NOTD - Barry M Gelly 'Blueberry'

Summertime always makes me want to wear the brightest colours all the time. This is the perfect shade and I love it. It's the shade 'blueberry' which is a fun bright blue. 

My favourite thing about this particular line of polishes is their formula. I really really really like it. It seems to be totally fail-proof and even with a rather sloppy application looks okay in the end.

 The longevity is admirable for a polish costing £3.99 and they're well worth the money. I'm slowly beginning to like these polishes more than my nails inc ones (which is saying a lot!).

Paired with my new favourite cult top coat Seche Vite it's a combination that has me catching myself just staring at my nails. The top coat dries near instantly with a super shiny glass-like finish. It makes it look like you've had a full blown manicure without even stepping outside your own door! 

 

 and voliaaa.

What do you guys think of this colour? have you tried the gelly polishes before?

Much love, 

                          Natalie xxx

Jumping on the micellar bandwagon - the bargain way

I've been intrigued by the micellar explosion over the blogging world now for months, all started by the highly-acclaimed Bioderma. What was famed for being a make-up artist secret made its way on the highstreet - but only in France initially.  Thankfully however more and more brands are now releasing their own versions within many different price ranges. 

I don't know why I never decided to jump on the bandwagon before, maybe I was skeptical about how good it actually was after it had been so over-hyped.

Micellar waters generally offer thorough cleansing and makeup removal in the most gentle way possible (no more hopping manically around the bathroom fearing you've lost your eyesight due to what can only be described as acid in a bottle). Those days are gone. 

The science behind the magic: 

skip over this if you're already clued up!

 source -Shesaidbeauty blog!

•  'Micelle' is a microscopic cluster of oil molecules suspended in soft water – (complicated right?)

• The clusters are hydrophobic and oil-loving, therefore grabbing and absorbing dirt and makeup without breaking or upsetting the skin’s natural lipid (fat) barrier like a foaming or rinsing cleanser would. (those that contain sulphates).
•  Alcohol and soap free, they can be used as a gentle makeup remover, after-cleansing toner or as a non-rinse cleanser for sensitive skins – most formulations also contain soothing and softening ingredients like glycerin, cucumber and rose that contribute to the soft, clean feel they leave behind.

In short, they are the lazy girl's dream. It's perfect for those late nights which led us to neglect our skin and not take off our makeup or a quick fix in an emergency. What is important to note though is it is not to replace your normal cleansing routine.. as tempting as it is. We've all been there, exhausted and staring at bed longingly, but not wanting to feel and look like a crack addict in the morning. But over use of micellar waters do dry out your skin. (the lovely skin genius Caroline Hirons warns pixiwoo about it in this video - here! This woman's word is God on skincare). 

So, with all the warnings in mind, I couldn't not try out this micellar solution when I walked past it in tescos. It was on sale for buy one get one free! and was priced at just £4.99. A huge bargain!

This one claims to be great for even sensitive skin which is great and I can testify it does not sting your skin and does infact just feel exactly like water which does make your skin feel really refreshed. The Glycerin in this one acts as a calming agent. As you can see from the picture i've got through quite a lot and all you do is apply using a cotton pad straight on to dry skin. 

I like to soak two cotton pads in the water and then leave them on my eyes. When I wipe it away almost all the eye makeup is gone. 

I'll be totally honest the only time I did experience a bit of irritation was when the cotton pad was over saturated and alott of it ran into my eyes.. that hurt a tiny bit. But mostly my own fault! It's pretty unfragranced and claims to be totally hypo-allergenic - which is always good. A nice short ingredients list on the back of the product is always promising too.

On the whole I was very pleased with this product and I'll be using it for all sorts of situations where I need to get makeup off quickly. Just don't neglect your normal cleansers!

I'll link up Caroline Hirons blog - here - for you guys (she really really knows her stuff).

Much love, 

                    Natalie xxx

Birthday beauty - a birthday 'haul'

From this post you'll be able to gather my loved ones know me too well... they're well aware of my beauty fanatic ways. So it may look a tad excessive but remember these were gifts guys! From lots of different people. It's why I was reluctant to use the 'haul' label.

Real Techniques core collection brush set - MUA 'undress me too' palette -  Sleek 'Storm' palette - Avon Naturals body lotion - Soap and Glory 'mist you madly' body spray - Bourjois pot rouge - Collection lasting perfection concealer - Essie nail polish, Avon nailwear pro+ polish, Barry M gelly hi-shine polishes, Bourjois 1 seconde polish - Models Own Hedkandi polish.

Palettes

These are the two palettes I received (apologies for the lighting, didn't want to wash out the colours!)The colours are def up my street and both are a totally bargain with the sleek palette costing just £7.99 and the MUA palette £4. Neutrals are kind of my thing and so far I'm loving these colours.

Make-up Bits

The pot rouge blush is in the shade 'rose pompon' and the concealer is 'fair 1' (the lightest I presume). I have heard a lot of negative feedback about these blushes for their lack of pigmentation and 'overly glittery' appearance. However, these are the exact two reasons I have came to love this blush. It's relatively cheap and cheerful and I don't have to use a light hand. I've found it to be an amazing everyday blush purely because of its 'buildability'. I don't have to be too careful and I can skip on a highlight - perfect. I have it pegged as a lazy day blush. The concealer is also up to scratch and I've found no problems with it as yet.

Body products 

I currently already own a bottle of this Soap and Glory body spray but I absolutely adore it and was delighted to have a backup! The lotion is is the scent 'raspberry and hibiscus' and smells divine - for those of us who have no qualms with smelling like a massive 'petit filous'. 

Nail Polishes

I have been eyeing these up for far too long (as my friends already knew apparently!) and was so excited when I got them. I've found the colours are great and the formula even more so.

Shades from left to right: papaya, dragon fruit, blueberry and greenberry.

These were the other assorted polishes I was equally excited to get! 

Shades left to right: 'Buy me a cameo', 'beach party', couldn't find the shade of this after scrutinizing the bottle for a good ten minutes, it's a purple glitter polish anyway) and 'seduce me strawberry'

So that's about everything! I figured the brushes were fairly self-explanatory. Thanks for reading guys. 

If you want to see any individual reviews on anything just ask in the comments and I'll be more than happy to do one! 

Much love, 

                 Natalie xx

A love affair - Ted Baker

Deepest apologies to all of you for not blogging in the longest time.. this is the joy of exams *sobs uncontrollably* 

I'm still in the midst of the dreaded things so I'll post when I can and then hopefully more regularly in the summer. 

For now I bring you the latest love in my life. This is something I've admired from afar for a longg time but I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. I couldn't justify the £40 it cost for something so small....yet oh so beautiful. Of course when it was bought for me as a birthday gift I couldn't feel guilty! 

I've been after a Ted Baker make-up bag for a long time. I adored the bright floral neon prints and patent appearance; in the end I opted for something more classic and luxurious looking.

so wait with bated breath no longer, here it is in all its glory.. 

 It's called the 'Galene' bag and is actually branded as a wash bag, but for me its' the perfect size and material to use as a make-up bag. The lighting here makes it look very white, it's more cream with rose gold hardware.

 It's on the Ted Baker site - Here!

The detailing is really quite nice and although the cream lining is not going to stay cream for long, the bag is beautiful. Or at least I think so anyway! 

This is without doubt going to be long and beautiful love affair.

Much Love, 

               Natalie xx

Sunny days, happy faces

Sunshine is such a rare occurrence in Northern Ireland that when it happened I felt the need to take some photos and preserve it.

You can still see the snow on the hills in the background. After snow in spring it's no surprise I was eager to see some sun!

 Now if only the temperatures outside matched it..

I've definitely got those summertime cravings..

Much love, 

                 Natalie xx

Azure eyes - beautiful blues

I got bored yesterday and started playing around with a few colours to see what I could come up with.
I was actually staring out the window (visible in the background) so you can see where the inspiration for these colours came from. I am in love with the turquoise-bluey-greeny eyeliner i've used underneath the eye and I feel like it really brings out my blue eyes!

Admittedly it's a very dramatic look and not one for everyday but I think the colours are gorgeous nonetheless.

 so here are the products I used to create this eye look: 

Left to Right: GOSH eyeliner in 'Cool Mint', L'Oreal colour riche le kohl, Too Faced Eye shadow insurance policy palette, L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara and Rimmel Match Perfection concealer. 

 You'll have to excuse this rather grubby looking palette but the colours inside are striking and bold, not for the faint-hearted, but perfect for adding drama.  I used the bright blue colour 'Skinny Dip' all over the lid and blended it outwards to diffuse the colour.

 

 

Along with the eyeshadow I think this product is the shining glory of this look. The pencil is so creamy and goes on like a dream (again you'll have to excuse it's grubbiness - it was lying in the bottom of a drawer). I think this colour is so unique and I'm glad I re-discovered it. These sorts of colours are also bang on trend this spring so they're a lot more wearable than you might think. 

 

 I used the black liner to tight-line my eye and the concealer to tidy up any possible fallout underneath and to give me a cleaner line where I blended the shadow.

So what do you guys think? What eye looks are you loving currently? 

 Thanks for reading! 

Much Love, 

                     Natalie xxx

Foundation failure - MAC studio fix fluid

Condemning post title aside, this post is purely based on my own experiences with this particular foundation and I shall tell you all exactly why I was so disappointed. 

I can assure you this wasn't a 'trialed once and then thrown aside' job. I was VERY determined to make this work for me and actually wore it out a lot. After paying neigh on £20 for a foundation one doesn't back down easily. I wanted this foundation to work for me so badly, but it just didn't.

I put this down to a number of factors. Firstly, the shoddy shade range. This is the palest in their range. Now in previous posts I have informed you all of my foundation trials and tribulations being a very fair skinned lady. I was matched to this shade by a sales person at the MAC counter in my local department store. Either their store lighting was seriously off or they were just determined to make a sale and compromised.. a lot. 

Admittedly blame has to go to me for buying the thing but it was my first experience getting matched and I  had the "Well the professional says it fits me, so it must do" outlook. I shall not be quite so trusting again!

You'll also probably notice this foundation is extremely  yellow-based. I have quite a lot of pink undertones in my skin so this was definitely not the right shade for me. There was no 'NW' range in this foundation and like I said this was their palest. Now I'm not an expert on other MAC foundations so their shade ranges could be a lot more accommodating but this one wasn't great.

The next fault lies in the formulation itself. If you are someone with dry patches in their skin, dry skin generally or combination skin I would advise you to stay wellllll clear of this foundation. It is extremely difficult to spread and clings horribly to dry patches, emphasising them and leaving a very unattractive finish. I have a friend with quite oily skin who absolutely loves this foundation so if they stock your shade and you've got oily skin you may well love this, but it just was not for me. 

The foundation also oxidizes pretty significantly meaning it get's darker after application. I would advise you to get a sample of this foundation and make sure you're happy with the change in colour if you're considering a purchase.

The next aspect that annoyed me was the absence of a foundation pump... I really hate bottles without a pump! it's a particular pet peeve of mine. I hate having to whack the bottle of my hand to get it out and then being annoyed at the stuff left in the bottom that I can't get out! 

Now if the foundation inside was great (Like Revlon Colourstay foundation) I would overlook it but, already unimpressed, it just made me more annoyed. 

My final qualm was the smell.. it has a horrible very heavy 'make-upy' smell. It's quite strong so if you're funny about the fragrance of products I would tread carefully..

Here you can see the disastrous shade match... and as I'm not going for the 'Satsuma dry patchy face' look this foundation has found it's way into the 'Makeup ornament' dresser section- the stuff that lies there unloved and unused.

I would love to know if any of you have tried this foundation, what's your opinion? What experiences have you had with other MAC foundations?

Much love, 

               Natalie xxx