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

Mmm

After doing the little quiz thingy, I've just remembered my favourite lip gloss of all time and I can't believe I forgot about it!! I just use Vaseline Rosy Lips for gloss now, but I used to have this tiny tube of Pout Plump in Bubblegum that came in a set with balm and exfoliator which is long gone - I have no idea where to buy Pout products and it drove me mad for ages til I obviously blocked out the feelings and settled for the budget friendly stuff.

It was the perfect pink colour, had good pigmentation and it definately plumped my lips, it wasn't too sticky but it stayed on well and smelled of peppermint and tasted good too.

Then I find out Pout closed their doors on us and all their products especially this are really hard to get hold of :(


Now I have a dilemma, theres some on ebay, but Im saving money, but I really really want it, but itll be £20 with p&p, but omg, but it says they'll wrap it all pretty so I guess I should buy it?

I'm off to read terrible reviews of cheapo lip plumper to square this with my conscience!!

Boredom strikes

I see these little quiz things everywhere and they look fun :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Shampoo: John Frieda Luxurious Volume/Head and Shoulders Damage Rescue

Conditioner: John Frieda Luxurious Volume/Head and Shoulders Damage Rescue

Hair Mask: Aussie 3 minute miracle luscious long

Styling products: Luxurious volume mousse and blow dry lotion

Shower gel: Radox shower therapy shea butter and ginger

Body moisturiser: fcuk orange blossom and pomegranate whipped bodycream, Body Shop wild cherry body butter

Deodorant: Dove original roll on

Fake tan: No7 quick dry tinted lotion in light/medium or Garnier skin naturals Summer Body with Apricot

Cleanser: Boots tea tree and witch hazel, or Body Shop vitamin e cream cleanser

Exfoliator: Boots tea tree and witch hazel

Primer: Boots tea tree and witch hazel moisturiser acts as a base :)

Foundation: Don't wear any

Foundation brush: Nooooone

Concealer: Dr Harnik's dark circle corrector

Powder: Prestige skin loving minerals

Blusher: Me Me Me Shimmy Shimmers pink shimmer

Bronzer: Me Me Me Miss California duo (never really wear this!!)

Highlighter: Don't use!

Eyeshadow base: Don't use one I really should start I guess I just trust the moisturiser as a base

Eyeshadows: Virgin Vie Ready to Wear collections, the Pink one for day (the names been worn off) and Moody Blues for night usually

Eyeliner: Rimmel Exaggerate waterproof eye definer - Noir

Curler: Miss Make up/fcuk

Mascara: Me Me Me Fat Cat Lashes -black

Lipstick: No7 Sheer Temptation -Excite

Lipgloss: I just use Vaseline Rosy Lips

Nail colour: Barry M - Raspberry or Rimmel french manicure - French Rose

Presents!

Ok after all that negativity and grumbling, I have something positive to shout about! I'm sure everyone is familiar with getting a crapload of products at christmas/birthday times and leaving the kind gestures to fester for a while.

My kind gestures in question were The Body Shop's vitamin e cream cleanser, and the matching toner. I do regret leaving these to gather dust, I just tried them for the first time and love ensued <3
The reason I hadn't used them before was that I used to have very bad spot prone skin in my teens, and I still do get breakouts unless I use the miracle range I discovered which is Boot's tea tree and witch hazel - I have most of the products in the range and even if I don't use them for a few days the spots start rearing their ugly little heads.

Because I trust the Boot's range so much, its hard for me to trust anything else as I don't want to risk breaking out and wasting money.

However, I finally gave the Body Shop Vitamin e cream cleanser and the toner a go, and I was very impressed. They removed my make up really well which is something the Boot's stuff doesn't do, they went on so smoothly and they sank in right away not leaving me at all greasy! My skin was also so soft after, which was a claim of the cleanser.

I'm not sure if there is a moisturiser in this range (I did wonder when I got them as most rangers do cleanser, toner, moisturiser?), but I noticed the areas of my face prone to dryness like my jawline could have done with a bit more moisture by the end of the day so if there is a moisturiser it'd be well worht completing the set - otherwise these products were great and I'd definately recommend them!!

Hair Removal? I Think Not

Well I was browsing shops today and in M&S came across "3 Hair Remover Mitts" that leave your legs feeling "silky" and "hair free". Well for 1 pound I'll give anything a go specially when it involves being silky and hair free.


Having now tried these mitts, my advice is save your pound coin for something more worthwhile like seeing how long it takes to make a splash in a DEEP waterwell, at least then it will still be gone but you won't be left in the grudging possession of 3 bits of sandpaper that lied and stole your money.


I really need to stop being such a marketers dream - its not really a badge to wear with pride, is it. O yes, I'll fall for anything as long as it's typed in pretty letters on a packet of some sort... gah


I promise I learned my lesson this time!

Being good

So I blew most of my money on a holiday with friends (which was worth it of course), and now I face the grim prospect of SAVING UP to get get through my last year of Uni.. no more not-quite-just-window-shopping, hello actual window shopping, except not quite because I don't have enough restraint for that.

I'd better get my maps out and plan routes to get around this place that don't involve passing enticing sale signs or gorgeous window displays.. unless I just give in to it and wave goodbye to being 'in the black' for the forseeable future.

I might be alright though because in a strange twist of personality or whatever I'm not lusting after clothes and shoes so much as lamps and kitchenware, I guess its finally sinking in that after this year I'll be forced out of my pre-furnished 1-room student paradise and into the cruel world of real-flat hunting etc!!

(I don't expect this budgeting mood to last long)

*Gasp*

Everyone remembers the scene in Titanic where Rose is looking all pretty at her dressing table and her rich fiancé comes and puts that beautiful necklace on for her, and then the whole story of its journey from neck to safe to pocket etc etc, and then Rose threw it into the sea. Tiffany's has gone to the bottom of the sea to retrieve my love, just like that space man in Britney's video <3>The site was all American in dollars but i'm thinking $140 is about £90? I don't know.. I know I need it though

IWANTIWANTIWANT

Links of London Anthology key pendant... Made of stirling silver and turquoise. It looks like an old-fashioned house key, I can just imagine it being used to unlock some private room in an old victorian house. I love keys like this, there's something mysterious about them and whatever it is they are used to lock away nthat I'm not supposed to get at. The silver and turquoise add a modern dainty, feminine feel. <3

The Problem With Debenhams

You go in for one thing, and see so many more demanding your attention and bank card. I was in today on my search for the blazer, and I saw a beautiful white dress in the warehouse section. It was all pretty and girly and frills and lace, but unfortunately my balance does not stretch to £50 pretty dresses when there's blazers to be bought :( Also, for some reason the lighter the colour I'm wearing, the more attractive I seem to be to anything that can mark, stain, or generally ruin clothing. Here it is, anyway...


I also saw on the website that it comes in a cream shade, I prefer the white though. Gorgeous!

xx

If I Could Walk in Heels..

Topshop caged "Razor" shoe.... <3>

Dorothy Perkins T-Bar and Cut-Out Detail Platforms

I can't walk in heels... it would just be dangerous to attempt... so I feel it is my duty to encourage everyone who can to buy beautiful shoes on my behalf <3>

Topshop..? Why can't you be good where I live too?

I am not usually the kind of girl that plans outfits days in advance with every detail coordinated and perfect.. but I'm going out tomorrow night.. and I will be wearing this ^^^^^


And, I decided I wanted 1 of these to go with it:

That's the Topshop Boyfriend blazer that I was after, around £50.

But the Topshop blazer was nowhere to be found, so I got this instead:


£20 less from New Look!! I love the sense of pride when a bargain is found :)

I had a little rant about Topshop before, BUT it suddenly dawned on me why I don't like it when I go in, but everyone else has lots of lovely Topshop goodies... the shops round here are crap and the Topshop is so small they literally cram stuff in, and none of its the good stuff.. just like most other shops round here really, its very annoying. Like the blazer, I don't think they even stocked it here. I couldn't believe my eyes when I went in a shopping centre somewhere else and they actually had STUFF, NICE stuff, piles and piles of it!!!

xx

Black Nails

I have just been on my travels to buy black nail varnish, and as Barry M had run out I was forced to look elsewhere - found this stuff on an introductory offer and I love it!! I think its been around for years, but they've just introduced a new collection - Shanghai. The black is a part of it, called Noire De Chine and all the colours were inspired by Chinese art - This reminds me of thick glossy paint on wooden oriental boxes my parents picked up from somewhere. The brush is thick, as is the formula, and it is relatively easy to put on although as it is so dark any mistakes stick out like a sore thumb. It is very shiny but it looks a bit patchy unless you apply a couple of coats. Takes a while to dry but I have found that with other Bourjois nail polish that claims to be quick drying as well. It says it lasts 7 days but.... we shall see haha

Hair!!

A new haircare range I just discovered, John Frieda Collection's Luxurious Volume.. I really can't stress enough how much I love this stuff, my hair has ALWAYS been really flat and fine - good because I don't have to straighten it but I hate it looking lank and I love big hair. I tried other volumising hair products like the tresemme range and Garnier Fructis but I can't say they made much difference... ever since I started using this, my hair has definately been thicker, had more volume and been easier to style, not to mention the shine it has added. I also sometimes get a bit of a flaky scalp and that seems to have disappeared since I started using this too :D I've been getting heaps of compliments and people say my hair is really "bouncy" as well!

I have the shampoo, conditioner, mousse and blow dry lotion although I think there is more in the range. They seem to all cost somewhere between £5 and £6 in boots, the reason I tried it was because sometimes boots give away £2 professional haircare vouchers and the John Frieda collections are usually included. I'd never really bothered going for the more exensive shampoos etc but after this I don't ever want to go back!! I managed to catch the range on offer with 3 items for £10 so if you go in at the right time with a voucher or offer it can be more affordable.

Red Nails

I love Barry M because in general they are good quality and cheap, but I stopped painting my nails for ages so wasn't up to speed on what was out there in terms of nail colours (stupid nail-biting). I just bought #273 (raspberry) a beautiful deep pinky purple and I LOVE IT!! Definately a reason to keep up the new notbitingmynails thing. I've had nail paint from Barry M before and in comparison with other cheaper brands I find it goes on well and can last quite a long time - I also got #272 (shocking pink) for a pink and black theme hen party and this is also a new love. Will definately be going back for more :D

I think they cost £2.95 each.. I go to superdrug for mine but boots also stocks Barry M now. I love the bottles as well.

xx

*edit* OK I have now got #119 (baby pink) and am not impressed!! It doesn't go on nearly so well, I don't know if I'm just bad at putting on crappy nail varnish but it seriously has taken me about 5 attempts to get it looking like not a complete write off. Maybe its just because it's a lighter colour, I don't know. The trick is to put it on very thinly I think but its not that easy for impatient people like me with short attenion spans and unsteady hands.