Glossybox November 2012

I love nothing better than a good old beauty box. I've been suscribed to Glossybox for a few months now, and all in all I've been quite impressed. This months box has been my absolute favourite so far. I recieved five great products and for once didn't push one away thinking I'd use it another time which of course I never would. I hadn't heard of the brand Ayuuri before but I recieved a full size bottle of the Indian Rose Face Cream which smells amazing and really hydrates my skin. I'd also never heard of Alison Claire until now either, but the body butter looks lovely to use. Of course my favourite product from this box is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, who doesn't love a good Dermalogica product? I've tried this in the past, however it's expensive at over £30.00 a pop to keep replacing. I'm a little disappointed at the tiny 4ml size of the Nails Inc polish, but of course you can't have everything. The perfume sample is amazing too, the bottle is actually gorgeous and it smells lovely and fresh, probably more of a Summer fragrance than anything.

What did you think of this months Glossybox?

♥

DIY Leopard Print Nails

I have a little confession to make. I am an absolute sucker for nail art, and I love nothing better than getting to grips with learning how to do new designs and putting my own little twist on things. I always get asked how I do certain designs on my nails, and this leopard print design is one of the easiest to do. It looks fiddly and complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it is unbelievably easy. I apologise in advance for the awful camera quality. I've misplaced my usual camera and have no idea where it is! 

It's that simple! I love experimenting with this as you can really mix up the colour. Glitter looks great as the polka dot too, and I can't rate the Models Own nail art pen highly enough. Do you know any great nail art tricks?

♥

A Mini Haul - Haircare, Skincare & Make Up

Hi Girls! I must admit I'm not a fan of this weather. The fact that it is pitch black outside by 5o'clock means taking photos is an absolute nightmare! Apologies for not blogging this week, but it is merely impossible to get a decent looking photo without natural light. On a slightly brighter note, I used my day off to have some quality time to myself so of course I ended up at good old Superdrug. I rarely write 'haul' type posts, and although this is hardly what one would call big I still thought I'd share what I picked up. 

♥ Simple Facial Wash Gel - I love discovering a good new cleanser! If like me you're a fan of TOWIE, then you'll know just how amazing Lucy Mecklenburgh's skin looks (if you don't watch it think Millie Mackintosh-esque skin). I was reading an interview and she swears by Simple skincare. I have used the moisturising face wash before and loved it so hope this will be just as nice to use, and for a mere £2 it would be rude not to!

♥ L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist X Shampoo and Conditioner - If you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll know one of my weaknesses is trying new haircare products. I always use John Freida's Beautiful Brunette range but as I like to mix it up I went for this instead. It claims to strengthen hair from root to tip and nourish split ends and dead hair. Sounds perfect to me! Not to mention it smells gorgeous and the bottle size will last me a long while, even by my standards. 

♥ Superdrug Vitamin E Radiance Moisture Cream - Back in Summer I blogged about the Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser (read it here) and the Vitamin E SPF 15 Day Dream (read here). Both were so lovely to use, and since my usual day cream ran out I decided to invest in the Radiance Moisture Cream, which promises to deliver a glow to the skin whilst providing 24 hour hydration and sun protection too. For a measly £2.99 price tag it was a real bargain!

♥ Girls With Attitude Rock On Lashes - I wear false eyelashes almost everyday and Eylure can be pricey if you need to re-purchase on a weekly basis. I noticed these just above and they are so similar to the double lashes from Eylure and cost only £3.99 - not much difference cost wise, but I'll get just as much wear out of them. The band looks sturdy and strong which is essential. There is nothing worse than the end of an eyelash flapping around.

♥ Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - I've read countless rave reviews about this powder, many of which claim this to be a 'holy grail' product. I was reading the lovely Kayleigh over at CoutureGirl's most recent post and it managed to convince me to purchase it. I'll give it a bash and once I've had enough time to give it a proper review I will report back!

Have you picked up any great products recently?

♥

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Hi Girls! Autumn is well and truly here, and it's time to dig out the scarves and gloves again. Boooo. I love nothing better than a good deal at Boots or Superdrug, and when I was in Westfield over the weekend I took full advantage of the 'Buy 1 get 1 half price' offer on cosmetics. Yes, I'm ridiculously late to jump on the lip butter bandwagon, but I decided (after oomphing and aahing for several minutes over my choice of which shade to buy) to pick one up and generally see what all the fuss was about after reading countless blog reviews on them all.

At first I was a little put off the thought of a lip butter as I thought it would feel too melty and gooey, and after seeing all the awful testers I very nearly decided aginst purchasing it altogether but decided to try it anyway. Revlon claims that the lip butters are 'a mango, shea and coconut butter formula that boosts lip moisture by 156%' so it was finally time for me to ditch the Vaseline. I absolutely love the packaging. I may sound slightly odd saying that packaging is important, but I love the way products look in my make up bag and it gives me a sense of enjoyment. Weird. The lid is an opaque hot pink colour with a quilted effect and covers the entire tube of lipstick when on.

I opted for 'Sweet Tart', a warm peachy pink colour when applied that literally melts onto the lips. I have a real problem for light pinks and nudes, and they are my definite go-to choice of colour for everyday, so the choice of colour was perfect. The creamy formula makes it a dream to apply, and it leaves a subtle glossy finish which always looks great. Not only is the colour pay off fantastic, but it left my lips feeling moisturised too and as though I had slathered layers upon layers of Carmex rather than a lipstick. For only £7.99 I reckon I've found a new lip product to get me through Winter, soothing dry chapped lips while looking great at the same time.

Have you tried Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters? Which is your favourite shade?

Top 5 Pink Polishes

Hi Ladies, hope you're all well. If you know me well then you will know that I am pretty obsessed with nails. I bounce between acrylic nails and gel nails and have tried all different shapes and styles, from square to pointed and 3D bows to airbush designs. I know a thing or two when it comes to colours. Having tried hundreds of different colours and brands, I have a collection of colours which I always come back too. This time of year means that darker colours are favourable, but if like me you can't quite shake off the Summer feeling, then pinks are my go-to colour of choice for nails. I have a small draw full of pinks and corals and have a few firm favourites... 

From L to R: Rimmel Lycra Pro 313 Cocktail Passion, OPI D1 Funny Bunny, Barry M 309 Strawberry, Missguided Misstify, Models Own Soda Pop Pink

What are your go to nail polishes?

♥

Review: Foxy Locks Hair Extensions

Hello girls, something which has definitely cheered me up from this awful repulsive weather was my delivery of Foxy Locks hair extensions on Wednesday morning. I am a great lover of hair extensions, they not only make your hair longer, but also add so much volume and texture too. Having tried all types of hair extensions from bonded to weaved and back, I have come to the conclusion that clip in hair extensions are by far the best. Yes, they can sometimes be a pain to have to clip in and out but they don't damage your natural hair and can look just as great. I have tried Foxy Locks in the past and I absolutely loved them, they are by far the best I have tried, and having tried countless brands I'm sure I have the ability to be a good judge of quality! These are my second set of Foxy Locks as you need to replace hair extensions every so often once they look a bit worse for wear, however my previous set lasted me a good eight or nine months which in extension world is fantastic.

I ordered mine from the website (http://foxylocksextensions.com/) on Thursday night and they arrived first thing on Monday morning. A four day wait is pretty standard and I love the pink packaging it came in. Like a kid on Christmas Eve I opened my package and was so excited to have a new set of hair extensions. I ordered the 160g 20" in Darkest Brown and it was a perfect colour match to my hair. 

Hair - The hair used is 100% human Remy hair, which means that the hair cuticle runs downwards and prevents matting and damage to the hair. You can treat the hair as if it were our own. You can dye them, straighten them, curl them, everything. Remy hair is known to best the best quality hair on the market and Foxy Locks hair looks so natural compared to other hair extension brands.

Colour - It can be daunting for some people to choose the colour of extensions which is best for them. Imogen who overlooks Foxy Locks offers a colour match service if you are worried about choosing a colour over the internet. There are also some videos on her YouTube channel which offers advice about the colour which is best for you. 

Thickness - I ordered the Deluxe set which weighs 160g. This basically means that there is more hair on the hair weft than a standard set of extensions, and there is alot of thickness to them. There is an option to choose between a Regular set (120g), a Deluxe set (160g) or a Superior set (215g). Because I have layers in my hair the deluxe set was perfect for my hair type.

Clips - When I've used other hair extensions in the past, the clips have been weak and have even snapped. Foxy Locks have the most durable clips I've used, and the silicone strip on the base of the clip means that your natural hair doesn't snap against the metal and the plastic.

Price - Unlike other methods of using hair extensions, the Deluxe set of hair extensions set me back only £74.00 which is a reasonable price. Of course, depending on the thickness of the hair extensions you will pay more or less. The regular set cost £56.00 and the deluxe cost £118.00 (This doesn't include postage and packaging).

Length - The key to hair extensions is making them look natural. Foxy Locks currently only offers 20" hair extensions, but I personally think that is an ideal length. I used to wear 22" or sometimes even 24" extensions and I admit I did love them, but 20" is just fine and a perfect length for most people. 

Durability - Like I mentioned, my previous set of Foxy Locks extensions lasted me a good eight or nine months. With other brands I've had to replace mine every three months which isn't ideal if you are a struggling student like me. Providing you take care of them, extensions can last up to a year. I may write a blog post on how to look after hair extensions in the future so look out for that!

Have you tried Foxy Locks hair extensions? What did you think?

♥

Review: Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Hello Ladies! How are we all? Just a quick post to tell you about a fabulous new product I bought. I know I'm a little extremely late to jump on the Real Techniques bandwagon, but the perks of being a beauty blogger mean you hear about great make up products and you're bathroom cabinet gets full to the brim within a few weeks. I came across rave reviews of the stippling brush on several blogs, and being an eager beaver, I picked one up from Boots on my lunch break. The website says that 'This dual-fiber brush is the trade secret for creating airbrushed, high-definition results with all types of makeup.' and I completely agree. 

What's Great About It?

♥ I absolutely love the look of it. The pink aluminium handle and the matte black end of the brush is so simple but to me it looks great.

♥ The bristles are 100% cruelty free which of course is a massive bonus, and are taklon and all hand cut.

♥ The white fibres at the top of the brush remain white and foundation doesn't stain easily which cuts back on having to wash the brush as often as other face brushes. 

♥ The brush is great for it's price of just £11.99

♥ It's so versatile as it can be used with foundations, bronzers, highlighters and primers.

♥ It promises high definition results and I completely agree with the fact it also promises an airbrush finish.

♥ The soft bristles glide easily against the skin which makes application of foundation a dream.

♥ The brush stands up on its own which is great if like me you struggle for storage space.

If you haven't already invested in a stippling brush, make this one be it. It's great quality and above all really does make a difference to the look of your make-up. For only £11.99 you can't go wrong.

Have you tried the Real Techniques stippling brush? What are your thoughts?

♥

Review: Superdrug Deep Action Daily Exfoliator Wash

Hi Ladies, how are we? Just a quick post to tell you about Superdrug's Deep Action face wash. I came across this next to the blackhead clearing range by Garnier in my local Superdrug, and eager to save myself a few pennies in the lead up to Christmas, picked this up instead. And boy, do I regret that. I have never posted a review on a product which is negative, but I need to warn you ladies of its evil ways! 

When I first used the daily exfoliation wash I will admit I really loved it. It lathered up so well and I could feel it really working the exfoliation beads into my pores, not to mention it smelt great too. The fact that it says it is 'ideal for use on a daily basis' I wasn't worried that I was over doing the whole exfoliation thing. I have a combination to normal skin type, so I'm not as prone to spots and breakouts as I was in my teens. After two days of thinking I'd found a great new product, everything changed. Despite using my normal rich moisturisers, my skin begun to feel tight and I was really red and inflamed around my T-Zone, definitely not a good look. 

The morning after, I woke up and was horrified with the state of my skin. It was dry, bumpy around my jaw line and I had spots rearing their ugly head around my chin. I sound quite placid and ridiculous but I actually felt really upset only because I was off out for some lunch with a friend and no amount of make-up could cover it, infact it made things look even worse. My skin had a horrible stinging sensation when I applied my foundation but I soldiered on because au natural isn't for a girl like me! I know it may just be me who has experienced this kind of reaction to Superdrug's cleanser but if you don't want to risk what happened to me (believe me you don't, it's painful and dry beyond relief) then I'd steer clear of it. Luckily I got to the pharmacy yesterday and bought some anti histamine tablets with a strong cream and it is already starting to clear.  

Have you experienced a nasty reaction to cleansers? What have you used to clear it?

October Favourites

(From L to R: Yves Rocher Rouge Lipstick - Dove Firming Body Lotion - MAC Pro Longwear Foundation - Victoria's Secret Wild & Breezy Body Lotion - OPI Nail Polish in Bubblegum - Anatomical Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub)

♥ Yves Rocher Lipstick in 'Rouge' - I received this lipstick in the latest Glossybox and have been hooked ever since. It's great to wear for an evening out and adds a touch of Hollywood glamour to your look. What I love the most about this is that it is probably one of the most hydrating lipsticks I have ever come across, like ever. 

♥ Dove Firming Body Lotion - Okay, I admit it. My diet which I done oh so well on has gone kaput, but Monday is always diet day! Although I'm sceptical as to whether this genuinely tones the skin in 'problem areas', it is so moisturising and makes my skin feel amazing afterwards. 

♥ MAC Pro Longwear Foundation NC30 - I decided to part ways with my trusty MAC Studio Fix as it just wasn't working with my skin type any longer. And I'm so glad I did! This stays put all day and isn't an oily formula which keeps me shine free all day. I'll be doing a more detailed review on this sometime soon, so check back!

♥ Victoria's Secret PINK Wild & Breezy Body Lotion - Who doesn't love a bit of Victoria's Secret?! Ever since the two stores opened in London I've been hooked. I picked up this body lotion wit the matching body mist and always get a compliment how fresh and fruity I smell. Winning!

♥ OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubblegum - I love a pale pink nail polish! After my beloved Pale Pink by Models Own ran out I decided to treat myself to an OPI polish. They real are the Rolls Royce of the nail polish world! So pigmented and the brush is a bigger size which makes application a dream. 

♥ Anatomical Pink Grapefruit Body Scrub - Again, I received this in last months Glossybox and I have been hooked. I recently swapped sunbeds for St Moritz and this preps my skin so well. I may even say better than Soap and Glory's 'Flake Away', which if you know the product, is so hard to beat.

What have been your favourite products from October?

♥

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go Brow & Eye Shaping Kit

Hi Ladies! Just a quick one from me today to show you all my latest purchase from Benefit, 'Brows A-Go-Go'. I'm a little OCD when it comes to eyebrows as I like them to be dark and defined, I find it really makes all the difference to your sort of everyday make-up look. In the past I've absolutely loved using the infamous HD Brows palette but decided to switch it up a bit when I came across this. I was in Boots in Westfield and if you've ever been you'll know that you can really get lost in there, and the beauty blogger in you can just go wild!

I apologise for the awful camera quality. My mum has insisted she takes my camera with her to Amsterdam so my iPhone had to do! I was oomphing and aahing over several things from Benefit as their products are just to die for. The packaging, the overall customer service and of course the product itself. I picked up Brows A-Go-Go as I'd just had my eyebrows threaded the day before and was feeling spontaneous and thank goodness I did! I truly believe I've found a new 'holy grail' product. For £26.50 it comes with two shades of brow powder, eyebrow wax to keep stray hairs at bay, a brow bone highlighter, an eye brightener, mini eyeliner, a cute pair of tweezers and a double ended brush for application. I also think the little make-up lesson book that comes with it is oh so cute and a really nice touch.

♥ Eyebrow Powders - The lighter shade is a medium-dark taupe brown, while the darker brow shade is a dark chocolate brown with subtle red undertones. Sometimes if I fancy a more defined brow I mix the two together for a darker effect.

♥ Eyebrow Wax - The wax is a cross between the two, not too light and not too dark. It keeps strays hairs away, so it's time for me to put the Vaseline away!

♥ Black Kohl Liner - I will never stray from my trusty Rimmel Kohl eyeliner as nothing I've found has ever topped it! This one felt a little scratchy on the waterline and wasn't very pigmented.

♥ Highlighting Powder - Probably my favourite part of the entire kit, the highlight powder is amazing. Its a shimmery pale pink and adds just enough oomph without looking ashy.

♥ Eye Brightener - I don't see too much difference when I use this, its a cream form of the highlight powder and because I have an olive skin tone just looks wrong. It would look great on girls with lighter skin tones though!

If you haven't already invested in a brow kit, then do it! It makes such a difference and outlines your eyes beyond belief. And Benefit Brows A-Go-Go gets a definite thumbs up from me!

What are your go to brow kits? Have you tried \Benefit's \Brows A-Go-Go?

♥

How To Grow Your Hair

Hi Girls! Hope you're all well and the sudden cold weather isn't getting you under the weather to much, excuse the pun. Being a true girly girl and having had my fair share of hair cut and colour disasters, I know just how frustrating it is to grow your hair long and healthy. It times time, commitment and above all patience. At the moment, my hair is quite short and sits about two inches below my shoulders without hair extensions, but it used to sit about an inch above my waist. I decided to cut it all off to start again, and it grows pretty quickly now that I've followed what is below. Please consider that this is what works for me, and it may not work for you. So get comfy and grab yourself a cup of tea, it's quite a lengthy post!

Products

♥ Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo and Treatment - I have raved continuously about the hair growth treatment from Lee Stafford, it is one of those products I would never leave out of my hair routine. Providing you use it every time you wash and condition your hair, and massage it into the scalp for long enough you wil see a difference. It nourishes the hair from the root which makes way for healthy and quicker hair growth. You can read my full review by clicking here. The shampoo is a great way to speed up the process also, and I feel as though I'm putting double the effort into growing my hair.

♥ Holland and Barrett Sea Kelp Tablets - If you're more of a girl who likes to use beauty supplement tablets to see a difference, these do the trick. Sea kelp is full of natural ingredients which strengthen the hair follicle and promote healthy growth. I take mine twice a day, and although it tends to make hair greasier more quickly, I have noticed a difference while using it. I picked up mine from Holland and Barrett in their legendary penny sale for £10.80 so got 1000 tablets which would last me a good while!

♥ Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Intensive Hair Mask - Every week I treat myself to a hair mask and bounce between this and Aussies legendary 3 minute miracle. This repairs split ends which makes hair more manageable and more likely to grow. Not to mention is smells absolutely gorgeous and leaves your hair ridiculously shiny and soft!

Treatments

♥ Indian Head Massages - Frequent head massages not only make you feel pmpered and revived, but they also stimulate hair growth by letting blood rush to the follicle. When I was a beauty student I used to beg the girls to give me Indian Head Massages as they are so relaxing and leave your hair pampered when done using aromatherapy oils. If you can't always afford to go to a salon to get it done (it can come up quite pricey), you can get your other half or one of your friends to do it for you. 

♥ 6-Weekly Hair Trims - Its a no-brainer that frequent trims at the hairdressers help make hair grow. They cut off split ends to make way for healthy growth, and although some salons can charge an absolute fortune, there are always model nights where you pay a fraction of the price by allowing a trainee to do the job for you. Not only that but you always come out with a new style feeling like a million dollars!

Other Tips & Tricks

As I said before, these suggestions are what works for me and my hair type. They will not neccesarily work as well for you and your hair, but I promise it's all worth a go! These are a few tips and tricks which I have found to be helpful along the way. 

♥  Use a soft hair tie to tie up your hair overnight. The hair won't drag and snap against your bed sheets, but don't tie up your hair too tightly. Loosley does it!

♥  When your hair is wet, use a wide toothed comb to untangle your hair. Using a brush will snap the ends.

♥  Pat your hair dry after washing it rather than scrunching it up and rubbing it against a tough towel. 

♥  Cut down on using heat appliances unless you have to! It's obvious that 200 degree straighteners do nothing but bad things to your hair.

♥  If you must use straighteners or a curling wand, then use a good heat protector. I love Trevor Sorbie's 'protect, flatten and shine spray', read my full review on it here. 

♥  Dry Shampoo is your friend, Over washing your hair strips it of its essential oils, so if your hair is looking a little flat and greasy, Batiste is the way forward. 

♥  Back combing is just as damaging to your hair as chemical treatments are. If like me you can't bare to have flat hair then take advantage of hair pieces or blow drying your hair upside down.

What are your tips to grow you hair longer?

☮

MUA Undressed Palette

I know I'm a little late to jump on the Undressed Palette bandwagon, but this is infact my second one. I loved the Heaven On Earth palette from MUA but when I went to pick up a new one, there wasn't even one left on the stand! So because my everyday make-up look isn't complete without a neutral smokey eye, the Undressed palette was a great alternative. It's often compared to Urban Decay's infamous Naked palette, but at a fraction of the price. Instead of paying a whopping £36 for a palette, I paid a mere £3 as MUA have a promotion on their palettes at the moment from Superdrug (they usually cost around the £4 mark which is nothing if you know your shadows!).

The packaging of Undressed is pretty sleek and simple, just a black plastic case with circular pans for the shadows. It's really compact too, and fits nice and snug in my make-up bag. My only critisicm is it'd be nice to have a little mirror in there, but hey for £3 who am I to be picky?! I must admit I don't use the applicator which comes with it as I find it feels a bit 'gritty' against the lid, but that's because I'm partial to nasty reactions around the eyes.

Shadow wise, the colours are absolutely to die for. They are extremely versatile, and wearable every day. Not only that, but you can switch up your look to take you from day make up to evening so easily. They blend great too, and if like me you love nothing better than a smokey eye, this is perfect. At such a small price, the colours are extremely pigmented, all except shade 3 and 5 because they are so matte but look amazing all over the lid and lift the eyes amazingly well. Not to mention that the staying power is fantastic and you're never left with that dreaded crease line like other cheaper alternatives leave you with. All in all, MUA's Undressed Palette is most definitely becoming one of my 'holy grail' products and I have even found myself ditching my trusty Urban Decay Naked Palette to make way for it. 

Shadows as they appear in the palette.

Do you own the MUA Undressed Palette? What do you think of it?

☮

Tag: Why Do You Wear Make Up?

Hi Ladies, hope you're all well and good. I was reading through a few blogs and saw this tag which I thought I would join in with. I'm a massive make-up lover! So I tag all my followers to join in aswell.

Image; weheartit

 

♥ When did you begin loving make-up? I've loved make-up for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I used to go up and visit my family in Stoke-on-Trent every so often and my older cousin would give me bags and bags full of things she no longer wanted. I remeber one morning like a kid on Christmas Eve opening some bags of goodies when I found a big blue box with all of those dodgy coloured eyeshadows and lipsticks and being so excited. From when I was just eight or nine years old, my daily attire consisted of electric blue eyeshadow and shocking red lipstick. Cringe. Once I got to high school I wore a bit of lipbalm and some Miss Sporty foundation, I don't know which is worse! When I was 16 and begun studying Beauty Therapy that's when things changed and my make-up became a little more acceptable. And now I have a stupid amount of products and am lucky enough to be able to mix up my make-up looks quite often.

♥ How do you feel without make-up? I'll be completely honest and say that I used to be the kind of girl who would never leave the house without a full face of make-up. Oh how times have changed. In the past few years I've learnt to feel completely comfortable without slap on, and even went to Westfield last week without any on and my hair in a messy bun! Now I know I'm not kidding anyone, and like any girl, I don't exactly feel myself and as confident without make-up but thats okay right?

♥ What do you like about make-up? I love the way you can create something whch is entirely your own. You can make such a difference to your look and the way that you feel just by switching up the colour of your lipstick. I also love the way you need to experiment by using loads of different products to find what suits you best. It hides all of your flaws and highlights features which you're proud of.

 

♥ Three 'Holy Grail' items - Only three? It's really hard to choose just three but if there had to be three then they are...

♥ MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC30
♥ 140 Eylure 'Naturalites' False Eyelashes
♥ Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
 

♥