Eyes

UD pallette top l-bottom r : Smog, Mildew, Oil Slick, Last Call, Chopper, Maui Wowie, Shattered, Polyester Bride, Grifter, Sin


I have now tried out my new shadows! I have to say I'm not sure about the Rubie & Millie Natural Eyes quad on my complexion though :( I'm quite pale and I think brown doesn't compliment my hazel eyes/fair brown hair very well. The shadows themselves were nice to use, they went on really well and were easy to blend. I'm starting to wish I'd picked up the other quad with dark glittery colours, as they'd make fun liners

When I first put it on I overdid it a 'bit' on the dark brown, so I went over the whole lid again with the white so it was a bit toned down. I also used the Benefit earase paste and I love it!

I had more luck with the Urban Decay Pallette, I know violets are good for my colouring so I went for a purple look, with Polyester Bride on the inner corners, Grifter on the lid and Last Call on the outer corner into the crease. I used Oil Slick as a liner across the top lid as a liner with Rimmel Colourstay liquid liner along the lash line and MeMeMe Fat Cat mascara.
I didn't use a liner on the lower lash line as the amount of black on the upper line seemed heavy and I didn't want to overdo it. I was very impressed with these shadows, they glide on so easily, have hardly any powder fall out and the colours come out strong, Oilslick especially was a nice surprise as I often find dark shadows to be very messy but this easily made a neat line :)

Not very clear but I like putting pics in, excuse the weird looking eyebrow as well that one refuses to look nice ever & bad angle :/


All the shadows I used have a nice amount of sparkle to them although last call is more of matt colour, which is always fun for nights out but theres enough neutral colours in there to make this pallette perfect for anything!
I had heard UD were good, and now I've tried this pallette I'm going to have to keep buying their products. I used Too Faced shadow insurance underneath, which is also a new favourite as usually by the end of the night I'm lucky if I have any eye makeup left on, if not all piled under my eyes - it stayed put the whole time with this :D
The pallette contains 10 of UD's best selling shadows so its no surprise that all the colours are outstanding. I've only used it once and I'm worrying about what I'll do when one hits pan already!

Small Spree

After saying I was budgeting I should have known what would happen! I've been busy shopping for 'necessities' lol




I have got:

Naked Boost Hair Treatment
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Urban Decay shadow box
Rubie and Millie shadow quad in 'Natural Eyes'
Gosh slanted fine eye liner brush
Benefit Erase Paste

Its thankfully not as bad as it looks, the Rubie and Millie quad was free as I spent £20 on Urban Decay in Boots, which is pretty good! There's a good choice as well, you can either get my natural eyes quad, a lip quad, a shadow quad with dark glittery colours, or a cosmetics bag.

I got the the erase paste as my current under eye concealer's pot has broken, which is incredibly messy when I take it anywhere, and not very hygenic so I thought I'd get this after seeing good reviews everywhere - it is pretty good! Being a student I have developed the usual dark circles and this seems to do its job well enough, covering them enough so I look like I've at least had some sleep.

The brush I had to get as I'm ALWAYS losing my liner brushes, I think this is my 3rd repurchase a few months I have no idea where they all get to!

The only other thing I've used is the hair treatment, as I'm still reeling a bit from spending so much on make up (not used to un-drugstore brands!) so I don't want to start messing about with the products until I have a reason to, which is ok as I'm going out tomorrow night so I'll see what I can come up with from the UD pallette then. I think the R&M quad will be perfect for daytime eyes so I'll probably get stuck into that for lunch with friends tomorrow :)

The hair treatment being the thing I can write about properly just now, I'll do a little review on it!

First Impressions

When I caught sight of this on the shelf, I was impressed at the size of the tub. It is simple packaging which goes along with the brand's selling point of being 97% natural with as little artificial ingredients as possible. I opened it up for a sneaky peek at the product and the scent is quite strong, it smells quite earthy/planty but it is a nice smell.
It calls itself a nourishing vitamins hair treatment, containing vitamin E, provitamin B5 and provitamin A which are meant to encourage healthy hair and scalp. We all know how important vitamins are so I decided to give it a go to try and help my poor head.

First Use

As per the instructions I washed my hair (with Naked's detox shampoo/conditioner), and then worked a generous scoop through, brushing with a comb for full coverage. I was a bit naughty and left it on for a couple minutes longer than the recommended 3-5, but I went back in the shower and spent a while making sure it was all washed out.
I worked some volumising mousse/heat defense through and blow dried on a low heat/speed setting, and I have to say that if nothing else, this treatment is great perfume for hair! Even after a couple of hours, and some other products, the scent is still lingering in my hair. Its ok since I like the smell but for someone who didn't that might be an unwelcome surprise.
My poor unhealthy scalp feels moisturised and nourished, and my hair looks and feels well conditioned and quite healthy. The product claims to improve manageability and I would say it definately has, although I'm sure the mousse will have helped as well.

All in all, I really enjoyed using this product as a treat for my hair, and I love the packaging and the ethos of the 'natural' Naked company so I think I'll try a few more bits and pieces from this range :)

Tag!

Vexinthecity has tagged all her readers to do this, which includes me so I'll give it a go! Its the every picture tells a story tag :)

• Open your first photo folder
• Sroll down to the 10th photo
• Post that photo and story on your blog.
• Tag five others (or more) friends to do the same.

Well.. its cocktails! I don't remember which night out this was, probably not for any special reason. I remember being really excited about proper cocktail glasses (the places I go aren't usually that fancy) hence the picture haha
The cocktail wasn't poured yet, but I love martini glasses, I can't wait to have my own poroper flat so I can fill a cabinet with them!!

I guess I'll just tag anyone who happens to come across this, if you're out there lol

Superdrug offer

Superdrug has an offer on the website, if you spend over £35 you get 15% off and free delivery with the code livesummer09. Thats not bad, about £5.25 off at minimum plus saving on postage, time to get clicking I think :D especially if you have a small and rubbish superdrug near you which doesn't carry the stock you see other girls raving about, its all online! xx

Productive day

I got a new nail polish as I need an incentive to keep not biting my nails and the tired old colours I already have just don't do it for me anymore. I like varying shades of pink for my nails, but I wanted something not too bright that I could wear to work without attracting the attention of the resident hen-peckers so I went for Rimmel's 60 seconds in sunrise, its a kind of light coral with green reflections in the light, its so pretty! It has a kind of rip off of the Bourjois 1 Seconde nail colour brush, so application is easy and mess free :)


the 60 second polishes were 3 for 2 in Superdrug but I remembered my budget and restrained myself :(

I also got some more of my favourite perfume as I'm running out, I was going to have a look at what else they had but perfume testing always seems such a daunting task and I don't know where to start so I just went back to the old faithful!

I got some more shampoo too, Naked Detox as I've been having some hair issues. Its been in really crappy condition even tho the most abuse it ever gets is a blow dry in the mornings, split ends breakage and dryness argh! The Naked ones are 97% natural with no harsh chemicals, they're not as cheap as some brands but it was buy 1 get 1 free in Boots so I got shampoo & conditioner for under £4 :D The detox shampoo and conditioner are clarifying to get rid oif build up and stuff, I used them for the first time today so will have to keep up with it and see if it helps.

I mixed a little tea tree oil in with the shampoo as I heard the antibacterial properties help with scalp issues, so along with my multi vitamins I hope its all enough to save my hair D: (which feels sooooo soft after air drying!)


Come to think of it, everything I went looking for today was on offer, I must have deserved a treat from the world!!

Competition!

Over on All Things Girly, Laura is giving away all this to a lucky winner!

Her rules are that you have to be a follower, post a comment asking to be entered on the blog entry, and for 2 entries mention her competition in your own blog. She is celebrating 100 followers so hopefully she'll get a whole lot more if everyone goes for 2 entries :)

http://hazelxeyes15.blogspot.com/2009/08/100-followers-contest.html

Went shopping, ankle hurts!

So tomorrow is the day my ankle strapping will come off!!
I can't wait til I can shower normally, moisturise normally, shave and put fake tan on if I wish but I am worried about what its going to look like, a massive red area was spreading over the swelling before the strapping went on a week ago and my mum has kindly predicted it will be all yellow and green by the time the lovely purple bandages are off, not a look I usually aim for :)

I have been very good with self restraint as well, I've been trying not to feel sorry for myself as thats when the damage usually happens, and over the past week I have just bought some new metallic pumps from New Look and some Soap and Glory 'Mist You Madly' body spray. And a gorgeous new jewellery box from TKMaxx!



The shoes I really needed, as I had some silver pumps already but they are beyond ruined and I still felt the need to wear them. Its so difficult for me to find shoes as I can't wear heels and my heels are so narrow that normal pumps just don't stay on my feet, I've had shoes in this style from New Look before and they do the job perfectly! Also £16 isn't bad for real leather shoes :D

The body spray was slightly less than a necessity, but S&G products were 1/3 off in Boots and it smells so good! The scent also lasts quite a while, and with all the different notes its very much like a perfume except a fraction of the price. I've only tried one S&G product before this, a Scrub of Your Life exfoliator which ended up being a bit of a waste of money as it was sooo good I couldn't bear to use it all up so its still sitting in my bathroom... really should get round to using it sometime

The box was definately a must have, as my previous one was much too small and I had jewellery bits and pieces all over the place which is not good with my out of sight, out of mind approach to using things - now everything I have fits in one place so nothing will be forgotten :)

Mid year resolutions :D

Everyone has those things they put off and put off and hardly ever bother with. Its silly cos we know life would be better if we got on top of everything.

Problem - I'm a clutter magnet, and a lazy one. I have too much stuff that I never bother to put away, even though I really hate mess and love having a tidy space. So, as a mid year resolution, I WILL have my flat clean and tidy by Saturday (I have work and a broken ankle to deal with so I think 4ish days is a good bet)

Also I've been less than helpful with my health recently, so no more 5 hour naps so I end up eating dinner at 10pm if at all, and I will be drinking a litre of water a day... I don't know why I find it so hard to do this but I think I've spent most of my life dehydrated!!

AND I am going to not have caffiene and stick to it this time, avoiding chocolate isnt easy but since theres only small amounts in it, so I can have a bit as long as I control myself (easier said than done!) I dont have tea or coffee anyway but I'm so used to ordering diet coke in restaurants etc its not an easy habit to break, and I miss my little energy boosts :(

Plus no more jaegerbombs...!

I hope now its all written here I'll manage to stick to the resolutions!!

Dangerous make up?

I was looking at some old foundation, thinking I don't know how old this is, when did I buy it, should I still be using it? Most consumable products have an expiration date, but make up doesn't come with one stamped on the casing - how am I to know?

I did some research and it turns out that using make up beyond a certain length of time can be dangerous whether it seems to work still or not.. bacteria growth can cause nasty reactions and infections.

It makes sense, especially when you think of things like mascara and concealer sticks - the applicator goes onto an area covered with bacteria, then carries it back into the rest of the product waiting for you to reuse it and spread the little buggers all over the place, not to mention the germs that just flooat about in the air generally getting in and applying anything with fingers.
I
It is said the general life of make up should be between 1-3 years and each has its own recommendations, but these can be affected by any number of things like the way you store it, how you apply it, even who messed around with it in the shop before you got to it.

General rules to stick by are..

1. Don't store in places prone to heat or where the sun shines
2. Make sure your purchase is sealed properly in the shop!!
3. Either use disposable applicators or wash anything used very very regularly
4. Don't share make up, especially eye products (ick)

Common sense stuff really but I never thought about how impoortant it was before, especially for anyone prone to getting spots or irritated skin.

The life spans:

1. Concealer - 1 year
2. Powder - 2 years
3. Blush - 6 months
4. Cream cleanser - 1 year
   
5. Eyeliner - 3 years, but sharpen often to keep the exposed product clean
6. Eyeshadow - 3 years
7. Mascara - 3 months
8. Lip liner - 3 years
9. Lipstick - Depends, 2-4 years or until it smells off
10. Nail varnish - Also depends, but its pretty obvious if its off as it smells weird and refuses to be un-separated.

Lipstick and nail polish can be kept for longer by storing in the fridge, and all these life spans depend on the storage conditions etc - poor conditions shorten the time and good ones lengthen it.

I also found out that the picture of a little open pot on products with a number on it is the number of months it can be kept - I can't believe I didn't know that already! I assumed it was something to do with mass or weight haha

This should make make-up case clear outs so much easier- instead of clinging to that ancient eye shadow 'just in case', think of the germs and bin it! :)

The hunted Pout lip gloss is here!

Pout plump bubblegum is here! I'm very excited, I only ordered it 2 days ago from eBay, a seller called gonzoxl5 with an eBay Pout stash who knows how to wrap things up in style :D



I love the packaging, I'd never seen it before as my last tube came in the Perfect Kisses box! An inflatable bag for a lip inflator :)



I couldnt for the life of me work out how to get the tube out of the small hole in the bottom of the bag, turns out you have to deflate it.. obviously.. to open it up



The tube contains 10ml of product which seems a bit on the small side for something you're meant to use 2-3 times a day for 28 days, but beggars can't be choosers I guess and it is SO difficut to find this stuff. The 28 days thing is for the supposedly permanent lip plumping effects to work, but I don't need permanent huge lips so I think I'll be ok.. I was wondering what the difference between this and the cheaper ones that don't work is, and the bag says Pout used a unique "Maxi-lip ingredient" to stimulate collagen synthesis which proved effective in trials. It also moisturises, and nothing smells or tastes fresher on your mouth than peppermint ;)

The tube is clear so the pink colouring is all the gloss, which is a bit thicker than I remember it. I wish the ingredient wasn't so unique so that I could move on to an easier to track down product, I just don't know what else works this well??


Ok thats a crappy pic but there it is :D