Summer prints

I have never been one for prints, or colour for that matter, I tend to wear black all of the time and I am getting a bit bored of it now! So since I am going out tomorrow night I feel that a new outfit is in order, I have bought two new tops to wear with my high waisted shorts. Only thing is I can’t decide which one I want to wear…

This one (New Look £14.99) is cropped, I was a bit unsure about this but I have wanted one for a while, when I tried it on with my shorts you couldn’t see too much flesh so I will be comfortable enough in it, especially with a few drinks in me!

This one is also from New Look (£14.99) and is really comfortable to wear. I really like the straps, and you cant see my bra straps which is a plus. I like this top as I can wear it with leggings or jeans to keep it causal or dress it up too. 

I am rubbish at decision making...someone please tell me which one to wear!! xx

OPI Avojuice

A few months ago at work we were each set individual targets as an incentive and as a result we won prizes. One of those was an OPI gift set containing hand lotion, hand and body cream and lipgloss:

 I didn’t realise that OPI sold creams and lipgloss until this point as I had only ever seen the nail varnish (I NEED the "New York City Ballet" collection, they have posted about if on their Facebook page if you haven't seen it yet). I chose the coconut melon set and it smells good enough to eat! The cream and lotion nourishes skin and keeps it soft and smooth.

I tend to keep the "jucie" lotion in my bag as it is small enough to carry around and use on the go.

I use the lipgloss a lot at work as I find it keeps my lips smooth, the AC at work dries them out and this helps to combat that!

These do come in mango and ginger lily too which I would like to try, but I would definitely recommend coconut melon!! xx

Get big BIG hair!

I love big hair. I strongly believe that you should go big or go home, so it’s a shame that I have fine, limp hair! I need a little help to achieve the volume that I want...

I have found that Ojon’s Animated Styling cream (RRP £20) works a treat and it smells lovely! 

I use this on wet hair and blow dry my hair upside down. My hair has a lot of body after this, as you can imagine. If I want extra bounce I use my curling irons on the ends of my hair, but I really only do this if I am getting ready for a night out.

I then use Lee Stafford’s My Big Fat Texturised Hair Super Spray (RRP £4.65) to tame fly aways and set my style. 

It says on the bottle to spray directly onto hair but I found that parts of my hair tends to go hard as the spray has a gel texture to it, so I spray it into my hands and scrunch my hair (upside down if I want REALLY big hair) and then finish with Elnett Satin extra strength (RRP £3.79 for 200ml).

As you can see, I actually like big messy hair…not a hairbrush in sight xx

(and yes, that is a cape in the background! Best birthday present ever!!)

Benefit Brow Zings

I never used to really bother with my eyebrows; they aren’t too thick so I only ever pluck stray hairs to keep them looking tidy (I use QVS tweezers which you can get at Asda for £3 and they are the best ones I have ever used but the ones in Brow Zings are perfect for on the go!). It wasn’t until I went to a Benefit counter and had my make up done and one of the girls told me about Brow Zings that I realised my brows look a lot better with a little help!

This eyebrow kit comes in light, medium and dark shades and costs £22.50 (RRP) but it is definitely worth it as it will last forever and ever!

The kit comes with tweezers to get rid of stray hairs, a hard angle brush, a blending brush, wax (on the left) and powder (on the right). There is also a mirror in the compact so that you can apply a little touch up on the go.

I have the lighter shade (as you can see I have made a bit of a mess of the wax!) and I have had this for a few months now and it is still very much full so it will last a lifetime!

Just so you can see the difference, this is me before I use Brow Zings:

First of all use the tweezers to get rid of any stray hairs.

Dip the hard angle brush into the wax and brush your eyebrows to shape them. The wax looks dark but it doesn’t add any colour to your brows.

Then use the blending brush to apply the powder which will fill in any gaps and set your eyebrows in shape.

And this is what I look like after Brow Zings works its magic!

It seems like only a slight difference in photographs but I can see quite a big difference when applying it!

This little kit works wonders and is small enough so that it won’t take up too much room in your make up bag! Definitely worth the price tag :) xx

Rio Professional Nail Art

My dad and his girlfriend bought me a Rio Professional Nail Art set for Christmas and I have been practicing…

I wanted to go for bright summery colours; I’m getting a bit bored of winter now, so I opted for Rimmel’s Lasting Finish in Apricot Punch, which has a delicious fruity smell when it dries! 

As you can see there are eight colours to chose from. I wanted a contrasting colour to go over the top that would stand out without being too ‘loud’ so I decided to go for silver. 

The nail art tubes come with both a brush and a pen; I find the pen easier to control, especially when I first started using the set.

I decided to paint silver stripes on top of the apricot varnish, these are easy to do, especially with the pen, so I can practice with the set and work up to something a little more exciting!

There is a little tube of gold glitter in the box, and some rhinestones too:

I do love a bit of glitter, but I wouldn't usually wouldn’t go for rhinestones, but I think they could add a bit of sparkle to darker colours for a night out...maybe just one or two? I'm not sure...I will try those out next time!

xx

Scents and Scents Ability...

Chloe, Narcisse

Scent: 4/5

Staying power: 5/5

Bottle: 4/5

Price:  RRP: £31 for 50ml

The musky floral scent has notes of rose and apricot, it is very powerful, and only one or two sprays will do! This does make it great value for money, I have had my current bottle for almost two years and I use it most days. It isn’t too overpowering and at the end of the day I can still smell it, which means I will only re-spray it if I am heading out again.

The bottle is simple, but still pretty as both the bottle and the lid resemble the shape of a tulip.

Kylie Minogue, Sexy Darling

Scent: 4/5

Staying power: 3/5

Bottle: 4/5

Price: RRP: £26 for 50ml

This is another lovely perfume; however I tend to lose the scent throughout the day, which is acceptable as it is the cheapest out of the three. Therefore I tend to wear this for nights out, the rose and pear scents mix well together with a hint of sandalwood.

The bottle is one of my favourites as it is shaped like a heart which I love! It also doesn’t take up too much room in your handbag so you can carry it with you to ensure you smell fresh all night long!

Dolce and Gabbana, Light Blue

Scent: 5/5

Staying power: 5/5

Bottle: 4/5

Price: RRP: £46 for 50ml

This is my favourite perfume. It has fruity and floral hints and smells very sweet and seems to settle throughout the day without wearing off. You only need a little bit making it great value for money, and it is versatile as I can wear it during the day and for a night out. I am always complimented when I wear this perfume too, which means it is definitely worth the price tag! The bottle is simple, which I quite like as sometimes less is more. 

I wonder if I will get a new perfume to write about on Valentine's Day...?

xx

Beauty Treats from London!

Sunday 5^th February 2012

Every time my Dad and his girlfriend go to London for a QVC event they always bring me back a bag of goodies!! I absolutely love it! I always get excited whenever they go. My Dad dropped off the bag yesterday and I thought I would share with you the top 3 products, in my opinion:

3. Leighton Denny – Your planet or mine?

This nail polish has purple, green and blue hues mixed through it which create an interesting effect when applying to your nails. I find this polish a breath of fresh air for this time of year as I tend to wear darker shades of plums and reds over the Christmas season, but it feels to early too earlier in the year to wear lighter shades, so this is perfect for the transition into Spring/Summer. Remember to apply a base coat first, and you may need to apply two coats to really bring out the colours!

2. Smashbox creamy lip colour – Pink Fig

I really do love Smashbox products, every product that I have of theirs is definitely good value for money! I often wear lip stick for work but throughout the day I tend to just wear lip balms as I haven’t found a good shade for daywear. This shade is spot on for leisure time as it is a nude shade of pink so it is not too over powering but gives just enough colour for your lips to ‘pop’. The pencil is very creamy and moisturising to it is easy to apply, unlike other pencils it doesn’t dry out your lips.

1. L’Occitane en Provence hand cream – Cherry Blossom

L’Occitane is number one because their cherry blossom scent is my absolute favourite! It is quite powerful but isn’t too overbearing. Their products are quite pricey but they last for a very long time as a little goes a long way. The cherry blossom hand cream keeps hands nourished and protected against cold weather and the texture is creamy without being too greasy. The cream comes in a travel size too so you can keep it in your hand bag, even if you just want to smell it again! 

Needless to say, I can not wait for my Dads next trip to London!

xx

LD Lashes is finally set up!

Wednesday 1^st February 2012

My friend Donna and I have just set up our own business, LD Lashes, selling false eyelashes and we are very excited to get selling! We still have to set up a photo shoot for the various styles of lashes that we have to offer. When we get these done I will post some shots on here for people to see. I have been working on a look book of different products and make up looks for each style, which I will also post on here. I am very excited to get started! Once we get the photos done we can complete our Facebook group and get our website sorted. I feel like we have been talking about this for so long we just want to get it up and running now!

If I have sparked any interest have a look at our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/143395772444653/ and follow us on twitter @LDLashes 

I can't wait to get writing about all of it on here :)

xx