2010 Favourites!

Hello everyone, this will be my final post of 2010, and what better way to do it than share with you my favourite products of the year!

 

St. Ives Invigorating Scrub- I use this every morning to exfoliate my face and my skin is always soft!

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel- I love this product, the best moisturiser I have ever used! You can read my review of it here.

 

Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation, Concealer & Bronzer- This year I started to use mineral make up, and what a difference it has made! It looks so natural and lasts all day, is really quick to use but you don't feel like you have anything on! Most importantly though, it's good for your skin and it's cleared up my acne!

MAC Prep+Prime Finishing Powder- This is so finely milled, it keeps my shine away and makes my pores smaller.

Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers- they make my eyelashes look amazing!

 

MAC Brow Set in Biguile- I have fair brows and this really helps to define them. (sorry for the blurry pic!)

Clinique Airbrush Concealer- The best under eye concealer I've used, it doesn't cake or fall into fine lines like most concealers I've tried!

MAC Pro Palette- I love all these shadows, such high quality and I use all of the colours

 Soap & Glory Flake Away body scrub- My best friend got me this for Christmas. It makes my skin so soft and smooth, and smells divine! 

Umberto Giannini Sex Bomb Mousse- I really like this mousse, it makes my hair huge! But doesn't weigh it down or make it feel greasy and horrible like other mousses I've tried. I also love the packaging!

 Estee Lauder Projectionist Mascara & Clinique High Impact Mascara- These are my favourite mascaras of the year, and I'd buy both of them again

Nail polishes- (from left to right) Rimmel Chip Resistant Top Coat, Rimmel 60 Seconds Rapid Ruby, Barry M Grey (don't know the proper name or number!) Revlon Lilac Pastielle, Revlon Vixen.

 

MAC Powder Blush in Harmony- This is matte and brilliant for contouring on most skin tones!

 Rimmel Shake Up Pink Lipstick- I really love this colour and wear it most days, you can sheer it down or build it up for full on pink!

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush- this is really nice highlight colour and also really nice on the eyelid.

Barry M Blusher in No.5- This is a really nice peach blush but comes up very orange on camera! It lasts all day on my skin

MAC Honeylove Lipstick- This is a nice matte nude, but make sure your lips are moisturised and aren't chapped otherwise it looks awful!

So they are my 2010 Favourites. Happy New Year everyone! 

xxx 

French Manicure Tutorial

Hi everyone,  I hope you have had a lovely Christmas!

One of my presents this year was a french manicure kit... And so on Christmas Day I gave my mum a manicure, taking a few pictures along the way.

I thought I'd make a little tutorial for you!

1- Apply a base coat and one or two coats of polish, leaving to dry.

2- Once nails are dry, put the manicure stickers on the end of the nails, leaving about 5mm for the white tip.

3- Apply the white polish on the tip of the nails, and leave to dry. Don't remove the stickers yet!

 4- Once nails are dry, remove the stickers and apply a clear top coat all over the nails.

And voila! There is your french manicure...

Hope you've enjoyed! 

xxx

Marylin Monroe Inspired

Hi everyone, I was inspired by Marylin Monroe/1950's today, and thought I'd re-create the make up as it's such a classy, beautiful look!

Here's my inspiration pictures.... (from Google)

Marylin Monroe's make up was all about....

• Strong, arched, rounded brows
• Softly defined sockets
• Flawless powdered skin
• Winged Liner
• Big, rounded red lips

Here's my efforts!

• MAC Brule all over lid
• MAC Vanilla as a highlight
• MAC Omega in socket
• Clinique Gel Liner
• Boots ''Get Lashed'' Lashes
• MAC Brown Down and Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil on brows

• Rimmel Lipliner in Alarm
• Rimmel Lipstick in Tell No One
• Blistex to prep lips

I hope you enjoyed this post! It will be my last one before Christmas, so I wish you all a Merry Christmas & New Year!

xxx

Plum Lips

The other day I bought a plum lipstick. I have been seeing a lot of plum make up looks lately and I think it's a really nice look especially for Christmas/New Year parties.

So I played around with a bit of make up today and here's what I ended up with!

I have sort of ended up with a Daisy Lowe/Vamp look... But I quite like it!

Products I Used...

• Lily Lolo Foundation & Bronzer
• MAC Prep+Prime Finishing Powder
• Clinique Gel Liner
• Clinique Airbrush Concealer
• Clinique High Impact Mascara (wow I'm using a lot of Clinique at the moment!)
• Max Factor Lipstick in 701
• Rimmel Nude Lipliner
• Collection 2000 Kohl Pencil in Brown (in crease)
• Beauty UK Palette- Shadows Used- two brown colours on top row & the black.

So there's my plum make up look!

Do you like the plum/vamp make up that's around at the moment?

NOTD Rimmel Rapid Ruby

I recently bought Rapid Ruby by Rimmel. It's a 60 seconds polish, meaning it dries in 6o seconds.

I really like this colour and think it's a perfect colour to wear over the Christmas period!

(with flash)

I applied two coats but it says you can apply just the one... and it did dry really quickly.

I have a clear top coat over this, but about a day in of wearing this it chipped slightly. Still it's a lot better at not chipping compared to other polishes I have tried!

xxx

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel Review

Hello lovelies!

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, I have been snowed in for 5 days without any internet!

I have decided to do a review of my Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel from Clinique.

I wanted to try this moisturiser for a while, but it has always been a bit too expensive for me. However when I was going through the airport on holiday, I decided to purchase it as it had a few pounds off the usual price!

You can choose to buy a 50ml bottle or a 125ml bottle. I decided to go for the 125ml.

This gel moisturiser is especially for combination oily/oily skin, however for normal/dry skins there is a Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion.

So... The blurb on the back of the bottle says: ''Works to improve skin's texture and condition after cleansing and clarifying. Oil- free. Apply twice a day to face and throat all over or where needed''. 

It is also 100% fragrance free, like all Clinique's other products.

I have been using this product for around 5 weeks.

So here's what I like about this product so far:

• It is the first moisturiser to moisturise my skin extremely well at the same time as leaving my skin shine-free
• After applying my skin is soft and feels clean
• I have noticed an improvment in my skin's clarity, it doesn't seem to be as congested and the blackheads especially on my nose (lovely!!) are no longer visible
• It doesn't break me out!
• The pump on the bottle is very hygenic and you only need one pump of product for your whole face
• I haven't needed to use a make up primer with this product beacuse it doesn't make my skin shiny (which is a first for me!)

I think I have tested this product pretty well as I was using it while on holiday in 25 degree heat, and now I am using it in sub zero temperatures!

In both climates this product has been amazing and actually done what it says on the bottle!

I am in love with this moisturiser and will definately be buying again!

A Girl Can Never Have Too Many Make Up Brushes!

 

Above is my make up brush collection.

I like to use all my brushes, and so I have a small but practical number of brushes because I don't see the point in having loads of brushes which are never used!

Although I am sure I will collect many more brushes as time goes on...

I thought I'd share my favourites and the ones I use every time I get ready.

FACE BRUSHES

Top to Bottom-

• Ruby & Millie Stippling Brush- This brush is really soft and lovely to use on the face. Usually used for buffing in liquid foundation, but I use this for applying my bronzer as it picks up a small amount of product at a time. I also use this for my loose powder and blending bronzer and blusher together to get rid of any harsh lines.

•  EcoTools Blusher Brush- Also a nice soft brush, I use this for applying blusher, but I also occasionally use it for buffing in my mineral foundation and loose powder.

• MAC 109- I love this brush, MAC brushes are by far the best I have tried so far. It was made for contouring and I used this for contouring when I first bought this, but now it's my foundation brush and I buff in my mineral foundation with it, as well as using it for applying blush. Other people use this to buff in their liquid foundation, but I have heard this can damage the quality of the brush and makes it shed a lot more. My brush hardly sheds a thing, but when you first buy one until you wash it a few times it will shed quite a bit.

• EcoTools Concealer Brush- This is a really smooth, soft brush and applies concealer really well. I use mineral powder concealer and use this to place my concealer. 

• Unbranded Eyeshadow Brush- I bought this brush in a place called Home Bargains which we have here in the UK. Although it's an eyeshadow brush, it was the shape of brush I was looking for to blend in my concealer after placing it with my EcoTools brush, and it does the job well!

• MAC 217- I have two 217 eyeshadow brushes from MAC, and use one for my under eye concealer. It's the best way I have found for covering my dark circles without making it look like I have concealer on!

EYE BRUSHES

Eyeshadow

 

From Top to Bottom-

• EcoTools Eyeshadow Brush- this is a flat brush and I use it for applying shadow across the lid, highlighting the brow bone and applying shadow on the lower lash line. It's a really good size brush, not too small!

• QVS Eyeshadow Brush- This is pretty much the same as the EcoTools brush above, but it's too small for my liking so since getting the EcoTools brush, it has been downgraded to applying shadow on the lower lash line!

• MAC 217's- The best brushes in the world! So soft, pick up just the right amount of shadow and are brilliant for socket work and blending. Love them! Definitely worth the money.

Angled Brushes

 

From Top to Bottom-

• EcoTools Angled Brush- I use this on my eyebrows, as the brushes aren't stiff enough to apply liner with for me.

• MAC 208- Love this brush, I use it for eyeliner and on sometimes on my brows. Great brush!

• Ruby & Millie Angled Brush- I use this on my eyebrows too, and it works well. Find it difficult to apply eyeliner with though, could be the size of the brush as the MAC 208 is a bit smaller.

AND FINALLY....

...MY MAC 204 LASH BRUSH

• MAC 204- I use this to groom through my brows after filling them in, so they look more natural. I also use this to comb through any mascara clumps which may have appeared, and you can also use this as a mascara wand so great for when applying make up on other people.

A few tips for brushes- Make sure you wash them regularly with warm water and shampoo. It's best to leave them to dry flat, so no water goes into the brush, damaging the bond between the hairs and the brush handle. I leave mine to dry on a towel, then store them standing up in a large china glass.

So those are the brushes I use... Do you have any favourite brushes?

NOTD Revlon Vixen

Hello lovelies, again this is another first and this time it's my first NOTD!

I am wearing two coats of Vixen by Revlon.
 

It's a dark cranberry/burgundy... and I love it, especially for winter.

So far it hasn't chipped either!

 xxx

It's Christmas!

Hi everyone, this is just a quick post! 

Yesterday my mum and I went and bought our Christmas tree. We always get a real tree because to me without the smell of a Christmas tree, it's not Christmas! 

I love decorating the tree, it's probably my favourite part of Christmas. We have so many decorations now, some which are older than me, and some only a couple of years old! 

I also bought some tinsel for my room and some fairy lights which I will be putting up tonight, so I will take a couple of pictures when it's all done.

For now I will leave you with a picture of the tree!

Jewellery I Bought on Holiday

When I was in Lanzarote I discovered a very lovely shop called Bijou Brigitte. It was like a classier version of Clarie's Accessories (not that I dislike Claire's, it's just the only thing I can compare it too), and was full of gorgeous jewellery.

I spent ages going through every item, making sure I didn't miss anything!

Jewellery is important to me and I wear it most days. I always try and look for unique lookng things. I love rings and necklaces especially, but lately I have been liking earrings quite a bit. I seemed to had gone off them for a while but my love for them is back...

I also bought my best friend a very pretty bracelet for Christmas which I am looking forward to giving her!

So here's what I got...

I have been wearing these earrings practically everyday since I got them!

The image is a bit blurry, but there's quite a bit of detail on this ring, I've also been wearing it most days

 

Ahh I love this necklace so much, I had been looking for one like this for a while and was really please to have found it!

Another pair of earrings which I couldn't resist...

So yes that's my jewellery haul, hope you have enjoyed x

Moisturise Me, Moisturise Me!

My skin is really dry at the moment due the cold weather outside and then coming into central heating! So I have decided to share my favourite moisturisers with you.

BODY MOISTURISERS:

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmering Body Butter & Spa Wisdom Polynesia moisturiser.

I got these two products as a gift for Christmas last year so I don't know if they are still available, but they are both really moisturising products and smell lovely.

The Shimmering Body Butter is as you have probably guessed, shimmery! But not in an over-the-top way, it has just the right amount to make you 'glow' nicely. I love the smell of coconut this has and it always reminds me of being on holiday. I use this on my legs quite a lot and it moisturises them really well!

The Polynesia Moisturiser comes with a pump and smells like flowers. It's a nice smell and is also very moisturising. 

I use this on my legs too but you can use it everywhere (apart from the face).  I only moisturise my whole body if my skin is really dry.

Superdrug Aqueous Cream and E45 Endless Moisture

At the moment I am using the Superdrug Aqueous Cream to help with my dry skin. It's fragrance free and is great for sensitive skins and people with eczema and other skin conditions.

This isn't greasy at all and manages to keep my skin constantly moisturised all day, and doesn't take ages to sink in when applying. I had a dry, flaky chest (lovely, I know!) this morning but applied this and my skin is not dry or flaky any more.

On the tub it says you can also use this in place of soap when showering. I really recommend this moisturiser for anyone with really dry skin at the moment, it's completely fragrance free and won't irritate your skin!

I used the E45 Endless Moisture in the summer on my legs. I got the Daily Radiance version, which has shimmering particles in, although you can just get the original moisturiser. 

I found this to moisturise my skin nicely and not be greasy at all.

FACE MOISTURISERS & LIP BALMS

I have changed my daily moisturiser from No7 Day Sorbet to Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel- and I am in love with the stuff! I will be writing a rave review very soon.

The Boots Expert Sensitive Restoring Night Treatment is a really good night cream, it sinks into the skin really quickly and isn't greasy, but moisturises and actually restores!

I recommend this to people with all skin types who want nicely moisturised skin. It's also fragrance free and perfect for sensitive skins!

My lips are so chapped at the moment and Blistex Relief Cream heals them really well. I pop this on at night and by morning my lips are back to normal!

I use Carmex Cherry Flavoured Lip Balm during the day and find this provides a good barrier between the cold and my lips. It's also SPF15 and smells delicious! I used this everyday on holiday too.

Do you have any favourite moisturisers?