Henessys Beauty and Fashion

YSL Rouge Volupte - Opera Rose

2012-02-01T18:31:00.001Z

I bought the YSL Rogue Volupte lipstick in colour No. 29 - Opera Rose a few months back online from CheapSmells but only wore it once as I wasn't best pleased with the way it looked on me. This was mainly as I had never swatched the lipstick colour before to see what it looked like on and secondly it was an impulse buy. Despite this lipstick colour being my second Rogue Volupte lipstick that I own the consistency felt a little too creamy, the colour was difficult to blend into my lips and I felt it looked a bit too "barbie-ish" for my skintone.

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick - Opera Rose (No. 29)

However, considering the first time when I wore this lipstick I was rushing to work I decided to give it a second try over the weekend hoping for a better outcome.

This time I wore the YSL Rogue Volupte No. 29 over my Sleek lip liner in Pink Rose which actually went well together, I still had to blend the lipstick out a little on my lips but the colour looked great on.

Swatches - Natural Light

Having worn this colour again I am pleased with the way it looks on and I will try not to neglect it as I initially intended to do after wearing it the first time.

Recent Buys: Moroccanoil, Elasticizer Extreme & Naked Palette

2012-01-26T20:50:00.001Z

Over the past few months I managed to buy a few beauty/hair products that I have always wanted to have, here they are:

Moroccan Oil Treatment 100ml

£21 from Buyapowa

RRP £30.45

I have finally bought a bottle of the Moroccanoil treatment thanks to BuyaPowa. I randomly found out about this site in November and since then I have made two purchases which have saved me a good amount of money. Basically BuyaPowa reduces the price of an item by the amount of people who sign up to buy a specific item. As Moroccanoil is a popular brand the price fell from its RRP of £30.45 to £21 which was a great saving for me.

(As you can see the Moroccanoil comes with a separate pump, im not sure if I need it though)

I cant wait to try out my Moroccanoil treatment this weekend when I get my hair done, hopefully it will live up to the hype.

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer Extreme 150ml

£18 (with a discount code) from Look Fantastic

RRP £21.70

I was sent the Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme Shampoo & Conditioner to review about 2 years ago and after loving the effects it left on my hair I made a mental note to get the Elasticizer Extreme. Despite buying this in November I havent had the chance to use it yet but I wont let it gather dust as I intend to use it soon.

I also got a slight discount when I bought the Elasticizer Extreme from Look Fantastic as I found a random discount code online.

Urban Decay - Naked Palette

£25 from BuyaPowa

RRP £35

I think I must be the only person that didn't have the Naked Palette or swatched it since it came out. Despite having set eyes on this eyeshadow palette for over a year I never bothered to buy it as I couldn't justitfy buying it as I have a Mac palette full of natural/neutral shades. However, when this item came up on BuyaPowa in November I swear I must have been the first person to sign to buy it, I was that excited lol. It's popularity allowed me to get it for the lowest price on BuyaPowa for £25 instead of the normal price of £35 which I was chuffed about.

My Naked Palette came with a travel sized Eyeshadow Primer Potion (not pictured) as well as a Eyeshadow Brush

I must admit I have only used this palette a handful of times since buying it in November which is partly due to me forgetting I have it. I hope it doesn't become one of those products I lust after for ages and end up never using once I get my hands on them..... (Either way it was still a bargain).

I know the Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 is out now but I have no intention on buying it as I havent even used this palette properly.

Red Lips & Faux Fur

2012-01-23T18:48:00.001Z

Heys guys, this is just a quick FOTD of my make up yesterday. Sunday's are usually a very casual kinda day for me which majority of the time compromises of me chilling in my Pjs but as I had to run a few errands I decided to glam up my look a little with red lips. I still kept my clothing casual with my converse's (not pictured) and faux fur trapper hat which has been glued to my head this winter.

Face

Mac Select Cover Up Concealer - NC48

Mac Mineralise Skin Finish - Dark

Eyes

Mac Eyeshadow - Romp

Mac Fluidline Eyeliner - Blacktrack

Cheeks

Mac Blush - Sweet As Cocoa

Lips

L.A Colors Lip Liner - Forever Red

At present I am looking for the perfect matte red lipstick as I feel everyone's fave lippie Ruby Woo by Mac just doesn't work with my skin tone. It looks a lot brighter on me and I have been advised to try toning it down with a dark lip liner but I cant be bothered to do that yet. Until I find the perfect matte red lippie I am loving the effect I get from just using the L.A Colors lip liner instead.

Random Wishlist

2012-01-21T21:57:00.001Z

I just wanted to share a wishlist of mine (I have many things I WANT but here's the compact version that is a little more costly).

1. Macbook Pro - This has been on my wishlist for over a year but I will get it one day...
2. Mulberry Evelina Hobo - I'm in LOVE with this bag
3. Prada wallet
4. Gc watch - I have the gold version of this watch but I've been lusting after the silver recently (even though I rarely wear silver lol)

Zara Gold Dress

2012-01-06T10:40:00.000Z

My current LOVE is my new vintage gold colour dress from Zara which I got in the sale last weekend. I am actually surprised I picked it up as I dislike clothing with glitter, sparkles and sequins but something about this dress compelled me to try it on and once I did I was in love that I had to buy it. The dress fits like an oversized dress as I got it in a medium size but still has some shape to it which is what is great for me.

I haven't worn this dress yet and knowing me I probably won't wear it anytime soon as I have a tendency to do that and I sometimes find I am wearing an item of clothing for the first time a year after buying it.

Price £29.99

The picture doesn't even do this dress justice but it is made up of square gold panels some of which are darker in colour which I think makes the dress look less like a cheap sequined gold dress.

My NYE Outfit

2012-01-02T19:03:00.001Z

Happy New Year guys!!! I know it's a little late but I hope you guys have had a great start to the New Year and had fun on New Years Eve x

This year I decided to keep my celebrations simple which is what I usually do on New Years Eve anyway, I'm not too big on going out to clubs especially on NYE (maybe its because i'm getting old lol).

Here's my outfit for the night which I spent with my bestie where we did A LOT of eating :)

Make Up:

Lip Liner - Forever Red by L.A Colors

I kept my make up simple as usual but I decided to go for a red colour on my lips and used my lip liner all over my lips.

Outfit:

Necklace - Primark, Blouse - Asos, Faux Leather Jacket - H&M, Jeans - Primark, Wedges -Primark

On my feet I wore my new wedges I got for a reduced price of £6 in Primark. I wasn't sure whether to buy them at first as i'm still a bit iffy when it comes to shoes from Primark but I couldn't let a price like that go. They are gorgeous and I am very happy with this buy.

Here's a pic of my bestie's outfit on the night. I LOVE her coat which comes with the fur collar attached.

Now it's time for me to finally sort out my diary for 2012.

New Jewellery

2011-12-29T21:07:00.000Z

I must admit I have an obsession with gold jewellery like there's no tomorrow, I have a whole drawer dedicated to my costume gold jewellery. I especially have a thing for big rings and statement necklaces/chains.

Here are my new additions to my collection:

Cuff - Primark, Ring - Primark, Earrings - Miss Selfridge, Necklace (patterned) - Primark, Necklace - Forever 21

Work Xmas Party

2011-12-20T10:30:00.000Z

Hi guys, this is just quick post to show you what I wore to my work Christmas party last week. I decided to keep my outfit simple and wore what I had at home as I couldn't be bothered to do last minute shopping running around for a dress.

Dress: H&M

Wedges: Dune

Necklace: Primark

Here's a pic of my make up on the night wearing Rebel by MAC on my lips again :-)

2nd Blog Anniversary

2011-12-05T19:27:00.000Z

Image Source

So yesterday was my blog's 2nd birthday and I forgot *covers face*. Anyway now that I have remembered my blog's birthday I just want to say a BIG thank you to all of my followers and to everyone that reads my blog.

I have also noticed that I have reached over 300 followers recently which I am grateful for and I will be putting up a give away soon as a thank you to all my followers, so keep an eye out for it.

xxx

YSL Shocking Mascara

2011-11-20T22:29:00.003Z

YSL - Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Shocking

Colour: Deep Black - 1

Price: £22.00

Last month for my birthday I treated myself to the new YSL Shocking mascara and a YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick (not pictured). I've been wearing the YSL Shocking mascara for about 4 weeks now and felt it was time to share my opinions about this mascara. I had never tried any of the YSL mascaras before so was slightly unsure as to what to expect especially because I have seen mixed reviews about the previous Faux Cils mascara but I am very pleased with the extreme finished look the mascara gives my eyelashes.

YSL describe the masacara as a "Luxurious mascara that coats lashes instantlly with outrageous volume for a scandalous, seductive look".

At first I did find the mascara to have too much product on the brush which led to me getting it everywhere but after a few applications I was able to gage how much I needed to use. Trust me with this mascara a little amount of product really does go a long way for both eyes.

I do find that the formula for the mascara to be quite thick which makes my brush feel like it is overloaded with product however, the mascara seems to work very well and lives up to the "Shocking" name.

Before - eyelashes without mascara

After - with 2 coats of mascara

Looking at the before and after picture you can instantly see the dramatic effect the mascara gives my lashes after application and I love how my eyelashes look a lot more longer and thicker when wearing the Shocking mascara.

I have worn eye liner everyday for as long as I can remember as part of my make up routine but as "shocking" as it seems to me I have managed to go without eye liner some days as the mascara really does bring attention to my eyelashes and I actually don't feel naked without my eye liner on.

Apart from the mascara being slightly thick the only other downside is the price compared to the normal non designer brands I am used to. Having said that I don't think it will stop me from buying it again (A girl needs to treat herself once in a while lol).

Last Friday Night

2011-11-17T09:45:00.001Z

Last week Friday I went out (for a change) and here's what I wore, as you can see I am wearing my fave lipstick again - Rebel by MAC :-)

Cut-out back Shirt worn as a Dress - H&M

Faux Leather Jacket - H&M

Wedges - Dune

Envelope Clutch - H&M

Chunky Chain - Primark

We also stopped by a place called The Diner in Shoreditch before partying it up and I was very impressed with the food. If you can't tell by the name its an American style diner that does everything from milkshakes to pancakes to burgers and I am glad I that was introduced to The diner as I can see another visit coming up very soon.

Cinnamon French Toast Mmmm

Mac - Rebel Lipstick

2011-11-13T18:17:00.001Z

A few weeks ago I started wearing my MAC Rebel lipstick again and I cant believe I forgot how much I LOVE this colour!! Rebel is a dark berry/purple shade and it is a great colour for Autumn/Winter. Rebel is a Satin finish which I find works well with the colour as it doesn't dry out my lips and it is quite moisturising.

I have seen Rebel worn on so many people and the colour always looks slightly different on everyone which is what I like about it.

I wear my Rebel lipstick with my L.A. Colors lip liner in Deepest Purple which works very well together and I prefer when I fill in my whole lips with it before putting on the lipstick as Rebel can be a little sheer depending on the coverage you want when applying it.

As you can see the Deepest Purple lip liner is a very close match for Rebel maybe just a little bit darker depending on how hard you press on the pencil when applying it

I LOVE this colour and I think everyone should have it in their lipstick collection regardless of your skin tone because it suits everyone.

Recent Make Up Buys

2011-11-12T12:45:00.003Z

Recently I have found myself doing quite a lot of shopping mainly clothes and make up which I really need to slow down on or else no one will be getting presents this Christmas lol. Anyway here are some of my recent make up acquisitions. I haven't done any swatches on the make up but I will do that later in a separate post for the lippies and blushers.

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick - Luscious Pink (No. 23)
YSL Shocking Mascara - Black

Sleek Lipsticks - Candy Cane (Sheen), Pink Freeze (Matte), Fuschia (Sheen)

L.A. Colours Lip Liner - Deepest Purple (Not pictured)

Sleek Blushes - Rose Gold & Flushed

Lush - Snow Fairy, Bioderma, The Body Shop - Tea Tree Exfoliator & Lucas' Papaw Ointment

As you can see I stocked up on Snow Fairy from Lush early this year as it is a favourite of mine for having a relaxing bath and sweet smelling bath. My friend managed to get me some more Bioderma from Paris which was great as I was running low on it.

October Baby

2011-10-27T10:24:00.000+01:00

Last week Wednesday was my birthday and to celebrate I decided to keep it simple by going shopping on the day and dinner with my friend at a seafood restaurant called The Cape Town Fish Market. It was my first time trying out The Cape Town Fish Market and I must admit I was not disappointed at all especially as I am a big seafood lover.

Marie (the bestie) & I

1. Seafood Platter - Lobster, fish cakes, calamari, prawns, fried fish & mussels (Yummm!!), 2. Birthday cheesecake

Later on in the evening I was surprised by the boy with a trip to the Lyceum Theatre to watch The Lion King. The Lion King was an amazing show and it was something I have wanted to see for a few years and I was definitely happy with my surprise.

On Friday I was then treated to another surprise which involved a little getaway to a spa and one of my treatments was a full body aromatheraphy massage with bits of a Swedish massge incorporated into it. I've had massgaes before but this one was the BEST! All I wanted to do afterwards was fall asleep in the spa relaxtion room but instead I had to get ready for dinner lol. I must say the spa getaway was a great way to end my birthday celebrations this year.

Off to dinner (excuse my tired face but that massage made me very sleepy lol)

Ping Pong Xmas Menu Preview Dinner

2011-10-20T18:47:00.003+01:00

Earlier this week I happened to win a twitter competition by Ping Pong to attend their Preview Dinner for their new Xmas Menu at their St. Paul's restaurant which entailed endless Dim Sum and free cocktails. Being a Ping Pong (& dim sum virgin) I was unsure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised throughout the night and I am now a Dim Sum convert!

We learnt how to make dim sum with Ping Pong's Head Chef and the dim dum chefs and I must say I am quite pleased with our attempt.

1. Dim sum made by attendees, 2. My attempt at making dim sum, 3. My sister & her dim sum

My favourite's from the Xmas Menu were the Lobster dumpling and the Mixed Game Puff. (You have to try the Lobster dumpling, it is to die for Mmm)

My sister and I sat the bar for the majority night which was a big mistake as the cocktails kept coming our way but it was definitely not an intentional strategy. I blame my alcohol intake on the fact that the dinner was the night before my birthday so it was an excuse to start my celebrations early.

1. Red Glow Cocktails (Non-alcoholic in the tall glasses), 2. Jelly shots, 3. The orange shot glass was a sample of a mango cocktail & the pink shot glass was a sample of a lychee cocktail, both tasted very nice.

The Red Glow Cocktails which is part of the Xmas Menu was a favourite of mine and I had one in my hand all night. Red Glow is made with - "hints of almond with a sharp edge - cranberry juice, amaretto with single state appleton vx rum topped with lanson black label champagne and cranberries" YUM!!!

Photo booth fun with my sister

I must say that the Ping Pong staff are a very friendly and welcoming bunch from the Managing Director to the bar staff and I will be returning again to try the Xmas menu as well as the normal menu (and to also to get my hands on that red glow cocktail again).

Blue Suede Shoes & Wedge Boots

2011-10-18T14:20:00.000+01:00

Topshop - Blue Suede Slipper Shoes

These blue suede slipper shoes were an early birthday present that I got last week from my bestie and I LOVE them!! I can't believe I was even considering taking them back.

Dune - Wedge Boot

I bought these wedges over the weekend and they have been glued to my feet since.

Weekend Shopping Buys

2011-10-16T19:17:00.002+01:00

This weekend I went on a compulsory shopping trip to Westfield Stratford with my mum which I was dreading as she always gets on my nerves when I shop with her but I actually really enjoyed it lol. Whilst shopping I managed to pick up quite a few beauty essentials. Here are my buys from the weekend:

Beauty

l-r: (all from The Body Shop)

Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream

Vitamin E Facial Oil

Tea Tree Facial Wash

Tea Tree Oil

Coconut Body Butter

MakeUp

Swatches

l-r:

MAC Fluidline Eyeliner Gel - Blacktrack

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC50

Nails

l-r:

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish - Cheeky Chops

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish - Mojo

L.A. Colors - Pink Satin

L.A. Colors - Sea Siren

L.A. Colors - Star Light

I have never tried the L.A. Colors brand before but after going into Beauty Base in Westfield last weekend I had the urge to buy something especially when all the products are priced at 99p each. I also loved the way the nail polishes are displayed in colour order which made it hard to choose as there are so many shades to choose from. In my last post I wore the Sea Siren shade pictured above which I love.

L.A. Colors - Sea Siren

2011-10-14T15:52:00.001+01:00

Currently I am wearing a L.A. Colors polish on my nails in Sea Siren. Sea Siren is a shimmering turquoise colour and I love it! I have an obsession with turquoise nails and I am glad I picked up this colour even though I wasn't sure about the brand but for 99p I knew I couldn't go wrong.

The colour looks a lot more better in person but I couldn't get it to show up on my camera. To achieve this look it took tow coats and the consistency of this polish is actually quite good and it's not too thick either. I bought it from Beauty Base in Westfield and all L.A. Colors polishes are priced at 99p

Make Up: Natural Eye Shadow

2011-10-02T18:44:00.000+01:00

l-r:

MAC Patina e/s (as you can see it is a fav of mine) & MAC Concrete e/s

If you haven't noticed already the only colours I seem to ever wear on my eyes are neutral/natural and gold tones (boring I know but that's just me). I tend to stick with these colours as I find it safe for everyday wear especially as I'm not really a fan of wearing too much make-up.

For a quick look on an extremely hot day I used Patina one of my favourite everyday wear goldish brown shade eye shadow from MAC and I used Concrete on the crease which is a dark brown shade.

A close up of my eyes

Eyes

MAC - Patina e/s (on lid)

MAC - Concrete e/s (on crease)

MAC - Blacktrack Fluid Line Gel Eyeliner

Loreal - Volume Millions Lashes Mascara

My Top Eyebrow Products

2011-09-18T18:11:00.000+01:00

Ever since my mum taught me how to shape my eyebrows with tweezers when I was in Secondary School I have always had an obsession for neatly groomed eyebrows. Over the years I have definitely had some issues with my eyebrows, for example over plucking till I had extremely thin lines as eyebrows but I now feel that I have found the right way to groom them.

My current eyebrow routine involves getting my brows threaded approximately every 6-8 weeks and filing them in with either a brow powder or brow pencil. I used get my eyebrows threaded every 2 weeks but because I have naturally thin eyebrows I decided to cut back as I prefer to have them as thick as my eyebrows will allow (and because I am slightly lazy to get them done more regularly).

l-r:

Benefit - Brows a-go-go (dark)

Sleek - Eyebrow Pencil (191 Brown)

The Body Shop - Brow Kit (dark/brown black)

E.L.F - Eyebrow Kit (dark)

Due to the fact that my eyebrows are slightly thinner than I would like I have always filled them in with a eyebrow powder but I have recently started to use an eyebrow pencil which I am happy with the result too. Another essential eyebrow product I haven't taken a picture of is clear mascara which I use to set my brows after filling them in. (I didn't take a pic of it as my clear mascara is no longer clear and it looks like brown gunge *covers face in shame*)

Brows filled in with Sleek Eyebrow Pencil

Brows filled in with The Body Shop brow powder mixed with MAC Fix+

Random's From My Summer

2011-09-11T11:52:00.001+01:00

I know it has been a while since I blogged regularly and I apologise but I thought I'd get back into the swing of things by sharing some pics I managed to take on the few hot days we had this summer.

Shopping

Blazer - Primark, Top - H&M, Skirt - Zara, Bag - Zara, Wedges - Office

I love this outfit my friend Marie wore and her maxi skirt from Zara

Brick Lane

These pics are from a great trip to Brick Lane on a hot summers day with Annette & her lovely friend Gigi, where I managed to buy an extremely MASSIVE ring. It was definitely a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Blazer - H&M, Top - H&M, Shorts - H&M, Bag - Zara, Wedges - Office

Me, Gigi & Annette

Oversized rings are my favourite accessory and I never leave the house without one on but this treasure chest ring I bought took the piss with its size and I was instantly drawn to it. (I must admit I haven't worn it since buying lol)

As you can see my brown Zara shopper bag was a staple of mine this summer despite it nearly breaking off my right arm with it's weight, I also bought the black version of the bag back in July and I don't why as I really wanted the red colour but they didn't have it.

MAC - Sweet As Cocoa

2011-08-19T11:00:00.001+01:00

I bought the MAC Sweet as Cocoa blush a few months back and I have been using it religiously after I got over my initial hesitation. Despite having many blushers I have one blush that I have stuck to for over 5 years (MAC Raizin), so getting myself to wear new blushers is quite hard, that asisde I really do like Sweet As Cocoa. Sweet As Cocoa is a warm reddish brown shade with gold shimmer in it which works well with my skintone, MAC describes it as a 'brown with pearl sheertone shimmer' blush.

Here is a a picture of me wearing a hint of Sweet As Cocoa, it has easily become an everyday favourite of mine.

Whilst rummaging through my make up this morning I realised that my neglected Sleek Sunrise blush is actually very similar to Sweet As Cocoa...Oops! I'll have to look at it properly and do a comparison later.

Skincare: Moisturisers

2011-08-07T15:45:00.001+01:00

If there's one thing that annoys me all the time its my skin, at times it's extremely dry and patchy and at other times it's extremely greasy. On top of that I have sensitive skin (eczema) which flares up quite regularly so because of this I have had to find moisturisers that help with my dry/greasy problem as well as work with my sensitive skin.

1. Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream

I bought this face cream when I had a bad eczema flare up on my skin back in April and I must say it worked very well out of all the products I bought to help. It took a few weeks of using it daily to completely get my skin back on track but it really was miracle product especially considering I was at the end of my tether in regards to which products to help my skin. The Oilatum face cream is suitable for dry and sensitive skins as it is free from fragrances, preservatives and emulsifiers.

2. Simple Kind To Skin Vital Day Cream

I use this moisturiser mainly during the Autumn/Winter months as it is slightly thick to help with my dry skin but manages to not be too greasy at the same to too which is great if you have combination/dry skin. I have no complaints about this moisturiser at all and I have been using it for years and it does last a very long time. However, due to it being a more heavier moisturiser I don't use it in the summer months as that is when I am more oily on my face. This moisturiser as also comes in a version with sunscreen which I purchase next when this runs out.

3. Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser

I tend to reach for this moisturiser in the summer months as it is very light and non greasy which is what I need because this is when my face tends to be more oily and shiny. This moisturiser manages to give me the right amount of moisture I need in the summer months without overdoing it. The oil balancing ingredients in this product are:

Natural Zinc PCA - absorbs excess oil, Phytosphingosine - to help reduce blemishes, Corn Starch - to mattify the skin.

I have been using Simple products for a few years and I find that they work very well for me which is due to the natural ingredients they put in the products, I will now also be repurchasing the Oilatum face cream once it finishes too.

Models Own - Fluro' Orange

2011-08-01T21:12:00.000+01:00

I have always been a fan of BRIGHT/NEON nails and as of late I have been rocking a lot of neon colours on my nails. After seeing a pic on twitter by a manicurist (@nailsbyama) a few weeks back of matte neon orange nails I had to try it for myself seeing as I had the colour and top coat needed. Here's my attempt:

Daylight

Natural Light

To achieve this look it took 2 coats of polish and a finished with the matte top coat. I would have never thought to put a matte top coat a neon colour but I am really loving the colour and how bright it is and I finally got a chance to use my Rimmel Matte top coat I bought last year.

New Shoes

2011-07-16T20:55:00.001+01:00

I have been looking for some brown heels for a while and I was delighted when I randomly found these babies in Oasis last month. To add to my excitement they were on sale for half the original price so instead of paying £50 I got them for £25 *big smile*

These heels remind me of clogs because of the wooden part of it which I really like. I am yet to wear them as like an idiot I bought them sometime last month and I totally forgot I had them until I randomly stumbled across them today.

Curly Sue

2011-07-03T15:47:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to show you the new hairstyle I am currently rocking courtesy of my bestie Andree Marie. As you can see I got bored of my bob and decided to go for something (a lot) longer and curly.

I maintain this wavey/curly look by going to bed with a few bendy rollers or by just putting it in a bun.

No7 - Hot Pink

2011-06-29T11:31:00.001+01:00

I bought the Hot Pink by No7 polish from the Speed Dry range in my last nail haul that I posted here but I did not expect to like it as much as I do. This colour has been on my nails since this weekend which was fitting for the welcomed rise in temperatures we experienced. I would describe this colour as a bright Fuschia colour instead of a Hot Pink as it is has a slight pinkish/purple colour to it. This colour looks great on my nails and looks brighter than I anticipated which is a bonus for me as I love bright/bold nail colours.

Natural Light With Flash

I used two coats of the polish and a top coat to achieve this look. The formula for this polish was great and easy to apply and not thick unlike the No7 Poolside Blue colour which was also from the Speed Dry range but very thick.

Zara Sale Buys

2011-06-27T19:38:00.001+01:00

Recently I have been quite obsessed with Zara and I have been spending a lot of my time shopping in Zara and this weekend was no different. With the added bonus of the sale I went slightly mad in Zara and bought way too many items and I ended up taking a few things back on Sunday after feeling (slightly) guilty.

Here is what I bought and kept.

Blazer - £49.99 (Not a sale item)

Mid-Length Body Con Skirt -aprx £15 (I actually bought this last month)

Dress - £19.99

Blouse - £17.99

Cropped Trousers - £25.99

Layered Dress - £29.99

Dress - £39.99 (This dress actually looks really nice on)

Purse - £12.99

O.P.I - Banana Bandanna

2011-06-21T20:43:00.000+01:00

Currently I am wearing O.P.I's Banana Bandanna which despite the name looks like 'lemon' yellow shade. I am not too sure about this colour on me which is evident as I have had this polish for over 2 years now and I have never worn it until now.

I have on 2 coats of the polish and a topcoat. I don't think I will be in a hurry to wear this colour again, it just doesn't look good on my nails and it does not suit my complexion.

Nail Haul

2011-06-19T16:12:00.002+01:00

Despite only needing to buy a bottle of nail polish remover I bought quite a few nail products this week.

I decided to use my £5 off No7 products vouchers that I had collected from Boots and buy some more nail polish from them after really liking the poolside blue polish I recently bought from No7.

l-r: Hot Pink & Minty Fresh

The Hot Pink colour is not very bright as a I would expect a hot pink shade to be but it is still a very nice pink colour and as the name would suggest the Minty Fresh colour is a mint blue shade.

l-r: Nubar - Diamont Seal & Shine Top Coat, O.P.I - Nail Envy (Dry & Brittle), Sally Hansen - Insta Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

I bought the Nubar Diamont Seal & Shine Top Coat after Yinka from vexinthecity kindly recommended it to me on twitter after a quick discussion about how Seche Vite has become a nightmare top coat polish. Since I stopped using Seche Vite I have been on the lookout for a top quality quick drying top coat polish to replace it and I hope this Nubar one may be it. I bought Nail Envy by O.P.I for the first time to trial as my nails are currently very dry and need something to help with that and I repurchased the Sally Hansen top coat as it is my current fave quick dry top coat which I use all the time.

Cutex - Moisture Guard Nail Polish Remover, Sally Hansen - Maximum Growth Cuticle & Nail Treatment

I bought the Cutex nail polish remover to trial as I am so used to using really cheap nail polish removers but I don't think they are helping my dry nails at the moment so I need a change.

P.S. If you haven't already noticed I finally have a new blog design *smiles*

OOTD: Colour Blocking

2011-06-10T17:37:00.002+01:00

I don't usually do bright coloured clothing but I was immeadiately drawn to this dress when I saw it in H&M whilst shopping for my recent holiday. I didn't manage to wear it on holiday but I wore it to dinner last weekend after much deliberation of what colour footwear & bag to wear as I didn't want to clash with what is already a loud dress.

Dress - H&M, Clutch - Bought from a market in Nigeria, Wedges - Office, Watch - Gc

Worn with a Zara Blazer

(P.S. I still haven't learnt how to use my camera properly as you can tell from the pics...)

Follow me on Bloglovin'

2011-06-09T19:22:00.000+01:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hey guys!

I just wanted to let you know that I have now joined Bloglovin' so please feel free to follow me on there if you use it. (I still don't really know how it works though...)

Please click the link above or the link in my side bar x

Liverpool: OOTD

2011-06-07T20:34:00.009+01:00

Last week I went to Liverpool for the first time for a few days which I actually really enjoyed and would love to go back. Unlike London everything is located centrally i.e. the museums, cinema, shopping centre, hotels and restaurants so we walked everywhere easily.

Coming from an 'arty' background I managed to fit in a visit to the International Slavery Museum which I found very interesting but unfortunately did not make it to the Tate Liverpool which I am gutted about as I love the Tate Modern in London and previously worked in the Tate Britain.

Here are a few outfits from my trip:

Blouse - New Look, Chinos - Zara, 'Mini' Wedges - Office, Chain - Miss Selfridge

Top - New Look, Jeans - H&M, 'Mini' Wedges - Office

Wearing MAC Brave Red Lipstick & MAC Cherry Lipliner

Batwing Cardigan - Interconationale, Blouse - Primark, Skinny Trousers - H&M, Scarf - Primark, Bag - H&M, 'Mini' Wedges - Office

Also I have fallen back in love with my Nars Taj Mahal blusher, I can tell I will be using it regularly this summer as I wore it all last week and this week. I am wearing it in the pictures but unfortunately I didn't get a good close up of me with it on.

NOTD: No7 - Poolside Blue

2011-06-05T16:59:00.000+01:00

My current nail colour is Poolside Blue by No7 from the Speed Dry range. I would describe this colour as an electric blue which is bright but not too in your face.

I applied two coats of colour and a top colour to achieve this look but I would say that the consistency of this nail polish is quite thick. I did find that the polish dried quick after each application however my nails started to chip the next day which I probably is because of the thickness of the polish.

YOU - Deep Therapy Repair Treatment

2011-05-30T19:23:00.002+01:00

Price £8.99

YOU is a new range from the Luster's brand and I was introduced to it by my hair stylist when I was complaining to her about my hair shedding excessively from damage from having my hair in weaves and from colour. YOU Deep Therapy Repair Treatment is for dry and damaged hair that is over worked, colour treated and for flaky scalps.

'YOU REPAIR, is infused with Cholesterol, Carrot Oil, Olive Oil, Indian Hemp, Rosemary Extract, Rose Hips, Nettle Extract & Vitamin E'

Before I started using this treatment my hair was very dry and shedding all the time and everywhere I looked was trails of my hair which I was not used to at all as my hair is usually generally healthy. I have been using this treatment for about 4 months after washing my hair and I have noticed a big difference to my hair, the shedding has practically gone.

I use this product use as a deep treatment on my hair every 2 weeks where I leave it on my hair after washing for over an hour and sometimes I sit under the dryer with a shower cap on to give it a deeper treatment. If I am in a rush I also put it on my hair for a quick condition for about 15 minutes. If you have damaged or dry hair I would recommend this product as it has saved my hair especially after I tried so many other treatments from bigger brands that didn't work.

I bought this treatment from my Hair Salon - Hype Coiffure, who stock the YOU product range but it can also be bought from most Afro Hair suppliers such as PAK Cosmetics who sell it online here.

New Hair

2011-05-30T13:37:00.000+01:00

As usual I got bored of my short hairstyle and decided I wanted to have some hair so my bestie/hair stylist and I decided on a middle parting bob weave.

I am not sure how long i'll keep this style for but for now I am happy with the outcome...well until I get bored again.

NOTD: Revlon Scented Polish- Mad About Mango

2011-05-25T18:54:00.002+01:00

On my nails right now is Revlon's scented polish, Mad About Mango. It is a nice orange colour and smells a bit like a tropical/bubblegum mix rather than just mangoes. I'm not complaining as it is a nice scent however it only lasts a for about a day then its back to normal and I do find the concept of smelling my nails slightly weird but I like it.

Nail Polish: Revlon - Mad About Mango, Ring: H&M

My Bestie's 25th Birthday

2011-05-22T13:13:00.004+01:00

Last weekend was my bestie's aka Marie (check out her hair blog) 25th Birthday so I spent a few days with her celebrating.

On the Friday we went for a pre-birthday dinner with her family at an Italian restaurant called Sergio's not far from Oxford Street. I am a big lover for Italian and Chinese food and this has got to be one of my favourite Italian restaurants, the food there is really good with massive portions.

Here are the pics from the night:

My outfit: Blouse - Primark, Faux Leather Skirt - Zara, Heels - Carvela, Necklace - Primark, Watch - Gc

Marie & her Birthday cake

Being sung Happy Birthday by the restaurant staff

The next day (her actual birthday) was celebrated with a big dinner at a Chinese restaurant with a big group of friends.

Marie & I

My Outfit: Faux Leather Jacket - H&M, Blouse - Primark, Chinos - Zara, Necklace - H&M, Heels - Carvela (I LOVE these heels, i've worn them too many times to count!!)

The birthday girl and her fabulous dress!!

Marie's outfit: Dress - ASOS, Heels - H&M

Holiday Snaps: Costa Del Sol

2011-05-06T18:43:00.000+01:00

Here are a few holiday snaps from my recent trip to the Costa Del Sol in Spain. Most of our time was spent in Marbella, Puerto Banus and including a day trip to Tanger in Morocco.

*Sorry this post is pic heavy*

One of the many beaches on the Costa Del Sol. I love this picture it looks like a postcard.

Boat watching at Peurto Banus

Essie's Haute as Hello on my nails

North Africa (Morocco) in the distance from Tarifa, Spain

Camel riding in Morocco. Lets just say I wont be getting on a Camel again lol...

The snake charmer

Yummy Baklava & Mint Tea

Holiday Buys

2011-05-04T20:16:00.000+01:00

I got back last week from a great holiday to the Costa Del Sol in Spain, Marbella to be exact and I really loved it there, the weather, food & beaches were just bliss. I will put up some pics in a separate blog post soon but here are the few things I picked up on my travels.

Marc Jacobs - Lola

100ml £50 - Duty Free

I finally bought a bottle of Lola which has been on my wish list for months. I intended to buy it from Boots with my advantage points but it was a bargain from duty free at Gatwick airport.

Pure Moroccan Argan Oil

Apprx 30ml for 5 euros each

I have been hearing so much about argan oil recently that while on a day trip to Morocco I made a point to make sure I came back with some. I bought 6 bottles of it but after giving a few away as gifts I now have 2 and I am already wishing I bought more.

Leather Saddle Bag

15 euros

I bought in the market in Morocco and after bargaining with the seller I managed to get it for half the price he initially told me but i'm sure I could have got it cheaper if I wasn't in such a rush.

As you can see I kept my shopping to a minimum which was mainly due to the fact I bought so much holiday items before I went away.

Sleek Makeup Buys

2011-04-25T13:00:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I recieved an email from Sleek with a 50% off code which they were sending to people who had problems with their 50% off offer they had on their website a while back. This was a lovely gesture from Sleek as I was gutted I was unable to place an order during their promotion due to technical diffficulties.

Here's what I bought:

Glo Bronzer: Gold Digga

I was excited when buying this bronzer as I actually do not own any bronzers but when swatched the pigmentation is very weak and doesnt even show up on my skin even when heavily rubbed into my skin.

Blusher: Pan-Tao

This blush is from Sleek's 'Avoir La Peche' collection and it is lovely peachy colour when swatched despite looking like a bright orange colour in the pics.

Blush: Sunrise

Sunrise is a reddy/brown toned blush with gold shimmer in it. I have worn this blush a few times and it is easily becoming one of my faves as I love the shimmer in it which is great for highlighting your cheek bones. I also like to pair this blush on top of MACs Raizin blush.

Blush: Flamingo

Flamingo is a very high pigmented hot pink blush but actually looks nice on my skin tone which I didn't expect when I ordered it.

l-r

Burgundy, Rich Brown & Pink Rose

Blush Price £4.30

Bronzer Price £6.49

Lip Liner Pice £2.59 & £2.80

Despite the cheap price I am very pleased with the quality of the blushes which I did not expect and will happily purchase again. My next blush purchase will be the Rose Gold which was sold out when I placed my order. I am however, disappointed about the bronzer and the non existent colour pay off when I used it.

Holiay Nails

2011-04-23T18:26:00.000+01:00

I am off on holiday tomorrow and after a few long and busy weeks I am glad to be having some time off to do absolutely nothing but relax. At the moment I have a slight dilemma on what colour to paint my nails for my holiday, I have narrowed it down to these four but I still cant make a decision....

(Without Flash)

l-r

Essie - Haute As Hello

Barry M - Mint Green

Models Own - Pink Blush

Models Own - Fluro' Orange

(With Flash)

The Essie Haute As Hello and Models Own Fluro' Orange are standing out to me but I am still yet to decide.

Zara Plaited Shopper Handbag

2011-04-20T21:42:00.000+01:00

I have been eyeing up this leather bag since December and every time I go into Zara I pick it up play with it a little and put it back down and leave lusting for it. I don't know why I have been doing this because when I see something I must have I always buy without giving it a thought. Anyway this weekend I saw that it was still being sold so I had to scoop it up.

Brown Leather Plaited Shopper - £79.99

Plaited detail on straps (nude color)

The bag also comes in two other colours nude and red, there was also a black version when I first saw it back in December which doesn't seem to be available anymore. I can say that I am in love with this bag it is over sized and holds practically everything. The only downside of having a massive bag like this is that it feels quite heavy even when I have minimal items in it.

Check out the other colours on the Zara site

My new Canon

2011-04-20T21:13:00.001+01:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts guys the past few weeks have been quite busy for me added with the fact that I have been without a digital camera for a while until now.

Thank you so much for your suggestions on what brand camera to get, it was a unanimous result for Canon which made it a lot more easier for me to decide. Without further a do I present to you my new baby.....Canon Power Shot SX210 IS.

image source

I have no idea how to use it apart from the basic preset options but I can say from the few pictures I have already taken with it the quality of the pictures are great!! and I love the pop up flash thingy that comes out. This camera is much better than any other digital camera I have had before. Now to learn how to use it to its full potential.

What Digital Camera?

2011-03-24T18:45:00.000Z

My current digital camera has become obselete and I am in desperate need of a new one, however I am practically clueless when it comes to electricals and the specifications. I would be grateful if you guys could reccomend any really good digital cameras. My current camera is a Sony Cybershot which I didn't really like, I have previously had a Canon digital camera and I am thinking of maybe getting another Canon....

All suggestions would be appreciated x

Light as Air - China Glaze

2011-03-14T21:01:00.000Z

Today's nail colour is Light As Air by China Glaze compliments of the lovely Marilou at My Pecious Nail Polish. To my suprise I came home to find a package on my bed a few weeks ago and inside was this lovely polish which she had sent me *smiley face*. (Check out her blog, especially if you are a nail polish addict).

Whilst wearing this nail polish I can't help but think about spring as its a lovely lilac pastel colour which I always associate with spring. Hopefully, if I keep wearing "Spring/Summer" colours on my nails it might come around quicker instead of the little teaser we are getting with the sunny one minute and cloudy the next weather we keep having.

Gold Watch Update

2011-03-13T17:56:00.002Z

I totally forgot to mention that I ended up taking back the Gold Michael Kors watch I posted about before and bought a watch that I have had my eyes on for ages and I have been lusting after too. I bought the Gc (Guess Collection) Diver Chic Gold Chronograph watch.

image from www.watchshop.com

I bought this watch from the Gc boutique in Westfield, which I always end up and love going into. They have so many other gorgeous watches in there that I want but some are ridiculously expensive considering I'm not really into wearing watches all the time.

(random pic taken on my phone)

Tea Tree & The Body Shop

2011-03-13T15:52:00.000Z

A few weeks ago Groupon had a deal on where you pay £12 for a £30 voucher to spend at The Body Shop, so being the 'cheapie' I can be at times I snapped that up quickly. I have been having so many issues with my skin at the moment so I used this voucher as an opportunity to stock up on some tea tree products which I like to use for treating spots/blemishes.

The Body Shop - Tea Tree Toner

The Body Shop - Blemish Fade Night time Lotion

Dr. Organic - Tea Tree Pure Oil

I have quite a large range of tea tree items from The Body Shop that I use regularly but I have never tried the above first two products before so this was a great chance to. I always pick up tea tree oil from The Body Shop but decided to try the Dr Organic one instead from Holland & Barrett. Tea tree oil is a staple facial product of mine and I always put it directly on my spots which helps to reduce them. The Dr Organic tea tree oil is definitely much stronger than the Body Shop version I buy so I only put it where it is required but I prefer it to be stronger. I do find that tea products can be slightly drying to my sensitive skin so I picked a sample of The Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream and after only using it for a week I will definitely be going back to purchase the full size product. It is very moisturising to the skin without being too oily and is great when combined with all the tea tree products I am currently using on my skin at night.

The Body Shop - Coconut Body Butter

The Body Shop - Sweet Lemon Body Scrub

I also picked up a body butter and a body scrub with the voucher. I have never tried these items before but after smelling every scent they had in the range I was instantly drawn to the coconut butter and the lemon scrub. The body butter is moisturising without being to greasy or leaving a residue on the skin with a coconut scent that lasts even after being applied to the skin. The body scrub is also very moisturising and is not too harsh on the skin and the lemon scent is very 'lemony' and instantly makes me want to smell the scrub all day long. However, I do find that the scrub is a little greasy for my liking but saying this I have only used it once.

MAC Media Lipstick

2011-03-07T21:13:00.000Z

I have been looking for a dark red lipstick colour for a while, as I have Rebel by MAC but it is more on the berry/purple side so after Media was recommended to me I made sure I tried it when I next visited MAC and I really liked it. Media is a satin finish lipstick which kind of has a matte finish but also with a slight bit of moisture/sheen to it. I would describe Media as a rich/deep red wine colour and after seeing swatches of it online it does seem to go well with most skin tones.

When wearing this lipstick colour I think its best to keep all other make up to a minimum as it is a bold colour. What do you guys think? How would you wear this lipstick?

Blog Giveaway Winner!!

2011-03-06T15:16:00.000Z

The Winner of my Giveaway is:

Jennifer

from Spiced Beauty

Congratulations!!!

(I will be sending you an email soon x)

Baby Blues by Models Own

2011-03-01T20:07:00.000Z

A recent nail colour I have been wearing is Baby Blues by Models Own, it is a baby/powder blue shade. Despite the fact that I am not really one to keep up with nail trends I do think that this is a nice shade for spring and the colour also looks good on all skin tones. To achieve this look I used two coats and a top coat.

MAC See Sheer Lipstick

2011-02-24T18:00:00.002Z

Price - £13.50

See Sheer is a lustre finish lipstick by MAC, because its a lustre finish it is quite sheer as the name would also suggest as well as being glossy too. See Sheer is described as a 'Pinked Grapefruit' colour by MAC and it looks like a pinky coral shade when worn.

I tend to wear this lipstick quite usually when I want a little bit of colour on my lips but nothing that stands out too much and because of its glossy finish I don't need to wear it with lipgloss either. Another reason why I like this colour is that despite the fact that it is a lipstick it looks more like a lipgloss when worn.

FOTD of me wearing the lippy before work this morning, my makeup is very minimal as I really cannot be bothered in the mornings and also the fact that I don't have enough time either - I'd rather have 10 mins extra sleep :-)

Face

MAC Select Cover Up Concealer - NC48

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Dark

Benefit Brows a-go-go - Dark

MAC Blush - Raizin

Eyes

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'Oreal - Volume Million Lashes Extra Black

Lips

MAC Lipstick - See Sheer

Clean: Warm Cotton Fragrance

2011-02-22T20:48:00.001Z

CLEAN - Warm Cotton

Eau De Parfum 60ml

Price - $69 (Aprx £40)

I was first introduced to this fragrance when I was given a small sample at Sephora when I was on holiday in the US and as soon as I smelt it I knew I had to buy it despite not knowing the brand. I have a weird love for all things smelling of Fresh Cotton & Linen and this is what this fragrance smells like but even better.

About the brand:

"CLEAN Perfume was launched in April 2003. The founder, desired a fragrance that was reminiscent of pure soap, that universal fresh out of the shower scent. Unable to find such a fragrance, she developed her own…CLEAN."

CLEAN have 8 scents to choose from that incorporate that fresh/clean/shower smell and feeling. The scent I have is called Warm Cotton and it smells just like warm cotton with a "clean" smell. I am finding it really hard to describe this fragrance but you definitely have to smell it for yourself to capture the full essence of it before making judgement as it is great!! :-) I have even had a few people at work comment on a lovely "clean" smell when I am wearing it.

CLEAN's description for Warm Cotton:

"It captures the feeling of a fluffy, warm towel just pulled from the dryer or slipping into your favorite T-shirt line-dried in the summer sun. CLEAN Warm Cotton wraps you in notes of Citrus, Lilac and Jasmine over a subtle but oh-so-sexy blend of Amber and Musk. A fresh, comforting, just-laundered scent."

The CLEAN range can be purchased from Sephora but I'm not sure if its available in the European Sephora's as I tried to find it when I was in Paris recently and everybody I asked looked at me like I was mad after describing fragrance lol.

I must admit if you don't have a love for anything with a cotton and linen smell you may not understand or like this fragrance but if you do you will love it. I can't wait to go back to America and actually test out the other scents within the range and pick up some more too. My only negative point about the fragrance is about the price as I think that even though it is a great smelling scent I don't think it should be priced that much just to smell clean. Having said that, as I am weird and love this type smell it hasn't really deterred me and I will buy it again.

Gold or a Rose Gold Watch??

2011-02-20T12:00:00.013Z

I have been wanting to buy a Gold/Rose Gold watch for over a year now but I never seem to actually make that purchase even though I've tried on a million within that time period. So yesterday whilst shopping at Westfield I decided to finally just get the damn watch but the problem I was then faced with was what watch to buy from a selection of 5 and what colour. My sales assistant was a guy who was very patient with me whilst I tried on the same watches over and over again lol.

I really wanted to buy this Michael Kors Rose Gold watch but felt it didn't really look that great on my complexion and the fact that i'll probably only wear it for a little while and get bored of it. However I am now having second thoughts....

I ended up buying this Michael Kors Gold watch but I didn't have the links taken off as I am still undecided if I want to go back for the Rose Gold or a different gold watch by another brand I've been lusting after for agggggeeesss too!!

Now you can see why despite the fact that I've wanted to buy a watch for over a year I haven't been able to make a decision with my indecisiveness *Shaking my head*.

CLOSED - 100 Follower Blog Giveaway

2011-02-13T21:02:00.002Z

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!!

Back in December I mentioned that I would be having a blog giveaway after reaching 100 followers as a thank you and as promised here it is.

So here's whats up for grabs:
1. Silver Winged Ring (brand new & one size). Click here for a previous post of me wearing the gold
    version
2. Models Own Nail Polish in Champagne.
3. Models Own 6 Way Nail Buffer.

The Rules:
1. To enter you MUST be a follower (Old & New) on Google Connect.
2. You MUST leave a comment with your Name & Email Address on this post.
3. For an extra entry you can tweet this giveaway. (Please leave a separate comment below with the link to
    your tweet).
4. For an extra extra entry you can post a link to my giveaway on your blog sidebar :) (Please leave a
    separate comment with the link below if you do this).
5. If you are under 18, please ask permission to enter.

The winner will be chosen at random via random.org, and all entries will be checked to ensure the rules are followed.

~~The giveaway will close on Sunday 27th February at Midnight~~

Flirt - Essie

2011-01-29T19:27:00.000Z

Today's nail colour is Flirt by Essie, which I would describe as a coral shade and is described by Essie as 'A sexy hot pink-orange'.

New Jewellery

2011-01-23T17:50:00.000Z

Just a quick post to show you guys some new jewellery I have recently purchased.

Swirl & Stone Oval Ring - Topshop

Swallow Ring (it doesn't look like a swallow) - Primark

Charm Bracelets both Primark

Leaf Pendant Necklace - Miss Selfridge

Bag Necklace (it opens & closes too) - Primark

L'Oreal Million Lashes Extra Black Review

2011-01-16T12:30:00.001Z

As some of you may be aware I bought the L'Oreal Million Lashes mascara back in June and I loved it instantly for the extra volume and length it added to my lashes, (review here) so I decided to try out the new Extra Black version.

My first observation about the mascara was that I noticed a lot of excess formula on the brush before even using it, which you can see in the above picture. The mascara seems to be very wet more than the original version which can be annoying when applying to the lashes as it takes a while to dry.

As you can see there is a big difference to my eyelashes when the mascara is on but if I am being honest I don't really notice any difference with the Extra Black in comparison to the original version. If anything I just find that it is a lot wetter and it makes my eyelashes clumpy which I didn't find happened when I used the original version. I actually prefer the original version as you really cannot tell that it is supposed to be darker than the original version.

MAC Buys

2011-01-10T20:36:00.000Z

I've actually only just realised that despite the fact that I am a MAC addict and I am always buying something from MAC I actually have never posted any of my purchases on here (shame on me). Anyway, here are my recent purchases and I promise to put up more of my purchases in the future especially my favourites.

1. Pro Palette Eye Shadow x 4 - I picked up my first quad eyeshadow palette as I already have two of the larger eyeshadow palettes but I needed something more lighter to carry about in my make up bag.

2. Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - Dark. This was a repurchase as I have been using this powder for over a year now and I seriously cannot fault it. It gives skin such a natural glow and it is definitely ones of my favourites.

3. Select Cover-Up Concealer - NC48. I have been using this concealer for years and I can't live without this product, I mainly just use it under my eyes. It makes my tired face look a bit more presentable : ) I am a NC50 at MAC but when using the concealer I have 3 shades I like to use NC45, NC48 & NC50. NC45 is a little bit lighter than my normal shade but I tend to use it on nights out.

Peach Sherbert - Models Own

2011-01-09T14:14:00.001Z

I am currently wearing Models Own Peach Sherbet on my nails, this is the colour that started my Models Own obsession when I saw it on my sister's friends nails I just had to have it!! I really like the colour but I do find that the colour is a bit hard to apply as it comes up a bit patchy because of the consistency, I had to apply 3 coats to get this finish. Despite this, the colour is lovely on and i've even received a few compliments *smiles*.

Suspender Tights

2011-01-07T12:59:00.000Z

So I have had my eye on these House of Holland suspender tights for ageeees!! and every time I go to purchase them they were always sold out. Anyway, I finally managed to pick up the last pair from River Island whilst shopping last week and I was excited!!

I don't know how this happened but I somehow managed to put a massive hole in it on the first day I wore them, I actually nearly cried *sad face*. I was soooo gutted as i've wanted these tights for ages and for the fact that I put a hole in a £12 pair of tights (I never spend that much on tights). Luciky i've now managed to find a pair online and placed an order instantly *happy face*.

Lush Goodies

2011-01-04T21:02:00.003Z

Last week I went to Lush to hunt down any remaining limited edition Snow Fairy shower gels that may be left as I have never tried it but wanted to see what the hype was about the it before it sold out.

Lush describes Snow Fairy as 'Candy floss pink and sweet as sugar with iridescent sparkles'. I only managed to get the two last 100g bottles of Snow Fairy so this definitely will not last me long but they were half price so that made up for it. I haven't used it yet but the smell is soooooo gorgeous!! It smells of bubblegum and I just want to eat it.

I also decided to buy Glogg as it is also a limited edition and it was half price too. Lush describes Glogg as a 'Warming, spicy, cinnamon filled shower gel'. I can't really describe or put my finger on the smell of Glogg but it is kind of reminds me of the festive season and it has a nice warming smell to it quite like how Lush describes it.

Toner Tabs: Tea Tree, Vitamin C & Vitamin E

I picked up these Toner Tabs that you dissolve in hot water to steam your face with as my skin has been playing up recently and I need to attack the breakouts. The lady in the shop also mentioned that the remaining toner water can be kept to use during the week as a facial toner. (I'll post a review on the Toner Tabs once I have used them).

New Year 2011

2011-01-03T15:05:00.002Z

I went out on Saturday to celebrate the New Year with the girls and here is the outfit I wore on the night. I bought the dress the same day on a last minute rush to find something to wear and after trying on numerous dresses I bought this one and a lace black tunic from Topshop.

Dress: TFNC at Topshop

Bag: Accessorize

Necklace: Primark

Bracelets: Dorothy Perkins & Primark

I hope you guys had a great start to the New Year, whether you celebrated it by going out or staying in.

Garra Rufa Fish Pedicure

2010-12-31T18:11:00.000Z

A while ago Goupon had a half price deal for a fish pedicure with Zoola Fish at Camden Lock Village London. The pedicure usually costs £18 for 30mins but I got it for £9 and decided to get one for a friend too. I must admit I was very sceptical about buying this voucher as I don't like insects, animals etc and the thought of a fish nibbling at my feet was not very tempting either. However, a few other friends bought the vouchers too and we all decided to go together for support.

Zoola say: 'We use hundreds of toothless Garra Rufa fish that gently suck and nibble away dead skin whilst creating a light and relaxing massage'.

Being the big chicken that I am I it took a while before I could put both feet in the water without screaming and removing them immeadiately. I found the experience to be very unbearable as I am ticklish on my feet and could not withstand the fishes nibbling at my feet or the thought of them doing so. I think in total I had my feet in the water for about 5 minutes out of my 30 min session. Due to this I was unable to tell if the fish pedicure actually works as Zoola claim *sad face*.

(apologies in advance for putting this image up of my feet)

Merry Christmas xx

2010-12-24T12:06:00.003Z

Today is Christmas eve and as I don't have anymore shopping to do I plan on doing nothing else but watching Christmas movies all day. I would like to wish everyone a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS and I hope you guys all have fun tomorrow xx

P.S. I tried the Gingerbread Latte at Starbucks for the first time yesterday and I am in LOVE with it now. I have been craving it ever since and I wish someone would go and pick me up one now hehe.

(images source)

A Day Trip to Paris

2010-12-21T18:30:00.003Z

Last week I was treated to a trip to Paris for the day with a friend which was a belated birthday present from her. Despite the weather being ridiculously cold out there we had a great time shopping and to my surprise I didn't spend/buy anything special out there which is very unlike me. When it comes to langauges I am terrible and I never really picked up French whilst I was at school but luckily for me I had a translator with me in the form of my French speaking friend *smiles*.

Here are a few pics from the day, we didn't do the touristy thing on this visit as I went last year summer and visited all the tourist attractions then.

We visited two very big department stores on Boulevard Haussmann: Printemps and Galeries Lafayette which are probably equivalent to Selfirdges & Harrods in the UK and Nordstrom & Macy's in the US.

(The massive Christams Tree inside Galeries Lafayette)

I am not a fan of French food so we went looking for an Italian restaurant and I must say this has to be the BEST pizza I have ever had. It really makes me want to go back which is weird as I am not even a big fan of pizza.

I had to stop by Laduree for their infamous Macaroons which were delicious and there were so many different flavours to choose from but the Vanilla flavour was the best, they were so yummy!!

As mentioned before I didn't buy much but here are the beauty items I bought:

I Picked up the lavender exfoliating soap and green tea soup from the Christmas market near Champs Elysees. The stall where I got them from had a large selection of natural soaps to choose from and they all smell great especially the lavender. The soap were also really cheap, I got 3 for 10 euros. I was instantly drawn to the lavender soap as lavender is great to use to relax and de-stress especially in a bath which is why I gave the 3rd one to my mum.

Nars - Taj Mahal Blush

2010-12-13T18:30:00.000Z

I have always been intrigued at the thought of having an orange blush and I didn't know where to start until I tried Taj Mahal at a Nars counter over the summer. I instantly loved the warm glow it gave to my skin and I bought it immediately, however after purchasing it gathered dust for a few months until I recently started using it again.

If you haven't already heard of using an orange shade as a blush I am sure some of you may be a bit confused but it really is a good colour to use for creating a warm glow to your skin no matter your skin tone. Orange blushes also really compliment tanned, brown and dark skin tones very well.

Taj Mahal is a burnt orange shade with shimmer in it. It is very pigmented so you need to be very light handed when using it especially if you are a fair to medium skin tone as you will end up looking very orange. To avoid this, lightly dip your brush into the blush and tap of any excess product and test it out on your hand first to see how much product yo have on your brush before applying it to your cheeks.

Price: £19.50

It can be bought from any Nars counter or online at http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/

This is my first ever Nars purchase and I am really loving using this blush at the moment, I even sometimes mix it with one of my everyday staple blushes Raizin by MAC.

Beauty Icon: Iman

2010-12-11T17:42:00.000Z

I have decided to do a series of posts sharing with you guys my Beauty Icons.

For the 1st installment of my Beauty Icons I have chosen Iman. Iman is a Somalian born supermodel who exudes beauty, in addition to being a supermodel she also created the make up range Iman Cosmetics for ethnic skin. Iman continues to looks amazing even at the age of 55.

(Images taken from here)

Magenta Divine - Models Own

2010-12-09T20:56:00.000Z

For the first time since my teenage years I am wearing a glitter nail polish on my nails - Magenta Divine by Models Own. I have shied away from glitter nail polishes all these years because of the large amount of hassle it takes just to get it off your nails but, seeing as it is the Christmas season and glitter seems to be an 'in' thing right now I was convinced to buy this colour and I must say I like the colour. I am going to admit that this is the first glitter polish I have in my polish collection and it MAY become the first of many. I am however, dreading taking it off my nails lol.

It took 2 coats to achieve this coverage with a topcoat.

Clothes Show Live: Young Fashion Photographer of the Year Finalist

2010-12-06T20:59:00.000Z

Tomorrow I am off to Birmingham for the Clothes Show Live to support a photographer I worked with a few months ago as she is a finalist for the Young Fashion Photographer of the Year Award.

Here is an image from the photoshoot we worked together on, this is not the nominated image but one of many from the day. The theme of the photoshoot was Music/Fashion with make up references to the 80's, so bold/clashing make up.

Hair & Make Up by Me

Happy Birthday to Meeee!!

2010-12-04T12:00:00.004Z

(source)

This is just a quick post to say that today marks a year since I wrote my first blog post yay!!! I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all my followers and to everyone that has read/reads my blog. Please feel free to contact me anytime whether it is via my blog, twitter or email I am always more than happy to hear from you guys xx

In addition to marking my blogs 1st birthday I have also noticed that I have 99 followers, thank you again. Just to let you guys know that once I reach 100 followers I will have a little giveaway for all my followers to show my appreciation so keep an eye out for that.

I am now off to eat my imaginary birthday cake, yummy!!!.....

MAC/Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Lipstick

2010-11-30T19:09:00.003Z

As most of you are aware now Nicki Minaj teamed up with MAC to create a Limited Edition lipstick called Pink Friday which was named after her debut album Pink Friday. It is only being sold for the next 3 weeks and only on Friday's until 17th December. I managed to place an order last week Friday at 7am before leaving my house in the morning *cheeky grin* and it arrived today.

Pink Friday is described as 'a bright, creamy pink satin formula' and is priced at £12.50.

The first thing I am going to say is that I am very disappointed with the colour and I don't think it was actually made for females with brown to dark skin. As my complexion is not too far from Nicki's but it looks terrible on me however I have seen it on lighter skin tones and it looks alright on. Pink Friday also looks very chalky on and does not look flattering in photos, I will not be wearing this colour anytime soon.

Looking at the colour online it resembled MACs Pink Nouveau but it was a little bit lighter when swatched as you can see from the image below:

New Hair Cut

2010-11-26T18:00:00.001Z

After having my hair in weaves for over a year I decided to go back to my short locks and went for the chop (again) a few weeks ago. Even though my hair had been in a very short pixie cut when I started growing it agian, it had grown quite a lot in a year and I had a lot more hair on my hair than I anticipated.

(My hair after leaving the salon)

My hair inspiration for this cut was Frankie from The Saturday's, I have always admired her hair since they came on the scene. The main part of the hair style I wanted to re-create was the volume and body in the front section of her hair which I stressed to my hair stylist as my hair tends to go quite flat. She advised me this could be achieved by putting layers all over my hair and I love it!!

(What it looks like now)

I can't wait for part two of my new hair style which will be the colour. Despite the fact that I am adventourous with my cuts I have never coloured my hair apart from a few Crazy Colour red rinses when I was younger. I have ALWAYS wanted to colour my hair but never had the balls to go through with it and after talking to a friend and also a colour technician my colour has been decided and I will be doing it in a few weeks.....

Pink Monday... and Friday

2010-11-23T16:09:00.002Z

Yesterday I decided to go for a BRIGHT shade for my nails, I have always loved wearing bright colours on my nails so Shocking Pink by China Glaze (Neon) was a great colour to try for the first time. China Glaze describe the colour as 'High Voltage/Wow factor' which is very fitting for the colour.

The colour is really bright and is quite neon in natural light and I actually feel a bit like one of Nicki Minaj's Barbie's with the colour on lol. Applying this colour was quite annoying as it dries quite matte and opaque and after two coats it looked blotchy and uneven. It took about four coats and a topcoat of Seche Vite to achieve this look.

My neon pink nail colour choice also coincided with the release of Nicki Minaj's album Pink Friday yesterday. After watching Nicki Minaj's appearance on the Wendy Williams show I also learnt that she will be releasing a bright pink lipstick in conjunction with MAC called Pink Friday and it will be available for four weeks from Friday 26th November to Friday 17th December but only on Friday's. The colour is allegedly a mixture of MAC's Girl About Town (a fuchsia pink) and Pink Nouveau and will be available to purchase in the UK online from MAC and Selfridges. I am not Nicki's biggest fan but I actually can't wait to buy this lipstick and try it as I have both Pink Nouveau and Girl About Town from MAC.

Lush: Sweet Lips Lip Scrub Review

2010-11-21T13:58:00.001Z

My first ever Lush buy is the Sweet Lips Lip Scrub which is a vanilla and chocolate flavour. I bought this a while ago and I have used it a few times but I mainly keep this in my make up kit for my clients. A little amount of the scrub is needed and then rubbed into to the lips to remove any dry skin and the product can be licked off to reveal smooth lips. The fact that the scrub is edible makes it even more better as it actually tastes very yummy too.

The Lush Lip Scrubs comes in 3 varieties and are priced at £4.50 each:

Sweet Lips - Vanilla and Chocolate flavour

Bubblegum Lips - Bubblegum flavour

Mint Julips - Peppermint flavour

What Lush say:

"Vanilla extract and jojoba oil keep your lips moist, castor sugar gently exfoliates, and the rich, deep fragrance of cocoa absolute gives this an irresistible touch."

Overall I think that this a good product and also very reasonable for the price. If you have dry and flaky lips this is your product as it exfoliates the lips but in a non abrasive way leaving your lips soft as the sugar in the scrub is quite soft and not harsh. This product is also good to use before wearing lipstick as it removes all the dry/dead skin. Definitely a winter must have!

The Sweet Lips Lip Scrub is made from Castor Sugar, Organic Jojoba Oil, Vanilla Extract, Tagetes Oil, Cocoa Absolute, Flavour.

Fashion Buys

2010-11-14T17:23:00.000Z

Here are a few of my recent fashion buys:

1. Topshop - Fur Hood Parka £95. I wasn't too sure when I first bought this Parka but I now LOVE it because it is so warm which will be great for the winter months. The waist can be adjusted to make it look more fitted but fur hood is a little on the heavy side.

2. H&M - Waterfall Jacket £14.99. I actually bought this in September but had to take it back as it was faulty but they didnt have my size in stock until now.

3. H&M - Long Skirt £14.99.

4. ASOS - Ankle Boots £55 (Sale Price £16). These boots have become my go to pair of boots at the moment and I have been wearing them quite regularly.

I also picked up a faux leather skirt from H&M and an oversized top which I do not have pics of, but will try to include them in an Outfit of the day soon.

Essie - Marshmallow

2010-11-09T18:30:00.001Z

My current nail colour is Marshamallow by Essie. Essie describes the colour as a 'cloudy sheer white, perfect for french manicures' which I agree with but as you can see I did not use it for a french manicure. I like the fact the sheerness of the coulour makes it more wearable than a normal bright white/tippex shade. As you can see my application is rubbish but it took 3 coats for that finish.

Weekend Beauty Buys

2010-11-07T14:30:00.004Z

This weekend is a quiet one for me so I am doing nothing but relaxing, cooking and catching up on my beauty routine. Here are a few beauty purchases I made this weekend.

Body

As you can see I LOVE Cocoa Butter especially the Palmer's make. My mum bought me this stash and she does tend to go overboard when buying beauty products so this will last me a very long time maybe the whole of winter lol.

Face

Montagne Jeunesse - Green Tea Peel Off Mask (I usually get 2 applications from these packs)

Body Shop - Tea Tree Oil (This is one of my must have products for my face)

Nails

Sally Hansen - Maximum Growth Cuticle & Nail Treatment

Superdrug - Cuticle Sticks

Revlon Touch Control Mirror from boots £26.99

I'm not to sure about this one yet, the light doesn't seem bright enough for me.

This was a random purchase but I have an obsession with cupcakes at the moment but I am terrible when it comes to baking. This book stood out to me from the numerous cupcake books at WHSmith because the recipes looked lush but quite simple to make than the others and it was a bargain at £4.99.

I want to try this recipe once I learn how to make the plain basic cupcake lol.

Nail Haul

2010-11-06T17:21:00.003Z

Here are the items I got from my last nail haul.

l-r:

Essie- Marshmallow

Essie - Haute As Hello

Essie - Flirt

Essie - Bahama Mama

l-r:

OPI - Mod About You

China Glaze - Liquid Leather

CND - Girlie Pink

CND (Effects) - Violet Shimmer (Looks great over a lot of my polishes)

l-r:

Nail Tek - Quicken (Top Coat)

Orly - Sec 'n Dry (Top Coat)

October Babies

2010-11-03T21:44:00.003Z

Last month was my 25th birthday and my sister's 18th birthday. I celebrated my birthday by doing a little bit of shopping and going out for cocktails/dinner with two lovely ladies, and my 'family' dinner at the end of the week turned out to be a surprise dinner with all of my friends that I love.

This is what I wore on my actual birthday

My outfit for my Surprise dinner & me sporting my Headmasters updo (check this post)

To make the surprise dinner even better was my yummy birthday cake from the Hummingbird Bakery and it was a red velvet cake with 25 vanilla, chocolate and red velvet cupcakes too. I love my family and BFF for organising this for me.

For my sister's 18th birthday she decided she was going to out all weekend so I did her hair and make up for both nights.

NOTD: Mod About You

2010-10-31T13:08:00.001Z

My current nail colour is Mod About You by OPI which is a light creamy pink colour. It is such a girly colour but I love how it looks on, however I really do not like the consistency of this polish.

(click to enlarge picture)

Headmasters Party Pin-Up Masterclass

2010-10-29T14:43:00.001+01:00

Last week Friday I attended an updo/party pin-up masterclass at Headmasters in Hanover Street, Mayfair. If you are looking to have gorgeous party hair this Christmas season then the party pin-up masterclass is for you even if you are a total hair novice, as your stylist will teach you how to create a simple yet gorgeous updo for the festive season.

My stylist was Johnathon who was very lovely and knew exactly what he was doing with my hair which made me comfortable as my hair is currently in a weave and I NEVER have it up as I always wear it down. As soon as I sat in the chair he began to play about with my hair trying to figure out a style to suit me and to work with my weave and after about 20 minutes my party pin-up was complete. Whilst creating my updo my stylist talked me through every step and also gave me great tips. My look was achieved by backcombing the top section for volume, twisting the hair, pinning and a little bit of hair spray for hold.

Take a look out my updo being created:

I was very pleased with the final look and I even kept it for my birthday dinner in the evening. I was given a little pink Denman dress-out brush which I will be using when I re-create this look on my own.

The Party Pin-Up Masterclass is available from 1st November at Headmasters nationwide and is £45 per 45 minute appointment.

Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme Range for Ethnic Hair

2010-10-24T15:31:00.005+01:00

Last month I had the opportunity to review the new Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme Range for the British Beauty Blogger and here is my review:

The Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme shampoo and conditioner duo was made specifically for all types of ethnic and very coarse hair such as afro hair which needs a lot more moisture than usual due to the texture of the hair. Philip Kingsley is a Trichological expert with 55 years experience and have now developed the Moisture Extreme duo based on this expertise. “Ethnic hair types in particular often lack stretchability due to the low moisture content, which to a great extent controls elasticity (dried out hair for example will break more easily). Moisture Extreme was developed to force moisture into the hair shaft to reduce breakage and protect against friction.”

Moisture Extreme Shampoo, £14 - The formula is contains a gentle detergent derived from cocoa butter.

Moisture Extreme Conditioner, £17 - Contains a blend of moisturising ingredients consisting of 4 natural oils Almond, Wheatgerm, Avocado and Babassu which work together to condition the hair from the cortex to the outer layer.

My first thoughts before using the shampoo and conditioner was that there was a lot less product than I am used to for afro hair products however, I did find that once I applied the shampoo to my hair I didn’t need as much. It took me three washes to completely get my hair squeaky clean and I only used small amounts of the shampoo for each wash. I found that my hair felt instantly soft whilst washing and the shampoo had a good lather to it making it easier to wash. After washing I then applied the conditioner quite liberally to my hair making sure every strand got covered and kept it on for approximately 20 minutes for a deep condition. As soon as I rinsed off the conditioner I could immediately feel the difference in my hair, it was a lot softer than it has ever been since I’ve had my hair in its natural state in over a year. I found the blow drying process also a lot easier than normal due to my hair being very soft. I was even told by both my mother and sister that my hair looked and felt very soft.

I can definitely say that since I have stopped processing my hair and now have it in its natural afro state my hair has become a lot drier and I am finding it very difficult to wash and dry. However, with the Moisture Extreme duo I feel that I have found appropriate products to help make my hair more nourished, softer and less dry. I will definitely be using this duo from now on as part of my washing regime and I would also like to try the highly famed Elasticizer Extreme which is a pre-shampoo treatment for ethnic hair.

My only negative about the range is that I would have liked to have had a little more product considering the price.

The range can be purchased from the Philip Kingsley website

Magazine Freebies

2010-10-20T18:30:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post to let you know about two magazines I picked up this week that are giving away goodies. These are two magazine that I would not usually pick up when buying magazine but after reading them I do quite like them now.

InStyle Magazine are giving away 3 different types of L'Occitane Hand Creams worth £7 each. The one I picked up had the Fleur Cherie which smells nice so I might pick up another one to try out. I having been meaning to buy this hand cream for a very long time as I have always heard good things about it so its a great bagain to get it free with the magazine.

Marie Claire Magazine are giving away 2 different colours of Ciate polishes worth £9 each. I picked up the one with deeper red colour which I am happy with as I have been meaning to try this brand of polish.

Nail Colour of the Week

2010-10-18T17:00:00.009+01:00

My latest nail haul order arrived last week and before I could take pics of the haul I had already used one of the polishes on Saturday. The polish is from Essie's Summer 2010 collection and it is a coral shade called Haute As Hello.

I used two coats for this application but I did find it dried into a weird looking matte finish so a topcoat is definitely needed to revive it. I used Nail Tek Quicken for my topcoat which I also bought in my nail haul and it has already started to peel off really badly at the tips and it is only Sunday (yes this is a scheduled post lol). I am not happy with this topcoat at all but I will give it another chance before I write it off!

Review: Lucas Papaw Ointment

2010-10-17T16:51:00.001+01:00

Lucas Papaw Ointment is a natural remedy from Australia and I was first introduced to this product a few years back by someone from Australia but I didn't pay attention to the product until I finally got to use it back in February when I was doing my make up course. Lucas Papaw was a staple product on the course and we all loved using it especially on ourselves. Its such a great soothing balm for the lips and really nourishes and moisturises it.

The Lucas Papaw Ointment is made from the papaw tree and has antibacterial properties and may be used as a local topical application for burns, boils, chaffing, cuts, cracked skin, rash, splinters, open wounds, insect bites, nappy rash and eczema.

It is also great when used on the lips as I learnt from my make up course. If you have dry lips like I do Lucas Papaw works wonders on them especially as a moisturiser for dry lips before applying lipstick. Simply put a generous amount of it on your lips before you apply your make up and let it sink in for a while and when you are ready to apply your lipstick rub it off and put on your desired lipstick. I have also been using it as a balm as my lips tend to get quite dry in the autumn/winter months and I really cannot fail this product at all.

Lucas Papaw Ointment comes in three sizes 25g, 75g and 200g. I have the 25g as it is a handbag friendly size in comparison to the other sizes available. Active Ingredients: 39mg/gm of fresh fermented paw paw, unguent Carica Papaya L, and 0.1mg/g of Potassium Sorbate as a preservative.

Lucas Papaw Ointment is an Australian brand that is not readily available in the UK but can be bought online from the following:

* The Pawpaw Shop London which have an online store and also an Ebay store. I bought mine from their ebay store for £3.99 (Pawpaw Ebay)

* Cult Beauty

Nail Colour of the Week: Barry M Instant Nail Effects

2010-10-11T17:18:00.002+01:00

After seeing the new Barry M Instant Nail Effects on various blogs last week I decided to try it for myself and I picked up a bottle from Superdrug over the weekend. I trialled it over my previous nail colour in the shop which was a dark pink colour but wanted to try it with something that standed out a little bit more so I decided to try it with my Models Own 25 Carat Gold polish. I actually bought this Models Own colour in January but this was my first time using it.

Models Own - 25 Carat Gold

Barry M Instant Nail Effects

I applied two coats of my gold base colour and let it dry and then I applied a layer of the Instant Nail Effects over it and within seconds it started to peel into this effect and I then topped it with a layer of Seche Vite. The Barry M Instant Nail Effect is very easy to use and dries within seconds of applying it. I cant wait to try it out with other colours and hope that Barry M bring it out in another colour possibly gold.

I had spotted a similar version to this Instant Nail Effects a few months back on Amanda's blog and I really wanted to try it out but the brand wasn't in the UK so I am very happy that Barry M came out with a version of it.

Nail Haul

2010-10-10T19:46:00.000+01:00

Recently I have been making quite a lot of nail polish purchases and I think I am getting slightly addicted to it. I am waiting on a delivery for another order I placed and I will post pics as soon as it arrives.

Seche Restore - Used to thin Seche Vite

Essie Fill The Gap - Base Coat

Seche Vite - Quick Drying Top Coat

Rimmel Matte Finish - Mattifying Top Coat

Color Club - Wild Child

China Glaze - Shocking Pink (Neon)

China Glaze - Bermuda Breakaway

My Birthday Wishlist

2010-10-03T15:25:00.001+01:00

My 25th birthday is coming up in just over 2 weeks and I thought I would share with you guys a few things on my wishlist. I am more excited about making the wishlist than actually thinking of anything to do to celebrate my birthday mainly because I feel like I am getting old. *sad face*

Gold Watch - Ive been trawling the internet for a few months now for the perfect boyfriend style gold watch and I have narrowed it down to one from either Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors or Guess Collection. My only problem is that I have extra skinny arms & wrists so I now have to try them on in actual stores as it could end up looking terrible on my skinny wrists.

(not the actual watch I want)

Mac Pro Laptop - My laptop at the moment is not working properly as it was infested by viruses and trojans recently so I think it is a great excuse to get a new laptop. Hopefully my mum will get this for me as she promised....(However I am not counting on it! Knowing her she will have forgotten she even agreed)

And.....Birthday cake, I could live on vanilla sponge birthday cake all year round and I sometimes have the urge to buy one randomly and eat it all to myself (I know this is a bad craving I have).

On another note its also my sister's 18th birthday this month too and I really do not know what to get her especially seeing as every response I get from her is "I dont know" when I ask what she wants....

E.L.F Brush Review

2010-09-25T17:57:00.001+01:00

Since making my first Elf purchase in January I have always wanted to try the brushes from their studio line and I finally took the plunge and ordered 3 brushes a couple weeks ago. Once again I must comment on the fast delivery from Elf as I recieved it within days of placing my order which was great as I hate waiting for my orders to come. I choose the complexion brush as I really needed a new face brush to apply my powder and then just randomly choose the blush and precision brush and I have now been using the brushes for 2 weeks.

l-r: Small Preciscion Brush, Complexion Brush, Blush Brush

The studio line brushes from elf are synthetic and made from Taklon hair and threy are anti bacterial. Products within the studio line are priced at £3.50 iwhich is still a bargain instead of £1.50 on the normal line. My first observation before using the brushes were that they were very soft to the touch which is a pro for me as I do find some synthetic haired brushed to be quite hard or rough on the skin. Elf also state that the brushes can be used with wet or dry products.

Small Precision - £3.50

Elf says: Use to apply concealer, smooth on lip colour, or line eyes.

So far I have used this brush to line my lower lashes and find that it works well and it doesnt irritate my eyes when using it. I haven't used it to apply lipstick as elf claims it can be used for but I will try it out soon however, I dont think I will be using it to apply concealer as it is a bit smaller than what I am used to for my concealer application.

Complexion Brush - £3.50

Elf says: Use with pressed, loose or translucent powders, blush or bronzer.

This has got to be my favourite brush from my order. I love the fact that it is dense enough to be used easily as a powder brush and the main pro is that it is so soft on my face. My previous powder brush was a cheap synthetic one too which actually cost more and was so hard on my face so I am happy that this brush was not like that.

Blush Brush - £3.50

Elf says: Use to apply blush or bronzer

I havent't really got on well with this brush mainly because I find that when I am applying my blush it doesn't go on easily when directly pointing it to my face. This is because of the shape the hairs form at the top of the brush. However, the brush works better when I use the brush on its side to apply my blusher. I do like the size of the brush but find the hairs could have been slightly more fuller and not so pointed at the top.

My overall opinion for the brushes is that they are great value for money and the quality is much greater than I would expect for the price. I will definitely be purchasing more products from this line and more brushes too which is great as I love my MAC brushes but they are expensive so I now have a cheaper option at a good quality.

Shopping Diaries

2010-09-11T22:59:00.007+01:00

I've been shopping like mad over the last few weeks whether its clothes, make up, jewellery and my new obsession for nail polishes. I really need to calm it down as I already know I have a bad shopping addiction and I always seem to find myself in Central London shopping at least once a week. Here are some of the thing's i've picked up recently.

Jewellery Haul

Vintage Casio Gold Watch - Brick Lane £10

Head Band - Primark £2

Set of 3 Bangles - H&M

Chain - H&M

Rings - H&M

(A closer look at the rings) Necklace - Primark £2.50

Clothing Haul

l-r:

Striped Dress - Primark £5 (sale)

Pink Dress - Primark £5 (sale)

Skinnies - H&M £9.99

Oversized Top - H&M £14.99

Faux Leather Dufflle Bag - River Island £34.99
(I l♥ve this bag & i've been wearing it since I got it last week)

Metallic Hot Pink (for my sister) Black Patent with Tartan (for me)

I mentioned previously about the Dr Martens sale that was happening over the bank holiday weekend, here's what I got (Sorry the colour didn't show up properly in this pic but the pink one is really bright).

Snippet of My Bank Holiday Weekend

2010-09-08T20:50:00.004+01:00

This is over a week overdue but the bank holiday weekend was quite a busy one for me and I had so much fun going out with friends & partying, going to carnival and shopping. Here is a snippet of one of my night's out with the girls, we had so much fun that night and there was non stop dancing too.

I would list the products used but I really cant remember what make up products I used that night as I was in a rush...sorry guys (well apart from my dodgy MAC eyelashes that I need to throw away now)

My outfit:

Playsuit - H&M

Denim Waistcoat - Primark

Belt - Primark

The lovely ladies Andree, Shade & my cousin Ivie

Models Own 50% Off Nail Haul

2010-09-05T19:32:00.000+01:00

I am sure all of you were aware of the Models Own promotion on facebool where once they receieved 10,000 likes on facebook they gave a 50% off code to use on their website for the bank holiday weekend. Despite buying a few polishes from them a few weeks back I decided to take advantage of the promotion and picked up four more polishes and a 6 way nail buffer (which im loving!!!).

l-r: Evergreen, Purple Grey, Nude Beige, Sterling Silver

I had no idea of what colours I wanted when I was ordering apart from the Purple Grey which is rumoured to be the closet match to the new Chanel Paradoxal polish. The other colours I chose were very random but I am happy with my purchase and the Evergreen and Sterling Silver are looking like they could be faves of mine.

Evergreen is an emerald green colour with a pearly/glittery finish to it which is very similaar to my O.P.I Sea? I Told You but in a green colour. When applying the Evergreen colour it comes on a bit sheer but I only needed two coats to get this finish.

Flower Bomb!!! New Frangrance

2010-09-02T19:13:00.009+01:00

I picked up Flower Bomb by Victor & Rolf at duty free in July, I had no idea what I wanted but I knew I needed something new to add to my collection so after sampling so many fragrances and getting a headache from it I decided on Flower Bomb. I have only now just gotten round to wearing it and I LOVE it!! The scent is so gorgeous and I keep sniffing myself every minute when I have it on which I probably shouldn't do in public often.

Eau De Toilette £38.95 for 50ml (Duty Free Price)

Description of Flower Bomb:

'A millefeuille flowers around the freesia, rose centifolia, osmanthus and jasmine sambac, supported by a background of patchouli.'

The Flower Bomb scent is described as a floral explosion as it compromises of many floral ingredients which helps to make it a great fragrance without it being too over powering. It has a slight sweet smell to its but not sickly at all instead its very addictive. The Flower Bomb bottle shape is very simple but chic and it slightly reminds me of my Diamonds perfume by Armani. If you haven't got this fragrance yet I suggest you go out and sample it as this has just become a favourite of mine now.

Dr Martens Sale

2010-08-28T14:45:00.000+01:00

Hey guys! just a quick post for those that are interested in Dr Martens, the shop in Spitalfields Market is having a sale on boots for £39 which is a bargain!! I went yesterday and managed to pick up some boots for myself, my sister and cousin ☺. The sale is running till monday after which they will be bringing in their new Autumn/Winter stock but I would advise to go before then if you really want a pair. Please be advised that there are only a selected colours and designs on sale.

(poster taken from Wonderland Magazine)

I will put up pics of my purchases soon.

My Holiday to Nigeria

2010-08-21T16:41:00.002+01:00

As some of you may be aware I went on holiday last month for 3 weeks to Abuja in Nigeria with my mum, sister and close friend Andree. This holiday was well and truly needed by the whole family and we had a great time and I can't wait to go back very soon (even my sister loved it and she was hesitant about going away for so long). Despite being a Nigerian this was my second time going to Nigeria and I was excited about going to Abuja as it would be my first time there. Abuja is way more developed than some of the other parts of Nigeria which was nice as we went to the cinema & clubbing like we would do in any other country.

My sis & I wearing our customised Ankara dresses for a wedding. We went to the market to a lady who made our dresses for us in a day (I love how fast they are out there).

I could live on this forever: Fried rice & Jumbo Grilled Prawns with Pepper Mmmm

Andree & Lil Sis

Abuja from the sky, off to another city

Whilst in Abuja I did nothing but eat suya (bbq seasoning with pepper & other spices for meat/chicken), jollof rice & fried rice out there and drank their fanta like it was water. The only problem is that the fanta in Nigeria is so much sweeter than the UK it should be banned but I LOVE it!! We also met some great people out there who took us out and showed us a good time, so thank you for that guys.

Red Lips: MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

2010-08-17T21:36:00.004+01:00

Whilst I was bored I decided to the try the MAC Ruby Woo lipstick I have in my make up kit. I have never used this colour on myself before but it is a staple red lipstick in my kit as it gives the classic matte red look and it looks even better on fair to medium skin tones. Whenever I use Ruby Woo I always team it with MACs Cherry lip liner as they work very well together.

Here is an example of when i've used Ruby Woo on a model at Alternative Fashion Week:

Anyway here is my first attempt at wearing the Ruby Woo lipstick on myself, what do you guys think? I like the colour but I do feel it comes off a little brighter on me than on others which is probably due to the fact my lips are massive which draws attention to them.

What I used:

Face

MAC Select Cobver-Up Concealer - NC 50 (to shape eyebrows) & NC 45 (under eyes)

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - Dark

MAC Blush - Loverush (very little dab on cheeks)

MAC Shaping Powder - Accentaute (to highlight cheeks)

Eyes

Benefit Brow Zings Shaping Powder - Dark

MAC Paint Pot - Groundwork (base)

MAC e/s: Cork (lids), Concrete (outter corner & crease), Era (inner corner), Shroom (brow bone)

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara

Salonsystem Naturalash Falsies - Medium

Benefit Bad Gal

Lips

MAC Lip Liner - Cherry (outline & filled in lips)

MAC Lipstick - Ruby Woo

Victoria's Secret.....Secret Garden Collection

2010-08-14T13:27:00.002+01:00

My aunt from California introduced me to the Secret Garden Collection by Victoria's Secret about five years ago when she gave me a body mist and hand lotion as a gift and I have been addicted to the collection ever since. Every time I go to America I make sure I stock up on a vast range of products from the collection to last me until my next visit however, he last time I went to America was in November so considering the fact that I use these body mists everyday I ended up running out. Luckily a friend went to Miami in May and picked me up two bottles of the body mists which will probably run out very soon too.

My faves are the body mists, eau de toilette and the hand & body creams and the highest price you will pay for a product in the collection is $10 but there is always an offer going on where you can mix & match any 3 for $24 or 5 for $30. Sometimes they even have a promotion where you can get any 7 products for $35 (if I remember correctly).

Body Mists (l-r): Berry Kiss, Pure Seduction, Sweet Surrender

The Secret Garden Collection compromises of the following:

Refreshing Body Mists $9
Eau de Toilette $9.50
Ultra-softening Body Butter $10
Ultra-moisturizing Hand & Body Cream $9.50
Hydrating Body Lotion $9
Exhilarating Body Wash $8.50
Nourishing Bath & Shower Cream $9

The above products come in a variety of scents to choose from with the addition of limited edition scents:

Love Spell
Pure Seduction
Amber Romance
Secret Charm
Lost in Fantasy
Luscious Kisses
Coconut Passion
Berry Kiss
Vanilla Lace
Endless Love
Pear Glacé
Strawberries &Champagne

I havent tried the whole collection yet but I always buy Berry Kiss, Pure Seduction, Vanilla Lace and recently I got Sweet Surrender from the limited edition collection which I love as it smells like cocoa butter to me despite it saying Jojoba butter on the bottle.

Models Own Nail Polish

2010-08-12T21:09:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend I purchased 3 nail polishes from the Models Own website after seeing a colour I had to have on my sister's friend earlier in the week. The colour's I purchased were Top Torquoise, Pink Blush and Peach Sherbert which was the colour I really wanted. The nail polishes are £5 each but £12 for three which is why I ended up getting three instead of one.

After placing my order I quickly realised that I had chosen the wrong colour for the nail colour I really wanted and went into a state of panic. I sent an email to every email address I could find but as it was the weekend I got no reply but as soon as I tweeted Models Own on Monday I got a reply straight away. They sorted out my mistake in colour choice and were very friendly too, I definately have to say thanks for that as the service was very prompt and I even got my goodies the next day which I did not expect.

(l-r) Peach Sherbert, Pink Blush, Top Torquoise

With Flash

Without Flash

Im currently wearing the Peach Sherbert colour but I got it done at the nail salon and i'm not happy with the way they did it so I will post a pic of me wearing the polishes later when I re-do them myself.

Jewellery Haul: My Finger Armour & Rings

2010-08-07T15:37:00.006+01:00

This post is actually very long overdue as I got this ring from Topshop back in May. I saw it on someone and knew instantly that I had to have that piece of armour on my finger. I am not even a big fan of silver jewellery but I had to have it and because it also reminded me of a cheap dupe of the Vivienne Westwood armour rings but at a fraction of the price. The only problem with this ring is that it is obviously not sterling silver and will change colour over time unlike the Vivienne Westwood version.

Topshop £14

Here is the ring from Vivienne Westwood which is called 'Armour Ring'

£170 each (picture taken from http://www.viviennewestwoodonline.co.uk/)

In addition here are two other rings I picked up yesterday from H&M which I cant wait to wear as I love rings especially big & chunky ones. I cant leave the house without having a ring(s) on my finger.

This one comes in a set of 3 for £3.99

I really like this one & it comes in silver too £3.99