These are a few of my favourite things

Good morning petals!

The end of May already. Summer is right around the corner. If the rain ever goes away! The end of May brings another favourites post. Behold my current lovelies...

♥ John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisturising Shampoo
Blimey, what a mouthful! Gorgeous shampoo though, locks in colour, hydrates and leaves soft, silky hair.

♥ Jimmy Choo Perfume
Oh heaven in a bottle!

♥ Kate Middleton Inspired Engagement Ring
Kate Middleton is hot property now with anything and everything she wears or uses flying off the shelves. After the Royal Wedding, I couldn't resist ordering this replica ring!

♥ MAC Pink Plaid Lipstick
My first matte lippie from MAC and I'm not disappointed. Saying that, when has a MAC lippie ever disappointed anyone? Gorgeous colour and a great finish and not at all drying.

♥ e.l.f. Studio Stipple Brush
A lovely soft brush and I find this is perfect for applying blush as you really cannot apply too much as it gives a light dusting of colour thanks to its sparse bristles. Compared to my GOSH stippling brush which is a lot more densely packed.

♥ Flower Ring from Love Hearts & Crosses
I've worn this pretty much every day since it arrived. Enough said :)

♥ MAC 266 Brush

My first MAC brush and perfect for filling in and defining brows.

♥ Kryolan Anti-Shine Powder
Oh. Em. Gee. If you, like me, get an oily T-zone, or your makeup is never looking as fab at the end of the day as it is at the start, then you need this in your life. Goodbye shine! No top ups required. Heaven.

♥ Crown C425 Tapered Concealer Brush
A great concealer brush that is perfect for covering dark circles and blemishes with product without shedding and it's not harsh on the under eye area.

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Which products have you been loving this month?

Boots Bargains

Morning dolls :)

Whilst I love to spend my hard earned cash *ahem* I am usually a thrifty spender. When I stumbled over this little bargain on Saturday, I had to let you know!

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I popped in because I had Advantage Card points to pick up after some recent online purchases. I always have a scroll through the Advantage Card Kiosk offers, and I found 3 really useful vouchers including one for 1/3 off any bath/shower gel, another for 1/3 off toothpaste/toothbrushes and another offering a free 17 Hide & Chic Illuminating Concealer (worth £4.99) with any other 17 purchase.

I picked up the following beauties:

No 7 Metallic Green Eyeliner which is usually £7.75

17 Solo Statuesque Eye Shadow which is usually £3.89

17 Hide & Chic Concealer in Light Rose which is usually £4.99

Radox Shower Smoothie in Soul Soother which is usually £2.80

Aquafresh 3 Way Toothbrush (not pictured) which is usually £2.54

Worth: £21.97

Actual total: £6.30

Savings: A whopping £15.67!

It turns out there was a 3 for 2 offer on make up, which I was totally oblivious to, which meant the 17 eye shadow was free, but the till allowed all vouchers through which meant that I only paid £2.25 for my make up purchases. Win!

♥

As you may be aware, Boots are also currently having a 10 points per pound offer on all transactions over £15 which ends today, at 23:59:59 to be precise. So you better get moving ;) I took advantage of that on a second transaction, and I now have a nice healthy looking points balance to treat myself. May pop down to the new Benefit counter!

Do you utilise the Advantage Card Kiosk offers? Have you picked up any Boots bargains lately?

Saturday Summary

Morning lovelies!

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♥ Creative nail art. Oh and not being raptured ;)

♥ Treating those nearest and dearest to me

♥ Retail therapy - loving my latest fragrance purchase!

♥ Cinema and drinks with friends

♥ Days off

♥ Lady Gaga's Born This Way arrived. Love!

♥ I should wear my hair up more often

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Listening to: Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Box of Stones, Lady Gaga - Hair & Foo Fighters - Walk

A few to follow: May, Nicoletta & Marti

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How are you spending your Bank Holiday weekend? I'm working today and Monday. Boo!

Review: Bluebeards Revenge

Ahoy, good mornin' shipmates, argh! 

A while ago, the lovely chaps over at Bluebeard HQ sent me a tub of their infamous Bluebeards Revenge Shaving Cream to try. I've been using it religiously for months so I thought it was time to tell you my thoughts on it. This review has been a long time coming, but at last it is here in all it's glory. So down your deck tools and take a pew. Savvy?

Product

The Bluebeards say: Designed by a real life Blue Beard who was bored to death with being a Desperate Dan look-alike, The Bluebeards Revenge™ is a paraben free, premium quality shaving cream with added ingredients to specifically combat tough stubble. It has been formulated to our unique specification in one of the UK's premier male cosmetics laboratories who are renowned experts in the field of shaving cream. The Bluebeards Revenge™ contains Decelerine™which contains a mixture of active ingredients that delay hair growth, reducing the frequency of shaving and depilation, and at the same time providing a recovering effect on the skin. If you want to read more about the Sciencey bit, go here.

I say: I've found that The Bluebeards Revenge™ no longer makes shaving such a chore! The cream smells lovely, a bit manly but not too overpowering. Producing a gorgeous creamy lather on the skin, it feels great and I find it leaves my legs and underarms super soft and smooth, with no sign of irritation or razor nicks and cuts. I have noticed a difference in shaving frequency, I can certainly go a day or two longer than I could previously and my legs feel smoother for longer.

Application

The Bluebeards say: Place some shaving cream in the palm of one hand and mix vigorously with hot water using the other hand to produce a luxurious lather. If using a brush, rinse brush in hot water than dip it into the shaving cream. Massage the brush onto the skin to produce a luxurious lather.

I say: I was lucky enough to be sent the brush too, which I absolutely love. It's actually softer than it looks. It does shed a little bit but overall does the job. With a little splash of warm water, and a dip into the cream, the product lathers up nicely. One dip into the cream will be enough to cover one leg. Brilliant eh? I love the scent, it's definitely not as overpowering as I thought it might be. It smells clean and fresh with a subtle hint of manliness. In a good way! I really rate this. I'm nearly out of this so I'll certainly be stocking up soon :D

I love the packaging - quite funny chaps the Bluebeards be!

Price: £14.99

Size: 180ml

Available from: A range of stockists as listed here

Ratings

Product: 10/10

Price: 8/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

Repurchase: Yes

♥


Be you a fan o' the Bluebeards?

*PR Sample

John Frieda Live Haircare Academy

Afternoon lovelies :)

If you've been following my tweets recently you'll know that I'm absolutely loving John Frieda products at the moment. For any other John Frieda addicts out there, I have some exciting news for you!

John Frieda® Haircare Academy comes to you LIVE on 27th May!

On May 27th at 1pm for the first time John Frieda® Haircare Academy comes to you LIVE. Tune in for the hottest summer styles, learn how to use brand new products and get summer haircare advice from John Frieda® Haircare Experts.



You can watch and learn everything you need to know to achieve salon results at home.

Watch the EXCLUSIVE trailer here:

John Frieda®Live Hair Academy May 27th 2011

For more information and to attend the event, visit facebook.com/johnfriedauk

John Frieda® LIVE Haircare Academy helps you get salon hair!

♥

For anyone that will be at work at 1pm on Friday, like myself (boo!), I have been reliably informed that we will be able to watch the event on the John Frieda site after the broadcast :)

Will you be tuning in?

NOTD: Mix N' Match

Morning lovelies :)

Scrolling through old Tumbletown the other day, I came across this from WAH Nails:

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Gorgeous right?

I decided to recreate it:

Products used

Rimmel Lycra Pro Pink Amazon

Models Own/WAH Nails White Nail Art Pen

Models Own/WAH Nails Black Nail Art Pen
Seche Vite Top Coat

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What are you sporting on your nails at the moment?

Saturday Summary

Morning!

Or at least I hope it is. Apparently the world was going to end two hours ago. If you're reading this, congratulations you were a chosen one ;)

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♥ PJ Days

♥ Watching Lady Gaga perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend. Epic.

♥ Professional makeup

♥ Pink Lady apples

♥ Lovely people

♥ The first Glossybox arriving!

♥ Crosswords - I'm turning into an old person. But they certainly pass the time on the late shift!

~*~

Listening to: Lady Gaga - You And I, Nicole Sherzinger - Right There & Alexandra Stan - Mr Saxobeat

A few to follow: Liloo, Gillian & Heather

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How are you spending your Saturday?

Wordless Wednesday

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Review: e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Midnight

Good morning darlings :)

I can't even remember the last time I used a felt tip eyeliner pen. I've been a gel convert for ages. Alas, on my hunt for the perfect blue eyeliner, I decided to give the e.l.f. one a go.

Product

e.l.f. say: Get no smudge, no budge eyeliner that lasts for hours for a fabulous and fresh look of precision. The smooth pen applicator easily glides on color for very fine to bold lines for effortless beauty.

I say: I wasn't sure what to expect from this liner but as with most e.l.f. products, I was suitably impressed. The colour is beautifully pigmented, doesn't smudge and stayed put all day. The tip is easy to manoeuvre so you really cannot get it wrong. Perfect!

Application

e.l.f. say: Hold applicator at a slight angle and apply color to the base of the lashes. Use a light touch for thin lines or a firmer touch for thicker lines. To remove easily use a water based makeup remover. Best stored tip down for ultimate color saturation.

I say: The tip on this pen is great. It's firm but not too firm and I found it incredibly easy to use. The colour was opaque from the first swipe, which I rarely find with felt tip applicators. Whilst this didn't budge during the day, I found it very easy to remove with a standard make up wipe.

Swatch

Price: £1.50

Size: 1.8g

Available from: e.l.f.

Ratings

Product: 10/10

Price: 10/10

Packaging: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Repurchase: Yes

♥

Have you tried the e.l.f. eyeliner pens? What's your favourite blue eyeliner?

Saturday Summary

Morning ladies :)

Fingers crossed Blogger is back to normal and this actually posts!

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♥ Comedy

♥ Reading

♥ Seeing old friends

♥ New lipstick and perfume

♥ Making plans for the future

♥ Organising exciting trips to see friends

♥ Trying nail polishes that are outside of my usual colour comfort zone

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Listening to: Lady Gaga - Edge of Glory, Glee Cast - I Feel Pretty/Unpretty & Glee Cast - Born This Way

A few to follow: Roz, Leanne Marie & Liz

~*~

Have a good weekend lovelies!

e.l.f. All Over Color Sticks

Good morning possums

Ooer it's Friday 13th. I hope this post actually publishes haha!

A while ago I picked up some of the All Over Color Sticks from e.l.f. after seeing a few people mention them. So after a bit of a Google Image search, I placed an order for three to see what all the fuss was about.

L-R: Golden Peach, Pink Lemonade, Lilac Petal

I realised when I opened these that comparisons could be made with the Eyeko fat balms - they're similar products.

e.l.f. All Over Color Sticks - 4g for £1.50 - sweet orange scent, very shimmery

Eyeko Fat Balms - 4.5g for £6.50 - gorgeous individual scents, bold colour

Swatches

As you can see, Pink Lemonade is the most pigmented colour. When I applied it on my cheeks, like I would with an Eyeko Fat Balm, I looked like a clown. Thumbs down. All three are VERY shimmery and really do not suit me. I find they look ridiculous on my lips, although I've never liked shimmery lip colour unless it's a gloss. They can be used on the eyes so I will try them over a base to see if they fare any better.

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e.l.f. All Over Color Sticks retail at £1.50 for 4g of product and you can find them here. Don't forget if you comment on the e.l.f. blog you will automatically be emailed a £1.50 voucher, so you can use it to get an All Over Color Stick for free. Bargain!

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Have you tried the e.l.f. All Over Color Sticks? How do you use them and apply them? Are there any others that I should try?

NOTD: Peachy Nude

Morning my sweets :)

I've been embracing the neutral mani lately just because it's quick, easy and tres chic!

Products Used

Eyeko Nude Polish

Collection 2000 Sparkle Top Coat

Seche Vite Top Coat

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If you fancy sporting a neutral mani, check out the gorgeous Eyeko polishes. If you order this week you will receive a free gift of a London Lips Lipgloss with a minimum spend of £15/€18/$20 when you use my Ambassador code: E8493 at the checkout.

♥

What are your favourite neutral manis?

Bargain of the week

Hello cupcakes!

Lately I've been inspired by bright eyeliners and so when I ambled into Superdrug a few days ago, I was drawn to the MUA stand in search of bright eyeliner. 

Behold MUA Turquoise Eye Liner

Swatches

This cost me £1. Cheapest eyeliner I've ever bought, and quite frankly, one of the best. I use it for a pop of colour beneath my lower lash line and it stays in place all day!

♥

Are you a fan of bright eyeliner? Have you tried the pencil liners from MUA?

Also, don't forget it's the launch of the Superdrug Beauty Card today!

Duplicity

Afternoon lovelies :)

I've picked up a couple more lippies this week and I thought I had ended up with 4 dupes. So I decided to investigate!

*Flash*

L-R: Beauty UK Snob, MAC Pink Plaid, e.l.f. Classy, Revlon Pink Pout

Zoom zoom...

*Flash*

*Natural Light*

Just from looking at the bullets, I think Beauty UK Snob and Revlon Pink Pout look similar. 

Let's have a look!

Swatches

*Flash*

Clockwise from top left: Beauty UK Snob, MAC Pink Plaid, Revlon Pink Pout, e.l.f. Classy

Here I think Pink Plaid and Classy look similar, but Pink Pout and Snob definitely don't look similar.

*Natural Light*

Pink Plaid and Classy look similar here but Snob looks a slight shade lighter than Pink Plaid. Pink Pout is clearly the odd one out as it's a few shades lighter than the other three.

*Sunlight*

Here, Beauty UK Snob and Pink Plaid look very close.

Overall there are no exact dupes, but I think in certain lights MAC Pink Plaid and e.l.f. Classy look similar in colour, although not in finish as Pink Plaid is matte. But in other lights, Beauty UK Snob and MAC Pink Plaid look similar too. Revlon Pink Pout is definitely the odd one out and it's far lighter applied than it looks in the bullet.

Stats

Beauty UK Snob - £3.49 for 3.7g

MAC Pink Plaid - £13.50 for 3g

e.l.f. Classy - £1.50 for 3.5g

Revlon Pink Pout - £7.49 for 4.2g

♥

A good experiment nonetheless. Have you found any exciting dupes lately?