haha!

Anyway, enough about my depression and body issues, let's get on with the fun bit! I recently decided to do an overhaul of my clothes so I could throw out some old jeans and tops that I've had for ages. I mean, don't get me wrong, my trusty black zip up hoody will be staying....that sucker is always handy to have around just in case, but I wanted to get some clothes that were a) new and b) more flattering. I'm warning you now that this post is very picture heavy....


First stop: H&M

I love this top simply for the sleeves to be honest. I have an issue with the tops of my arms so I always love it when I get a top that I don't feel I HAVE to wear a cardigan (or hoody) with. I love the dusky pink and black stripes and the loose belt bit just wins it over for me. Fun fact: this is the first top I've brought in forever that actually comes up over my cleavage! I usually get tops that show off (what I think is) my best feature! I felt so grown up when I put it on! Haha! Weird right?? 

This was £14.99 (this was pretty expensive to me, but I really did just fall in love with it)

I got this simple grey vest top because it comes down quite far and I liked that though of it covering a multitude of sins, and it really does! 

This was £3.99

I LOVE this top. So much so, that I'm actually not ashamed to show my arms off in it... It's quite loose and also see through, so a top underneath is a must (well...for me anyway...) The grey top goes really well underneath this one actually. I like the way that it's nice for the day, but I can totally see myself wearing it with jeans and heels for a night out. Throw on a long necklace and I'm done! 

This was £3.99 but then had £1.99 off it for some reason (it wasn't in the sale at all or anything, so I have no idea why there was money off but I wasn't about to complain!) so it actually came to £2.00! 

Next up: Sainsbury's

A classic dark blue pair of jeggings. I got these because I didn't have any dark blue jeans that fit me (I have a pair of slim size 12 jeans that I got during a post break-up non-eating fest. Needless to say when I started eating again, I couldn't fit into them anymore. I'm keeping them as my goal weight jeans though. Incentive FTW!) I thought jeggings would be a good choice for winter as they have the same comfy fit as my jogging bottoms, without the horrendous fear of me actually leaving the house in my jogging bottoms... I have men's size medium jogging bottoms and they are not flattering at all....but they are DAMN comfy for at home! Anyway, I figured these would be nice and comfy (they are) but also look good with my new tops (they do!)

These were £12.50

Next up: eBay

(Please excuse the state of these, ;ve worn them quite a bit and they were stuffed under a chair in our hallway this morning. My Dad has an odd way of hoovering...)

A few weeks back I'd had a lovely girl come in at work who was really nice and chatty and was actually friends with one of the other girls who work in Debenhams. Anyway, as we were chatting about make-up and other bits I noticed her boots and commented about how much I like them. She told me she got them on eBay and that I just needed to search for Chelsea boots. I then happened to sell a few bits on eBay and had some money in my paypal (free cash right??) and decided to have a little browse. I've been after some boots for AGES and when I found these I fell a little bit in love. I thought about it for a few hours and asked my Mum's opinion...and then just decided to go for it (after checking out the returns policy, just in case!) They arrived a few days later and I was complete sold. I got them in a size 5 just in case I wanted to wear them out during hardcore winter, as I knew I'd want thick socks on! I did feel the need to put some comfy pad thingys in the front and will probably invest in some insoles to pad them out a tiny bit as I find them a little uncomfy to stand in all day (I tried them out at work) but that might just be because I barely wear heels... 

You can get them here on eBay where they cost me £27.94 (including p&p) or if you don't particularly like this style, you can visit Garage Shoes website and get £5 off until the 15th of November with the code LAUNCH2012 (which is always handy!)

Up next: Primark (and a couple of brief purchases in other shops...)

So first up is the obligatory trip to Wilkinsons for a pot of pick 'n' mix for sugar perks when shopping in Primark. It can be a tough trip on a busy Saturday! 

This was £1.99 and packed full the brim with sweets! Gotta get the most out of it right?!

So I have a pretty bad obsession with scented candles. I just love them! I can't have Yankee Candles though as I discovered that they set my asthma off and give me a headache. That was an annoying one to discover after buying 5 small candles... Anyway, these ones were from a shop called "Butlers" and aren''t too overpowering. I got them in the scents "Baked Apple" (like a less powerful version of the cinnamon candle that they had) and "Black Cherry" (which smells delicious and is nice and subtle) I also got my parents a little Christmas gift from in there too, but I'm not putting it on here for obvious reasons....it's super super cute though!!

These cost me £1.99 each (so these four cost me £7.96)

So finally we entered Primark.... First up, pants. I always buy at least one pair of pants whenever I go to Primark. I don't really like their bras as they are bad sizes and can be a bit damaging actually. I don't mind their basques (except for the fact that bigger cup sizes come with big size pants....annoying!) and found a really pretty one...but it was £10 and I just really didn't need it. I wanted it, but I didn't need it. Putting it back went against my very being but was worth it in the end! Anyway, I liked these pants and they will go with lots of my bras, plus they are a little bit sexy but also looked comfortable too so I decided to get them.

These were £2.00

So as much as I loved the jeggings, I really wanted to get some actual jeans so I didn't feel quite so much like I was wearing jogging bottoms out when I was out for meals and stuff. My friend Laura highly recommended these as she had some and thought they were "comfy, warm and super super soft!" I wore this pair today and was really impressed with them! I can usually fit into a 12 in Primark but I decided to get them in a 14 as Laura said her 12s were a snug fit and she's usually between a 10 and a 12. I didn't want to risk another pair of jeans going into my "need to slim down for these" pile. 

These were £11.00

Another pair of jeans like the ones above, except these ones are in black. I've been needing some black jeans for ages as I quite like them for nights out sometimes. Again, these ones are super soft, super skinny jeans. I may be a little bit bigger than most people who wear skinny jeans, but I just find they suit me more than other types of jeans. Straight leg look especially hideous on me. They make my calves and thighs look like the same width, which is definitely not a look I want in my life!

Again, these cost £11.00

The first top I found was this jumper. It's thin enough to want to wear something underneath but thick enough to keep you warm inside without thinking "should I put my coat back on??" I really like the colours and style of this....although I really should have picked up the grey version too because this is really comfy! It's really soft too and isn't scratchy at all.

This cost me £8.00

I've been needing some new cardigans for ages since my trusty black one became more of an interesting faded black colour after many many many washes! I've been stealing my Mum's cardigans for going out etc for ages, so when I saw these I knew I had to snap a few up. I decide to pick up this dark grey one as I figured it'd be handy to have a different colour but didn't dare risk buying a bright colour in case I couldn't bring myself to step that far out of my comfort zone! I got this in a size 12 because it looked massive and I don't intend on doing up the buttons really so I won't have a problem of trying to squeeze my boobs in like I normally do in smaller tops!

This cost £6.00

Same as before but in a trusty black colour instead. I feel like I should've picked up two of these as I've had such difficulty finding a black cardigan but I didn't want to be ridiculous! I got this in a size 10 because there were only 10s and 16s left. 16 would've been very baggy on the arms, so I risked the 10. Seems to be fine though. Also I really like the fact that these have small pockets on them. I don't know what but I just feel like they'll come in handy at some point! I might also be able to get away with this at work if Debenhams can't work out how the hell heating works (not air con now thank you!!)

This was £6.00 too.

Now then, I'm not sure how many of you know this but I'm obsessed with penguins. My dream job would be to work with them in some way (I say work with...I mean shun humans and just go live with them. That's cool right??) Anyway, I generally like to have anything with penguins on and this pj top was no exception! It's so cute!! I love the fact that it's got that bit on the back too!! Just so freaking cute! I'm not going to lie, I feel like I will most likely wear this out as a proper top over Christmas and not as a pj top...I know that's weird but I just think it's so damn cute!! (Also if anyone else loves penguins like I do, then you totally need to click here! Watching during the daytime is obviously a bit more interesting...)

This was £3.00 (BARGAIN!!...well for a penguin fan like me anyway!)

What's this?....more penguins?! Crazy! So I've been needing a new scarf for a while (mine is still in boxes somewhere from the move home. I seriously can;t wait to have my old room back so I can unpack! It'll be like Christmas for me! Haha!) I was going to try and get a bog standard black one that would go with everything, but I saw this and I just couldn't believe how cute it was! And matching gloves too?? I was sold! It's one of those "just put over your head" scarves (you know what I mean right?) which I thought might annoy me, but actually I think I might prefer it to normal scarves! Plus the gloves have a hole in the thumb so I can still text/change my music/call people in the cold. Seems like an odd thing but I found that SO frustrating last year. I had to keep taking my gloves off to text people because I can't text with my fingers. I'm weird like that. The main thing that sold this for me though, was the fact that my Granny would've blatantly had something like this. She died when I was only 7 but I remember her loving random prints like this and always sending us the weirdest clothes....which would then be in fashion a few years later! One of the scarves that is in my boxes of stuff is one of hers. I certainly won't be getting rid of that in a hurry. 

This cost £5.00 (Scarf) and £3.00 (Gloves)

A new bag finally!! It's not a bag I think I'll use for my everyday stuff because I think it might be a tiny bit too small, but for a meal out or something, I'd definitely prefer to take out this bag than my big old everyday handbag. I did pick up a little black bag first and then saw this and had a bit of a dilemma. Black is just my go to colour (shade?) but I preferred the design of this one. Laura convinced me to step out of my comfort zone and go for this and I'm glad she did because I've really fallen in love with it. It's weird because the clasp is underneath the bag, which I thought might be annoying but I guess time will tell with that. I can always easily added another magnetic clasp on the side if I want. It's got enough room for my big bulky purse, my phone and my inhaler plus a bit more space and then it also has a zip on the inside too...I assume for chewing gum. That's what's going in there anyway! Emergency stash!

This was £6.00

I needed work shoes desperately but they needed to be smart, practical and comfy. It's very very difficult to find all those things and for them to also be in my price range. The shoes I wear now are fine, but I've had them for years, so they've actually stretched a bit too much and sound like flip flops when I walk...mmm...professional! I saw these and just thought they were really cute. They have the tiniest heel, so I feel a bit more professional on counter and the bow with the matching detail round the top is just enough to stop them from being bog standard black shoes. BUT the main reason to love these (other than the super comfy wide fit too!) is the fact that in the balls of these shoes, they actually have a built in cushion bit to help make your feet more comfortable when wearing these shoes!! Love it! I'll be wearing these lovely shoes tomorrow for my first day back after holiday!

These were £10.00

Next up, my one jewellery purchase. Primark can be hit or miss for me in this department, but I was determined to look thoroughly just in case they had a dupe of this beautiful fox ring from accessorize that I am completely lusting after at the moment. Unfortunately they didn't but I did spot these lovely rings. I really like wearing rings as a little finishing touch to my outfits (I don't wear bracelets at all as I have tiny wrists and they usually end up either falling off or bunching up near my elbows. UGH!) I really liked all of these so decided to snap them up.

These were £2.00

Here are the rings individually on each finger. I got these in small but they are all still a tiny bit to big for my fingers. I can wear them on my middle finger, index finger and thumb without fear of them completely falling off easily but not on my ring or little finger. They'd be gone in seconds. I really like all of these, even the jewelled band, which I normally would look twice at if it had been on it's own.

This is to show that the ring that was on my middle finger is actually a little bird! Very cute!

This has got to be my favourite out of them all. I thought it would be the flower but actually I love this one. The twisted band and tiny butterfly detail just win me over! (Also quick side note - Laura said my nails looked like "a work of art!" which made my inner nail nerd feel a surge of pride! Haha!)

Of course a shopping trip wouldn't be complete without some make-up and nail polish for me! The eyelash curlers were just something I needed since my ELF ones broke a few months ago. I don't find myself wanting them on a daily basis but for nights out it's sometimes nice to have curlers for a bit of added oomph.

These were £1.00

 I needed a new clear mascara for my brows (my Natural Collection one is over 2 years old now. Gross.) and I was going to get the MUA one but the Superdrug I was in didn't have any. I went to the 2true stand where I found a nice standard clear mascara waiting for me. Now then, this is a stand that I've been a little bit interested in recently since discovering that they were doing some limited edition crystal nail polishes. In the Superdrug online Christmas catalogue they looked really pretty so I wanted to look at this stand anyway. I also needed a brown eyeliner and I couldn't find one by any other brand anywhere in the store so I picked up the 2true one as well (I'll do a review when I"ve worn it so you can know if it's good or not) Then I treated myself to a look at the nail polishes. They have a lot of pretty colours and I kind of like the tall bottles, but I could only find one Crystal Nail Polish as the rest were sold out! It was in a beautiful purple though so I was happy with that! I will be checking out my local Superdrug to see if they have any more colours in I think! 

Anything by 2true is £1.99 each or 3 for £4.99 which is good but Superdrug at the moment has a 3 for 2 offer running on all make-up! Bargain buys of the 3 for £3.98!

Lastly, some polishes from Claire's Accessories. I have a few polishes by them and I really like them. They last for a long time, are fairly pigmented and the brushes aren't too bad either. I just wanted to pop in to see if they had a dupe for that damn expensive fox ring but I got easily distracted by the nail polish section and saw these two bar glitter ones and fell in love. The hologrpahic bar glitter one looks a tiny bit like the Nicki Minaj OPI Save Me one too, which I liked but couldn't justify the price tag of. The blue one is just because I like blue so much... I want to point out that I did actually put back lots of nail polish in various stores because I really didn't need it, I just wanted it. I was so proud of myself...even if I did still come back with 3 nail polishes (222 in total now. That's ridiculous isn't it??)

These were £2.50 each.

A few swatches of the nail polishes. I've ordered myself a nail art wheel thingy from eBay so these will be easier to do from now on hopefully. It should arrive next week so I'll be able to put some tutorials up too!

From left to right - one coat each:

2true Crystal Nail Polish in Shade 4.

Claire's Accessories Blue Bar Glitter (no name)

Claire's Accessories Holographic Bar Glitter (no name)

I tried the bar glitter over a couple of different polishes to see what it would be like.

From left to right - one coat of each:

Blue Bar Glitter over Model's Own Juicy Jules

Holographic Bar Glitter over Models Own Juicy Jules

Holographic Bar Glitter over Barry M's Red Glitter

I really like the bar glitters over Juicy Jules and I think if I were to mix all three then I would basically have Save Me. I don't think the red glitter works with these ones but I will try them over other colours.

So congratulations on getting to the end of my clothes haul! I'm so proud of you! I waffle so much that I'm always surprised that people stick around til the end of the post! I will point out that I did get a couple of other Christmas presents that I haven't included for obvious reasons. But what do you guys think of my clothes haul? Any styles you would suggest for me/any shops you recommend? Have you tried the 2true range before?? Any recommendations on nail polishes too? (not that I'm trying to get you guys to help feed my habit! Haha!!) Anything you'd like reviewed in more depth at all?

Until next time,

xoxo

First Autumn Style NOTD

Hello!

So as most of you may know, I have a pretty bad nail polish addiction (I did a stock take of them the other day and I have 219 nail polishes. Who needs that many?!) Anyway, it should come as no surprise that I like to read nail polish blogs and like to get inspiration from them too. So when I saw this nail art on Lucy's Stash I fell a little bit in love! (Quick side note - aren't her nails amazing?! I wish I could handle having nails that long!) Now then, as much as I would love to have recreated that exactly, I don't actually have those sorts of colours really (well...now I NEED to get a red-y bronze colour for my stash right?? Haha!) so I had a little look at what I've got and picked some of my favourite colours for my own autumn themed nail art....

The colours I used (from left to right):

Beauty UK Glam Nails in No. 53 Golden Chestnut - Love this bronze and the small price tag of it too! Such good quality - I've never been disappointed by a Beauty UK nail polish. I highly recommend them!

Barry M Nail Paint in 289 Gold - I'll be honest, I hate wearing gold by itself. I don't know why I have so many! But this one is lovely for nail art and isn't too yellow for my liking.

Rimmel Lasting Finish in 239 Your Majesty - I LOVE this nail polish so very very much! This is my third bottle of this stuff as I use it for everything. I love it just on it's own too. Just an absolute winner of a nail polish for me!

Not pictured - Rommel 60 Seconds in Black Cab (I've put this down somewhere safe and I have no idea where it is! I only used it last night too! I'm clearly losing it...) - This is my go to black nail polish. It's completely black (no undertone of anything else) and dries really quickly. It's really good for nail art too.

So what I did:

Painted two coats of the bronze colour first. 

Then waited for it to mostly dry. 

Next up came the gradient stamping of the gold. Now then, I'm lazy so what I do is paint the nail polish directly onto my sponge and go from there. I know some people drip polish onto a surface and then dip their sponge in, but I really am super lazy and don't like a huge amount of mess, so I go for the easy option!

Sponge the gold from tip to about 2/3 of the way down. Repeat for all nails.

Then repeat with the silver colour from tip to 1/3 of the way down your nail and repeat for all nails.

Then I get a straw and paint the black onto the end of the straw (Again, some people drip the black onto a surface and dip the straw in...but did I mention how lazy I am??) and then blow the nail polish onto your nail. It's like blow pen art but for your nails! 

This technique can be a bit messy but you can tape up your nails so it's not so bad....or do what I do and just do a clean up with nail polish remover afterwards.

And here's my lovely right hand.

I like how unpredictable this style of nail art is and I love trying it with different colours underneath. I think the gradient under it really works and looks really quite effective.

What do you guys think? Any recommendations for different colours? Any nail blogs that you can recommend at all?? And any red-y bronze nail polishes that you can point my towards?? I'll be lusting after a colour like that for a while now....(

Until next time,
xoxo