Sunday 28 February 2010

February Snapshot

Hello again :p

I just remembered that I did this back in Jan, and I'm all for consistency, so here's my little snapshot of my world for February :)

Listening to... Radio 1 mostly, stuff on my iPod which I totally can't update because my sync cable has gone missing :( Particularly loving Mumford & Sons, Owl City, Ke$ha, Sugababes, JLS, Timbaland, Helping Haiti, Cheryl Cole, Glee cast, Lady Gaga & Pixie Lott
Reading... Dan Brown's Lost Symbol. I say reading... it's sat on my chair unread lol. Oops! The only thing I have read this month has been my Equity textbook. Yay :)
Watching... Material Girl, Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Glee, Damages
Buying... More Konad plates, MAC lippie, some sale bargains
Wanting... to get paid by Keele! And some fitness DVDs
Trying... to continue this healthy eating and weight loss malarky - 1 stone lost wahoo!!
Loving... sleep, Twitter, blogging, earning money, making money on eBay, losing weight, buying bargains :D
Planning... on working hard. I'm sure this will start tomorrow...
Making... headway in a few different areas
Writing... notes, blog posts, tweets... erm yeah. Oh and planning an email in my head that I am yet to get written in reality...
Cooking... healthy food :D
Inspired by... fashionable people and some other lovely bloggers
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February Favourites

Hi everyone :)

I nearly forgot to do this post haha. If I hadn't have seen another one in Google Reader, I would have forgotten lol. Without further ado, here are my favourite go to products for February:

* Batiste Dry Shampoo for Brunettes - perfect when it's been as cold as this and I can't be bothered to get up early to wash/dry/style my hair! Or on the numerous occasions where I got up late and was in a rush lol!

* Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Polish in Oyster Pink - great application (review coming very soon!) and a perfect natural shade if you're in a rush and want to have something on your nails

* Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion - this has battled with the effects of the ridiculously cold weather we have. I think it's snowed virtually every day in February at uni!

* Lacura Mascara in Black - when I'm in a rush and just want a natural look I use this cheap Aldi bargain

* About Face Cosmetics Eye Shadows - actual love for these products. Thanks to Leanne. Who then informed me that they are closing down. Rubbish!

What have your favourite products been this month?
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Yours Clothing Mini Haul

Hiya

I've had a lack of blogging inspiration of late, and a few people on Twitter said that they loved seeing clothing hauls etc so I thought I'd quickly show you my two bargains that I nabbed earlier in the week!

Image Credit: L-R - Yours Clothing, Me

I had a voucher for £2 off an online spend. This top was originally £20, down to £5 so I got it for £3!!

Image Credit: L-R - Yours Clothing, Me

I also picked up this "pink" hat to go with my two new pink scarves. It's more of a purpley pink really but heyho it's all good! I thought it would come in handy as it's constantly freezing/snowing at uni lately! It was marked down from £5 to £2.

I had a £5 PayPal voucher so I chose this method of payment, and technically only paid for delivery. Bargainalicious!!

What do you think? This is my first dabble in the floral trend, and I have to say I'm liking what I see. I'm planning on going shopping again this week so I'll show you what I get :)
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Saturday 27 February 2010

EOTD

Hiya

Out came the Cranberry eye shadow today :) I wasn't too sure at first about this EOTD but I think it worked in the end. I wanted to go with the flow of roses and pinks and came up with this:



Products used:
GOSH Eye Shadow Base
Saffron Palette (white in the inner third and as a highlight, light pink on the middle third, dark pink on the outer third)
MAC Cranberry (crease and outer 'V')
Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Definer in Noir
Lacura Mascara in Black
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Loving & Loathing

Hiya

Ah, what a pointless week this has been. Do you ever have weeks like that? Anyway, here's what I'm loving and loathing this week:

Loving:
* Making about £40 on eBay
* Buying my first MAC lippie
* Being home for just over a week
* Getting tonnes of compliments about my nail art :)
* Finding out that Vue are actually going to show Alice in Wonderland!!! So excited!!

Loathing:
* All forms of precipitation. I want Spring. Now!
* Being messed around by people
* Having lost my iPod sync cable :(
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Friday 26 February 2010

NOTD

Hi :)

I feel like I haven't blogged in ages! My apologies, I've been super busy with uni. I do however have a new mani to show you. I've been lacking inspiration in the nail art department, so I was looking through my nail art inspiration folder (a tad obsessed haha?!) and I saw this:

Image Credit: Google Images

I attempted to recreate it, minus the rhinestones:


What products did I use?
Rimmel Pro in Oyster Pink
Nails Inc in Walton Street
Konad special white polish
Dotting tool
Barry M 3-in-1 top coat

I didn't use rhinestones for the simple fact that I'm at home for Reading Week and didn't bring them with me. Next time I do this, I shall add them and show you how that looks :)
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Tuesday 23 February 2010

I spy...

...lots of things I want to buy. And I'm still waiting to be paid. Failsville. For any of you fashionistas on Twitter, you may or may not realise that high street store, Dorothy Perkins have a Twitter account - @Dorothy_Perkins. They've just tweeted about 20 must have items for under £20. Sounds good right? I clicked through to have a look, and I'm totally lusting after this:

Image credit: Dorothy Perkins

Right in time for the launch of Alice In Wonderland in cinemas a week on Friday, right? It's £15 :)

Yesterday, I saw this on eBay and have decided I have to hunt it down in Primark next week. I really hope it's still in stock!

Image credit: eBay

Loving florals at the mo! How about you? Seen any items you're totally lusting after anywhere?
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Monday 22 February 2010

KOTD

Hi

As I felt too ill to sit through a 2 hour lecture on the EU *YAWN*, I had a nap and then felt in the mood to do my nails. I decided to use my new Konad plates. Well, that was the plan anyway. I started out with No 7's Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Pearly Pink as a base colour and thought it'd look great contrasted with Avon's Nailwear Pro Nail Colour in Wicked. Erm, well, no. I decided that firstly, the No 7 colour totally did not suit my skin tone. I never really understood the nail polish/skin tone thing until today. Gold toned pink shades do not work for me. Secondly, Wicked didn't quite go with it, not that using the M19 plate is at all easy. Fail. So I took it off and started all over again. Here's what I came up with:


What did I use?
Nails Inc China Town - I love this colour, it makes me feel like Barbie haha
Konad plate M56
Konad white polish
Dotting tool

I know, it's not perfect. I couldn't for the life of me get it straight, apart from the ring finger of my left hand. I guess I need to practice more! I decided to add the dots as a little extra touch, that I think work really well :)

What do you think? Have you had better luck with the M19 or M56 plates?

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Saturday 20 February 2010

Loving & Loathing

Hiya

What a week! I feel so tired, yet I've done nothing :S Anywho, here's what I'm loving & loathing this week:

Loving:
* Getting some pretty great semester one module results :D
* Lady Gaga at the Brits
* Having one day at uni this week
* Finally getting my Amazon voucher/PayPal voucher/Boots voucher through from various organizations
* Having lost another 5lbs this week :D

Loathing:
* Snow - go awayyyyyyyy
* Men - grow a sodding backbone plzkthx
* Getting a cold - typical when I'm opening my room in halls for the Open Day today and have to talk to lots of people alllll day with a sore throat! Send me Lemsip & Strepsils please?
* Not being able to afford JLS/Kings of Leon/Download tickets
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Friday 19 February 2010

NOTD

Hi ladies :)

Lots of people were asking me on Twitter to see my current nail design so I thought I'd blog about it for you. I've had loads of compliments. People just can't believe I did it freehand. It really is one of the easiest things to do ever. I will get round to doing a photo tutorial when I remember!


What did I use?
* GOSH Nail Lacquer in Cappucino
* Avon Speed Dry Nail Polish in Topaz
* Nails Inc Nail Polish in London Nights
* Barry M 3-in-1 Topcoat
* Dotting Tool

I've had requests to do lady bird nail art, tiger stripes and paw prints. I'm going to be busy practising I think! Have you ever tried freehand nail art? How did you get on?
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Wednesday 17 February 2010

Surprise, surprise!

Haha doesn't that remind you of Cilla Black?!

Erm yes. Anyway, the real reason of this post was to show you what the lovely Leanne sent me along with my Konad order. Warning: Pic heavy post!



Yes, About Face Cosmetics mineral eye shadows. This uberly excited me. I LOVE mineral eye shadows. Of course, I had to try them out and omg they're amazing! I'll post a review later on when I've used them all :D I was disappointed to find out that they're having a closing down sale on The She Space website. About Face will no longer be available. Rubbish. I guess I'll have to find another mineral brand to love. Do you have any suggestions?

Leanne sent me five fabulous colours which I love. Immensely. I think that girl knows me too well! Here come the pics!

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Gorgeous, no?! I've used Minimal Damage with Because I Said So for an EOTD and oh my days, it's such a great combination! Keep your beady little eyes peeled for that one :) I'm beyond chuffed with Twinkle Dazzle Delight because it looks like it's an exact dupe for a the Champagne Bella Pierre mineral shadow I've ran out of. I think I'd use Asylum and Braving Briony for a night time look if I was going out. The photos don't do either justice to be honest. They're such fab colours. Particularly Asylum, which is a black shadow with green and red glitter in. Lushness!


And some obligatory swatches. On the left is the shadow on bare skin, on the right is the shadow on top of GOSH's eye shadow base. They all look a lot better on top of a base, particularly the darker shadows.

What do you think? Do you own any About Face products?
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Tuesday 16 February 2010

Mini Konad Haul

Hiya :)

I feel like I haven't blogged in ages! Busy busy. However I did have time to make a little order with Leanne on OC Nail Art.

Here's what I got:


M3

M19

M56


Typically, I ordered the two plates for doing nail tips with, then I had to cut my nails as I managed to break half of them. Failsville. Hopefully they'll grow soon so I can do some konadicures for you :)

I have a long list of plates I'd like, including the new plates, but as money is a tad scarce at the mo, I picked 3 which cost me just £12 in total! I'm going to do a huge nail polish/konad plate haul after I've been paid in a few weeks. China Glaze Up & Away collection, here I come! Wahoo! Can't wait!

Has anyone picked up some of the new Konad plates?
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Monday 15 February 2010

Review: Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

Hello lovelies!

Back at the beginning of January, I was contacted by Skin MD Natural to ask if I'd review a bottle of their Shielding Lotion. I was incredibly surprised that I was contacted, but grateful nonetheless. A little over a week later, I received the Shielding Lotion. And I let the testing begin! Obviously, it's been a while since I received it, but I wanted to get a lot of usage out of it so I could give a proper review for you. If you'd like to know what I thought, read on :)

The product


Skin MD Natural saySkin MD Natural is a shielding lotion, a very special type of lotion helping the skin restore its integrity, enhance its protective functions so that the skin is able to heal naturally and regain its youthful appearance. Skin MD Natural works by bonding with cells of the skin's outermost layer to form what works as an invisible shield. This layer of protection prevents environmental irritants and pollutants from penetrating the skin, while sealing in the skin's own natural oils and moisture, helping resolve the dry skin condition.
Skin MD Natural uses only the finest natural ingredients, and is focused on urging the skin to be active, and to use its own moisture to effectively heal itself. It is not oily or sticky, doesn't sit on top of your skin leaving a greasy residue on everything you touch, it doesn't rub or wash off easily, is hypoallergenic, fragrance, colorant and paraben free and dermatologically tested.
It's for Moms, Dads and Kids of all ages.
It's an easy, safe and natural way to care for your skin throughout the day.
Every day.

I say: First off, congratulations to Skin MD Natural for explaining how their Shielding Lotion works without overloading the consumer with a load of scientific information. The website is incredibly user friendly if you want to find out more and you don't leave feeling like you've just had a chemistry lesson.

If you've been following me on Twitter over Winter, then you'll know that I had been complaining of having dry hands despite moisturizing all the time. Well, those days are long gone, thanks to this Shielding Lotion! The moisture level has definitely improved and I don't have to reapply every few hours like I do with other moisturizers. Needless to say, they've all been relegated to the back of the shelf.

Gladly, I can also verify the claims that the Shielding Lotion is not oily or sticky, it isn't at all greasy, and it doesn't rub or wash off. This is brilliant. There's nothing worse than moisturizing then feeling like you need to wash your hands. It defeats the object, right? I can apply this lotion and run straight out the door because it sinks into my skin effortlessly leaving it feeling baby soft.

The fact that it's hypoallergenic means that it should be fine if you have sensitive skin. I don't have particularly sensitive skin, but I find that some moisturizers can irritate it, particularly when it was dry, but I don't get this with the Shielding Lotion at all. A definite thumbs up for me. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this product!

Application




Skin MD Natural sayApply small amount, initially every 2-8 hours until moisture level improves, then just once every 12-24 hours

I say: I followed the directions above and it certainly didn't take long for the moisture level of the skin on my hands to improve. I've used this once or twice a day since, usually first thing in a morning and late at night, particularly after using nail polish remover as it tends to dry my skin out a bit. I can honestly say that my skin has never been in such a great condition! It's soft and silky smooth, and it stays like that, unlike with other moisturizers. A huge bonus as it means I don't have to carry a travel sized moisturizer in my handbag.

Price: £14.85 - £15.35
Size: 120ml
Available from: Beauty Naturals, Lloyds Pharmacy, Pharmacy2u

Ratings
Product: 10/10
Price: 7/10
Packaging: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
Repurchase: Despite the price tag (my student overdraft will hate me), yes I would

Have you tried Skin MD Natural? Do you want to? Let me know :)
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DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free for review purposes from Skin MD Natural. I was not asked to give a positive review, nor was I paid to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Saturday 13 February 2010

Loving & Loathing

Hiya

I've had a pretty good week this week :) I hope you all have too! Here's what I've been loving and loathing this week:

Loving:
* My first MAC purchase
* Receiving my 3 new Konad plates plus some lovely goodies from Leanne!
* Losing 9lbs! Haha how did that happen?
* Working - seriously, I really enjoyed Thursday Not that I have a crush on my boss or anything hahaha and I earned £45!
* Missing the fire drill xD
* Finding out next Tuesday's lectures are cancelled so I can have an extra day at home

Loathing:
* Getting up at stupid o' clock for a 2 hour lecture that gets cancelled 10 minutes before it starts, when the lecturer knew she wasn't going to be there hours before as she had to travel in from London...
* Oh and snow. Seriously please make it stop :)
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Friday 12 February 2010

A little window shopping

Hello ladies :)

I think I'm quite possibly the last person to appreciate ASOS. I've been signed up to their mailing list for over a year and I always admire their lovely items but I've never actually bought anything from them. Why was I browsing ASOS? Well, I was bored. I've got a thing for accessories - I have way too many haha, and I came across something that I'd seen the other day when I was in Manchester, where I saw an overwhelming number of stylish people. Anyway, I saw this girl who was wearing, what I thought on first glance was a hat, but on second glance found it to be a cross between a hat and a hairband. I'm sure these things have names, but as I'm clearly now rambling on like a lunatic, I thought I'd show you:


Flower Detail Knitted Headband - gorgeous yes? £12


Two Tone Tights - reminds me of a Chanel pair I saw retailing at £99! A snip of that price at just £10!


Leopard Print Jersey Snood - love, love, love leopard print and a girl can't have enough scarves right? £15


Lauren Luke's My Vintage Glams Palette - I'm loving the classic, elegant, vintage look atm. £25 - Ouch?


Makebelieve Enhance Luminize Skin Highlighter - looks gorgeous. £7.50


Seche Vite Topcoat - Want, want, want! £8.95

All photos are from ASOS :)
Have you seen anything on ASOS that you're hankering after lately? Are you an accessories person?
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