BRITNEY SERIES: Stronger Make Up

I've always been a fan of Britney's make up in her music video for her single 'Stronger.' And tonight, I haven't had anything to do so I thought I'd attempt to recreate it. I'm quite happy with how it turned out even though I'm pretty much an amateur when it comes to make up. You can enlarge these images aswell to take a closer look!

I used No7's Stay Perfect Eye Mousse in the colour Pewter as an all over base colour. I also took it into the corner of my eye and underneath my lower lash line to brighten up and give the powder shadows something to stick to. After this, I used Urban Decay's Gunmetal in the crease and winged this colour out to elongate the eye. I then outlined Gunmetal with Urban Decay's Creep and then blended the two colours together. After this, I mixed both of the colours together and used them towards the outside of my lower lash line. To then brighten up the eyes, I took a mixture of Urban Decay's Pistol and Verve and blended both of these colours from the inside corner of my eye to the darker corners. I then took both of these colours underneath my lash line and blended into the darker ones aswell. After this, I lined my upper lash line with 17's Liquid Liner and my waterline with Gosh's Kohl Eye Liner in the colour White. I curled my lashes with No7's Lash Curler and then applied one coat of Avon's Supershock Mascara before applying Kiss False Lashes in the style 02. After all of this, I took some random glitter and pressed this over my entire upper eye to make it glow more.

I used MAC's Studio Sculpt foundation all over my skin and then Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection Concealer to cover up my scarring, spots and tidy up around the eye area. To contour my face, I used Sleek's Face Contour Kit in the Light and contoured underneath my cheekbones and the outside edges of my nose. I also used the highlight part on the upper area of my cheekbones. I also used Bourjois Blush in Rose De Jaspe to further contour and add some colour to the cheeks. On my lips, I used a mixture of 17's Ultimate Volume Lipgloss in Very Berry and Barbara Daly's Mega Shine Lipgloss in Breeze.

Above, you can see Britney's make up from the music video. I must add as I always do that I'm not a professional make up artist; I'm just someone who loves playing around with make up! And also, I couldn't recreate the look exactly because I have no idea which colours her make up artist was using at the time. But I've tried my hardest! I thought that this look wouldn't be very wearable but the more I look at it, the more I love it. It's really beautiful and even though both the eyes and the lips are strong, they go so perfectly together!

What do you think? Do you like these posts and would you like to see more?

xxx

What I Use On.. My Hair

For my giveaway, I asked you all what you'd like to see more of and someone mentioned that they'd like to see more hair posts. So seeing as I'm having my hair cut soon (Thursday to be exact) I thought I'd show you how I style my hair now. And then after my hair's been cut, I'll show you how I style it afterwards.

TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo* & TRESemme Split Remedy Conditioner* - I really cannot live without this shampoo and conditioner. In fact, I can't live without the entire Split Remedy range. It's very good and reduces the appearance of split ends very quickly. It also doesn't weigh the hair down, leave a nasty residue or make my hair appear greasy. I highly, highly recommend it and if you'd like to find out more, you can read my full review here.

Percy & Reed Finishing Polish - I mentioned Percy & Reed products a while ago as right now, they're free when you purchase Glamour magazine. I received the Finishing Polish yesterday as I'm a subscriber and I was very excited to try it out. So far, I've used it on my sister who has dry, short hair and myself who has oily, long hair and it works fabulously on both hair types. It helps to hold the style naturally and also smooth the cuticle which stops frizz. The main reason I love this product is because it controls unruly hair which in this horrible UK weather we're having is wonderful. I love this finishing polish and I can see myself buying it again and again.

VO5 Miracle Concentrate - My favourite hair oil! I use it before blow drying to reduce drying time and to leave my hair feeling smooth and looking silky and shiny. I really cannot get enough of this hair oil and it doesn't even make my oily hair more greasy. It's very lightweight and also smells gorgeous!

TIGI Bed Head Totally Baked Volumizing & Hair Prepping Meringue* - I don't mousse very often but when I do, this is my one of choice. It adds volume and smells beautiful - just like lemon meringue and luckily, the scent lingers on the hair.

Pantene Pro V Heat Defence Gloss Spray - I've really been loving this heat defence recently. Yes it's like the usual heat defences as it protects your hair but it also adds a lovely sheen to the hair without weighing it down. Once I've used this, I find that my hair isn't as frizzy as it would be without it. It also smells beautiful - very clean and fresh.

So this is my hair right after it's been blow dried. In these pictures, I've used the products above and only blow dried my hair - it hasn't been straightened. As you can see, my hair is filled with volume and there's hardly any frizz. It also looks really glossy and healthy. I'd highly recommend all of these products!

What products do you use on your hair?

xxx

*PR Sample

OOTD

It's been a while since I've posted any OOTD's and that's mainly because when it comes to winter, my dressing isn't exactly very good. Infact, it's usually very bad. When I'm going to a lecture and I see the miserable weather outside, I generally just throw on whatever is clean and ironed - most of the time, it probably doesn't even match. But this morning, the weather looked pretty decent so I thought I'd put a little bit of 'effort' into my dressing. My outfit isn't any special but I like how casual it is.

White Top - Select

Floral Print Top - Warehouse

Jeans - Primark

Blazer - New Look

Scarf - a Present

xxx

High End Foundations

First of all I'd like to say sorry about the image. For some reason, my high end foundations don't photograph very well and this was the best out of a very bad bunch. Secondly, you can probably remember that I posted a High Street Foundation collection post and I thought I'd follow it up by showing you my high end foundations.

MAC Studio Sculpt - This foundation is gel based and it provides mudium builable coverage and gives a natural finish that isn't completely matte or shiny. It's very long wearing and lasts throughout the day. I really do love this foundation but unfortunately, the colour isn't right for me at the moment as I'm pale. but when it comes to summer, I'll definitely be using this foundation!
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H - This is my all-time favourite foundation. I did a full review of this foundation a while ago with before/after comparisons picture. You can view this here. But in summary, it's full coverage, very lightweight, long lasting and provides a matte finish. It's just quite frankly, perfect!
Chanel Pro Lumiere - This foundation has now been discontinued and although I still have it in my collection, I'm not a big fan of it. I tend to use it on my sister as it's perfect for her skin tone and type. It leaves a glowy finish on the skin and is sheer/medium coverage. It lasts throughout the day and sits nicely on the skin. But unfortunately for me, it's too shiny and doesn't have enough coverage.
Estee Lauder Double Wear - Back when I first started my blog, I (badly) reviewed this product and you can see this here. The other week I also did a post on how I wear this foundation and you can view this post here. But in summary, I've stayed true to this foundation for a long time. It's full coverage and doesn't budge throughout the day. The only problem I have with this foundation is sometimes it can apply cakey and it takes a while to work into the skin. But it's perfect for night time.
Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint* - I did a full review of this a while back and you can see it here. I do like this tinted moisturiser and it's great for when I don't need a lot of coverage. It's very lightweight and provides sheer/medium coverage that's easy to build up. It's glowy though which means I have to powder often but when I don't fancy wearing a heavier foundation, this is perfect.

Which high end foundations do you love the most?
xxx
*PR Sample

Monday Summary - Week Nine

Finally, a Monday summary that's on time!

Once again, I haven't really done much this week. On Wednesday night I went out as I had finished all of my assignments that were due in this week. It was okay, it wasn't really anything special. Going out is boring me recently as it's always the same. Plus, I miss going out as a big group like we did the first semester but hopefully this Friday, we'll all be out again. I also went home on Thursday until Saturday. It was great to see my family again but I was pretty gutted when my cat barely recognised me! I also got my discount card from Boots yesterday which for me, was very exciting and it shall definitely be getting used often! Other than that, nothing's really happened! I hope you've all had a good week.

xxx

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Five - My Skincare Routine & Favourites (Extras)

I'm sad to say that this will be my last post in my Blemished Skin Series! I've really enjoyed writing this series as blemished skin is a subject that is 'close to my heart.' I hope that you've found it useful in one way or another and do let me know if you have! This is the second part of my Skin Care Routine & Favourites and you can view the first part of it here which includes cleansing, toning and moisturising. This part of the series includes my favourite 'extras.'

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask* To see my full review of this product click here.

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask. I love peel off masks as they're great for refining the pores and this certainly does the job. It sets pretty quickly, smells fresh and loves skin looking refined and clear. It also mops up any excess oil.

Dirty Works Face Mask* This is a clay mask which is great for drawing impurities from the skin. This sets well and is very easy to remove. After use, my skin feels really soft and my pores are less noticeable. 

Proactiv Refining Mask* To see my full review of this product click here.

Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask* To see my full review of this product click here.

St Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish Fighting St Ives scrubs are very famous and if you're confused as to why my packaging is different to that on the website it's because they've been repackaged. I love this scrub as it's great at removing dead skin and leaving skin looking brighter and clearer. But not only that, it also removes excess oil and fights blackheads and blemishes.

Dirty Works Face Scrub* This is quite possibly my all time favourite face scrub. It's very minty which refreshes the skin and really wakes it up. It's also wonderful at refining the pores and removing dead skin gently.

Dr Nick Lowe Spot Gel* I use this during the day time as it's strong but also pretty moisturising and doesn't dry the skin out. Whereas at night time I use the Pan Oxyl 10 Acnegel. As well as the Cor soap, this is my #1 must-have for blemished skin. You can only get Pan Oxyl from behind the counters but it's only around the £4.00 mark. I've mentioned it many times on my blog but it's truly a life saver. Once again, spot size will be reduced within a few hours and normally the spots have gone by the next day. The only problem with this spot treatment is that when you first start using it, it's very drying. My skin was an absolute mess but luckily, I continued using the product and discovered it's magical properties! There are different strengths and I recommend starting off on a low one and working your way up to the perfect strength for you.

xxx

*PR Sample

Don't Forget to Enter My Giveaway!

Click Here to Enter!

xxx

Having My Hair Cut - HELP!

If you're a regular on my blog then you know that I haven't had my hair cut in around 2 years. The reason for this is that if I have it cut, it doesn't tend to grow. However, it's now at the length that I want it to be at so when I get paid on Tuesday, I'm hoping to go to the hairdressers and get a few layers put in and a fringe. Now, when I say I haven't had my hair cut in 2 years it doesn't mean it's in bad condition with terrible split ends as I've looked after it very well - a lot of deep conditioning so don't go not having your hair cut unless you're willing to look after it properly!

Minus the blonde hair, the images above are exactly how I want my hair. I usually put my fringe behind my ears in order to keep it out of the way of my eyes and this ends up just looking a mess so I'm hoping to get a fringe put in. I love Britney's in the first two images; I love the way it sweeps across her face, covers up her forehead and looks effortless. I'd say my hair is about the same length as Britney's in the second two images and I love the layering in them both. It creates volume and also allows beautiful curls to be put into the hair. So I'll be taking these pictures along to the salon with me to see if there's anything that they can do.

This is what my hair looks like now so I think it's definitely manageable. My fringe doesn't look too bad on these photos though - possibly because it's placed there with quite a bit of hairspray. But when I'm out and can't place it there in time for photos, it becomes such a pain and just gets in the way. If you're around Lincoln and can recommend some good hairdressers then please, let me know! And if you have any tips on how to approach the hairdressers, comment below as I've never been to the hairdressers in my life! (My mum used to be one so she's always cut my hair for me).

xxx

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Five - My Skincare Routine & Favourites (The Basics)

Hello and welcome to the penultimate post in my 'Helping Blemished Skin' series.' I've really enjoyed writing this post and getting out my tips to you all. I know what a strain blemished skin can be on your life and I know I say this often but if I've helped just one person, I'll be very happy! I decided to do this part in two sections as my skin care routine is pretty big so instead of one big post, I'm going to do two smaller posts. I'm going to start off with 'the basics' which includes cleansers, toners and moisturisers. So enjoy!

No7 Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser I've only recently got this cleanser but so far, I'm really liking it. It creates a really luxurious foam on the skin and melts away make up perfectly leaving skin feeling soft and looking skin free.

Dr Nick Lowe Purifying Foaming Cleanser* Another foaming cleanser which is pretty much the same as the No7 one. I do find that this one is a bit stronger and helps get rid of spots more. It's also better on the pores and closes them after it's been used.

Good Things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser* I keep this cleanser in my shower mainly because it smells beautiful. Whenever I go in the shower I will wash my skin after washing my hair (to remove any impurities left behind) and this one is really refreshing.

Avene Cleanance Gel* For a while I was using Avene's Cleanance range religiously and whilst I still use it, I'm a blogger and I enjoy trying out new products so sticking to one skin care range is hard. But this one is very trusty and I can always rely on it. It really helps with spots and keeps shine at bay.

Cor Silver Soap* If money was no object this would be the only cleanser that I would use. It is just wonderful. It has real silver inside it and will help out any skin problem. When it was New Year, my skin was awful and I hated going outside. But when this came in my letter box, I used it two times and my spots had been reduced significantly and had completely disappeared within 2 days. It's a completely lightsaver. It works really well at getting rid of blemishes and it foams up into a beautiful luxurious foam which is very moisturising and gentle. The only problem is, it's very expensive. Don't get me wrong, it's worth the money. I just don't have the money to keep buying it unfortunately.

 Proactiv Revitalising Toner* You can view my full review of this product here.

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 & Anti Blemish I'm a big fan of Clinique's Clarifying Lotion's and I've been through quite a lot of them even though they last a long time. The Anti-Blemish one is great as it really does help with scarring and spots but sometimes, it can be quite drying. So I normally alternate between the Anti-Blemish and 3. Although these aren't described as toners they're used at the same time a toner would be used. The only difference is, these Clarifying Lotions exfoliate the skin so they're very good for scarring.

Liz Earle Instant Skin Boost Tonic* You can view my full review of this product here. (I'd also highly, highly recommend the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish which you can see reviewed in the same review as the Skin Boost Tonic however, I couldn't include it as I don't have the bottle with me at the moment).

Avene Cleanance Lotion* This toner is very refreshing to use and when all of the Avene products are used together, spots literally don't show anymore.

Dr Nick Lowe Sebum Control Cleanser* Another very refreshing toner that helps with enlarged pores and excess oil.

No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream & Day Cream These moisturisers are very moisturising but also help control oil. They sink into the skin lovely and smell beautiful too.

Proactiv Repairing Day Lotion* You can view my full review of this product here.

Avene Triacneal* I use this as a night moisturiser when my skin breaks out. It helps eliminates breakouts and also improve the appearance of scars. After using this for a few months I noticed a massive improvement in the way my scars looked - they're not as red and prominent anymore.

Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Anti-Imperfection Hydrating Care If I need a bit more moisture then this is moisturiser I turn to. It's very hydrating but also light on the skin.

Good Things Miracle Mattifier Lotion* If my skin is looking very oily then I turn to this moisturiser. It controls oil throughout the day and also smells beautiful.

Dr Nick Lowe Oil Control Day Cream* Another great oil controlling moisturiser that sits lovely on the skin and provides a great base for make up.

Garnier Pure A Anti Blemish Moisturiser This used to be my 'go to' moisturiser. It's not very moisturising but great as a base for make up and it really controls breakouts.

Avene Cleanance Emulsion* This moisturiser is very strong so whenever I have an active breakout, I'll use it. It's moisturising, controls oil and sinks into the skin very well.

Proactiv Daily Oil Control* You can see how I use this product here.

These are the most of the products that I have with me a university. I don't stick to just one set skin care routine and like to change products depending on how my skin is looking and feeling. If I have an active breakout, I'll use stronger products. And sometimes, my skin can be very oily and other times very dry - it's almost as if my skin has bi-polar disease! If I could only recommend one one cleanser, one toner and one moisturiser these would be the Cor Silver Soap, the Liz Earle Instant Skin Boost Tonic and No7's Beautiful Skin Day Cream. Although these products aren't solely for blemished skin, they're very good at regulating the skin and balancing it out. But as I've mentioned previously, finding your own skin care routine can take a very long time. So be patient! I'll be posting the second part of my skin care routine very soon.

xxx


* PR Sample

Everyday Eye Make Up - Urban Decay Naked Palette

Last year, this was my favourite eye combination. I used to wear it all the time and it never let me down. But since getting new eyeshadows to place around with, it's taken a back seat until recently where I've rediscovered it.

As you can see, it's a beautiful eye make up look that's really simple to create and easy on the eyes. It can also be built up to work at night time and the shimmer really emphasises the eyes. This entire eye look is from the Urban Decay Naked palette by the way. At first, I sweep Sin across the lid and through the corners of my eyes to highlight and make me look more awake. Afterwards, I blend Sidecar through the socket in a 'V' shape to give me a 'winged out/cat-eye' look that elongates the eye. After this, I use 17's Eye Liner to line the eyes and create definition and finish with some mascara. The mascara I used for these pictures was Lancome's Hypnose which is great for length, definition and volume.

I really love this eye look and it's definitely my all-time favourite. I'm glad I've rediscovered it. What's your favourite eye look? Or Naked combination?

xxx

Monday Summary (On A Tuesday Again) - Week Eight

I'm becoming really bad at getting these Monday Summaries up, aren't I? I shouldn't really have done them on Monday's because that's my busiest day. But hey ho, here we have it!

I actually don't have any pictures from this week because to be honest, I haven't done much. Tuesday was of course Valentine's Day and being the singleton that I am, me and my friends Siobhan and Melissa went to Pizza Hut. We did end up getting free desserts (we think the waitress felt sorry for us)! But other than that, nothing much has happened. Other than the usual like watching TV, talking, watching films and doing work. I am going home on Thursday though which I'm pretty excited about as I haven't been back since new year.

xxx

Luscious Lashes

Recently I've become obsessed with false eye lashes and whenever I go out at night, it's rare that I'll be seen without them. You can first see me wearing eye lashes here and since then, my obsession has grew.

Here I'm wearing the Kiss Premium Eye Lashes in the number 02. I've been put off of these for a while because they don't really add volume to the lashes but instead, a lot of length. And personally, my eye lashes are naturally pretty long and whenever I'm looking to enhance my lashes, it's always volume wise. But after being bored tonight and playing around, I used these and I'm in love. They really emphasise the eyes and elongates them to give them a 'cat-eyed look' which I really love. I'm no longer going to shy away from these lashes and on my next night out, I'll be using them! I bought these from Home Bargains for around 79p so before you go searching your local Boots for them where they retail at £6.50, definitely check out Home Bargains first! I will also add that these lashes are supposed to be easier to apply as they come with some string to attached them with but personally, I prefer using the 'traditional' method by using my tweezers so I did stick to that.

Do you have a lash obsession? What are your favourite eye lash brand?

xxx

Belvia Bra Review

This post isn't something that I'd normally do and it was one that I felt (and still do feel) pretty self conscious about and at first, I wasn't going to show you the bra 'in action.' But I feel like showing is the only way. So the bra that I'm talking about is the Belvia Bra.

If you're a woman then you know how much of a pain it is to choose and bra and if you choose the wrong one, it's extremely painful and unattractive. So Belvia have come up with a new bra without seams, wires and hooks that fits to the curves of the body to create a perfect fit and a smooth shape. All you have to do is choose your top size and it will fit to your shape. Whilst wearing this, I noticed that it's pretty much invisible under the clothes and I never needed to 'adjust' it like I do normal bras. It's also very comfortable and supports the breasts wonderfully. I've even wore it at the gym and it 'worked' there too. The only problem I have with this bra is it's not exactly the most attractive bra out there but of course, it's not there for looks - it's there for comfort.

I'm a big fan of this bra now on JML you can get 4 of them for just £39.99. I'd also just like to point out that the flowers don't come on the bra of course.. it's just pretty see threw! Also, I love the fact that it made me feel a bit Britney-esque 1999.

So let's talk bras..
xxx

*PR Sample

Battle of the Hair Oils

Hair oils have been big for the last 6 months or so and although my hair is generally oily, I decided to venture out and explore the wonder world of hair oils. I started off with the VO5 Miracle Concentrate and fell in love from the first moment I used it.

VO5 Miracle Concentrate

I was really nervous about using this at first but as soon as I ran 2 drops of this oil throughout the ends of my hair, I fell in love. I usually use this after blow-drying to tame frizz, leave my hair feeling smooth and looking silky and finally to add shine. You really don't need a lot of this product and it can easily last you a year or two. The only reason that mine is a bit dead is because I accidently knocked it off of my dressing table a week after I bought it whilst the lid was off - I was gutted. But this hair oil is definitely my favourite and one that I will probably be repurchasing for the rest of my life.

TRESemme Argan Oil Glossing Spray*

Although this is branded as a glossing spray, it is pretty much another hair oil but in spray form. I don't use it as a spray and instead, I spray a little bit into my hair and run through the ends of my hair whenever I'm using it after styling. I usually use this whenever I'm going on a night out as the gloss is wonderful. It leaves hair really shiny but not greasy looking and it doesn't weigh the hair down. It's also great for taming flyaways and frizz and whenever my hair is static, I spray a little bit of this onto a brush and brush through my hair.

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Penetrating Oil

This is the most recent addition to my collection and I did a review of this and the shampoo earlier this week. This is the oil that I use before blow-drying my hair as if I use it after styling, it tends to weigh the hair down and make it look too shiny for my hair. But if you have dry hair, I don't think this would be a problem. It reduces drying time, tames frizz, protects against heat damage and UV styling and leaves a lovely glossy finish to the hair.

What's your verdict on hair oils? Which ones are your favourite?

xxx

*PR Sample

Proactiv Kit Launches in Boots!

I have some very exciting news for you all! In 88 Boots stores today throughout the UK, Proactiv have launched a 3-piece kit today! It contains their Renewing Cleanser, Revitalising Toner and Repairing Treatment which if used together twice a day, promises you dramatic results.

I've personally used the Proactiv range before and I can say it does work very well for acne/blemished skin. You can see my full Proactiv review here and also see it featured in my Blemished Skin Series here. I believe this kit is the perfect way to try the products out as they last for 60 days so if you suffer with bad skin, I highly recommend picking one up to see if it works for you.

It's available to buy online for £39.99 here and instore from today!

Will you be picking up one of these kits? Or have you tried to Proactiv range before?

xxx

Monday Summary (On A Tuesday Again) - Week Seven

I'm really sorry that I've posted this on a Tuesday again. I really just forgot as I was so busy yesterday with university work. These posts are probably the hardest ones to write as I have to think back to everything I've done the past week - I should really just write them during the week so I don't forget anything.
So, last week I can't remember doing that much other than the usual staying in up until Friday. It's not the same as the first few weeks back were we'd go out 3 times a week as we've settled into the university routine and a lot of us are starting to become skint. But we went out Friday to as you can see above, Superbull and it was such a good night out. One of the best ones I've had at university. Only me, Siobhan and Laura went out and it was a great girls night out that resulted in hangovers the following day - and me and Laura had a gym induction too. Which Laura was very ill for. So we all went and sat in the sauna afterwards.
On Sunday I went into work and it was a typical Sunday at work really. Luckily, it was a lot busier than the week before seeing as the snow has pretty much gone. But it was also very cold!
What have you all been up to last week?
xxx

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24HR Review & Comparison Pictures

Ever since I've had this foundation I've been dying to write a review about it. However, I've always wanted to post before/after comparison pictures of my skin. But if you know me then you know how uncomfortable I am with my skin. It's far from perfect and the scarring on my face is pretty bad so posting these images was (and still is) a problem for me. Yet I've manned up and I've decided that this foundation is too good to not post a review about.

I'm not going to write too much about this foundation as I believe the comparison pictures really do speak for themselves. It's a lightweight foundation that feels asthough you're wearing nothing. It's comfortable throughout the day and gently keeps the skin hydrated whilst blotting away any oil and keeping the skin shine-free. Another thing is that it lasts all day. I've wore this from 9am until 11pm at night and whilst it doesn't look as flawless as it first appears, it's still there and covering up the nasty parts of my skin. But the greatest thing about this foundation is the coverage. It's full coverage but it's buildable. So if you happen to be having a good skin day you can keep it minimal and apply a thin layer. But even if you do build it up to full, it doesn't cake on the skin or make you look orange. It sounds too good to be true but it really is my perfect foundation.

 Before..

After..

Feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them and have a good nosey!

So as you can see from the picture, my spot has disappeared, there's no redness and you can barely see my scarring. For years I'd swore by Estee Lauder's Double Wear but this has replaced it and I can't see another replacing this one.

Have you tried this foundation? What's your perfect foundation?

xxx

Valentine's Day Nails!

In November I wrote a post about Myleene Klass' nail wraps and seeing as it's Valentine's Day today, I thought I'd show you these beautiful ones that you can all rush out and buy today for later on in the evening!

Once again these nail wraps last a really long time and don't chip or smudge. The only problem is that I found these ones a little bit harder to apply as you can probably see in the picture. But then again, I might have just received a bad batch as I've not seen any other 'bad' reviews about this. They really are beautiful and will add a touch of colour to any outfit on Valentine's Day. They retail at £5.00 for 24 stickers and a nail file at ASDA, Boots, Debenhams and JML.

What will you be wearing on your nails this Valentine's Day?

xx

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil

I've been ill all week (and I'm still ill) with an ear infection so I've been into Boots quite a bit to pick up some Calpol as I can't take tablets. And for a while I've had my eye on the Organix range that's in there, especially because at the moment it's on offer for 2 products for £8. So I thought, why not?!

 I purchased the Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo and the Renewing Moroccan Argon Oil Penetrating Oil and this range is supposed to renew your hair's cell structure, seal in shine and create softness.  I've been using this shampoo and oil for a few days now and so far, I do really like it. After I've shampooed my hair is very soft and so far, I haven't noticed any split ends re-appearing so that's all good. The only problem is, I do have oily hair so if I touch my hair often then it needs washing the next day. But then again, that's just because my hair is oily! I also love the oil. It really does banish frizz and adds a beautiful shine to the hair that looks natural and not greasy one bit. Overall, I'm very happy with this range. The shampoo is huge and you only need a tiny amount of the oil so it's going to last a while. And 2 for £8 is such a bargain!

Have you tried any of the other ranges from this brand?

xxx

OTN - Geek Night!

A quick post to show you my make up and outfit from last night. It was geek night and we didn't really have a long time getting ready before going out because we were attending the 'Rugby Auction' beforehand (basically an event were lots of rugby boys get naked). So I kept everything pretty simple..

Foundation - Estee Lauder's Double Wear

Concealer - Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection

Powder - Rimmel's Stay Matte

Blush - Bourjois in Rose De Jaspe

Eye Liner - 17's Liquid Liner

Mascara - Revlon's Double Twist

Eye Brows - HD Brow Palette *

Lip Stick - MAC's Costa Chic

Lip Gloss - Lancome's Juicy Tube in Fraise

Shirt - Primark (My sisters)

Skirt - Debenhams

Bag - Market in Lincoln (My sisters)

Tights - Primark

Glasses - Primark

Braces - Primark

Tie - Online? (My sisters)

I thought I'd also show you my sister's outfit. She went dressed as an American Footballer and her and her friend made the outfit by themselves and I have to say, it looked amazing!

So there is my very nerdy outfit of the night! Have you ever dressed up as a geek before? In all honesty, I didn feel pretty uncomfortable in such a tight skirt!

xxx

Helping Blemished Skin: Part Four - Covering Up

If you have blemished skin you're going to want to cover your blemishes up. Below, I've explained the three most important products for doing this and also gave mini reviews of my favourites!

Foundation - Foundation is great for evening out your skin tone and making your skin appear flawless. If you have blemished skin you should choose a foundation that has medium/full coverage and one that is buildable and lasts all day. You also want a foundation that doesn't irritate the skin or break the skin out.
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H
I've only just recently bought this foundation but it's now my all-time favourite foundation. It's medium/full coverage that's easily buildable, blends well, lasts all day and provides hydration to the skin whilst keeping the skin shine-free.
Estee Lauder Double Wear
I've used this pretty much all my blemished skin life. It's full coverage and once it's on the skin and blended, it will not move. The only problem is that it takes a while to get used to and sometimes if applied wrong, can look cakey. But once you've gotten used to it, this foundation will become your best friend.
Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint*
This is actually a tinted moisturiser and not a foundation which may seem strange seeing as this is blemished skin series. But I do recommend this tinted moisturiser for blemished skin because it's very gentle on the skin and won't block your pores up. Wearing make up can sometimes irritate the skin and cause further breakouts but this doesn't. It may not give the best coverage but it gives a decent amount of coverage that can be built up to medium. And if you add concealer, everything will be covered!
Keromask Camouflage Cream*
The fullest coverage you can get. This 'foundation' is for people who have tattoos that they want to cover so it's ideal for people with blemished skin. I have scarring on my face and I can say that this foundation completely covers them and makes them magically disappear. It can be quite heavy and sometimes appear cakey but when used correctly and sparingly, it's a life saver.
MAC Studio Sculpt
I recently bought this on a blog sale and I've fell in love. It's a lovely foundation that's easy to blend and covers really well. I'd say it's medium coverage and definitely has to be used with a concealer. This is because it's hard to build the coverage up without it looking cakey on the skin. But one layer of this foundation is more than enough to cover spots.

Concealer - Concealer is used to add extra coverage to those nasty problem areas. I use concealer on my scars, spots and underneath my eyes. Most concealers are full coverage and ideally, people with blemished skin should be looking for one that lasts all day and doesn't highlight the problem areas.
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
You've probably heard a lot about this concealer in the blogosphere; it's very well known and highly commended. And there's a good reason for that. It's cheap, full coverage and doesn't move once blended into the skin. I've tried a lot of concealers but this one is the best that I've used. It covers up everything - scars, spots, under eye circles. You name it, this will cover it.
No7 Quick Cover Concealer
This is a good concealer for those of you with very oily skin. It's a cream formula that dries to a powder and provides very good coverage. Although I do have it, I don't use it very often because I have combination skin and sometimes, it clings to my dry patches. But if you do have oily skin, I'd recommend it.
Sheer Cover Duo Concealer*
A very good mineral concealer that provides flawless coverage, is creamy and easy to blend. It's also from the brand Sheer Cover which is a mineral make up brand so it won't irritate the skin or block the pores and cause further breakouts.

Powder - Powder can be used to add extra coverage to the skin when needed, blot away shine and help make up last.
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
My favourite powder! I have this in the colour translucent as it adds no extra coverage. It doesn't make the skin look powedery or cakey and it blends into the skin like a dream. A light dusting of this ensures make up lasts all day and keeps shine at bay for around 6 hours. A true life saver that isn't expensive!
Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation*
This is a mineral foundation but I've put it in the powder category as for me, mineral foundation doesn't provide enough coverage. Mineral foundation is generally aimed at blemished skin and the coverage can be built up but for me, it's just not enough. This foundation is very good and I'd say it gives medium coverage once fully built up. It's easy to blend and it's great because it doesn't irritate the skin and it's even good for the skin. So good that you can actually sleep in it. But I personally use it to powder the skin after I've applied my foundation and concealer. I'll use this powder instead of the Rimmel one if I need further coverage as this provides it.

Part One - Introduction
Part Two - Getting into Routine
Part Three - Finding What Works

I hope this helps and if you have any further questions, please just ask me :)
xxx
*PR Sample

NEW BRAND: IbizaIbiza

If you look at my poll it shows that a lot of you are interested in new product information so when this press release found its way inside my inbox, I couldn't wait to share the news with you!

On the 1st of March 2012 a brand new vibrant cosmetic brand will be launching over here in Europe called IBIZAIBIZA. It promises high end, colour cosmetics that 'bring the Ibiza feeling into the beauty world.' It's a 'young, vibrant brand that reflects fun, sun, party and no worries.' This brand will be releasing an array of products including eye shadows, lip glosses, mascaras, lipsticks, nail polishes and foundations. The cosmetics are made from quality ingredients that aren't tested on animals.

I'm personally very excited for this brand to be released! The nail polishes look stunning, the eye shadows look very pigmented and don't even get me started on how beautiful the lipstick being swatched looks! What do you think? Are you excited for this new brand?

xxx

Hair of the Day - Braids/Plaits/Curls

After this post where I showed you how I curl my hair, I went to university the following day (yesterday) and I added a cute braid/plait to my hair which I thought I'd show you. It adds something a little extra to the hair and makes sure it's not all boring. It's also great for keeping my fringe off of my face which is the last thing I want when I'm in a lecture!

So there is the braid. It was simple to do and literally took me around 20 seconds. I secured it with 3 grips and it didn't move throughout the rest of the day - even with the very strong we're currently having in the UK. I'm definitely getting into plaits/braids at the moment as my fringe is in that 'growing out' sort of stage which is just annoying!

xxx

Boots Photo - 40 Free Prints

I just thought I'd quickly tell you about this great offer that Boots Photo are currently giving away. If you sign up to their website, you receive 40 prints absolutely free! All you have to pay is delivery which cost me just £1.49.

I ordered these photos late on Sunday and they arrived this morning. They were first class and they were estimated to arrive on the 9th of February but they're actually two days early which is great considering they needed to be printed too! They can packaged in this lovely box which is wonderful as it makes sure that the images don't get damaged whilst in transit.

I've been wanting to get my Britney photos printed off for a while now but considering I have around 50 photos, I could never really afford it. So when I saw this offer, I couldn't resist ordering them. (FYI when I ordered these the offer was 50 photos but for some reason it's now 40 photos which is still pretty good)! When they arrived I flicked through them all and couldn't stop myself from shedding a tear. It's great seeing the photos from the best night of my life printed so beautifully and I can't wait to get them inside a photo album. Even if you don't plan on using this service often, I highly recommend signing up and getting 40 prints for just £1.49. It really is no scam (which I was worried about at first) and the pictures are printed on Fujifilm photo paper to the highest standard and you receive them very quickly.

Will you be taking up this offer?

xxx

Monday Summary (On a Tuesday) - Week Six

Here is my Monday Summary - on a Tuesday. But yesterday, I was very, very ill. Today I feel a little bit better but I'm still very ill. I basically have ear ache, a sore throat and a headache which isn't very good at all. So I slept most of the day and didn't get time to write a Monday summary. But it's better late than never!

I didn't really do much this week except for go out! So Monday was Carnage which is basically a big student night out where you start off at one pub and end up at another. I did an outfit/face/hair of the night post and you can view this here. It ended up being a really good night out but it was very long. It started at 8 and didn't finish until 3 (although we left around 1ish). So yeah, you need a lot of stamina for that!

Then on Wednesday I went out again. This time it was to the Engine Shed which is the university's sort of nightclub. And Greg James from Radio One was there. I wasn't really looking forward to him being there as DJ's tend to remix songs and just ruin them entirely but in the end, he was very good. And it was the best night out of that week! I also did an outfit/face/hair of the night post and you can view that here. 

And then finally, I went out again on Thursday night and the picture above is what I wore, how I had my hair and also my make up. It was a decent night but I think I was starting to feel ill this night as I can remember being a bit off. Also, when we left the night club at around 3:30am it was snowing! And we couldn't get a taxi from anywhere so we didn't end up getting home till really late.

And that was basically everything from last week. It just involved a lot of university work and going out. Work hard, party harder is the saying right?! 

xxx

Curls Created with VO5, TIGI and BaByliss!

I've always loved curly hair and ever since I can remember, I've wanted my hair curly. Not curly as in a nasty 80's perm but just wavy, pretty and girly! I've literally tried every product in the world, every curler in the world but for some reason, my hair wouldn't stay curly. Even when I went out the other night my hair dropped within 2 hours and it was poker straight again. But finally, I've found the perfect combination..

TIGI Bed Head Totally Baked Volumizing & Prepping Hair Meringue*

This mousse is the most perfect mousse in the world. It isn't sticky, it doesn't weigh the hair down and you can add as much or as little product as you want on either wet or dry hair and it will ensure your hair is filled with volume. It smells absolutely beautiful - just like lemon meringue and this scent lingers on your hair. I've had quite a few compliments on the way my hair smells since using this. It's my favourite hair mousse and I can't see any other replacing this.

VO5 Miracle Concentrate

My favourite hair oil. When hair oils were first becoming 'big' I was very reluctant to use them considering my hair type is greasy but I took a risk in buying this. And the risk definitely paid off. It's lightweight, smells gorgeous and makes my hair look healthier and tames frizz. I use this daily before and after blowdrying and styling my hair but when I'm creating curls, I use it after I've curled my hair and it makes my curls shinier and more defined.

BaByliss Curling Wand

I've had this wand a good few years but for some reason, I'd never been able to use it. But since my love for YouTube has grown, I've noticed many beauty gurus using this wand and I've picked up their tips on how to use it. Now, I never look back! It's a wonderful curling wand that's very easy to use (when you know how to), creates quick curls and for some reason, holds them. I can do my full head of hair (which is very long) in around 5-10 minutes which is the same length of time it takes for me to straighten my hair. I typically create the curls before I go to bed so when I wake up, I can apply extra mousse and oil and be good to go!

So ready to see what my hair looks like? Here are the pictures (please note that I haven't slept on this hair so it is pretty curly. When I wake up it's more wavy and glamorous)! Also, ignore my bad skin. It's make up less!

What do you think? What products do you use to curl your hair? 

xxx

* PR Sample