Monthly Favourites | May 2013

Am I seriously writing a monthly favourites post already?! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly this post comes around! 

This Nip+Fab Pistachio Sundae Body Butter is actually from April's Glossybox but it's taken me until nearly the end of May to appreciate it fully. It smells beautiful and really does leave your skin smooth and noticeably moisturised, I need to get my hands on a full size version of this before it's all gone! I've had my eye on MAC Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel for ages now and all it took was a 10% Debenhams discount to nudge me in the right direction. I only use this on my cheeks as it's quite pink in colour but it leaves such a lovely rosey sheen and the glow lasts all day. I haven't used another tanning product since I bought Palmer's Natural Bronze Body Lotion (full review here) for saying it's a gradual  tanner it acts fast and I usually only need one layer to make me look a level of sun kissed that I'm really happy with. The only thing that gets me down about this product is that if your elbows are even the slightest bit dry it sticks to them and no amount of scrubbing is removing that baby! Exfoliate, exfoliate, efoliate unless you want to rock the 'I've leant in mud look'! If there was such a thing I would be a strong contender for the messiest nail varnish application in the world. Ever. award so this Barry M Nail Paint Corrector Pen (full review here) is a god send for me. It's the perfect shape to get in all the tricky bits and is just such a handy little thing if you need to do a bit of tidying up. This Milk_Shake Conditioning Whipped Cream is something else that I got in a Glossbox but because it's a kind of mousse and a leave in product I was slightly hesitant to give it a go in case it left my hair all sticky. Well, it doesn't!! I love this stuff, it's so easy to use, just comb it through your hair and leave it, that's it, no stickiness just super soft manageable hair that smells AMAZING! I think you could count on the fingers of one hand the days that I haven't worn Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in Apricot Shimmer (full review here) this month. I cannot rave about this enough, just go out and get one right now! We had a couple of days of sunshine this month and as soon as the sun starts shining my nails need to be bright, Hedonist needed a break so I got this Models Own Ice Neon nail varnish in Bubblegum, it applies really well and is meant to be matte but I find after a day or so wear it does start to have a shine to it. A perfect bright summer shade that should be getting more wear than it has but the sun is in hiding, boohoo!

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If Money Were No Object...| Mulberry Willow Tote

Mulberry, Willow £1,500.00

Be still my beating heart!!!!! I haven't felt this way since I first set eyes on an Alexa. The Willow, isn't she just positively beautiful?! I'm not usually too keen on structured bags, I like a more slouchy shape but my god would I sell a kidney for this little gem. Pastels, Brights, classics, you can't say that there isn't a colour for everyone available. If you take a closer look there's the signature Mulberry postman's lock with the logo on, zip detailing and a little tag attached to the handle with an embossed Mulberry tree on it as well as a detachable shoulder strap. Lets just throw this into the mix, the front pocket can be taken off and used as a clutch, yes you read that right, 2 bags in one! I'm not likely to come across £1,500 any time soon so I'm waiting for the high street to come up with an alternative to fill that Willow shaped hole in my heart!

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Style Crush Sunday | Gossip Girl Season 3

 

I was seriously beginning to doubt the existence of season three while  hunting down these pictures and I was also wondering where the bottom of Serena's legs had got too in almost every picture. Finding outfits for this season was an absolute NIGHTMARE! I didn't even have any already in mind which I have for every other season so for me personally season three was the most forgettable style wise. High School is over and as they grow up so does their style, Blair is always very well put together and structured. She definitely knows how to inject a bit of colour into an otherwise plain outfit with a bright skirt, coat or accessory. Serena seems to have ditched all bright colour and is sticking to a palette made mostly out of black, cream and greys, maybe her way of trying to be taken seriously in the big bad world of employment. There's a few flowy dresses in the mix but she's definitely turned a simple more classic corner!

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OOTN #6

Top ♥ Primark

Jeans ♥ Topshop

Shoes ♥ Zara

You're not experiencing de ja vu, I have already featured this top in an outfit post less than a week ago but what can I say, I love it! So last Saturday night me and that boy of mine had a night of fine dining and drinks (we were actually redeeming a Groupon) and I wanted to keep it quite understated. I bought this top from Primark a few weeks a go and before I'd even got it to the till had it mentally paired with my ever faithful black Leigh jeans and some heels. The top is quite a thick material and a really boxy fit with sparkly detail all around the collar which is so pretty. I love the colour which is a pinky, peachy, coral and finding a lipstick to wear that wasn't almost an exact match was really hard, peachy coral lip shades are my weakness! I've had this pair of Leighs for longer than I remember and they've kept their shape beautifully, no baggy knees or bums, they've faded a bit but they're still black not a shade of grey and they are so comfortable!! I had a few cocktails, Nachos with sour cream and melted cheese and the biggest bowl of carbonara I have ever seen and not once did it occur to me to undo a button, they're just so soft and don't dig in at all even after you've eaten the whole of Italy's pasta supply. I don't wear these shoes enough, they are literally perfection. The back of them are covered in studs but I didn't get time to get a picture because Joel was already getting restless but I have done a post dedicated to them here if you want to have a little look at their beauty from all angles! 

I hope that you're planning to spend this long weekend relaxing or hungover, I can't do either as I really need to make a start of packing my room up for the big move which is only three weeks on Monday. It's been so long coming I think I've underestimated how quick it's going to come round and still have a lots (everything) to do, eeek! 

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Benefit World Famous Neutrals - Most Glamorous Nudes Ever...

 

Benefit, World Famous Neutrals - Most Glamorous Nudes Ever... £23.50

I am a complete eyeshadow novice, I stick to safe neutral colours and my eyeshadow experience goes as far as the MUA undressed palette and don't even get me started on brushes! I was using my MUA pallete almost everyday and had hit pan on most of the shades that I dare use so decided that even though I am clueless when it comes to application I was actually getting somewhere and trying to make more of an effort than an eyeliner flick with my eye makeup. I had my heart set on building up my own MAC pallette but before moving on to the big boys this little beauty came into my life. 

The kit that I chose was Most Glamorous Nudes although there are also Easiest Nudes and Sexiest Nudes and the shades vary from kit to kit. In true Benefit style the presentation is flawless and the little box they come in is adorable. Included in the kit are two creaseless cream shadows and four long wear powder shadows, the powder shadows come in a mix of matte and shimmer finishes. The cream shadows are more of a base colour and although it says creaseless after a 9-5 day there is a little creasing. The powder shades are really easy to work with and so blendable the only thing I would say is that I wish they were a tad more pigmented and then they would be perfect! The lasting power is pretty good, they're not perfect at the end of the day but they're definitely still there. The shades included are so versatile and the different looks you could make out of these six are endless. Inside the flap on the lid is a step by step guide for a day time and night time look using the shades and a handy little mirror (I couldn't get a picture of this without catching a glimpse of my ugly mug in the mirror but it's there, I promise!) Overall I am really, really happy with this little kit and it has made applying eyeshadow fool proof - even for me! So if you're not overly confident with eyeshadows then this is the perfect kit to start you off on your way towards that 15 pan MAC pallete! 

What other looks could I make with these shades?

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Midweek Wish List #8

1  2  3  4  5

1. I have been seeing a hell of a lot about this all over the blogosphere at the minute and I am ashamed to say I didn't have a clue what the fuss was about over the scent of summer, that was until I had a spritz whilst walking through Boots and I am hooked!! I could have sworn that I was by the pool with a malibu and coke as soon as I smelt it (I was actually in Nottingham Boots far too early in the morning before a day of team building exercises) I NEED to smell like this all summer!

2. I got a tiny version of this at Christmas in a gift set that was supposedly light but the shade wasn't even me after a good two week tropical holiday. I've always meant to go back and revisit this as I love anything that's brightening so I finally got the chance to go and get matched up and I'm I've been using a sample (in the right shade this time) for a couple of days now and I love it.

3. No, I don't want a pair of scissors, I just want a really good mop chop! It has been far too long since these ends have mine have been touched or my colour has been given a bit of life, desperate isn't even the word!!

4. I'm not quite sure when the launch date for these Barry M feather effect nail varnishes are but I've got my beady eye out so I don't miss it! While I was searching for these I saw that Barry M nail paints have been taken off the shelves in Boots, does anyone know why?

5. Mac Chatterbox looks like a lovely muted pink and between all the nudes, corals and brights this is a nice pinky day time colour that my collection is missing!

What are you lusting after this week?

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OOTD #2 & #3 | The 'Smart Casual Avoiding Jeans' Mission

                                          Shirt ♥ Topshop                                              Top ♥ Primark

                                             Skirt ♥ Topshop                                          Trousers ♥ Topshop

                                            Boots ♥  Topshop                             Shoes ♥ Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

Last Thursday and Friday I had to go on a course for work and the dress code was smart casual strictly avoiding jeans, as someone who wears a uniform to work and mostly lives in jeans out of work the smart part of my wardrobe is pretty much non existent so this was quite a task for me!

On the first day I went for a polka dot shirt and floral skirt duo which written down sounds horrendous! I've seen quite a lot of print clashing in magazines and on other blogs which probably shouldn't work but really does so that's where my inspiration has come from here. I think the shirt keeps it quite professional looking but the prints keep it from being stuffy and injects a little bit of personality. I also added my studded boots which are nice and comfy as I had a heads up we were going to have a little jolly out into Nottingham for a customer service activity thing!

On day two I finally got to premier my lovely new Primark top, I love the boxy shape and the detailing around the neck, if I didn't know where it was from I would definitely think it was more Zara than Primark. I paired this with the smartest trousers I own which are these burgundy coloured polka dot ones. I was planning on wearing flats both days but I'm 5'2 with tiny stumpy legs and these trousers don't do me the a lot of favours without a bit of height. What I love about these shoes (apart from the bubblegum smell and massive heart!) is that the heels are such a manageable height but they still give your legs the illusion of a more higher heel.

So I ditched the uniform for a couple of days but it's back to black now, boohoo!

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Would You Rather? Beauty Edition Tag

Image from Weheartit & edited by me

I've never done a tag before but when I saw this one on the lovely Kayleigh's blog Couture Girl I thought that I would give it a go for a bit of fun!

Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

A nice and easy one to start with! Definitely Palletes and eyeshadows, I'm more of a simple eyeliner flick kind of girl when it comes to my eye make up although I am trying to make a bit more of an effort by using eye shadows but I am a lip product junkie so my eyes will have to do without.

Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
Chop it off!!! Even though it has taken me a few years to grow my hair to the length it is now from a Gagaesque bob and It's finally boob length without the help of extensions a change is always nice and in 2016 it should be reunited with my boob once again! I think that's the better option than to have scraggly ends and an out of control fringe.

Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
I do love a peachy cheek so it would have to be a pink cheek, NARS Deep Throat and Orgasm are firm favourites of mine so pink all the way!

If you had £1000 to spend, Would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
I might be beauty obsessed but I do think I'd struggle to spend £1000 on make up and would end up with a lot of things that I'd never use. My wardrobe could do with a summer revamp so I think I would spend it on clothes, think of all the beautiful things you could buy?! I've got the mental wish list I just need the money now!

Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
You what?!?! Lipstick as eyeliner?! Is that even possible? You could get an eyeliner in a colour that would look good on your lips and it would kind of be like a lip pencil but hell no is lipstick coming anyway near my eyes, eyeliner all the way.

Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

Unfortunately in the UK we haven't got the pleasure of a Sephora but I've had a gander at the website a few times and the list of brands they offer is never ending so MAC I love you with a fiery passion but I need a bit of variety in my life so Sephora it is.

Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?
I tend to stick to neutral eyeshadows anyway so only using one eyeshadow colour wouldn't bother me that much, as long as you don't take my eyeliner away I'm happy. I love changing my lip colour and a bright lip completely transforms a simple make up look or adds a little bit more to a simple outfit, please don't take my lipstick away!


Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Oh no, this question is horrible!! I love ditching my winter clothes at the first sight of sunshine but I am literally the coldest girl in the world, I'm pretty sure I'm made out of ice so I physically couldn't wear little dresses in winter, I need to be wrapped up. We also have more cold weather than hot so I wouldn't be suffering for long and winter clothes are made up of a lot of layers so couldn't I just strip one off if the sun came out?!

Would you rather dark nails or bright nails all year round?
I love bright nails and my all time favourite nail varnish is Models Own Hedonist and seeing as I spend every day in a dull uniform I need something to brighten it up.
 

Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
If they're only taking my favourite product then they can have my favourite lip product because that is ever changing and it'll be something different in a couple of weeks but my favourite eye product is always going to be my beloved eyeliner, take that away at your own risk!


Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a pony tail or a messy bun?
Hmmm, I'm thinking messy bun because my hair is quite long and sometimes it's nice to just get it all scraped up and out the way for a bit.


Would your rather never being able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
I can't stand sticky lip gloss so this is an easy one. I'm a lipstick girl through and through so no more lip gloss wouldn't phase me and I love my nail varnishes. I think that a nail colour can bring an outfit together so bye bye sticky lips.

Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all? or sharpie them in everyday?

Oh god, I don't even want to think about this!! Eyebrows are an important facial  feature and I would look completely bonkers without them so pass me the most natural coloured Sharpie!!

Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

Nail polish all the way, my naked nails aren't as gross as my naked face!!!!

If you've just read all of this then then tag you're it, if you give it a go make sure to send me a link so I can read your answers!

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May Glossybox 2013 | Happy Birthday Glossybox!

 

  

 

Glossybox, £10 plus p&p

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear pink box full of treats, happy birthday to yoooooooou!!! Glossybox is the ripe old age of 2 and looks brilliant for it. No special box this month but the tissue paper inside had the cutest little birthday print on and was tied by a neon pink bow hiding orange shredded paper, so something a little bit different. Although I do think that they should have made the whole box the same as the print of the tissue, I would have loved to have had that on my shelf. So Glossybox had a Birthday and I got the presents, sounds like a beautiful deal to me!

Awapuhi Wild Ginger Shine Spray - I couldn't believe it when I saw this in my box as my friend was only raving about an Awapuhi shampoo and conditioner duo she had picked up from her salon when we went swimming the other day so I'm extra excited to try this out. It promises shine and protection from daily wear and tear with ingredients that restore weak and damaged hair. This is a full sized product and I can see it lasting a good while.

Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara - I was sold by the name Fairy Lashes and the lovely packaging. I've only ever tried one other Jelly Pong Pong product and that was a lip blush that came in another Glossybox a couple of months a go which I was pleasantly surprised by so I have high hopes for this! It's a hard wearing, water proof, thickening, volumising mascara (full size again!) I've currently got a back log of mascara I'm working my way through still from Christmas so I've added it to the queue and can't wait to get round to it.

Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Prime and Create Mixing Medium - When I first saw this little pot of clear gel I had no idea what the bloody hell it was and to be honest I'm still a little bit confused how to put it into practice?! In the leaflet that came with the box it says it can be used as a primer, mixed with foundation to give an airbrushed effect, mixed with powder blushers or bronzers to make a cream tint or mixed with eyeshadow pigments to create a liquid eyeliner. I think a bit of experimentation is in order!

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner - I'm more of an eyeliner pen girl myself but chuck anything that will create a fluid black eyeliner flick my way and I'm a happy bunny! I have used this before and the long handle makes it easy to control, the colour is pigmented and the staying power is pretty good.

Headline Colours Nail Polish in Poolside Party - I love this colour!! It's a really summery blue and Poolside Party is the perfect name for a shade like this. 

Four out of five full sized decent products and a little extra (handbag sized emery boards) the Birthday girl has done good!! 

I haven't seen what the other options were so if you have done a review on this months box leave me a comment so I can have a look! Also, the people who have been subscribed for over a year, what was the extra treat?

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Style Crush Sunday | Gossip Girl Season 2

 

'Three words, eight letters, say it and I'm yours' The season of one of the most famous Gossip Girl quotes EVER, that made us all want to spend the summer in the Hamptons and were driven crazy by the will they, won't they (of course they will!) of Chuck and Blair's tempestuous relationship! I absolutely love summer Blair, the retro dresses and swimming costumes - perfection! My favourite accessory of the whole season is her wicker bag with the neon pink accents on, where can I get one of these that won't make my bank balance cry?! Also thanks to Queen B's pea green cape I had to snap up the none cape version in this exact colour from Topshop a couple of years ago and even when I wear it to this day I'm still waiting to be bombarded with macaroons, peonies and a declaration of love! Serena has stayed true to her boho roots in flowing maxi dresses and beachy waves but she definitely knows how to vamp it up and show off those perfect never ending legs of hers as you can see in the cut out Herve Leger. 

Was there a stand out style moment for you in season 2?

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Barry M Nail Paint Corrector Pen

 

 

Barry M, Nail Art Corrector Pen £4.99

My nail varnish application skills would probably look better if I was blindfolded, it's not that I don't try to be neat, I really do but it just doesn't happen. When I saw this in Barry M's new drop of products I think I heard my nails do a little squeal of excitement, they've finally got a chance of looking presentable! The packaging is a pretty basic pen style with a lid on either end, one where the actual product you use is and the other is where the spare tips are kept. I do quite like the smell of this, it claims to smell of melon and I see where they're coming from if they mean a melon dipped in nail varnish remover. It's acetone free and the pointed tip is just the right shape to get right in there and remove all your messy bits. I would say that it does do a pretty good job, the only issue I have is that I found that it slightly tinted my skin the colour of the nail varnish where I rubbed it but this wasn't a long lasting thing! The first time I ever used this when I got on to tidying up my second hand the tip did seem a little bit drier already so I think that it might dry up quite quicky but at this price and with 2 spare tips that are double ended it's not like it isn't going to last you for a while. This is definitely a good little tool to have and it has took me a couple of weeks to get my hands on one so if you do happen to come accross one, grab it!! 

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Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Apricot Shimmer

 

 

 

 

Clarins, Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer £12.30

I've seen so many good reviews about these so naturally I bought into the hype and had to have one! There's three shades available Rose Shimmer, Nude Shimmer and the one I went for which is Apricot Shimmer and I've read that there's another three shades being released in the very near future if they haven't already. All of the names of the different colours end in shimmer but there isn't actually a shimmer in sight so if a glittery lip isn't your cup of tea don't let that put you off. The tubes they come in are simple and classic which I really like and the sponge applicator make them really easy to apply. I cannot begin to praise this enough, it smells like heaven (a vanilla/caramel mix) and it really does do what it says - makes your lips look perfect. Once applied my lips looked full, glossy and there were no imperfections to be seen even though when I applied it I had a couple of dry patches. The formula is described as a gel which I would say is about right which isn't too thick or sticky. I really do love this but I'm not going to rush out to buy another shade because it only leaves a tiny tint of colour on the lips, not enough for me to justify having another one but as soon as this baby runs out I will be replacing it! It's not the most long lasting lip product so you do have to reapply quite frequently but once it had worn off my lips were so, so soft and hydrated. To buy this from a Clarins counter would set you back £17 but luckily I found it for £12.30 (plus free delivery) from Perfume Lover which sealed the deal for me. This really does live up to the hype and if you haven't already got one lurking in the bottom of your bag or already on your lips you definitely need to treat yourself, I've had mine on every single day since it arrived and can't see that changing any time soon!

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Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Body Lotion

Palmer's Cocoa Butter, Natural Bronze £5.35

The sun has finally started shining and I've been desperate to get my legs out but they're far too pasty for the human eye and I didn't want to get all St Morized up. I'm usually a Garnier Summer Body kind of girl but I'm no stranger to Palmer's Cocoa Butter which I love so I couldn't resist giving this a whirl. The smell of this is still that familiar Palmer's smell we all know and love but I do think that once it's applied it does have a 'processing tan' whiff about it but it's nothing offensive! I applied this on Saturday afternoon and after one application I went a lovely golden colour which was a lot darker than I thought it would be, not two weeks in the Carribean, more two really sunny afternoons in the garden but it's definitely buildable to a much darker colour. I haven't reapplied it since and people are still commenting on the colour it's left me so it's definitely long lasting. I wasn't left patchy or streaky and the pump makes it super easy to dispense and I find a lot less messy than a squeezey bottle. Just remember to give your hands a scrub after you've applied to avoid orange stains in between your fingers, this is definitely a Summer staple for me now!

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