Beauty's Bad Habit

H&M 'Black Vanilla' Eau De Toilette

2012-03-06T14:03:00.000Z

Fragrances have been on my mind lately, I just have this urge to sniff them all and find 'the one'. Having a signature scent, to me, is important. I like when friends and family always smell the same, it's kinda comforting - is that weird?! Anyway. What I'm getting at is that my urge to sniff everything in a glass bottle right now has lead me to this little gem...

H&M 'Black Vanilla' Eau De Toilette is one of those simple but beautiful scents which anyone who adores a good vanilla scent will fall for. It's soft yet rich, powdery without a hint of musk and sweet without being sickly - an ideal combination. I'd happily wear 'Black Vanilla' to uni/ family meals/ trips out, since it's light enough not to be overpowering. I'd also wear it to clubs/ bars/ concerts since it's rich enough for a night time scent.

The bottle looks a bit cheap, but it's sturdy enough and probably wouldn't look out of place in your handbag or dressing table. Plus - at £2, who cares what it looks like when it smells so gorgeous?!

If 'Black Vanilla' takes your fancy, you'd better snap it up soon - it came through on the receipt as a seasonal item AND it's on sale...which only means one thing...they'll be gone soon!

Available at H&M on sale at £2 for 30ml of product.

Demonia Platform Creepers

2012-03-05T19:56:00.000Z

Sometime before IMATS (Jesus, that seems like AGES ago!) I ordered myself some Demonia platform creepers as a bit of a treat. I was in need of shoes which made me feel...stompy. Y'know, sh*t kicking shoes? Shoes which make you feel 10ft tall and a bit rowdy. Having had baby pink Underground creepers for six years, it was time for something a little more wearable!

The first time I wore them they killed my shins and ankles, which ached for days afterwards. That's pretty common with any 'platform' shoes, though. Today was my third time in them and I can honestly say they're one of the comfiest pairs of shoes I own! I paired them with rolled down socks, tights, shorts, a vintage mens cardi and plain vest for uni today - slouchy and stompy, ideal.

What do you think to creepers?

Beauty's Bad Habit is now on Pinterest!

2012-03-03T17:58:00.000Z

I've been on Pinterest for a little while, actually, but haven't really gotten to grips with it yet! I've just been uploading some of my pictures from this blog and will continue to do so as I take more :) Right now I've got two boards, one of blog pics and one of hair inspiration (which I might delete) - I'm not sure I'll make more due to the terms and conditions of Pinterest.

Go follow! I'll obvs follow back since I want to see pretty pictures :)

RECIPE - Indulgent White Hot Chocolate

2012-03-01T07:30:00.001Z

Recently I've had a real sweet tooth. That annoying voice that starts out as a whisper, "Buy some biscuits...bake a cake..." that becomes a shout "MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE! PROPER HOT CHOCOLATE! NOW!" In fear for my life (as this voice was quite threatening) I headed to Asda for the appropriate ingredients.

YOU WILL NEED

100g white chocolate

1/ 3 cup double cream

1/ 3 cup milk

1/ 3 cup vanilla flavour milk

If you can't find vanilla flavour milk, DO NOT opt for a cheap vanilla milkshake - they taste synthetic and probably too sweet for this recipe. Instead, just use 2/ 3 cup milk and add a dash of vanilla essence. This aint an American recipe, by the way, I just think it's easier to measure something served in a cup in the cup itself!

1. Break up 100g of white chocolate.

2. Pour the milk and vanilla milk into a pan and heat gently. Don't boil it, just warm it up.

3. Once your milk mix has warmed up, throw in the chocolate chunks. Stir constantly so that they don't get stuck to the bottom and burn!

4. Once the chocolate has melted, stir in the double cream. Heat for a little while longer, then pour back into the cup and enjoy!

This is a really creamy, rich hot chocolate which is perfect for an after dinner treat. If you're not too fond of white chocolate, just swap it for milk or dark - no problem.

What's your favourite hot chocolate? Do you buy it in powder form or make it from scratch?

Carmine February Box

2012-02-29T14:59:00.000Z

I've had quite a few Carmine boxes sent for review in previous months and I'm always impressed. This month is no different! With February's theme being 'Fresh. Fun. Colour', Carmine want to remind you what Spring is all about...

Carmine are sticking to their original black box, lime interior, scarlet paper packaging - which I love. It really makes them stand out in a sea of pink beauty boxes. Carmine always include a little guide to everything in the box, which often have discount codes so that you can stock up on your favourite products for less. So what does February's box house?

Steam Cream - Steam Cream have been making waves in the beauty industry ever since their launch, with straight forward ingredients, a light weight formula and 'steam technology' it's hardly surprising! Steam Cream keep their simple product interesting with heaps of funky tin designs. This is the stand out product of the box for me.

Balance Me 'Super Moisturising Body Wash' - Balance Me are a skincare brand from the UK, specialising in beautiful products made from natural ingredients. I'm all for supporting UK companies, so I'm really excited to try this out! I was surprised that this body wash smells quite masculine, very earthy and herby. I've a feeling lots of gents will be nabbing this from their ladies!

Andrea Fulerton Nail Varnish - I'm already a fan of Andrea Fulerton polishes, the colour range is vast and includes some really unique shades. While I wouldn't call this a Spring time colour, it's definitely a 'me' colour and a shade I can see plenty of ladies appreciating.

Yardley London 'Peony' Fragrance - I know A LOT of people whinged when another beauty box company included a perfume sample in a box, so Carmine cleverly included this as an extra! Personally, I like perfume samples since I'm looking to buy a new one. Yardley London 'Peony' is warm, floral, and clean - perfect for Spring, but not something I'd go for.

Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick - Not a brand I've had experience with before, so I was intrigued by this mini lippy. They have a similar scent to MAC lipsticks, last quite a while and are only a touch drying. The shade I received is 42, a bronze/ rose/ brown hybrid which would look killer on Asian skintones.

White Glo Professional Choice Whitening Toothpaste - At first I thought it odd to include an everyday essential in a beauty box...then I thought, 'Well, without it we'd all sure as Hell have ugly smiles!' I haven't tried this yet, but having slightly tea stained gnashers I'll definitely get my use out of it.

Overall, another great box from Carmine. I'd recommend checking these guys out if you're looking into beauty boxes, since there hasn't been a 'dud box' yet!

Available from www.carmine.co.uk, priced at £12.75 (inc p&p) per month.

Product received for review purposes. All opinions 100% honest and 100% my own, as always!

Blog Photography Tip - Infinity Curves

2012-02-29T13:39:00.002Z

Infinity curves make taking pretty decent product photos effortless. The 'theory' is, that by having no edges behind your object, a feeling of endless space is created. Why would you want that? So that there are no harsh lines or gradients in light behind your object - giving a cleaner background with all the focus on your object.

How to Create a Basic Infinity Curve

1. Take a sheet of plain, white paper and pin it to your wall/ desk/ wherever so that bout half remains on the floor. This will create a soft curve. I'm using sketching paper, but cheap, glossy paper would be better!

2. Compose your shot and take it.

3. Edit, if need be. Finne!

Here's my shot - notice how there's no feeling of the background and 'floor' meeting? I'd usually use a studio light and two reflectors to balance the light a little better (see how grey it is around the edges), but I thought I'd show what ANYONE with some paper, two pins and a camera can achieve.

If you have any photography questions, please check out my Beauty Blog Photography 101 post as most will be answered there :)

Hope that was helpful!

REVIEW - Miss Sporty 'Dr Balm' in '03 Gossip'

2012-02-27T07:30:00.001Z

Does anyone else have the annoying habit of utterly annihilating their favourite lip balms in the washing machine? I do. My lip balms always end up in a watery grave! After destroying two Darling Girl Cosmetics lip balms in this manner, I was on the look out for something cheap and cheerful...

Miss Sporty 'Dr. Balm' is a new product to the line - a moisturising, healing lip balm with a super faint hint of colour. 'Dr. Balm' first caught my eye due to the slightly old school packaging, but what really sold me was the smell - watermelon sweets! Easily pleased, right?! I also love that these have lipstick shaped bullets, which makes them feel less like a balm and more like a make-up product.

So far, I'm impressed! 'Dr. Balm' moisturises well, lasts a long time, smells delicious, provides the perfect amount of sheer colour and best of all - they're only £1.99! Bargain or what?!

Available in five shades. Purchase in Superdrug or the Miss Sporty website at £1.99 each.

Beauty Blog Link Love

2012-02-26T13:56:00.001Z

Beautifully Addicted To.... shows you how to create Galaxy Nails.

Musicalhouses takes a look at Benefit's latest boxed blush offering, Benefit Hervana!

Tigers get frisky on Valentine's Day as Addicted to Beauty enjoys London Zoo's viral campaign.

At Musing on Beauty, Mariella tries two of the Edward Bess Quad Royale and is positively surprised!

Dry skin got you down? Kajal Couture lets you in on an AMAZING new body moisturizer collection from Burts Bees.

Beautywoome's response to the Kate Upton's Sports Illustrated cover is that real boobs have rights too!

Valentine's Day may be over, but here at My Funny Valentine, we love pink lippies all year round!

The Pink Sith has found yet another TAUPE eyeshadow to drool over. This time it's Rouge Bunny Rouge Loose Glitter Pigment in Caress Of Mink!

Curious about the new NARS Cosmetics Spring Collection? Check out Krasey Beauty's swatches and review!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed would like to escape the cold weather for a resort. But, since that's not happening, she's brought it to her fingers with the essie Resort Collection! Check it out and see if it brings you warm thoughts too!

Looking for the ultimate baby pink lipstick? Amy Antoinette reviews Clarins Joli Rouge Baby Pink Lipstick.

At theNotice, Rae takes you through The BB Cream Breakdown, with bare-faced (!) and full-face swatch comparisons of Garnier and Marcelle's BB Cream offerings.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections shares her secret beauty habit and wants to know yours!

Has Pammy Blogs Beauty discovered a new Holy Grail eye shadow? Check out her review of L'Oreal's new 24 hour Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte.

Phyrra debuts her first video tutorial of the year, a vibrant sapphire blue look with Makeup Geek & Sugarpill.

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Every woman wants soft, luscious, plump lips. Win a tube of 3Lab Perfect Lips from Prime Beauty and perfect YOUR pout!

FOTD - Mascara Print Eyes

2012-02-24T07:30:00.004Z

You ever feel like applying a really 'done up' face, but have next to no time to do it in? That was my issue earlier this week! After making myself up exactly like my last red lipped look, I came to applying mascara and thought I was almost finished...until...

I got a blob of mascara on my lid. Now, I've been embracing mascara smudges lately, partly because of how cumbersome the Max Factor 'False Lash' mascara wand is, partly because Sam from Pixiwoo does! So, instead of trying to remove it (this mascara is a pain to remove anyway) I got a little mascara print happy.

It was smudgy, it creased, but I enjoyed it! Paired with a red lip and dark eyebrows, I looked rather Frankenfurter, but I couldn't bring myself to remove the lippy so rocked it like the mad transvestite 'scientist' instead.

What do you think to mascara print patterns? Do you leave mascara mistakes or wipe them away?

"Let's Go Down to the Cellar" Photoshoot

2012-02-23T14:49:00.001Z

Yesterday I hopped on the train to go and visit my friend, Lis. We'd been talking about doing a little photoshoot for a while and ended up having an attempt at one in her flat...

"Lets go down to the cellar." - Lighting was pretty much non-existant and since I hadn't taken my studio light I wasn't expecting much. It was a pretty cool little room, though!

Not bad since by the time we started we were tipsy off wine and full up on a ridiculous amount of cake and sweets! That's how all impromptu 'photoshoots' start though - aint it?! We'll probably do another which will...

A) Have been planned
B) Have the right equipment
C) Hopefully have more wine!

You can find more of Lis on her blog or Tumblr.
(P.S) She's wearing Stargazer 130 lipstick, before you purple lip lovin' ladies ask :)

NOTD - Barry M Ice Cream Nails

2012-02-21T15:42:00.000Z

As much as I love my dark, shimmery polishes, sometimes brighter, creamier shades call out to me. This week, I fancied something a bit cheery to contrast with all the black I usually wear! That resulted in me pulling out a five of my prettiest Barry M shades.

Brown - Barry M 'Mushroom'
Blue - Barry M 'Pure Turquoise'
Pink - Barry M 'Strawberry Ice Cream'
Yellow - Barry M 'Lemon Ice Cream'
Purple - Barry M 'Berry Ice Cream'

As you can see, I really loved Barry M's 'Ice Cream' collection of nail polishes. I think they were released about two years ago, but you'll still find them for sale.

The background for these pics is the cover my Mum made for my drawing tablet - isn't the fabric lovely? Not a fabric I'd have chosen myself, but it stands out well against all my dark sketchbooks and gloomy boxes of abused paints!

Do you own any of these nail polishes? Are you a dark bright polish kinda girl - or a bit of both?

REVIEW - Stargazer Baked Eyeshadow Duos

2012-02-19T12:52:00.001Z

One of the latest offerings from Stargazer, these baked eyeshadow duos offer buildable colour in a range of eight beautiful shades. The shades range from super wearable smokey silver-black duos to funkier lime- bronzes...

Baked eyeshadows come housed in sturdy, little black pots with a clear window so you can see exactly which shade you're reaching for. There is also a label providing all of the information you could possibly need on the bottom of the pot.

The eyeshadows themselves are slightly domed (as with most baked products) with lines of colour streaked across the surface. I think the bronze colour has been sprayed on, so will probably vanish after a good amount of use. The stripes are just about wide enough to be able to pick up the colours separately with an eyeshadow brush.

[[ 'Ecology' green/ green + bronze, 'Ascot' lilac/ lilac + bronze ]]

Stargazer 'Baked Eyeshadow Duos' are pretty darn versatile - use over a primer for a sheerer wash of colour, a sticky base for max intensity or a coloured base to really make them POP. Personally, I favour a sticky base, with Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue' being my absolute favourite. The texture is soft, blendable and really easy to work with.

Priced at £4 each, available from the Stargazer website.

Products provided for review purposes. Opinions 100% honest and 100% my own, as always!

FOTD - Red Lip Love

2012-02-15T20:03:00.000Z

Dontcha just love red lipstick? I seriously think every woman should own one! There's something pretty empowering about red lips which means they feel amazing to wear. Then again, lots of ladies say they find red lips a bit intimidating - I say, 'FEAR NOT!', go find your perfect shade and rock it like no other.

These are the best red lips I think I've ever applied. The secret, for me, is in layering products and contouring the shape. My lips look SO MUCH fuller than usual down to some nifty shading at the corners and highlighting the centre.

EYES - A smudge of Too Faced 'Black Suede' eyeshadow for mega subtle eyelining, Max Factor 'False Lash' mascara.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, Collection 2000 powder, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighting powder, Topshop 'Nutmeg' blush.

LIPS - Collection 2000 'Damson' lipliner, discontinued Rimmel lipstick (name label has worn off!), powder, Ben Nye cherry red eyeshadow, Yaby white eyeshadow.

EYEBROWS - MUA 'Shade 19' eyeshadow mixed with Too Faced 'Black Suede'.

Sorry about the crazy over exposure, it's that or nothing right now in my dingy little uni room :( Top picture is most colour accurate!

What's your favourite red lipstick? Do you fear or embrace it?

REVIEW - Freshlook Colours Green Contact Lenses

2012-02-12T22:48:00.001Z

Ever since I was a mini 'goth' kid, I've loved the look of contacts. My 11 year old self marveled at the spectacle of Marilyn Manson's single white contact he occasionally wears and wished I was ballsy enough to try them. Yup, the idea of wearing contacts terrified me to the core, so much so that I developed quite a fascination. However, this fascination/ admiration was from afar - until recently...

I received a pair of Freshlook lenses in my chosen colour (green) and finally overcame my fear! They come in a small box, with details of diameter size, base curve, lens strength etc. The lenses themselves are in individual plastic pods with a thick foil seal. It should be noted that the pods ARE NOT resealable - so if you plan to wear these for the month that they last for, buy lens cases and solution.

So, here's my natural eye colour - dark, warm brown. My eyes are actually darker than flash would have you believe - to the point where I've actually been asked if my eyes are black before! This has been one reason I've never bothered with lenses in the past - would they even show up?

Yes! Miraculously, they did. The effect was pretty subtle in standard lighting and gave my eyes more of a hazel look than a straight up green. Again, flash would have you believe these contacts give an obvious colour, but on my dark eyes, they didn't. Still, they were pretty and quite natural looking.

Since this was my first time wearing contacts, popping them in got a bit annoying! I kept blinking them out and having to rinse them with lens solution - so if you're a first timer, definitely have some solution to hand. I found the 'look up, blink and look down' method useless - much easier just to place them where they ought to be in the first place. In future, I'll definitely do lower liner/ mascara AFTER lenses, too.

These Freshlook Colours lenses were really comfortable, which surprised me! I expected lenses to feel weird, but after a few hours I forgot I was actually wearing them. If you're looking for comfy, natural looking lenses, I'd definitely give Freshlook...well...a look.

Available from Getlenses in a range of colours and strengths.

Product received for review purposes. All opinions 100% my own and 100% honest - as always!

Beauty Blog Link Love

2012-02-11T19:14:00.001Z

Chanel La Ravissante Rouge Allure Velvet is the little glimpse of summer we've been waiting for. See it in action on My Funny Valentine.

The Pink Sith asks: Did you know that Nordstrom Rack has Stila makeup palettes? Well now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

At theNotice, Rae solves the Great Beauty Blogger Problem: taking photos after the sun's gone down. Check out her classic smokey eye to see the proof for yourself.

At Love Lust & Fairy Dust, Jude warns us to never underestimate the power of a Tom Ford Lipstick. Check out her cautionary tale with a very happy ending.

Beauty woo me thinks red hair is like Marmite.

Curious about Kevyn Aucoin's makeup line? Check out Krasey Beauty's swatches and review of some key pieces!

Want soft lips? Check out Jenn from Spiced Beauty's L'Oreal Le Balm in Rose Elixir review.

Want to know how to create beautiful side swept curls? Madame B Fatale shows you how!

We all need a little sunshine in a bottle to brighten up dreary winter skin. Miss Beauty Nerd is painting herself with Benefit's new Sun Beam!

Mariella at Musing on Beauty experiments with Makeup Geek Eyeshadows and creates a quad with her favorites.

At Lipstick Musings, Shannon is shocked to find out there actually IS great organic skin care out there! She's starting with Hollybeth's Rose Geranium Facial Moisturizer. Come see what the fuss is about!

Love Chocolate and The Body Shop? Then don't miss out the latest/greatest The Body Shop Chocomania Collection.

Phyrra gets nekkid with the new Let's Get Nekkid collection from Cult Nails.

Prime Beauty is looking to get in shape and what better fitness coaches than Hans and Franz! Her hair needs some work too and UNITE Haircare really PUMPS HER UP!

Jellyminx shares her top MAC eyeshadow picks. Do you share any of her favourites?

Check out Tracy at Beauty Reflections's new bronzer crush, Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream.

Learn how to create the perfect Valentine's Day look with a subtle, shimmery purple Valentine's Day Makeup Tutorial at Handmade Reviews.

REVIEW - Neom 'Rose and Neroli' Organic Treatment Candle

2012-02-10T07:30:00.006Z

Nothing quite beats a beautifully scented candle for a little bit of luxury at home that the entire family will love. Neom candles are not only organic, but they're jam packed with essential oils in beautiful blends of scents aimed to relax, energize or just boost your mood.

Each candle comes beautifully presented in a sturdy card box printed with Neom's logo and the product name. The flash of gold which sits just below the lid gives a real luxury feel against the crisp white of the rest of the box - very chic. The candle itself is housed in a weight, clear glass with the Neom logo printed across. A simple and traditional design which would blend effortlessly into any style or colour of room.

Neom candles are made with vegetable wax and pure essential oils, which means they burn clean and smell strong. I found the 'Rose and Neroli' scent lingered for hours after the flames were blown out - I could actually smell it very clearly even when it wasn't burning. The rose is clean and fresh, not grannyish, the neroli surprisingly zingy.

[[ When I first lit the candle - in a power cut! ]]

This kind of scent, which Neom claims soothes, lifts the spirits and calms the mood was definitely what we needed when our power cut! We may have been sat in the dark, cursing the electricity board at first, but we soon calmed down, chatting and joking quite merrily with this little gem burning away in the background.

Neom home candles cost £37.50 each, which may seem steep, but when they burn for 55 hours and you're only supposed to burn them for around 2 hours at a time, the scents are strong, they burn clean, the packaging is gorgeous, the wax burns away evenly AND they act as holistic treatment...It's fair.

Available from the Neom website.

Received for review consideration. All opinions 100% honest and 100% my own - as always!

FOTD - We Are Stardust

2012-02-09T19:02:00.001Z

'Allo colour! I've missed you! I've been dying to do this look for weeks, but was back home in Manchester and had left all my BRIGHT eyeshadows a uni. I used to love this kind of look when I was just getting into make-up, it's kinda a blast from the past...

Ahaha, I love how you can tell how freakin' wonky my nose is now I have my nostrils pierced. Check it out in the fourth picture down, holy cow. Before you say, it's not badly placed piercings - my nose twists slightly to one side.

EYES - UDPP, Yaby white, Ben Nye 'Fuchsia' blush, MUFE 92, MUFE 102, Yaby black, Collection 2000 felt tip eyeliner, Barry M pencil eyeliner.

FACE - Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Ben Nye natural pink blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlight, Collection 2000 face powder.

LIPS - MAC 'Honeylove' and a random brandless pink-gold lippy.

Then I swapped the lips for Stargazer 130 lipstick - which is a touch darker and less blue than the photo suggests. It's basically just incredible - if you're a purple lipstick fan, you need this in your life!

What's the brightest eyeshadow you own? How do you wear it?

IMATS 2012 Purchases

2012-02-07T18:51:00.000Z

A few of you wanted to know what I picked up at IMATS, so here's a quick little overview! I didn't buy much since I can't stand crowds or queues, which is a shame, but I'm really happy with what did pick up :)

First I bought a few pencils from NYX, I wanted a few more eyeliners but nobody around the display fancied making any room for me to look - I literally had to grab them from over people's shoulders! I waited until the crowd around the MUFE stand died down before buying the most gorgeous mint green eyeshadow along with a lovely, yellow toned highlight shade. I'd been eyeing up the Real Techniques 'Core Collection' for a while and snagged it for around £16 - bargain!

What did you pick up at IMATS?

The IMATS 2012 Experience!

2012-02-06T20:57:00.000Z

IMATS is the make-up lovers dream event, top make-up brands have stalls there, amazing make-up artists give demos, new techniques and products are unveiled and it's an incredible place to network. I was mega excited to be able to go this year, mostly to see the SFX work, but shiny, pretty things are always a bonus!

[[ Inglot false lashes ]]

The first thing I noticed was how busy it was! Of course, I knew this from going a few years before, but the sheer volume of people around tiny stalls is so off-putting. There were not as many exhibitors as previous years and I was surprised to walk through a few rows of stalls to be met by a seating area - I literally said, 'Is this it?!'

[[ Sleek's stall looked incredible with the giant palette! ]]

Small (for IMATS) or not, it was great fun to walk around swatching, staring and just soaking up the buzz about the place. I loved being able to play with brands I don't usually have access to - Ben Nye, Kryolan, Make-up Forever, NYX etc.

[[ Inglot Eyeshadows ]]

Most brands had around a 20% discount - though some had up to 40% off! The star of the show, for me, were Make-up Forever. MUFE had amazing prices and their products looked utterly fabulous, I had a great time browsing the stall and walked away with a couple of eyeshadows. I was so restrained, as honestly I could have bought a ridiculous amount from them!

The dud stall was Illamasqua - who has clearly underestimated how much they would sell on Saturday and were selling the dregs off at 3 for £10 on Sunday. A good deal, yes, but they only had about 10 products to choose from! I was incredibly disappointed as I had planned on dropping quite a pretty penny with them and those who attended on Saturday were treated to items at a fiver a piece. Poor planning? I think so.

[[ Inglot Lipsticks ]]

Leanne (Donotrefreeze) and Kim (DottieK) joined me for a little while and were kind enough not to comment on my slightly frazzled appearance and demeanor after trekking uphill in snow haha :) Unfortunately I had to dash off with my friend, Ann, to buy some clay from Mouldlife so we didn't get to talk for long! I also got to listen to how one of the staff at Mouldlife created a gruesome looking burn and gave some sculpting tips to Ann, he also gave her his email address to she could contact him for help! How awesome is that?!

[[ SFX 'Dentures' ]]

The SFX work was so incredibly inspiring! The 'Make-up Museum' which showcased fabulous pieces of prosthetic work and sculpts was definitely a highlight for me. I mean...I saw Abe Sapien's neck piece! I'd planned on seeing Nick Dudman's demo, too, but it was rescheduled for Saturday after I'd already booked for Sunday :( I'll be putting more pics of the SFX stuff on my other blog, Little Apparition. My main highlight was seeing Pixiwoo and being totally starstruck, they were so friendly, genuine and gave honest, realistic advice in their 'Q&A' session. They're even more gorgeous in person!

[[ Staff at Cinema Make-up School stall giving a demo ]]

It's often asked, 'Is IMATS really worth the money?' and I always think it's worth remembering that IMATS is primarily a trade show. Trade shows are well worth it for those actually working in make-up - for 'the average consumer', though...it's more of a treat.

Personally, I doubt I'll go again, the price, unexpected schedule changes, crowds and combined 8 hours of travel slightly outweigh the 'fun' element for me. However, where else would I see so much fabulous SFX work?! Request for ISFXMTS, please!

Did you go to IMATS this year? What did you think to it?

FOTD - Nirvana

2012-02-02T16:54:00.000Z

Today I combined a few of my recent favourite eyeshadows for a bright but strangely (almost) subtle look.

EYES - UDPP, Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue', Sugarpill 'Lumi', Shiro Cosmetics 'Subrosia', Darling Girl 'Monarch', Fyrinnae 'Mermen', Natural Collection 'Sea Shell', Collection 2000 black felt tip eyeliner, mascara.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte', Collection 2000 face powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage', Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer.

LIPS - Concealer, Bobby Pin gloss, Sleek 'Sahara' blush.

I adore the look of cool, pale blues and deep red toned browns together - they're so striking and pretty. 'Lumi' over 'Monarchy' reminds me of MAC 'Blue Brown' pigment, something I've lusted after FOREVER. Guess I've found a close enough, kinda dupe for it, though!

What has your favourite colour combination been recently?

TUTORIAL - Dying Hair Extensions

2012-02-01T17:59:00.000Z

After receiving these gorgeous extensions from Halo Hair, I wasn't sure what to do with them...I attached them to a wig, parodied a Will Smith song, then stuck them in the cupboard. Y'see, stunning as they are, grey toned blues look awful with my skintone, and these extensions were veeeery grey-blue. Time to whip out the dye!

1. Gather your extensions, a bin bag, your bleach (if needed), dye, dying gloves, tint brush and comb.

2. Cut open your bin bag and lay it flat over a table/ floor. Bleach your extensions according to the instructions. Remember that extensions are treated differently to actual hair, so they may develop at different speed or give an odd colour result - strand tests are a good idea!

3. Apply your dye with the tint brush to BOTH SIDES of the extensions, comb through, rub in - whatever you need to do to ensure an even coverage. I used Directions 'Turquoise' mixed with a little Directions 'Midnight Blue'.

4. Run some warm water into your sink and gently work shampoo into the extensions. Rinse, run clean water, repeat. Repeat until the water runs clear or (like me) you get bored.

It's best to hold the extensions by the track so that you don't end up with a nasty, ragged hair ball.

5. Hand your extensions up to dry (I use trouser hangers with the clips), straighten/ style if you need to.

6. Marvel at your handy-work!

8. Pop 'em in, style, take photos, attempt not to look like somebody pooped in your coffee (I failed at this) and blog!

This will ONLY work with human hair extensions. To test whether yours are human hair or synthetic, hold a few strands over a flame - if they melt, they're synthetic.

Do you wear extensions? Do you dye them?

New Nose Piercings + Return of the Septum!

2012-01-31T17:05:00.000Z

After a few days of whining on Twitter about how much I wanted a new piercing, I finally got something done! I settled on having both nostrils pierced and paid Holier Than Thou (Oxford Road, Manchester) a visit.

I was pretty nervous when I went in since I hadn't had a piercing done in about 6 years, but my piercer soon put me at ease. She tried to mark up where the studs would be as symmetrically as possible, which was practically impossible on my wonky nose! The piercings were over and done with in just a few minutes and felt no worse than the needle when giving blood. Uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

I also bought a segment ring and decided to resurrect my (wonky) septum piercing. I kinda missed it and thought it had been hidden away long enough!

It'll take me a little while to get used to all of this new metal in my face, but so far I'm quite enjoying it all!

What's the last piercing you had? Which do you want to get?

Carmine's January Beauty Box

2012-01-31T13:48:00.001Z

Carmine's January box contains five little treats to see you through the days after the previous month of partying! As ever, everything was beautifully presented in a black box, black tissue and scarlet red paper.

Korres 'Wild Rose' 24 Hour Moisturiser - Korres are a brand I've watched with interest with quite some time, but never actually purchased from, so I was excited to see this in my box! However, I do believe that this is aimed at older skin since it 'repairs fine lines and discoloration'. I also thought the SPF 6 was a bit ridiculous.

Eyeko 'Fat Eye Stick' - As much as it pains me to say it - I kinda like Eyeko's new branding (so shoot me). I still think the packaging looks a bit cheap, but better than the old stuff. The 'Fat Eye Stick' really impressed me - usually these kind of products crease within 10 seconds on me, but this didn't budge!

Westlab Himalayan Bath Salts - Apparently these have the same detoxifying effect as a 3 day fast, what that means though, I haven't a clue! I think the only thing I'd be feeling after a 3 day fast would be a hunger for cheeseburger and chips. Anyway, with my new found love for all things bath time, I can't wait to try these out.

Eldora False Eyelashes - I love falsies as much as the next girl, so these were a welcome surprise! Eldora lashes are handmade, which (from experience) often means higher quality than mass produced lashes. I was impressed to see that prices start from just £2.50 - awesome!

Balance Me 'Radiance Face Oil' - Another product for older skin, as this combines highly moisturizing ingredients with oils to 'smooth away the visible signs of ageing'. My Mum will love this, along with the Korres cream, but they have no use for me.

All in all, I think this box is a decent all rounder and Carmine seem to achieve a decent mix of products each month. However, maybe a little something for us oily faced young'uns wouldn't go amiss - then again, I can't see many ladies past 25 going mad for 'Fat Sticks' and falsies...I can't help but feel sorry for beauty box companies, it must be hard trying to please everyone!

Carmine list suppliers and info for full size products on their site, I still think this should be included within the box itself, too.

Carmine boxes cost £12.75 (inc postage) per box from the Carmine site.

Product provided for review purposes. All opinions 100% my own and 100% honest, as always.

Whoopie Mess

2012-01-29T18:00:00.000Z

A few days ago I tested out Leanne's recipe for whoopie pies. Hers looked epic, mine tasted...bland. That's the one thing about cooking with cocoa powder, no matter what, it always tastes 'meh' to me. If I made these again, I'd add copious amounts of chocolate chips. Nothing beats actual chocolate!

I broke up some of the biscuits...pies...mini cakes...whoopies? Whatever they are and piled cream on top, microwaved for about 25 seconds and sprinkled cocoa powder on top. OM NOM NOM. Whoopie mess!

My Top 3 Blushes of the Moment

2012-01-29T13:44:00.002Z

After my much loved and ridiculously abused Shu Uemura 'Medium Peach' blush died an empty pan kinda death, I was forced to use different blushes in my collection. Absurd, right?! Ha, but seriously, I'm sure we all have things we used religiously and for me, it was 'Medium Peach'. However, I did rediscover some right corkers lurking in my stash...

Sleek and The Balm are the stars of my blush world lately! Who wouldn't fall for The Balm's kitsch packaging or Sleek's amazing prices?

[[ The Balm 'Frat Boy', The Balm 'Hot Mama', Sleek 'Sahara' ]]

I'm sure everyone owns a variation on NARS 'Orgasm' blush, right? Well, The Balm 'Hot Mama' is mine! A clean pink infused with gorgeous golden shimmer. This isn't the kind of blush I'd usually go for, favouring matte blushes, but it brightens up tired skin and works with practically any look. 'Hot Mama' also works fabulously as a highlight shade. I snagged mine in TK Max for £6 - bargain!

The Balm 'Frat Boy' is yet another shade I wouldn't choose for myself normally (I received this in a beauty box) but I really love it! Cool toned plum-pinks shouldn't work on my medium yellow toned skin - but 'Frat Boy' does. This looks awesome built quite heavily for 80s style blush or as a subtle, pretty flush of colour.

I bought Sleek 'Lifes a Peach' to replace Shu Uemura 'Medium Peach' and came home with 'Sahara', too. Sleek 'Sahara' looks darn terrifying in the pan - a deep, rusty, orangey terracotta, but is so flattering when worn. 'Sahara' works wonderfully by adding a rich hint of colour to give a healthy complexion. Sleek blushes are very pigmented, so always use a light hand and a fluffy brush.

[[ The Balm 'Hot Mama', The Balm 'Frat Boy', Sleek 'Sahara' ]]

The Balm 'Hot Mama' is priced at £15 from Feel Unique.

The Balm 'Frat Boy' is priced at £16 from Feel Unique.

Sleek blushes are available from Superdrug and online at £4.30 each.

Which blushes are you loving lately? Which are you planning on adding to your collection? Right now I've also got my eye on Sleek 'Flamingo' and 'Suede'...

REVIEW - Victorian Disco Cosmetics

2012-01-27T13:23:00.000Z

Victorian Disco Cosmetics are one of the newer kids in the indie cosmetics block, but already they're making a bit of a wave. When I received my samples, I could clearly see why...

The samples I received were a mix from the 'Galaxy Down the Street', 'Sailor Scouts' and 'Rococo Roller Rink' collections. It's evident to see that Victorian Disco Cosmetics are taking on a couple of themes made popular over the last couple of years in the indie world - geekery and history. Geekery is usually lost on me - but who wouldn't want an eyeshadow called 'Yoda's Yoga Mat'?!

Sample baggies are pretty darn generous, there's loads in there to keep you going until you purchase bigger sizes. The labels are very, very similar to that of Shiro Cosmetics, clean, clear with all the information you could wish to know.

[[ Yoda's Yoga Mat, The Force - Use It, R2, Death Star ]]

'The Force - Use It' is actually one of the most unique and beautiful colours I've ever come across! I wish I could have photographed it better, because I know it doesn't look like much in the swatch. A soft, minty green with soft baby pink duochrome - so gorgeous.

[[ Monarchy, Diana, Tuxedo Mask, Tatooine, Powder Wig ]]

'Powder Wig' is another show stopper - a pale silver with just the faintest hint of pink. I can see 'Tuxedo Mask' becoming popular, it really reminds me of MAC 'Deep Purple' pigment and would be a great liner shade. 'Monarchy' is a definite Urban Decay 'Graffiti' dupe!

[[ Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Jupiter ]]

Love, love, love 'Sailor Jupiter'! There's a coppery undertone, which makes this otherwise clean, grassy green quite intriguing.

Overall, great pigmentation and blendability, wear time is average over a primer and base and there are no streaks or chalkiness. A lot of the colours were simple, 'stock' type shades (no - not repacked micas, each shade is mixed specially) but stock shades are stock for a reason - people like 'em! There were a few hidden gems, but if you have a lot of indie eyeshadows already, I'd definitely recommend going for the more interesting looking shades. DEFINITELY get a jar of 'The Force - Use It' - I promise you'll love it!

Full Jars - $4.50

Sample Jars - $1.75

Sample Baggies - 10 for $9, 20 for $16.

Available from Victorian Disco Cosmetics Etsy store.

Samples sent for review purposes. All opinions 100% mine and 100% honest - as always.

FOTD - Mermaid, Meet Merman!

2012-01-25T18:22:00.000Z

Continuing in my bid to get back in to colour, I added some of my favourite EVER turquoise into a neutral look.

EYES - UDPP, Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue', Sleek shimmery champagne from 'Storm' palette, Fyrinnae 'Polar Bear', Shiro Cosmetics 'Shall Not be Mourned, Natural Collection 'Sea Shell', Collection 2000 felt tip eyeliner, mascara.

FACE - Illamasqua 'Matte Primer', No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, Collection 2000 face powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter.

LIPS - Concealer (booo hiss - I left all my lippies at uni!), Bobby Pin gloss.

Merman eyes to match my (almost...kinda) mermaid hair :) I'm seeing how far the turquoise dye will fade before it becomes a disgusting shade of green. I'd really quite like a paler colour, so we'll see if it actually suits me.

What eye colours are you loving lately?

REVIEW - Lush 'Sunnyside' Bubble Bar

2012-01-24T20:42:00.000Z

Before this week, I hadn't had a bath in years. Not that I'm stinky or anything, but for me baths just conjure up memories of boredom and Dove soap from when I was little! And 20 is probably too old for those colour changing bubble baths - not at all though, can you still buy those?! - which were the one 'fun' thing about bath time! However, when I set eyes on the Lush 'Sunnyside' bubble bar, it had to be mine.

IS IS GOLD AND IT GLITTERS.

Do I even need to explain? It is gold. It is glittery. Shiny things make me happy.

*Happy dance*

Giddiness aside, the glitter can be a tad annoying...Directly after I bought this, I had glitter all over my hoody, over the floor, on my jeans, my face, I also got some around my camera lens when I came to photograph it! If you buy 'Sunnyside', prepare to sparkle.

I chopped my bubble bar into two, then crumbled one half under the tap as my bath filled. It crumbles and dissolves pretty quickly. At first, the water just looked plain yellow and I was disappointed by the lack of visible glitter. When I climbed in, it was a totally different story...

The water swirls with golden shimmer, like little clouds of colour just below the surface. Everytime you move, the shimmer clouds stir up - they're beautiful to watch! This is down to 'Gold Lustre Sparkle' - basically, a mix not too far off mineral eyeshadows. The orangey, citrus smell is delicate and refreshing, certainly perked me up. I was surprised by how silky the water felt, I was also left with equally silky skin! I was sad that no glitter stuck to me, though, but most people would prefer not to look like a glitter ball after a bath.

Once the water drains away, 'Sunnyside' leaves a trail of mica and glitter which washes away easily. I couldn't help but think what a gorgeous eyeshadow 'Sunnyside' post-bath residue would make, just look at those swatches!

Overall, a genuinely awesome product which looks, smells and makes you feel 100% fabulous.

Available at Lush stores and online at £3.50 for 100g of product.

FOTD - Fire Starter

2012-01-21T16:47:00.000Z

I've been in such a neutrals rut lately that when packing my makeup to come home to Manchester, I flung some more colourful options in to my make-up bag...

EYES - UDPP, Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue', Fyrinnae 'Rapunzel Had Extensions', Shiro Cosmetics 'Subrosia', Beauty UK coppery orange glitter, Natural Collection 'Sea Shell', Stargazer felt tip eyeliner, mascara, Barry M eyeliner pencil.

FACE - Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 face powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter.

LIPS - Sleek 'Sahara' blush with Bobby Pin lip gloss.

Eeee, I love red eyeshadow! I'm already looking forward to something colourful tomorrow...

Link me to your last FOTD post!

Exhibitors I'm Looking Forward to at IMATS 2012!

2012-01-20T15:21:00.000Z

This year I'll be popping along to IMATS on the Sunday, I'd originally planned on going both days - but it wasn't to be. I'm super excited and can't wait to drop far too much money with certain exhibitors...

EXHIBITORS

Charles H. Foxe - For all of my Kryolan needs. I have a bit of a soft spot for Kryolan, since our kits at college were primarily Kryolan products.

Guru Makeup Emporium - DUH MAKEUP FOREVER. Do I even need to explain? Pretty colours...

Illamasqua - I'll probably pick up some bizarrely coloured lipstick and a cream blush or three. I really hope Alex Box is there, though I'd more than likely just point and stare like a moron!

Inglot - I'd love to have a look in person at Inglot, they receive a lot of good reviews, but access is extremely limited. Plus, their website is a joke. Speaking of jokes - didn't they randomly bump their prices up at last year's IMATS? Second thoughts, maybe I'll avoid them...

NYX - It's no secret that we get ripped outta the arse on prices for NYX in the UK...I might just make a mental list of shades I like and order from the US! Even with shipping, it would work out cheaper!

Paperself - These lashes are to die for! I've been putting off buying any since they're not exactly re-usable but I may be swayed once I see them in person...

Real Techniques - Who doesn't have a thing for the Pixiwoo sisters? Well I sure as Hell do. The Real Techniques brushes look fantastic and I can't wait to get my hands on one of the sets.

Treasure House of Makeup - For my Ben Nye fix. I remember the first time I went to IMATS, these guys showed me how to do some really cool scar and cut effects. They were lovely, chatty...and from my town. Clearly going to support a local make-up company!

Wigs Up North - The lady who runs this company worked with us while we learnt wig making at college. She's very skilled, patient and supportive - it would be great to see what she's been working on recently.

Wolfe Face Art and FX - You can't be into make-up if you don't know who the Wolfe brothers are. It's just unheard of! It would be incredible if they were actually there...otherwise, I'll settle for some face paints and gore.

[[ Source. ]]

Are you at IMATS this year? What are you most looking forward to?

John Frieda Youtube Tutorials!

2012-01-20T14:06:00.000Z

Ever since starting #missionmermaid, I've become a bit of a hair tutorial junkie. I love watching them on Youtube and thinking 'MY HAIR WILL BE LONG ENOUGH TO DO THAT...EVENTUALLY!' and marvelling at all the fabulous styles. I've been watching John Frieda's Youtube channel since the 'Precision Foam' blogger demos and recently stumbled upon the tutorials...

I love how the stylists and colour experts really explain the choices they are making, the products they're using and how the techniques they're putting to action. I kinda fell in love with this 'California Waves' tutorial after being linked to it - now that is a #missionmermaid style if I ever saw one!

Do you watch hair tutorials? What do you think to John Frieda's videos?

2nd Ever Lush Haul

2012-01-18T15:50:00.000Z

Having just finished off my first lot of uni assignments and handed them all in before the deadline, I reckoned I was due a treat!

I bought my second pot of 'Dark Angels' cleanser - I love how exfoliating this stuff is! I also popped 'The Comforter' bubble bar into a little bag, since it smells incredible. 'You Snap The Whip' body butter bar also made its way home with me; this smells like blackcurrant liquorice - such a nostalgic scent for me. I HAD TO buy the ridiculously blingtastic 'Sunnyside' bubble bar, since the boyfriend always says how he ends up covered in glitter whenever he sees me haha :) 'Sunnyside' has already left glitter everywhere and I haven't even used it yet!

Lush products can be bought at Lush stores or online.

Contouring with Cream/ Liquid Products

2012-01-17T18:16:00.001Z

I'm always envious of those blessed with naturally chiseled and defined features, those with killer cheekbones and slender noses...Unfortunately for me, I fall on the opposite side of the fence! I have quite a round face without much definition, so contouring is a handy skill to have in my make-up arsenal. If you aren't born with it - fake it.

After watching Wayne Goss' interesting technique, I decided to give it a go myself! Like Mr. Goss, I favor contouring with cream products - they give a more natural, believable finish than powders and are far easier to blend.

I applied my highlight and contour shades as shown in the video. I didn't have any skin products in the right shades, so the highlight was a mix of my usual foundation and Sleek's white 'Pout Paint'. The contour shade was a darker foundation mixed with a deep red-brown Kryolan lipstick. I could have gone much darker with the contour, for a more dramatic result.

Then I buffed, buffed, buffed it all in with a light coat of my usual foundation on my Jemma Kidd stippling brush. I started where two shades met, blending them together, then moved on to the rest if the face. I was really surprised at how lovely the finish was! A healthy, glowy, dewy texture with soft shadows in all the right places.

I finished off with powder, neutral eyeshadow, mascara and a slick of Shu Uemura lipstick. No need for blush or bronzer! The slight red tone to the contour shade gave me a faintly bronzed, healthy complexion and the light really pinged off the highlight shade.

Overall, I'm impressed! I've used similar methods before, but usually working the opposite way (solid base, then contour and highlight). This method gives such a natural finish - you may want to sheer down your foundation shade before applying though, else it could end up looking a bit cakey.

How do you contour? Will you be giving this a go?

Fotoshop by Adobé Video

2012-01-12T21:30:00.003Z

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Had to share this awesome video with you! I think it's the best 'celebs are all photoshopped nobody is that perfect' video I've seen. Mainly because it's poking fun and having a laugh - not 'OH NO SHAME ON RETOUCHING PHOTOS.'

Personally, I'm all for photo retouching when it's not giving you ridiculous expectations of products (helloooo mascara adverts). From a marketing view, it makes perfect sense. From a consumer/ audience view - c'mon, you'd have to be quite gullible (or young minded) to really believe most of it. #sayingitlikeitis #unpopularopinion

REVIEW - Lush 'The Hair Doctor' Hair Treatment

2012-01-11T14:00:00.000Z

I decided to try out 'The Hair Doctor' as part of my very first Lush haul, since my hair and scalp were in need of some TLC. After years of bleaching, straightening and general mistreatment my poor hair is always a little worse for wear! My scalp occasionally gets a bit sore too, and I'd seen a lot of praise for this treatment's scalp healing properties.

The Hair Doctor is packed full of bizarre and lovely sounding ingredients - what else would you expect from Lush?! After seeing that extra virgin coconut oil, lanolin and almond oil (great conditioning agents for the hair) were included, I was more or less sold. Add peppermint to stimulate blood flow and fullers earth to absorb grease and it sounds like my ideal treatment...

I popped the whole sample tub onto dry hair, as instructed by the Lush lady I was talking to in store. The first thing to hit yous is the gorgeous smell! Earthy, herby, minty - very clean and refreshing. The peppermint really makes your scalp tingle, a very strange sensation indeed. I waited for 30 minutes, in which time the treatment dried in to my hair and made me look like I'd been in a mud wrestling competition. After washing and conditioning it out, my hair felt...no different to usual. My scalp, however, felt like it was burning - not the result I was after!

Overall, for me, The Hair Doctor was a bit of a fail. It wasn't particularly moisturising, the crispy hair while you wait to wash it out is quite disconcerting and the burning sensation afterwards was rather worrying.

Available from Lush store and online at £6.50 for 96g of product.

Topping Up Bright Hair Colour with...Conditioner?!

2012-01-05T17:12:00.000Z

One thing you'll know if you've ever had brightly coloured hair is this - maintenance is a pain in the butt! However, there is an easy way to keep your colour looking fresh as part of your usual hair care routine. This methods works by replacing the dye your hair loses from a vigorous wash by incorporating dye into the conditioning/ treatment stage - genius, yes?!

You will need: Vegetable dye (Manic Panic, Directions, Special Effects etc), your usual conditioner or hair treatment, mixing bowl and mixing brush and hair dying gloves.

1. Mix your usual deep conditioner with a blob of your dye. The more dye you use, the stronger the effect will be on your hair. You can mix up a whole bottle of conditioner if you like, or just a little in a mixing bowl. I use about 25% dye, 75% conditioner for just a hint more colour.

2. Wash your hair as usual. If, like me, your hair is only partially dyed, separate away that section and clip the rest up. If your hair is full of different coloured dyes, I wouldn't recommend this method - it would be easier to let it fade and top up the dye again properly.

3. Pull on your dying gloves, slather on the mixed up conditioner evenly and leave for 30 minutes. Remember to cover up your clothing and pop some Vaseline over your ears and around your hairline to prevent your skin from staining! Spare mixture can be stored for next time :)

4. Rinse the conditioner off, add serums/ oils/ whatever you normally use and allow to dry.

5. Style and enjoy your topped up hair colour!

This method ONLY WORKS with veggie dyes - Special Effects, Manic Panic, Stargazer, Directions, Crazy Colours etc. 'Normal' dyes don't take as well when mixed with conditioner and wont store, either. Veggie dyes are fab because you can mix your own shades, dilute them and they keep for aaaaaaaages (I've got one from 5 years ago!)

Do you use this method? If you could have any hair colour at all - what would it be?

FOTD - Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T18:17:00.000Z

I should hope that you too are glamming it up a bit (or at least slapping on some glitter) to see in 2012! This is a rather normal look for me - I just wish the glitter on the inner eye photographed better! It's an awesome mix of silver and white rainbow holo - so pretty :)

EYES - UDPP, DG 'Glitter Glue', Sleek rose gold from the 'Original' palette, Fyrinnae 'Lights of Quebec City', Beauty UK glitter, Stargazer eyeliner, mascara, Barry M pencil eyeliner.

FACE - Illamasqua matt primer, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, The Balm 'Hot Mama' blush, Collection 2000 finishing powder.

LIPS - Lip balm.

My hair's starting to go greener - time to top up the dye methinks. I hope you all enjoy your new year's ever, no matter what you're doing or where you are!

Best wishes for 2012! Lets hope it's a good'un!

Beauty Blog Link Love

2011-12-31T16:01:00.000Z

Miss Beauty Nerd is smitten over Korres' Body Butter in Basil Lemon because her skin now feels oh-sooo-soft!

At Lipstick Musings, see how a happy mistake at the Dior counter led Shannon to fall in love with the Dior 5 Couleurs Palette in Rosy Nude!

Looking for the perfect waterproof eyeliner? Jenn over at Spiced Beauty reviews the limited edition Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Aqua Eyes Collection.

Rae reviews lip sets featuring Korres Cherry Lipglosses, Clinique Chubby Sticks, and Bite High Pigment Pencils during the not-so-inventively-named Lip Set Week at theNotice.

At Eyelining Obsessions Claire decides to try the Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Cotton and discovers a couple of potential pit falls.

My Lips But Better shares the scoop on the MAC Naturally Collection for spring 2012!

At Beauty Reflections, Tracy tries out the new CoverGirl Blast FlipStick Blendable Lip Duo.

How long does it take you to use up your makeup? Katherine from Handmade Reviews vows to finish her favorite beauty products by 2012.

Fleurissante reviews the best eyeliner ever: Guerlain Terracotta Loose Kohl.

If you're a fan of Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle but can't part with the pennies? Then head over to Beauty In The Mirror where you can find a very similar scent for only £3.99 - 15 times cheaper than the original!

Pammy Blogs Beauty continues her Holiday Palette Review series with her take on Stila's Daydream Palette.

Le Metier de Beaute fans will rejoice when they learn that a Blush Kaleidoscope has been created. To see it in all its glory, check out Beauty Info Zone’s review and pictures.

Check out Bun Bun Makeup Tips' 8 days of Christmas Eye Makeup Tutorials!

---

Help celebrate AOYV's second blogiversary; one lucky lady will win a MAC lipstick and eyeshadow of her choice.

NOTD - Barry M 'Orchid', Meet 2True 'Shade no. 10'

2011-12-29T16:09:00.000Z

Today I raided my Mum's nail polish to see what I could find after I stupidly left all of my polishes in Bolton! Amid a sea of dated shell, sheer peaches and gloopy reds I found two little hidden gems - Barry M 'Orchid' and 2true 'Shade no. 10'.

Barry M 'Orchid' is a frosty mave-purple with the faintest touch of silver, opaque in 2 coats. 2true 'Shade no. 10' is quite unique for the UK polish market, a mauve-purple with pale green duochrome. However, it is MEGA sheer, so works best layered over dark colours. I layered 'Shade no. 10' over 'Orchid' for just a hint of shimmer - it would look epic over black!

Both of these shades would be perfect for work, formal evenings etc but for me they're just too...boring...for everyday wear. Yes, yes, the colours themselves are nice but I'm already itching to be dousing my nails in glitter and bright shades!

Barry M is available for £2.99 at Superdrug, Boots and online. 2true is available from Superdrug priced at £1.99, or any 3 items in the 2true range for £5.

MISSION MERMAID - Directions 'Turquoise' and 'Midnight Blue'

2011-12-23T13:26:00.000Z

Yesterday I thought, 'Bollocks to this!', whipped out the bleach, dye and scruffy old shirt and got to work. I'm not very good at resisting things like temptation, so having the bleach and dye to hand all this time - I'm surprised it took me this long to break!

I bleached my hair to a pale yellow/ orange, sectioned it into chunks, dyed chunks alternately with Directions 'Turquoise' and 'Midnight Blue' and then conditioned the bejesus out of it. You can't really tell there are two separate dyes in there unless you're really looking - I think that's thanks to my haphazard dying style! I love the different shades in it, ranging from pale minty blue to almost neon turquoise - bit I think that's more thanks to how some parts were paler than others after bleaching.

I LOVE IT. Aint it just the prettiest colour eveeeer?! It's like the crown jewels mated with the coral reef or something equally nonsensical and magical. Despite breaking my vow not to bleach/ damage my hair until it was much longer, I think it was worth it! Next time, though, I think I'll go for Special Effects 'Fishbowl' - a paler, more aqua shade.

Directions dyes can be bought from eBay for around £2.99 - £3.50. The lippy I'm wearing is Barry M 52.

FOTD - Step into Christmas!

2011-12-17T00:22:00.000Z

Today (well, technically yesterday) was the last day of uni before Christmas break and the SFX crew hosted a Christmas party! There were SO MANY people at the SU bar, tutors, graduates, people 'from industry' and us little first years too. The third years received silly awards from each other and everyone had a good laugh. It was lovely to see how 'together' the people in my course are and a fantastic way to round off the first 12 weeks of uni!

EYES - UDPP, Shiro Cosmetics 'S.S. Anne', Fyrinnae 'Shrouded in Gold', Urban Decay 'Smog', Stargazer pen eyeliner, Collection 2000 pencil eyeliner, mascara.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, Collection 2000 face powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter.

LIPS - Collection 2000 'Damson' lipliner, MAC 'Prince Noir' lipstick.

As you can see, I didn't go anywhere near as glittery as I first intended! Why? Because I'm still finding stray bits of glitter on my face 4 days later! When I started this, I didn't intend on eyeliner OR dark lips but, y'know me, can't resist 'Prince Noir'! It's definitely my HG dark lippy. That's right, guys - HOLY GRAIL STATUS.

What's your favourite dark lippy? Are you on Christmas break now? How are you going to fill up the free time?

Blogs in Bloom - Helen's Funky Fimo Nails

2011-12-14T07:30:00.000Z

Helen from Nail Newbie shows us her super bright nail art!

Tell us a little about yourself...
Hello! I'm Helen, also known as Helly or sometimes just H, a twenty-something (for a few more months – eek!) Mum of two yummy boys living in a small town in Bedfordshire, UK. Most of my time is taken up with changing nappies, wiping noses, and kissing scraped knees but when I get a few minutes to myself I like to paint my nails! I can be glamorous for the school run!

What can we expect to see from your blog?
My blog started as a bit of personal space for me to document my growing love for polish and nail art, and to share it with other like-minded laquerheads. Expect pretty colours, self-deprecation and sparkly stuff – all with fun and laughter (mainly at myself) thrown in!

Top 3 blogs/ sites?
This is so hard, there are sooo many great nail bloggers out there! I'll start with Jane over at Nailside (http://nailside.blogspot.com/ ) - the things this girl can do with sticky tape! And a couple of my UK based lovelies who deserve a shout out are Sammy at The Nailasaurus (http://nailasaurus.blogspot.com ) and Emily from Emily's Nail Files (http://emilysnailfiles.blogspot.com ), both have super gorgeous nails and do lovely things with stamping plates and freehand nail art. There are so many more I could chose, but I picked three blogs that I aspire to be like – you can see I've got quite a journey ahead of me!

Hello!

Since Lily graciously let me – a humble nail blogger – take part in her Blogs in Bloom series all I could think about was what to write about. Seriously, my boys have been eating nothing but biscuits and bananas*, my other half is looking a bit thin and I haven't swept the floor for so long it's beginning to look like a farm yard in here. Should I do a post on nail care? Bit boring, and I'm hardly one to talk – it's hang nail city! A lovely swatch of an interesting colour? I do love me an interesting colour, but I'm a lover of a British brand and didn't want to alienate any international readers. How about some nail art? Oooh, nail art! Now we're talking...

Nail art, the Marmite of the beauty bloggers world, you either love it or you hate it. There's no sitting on the fence with this one, it's either “ew tacky” or “oh wow!” Should a 29 year old woman be adorning her nails with flowers and rhinestones? Are glitter polishes and flouro French tips too much for everyday manicures? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It doesn't matter! I like nail art! I don't profess to be very good at it, but I try!

The most frequent question I get about my nails (after 'did you do that yourself?') is where do I get my inspiration. Firstly, I follow a lot of blogs. Seriously, a lot of blogs. I love seeing what other bloggers do and then adapting their designs to suit my nails and the colours and tools I have. Some even post tutorials on how to create the look they've achieved. Another great place to look is YouTube (which is where I got my inspiration for this design). Search 'Nail Art Tutorials' and hundreds upon hundreds of videos will come up – from simple to the more elaborate there's something everyone can have a go at, and you're guaranteed to never run out of ideas!

For a simple and achievable look I decided to use fimo canes for this manicure. You can get fimo designs for nail art either pre-sliced or in little “rods” that you cut yourself and you can pick them up really cheaply on ebay and amazon. There are literally hundreds of different ones – flowers, butterflies, bows, faces, fruit, stars and hearts – the list goes on! I chose a multicoloured flower with a black outline. Firstly I used my base coat, then once that was completely dry I painted white French tips on my little finger, middle finger and thumb and did 3 coats of white all over my index and ring fingers. Once that was dry I painted rainbow coloured paint 'dribbles' on the two accent fingers using a tiny artists brush I picked up cheaply. It doesn't have to be neat, mine certainly isn't! Slap a coat of a sparse iridescent glitter over the top and get ready with the fimo!

If you're using canes you should slice them before you start, or if you're anything like me (i.e. klutz) you'll end up denting your polish or spoiling it in some way. It takes a bit of getting used to so practice slicing thinly on a rod you're not so keen on first! You want them as thin as possible or they'll catch on everything and be very annoying (they are so temping to pick off too!) Once you've got 10 thin slices you're ready. Paint one nail at a time with a quick drying top-coat and pick up one flower with tweezers. Place it into the wet topcoat (you can be random or place them all in the same spot – I like it random ;) )and hold it flat with the tweezers until it's set. Doesn't have to be completely dry but if it's not set at least a little bit the fimo will curl up at the edges (facilitates easy picking it off, but doesn't look pretty). Another thick coat of top coat over the whole nail, lather, rinse repeat on the rest of the nails and you're done!

So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Is nail art on 29 year old mothers who really should know better a controversial subject for you? I love my nail art, and I'm unashamed to say I wont be stopping them any time soon! In the words of Rizzo from Greece, there are worse things I could do! I hope it made you smile at least a little bit, one thing you can't deny, it's fun!

SO, thank you for reading my ramblings! I've realised this is a veeery long post, so congratulations if you made it this far! I hope to see some of you taking a peek at my blog soon, I don't always go on this much, I promise! Thank you, Lily, for letting me take part.

Hx

*No children were harmed in the making of this blog post.

Fancy more from Helen? Check out Nail Newbie!

FOTD - Gold Glittery Smokey Eyes

2011-12-13T00:32:00.000Z

Tonight I decided to practice an idea I want to use for the uni Christmas party on Friday! I used an abundance of glitter, which promptly migrated down my face, over my arms, onto my jeans...I've a feeling I'll be clearing it up for weeks!

EYES - UDPP, Darling Girl 'Glitter glue', Fryrinnae 'Shrouded in Gold', Stargazer gold glitter, Yaby 'Indigo', Urban Decay 'Goddess', Estee Lauder 'Rose Confetti', mascara, Stargazer eyeliner pen.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, Collection 2000 face powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter.

LIPS - MAC 'Honeylove', misc peachy gloss.

I quite like the inner flick style lately, and pen eyeliners make them sooo easy to achieve! I'm also loving Sleek 'Sahara' blush, which looks pretty intimidating in the pan but applies as a really warm, flattering peachy terracotta. Beautiful!

Are you going to any Christmas parties? What are you wearing (clothing and makeup wise?)

A Little Reminder...

2011-12-08T21:16:00.000Z

"What is bad for the body is good for the soul."

In moderation (if you want to take the fun out of it). I love this saying because it can be applied to anything! And makes being naughty a bit more acceptable. I usually use it to make people go against their better judgement - because I'm a good friend like that.

Friend - Aw, I really want a triple chocolate, double caramel, syrup topped, double cream centred, iced cherry chocolate cake with extra sugar.
Me - Sounds good - you should wash it down with some cider.
Friend - Oh, but I'm on a diet...
Me - Ludicrous! Do you not know that cake and cider are good for the soul?!

Y'see. It works every time! So this Christmas I say 'Hell to moderation!' because you only live once.

What's your favourite way to be naughty? When is being naughty justified? Keep it clean, guuuys...

FOTD - Burnt Orange Androdgyny

2011-12-06T20:58:00.000Z

I'm feeling a little androgynous lately since I'm not straightening my hair, so it's always scraped up off my face. A lack of hair style, lack of curves and lack of pretty clothes is a sure fire way to feel like a boy! Luckily, I've never been a girly girl so I'm happy to look a bit boyish - the girliest thing about me is this blog!

EYES - UDPP, Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue', Shiro Cosmetics 'Subrosia', Esteé Lauder 'Rose Confetti', MAD Minerals 'Camisole', MAC 'Pink Bronze' pigment, UD 'Lucky' pencil eyeliner, mascara.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, Collection 2000 face powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush (love), Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter.

LIPS - MAC 'Honeylove' lipstick, MAC 'Blankety' lipstick.

I kept this leaning to the feminine side with paler brows than usual, lots of highlighter on the cheekbones and curved contours. I think if you were really going after the 'pretty boy make-up' trend, you'd need to thicken up, darken and straighten out the eyebrows a tad, use a sheerer eyeshadow (if any) and contour a little heavier.

What do you think to wearing such warm colours around the eyes? What are your favourite orange/ red eyeshadows?

Boots Star Gift this Week!

2011-12-05T17:28:00.000Z

Each week on the run up to Christmas, Boots have been offering fab deals on certain products that they think would make awesome, brownie-point-winning gifts. Being a savvy Christmas shopped has never been easier, so it seems!

This week's 'Star Gift' is the FCUK 'The Woman Has it All' Overnight Bag, slashed from £45 to just £22 - bargain!

[[ Images sourced from the Boots website ]]

* Faux leather bag with inside compartments for phone, keys etc.
* 300ml FCUK Body Wash with skin loving almond oil.
* 200ml FCUK Body Wash to gently buff away dead skin.
* 200ml FCUK Body Butter with almond oil and shea butter to nourish and smooth skin.
* 150ml FCUK Body Spray with the signature, fruity, oriental FCUK scent.

I'd say this was perfect for any lady who likes a bit of a pampering session every now and then! I've had FCUK sets in the past and personally love the signature FCUK scent - it's 'grown up' without being mothballs and roses (y'know what I mean...) I'm sure the bag would go appreciated too, not to my personal taste but I've seen similar selling for ridiculous amounts in popular shops - so I'm guessing they're rather fashionable...Right? Riiiight? #Idon'tpayattentiontotrends

Sound good? Hurry up, then, because this offer ends in store at the end of the day on the 8th.

Boots offered to send me this FCUK set as well as to another blogger of my choice. I thought both sets should go to people in need of a bit of kindness and pampering, so forwarded 'my' set on to somebody else.

Beauty Blog Link Love

2011-12-04T09:20:00.002Z

The auctions are now open! Head over to this year's BeautyBloggers.org auctions to bid on everything from classic perfumes to the one-of-a-kind (and once in a lifetime) Ultimate Neiman Marcus Experience.

Polish Insomniac shows you the Muppet Glitters - her way!

Miss Beauty Nerd is smitten over Benefit's pretty little scents of Crescent Row. Can you blame her?

How do you feel about orange lip products… with a kick? Don't miss theNotice's love-it-or-hate-it LUSH Chilli Tingle Lip Tint review.

The Beauty Spot goes into outer space with a galaxy inspired look.

Looking for the perfect luxe gift for the beauty lover in your life? Well, Krasey Beauty has the scoop on the new holiday collection from Guerlain.

Addicted to Beauty is shocked by the cologne for cheating men - what's your Alibi?.

Ever wanted to try a bold red lip but were a bit shy? Prime Beauty has five gorgeous red lipsticks for scaredy cats!

At Lipstick Musings, see how a beautiful mistake led to an unexpected new love with the Dior 5 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette in Rosy Nude!

At Eyelining Obsessions, the No7 Midnight Enchantment blush demonstrates why getting sucked in by pretty online pictures can sometime lead to buyers remorse.

The Pink Sith wonders if Sephora came up the with the Name Foiled Love before or aftre Kat von D's break up with Jesse James when she reviews the Kat von D for Sephora Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora.

Finally! A chart that describes how to apply eyeshadow for Asians! Bun Bun Makeup Tips shows us some incredible tips on where to apply eyeshadow on the Asian eye.

On My Funny Valentine, Jen swatches her new Inglot 10 pan eyeshadow palette and shows you how to depot the shadows with a strong magnet.

Jenn over at Spiced Beauty went crazy at Imats! Check out what she got.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections test out the new Tokidoki 24 Karat Skate Deck Palette.

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Suffering from dry wintertime skin? Musicalhouses' Dr Organic Manuka Honey Gift Set giveaway is just the thing for you! Giveaway closes soon, so hurry and check it out!

Beauty Crazed wants you to prepare to get really naked! Enter to win nude palettes from Urban Decay, Smashbox, Stila, Sleek MakeUP, 100% Pure and Sephora!

Trevor Sorbie Manchester Salon Experience

2011-11-28T19:31:00.002Z

A little while ago, I was invited to the rather swanky Trevor Sorbie hair salon in Manchester for a blow dry. Nestled behind Market Street in a maze of gray, dull office buildings, Trevor Sorbie's gleaming white interior beams out on to the street.

I bundled in (a bit flustered after storming from the train station), received a friendly greeting and sunk into a seat in the waiting area, watching the hair dressers around the room getting to work. The salon was busy with staff and customers, but the atmosphere was so relaxed - I was genuinely surprised!

I was then whisked away to a work station, where May, who usually works on the art team, assessed the state of my hair. The work areas were extremely neat and clean, with huge mirrors and bright lighting so I could clearly see everything going on around me. After discussing the style I usually go for and condition of my hair, May worked out which products would be best for me before showing me to the basin area, where my mop got a thorough wash and condition. Time for a blow dry!

May worked her magic in what seemed like no time - that really shocked me since my hair is so thick! We chatted away with Katie (part of Trevor Sorbie's PR team), and I think it was the first time 'hair dresser talk' hasn't been awkward - perhaps because they both so clearly love their jobs! At one point, Katie ushered over the man himself, Trevor Sorbie, who was visiting the salon for the morning and introduced me! He was extremely friendly and warm, bobbing around talking to his customers and staff as they worked.

As soon as I stepped outside, with lovely, swishy, shiny hair...the heavens opened. Luckily, cramming it into my hat and hoping for the best didn't have *too much* of a bad effect - but as you can imagine, these photos don't really do May's handy work any justice!

If it's a sleek, modern, hair salon you're after with highly trained, passionate, skilled staff - I'd highly recommend Trevor Sorbie Manchester - I know I'll be returning there for my next cut!

Blow dry received free of charge for blogging purposes. As always, this does not effect my opinion - BBHB writes the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

MISSION MERMAID - Coloured Hair Inspiration

2011-11-27T07:30:00.001Z

1 | 2 | 3

Love, love, love the colour of 1 - looks like faded out SFX 'Fishbowl'... 2 was created with Directions dyes, which gives me hope since I have Directions 'Turquoise' and 'Midnight Blue' sitting at home! 3 - holy cow. Gorgeous or what? I wouldn't suit the colour, but the length is only a tad longer than what I'm aiming for.

4 | 5

4 - wig/ extensions but whatever, the colour is stunning! Again, looks like SFX 'Fishbowl'. 5 is probably what I'll do with mine once it's grown, so that I don't need to bleach it all! The colour looks identical to mine when I dyed it SFX 'Sonic Green'.

6 | 7

Couldn't do an inspiration post without the lady in 6 - Raquel Reed! She's the one who started my blue/ green hair obsession and ultimately lead me on my #missionmermaid. She has been known to use SFX 'Fishbowl' and Manic Panic 'Turquoise' on her locks. 7 - what an amazing colour! Looks like fresh SFX 'Fishbowl'...

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. YOU GUYS SHOULDN'T LET ME DO THIS. By 'this', I mean searching Google for hair inspiration pictures...Of course, it started innocently, me just looking for pictures of girls with long hair. Then girls with blue hair. Then green. I kinda want super pale hair now. I wouldn't suit it, though...I don't think my hair would lift enough. Maybe I'll experiment with the underside of my fringe this weekend...

This tumblr is awesome for hair colour inspo.

Carmine November Box - Fame and Good Fortune!

2011-11-26T07:30:00.014Z

Upon arriving home in Manchester, rather bedraggled and brain frazzled after a stressful day - it was a lovely surprise to see that this month's Carmine box had arrived for me! The November box, Carmine's second ever beauty box, focuses on the theme of 'Fame and Fortune', with each product being linked to a celebrity.

This month's box contains three full size make-up products and two quite generously sized skincare samples. I'd never tried any of these brand before, so it was great to get a little bit of a feel for them - plus, I didn't know Lulu had a skincare line! When did that happen?!

NEOM Organics 'Real Luxury' Body Lotion | £23.50 from NEOM Online
Designed for skin 'in need of a moisture boost', this lotion contains all kinds of vitamins, oils and Shea butter to nourish and smooth skin. Neom describe this as the 'cashmere blanket' of their scent library - I describe this as Granny's blanket of the local library. The scent alone is the reason I haven't used this yet, florals (lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood) just aren't my cup of tea. My mum loved the scent though, so at least it will get used!

Dainty Doll 'Eyeliner Pencil' | £10.50 from Boots
I'll admit I have a girl crush on Nicola Roberts, so was happy to see the red head Dainty Doll girl peeping out of this Carmine box! This colour I received is 004 'Shake your Tail Feather', a metallic teal - a very 'me' shade indeed. The pigmentation is lacking, as is the formula, which requires you to practically draw blood to achieve any colour. I definitely wouldn't attempt to use this on the waterline - it's just not soft enough. Definitely not worth £10.50! Nicola, I love you a little less.

Lulu's Time Bomb 'Flashback Night Cream' | £9.50 - £30.75 from Lulu's Place
All I'm going to say about this is that the site baffles you with a quick bit of mumbo jumbo skincare science and finishes with the line, 'The results are dramatic'. As dramatic as the botox you used previously, Lulu? Thought not. I'm always dubious of celeb beauty lines and this one is no different. Another one I'll be handing over to the mother!

Cosmetics a la Carte 'Brow Ink' | £22 from Cosmetics a la Carte
You KNOW I love everything eyebrows so I pretty much freaked out with happiness when I saw this (I kid you not) as I'd been wanting to try it for aaages! The shade I received, 'Taupe', is a medium brown which is perfect for those with medium to dark hair. The little whippy brush can be used to draw in hair in individual little swipes - cool, huh? Smudge proof and long wearing, the quality is definitely there, but I'd still hesitate to part with the £22 to buy it - especially as 'felt tip' cosmetics dry out quite quickly.

New Cid 'i-Pout Lipstick' | £15 from New Cid
Carmine included a challenge in their box this month - to take your i-Pout out with you and share your pictures and stories with them. A fun idea, since these look really funky in the dark with the little build in lights on! Soft, moisturising, long wearing, pigmented formula - one of the nicest I've tried in ages! Also, the shade I received isn't one I'd usually go for, but it actually suits me...always interesting to find new shades you can wear.

Overall, I felt this box was better suited to somebody a little older than I and 3/ 5 products will soon find themselves in my mum's hands. However, I was happy to see three make-up products and an eyebrow pen - it's receiving little essentials like this which I think could 'make or break' certain boxes.

Have you subscribed to Carmine? Have you tried any of these products?

Received for review purposes. All opinions 100% honest and 100% my own - as always!

Win with 17 Cosmetics!

2011-11-25T07:30:00.003Z

Get involved with 17 to be in with the chance to win £500 shopping vouchers, a makeover with 17's official make-up artist, tickets for you and two friends to a Summer Camp gig AND a stay at a top London hotel! Entering is mega simple - just pop your details into the form here by November 27th.

The gig might seem a bit random for a make-up brand, right? Well, 17 are getting involved with some new bands by having them record songs and shoot videos each time they release a new product! How cool is that?! You can check out the videos over on 17's Facebook.

Good luck if you enter, guys!

MISSION MERMAID - Today's Hair Care Buys!

2011-11-24T18:21:00.001Z

As you may well know if you follow me of Twitter - I'm on a mission to become a mermaid. Well...not quite an actual mermaid, I don't want any human centipede business going on with a tuna - I just want mermaid hair! Long, soft, flowy, pretty mermaid hair. So, I've devised an action plan I'm referring to as 'Mission Mermaid' and today I headed out to buy a couple things which should help to make this mission a success...

1. Lee Stafford 'Hair Growth Treatment' | £7.99 from Boots/ Superdrug | I've actually already finished a full tub, this being my second, but didn't really give it a chance to prove its worth. My constant snipping dead ends and hacking inches off on occasion meant that I didn't really notice if it worked! It does, however, leave my hair feeling stronger and softer - always a plus.

2. Umberto Giannini 'Indulgent Beauty Moisture Mask' | £5.61 from Boots/ Superdrug | After scouring the shelves of both of my local Boots, I was dismayed to realise that neither stocked my favourite Naked hair treatment any longer. Not to be deterred from my mission, I opted for this pot instead - I wasn't swayed by the pretty picture on top, promise *cough*

3. Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray | £4.99 from Boots/ Superdrug | I'll be laying off the straighteners during #missionmermaid BUT sometimes straighteners are just...necessary. Seeing as my hair in its natural state is a mass of thick, frizzy curls, I'll be straightening the fringe and using various hats to hide the rest!

4. Holland and Barrett 'Vitamins for the Hair' | £12ish for 120 from Holland and Barrett | I finally bit the bullet and picked up some hair tablets. I put of off for ages, since in theory, I shouldn't need these seeing as I eat healthily. Still, I'll try anything at the minute! GIMME YO HAIR, ARIEL.

So, I'll start taking my hair tablets tomorrow and use the hair treatments religiously. I'll also be laying off the heat styling and introducing more proteins and certain vitamins into my diet - but those both call for separate posts :)

Are you on a mission to become a mermaid, too? Or are you a mermaid already? Any tips?

BLOGS IN BLOOM - Noel's $20 Moroccan Oil Dupe

2011-11-23T07:30:00.001Z

Noel from Viking Beauty shares with us a fab beauty find - "Morroccan Oil" for half the price?! Count me in!

Blond hair is very fragile due to the fact that it is more porous than melanin-loaded hair. Often, natural blonds also have much thinner individual strands than brunettes. The cuticle is porous, dries quickly, and absorbs like a sponge. Therefore, blond hair is susceptible to pretty much everything. And, therefore:

As Tyra would say, "guuurl this is my Real Hair"

I have split ends. So I recently went to Target in a effort to find a decent deep conditioner to make my hair less straw-like and more silk-like.

I picked up Rusk's Deep Shine Oil. It seemed to have decent ingredients and I was desperate.

While chatting to a hair stylist at work the next day, I asked her how she felt about this whole "MoroccanOil business". She said she loves it and sells it at her salon. Uh oh. Danger. I asked her the difference between Rusk's oil and MoroccanOil and she said the following:

"The oil you have is a 'styling product', but MoroccanOil is a 'healing product'. It will actually heal split ends."

Hmm. Interesting.

Being a giant nerd, I decided to compare. Guess what I found?

Rusk Deep Shine Oil and MoroccanOil are essentially the same product. Really. There is no special active ingredient in that is not in Deep Shine Oil and would, therefore cause it to 'heal' versus merely 'style'. Both products contain various MoroccanOilsilicones (which are great smoothing ingredients for hair), both contain the same amounts of argan and linseed oils. Rusk's does contain the added benefits of algae extract. They both have roughly the same amounts of fragrance, solvents, and preservatives. At $20 versus roughly $40, Rusk is a better buy overall.

Now, I have never tried MoroccanOil, so maybe it smells different, but I can tell you that the aroma of Rusk's oil is delightful. It's vaguely fruity/floral-y and reminds me of Hawaii (in the really, really Good Way).

So there you have it. If MoroccanOil can heal split ends, then so can Rusk Deep Shine Oil.

Questions

1. Tell us a little about yourself...

I'm a twenty-something dorky, book-obsessed, fashion and beauty nerd who will read an encyclopedia for fun and loves to play with shapes and colors.

2. What can we expect to see from your blog?

I think it's very important for women to be happy with who they are. The notion that we should be baking ourselves into oblivion in order to look like a Malibu Barbie is dangerous both physically and mentally. Women should find happiness in their own bodies, even if those bodies are Caspar-white.

3. Top three blogs/ sites?

The Non-Blonde was one of the first blogs I read and I am still a fanatical follower. Gaia reviews perfumes in a way that no one else does.
Specktra.net is an amazing resource for MAC makeup. The women who run this site work tirelessly to give us discussion forums and tutorial videos.
Go Fug Yourself never fails to inspire me with witty commentary and a slew of bad fashion choices.

Want to know about more of Noel's beauty saviours? Check out Viking Beauty!

Beauty Blog Link Love

2011-11-19T13:17:00.000Z

Have you heard of Beauty Bloggers for Charity? Tune into BeautyBloggers.org between Nov. 28th and Dec. 12th to bid on some awesome products. The auctions will be open internationally and all proceeds will go to Doctors Without Boarders, so don’t miss it!

Addicted to Beauty is excited to hear about the latest scented mascara - Guerlain's Noir G! Will it be a hit or a miss?

Get them before they are gone - polish insomniac shows you two of the Nicole by OPI Holiday Glitters!

Have you found your perfect fall lip colour yet? Rae, at theNotice, unearths another "hidden gem" in the brand's permanent lineup. Be sure to check out her MAC Desire lipstick review to see it for yourself!

My Lips But Better learns why you should always get a sample before purchasing new foundation!

The Pink Sith tells you a story about an "Ugly Duckling" or sorts and how she was transformed by Votre Vu SnapDragon Body Cream. This story has a happy ending.

Want perfect party nails for this season? Amy Antoinette shows us some sparkle with Models Own Pink Fizz.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections says Deborah Lippmann Stairway To Heaven is winter skating party worthy!

Want a compact powder for great coverage and convenience? Bun Bun Makeup Tips recommends the MAC Studio Fix Foundation.

Have you seen Guerlain's Spring 2012 Collection yet? Anita at Pleasureflush wants everything! What about you?

Kajal Couture shares her 5 Must-Have MAC Shadows that complement every skin tone!

At Musing on Beauty, Mariella tries a shampoo that smells like creme brûlée and keep your color vibrant.

Prime Beauty's Guest Reviewer takes you on a fragrance journey - or should I say fragrance quest? See what she ended up choosing.

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Want to win 3 month's of free nail polish customized to your taste? Enter Perfectly Imperfect's Julep Maven giveaway!

Smashinbeauty is have a Sigma Beauty & E.L.F. Cosmetics Giveaway. Make sure to check it out.

Shivani at Adorable On Your Vanity is celebrating her puppy's first birthday, with a gorgeous namkesake lipstick from Dior, Dior Addict Lipstick in Millie. Come and tell who is cuter!

It's Holiday Giveaway time! Enter to win a Conair Spin Air Brush from Audrey Dao!

Manchester New Year Meet Up!

2011-11-16T22:53:00.002Z

About time we Manchester/ Northern bloggers got together for a little fun :) Everyone who can make it is invited and you're more than welcome to join us at any point in the day!

[[ Source. ]]

WHEN?
Friday 30th December, we'll meet up in Manchester Piccadilly train station at 11am. Once you confirm you're definitely coming, I'll email you my number so everyone can contact me through the day.

WHAT?
Lunch - At The Slug and Lettuce at the end of Market Street. I'll need numbers confirmed for sure so I can book us a table!

Shopping - Because, duh, it's Manchester and would be silly not to! Selfridges, The Arndale, Northern Quarter, vintage stores...We'll just go by wherever people fancy stopping off since I know Christmas often drains the dollah and student loans wont have arrived by then!

Ice Skating - Ice skating at Spinning Fields, which costs around £8.50 though if there is a bunch of us I'm sure I could get us a deal!

Drinks - After such a busy day, I'm sure we all deserve a drink or eight at one of the many bars dotted around the city centre to round the day off perfectly! Please bring ID if you're coming for drinks :)

WHO?
Anyone who blogs/ reads blogs/ friends of bloggers/ boyfriends/ girlfriends/ family etc etc. Basically, ANYONE who wants to come is more than welcome! I'll be bringing along my boyfriend, so blokes are very welcome too!

INTERESTED?
Email me lily175[at]hotmail.co.uk so I can contact you with any more information or help out with travel. Include your name and blog URL so i can make a list of who is attending to post nearer the time! I will be after confirmation that you are definitely attending by December 20th so I can book a table for lunch and book tickets for ice skating. PLEASE don't say you are coming if you're not 100% certain!

So far myself (obviously), @msdriftedsw, @pixievoltaire, @abloggingbloke and @lodzTBB will certainly be there with lots of interest from others to join us too!

Use the #mancblogmeet hashtag on twitter for general questions and so on :)

Thanks guys - hope to see you soon!

Basic Make-up For Black and White Photography

2011-11-16T20:47:00.001Z

One of my favourite challenges when I worked as a make-up artist was to create looks which would work well both in colour AND in black and white. When applying make-up for black and white, working in shades and textures is key. Basically, just ask yourself 'Is this a dark, medium or pale shade? Would it show more black or more white?' When it comes to textures keep light reflectivity in mind - frosts, shimmers and glitters will reflect light and appear brighter whereas mattes tend to absorb light and appear the same shade or slightly darker.

The easiest transferable looks are always the bolder ones! When the shoot requires ACTUAL colour (not neutrals) try to work within variations of the same shade - e.g from dark green to pale green. When working with multiple colours, it's easy to start confusing which is actually the darkest/ palest when the differences are subtle.

In colour, this look is quite heavy around the eyes yet wearable for an evening look. This was my 'go to' style for glamour girls, though I usually added falsies, smokey eyeliner and a stronger highlight shade as a little nod to Pamela Anderson's signature style! You could always make it softer for daytime looks and switch the blacks and greys for more flattering browns and creams.

In black and white, the shade variations are far subtler and appear softer. It actually appears...well, more elegant than it's slightly trashier (sorry glamour girls) cousin! You might also notice that the contour shade below my cheekbone appears more like a natural shadow than the coloured version - you can really push contouring for black and white. I've noticed lately that extremely exaggerated contouring in black and white fashion photography is making a bit of a wave...why not try it yourself?

I shoot straight from my camera in black and white, but if your camera doesn't have a 'monochrome' setting - it's easy to do in photo editors. There should be a 'black and white' option in the colours tab. Experiment and have fun!

BLOGS IN BLOOM - Kristin's Festive Snowflake Nails!

2011-11-16T07:30:00.023Z

Kristin from The Manicured Monkey spreads some festive cheer with this amazing manicure!

1. Tell us a little about yourself?

I'm a native Californian who has traveled the world, played with primates in the Bornean rainforests, hugged dolphins in Hawaii, photographed the South African "Big 5" and have traveled to the other side of the world to watch the World Cup 2010.

2. What can we expect to see from your blog?

I like to show a wide spectrum of brands (polish and once in a while make up) that have a price tag for every budge. My nail art videos are for those who want to branch out and try something different. I am by no means and artist so I want to show my readers if I can do nail art and make up, you can too.

3. Three favourite blogs or websites?

GoFugYourself.com (fashion/pop culture blog)

Twitter (because who doesn't love Twitter!)

TMZ.com (hollywood/pop culture news site- gotta love Hollywood!)

Festive Snowflake Nails!

Happy holidays everyone! As everyone around the world celebrates various holidays, I wanted to do something that was a bit different than the normal green, red and white manicure. I love doing nail art and do various things with striping tape and stamping so I thought why not incorporate the two?

I did two coats of China Glaze Lubu Heels, a black jelly with small red glitter. Application was amazingly easy and did not pool. I’m not used to wearing red glitter colors so this was a nice adventurous change for me and once I looked at it, the color felt like a holiday polish.I wanted to make a design that would still show the prettiness of Lubu Heels so I decided I would wrap my ring finger up like a present! I took nail striping tape, crossed it, and then added a cute fimo bow to it for a bit of dimension and texture.

On the rest of my nails I stamped snowflakes using the new Bundle Monster plates and Color Club Worth The Risque which is a super shiny silver holographic. Living in California by San Francisco, we don’t get snow. I love travelling to the snow in hopes of seeing falling snowflakes glisten in the natural light. This is exactly what Worth The Risque reminds me of.

Thanks to Lily for letting me take over her blog today, I hope everyone likes my guest manicure!

To find out more about how to use nail striping tape and to stamp, you can check out my You Tube channel or my blog for tutorials.

Want more beautiful nail art? Swing by The Manicured Monkey!

FOTD - Shadows and Contours

2011-11-15T18:25:00.000Z

Sometime last week I popped over to Illamasqua's counter at Selfridges Exchange square in Manchester on the hunt for the perfect contour shade. I wanted a cream foundation, since to my eyes cream contouring products give the most natural finish. I figured that with aaaaaall the foundation shades and aaaaall the blush shades, I'd definitely find something...

[[ Soz webcam pics, but the lip colour comes out truer on them! ]]

Well, I was wrong. I left empty handed and feeling a bit awkward after picking apart all of the poor sales assistant's suggestions - she really did try her best to help, but none of the shades were quite right.

Illamasqua seemingly have no cool shades that would work well as a contour for me :( Yes, I'm warm toned, but warm tones give a bronzed look whereas cool tones give the effect of shadows...I was quite surprised since their shade range is so expansive!

So, I dug about in my make-up and figured I'd try and mix something up. I ended up mixing a cool toned Ben Nye blush and a warm Sleek blush and trying that out. Too warm, of course, but I guess I'm one step closer to modelesque cheekbones?! Right? Riiiiight?! *sigh*

EYES - Too Faced shimmery peach, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter, Stargazer permanent eyeliner pen, mascara, Too Faced 'Suede' eyeshadow, Sleek 'Suede' blush, Ben Nye cool brown blush, Barry M eye pencil.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer, Collection 2000 face powder, Ben Nye cool brown blush, Sleek 'Suede' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter.

LIPS - Webcam pics use MAC 'Price Noir' and Collection 2000 'Damson' lipliner. Camera pic I added Darling Girl 'Vampire's Kiss' gloss.

Anyone have suggestions for contour shades for me? What do you use?

Beauty's Bad Habit is now on Lookbook!

2011-11-15T14:52:00.000Z

I bit the bullet and finally joined Lookbook! I'm becoming more interested in what I wear instead of just 'whatever fits/ is clean', which is my usual way of choosing outfits. I love this site, it has so many creative people posting their amazing outfits - plus the photos are always brilliant.

Hopefully putting myself on an actual fashion/ style site will inspire me to take bigger steps in sorting out my rather bare wardrobe!

Who else has a Lookbook account? Who are your favourite members? Link me up!

What I Learnt in London

2011-11-14T20:34:00.001Z

Friday night saw me travelling all the way from 'up int Norf' to 'daan Saaf' with some uni friends; I hadn't been to London in yeeears so was rather excited! We spent most of the weekend just wondering around the city in a mixture of amazement and confusion...

Along the way I learnt some valuable (and some not so valuable) little lessons...

1. If you don't know where you're going, pretend you do.

2. I feel festive all through the year - not just Christmas time!

3. It's rare to find a Londoner in London.

4. Cheap chardonnay is an awful idea.

5. Cheap chardonnay is an excellent idea.

6. Chocolate, coconut and cream crepes are delicious...just don't drip the sauce down yourself!

7. Bubble tea is the bomb diggity.

8. Astronaut food tastes like muesli.

9. Seaweed is a very versatile form of plant life.

10. Market sellers are scary, 'MIXNMATCHCHINESELOVELY?!'

11. J'ai eu trop de vin.

12. Spur of the moment decisions are always the best kind.

I had so much fun and can't wait to visit again! Hopefully I can meet some of you lovely lot next time :)

BLOGS IN BLOOM - Samantha's 100% Cruelty Free Beauty Companies

2011-11-09T07:30:00.003Z

Samantha from The Beauty Diaries shares her favourite BUAV approved companies and products.

Hi everyone, I’m really happy to be guest blogging for Lily and hopefully you’ll find my post interesting

I thought I’d list my favourite BUAV approved products. Whilst I review cruelty-free products not all of them are BUAV approved (which if they are you can be 100% certain that there has been absolutely no animal testing whatsoever at any stage of the production or sourcing of ingredients). Also, whilst I don’t want to come across as ‘preaching’ because hey if you’re not particularly concerned about animal rights that’s your prerogative and I would never judge, my attitude however, is that not many people know how easy it is to pick some well known amazing ranges that are 100% cruelty-free! So here we go....

L’Occitane: My favourite product of theirs simply has to be the Shea Butter hand cream! Without this my hands go so dry and it’s the only thing that keeps them nourished and stops my skin from cracking around the cuticle, it’s an absolute god send. Plus it smells lush!

Urban Decay: I know everyone says this but honestly their Naked Palette is fantastic. I couldn’t understand the hype, and plus they were always sold out! But then my local Debenhams must have just had a delivery because they were stocked to the brim, and after a few swatches I knew I needed it! When I showed it to my bestie, she fell in love so I bought her one for her birthday and she wears it all the time now

Thalgo: I discovered Thalgo at 18 in my first role as a Beauty Therapist and fell in love instantly! They do these fantastic bath salts, called Thalassobath with algae; it feels like your having a Thalgo treatment in your own bath, and your skin afterwards feels so revitalised

Liz Earle: I’ve only gotten to know this range in the last 6 months, and like everyone else I love their cleanse and polish, it really does work. But for me it has to be their new sheer skin tint SPF15. I’ve actually started calling it my ‘hero’ product because even though I have a base I don’t feel ‘made up’ if that makes sense, and my skin still feels like it can breath. You really all need to go out and buy it when it’s released!!

Neal’s Yard: My favourite product has to be their Beauty Sleep Concentrate, which is a godsend if you’ve had a late night! Simply pop it on before you go to bed, and your skin literally looks and feels like it’s had a full 8 hours even if you feel awful and have the worst hangover in the world. I never fail to pop it on before sleepy time

So how many of you honestly knew these ranges didn’t test on animals AT ALL? Did anyone every give it a second thought until just now? I hope I’ve raised some awareness without being ‘preachy’ and also made you aware of how easy it is to find amazing, well known brands who take this so seriously

Big thanks to Lily for letting me guest post, and big thanks to you guys for reading

Questions...

1. Tell us a little about yourself...
Well, I’ve been a Beauty Therapist for 8 years, and have been teaching it for half that time, and I absolutely love what I do! I couldn’t see myself being or doing anything else, I knew when I was 13 it was the career for me, and I work really hard to make sure my techniques never get old and that I’m up too date with the latest trends, because this industry is so fast paced if you don’t keep up you will get left behind very quickly

2. What can we expect to see from your blog?
Lots of cruelty-free reviews, and updates on my health kick progress. I went cruelty-free in April and am currently making the transition to becoming vegan, so I want to document both my progress, my discoveries and the food/products I love and find along the way

3. Top three blogs/ sites?
This is so hard because there are so many amazing blogs (have you seen my blog roll??? I add to it at weekly lol!)

Ok, first up is www.alexaheinrich.com, which is beautifully presented and so professional looking, plus she gives some really amazing tips, like how to save your broken lipstick, and how to make sure your blush is actually applied correctly. She’s also a Beauty Therapist and I like how she incorporates that into her blog

Secondly, I recently found www.keepinghealthygettingstylish.com is such an inspirational foodie blog, for anyone who is (or is thinking of going) veggie/vegan. Or even if you just fancy something super healthy thats also going to taste awesome. Plus the woman behind it is so nice!

Lastly, but by no means least, I adore www.fashiontoast.com , which is my all time favourite fashion blog because she posts a lot of pictures and writes very little, which is what I’d expect from a fashion blog. I love the pictures, very inspirational!

Thanks again Lily, love being a part of your Blogs in Bloom feature!

Xoxo

Interested in cruelty free beauty? Pop over to The Beauty Diaries to find out more!

Carmine October Beauty Box

2011-11-08T17:24:00.000Z

One of the latest companies to dive right in to the recent frenzy for beauty boxes is Carmine. Like other popular beauty box companies at the moment, Carmine aim to deliver five 'generous samples' of luxury products each month for a fixed price (£10) plus postage (£2.75).

I received their first ever beauty box* in October and was immediately enamored by the packaging! Lime green, red and hot pink?! Ballsy. Bright. Bold. To me, this is a welcome change to the soft baby pink and cute patterns I'm used to seeing from beauty box companies. The box itself is darn sturdy - no need to worry about your products getting damaged in the post, always a plus.

Shaking off all of the scarlet paper strands (all over my bedroom floor, naturally) five beauty products were revealed beneath. I was happy to spot a mix of brands I knew - The Balm, Daniel Sandler, Caudalie - and brands I'd never heard of before - Trind and Balance Me. Beauty boxes are all about discovering new favourites and rediscovering old favourites, so I liked that Carmine had not simply gone for popular brands in a bid to hype up their first box.

Also included in the box was an information leaflet about the products, although the price for a full size and stockists were not included. However, this information is available on Carmine's website along with a link to online retailers. That seems a little odd to me - customers should not have to head to the site to find out such vital information, it should be included in the leaflet!

Products in the box are not currently personalized to each customer, but apparently they will be in the future (I'm guessing by using their 'Beauty Profile' quiz). My result was 'Edgy with a Touch of Glam' - I think that describes me perfectly!

Carmine beauty boxes can be bought through the site (total £12.75) in a variety of different subscription options. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.

* Product received for review purposes. Opinions 100% honest and my own, as always!

NOTD - Super Glittery Holo Nails

2011-11-07T18:24:00.000Z

Lately I've been getting into quite sheer, girly, 'grown up' polishes - strange for me, as I'm normally into vampy, gothy shades! I think sheers are starting to appeal to me because they're so easy to maintain and nobody will notice a sly smudge or a few little chips...

Base Colour - Barbara Daly 'Princess'

Fine Glitter - Models Own 'Juicy Jules'

Chunky Glitter - Barry M 'Hologram'

I applied this yesterday evening and haven't been able to stop looking at my nails since! I love all the sparks of colour - they make typing and computer work way prettier :) 100x glitzier 'in real life', but the lack of Sun makes photographing glitter even harder than usual!

What are your favourite sheer polishes? Favourite glitter polishes?

New #bbloggers Host!

2011-11-06T21:13:00.000Z

Since starting uni, I've had zero time to sit down each week and sort out #bbloggers polls, posts, topics etc etc. My course has been SO MUCH more intense than I expected and spare time is a major luxury. I don't think it's fair on you guys to have to scramble around for a topic each week because I'm too busy to organise it 'properly', so Nykki kindly stepped up to be the new #bbloggers host.

Nykki will be running #bbloggers in much the same way I did, you can find all of the information here.

Many thanks to those who helped to arrange chats while I was otherwise occupied, those who participate each week, forward ideas and get stick in!

Bonfire Night!

2011-11-06T17:09:00.000Z

Bonfire night has been one of my favourite nights of the year for as long as I can remember. From drawing chalk fireworks on black paper in nursery, to being old enough to go to displays, to parties in friends gardens - November 5th has always been something to look forward to.

We went to a local display organised by a church group, it's pretty huge and has an unbelievable turnout every year! As soon as we got through the gate, we were stuffing our faces with candy floss and warming ourselves on the roaring fire. After the firework display we ended up at the pub (as is tradition in England) eating hot pot and drinking cider - perfect!

What did you do for Bonfire Night? If you're not in the UK - do you have anything similar to Bonfire Night?

Beauty Blog Link Love

2011-11-05T13:18:00.002Z

Miss Beauty Nerd is working on her own skincare line, code name Project M! She wants savvy beauty junkies to help her with the development process - are you in??

Check out these drool-worth bottle shots from the Wet n Wild Ice Baby collection on polish insomniac.

If it's taupe, then you know The Pink Sith is gonna be all over it! Her newest acquisition is the Dior 3 Couleurs Smoky Eyes Palette in Smoky Brown #781.

Love the shiny lid look, but hate the mess? Find out how to fake the glossy eyeshadow look at theNotice. It's perfect for the holidays, and ridiculously easy to put together!

Are you a fan of Lush? Check out Midnight Violet's review of the Christmas Lip Tints.

Beauty's Bad Habit points out the weird and wonderful quirks beauty bloggers develop, because we're a rather unique bunch!

Are your nails ready for Fall? Check out the new Mary Kay Fall 2011 Lacquers over at Spiced Beauty.

Fleurissante gives the reasons to show why Sisley Skinleya foundation isn't worth $190.

Kim Kardashian may not be able to keep a husband, but she can whip up a nifty little polish! Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed takes Kardashian polish (but not marriage) advice and swatches some Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolors!

Tracy at Beauty Reflections is dreaming of skating parties thanks to the Tarina Tarantino Aurora Jewel Eyeshadow Palette in Diamond Dusk!

Still loving the nude nail trend? Krasey Beauty has the scoop on the new Feel Collection of nude nail polishes, by Zoya!

K from Beautifully Addicted To shows you her new favourite perfume D&G 3 L'Imperatrice.

Remember that popping candy from your childhood? Now it’s in a lip scrub! Hellcandy tries out Lush’s Pow Wow. Click here to read the review.

Pammy's Cover It! Concealer Review Series continues with her review of Maybelline's Mineral Power.

Madame B Fatale shows us part 4 of her Illamasqua products overview!

First EVER Lush Haul!

2011-11-02T16:57:00.000Z

Lush stores have always been a bit intimidating to me. The smell, the staff wondering around, the slightly strange displays, the 'Do I serve myself? Do I ask for help?'...all in all, I just imagined it would be an awful shopping experience for somebody like me. I'm quite shy, quiet and easily panicked, so somebody bounding over to me and squealing 'WELCOME TO LUSH CAN I HELP YOOOU?!' would have me running quickly in the opposite direction. That's why, only today, did I brave entering a Lush lair to actually buy things...

I approached with caution, worried a Lush monster would dive out from behind a basket of bubble bars and bombard me with soaps and sales pitches. This was not the case. I got a friendly 'Hello!' and timidly approached the apron clad lady and rambled something along the lines of, 'Hi, I've never bought anything from Lush before, but I've had a few recommendations...'

She quickly picked apart some of the things I had been recommended as not being the best option for my oily, spot prone skin and showed me a few other products. Immediately, she suggested 'Dark Angels' cleanser and lead me over to try it out on my hand as she talked through the effects of each ingredient. I really liked the exfoliating effect and the ingredient list reminded me a lot of my favourite soap, OHWTO's 'Black Magic'. Sold!

Then, I asked about 'The Hair Doctor' hair treatment and told her about my past love for bleach and dyes. She laughed and told me she uses 'The Hair Doctor' so that she doesn't feel so guilty for abusing her own (bright red) hair before scooping out a sample pot for me to try.

Last but definitely not least, I picked up a bottle of 'Snow Fairy' shower gel. The Lush Lady smiled and did a little 'Why am I not surprised?' roll of the eyes telling me it's their Christmas best seller every year. I sniffed 'Snow Fairy' last week when I went in for a (very quick) browse and couldn't stop thinking about it! It smells like Hubba Bubba/ Juicy Fruit chewing gum. OM NOM NOM.

I was quite surprised at how much I actually enjoyed shopping at Lush! The lovely Lush Lady was definitely a big help and not scary or 'sales pitchy' at all. I hope she's there next time to help me out - yes, I said 'next time'...

BLOGS IN BLOOM - Steph's Been Charmed by Chanel 'Mat Lumiere'...

2011-11-02T07:30:00.015Z

Steph from Beauty Bangs tells us why Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation is more than welcome to charm the pennies from her purse...

Tell us a little about yourself...
Hi all! I’m Steph, I’m a 23 year old Psychology/Criminology graduate from South East England. I work in a field that is very far removed from the beauty industry but have a somewhat minor major obsession with make up, beauty and fashion. I am the silliest person that I know and can’t help dancing around regardless of who is watching and I make up silly songs all the time, particularly about mundane things! I also love everything about the 80s!

What can we expect to see from your blog?
My blog is choc full of reviews of a host of products. I love painting my nails and have lots of ‘nail of the day’ posts and am slowly building a large collection of nail varnishes! I have just ventured into doing ‘face of the day’ posts as well. Basically, anything that tickles my pickle ends up on the blog!

Top 3 blogs/ sites?
Oh man! Even though I knew this question was coming, I still found it really hard to narrow it down! I tend to focus on British bloggers as I like knowing that the products they are blogging about are accessible to me. The first one is Primp and Preen, which is written by Ros who is really down to earth and like me has a dangerous nail varnish obsession! My second one would have to be Le Petit Jardin de Liloo, I always look forward to Liloo’s posts and find her writing style really witty and charming. Finally, I really like Mirror, Mirror on the wall who I just recently discovered but have fallen in love with!

Charming Chanel

A massive hello to all my lovely follows and a huge thank you to Lily for including me in the “Blogs in Bloom” series. For my guest post, I thought that I would do a product review as this is typically what I get up to whilst blogging.

Ever been blown away by a bronzer? Excited by an eye shadow? Flabbergasted by a foundation?

I have finally had that moment of pure lust with a product! Many of you will have heard of Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation – it is a well known product after all! For me, I have coveted and dreamt about owning this product and finally, with baited breath I forked out the £33 to own it. Admittedly, I had to cover my eyes whilst paying for it – if I didn’t see it, it didn’t happen right? RIGHT? Anyway, this is much more than I would normally pay for any beauty product but let’s just say my hormones were in full flow that day.

I have struggled to find my perfect foundation since I was a spotty, grease- ball of a teenager so this product may well be my make up Holy Grail.

Chanel claim that the foundation is for combination skin with a tendency to shine (yep, that would be me) and that it has a soft and natural, matte finish.

Now this is me make up free. Apologies in advance for unleashing this image upon the world!

This foundation is a dream to apply and blends really well. I love that the bottle comes with a pump which reduces waste and I found that two pumps of product was enough to cover my whole face. This foundation has medium coverage but it doesn’t feel at all heavy. It sets to a lovely matte finish which I adore, I didn’t even need to powder *faints*. My skin looks radiant and flawless after the foundation has set.

I wore this foundation all day and even worked up a minor sweat (I don’t DO major sweating) and I can say that I haven’t had to touch it up at all and continued to look flawless and matte.

I am in awe of and amazed by this product. Yes, it is expensive – more expensive than any cosmetic I have ever purchased but I can see it lasting a long time as so little is needed. It has ended my quest for the perfect foundation... maybe I should send Chanel a thank you card?

Want to see what else Steph is loving lately? Find out at Beauty Bangs!

Beauty Bloggers are Bizarre

2011-11-01T22:14:00.006Z

We bloggers are weird. It's a known fact. Hell, we're probably weirder than those guys who play World of Warcraft and go larping dressed as cornflake coated dwarves or paraplegic molluscs. I don't mean it in a bad way - we're a good kind of weird, a unique weird, a weird that makes us do crazy but awesome things...

1. We buy stuff just to blog. Do you really think I need another pink lipstick? No, like hell I do. I'll still buy it, naturally...And probably swatch, review, use it twice then shove it in my drawer full of another 40 lipsticks I also don't use.

2. Blog vs. People. Blog wins. Come on, now. I bet we've all done the, 'Oh, sorry, I can't come out tonight I have to do some uni work/ look after the baby/ go to the gym.' when really all we're doing is slobbing out in front of Blogger or Wordpress, tweeting about blushers and eating Doritos.

3. Time management? What is that? "Yeah! Super! I'm on a roll today, I can get this posted in 10 minutes." 40 minutes later, we'll still be sat there, staring at a blank screen, but we're optimistic...Maybe if we stare long enough words will just appear? Right? RIIIGHT?!

4. We don't need sleep. We're like vampires...except we don't sleep in the day either. We take photos in the day, go and hunt down the latest new product, come home and tweet about it. At night, we write...and tweet some more...and watch trashy TV and tweet about that, too.

5. We obsess over light. Some bloggers run towards light, arms full of products, faster than a moth to a flame. Why? Because day light can not be wasted! MUST TAKE PHOTOS. NOW.

6. Twitter is an advice forum. Our followers are our most trusted advisers. Whatever you want to know, whatever you want to buy, ask away and somebody has *something* to say.

7. We know things we shouldn't know. We know aaaall your secrets! MUAHAHA. If you're a beauty company, anyway. We'll usually know about the launch/ development of your latest products before your stockists or sales advisors do...

8. We inconvenience ourselves 24/ 7. For fun. Straightening our hair and 1am so it's nice for blog pics the next day, getting up at 6am so we can take pictures or write before work/ college/ uni, taking hour long 'detours' so that we can go to Selfridges and have a swatch fest, arranging family holidays around product launches...

9. We get excited over silly things. Creme Brulé vaseline?! Really now?!

10. We are fickle. Beauty bloggers tend to rave about certain products one week and slate them the next. I know you're all sat there shaking your heads - 'Not me!' um... Urban Decay 'Naked' palette. I rest my case.

11. We think how we write. You're sat there, putting on your make-up, like any normal day - except for one thing. The commentary in your head - 'I really like how this blush applies, smooth, creamy, blendable. It might look quite intimidating in the pot, but it's easy to tone it down...'

12. It might stain, but I'm swatching it anyway. Ever seen a girl walking around with faded blobs of colour running up her arm? She's probably a beauty blogger. We don't care if it's going to stain or we have to go and visit our Gran in 20 minutes - those lipsticks are being swatched. So there.

13. Everyone/ everything is a target. Girl with cool hair on the bus *photo* Pub lunch *photo* Lady with scary nails on the train *photo* New stand in Superdrug *photo*

14. One hand painted? One eye made up? Wonky make-up is a regular occurrence across the beauty blogosphere, so it seems! Why line both eyes or paint both hands when you're only taking pictures of one? Pssht. Both sides, you crazy?!

15. We are hoarders. Make-up, leaflets about make-up collections, empty boxes...Oh, the empty boxes. I have an entire draw of empty boxes. WHY?! It's not like they're a souvenir! I have the actual item, why must I keep the box?! Don't worry, boxes, I still love you...

16. Nothing is useable until photographed. Only can you use a product once you have photographed the packaging it arrived in, the actual product packaging and the untouched, shiny, new, clean product itself. Until then, we hide it away in its virgin stage until we find time to get the camera out!

17. We have a folder of photos of...ourselves. We take pictures for FOTDs, swatches etc, we'll take 200 just to find ONE decent shot. Edit it, save it neatly away and hope nobody comes across the folder titled 'Blog Pics'...To anyone but a beauty blogger, having 500 images of yourself would be mental!

18. We're weird and proud. Admit it - you've just been nodding and chuckling to yourself the whole way through this post!

Why are we beauty bloggers so bizarre? Why do we do such things? Because we love beauty, we love blogging and ordinary is boring - that's why! Many thanks to my Twitter crew for helping me out by sharing their weird habits!

Do you do any of these? Can you think of any more? I'll add them in if you do!

FOTD - Dinner with a Gypsy

2011-10-31T21:30:00.000Z

While the cool kids are all out terrifying the town tonight, I've been sat inside playing with make-up! Seeing as it *is* Halloween, I decided to go for heavy eyes and dark lips, which ended up looking rather 1920s flapper girl-esque! Fling a lace top over your head, take some photos and hey presto - lonely Halloween night in, sorted!

Top three pics only had curves adjusted and linear gradients added. I didn't even use my studio light - quite surprising the results you can get with a nice camera and free editing software (Photoscape)!

[[ With the top like this, I look kinda Arabic instead of gothic! ]]

[[ Halloween - when red eyeliner is acceptable! ]]

Bottom two photos unedited...clearly haha!

EYES - UDPP, Darling Girl 'Glitter Glue', MUA 'Dusk 'til Dawn' palette, Stargazer eyeliner pen, mascara, Collection 2000 'Damson' lip pencil.

FACE - No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation, Collection 2000 pressed powder, Sleek 'Sahara' blush, Fyrinnae 'Centre Stage' highlighter, Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer.

LIPS - Collection 2000 'Damson' lipliner, MAC 'Prince Noir' (outer edges only), dab of Lancome juicy tube.

Are you going out tonight? What are you dressing up as? OR - if you're not going out, what would you dress up as if you could?

Birthday Bad Habit!

2011-10-28T07:30:00.002+01:00

Today is my birthday! I'm now 20 years young and it seems so bizarre that I am no longer a teenager! I've been loving life lately, for the very first time I feel that I'm on the right path and know I have an amazing future ahead of me. So, here is what has been making me so happy lately!

1. TREACLE TOFFEE. Need I explain?! We've found the local sweet shop...We also found three market stalls which sell sweets and a 'Coffee and Toffee' shop! Sugar fixes - sorted.

2. SET UP. Finally found a photography set up which works in my dingy, dark little room. I think I'll make a collapsible infinity curve to replace the pad though - it's getting rather ragged now!

3. UNI. Dancing, drinking, laughing, getting talked into pole dancing lessons - y'know, the usual.

4. AL. Al is my inflatable dinosaur. I told my Dad I'd only make him a glass of Vimto if he bought a dinosaur for me. And so he did. Anyway - I actually meant to say that this shelf pretty much sums me up! Dinosaur, Sweden's finest and shiny things!

5. LEARNING. I'd forgotten how much I love learning. It sounds silly, but my brain hasn't actually had a challenge since leaving secondary school! We have SO MUCH new stuff to learn and I'm like a kid again - fascinated by everything. Mainly software - Maya, Premier Pro, Nuke, After Effects, Final Cut etc etc (anyone work with these?! Tweet me!) Also, anyone studying film, animation or games design? Tweet me!

Right now as you read this, I'll be sat in class learning about UVs in 3D modelling - ooosht geek supreme. I love my course! Straight home from uni today, then out in Manchester for a proper rock and metal night of madness :) What are you guys doing for Halloween?! What are you dressing up as?!

BLOGS IN BLOOM - Erika's Awesome Water Marble + Stamping Nails!

2011-10-26T07:30:00.001+01:00

Erika from Polish Fixation is giving me serious nail envy with this bold and colourful manicure!

Tell us a little about yourself...
Hi, my name is Erika, and I'm addicted to nail polish! Seriously, it's kind of a problem, but not a problem I want to stop! I live in southern New Hampshire, and I work as a Nanny for a wonderful family taking care of their now-7-yr old son (since he was 3.5). In my spare time, (when I'm not blogging or doing my nails!) I enjoy playing video games, board games, hanging out with my boyfriend and our friends, or just relaxing at home catching up on TV shows on our DVR. I'm pretty laid back so I just do whatever feels right at the moment. :)

What can we expect to see from your blog?
polish fixation is my blog. I post everything from swatches, stamping, water marbles, splatters, etc. Sometimes I feature guest nails when I have done nails of my friends and/or family. I plan to also review hand/nail care products from time to time when I find a product I love and want to share my thoughts on it. As most bloggers do, I also host give-aways for special events from time to time, because I like giving back to my followers to show my appreciation! Mostly, I just like to have fun with my blog and post things that I enjoy and hope that others will enjoy what I have to share.

Top 3 blogs/sites?
This is going to be pretty hard to answer! The first one is easy though. The very first nail blog I came across was The Polishaholic. Jen's site had me hooked when I found it, I remember just clicking back through all her older posts thinking "I wonder if I could do something like this". It inspired me to start my own nail polish blog.

Gotham Polish is another blog I really enjoy reading because it's so different from all the other blogs I read. I love how she starts out with some interesting NYC tidbit, or about someplace she has been recently in NY that inspired the mani she's going to show. Maybe there is a soft place in my heart for this blog because NYC is my hometown, but whatever the reason, her blog is totally worth checking out!

Lastly, a relatively new blog that I loved from the moment I saw it: Thumbnails & Polish. The tagline on her header reads: "From concept to reality, a graphic designer's take on nail art, jewelry-making, and artistic whims and fantasies". How lovely does that sound? Then I saw her nail art and was hooked. She does a lot of things that I don't see everywhere on the other blogs I read and I enjoy that a lot!

Water Marble + Stamping = AWESOME!

Today I am sharing something that I've been wanting to try for a while and finally took the time to experiment with and absolutely LOVED the results! I did a rainbow water marbling on all my nails then stamped over it with black.

I was a little weary about spending all that time with the water marbelling to just go and cover it all up afterwards, but I am so glad I did.

Here are some pictures of what the marbling looked like before I stamped it:

And here is the awesomeness that followed:

I am in love with this look, if you couldn't tell! It might be my favorite nail creation I've done so far!

Oh and in case you are wondering, here is a look at the polishes I used for this look: (but any rainbow array of colors would do I think)

OPI Nail Envy (base coat)
Frankenpolish made by Angela
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Very Cherry
Essie Braziliant
Ulta Sun-Sational
ORLY Fresh
Zoya Tart
Funky Fingers Chershire
Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat
Konad Special Polish in black (Not pictured)

The stamp I used was found on Bundle Monster image plate BM-224.

Would you (or have you) try this look out on yourself? Do you love it as much as I do?

... ... ...

Before I go, I just want to thank Lily again for hosting Blogs in Bloom and allowing me, and other new bloggers, to share our creations with you all! It's been fun doing this and I look forward to reading the other guest blogs as they get posted!

FOTD - Rock Night!

2011-10-25T20:49:00.000+01:00

Seeing as there is a serious lack of rock clubs and pubs in Bolton (there's one rock pub - whaaaat?!) myself and a bunch of folk on my course decided it's time for a rock night! We had planned to go to a rock night organised by one of the local clubs...but the DJ pulled out - so instead, I'm off to a flat party!

[[ My baby in my hands and make-up bag on the bed! ]]

EYES - TFSI, Shiro 'Master Sword', Darling Girl 'ON-X' and 'Apparition', Stargazer eyeliner pen, Barry M eyeliner pencil, mascara.

FACE - Collection 2000 'Lasting Perfection' concealer (I'm shade 'Medium'), No.7 'Beautifully Matte' foundation ('New Ivory'), Shu Uemura 'Matte Peach' blush, Kryolan powder.

LIPS - Stargazer 106 lipstick.

I'm seriously reverting back to this classic look lately - flicked eyeliner and red lips can do no wrong! Also - I'm 20 on Friday! How mental is that?! I'm going to celebrate back home on a PROPER rock night out - because Manchester knows how to handle its metal ;)

This Week's #bbloggers Topic Is...

2011-10-22T16:31:00.000+01:00

Making Money from Blogging

How can you make money from blogging?

[[ Source. ]]

Ever wondered how much to charge for adverts? Or even how to offer advertising space? Are Google ads worth the money? How do you feel about sponsored posts? Bring all your thoughts, tips and advice to the #bbloggers chat this Sunday at 8pm GMT on Twitter!

Be respectful of others, please. This isn't a 'adverts = selling out' debate!

Beauty Blog Link Love

2011-10-22T16:02:00.002+01:00

Polish Insomniac shows off her favorite manicure to date!

Can you believe that Fall is already here! Check out Spiced Beauty's favorite red fall lipsticks!

Midnight Violets gives us the low-down on some of the great nude palettes available at the moment - comparison included!

Being bored watching Loxy play Shooty-Town led Gouldylox to this helpful discovery. It'll all make sense and help your super-short nailed ladies look amazing when you click here.

Want big Bambi lashes? Amy Antoinette reviews Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara.

Miss Beauty Nerd features a lovely blusher from Iman for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Get full lashes that last throughout the day with L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara, as reviewed by My Lips But Better.

Being an international jet-setter just became a little easier. See how on the Perfectly Imperfect Beauty Blog.

Phyrra shares her Hacks! Cheats for blending eye shadows.

Krasey Beauty has the scoop on the new, the awesome, Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit!

K from Beautifully Addicted To gives you her opinion on MAC's Purple Majesty nail polish.

Kajal Couture reveals whether the $35 Boscia Black Mask is better than a $2 face mask.

Anita compares the new Mac Lighstcapade MSF with the old, prettier version over at Pleasureflush.

---

theNotice is still celebrating it's four-year blogiversary! Enter Rae's Pink Giveaway now, and keep your eyes peeled for something big on the 24th ;)

NOTD - Blue Glitter and Flakies

2011-10-22T10:55:00.000+01:00

You ever do your nails and just *not know* when to stop? I do. Which resulted in this rather...interesting paint job. I really can't decide if it's outright ugly or pretty awesome! It reminds me of those pencils you had as a kid which changed colour with the heat of your hand - they were textured like lizard skin and I thought they were the best thing ever (I kinda still do.)

Dark Navy - MUA (no idea of the shade number, but it's the only dark sparkly blue they have.)
Blue Glitter - Techniques blue glitter
Flakies - GOSH 'Rainbow'
Holo Glitter - Barry M 'Hologram'

Ugly or awesome?

Chicken and Vegetable Pie

2011-10-20T15:41:00.000+01:00

Yeah, yeah. Food stuff two days in a run, but guess what? I'm baking more than beautifying lately, so you're gonna have to put up with these drool inducing posts! Today, I bring you chicken and vegetable pie...

I wanted to make something fairly cheap which would last me for quite a few meals. Chicken is mega expensive in the UK (£7 for 2 farty, little chicken breasts?! WHAAAT) but I managed to find some chicken breast strips in Asda for £2.50. The puff pastry sheets cost around £2 and I snaffled the veg off my parents (muahahaha).

So, for around £4 (£6 if I'd bought the veg, too) I managed to make two delicious chicken and veg pies! I'll get at least 8 meals out of these, that works out at 75p a serving (or 50p considering veg theft). Beats ready meals any day!

I loosely used this recipe, but did measurements by eye since I have no scales. It's SO simple, fast, tasty, filling and looks way fancier than it actually is - all pluses in my book!

What's your favourite savory pie? Any recipes? Link me up!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies...

2011-10-19T17:41:00.001+01:00

I love baking, I love chocolate, I love peanut butter and I love cookies - combine them all and what do you get? Homemade peanut butter and choc chip cookies, of course!

These were my first venture into baking in my flat - I'd been putting it off seeing as it doesn't have a proper oven...and I haven't bought a whisk...and I don't have a sieve...or weighing scales...or grease proof paper...and I haven't been buying eggs, either. What?! Unprepared? Me?!

I used the 'Peanut Butter and Chocolate Biscuits' recipe from Ellieand, I really like how she lays out her recipe posts with big pictures and simple instructions. I had to alter it a bit, converting grams to cups, using fruit sugar instead of granulated, milk instead of egg and mixing chocolate into the dough (as well as piling it on top - OM NOM NOM). Surprisingly, they taste amazing! Mine could have done with an extra five minutes, but if you're using milk instead of egg, it's no huge concern if they don't bake through quite properly.

What are your favourite cookie recipes? Favourite 'easy bakes'? Link me up!

BLOGS IN BLOOM - OPI 'Mermaid Tears and Silver Shatter'

2011-10-19T07:30:00.011+01:00

OPI Addict shows us the super gorgeous OPI 'Mermaid Tears' along with their lovely silver shatter...

Hello everyone :) I am really excited for the opportunity to be part of the "Blogs in Bloom" series.

I'll start off with a little about who I am. I am a Canadian university student, and I will be starting my second year in Honours Psychology this coming September. I eventually want to get my masters degree and potentially even more schooling, and then open up my own practice. My interests include reading (some of my favourite books include The Glass Castle, The Bell Jar, and Her Fearful Symmetry), music (country and top 40 are my favourite genres), cooking, baking, and enjoying life. :) Oh, how could I have forgotten? I have an extreme love for nail polish. OPI is like a drug to me. I really have a passion for their company and their products. I'm creeping up on 100 bottles, you can view my entire list of polishes on the sidebar of my blog. I have wanted to start up a nail polish blog for quite a while, but I just didn't know how to go about it. I finally got up the nerve to start it up, and I am so happy that I did! One of my friends, who goes by the name OPInionated, has made guest appearances on my blog, as she shares my love for polish. I love reading all of the comments from my readers, knowing that my blog is actually being read by real people, all around the world. My blogging goal is really just to share my passion with other lacquer lovers.

I would love to venture into the world of nail art, as I am not that experienced in that field. I have a real appreciate for those who can create works of art on their nails, and one day I would love to be able to do the same. You can definitely expect me to keep you up to date with the latest collections and news in the nail polish world. I will be showing swatch comparisons of similar polishes, and offering my opinion on which polishes are the must haves, and which ones simply left me wanting more. I also love layering polishes, so you can expect to see many different layering options. I am new to the blogging scene, as my blog is only about a month old. I am still learning how to best photograph nails, and I'm sure I will master this technique with time and much practice.

My three favourite blogs would be:

1) Beauty by Kayla Shevonne, http://kaylashevonnebeauty.blogspot.com, She offers many comparison swatches, and always has new posts to be read.

2) Josie's Nails, http://josiesnails.blogspot.com/, Her photographs are so beautiful! She always captures the perfect angle and lighting of the nail.

3) All Lacquered Up was the first polish blog I think I have ever read, and I still read this blog daily. Her expansive collection always allows for comparisons. I feel that I can trust her judgement on a new polish, and I really respect and admire her. http://www.alllacqueredup.com/

Here is an example of the type of post that you will find on my blog, http://addictedtoopi.blogspot.com/.

OPI's "Mermaids Tears" seemed to be the most talked about polish of the Pirates Collection that launched in Spring 2011. This collection seemed to take forever to trickle into salons, and this lacquer was always sold out. When I finally was able to purchase it I was very eager to use it to polish my tips :)

With such high expectations from this polish, I was bound to be at least slightly let down. I found this formula, as with most creams, to be slightly streaky. In fact, four coats was required for full opacity! And even then, some nails still showed streak marks. I will have to swatch this again using OPI's Ridge Filler, and see if that makes any difference.

With a collection full of creams, OPI decided to include a new shatter colour, Silver Shatter. I found that this shatter allowed for the underlying lacquer to be seen and appreciated, without being about to see any of the streakiness. Silver shatter was easy to apply, and shattered nicely. One thing that I really like about the Shatter line is the incredibly quick drying time. Since they dry to a matte finish, the drying time is almost instantaneous. If you like the matte finish, you could leave your manicure the way it is, but then you run the risk of the shatter peeling off. If you prefer a more high gloss finish, you can add a top coat, which would also help protect the longevity of your manicure. A major complaint with the shatter line is that the lacquer dries up very quickly inside the bottle. I have addressed this issue, and offered a few solutions on other posts on my blog :)

What do you think of this combination? What is your favourite polish to layer Silver Shatter over top of?

I hope that you will check out my blog, and leave me any comments that you may have! I would love any advice that you may have for a new blogger :) Also, if there is anything that you would like to see as part of my blog, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you for reading!

OPI Addict

Fancy seeing more from OPI Addict? Hop over and check out her blog!

Raffles Bizarre Giveaway Winner Is...

2011-10-16T21:45:00.000+01:00

Amii x

Congrats, Amii! I will be passing your email address along to Raffles Bizarre to arrange delivery of your prize!

Thanks all who entered and keep an eye out for another giveaway soon ;)

No #bbloggers This Week...

2011-10-16T16:25:00.001+01:00

...as no suggestions were put forward this week. I've said before that I wont be coming up with any #bbloggers ideas, it really is down to you guys to suggest topics! I just filter out the drama filled/ repeat topics and then let you lot run with it. So, if you want to set up a #bbloggers for tonight via Twitter - GO FOR IT. I wont stop you, I just wont be arranging it!

[[ Source. ]]

Feel free to make suggestions, but I'll only be taking the into account for next week's chat.

Thanks!

Edit: @beautycfw @cwaterworth @fernlaura have settled on 'OOTD Help' as tonights topic, so don't despair if you were really looking forward to the chat!

Interviewed over at Rockalily!

2011-10-15T07:30:00.003+01:00

Recently I was interviewed as part of Rockalily's new feature, 'Beauty Bloggers - Why We Fell in Love With Make-up'. Rockalily want to explore our relationship with all things make-up and delve a little deeper into most beauty blogger's number one obsession...

[[ Red lippy, flicked hair and bandana in honour of Rockalily's retro/ vintage vibe! ]]

If you want to know how make-up has played a huuuuuuuuuuge role in my life, go to Rockalily to find out!

(P.S) Soz webcam pix. My battery charger for my camera has vanished - aaargh!

Guest Post over at Lipglossiping...

2011-10-14T17:59:00.001+01:00

Today I've a guest post up on Lipglossiping reviewing a couple of items from the Illamasqua 'Theatre of the Nameless' collection - including that purple lippy I was lusting after so badly!

[[ Illamasqua 'Kontrol' lipstick ]]

So, if you're curious and fancy a little read - pop over to Lipglossiping!

Indie Halloween Collections...

2011-10-12T14:42:00.000+01:00

A list and links of the indie companies who have come out with Halloween collections so far! Those with *s are companies I have tried and would recommend, those without are ones I haven't tried but have heard nothing but good things about :)

[[ Source. ]]

Darling Girl Cosmetics *
Fyrinnae *
One Hand Washes The Other *
Hi-Fi Cosmetics *
Venomous Cosmetics *
Haus of Gloi (ok, so really an 'Autumn Collection' - but close enough for me!)
Rockabetty Beauty

I know I've missed a certain 'big' one, but that's because my experience with said company isn't a gleaming one. Anybody else I've missed off?

Have you bought from any indie Halloween collections this year? Are you planning to?

BLOGS IN BLOOM - What's in Jade's Bag?

2011-10-12T07:30:00.002+01:00

This week we get to be super nosy as Jade from Fashion and Beauty Disaster shows us what's in her bag...

1. Tell us a little about yourself...20/F/Yorkshire
First of all I’m a down to earth kind of person; straight talking, but considerate at the same time.
In September I will be going into my final undergraduate year at Leeds Metropolitan University, studying Retail Marketing Management. As much as I like retail and the world of business, my passion has always been hair and beauty; ever since I was little all I wanted to be was a hairdresser or a beautician. I love pampering myself and other people but my parents didn’t want me to take that path in life, they were quite old fashioned and said I was ‘too academic’ for a career like that (they obviously had no idea about the amount of theory involved in hair and beauty!!!).
I am a Sex and the City addict; I just fantasise about living in NYC every time I watch it! I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to start a beauty blog, I’m absolutely loving the world of twitter and blogger now I’m here!

2. What can we expect to see from your blog?I tend to focus very much on beauty products, even though my blog name is ‘fashion’ and beauty disaster, I am not body confident in the slightest and I just don’t feel as if I have enough fashion sense to post my clothes on my blog just yet!
I pride myself on being honest so any product review I post on my blog, regardless of the brand or where it’s come from, it will always be my true point of view.

3. Top three blogs/ sites?
www.makeupsavvy.co.uk
www.prettydiamondsolitaire.blogspot.com
www.thebristolbeautyblog.blogspot.com

What's In My Bag?

I'm a massive fan of River Island bags, always have been and I reckon I always will be! Unfortunately the bag featured in this post is no longer available in store or online, but there are loads of new fabulous sachels and messenger bags (most of them under £60, Bonus!) I bought this one around 6 months ago; bit of an impulse buy really, I decided I needed to treat myself!

So, what's inside my bag?

On a normal day, I generally like to travel light when it comes to beauty products but there are 3 things that I carry with me at all times:

Maybelline ColorSensational lipgloss in Peach Sorbet

I bought this after using a sample which came on one of the pages of Company magazine. Usually I hate lipgloss because it's too sticky, my hair gets in it and urgh... just awful! You can see what it looks like on my lips here.

Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Concealer

This is my absolute holy grail concealer at the moment, fabulous coverage and it's really nice and creamy. Covers all manner of sins on my face from dark circles under my eyes, to the huge spot which appears on my chin during the day.

Soap and Glory Hand Food (travel size)

I was never really interested in the Soap and Glory range until I started blogging and I heard so many good things about Hand Food, apparently it smelt gorgeous and it was so many peoples' must have hand cream. So I bought, and I loved!

So there you go, 3 beauty products in my bag and I don't even carry a mirror! A crime some may say but I know I just wouldn't use one!

Other bits and bobs I carry are:

Painkillers - I hate headaches with a passion and there's always one of my friends asking for some ibuprofen while we're out so I end up being their own personal painkiller supplier!

iPod - This has been going strong for about 4 years now! Its a special edition RED one (supporting AIDS, I think) and I love the fact that I have never seen any of my friends with one this colour. I travel quite a lot so its nice to have some music on in the car or on the train.

Purse - Another River Island number, bit of an obvious one really; carries all my money and cards (Boots Advantage Card & Superdrug Beauty Card are a must have for any beauty addict, I must say)

Phone - Samsung Galaxy S

Keys

Brush

Deodorant

So there you have it, the contents of my bag. Sums me up quite well really, no heirs and graces; just the essentials!

I'd like to say a massive thankyou to Lily for giving me the opportunity to be part of her Blogs In Bloom series and I hope you enjoyed my guest post

Jade

If you'd like to have a bit more of a snoop, skip over to Fashion and Beauty Disaster!

OOTD - The Wolves

2011-10-11T19:21:00.000+01:00

There's almost nothing I love more than a good, naff, 'my [insert name of creepy relation] would wear that' top. Well...in terms of naff clothing at least! There's a whole list of things I love more than naff tops: tinned ham, beards, knitwear, inflatables, lists - I'm sure you get the picture (I sure as Hell don't.) Anyway. what I'm trying to say is that I found this top at the local market and IT HAD TO BE MINE.

TOP - Market ('Wild' brand)
SHORTS - Hacked from a pair of old New Look jeans.
TIGHTS - Plain black over suspender tights off eBay.
BOOTS - From a random little shoe store.

Please excuse the white smudges on my top in the last picture and messy hair but I've been in class today! Finished off modelling a zombie face and made a one part mold, so I got COVERED in plaster - trust me, it was even spattered up my legs and all over my boots haha.

What do you think to this style of top? I'm more used to seeing them on greasy, fat old men.

(P.S) Go and listen to 'The Wolves' by Ben Howard! It's a stunner!

Darling Girl Goodies, Mini Reviews and Swatches!

2011-10-10T18:25:00.001+01:00

With Halloween only 21 days away, I've been watching indie companies with great fascination. Y'see, now is the time of year they all release their Halloween collections - bizarre shades, smokey hues, limited edition products and glitter by the bucket load - sounds fab, right?! This year, however, only Darling Girl Cosmetics (or is that, 'Darling Ghoul'?) collection really took my fancy...

I ordered four items from the Halloween collection, managing to restrain myself with that annoying little, 'You do NOT need more eyeshadows!' voice inside my head. I also ordered two colour correcting concealer samples out of curiosity as I've been eyeing them up for ages! The 'Gift with Purchase' for spending over $10 was also included, along with two eyeshadow samples.

[[ GWP Monarch, Smoking Gun, Ghost Light, ON-X, Apparition ]]

LOOK AT 'APPARITION' AND 'ON-X'. They're just so gorgeous! Don't let the swatches fool you into thinking I'm just being giddy, these colours are both more complex than I could capture. Well...perhaps not complex, just...sparklier! But we like sparkles. Yes? Yes we do. ON-X is a smokey black base shot through with multi-coloured shimmer and glitz, 'Apparition' is a bright silver with orange glitter and pink-green sparkle. I'll be pairing them up for bonfire night :D

[[ Poison Plum, Vampire's Kiss, Lemon colour corrector, Salmon colour corrector ]]

The colour correctors haven't been a big success for me so far - they're far too oily for under my eyes. They're very sheer, so blending them out fully gives more of a tinted pearl effect than a correcting colour wash, so any benefit of using them goes straight out of the window! I'll probably be using up these samples as subtle cheek highlights. 'Vampire's Kiss' holo-gloss really appealed to my dark side - sheer black gloss loaded with fine pink and purple glitter. In some lights, the tube shows a green-gold sheen, which isn't evident on the lips - but it's still pretty awesome!

Have you been buying any Darling Girl lately? Or from any indie Halloween collections?

Current Favourite Jewellery + Giveaway!

2011-10-09T16:23:00.003+01:00

If you're anything like me, you're a *bit* of a magpie. Heading straight for the jewellery section in stores, staring at strangers' jewel encrusted rings on the train, cramming new purchases into an overflowing jewellery box...You like shiny things and you're not afraid to show it! I go through cycles with my jewellery, wearing some items to death and forgetting all about others! These are what I'm currently reaching for on a near enough daily basis...

A silver twisted bracelet from my Nana. I'm not sure where she got it from, but by the way she was talking about it, I think she'd had it for decades before handing it over to me. I love it, it goes with everything! Also, this onyx necklace from my parents - they bought it for me for getting good results in college, aaaaw :)

A double strand thunder bolt necklace which my sister gave to me when she was clearing out. Usually I'm not a fan of silver and gold colours together, but it's so subtle in this that I actually quite like the effect! It's oooold, probably from New Look, Primark or Topshop. Doesn't it bug you when folk post lovely things you can't buy anymore? #guiltyascharged

GIVEAWAY!

I've teamed up with Raffles Bizarre to bring you a little giveaway for some rather awesome, quirky pieces of jewellery! What you can win...

1 x Chess Piece and 1 x Cotton reel necklace.

TO ENTER

Leave your name along with your email address and tell me about YOUR favourite piece of jewellery.

This giveaway will end on Sunday the 16th of October at 9pm. Winner will be chosen through random.org.

Good luck and many thanks to Raffles Bizarre for making this giveaway possible! Don't forget that you can use the 'BBHB' discount code for 10% off everything on the site!

* GIVEAWAY CLOSED. *