Monday 16 May 2011

The Postman Was Kind Today

Hi Ladies,

Just wanted to share a few goodies I got today. The postman was very kind and I got 4 packages (gotta love that)

So firstly delivered to work was my CherryCulture order which had
2 Eye Shadows, Root Beer (brown) and Morocco (Blue/Purple)
2 Jumbo Pencils, White & Purple
1 Long Lip Liner Pencil in Currant
1 Slim Lip Liner Pencil in Natural
1 Mosaic Blush in Plummy

Then when I got home I had 3 parcels. One was from Charli and was a MAC lipstick in Spirit which I bought from her blogsale. I also had 2 from eBay which were an Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sellout and a Sleek Blush in Pomegranate.


Let me know if there is anything you would like me to review first.

Thanks

XX

Witch Skincare Tinted Moisturiser

Hello pretty ladies

So a week or two ago I nominated Dee for the #Flawlessfollower prize that Witch offer every Friday and she got chosen. Witch  are so generous and every Friday choose a flawless follower and the person that nominated them to win a product of their choice.

So when Dee got chosen I got to pick a product to try too. I had just bought their primer the day before so I decided to go for something else to try so I went for their tinted moisturiser as I do not own one :) It did take me a little while to decide which shade to go for as I was wavering between light and medium. In the end I decided on medium and if it was too dark I could always mix it with regular moisturiser.



When it arrived I was a little bit worried about just how dark it looked but it was pretty clear after blending it in a little bit it was a perfect match for my skin. As you rub it in it does get a good bit lighter. I am an NW20 and the shade medium is just perfect on me.




So I haven't had much time to play with my make up and try things out but on Saturday morning I decided to have my face natural but presentable so I applied my new tinted moisturiser with a touch of blush and a sweep of mascara.

When my other half landed home I got told I looked very pretty and healthy :-0 I love that sometimes when you put the least effort in they still think you look nice but then I think well why do I bother with my regular routine if I look ok with such little effort haha

So back on topic. Again on Sunday I put aside my foundation and applied the tinted moisturiser. I knew I had to head out so popped on some setting powder a bit of my Accessorize bronzer and a bit of blush along with a very neutral eye and some mascara and I think it made for a really nice natural look and my skin felt amazing.

Again this morning I set aside my foundation for my new moisturiser so I have a feeling that for the summer my foundation will be taking a back seat to this absolute little marvel. Up to now I have never owned a tinted moisturiser as I was scared of such little coverage. I have a heck of a lot of freckles and always thought that I needed a good coverage foundation to even out my skin but I am really liking this more natural coverage for summer and loving that my skin feels like it can breathe easy.

So lovely ladies if you are in the market for a tinted moisturiser for summer check this little baby out because it has made it's way into my permanent collection.

I also just want to say another massive thank you to Witch, as it is not many companies that show such generosity to their customers.

Thanks again

XX

Sunday 15 May 2011

Konad Nail Stamping

 Hi Ladies,

Before I want to start just a heads up that there is a wide mix of photographs throughout this post as many were taken at different times so sorry if that irritates you :)

So a few weeks ago I saw on Pigsback.com that they had a 50% off coupon for a starter Konad Nail Printing set. No I had been after these for a while and had a go at the cheapo ones off eBay but they were crap so had thought I might get some for my birthday so when I saw this offer I couldn't refuse. The original price of the set was €26.00 and I got it for €13.00 including postage. The site that Pigsback used was www.konad.ie

So here is what was in the set. To be fair I couldn't take a pic of the box because it was battered to bits but all of the contents were perfect.

So you get 1 x stamping plate with 7 designs, the rubber printing stamp and the scraper. You also get a regular size bottle of special Konad top coat and a small bottle of special white Konad polish and special pearl black Konad polish.






If you are unfamiliar with the way Konad stamping works this might give you an idea. Firstly you paint your nails with any regular polish you choose. Then decide on what colour you want the design and then paint a layer of this colour over the design on the plate. I chose the black to demonstrate this.


Then using the scraper you remove any excess polish and only leave enough to fill the design engraving.


Now you take the rubber stamp and roll it over the design. The stamp will pick up the design onto the rubber ready to apply to your nail.


You then decide whereabouts on your nail you want the design and apply it by rolling the stamp over that section of your nail.

Here are a few designs I have tried....






I have to say it is very very easy to use and you get such a lovely result. The only downside is it will take a lot of practice to get placement etc correct to do a perfect replica on each nail. Right now each nail is a little bit different on me that is why you kind of only see me showing one nail.

The other thing is when I used white over the pink the white went a lighter shade of pink and also even the special top coat kind of makes the design smudge so I won't be using top coat any more.

I do still love this as a quick easy way to do nail art. I have just ordered the plate with leopard and zebra print and have the cow print on my wishlist. If you are into nail art I say give it a go. I know it can be quite expensive but once you have the stamper and scraper you will have them for life and then you can just buy the plates. I am gonna have a whirl at doing it with regular polish too as the special stuff is very limited and quite expensive so I will let you know how I get on with that.

Anyway - thanks for reading lovelies, have a great rest of your weekend

XX

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Urban Decay Preen Shadow Box

Hi Ladies,

I couldn't sleep one night last week and was doing a very dangerous thing - Surfing eBay dun dun dun - when I came across a s seller selling Urban Decay Preen Shadow Box's at a bargain price.

The Buy it Now price was £2.00 for the box and £8.00 delivery so the total I paid was £10.00. I was a bit skeptical at first because I was thinking how can it be that cheap, but when I read the feedback the seller had received it all looked pretty positive so I went ahead and ordered 2 palettes, one for myself and one as a gift for my bestie's birthday at the end of the month :)

So I got them both in the post yesterday and they are 100% legit and goooooorgeous. I am not so much a neutral lady but I like that this has the option of neutral and bright colours. I wore Mildew and Toasted today as I am practicing on more neutral colours and it was really nice. Like all UD palettes/shadows these are amazing.

So just in case you wanna snap this bargain up here is a link http://shop.ebay.ie/renia3440/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1 at the min I don't think there are any Buy it Now but the auction prices are fairly low.

Aaaaaaaand here are some pics




Just took this so you could compare sizes


Again you can compare pan sizes




Hope you enjoyed

XX

Tuesday 10 May 2011

ELF Studio Cream Eyeliner -V- MAC Fluidline

Hello my lovelies,

I know I am still a bit MIA I have a feeling it could be like this for a few months but please stick with me I am still aiming for about 3/4 weekly posts and will try to get back to 6/7 as soon as I can. Things are just a bit mental at the minute, kind of an emotional roller coaster.

Anyway today I have spent doing a little experiment (I do love my little experiments) to see which is better MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner or ELF Studio Cream Eyeliner. During my ELF review week I did mention I fancied doing this but as I didn't have the ELF version in black I placed an order for it when then next free shipping code popped up. So I got the ELF one yesterday and set about my experiment this morning.







I am sorry I did not have any opportunities to take pictures of my eyes as proof with work and then a very busy evening.


So this morning in put MAC on my left eye and ELF on my right eye. I used both on my waterline and on my lid. I used my MAC 266 angle eyeliner brush to apply to both eyes. Regards application I found that the MAC liner tends to give a thicker line even though I used the same brush. To get a similar effect using the ELF liner I had to draw two lines to match the thickness.


ELF on the left (have drawn two lines to match the thickness of the MAC)

The way I look at this is for a night out I like really dark eyes so the MAC one would probably be my choice for that but on a daily basis I do like my liner to be a touch more subtle (although I still like a dark eye) so I would probably go for the ELF one as you can then build it up.

Application to the waterline was also very easy both applied very similarly and neither rubbed off or ran.

So I pottered about my morning at work popping to the ladies every couple of hours to have a look. By lunch time both had virtually disappeared from my waterline which I don't really mind as I am quite used to that already having used the MAC version for a few years. On the lid both held strong despite my baaaad eye rubbing habit. (when I get stressed I rub my eyes - and I am quite stressed :) )

So in all I am really really impressed with the ELF version. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for pure loyalty to my fluidline for years of good service I may not re-purchase it because the ELF version is a fraction of the price at €4.00 and is pretty much every bit as good. I think I will be using the ELF for work wear and keep my MAC version for weekends etc. I will however re-purchase both :)

So there you go ladies, if you have used either and would like to share your experience please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

XX

Sunday 8 May 2011

My Week in Make Up

Hey gorgeous ladies,

So the last few weeks I have been doing 'My Week in Lipstick' posts but as I can finally confess I am in love with lipsticks - slightly verging on obsessed - I have decided to start doing my week in make up posts.

I thought of this after posting last Sundays week in lipsticks so have started putting all of the products I used every day into a box so that I would know what I have used by the end of the week. I am also trying to use different products every day so as to share the loooove ;)

So I'm just gonna post pictures of what I used over the week and then if you would like a review on any of the products please feel free to let me know :)

So here are all the goodies I used this week - Enjoy xx


An Overview of all products used


Far right


Centre


Far left

I thought this was a good way of showing you what I use and then if anybody would like any reviews if you were thinking of getting similar products I could do a review for you.

Hope you enjoy

XX

Early Birthday Presents :)

Hello all you beauties,

My wonderful other half decided to spoil me today as it is my birthday on Wednesday but we are both working all week so we won't be able to do anything. So as wonderful as he is he took today off and whisked me off up to Newry which is about an hours drive away so I could make my very first visit to Superdrug. Needless to say I was sooooooo super excited. There are so many amazing brands in Superdrug that we just can't get down this side of the country. And the even better part is he put all my purchases through his card because all this is my Birthday present... yayyyyyy for thoughtful fiances. So I only purchased from brands that I cannot get a hold of here.

Just before I go on... I am not bragging or boasting so please do not leave me any negative comments. I am simply showing what I got as a present and letting my followers know what kind of products I will be reviewing in the future.

So here is what I got in Superdrug....


This is what £63.20 worth of make up looks like haha


The first stand I hit was 2true and I already have a concealer from them that Dee sent me but I wanted to get some more goodies and Kelly had recommended the foundation so I decided to give it a whirl.
These were really reasonably price £1.99 each or 3 for £4.99 so I got 6 bits.

2true smooth matte pressed powder in shade 2

2true smooth matte foundation in shade 2

2true lipstick in shade 1

2true plumptuous lip gloss in shade 20

2true fast dry quick colour nail polish in shade 1

2true glossywear nail polish in shade 10


I loooooove sleek and wasn't sure if the Superdrug I was going to would even have their stand but they did and it was massive and I love it. So i decided on

Sleek storm palette £6.49

Sleek pout polish in pink Cadillac £4.29

Sleek face contour kit in light £6.50

2 x Sleek lipsticks in mystic and barely there 2 for £6.00


These 3 were in the basket when I got to the till and I hadn't put them there haha the OH had decided he liked them and popped them in while I was oggling the Sleek stand.

These MeMeMe nail collection long lasting gloss were on 3 for 2 (my OH told me this and said that is why he picked 3 shades haha I love him so much) and they were £4.50 each so I got the three for £9.00

The shades are Impulsive (neon yellow) Enigmatic (Grey) and Elegant (Gold/Green)


Again the blue polish popped into my basket by the polish fairy :) I only got a little few things from Beauty UK but I do already have a little palette with thanks again to Dee.

BeautyUK baked blush in candy shop £3.99

BeautyUK glam nails in soft grey £1.99

BeautyUK glam nails in electric blue £1.99

BeautyUK lip lust in date night £2.99


Lastly are a few one off things. I was actually really disappointed because the Accessorize stand was almost empty but I had been craving this bronzer since I saw CazzyFox use it on youtube.

Accessorize Baked Bronzer Golden Sand shade 1 £7.00

MUA Eye Dust in Shade 1 £1.00

Superdrugs own eye shadow blending brush £1.99

So I have to say my very first Superdrug visit was amazing. I won't need to go back for a while but I definitely will be going back. I just wish they were somewhere a bit nearer.

So after we left Superdrug we started heading home and I was so busy looking through all my goodies in the car I didn't realise the the OH had taken the wrong road home. When I said it to him he said sure we are going to Blanchardstown now to get you some MAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we got to Blanchardstown and I was bamboozled cos there must have been about 5 girls getting their make up done. All I really wanted was the Face and Body foundation but the girl said they didn't stock it cos the shop was not big enough - whatever - the shop is plenty big. I know a few people are having this problem. I really think they should stock it. Anyway rant over... so instead I got another eyeshadow for my palette and a new lipstick from the Quite Cute collection.


Eyeshadow is Parfait Amour and was €11.50 and the lipstick is Play Time €17.50

Also before we left this morning my Mother and Father in law to be gave me some money for my birthday to spend while we were shopping so I picked up a curling wand. I still think my hair is a bit short but at least I can try now or even just practice for when it is longer.


Babyliss curling wand from Boots €33.99.

So that was my Birthday presents. My Mum already gave me hers last month it was a tattoo removal session so I can't see there being any more but I think I did pretty dang well. It'll take me months to play with all of this :)

Anyway lovely ladies enjoy the rest of your weekend. I may be quite cos I will be busy playing.

XX

Saturday 7 May 2011

MIA

Hi Lovelies,

I just wanted to write a quick post to apologise for being MIA this week. I haven't blogged since Monday and I feel terrible. Unfortunately there are some things going on in my personal life that I need to worry about at the minute so the old bloggy is taking a back seat for a bit. I will try to blog as much as I can though cos I do miss it.

So while I am on I am just gonna show you a couple of little bits I picked up lately. I had to pop into town this evening after work for something and really needed some cheering up, but am still conscious of my ban even though it is the least of my worries at the moment, so I contained myself but I did get two absolute bargains. These bags were originally €8.00 each in Primark/Pennys but I got them for €2.00 each and the best part is I had been eying up one of them for a while. I don't actually posses a tan bag so I said to hell with it at that price get em both.


Sorry about the horrible picture I am considering maybe a new camera soon - actually can I get a bit of feedback on my pics? are they ok or could I do with a better camera? unfortunately the lighting in my house is bloody awful.

Anyway last night I was getting petrol and had seen on Leannes blog before I had left the house about the freebie Nails Inc Polish in InStyle magazine so I picked one up. They only had 4 mags left, 3 had the green (electric teal) and the other had the fawn colour so i got a green one and it is really good stuff so shiny and I didn't even bother with a top coat.



So there you are a few little bargain pick me ups. I am just in bed now and watching the new Harry Potter film again and fingers crossed normal blogging will resume shortly

XX

Monday 2 May 2011

NOTD - Nail Effects Pink'n'Black

Happy Bank Holiday Monday Lovelies,

Just a super quick post about my nail polish that I wore yesterday. I had a bit of inspiration on Saturday Night and wend a bit Pink'n'Black mad. I love these two colours especially together so here is my little creation.


What I used



As a base I used Essence Black on my index and ring finger and I use MUA pink on every other finger as it matched the Barry M Nail Effects Pink so well. Over the base I used Barry M Nail Effects in Pink and Black.



Black over pink on my middle finger and pink over black on my index finger.

You can see the difference between putting pink over black and then black over Pink. I think I almost prefer the pink over the black.

Which is your fave?

XX

My week in Lipsticks #2

Hey Ladies,

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend. I am looking forward to a Bank Holiday Monday Snooze on tomorrow but dreading back to work on Tuesday. Just updating you on week 2 of my quest to fall in love with lipsticks. Hope you like the new name :)

This week had it's ups and downs to be honest but I think I am on track to loving lippies :) I had the week off this week so there were a few days I didn't wear make up at all so my lipstick pile for this week is small, however, I did go a little bit mad buying lipsticks.

 I sold a few bits and bobs on eBay so had some PayPal money so I took the opportunity to invest in a few more NYX lipsticks. I have one NYX lipstick but went for a colour that did not match me so I am giving them another go. I purchased 2 sets of 3 lipsticks off 2 different sellers and went for Doll, Thalia, Aphrodite, Fig, Tea Rose and Rose Bud. I am hoping at least one will suit me.

I was also at the MAC counter on Tuesday and if you follow me on Twitter you will know that I have had a love hate relationship with the lipstick I purchased. As I said in last weeks update I got 17 Beehive because I wanted a nude and it did not seem to work on me. So I thought sod it I will go to MAC and spend that bit extra to be matched to a nice nude and do it right. FAIL. The girl in MAC 'matched' me, and I use the term lightly, to Myth which is a horrible colour on me and even the boyf said I looked like a corpse. It was horrible but I persisted with lipglosses and brushes trying to make it work. So in desperation last night I slapped it on again and popped Beehive over it and amazing, the look great together so my cheapy 17 lippy saved the day over the expensive crappy one.


Top: Myth, Middle: Beehive, Bottom: Myth with Beehive over it

I had a horrible night on Friday and honestly did not sleep a wink and had to pop into town for my sister really early on Saturday morning, so still feeling very sorry for myself after my sleepless night and feeling I deserved a treat of course I popped into Boots and as the 3 for 2 was on I had even more reason to treat myself so I got a 17 shadow which I am gonna do a review on a 17 mascara and another new lipstick (this is how I know I am starting to fall in love :) ) I purchased a Rimmel lipstick as I love the formulation of my Rimmel Asia (which is ancient). The colour I chose is Lasting Finish 'One of  Kind' and I will be colour matching myself to lipsticks in future cos it is gorrrrrgeous. It is a teeny bit berry-ish for spring but I am gonna live in it for winter.

So I also popped in a sneaky little ELF order on Thursday because of the Free delivery code you can't resist that, and what do you know 2 Lipsticks on that list too. After getting a mineral lipstick from Charli... and loving it I decided it was well worth investing in another one so I have ordered Mineral Pouty Petal and Regular Line Gypsy.

So in a week I have purchased 9 Lipstick (OMG didn't think of it like that) so I think it might be a sign I am falling for them.

As I said I haven't been wearing make up too much this week but I did reach for a few lipsticks when I was heading out. I have been keeping ELFs Classy lipstick in my bag for emergencies because I think it pretty much goes with anything and have also been slicking on Rimmel Asia quite often. If you have quite pigmented lips I think this is a really nice natural colour. In my pic I have also included Beehive and Myth because I am gonna wear them tomorrow and also my new Rimmel which I loooooove.


17 Beehive, ELF Classy, Rimmel Asia, MAC Myth, Rimmel One of a Kind

So this is my week in Lipstick - hopefully next Sunday I will be posting pics of all my new Lipsticks

If you have any recommendations please send em my way.

XX