Empties #1

This is a new type of post for me but I absolutely love reading these kind of posts so I figured why not make it a series? I love the idea of seeing the entire product has been used up and a short, useful review. It just so happened I had a few well loved empty products lying around that I had yet to throw out! 

Here's the lineup:

 left to right: Lush Ro's argan body conditioner, TBS Moroccan Rose perfume, Batiste tropical Dry Shampoo, Liz Earle Moisturizer, L'Oreal Super Liner. 

1. Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

I have the tiniest bit left as you can see here, but nowhere near enough for a full body use. This is the small trail tub that I got as part of a gift recently. It's such an interesting concept that I thought would save time in moisturizing after a shower (..i'm lazy). It's a really great product. It smells like a hundred million roses packed into a little tub - I love the smell. If you like rose scents and turkish delight you'll love it. It did make my skin baby smoothh and I really enjoyed using it. Would I repurchase? maybe some day! I just have no need at the moment. 

2. The Body Shop Moroccan Rose perfume 

I'm noticing a rose-scented theme here.. I love me some roses. This perfume is not your stereotypical 'rose' perfume. It's slightly spicy making it alot more interesting. I initially bought this perfume because it was on sale and then absolutely fell in love with it. I would totally repurchase if I ever see it on sale again. 

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo - tropical

I love dry shampoo, it is just the most convenient product ever and suchhh a quick fix if you have to rush out and your hair is looking a bit worse for wear. It adds a nice boost of volume and absorbs any greasiness you might have going on in the roots (yumm). Aside from the general 'lift' it gives your hair it smells amazing and coconut-y. An immediate transportation to a beach - ahhhhhh. If coconut is not your thing it comes in tons of different scents and it's reasonably priced. Would I repurchase? I'm on my way right now.. 

4. Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser ( normal/combo skin)

This product was seriously lacking in any type of 'wow' factor to be honest. I would probably have needed the version for a dry skin type so that could potentially be what hindered its' ability to impress. It just is very 'meh'. I saw or felt no huge difference and whilst it does the job without many frills it just isn't worth the hefty price tag.. in my opinion. I think it's about £18 or so. I feel I could purchase something more effective cheaper. I won't repurchase anytime soon. 

5. L'Oreal Super Liner Black Lacquer 

I did enjoy using this liquid liner. It was pretty tricky initally but I did get better with it. What annoyed me about this eyeliner though was how it dried out exceptionally quickly during use so you had to dip back in the tube again all  the time. I was impressed with the wear time though and how it did not smudge throughout the day. Overall a generally okay product but I'm looking to try out more 'felt-tip' type liners with perhaps a thinner nib. Would I repurchase? Not anytime soon. I'm looking to broaden my eyeliner horizons. 

So that's everything, let me know if you guys enjoy this kind of post! 

Much love, 

                Natalie xx

10 most common beauty mistakes

This post was heavily influenced by an article I read in LOOK magazine earlier today. I read it and was like 'right, I need to share this' so went about writing this post. 

Without further babbling, here are the beauty sins we're most guilty of.. 

(Disclaimer: Everyone does their makeup and beauty bits differently, whatever works for you is best! these are just the most common mistakes)

1. Dabbing foundation around your face 

• Always start at the cetnre of your face and work outwards
• It makes it harder to blend in when left to dry
• You're more likely to encounter streaks and get product in your hairline

 

2. Holding eyeliner like a pencil 

• Most people hold their eyeliner like they're about to write (close to the nib)
• It means your more likely to create a blurred line 
• The correct spot is further back (2in - if you want to be ultra precise)

 

3. Patting eye cream on at night 

• Most of you probably know you should apply eye cream with your ring finger (to apply the least pressure)
• It should be put on in the morning
• Sleeping + eye cream = puffiness 
• If you're standing up congestion can drain away

 

4. Misplacing blusher

• Imagine a vertical line from the centre of your pupil down your cheek and another from the end of your eyebrow down - this can help lift your entire face

 

5. Putting kirby grips where they're not needed

• Most of us are guilty of using enough kirby grips to support a small house, with hair still falling out
• Usually it's because they're not in the right place
• Slide them where there's the most tension i.e. centre or bottom of the style (not the ends of your hair)

 

6. Using too much hair product

• It's  mega easy to go OTT on the hair product. 
• This is a really quirky system that helps you work out how much of each thing to use. It is based on the circumference of different fruits (the same principle of like a 'pea-sized amount' etc)

 Shampoo + conditoner = Strawberry
conditoning treatment = Plum
Mousse =  Apricot
Serum = Grape
Oil =  Blueberry

 

7. Not wiggling your mascara wand

• Literally everyone has a weird and wonderful way of applying their own mascara (and a facial expression to match) 
• Makeup artists contest that wiggling the wand at the base of the lashes before combing through creates the most volume

 

8. Using hand cream on your palms 

• In reality it is the back of your hands that need the TLC
• Your palms have more sweat glands, so don't get as dry

 

9. Using too much nail polish 

• So many of us apply nail polish too thickly, so it chips 
• Aim for 3 swipes per coat (one down the centre and one to either side)
• Wide brushes work best

 

10. Spraying perfuime on your neck

• We all moan that you can't smell your perfume after a while and that it doesn't last
• Most of us spray straight onto our wrists and neck
• For longevity spray onto your collarbone and into the crook of your elbow 

Sooo that's everything. I know I am definately guilty of a few if not all of those.... opps. 

What about you guys?

Thanks for reading! 

Much love, 

                     Natalie  xxx

Discount store shopping

In the UK we have these bargain stores like B&M, bargain home and poundland etc that occasionally sell discounted makeup. I'm not one to pass up any decent looking cosmetic item that costs £1 so on a recent shopping trip I picked up a few things and it's all good news.

Cue the goods.. 

Left to right: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Sheerest Cream Blush, Revlon colourstay nail polish, NYC applelicious Glossy Lip Balm, NYC Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil.

As you can see above the blush is the shade 'Beaming'. It's a beautiful natural pink shade and, as the name would suggest, goes on very sheer. I'm probably most impressed with this out of all the things I bought. I didn't even know Sally Hansen made makeup but I'm in love. It creates a really nice natural sheeny effect and generally brightens up the face. 

Here's what it looks like on... 

(I wear my blusher quite high up on the cheeks)

Shades left to right: Sweet Tart, Sorbet and Provence. 

The pencil and applelicious lip balm came in a pack together for £1. The pencil is a dark blue sort of colour and whilst i'm not convinced about its' staying power, it is a nice shade. 

The lip balm is in the shade 'Apple Blueberry Pie'. I loveeee this balm. It smells amazing and proper appley. It has a core of moisture surrounded by the colour and, as you can see from the swatch, is a sheer deep raspberry colour. Almost like the colour of Ribena!

All in all I'm well chuffed with the purchases and so surprised at how much of a bargain it all was! The revlon polishes especially. 

Much love, 

                              Natalie xxx

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