Panic Buying: Guilty!

Some people panic buy petrol, some food, but for me it's makeup brushes! Some people might see this as tragic, but I am also sure that I am not alone, there must be more people out there who can empathise with me?! 

This purchase is from Shop Louella, which has been created by the wonderful Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter and Zoe from Zoella, in their shop they are aiming to only sell the things that they love - a selection of their favourites if you will.  Currently they are only stocking makeup brushes, bdellium tools green bamboo brushes to be precise but I do believe they have plans to eventually stock more wonderful cosmetics (dear wallet, I apologise in advance).  I purchased the 5 piece 'Smokey Eye' set when they first launched the shop, but I thought I'd be good and wait before purchasing any more as to be honest I don't NEED them.  This all changed however, when Louise mentioned that they were running dangerously low on stock and weren't going to be getting more in for a while - cue me literally scrambling around, checking my bank balance and deciding I couldn't afford them placing an order - I kid you not, I was like a woman possessed (how many times have you heard me say this in relation to makeup related purchases? I must get a grip).  For once though, I have not suffered from shoppers remorse, I just felt very satisfied and excited to see that they had arrived in their gorgeous bright coral envelope.  And if, for any reason, the guilt comes to haunt me, I can easily swipe it away because bdellium tools are basically impossible to get hold of in the UK, so it isn't as though I could get them any old time, this could well have been a once in a lifetime opportunity and you just can't pass those up!!

Oh and the sets I purchased are: The Green Bamboo 4 Piece Foundation Kit which consists of a Precision Kabuki, a Finishing brush, a Duo Fiber Foundation brush and a Foundation brush and the Green Bamboo 5 Piece Mineral Brush Kit which is made up of a Powder Blending brush, a Slanted Contour brush, a Precision Concealer brush, a Large Tapered Blending brush, and a Large Shadow brush.

Each set costs £33.95 and postage and packaging was £4.50 I think (which isn't cheap, but they did come within two days).

I look forward to giving these a try, and I will report back with a review once I have used them, and seen how they fare after a wash! 

Please tell me I'm not the only one to panic buy "nonessentials"?

x

Empties

It is time to declutter and finally do an 'empties' post! These things have been hanging around for a week or so, and I keep trying to tidy up and being really frustrated that I can't put them all in the recycling because I haven't taken photos! But here are the photos so farewell products, thanks for being so good to me!

So, lets get to it...

Face related empties

L'Oreal Paris Triple Active Ideal Balance Cleansing Wipes - I do love a good face wipe, and these, my friends are rather lovely.  I purchased them in a 2 for 1 sale so it made them nice and cheap as well.  They aren't too exciting (I've never experienced an exciting face wipe, have you?) but they do the job or removing make up rather well! My housemate used them once and I quote "Oh, these are lovely, they just smell so posh" - and who wouldn't want a posh smelling face wipe I ask you?! 

These are available at Boots and Superdrug but I can't find them online, and also in large supermarkets.

Hair related empties

TIGI Bed Head Epic Volume Shampoo and Conditioner - I love these. They smell amazing, so regardless of their value I would always love them for that, it's the most girly strawberry delicious scent! (which unfortunately I've only smelt a couple of times because I have zero sense of smell 99.9% of the time! I don't know how well they boost the volume of my hair, because to be honest my hair tries its hardest to be flat as a pancake at all times, but it certainly doesn't weigh it down so I'm not complaining. I would definitely repurchase these! 

Get it at FeelUnique or CheapSmells

Toni & Guy Boost-it Mousse - They have actually discontined this product, and I am utterly gutted.  I love this stuff, it is so easy to use (just spray it directly onto the roots in sections around your head, then blow dry with your head upside down for max volume) and it really does deliver the 'volume boost with natural hold' that it claims - so it does just what it say on the tin! I got the Volume Plumping Mousse when I went to replace my Boost-it Mousse but after reading some awful reviews I'm scared to try it!  Why do companies do this - if it ain't broke, don't fix it!  

Now, onto Shower empties

Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel for Sensitive Skin - There isn't really much to say about this, other than that it does the job! A lot of my friends don't use a shaving gel, making do with shower gel, but I wouldn't be without it. 

At £3.25 from Boots I don't think you can go far wrong.  They often have it on sale too!

Treacle Moon The Raspberry Kiss - This deliciously scented exfoliator is lovely, and a little goes a long way so it has lasted me a long time.  I really like that the exfoliating particles are really small, so when you massage it in you can really feel it doing the work.  I love the cute little love story thing on the front as well, and I like to read it in the shower as it's at eye level! It's also cheap which is a bonus! 

I do believe I got this from Tesco! 

Original Source Vanilla Milk and Raspberry - I love the concept of Original Source products, and I'm always intrigued by how many fruits, or sunrises in this case, it takes to make one bottle. For me this is a little bit too sweet, I think it's the vanilla milk that's a little too sickly.  I like it none the less, and just as well because I got one in my stocking at Christmas (and the hand soap) so I've got plenty more to get through! 

I can't see this on either the Boots website or Superdrug, but have a look in store or in supermarkets if you fancy it! 

Nail empties

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover for weak nails - Well my nails are most certainly weak, and to be perfectly honest they have remained weak throughout the time I've been using this.  I'm not blaming this product, and they might be a lot worse if it hadn't been for this, who knows - all I'm saying is don't expect a miracle cure if you have weak nails (not that I think many people would turn to a nail varnish remover to sort that out anyway!)

£1.60 from Boots or £1.59 from Superdrug - i've got to admit I tend to opt for Boots because despite the extra penny I'll do anything for my Boots points! 

I hope you're all well, and if anyone has a recommendation to replace my Toni & Guy Boost-it Mousse I would greatly appreciate it! 

x

Review: Sleek MakeUP Storm Palette

Behold my first sample of what Sleek MakeUP has to offer! 

I bought this palette ages ago from Superdrug for £6.49 which, for 12 eyeshadows has got to be a bit of a steal, but I've never got around to using it, or even swatching it - but the time has come to put it to the test! 

I've got to admit that I'm a bit phobic of eyeshadows that crease, or have a lot of fallout, and therefore I've become a little addicted to MAC eyeshadows; they are just so easy to work with, they are highly pigmented and they stay put, so I was a little apprehensive about this palette - you get 12 eyeshadows for half the price of one MAC eyeshadow so surely there has to be a quality compromise?

 Top swatches - natural lighting, Bottom swatches - with flash

To tell you the truth, I was shocked by the pigmentation of most of the shades in this Storm neutrals palette.  Of course there were a couple of exceptions - the matte shades were pretty powdery and lacking in any depth when swatched, which is a bit of a shame as these are really the staples to any good neutrals palette, and without them I worry how much use I would get. 

Matte colours aside, the pigmentation and texture of the shimmery/glittery shades was amazing, they feel really creamy and rich and the colour payoff is great.  I am really impressed with the range of colours as well, I think there is something there for everyone really. 

Despite my disappointment with the matte colours I decided to put them to the test this morning.  I applied my Urban Decay primer potion all over the lid, then I used the lightest matte shade all over the lid, up to the socket, and then the darker matte brown in a triangle on my outer corner (I finished up with Teddy eye pencil by MAC along my lash line and lashings of my favourite mascara L'Oreal Double Extension Beauty Tubes) to finish it off I popped a little bit of the champagney coloured shimmer in my inner corner to brighten my eyes a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by how well these applied and blended - I was expecting it to be a bit of a crumbly mess but it wasn't, and even more surprising is that 7 hours later it still looks ok! I don't know if this is due to using a primer or not, so maybe I will do a comparison another day.

All in all, for £6.49 I don't think you can go wrong.  Sure they're not high end quality, but neither is the price and they are certainly aren't BAD quality either. A thumbs up from me! 

x

Out with the old, and in with the new

This is just a quite note to explain the sudden change in the appearance of my blog.  After chatting to Alexandra and Mel I decided that it was time for a shake up where my blog layout was concerned.  Previously I was using a dynamic layout which I believe was the magazine format.  I loved the way my posts were displayed, but I do believe blogger has missed a trick in creating this style because it made it practically impossible for people to find out how to follow me and all of that jazz.  Obviously I'm not writing this blog to just try and get loads of readers but it just seems like a shame if there are people out there who want to read what I write but can't easily see how to follow me. For the time being I've just converted my layout to 'simple' but Alexandra is very kindly helping me to come up with a more attractive layout and I am so excited to see the finished product once the facelift is complete!! 

Antique Turquoise

I saw this tutorial on The Beauty Department and I knew I needed a slice of that pie! For someone creative, I'm pretty uninterested in nail art.  I love it on other people, but I never have confidence in my ability, and so I tend to steer clear to avoid totally buggering it up and being left with hideous nails and an hour of my life down the drain (ombre and marble nails spring to mind!). See this post for my only other dip into the nail art ocean!

Anyway, I saw this concept and I thought it should be within my skill range! I'd just painted my nails with Essie's Mint Candy Apple (see this post for pics), so it seemed like the perfect time to give it a go!

All you need for this is: A freezer bag, something to protect your table, an old piece of paper or something to dab off excess colour on to, a paintbrush (but a cotton bud, or orange stick covered in cotton wool would be fine), some nail varnish remover, and your metallic colour or choice.  Obviously I had already painted my nails but if you hadn't you'd want to do that as the first step.
So, step 1) paint your nails 
2) Depending on the size of your freezer bag either just scrunch it up (or cut a section off and scrunch that) 
3) Paint your metallic colour onto the scrunched bag)
4) Dab it off a couple of times onto scrap paper (this way you can also see if you've got it scrunched enough/got enough paint on it and then edit accordingly)
5) Press it onto your nails, once or twice until you're happy with the pattern
6) Reapply paint to the scrunched bag after every couple of nails, or as you feel you need to
7) Dip either your paintbrush or cotton bud/orange stick into nail varnish remover and use it to clean up your fingers! 
8) Apply your favourite top coat, then sit back and admire your handy work! 

Honestly this took me about ten minutes (if that) and the only tricky bit was getting the mess off my fingers, but that's because I used the worlds worst brush, so if you used a nice smooth brush it would be even quicker!

I have ended up with more gold than the original tutorial but I still really like the effect - it reminds me of vintage crockery.

Let me know if you end up giving this a try! And if you have any relatively easy nail art ideas I'd love to give them a try! 

I hope you're all well, and thanks for reading.

x

The Body Shop Sale - It would be rude to ignore it...

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Stars N' Rockets

The weather has been so foul recently, and all my friends are away, so I decided to spend my time practicing dramatic makeup - because who doesn't need this type of look to eat dinner and watch tv with their parents!?!

7 Things.

So, because I utterly adore Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get involved with her 7 Things interactive malarky.  Plus, it's a pretty good kick up the bum to get me to actually achieve some things! You can see how this came about by checking out Louise's blog post here! So, without further ado lets get to it - here are the 7 things I am aiming to do...


Pamper. I think my body deserves a little bit of TLC, and I want to feel better about myself so I'm going to set aside a good chunk of time to do things properly, I'm talking a full exfoliation, some fake tan (eek I never wear it!) and giving myself a luxurious manicure and pedicure.


Sort.  There are things I just need to do, sending emails, posting things, and checking up on bills and standing orders etc so my aim is to tie up all those loose ends.


Read. And by read I mean an actual book.  It's not that I don't read books anymore but I tend to leave it longer between finishing one and starting another because I get lost in the world of blogging and watching YouTube, this is all well and good but I want to get lost in a novel again! 


Exercise.  I, like Louise, am not intending on running a marathon or swimming the channel, but I need to get moving because I'm simply just too sedentary, I'll start with some yoga stretches I think (God I really am adventurous!) and then just try to walk more, and maybe I'll do a sit up or two (if my stomach muscles can be located).


Invest. I don't mean in anything material, there will be no property purchases, and I don't intend to buy up any shares, I plan on just investing some time in myself.  There is a lot going on in my little head and heart and I store it all away hoping it'll just go away, but alas it isn't so easily lost, so I want to spend some time unravelling it and sorting it, so that at least it can be stored away more neatly! 


Plan. I want to buy a diary.  I've long since lost my academic diary (and anyway it'll be running out soon and holds too many emotions), so it's time to get a 2012 diary and plan some important things.  I've got a lot to cram into the next few months and it would do me good to be able to visualise it all! 


Drink. I am ridiculously bad at drinking water, and so I intend to up my intake.  I doubt I'll go from zero to H2O hero over night but every little helps hey?!

So, there we have it!  I really hope that by having these up for all to see (well my 9 followers) will motivate me, and to know I'm doing this with a load of Louise's readers is a real encouragement! 

Do you fancy getting involved in the 7 Things in 7 Days challenge?

x

**UPDATE**
Living in a small town in the middle of the countryside sucks sometimes - one of my things is to plan, and to plan I want a dairy, and I'd like my dairy to be either Paperchase or Moleskine.  Neither of these things exist in my small town and will only be available when I drive an hour and a half to my nearest city...which seems a little excessive for a diary.  I plan to go next week with my mum because she works in said city! Countryside, you're pretty, but sometimes a total pain in the ass!! 

Essie Super Bossa Nova vs. Rimmel Shocker

I'm quite fussy about the colours I like on my toes, I like brights and mostly pinks or coral, having said that, I very rarely deviate from my favourite ever toe nail colour which is Rimmel 270 Shocker, I have been painting my nails with this vibrant blue toned shimmery pink for about 6 years, and I never ever intend on giving it up.  I have repurchased this colour numerous times, but occassionally I've found that it just hasn't been stocked - not that it has sold out, but there just wasn't a space for it.  This gave me palpitations, because a life without Shocker would be a sad life indeed.  I hope the day will never come that Rimmel takes my beloved colour off the shelves, but if it does happen I feel I need to be prepared so my search for a dupe began.  So when I was going a little bit wild for Essie colours I spotted this, Super Bossa Nova, and I couldn't believe my luck - it looks exactly like Shocker! Without so much as a backwards glance I made my purchase and couldn't wait to try it out.

Current Loves...

Book  White Wedding by Milly Johnson.  This woman writes the literary equivalent to chocolate, you just want to gobble them up and they make you feel soooo good (I think they're a smooth Galaxy...mmm Galaxy).  If you haven't read anything by her, you are missing out.  I read the whole book in a couple of days and then feel bereft once I've finished! 

Hand Product  Phenomen Oil by Jessica.  I love massaging this into my cuticles before I go to sleep so it can work its magic overnight.


Nail Varnish Essie Cute as a Button, it's just a gorgeous summery coral that lets me believe that it's June despite the torrential rain outside! Check out this post to see this nail varnish for more detail.

Face Product  Honey by Bees! Refer to this post if you want to know what I'm talking about!


Lip Product  Blistex Lip Massage This stuff smells absolutely divine and because it's Blistex you know it is doing you some good! I'm not sure that the 'massage' actually elevates the cracked and flakiness of my skin but for the smell I really do not care!

Hair Product Schwarzkopf got2b guardian angel 220C heat protection  it makes your hair feel so silky, and it sprays in a fine mist which is nice.

Food  Percy Pigs from M&S.  Enough said.

Website  YouTube  I spend hours watching beauty video after beauty video and never get bored! and Blogger.com of course, because I am officially addicted! 

Music  The Lateness of the Hour by Alex Clare this album is just amazing and has got to be played loud! Check out the YouTube video below! 

What are your current favourite things? 

x

Honey Face Mask

I was totally inspired by Alexandra, who writes the brilliant blog The Wallflower, to use honey as a face mask.  Alexandra does loads of posts which provide really easy step-by-step guides to creating your own luxury skin care for a fraction of the price you'd usually pay and  without all those horrible chemicals (a win win combination I think you'll find).  Her blog is a lovely slice of the internet, which I whole heartedly recommend you visit (if you do, mention that Alice sent you!). 

Anyway, back to the matter in hand.  Honey (that's right, the stuff you put on your toast or mix with hot lemon when you've got a sore throat) smeared all over your face!  I would never have thought of it, although when you cast your mind to the products you've encountered over time honey features in a lot of them - it's a very popular scent, and Alexandra explains the technical reasons as to why it's probably in those products...it's multi-purpose miracle gloop (thank you Bees)! Alexandra has suggested a few variations of the honey face mask, and I chose the one with Aspirin...I wanted to give my skin a thorough clean after all the stress and travel of the past week.

So, how to make the mask?

Simple, my friends, simple as can be.  All you need are some uncoated aspirin (I used the soluble ones, and I didn't have 10 which Alexandra suggests so I just crushed a couple) and half a tablespoon of honey.  Crush the aspirin, mix it into the honey, then slather it all over your face, wait 15+ minutes and then rinse it off with warm water, gently massaging your skin as you do so to softly exfoliate.

My experience.

Now the honey I used was a little bit crystalized, and so it was kind of runny yet had chunks in it too.  This proved to be messy but also gave the added bonus of extra exfoliation. I made up too much of the mask but I intend to use the rest tomorrow as I've stored it in the fridge so it's not a problem. 

I did find that it tried to escape my face and run everywhere so I simply held some kitchen roll around my neck to avoid the sticky winnie the pooh after he's had his hand in the honey pot look! For this reason I wouldn't recommend you wear your finest frock (not that many people are likely to do that while applying a face mask but you never can tell!). I left my mask on for approximately half an hour, and while I was watching tv patiently waiting I massaged the crystalized granules into my skin which I think really benefitted the final result...which was amazing! My skin feels so soft! I am amazed by how well this mask worked, so much so that I got my mum and dad to both stroke my face to appreciate the softness (they needed to feel the proof after they'd both laughed at me as I sat there dripping in honey!). 

As you can see I didn't look all that beautiful during this beautifying process but believe me when I say it is 100% worth it, and if you've read this post then you'll know why I have no problem sporting such a fetching look whenever I like! 

After I had rinsed the honey off (I was surprised by how easily it washed off actually, I'd been expecting it to be like removing tar!) I used my Liz Earle toner and moisturiser and I am now the proud owner of the softest face in the South West! 

Alexandra, I can't thank you enough! 

Does anyone else have any DIY beauty creations that I ought to try?

xxx

The end of an era.

Cor, this week has been an emotional whirlwind! 

I don't even really know where to start, and I am so confused by what has happened on which day, that I think I'll admit defeat know and resign myself to writing a post that has zilch chronological sequence! 

So, three years is up, everyone has finished uni, and my ride with them has stopped.  Who would have thought that in September 2009 I would be embarking on such a life changing three years; that my plans would veer so radically off course, that I'd sink to my very lowest but struggle back, and make some truly wonderful friends along the way! 

Last week saw the first of these friends leave our little terraced house which has been home to our new family of four.  I was expecting it to be sad, but jeez we all sobbed (I'm talking crying so hard you're shaking, and then just when you think you've stopped you start all over again), and I was left feeling homesick even though I'd not gone anywhere.  It was truly horrific! 

I then spent the weekend beavering away completing my coursework file, and revising for my exams and doing interview preparation before my darling Dad drove me 250 miles on Sunday for my interview on Monday morning.  After a three hour interview which included a maths and English test - I haven't done Pythagorus or used pi or the like since my GCSEs six flaming years ago, so to say I was rusty was a mahooosive understatement! I didn't have a chance to recover from the mathematical trauma before it was back in the car to schlep through the flooding to Cardiff (a mere 200 miles), where I was unceremoniously dumped at college where I proceeded to make a right hash of getting changed in the toilets (imagine an elephant in a match box) before sitting two exams and doing a practical assessment! After a celebratory slice of lemon tart (I got a place at the college, got 92% in one of the exams and passed my practical) it was time to go to bed in my Cardiff bed for the last time *sob*.  Tuesday saw me up early to begin the mammoth task of packing up my life...it wasn't pretty!  I had an army of helpers though which made it far more emotionally bearable, I don't think I'd have been able to do it single handedly because I'd have just cried the whole time! Once the car was jam packed with just enough room for Dad and I to squeeze in it was time for more goodbyes, and the official end to my three years in the wonderful city of Cardiff.  On the drive home I just felt grief stricken, to think I'm not going to live with those girls, in that house, ever again just breaks my heart, so every so often silent tears just slipped out of my eyes. Last night and all of today have been spent trying to organise the chaos that is my room, because trying to fit two lives into one room is HARD! 

First Year

My birthday, 2nd Year

Last week...

I might not be leaving with the degree that I set out to achieve, but I have learnt so much more than I could have been taught otherwise.  At times I feel like I've failed, and that I've wasted a lot of time and money, but other times I remember that if I hadn't started down that particular route I would have never met so many of my friends, I wouldn't have become friends with my ex, I wouldn't have realised that tea isn't just a drink but a way of life, I might never have perfected the art of being hungover, or discovered the importance of brushing your teeth with three other people for the first time since being a child.  Those experiences are things that I wouldn't change for the world, and it's true, what doesn't kill you, does indeed make you stronger. 

My first Outfit Of The NIght!

After the glorious sunshine we had a couple of weeks ago (the weather is now more bleak mid winter than mid summer) I was feeling brave enough to wear cream, and I hope I didn't look too ghostly! I had a great night out with the girls, and indulged in a few too many delicious cocktails (damn you evil 2 for 1!) at Buffalo Bar in Cardiff which is probably my favourite place in Cardiff.

What I'm wearing:

Floaty top/dress thing - New Look last year

Cream dress underneath - Topshop (layered over black as it was too see-through)

Shoes - Next

Bag - Accessorize

Bangle - Either Topshop or Primark a long long time ago! 

What I'm wearing on my Face:

I can't remember exactly the makeup I wore (naughty Alice) but my lips were definitely MAC lipliner in Beet all over the lip, then Impassioned by MAC followed by MAC Pink Lemonade - this is fast becoming my favouite lip look! 

Here is a really creepy photo of me posing! 

I've never done and OOTD/N before so please let me know if you'd like me to do more? Or if you'd rather never seen another full length picture of me! 

x

My first try of O.P.I

So as you may know if you read (this post), I recently made my first OPI Nail Polish purchases! I have always been put off by the extremely high price, and the fact that I haven't found many places that stock it, so I have been left to lust over it via the internet (wow that sounds so wrong!).  This all changed when I went to Sally's which is a trade only beauty supplier...you have to take proof of your college course and ID and all sorts, it feels a bit like getting into MI5 rather than a shop!

These pretty awful pictures are of I Eat Mainely Lobster which a a gorgeous bright orangey coral with a gold shimmer.  I've got to admit that the shimmer is more visible in the bottle than it is on the actual nails but hey ho, you can't have it all! I always think a good way to test a nail varnish (or any beauty product for that matter) is to see if anyone comments on it, so I was thrilled when the lady at Boots told me she loved my nail varnish - it was an automatic winner in my eyes!

I have to admit that it did take three coats to reach a full opacity and even then I'm not sure if that there were no 'dark patches' (do you know what I mean, when it looks a little thinner in places), but overall I loved the finish, and I felt like I was walking around with a little bit of summer attached to my nails.

I love the packaging of O.P.I nail varnishes, they just look so luxurious because I associate them with beauty salons, so it feels like a real treat to have some of these bottles nestled among my collection of pretty regular varnishes.

What do you think of O.P.I? Are there any colours that I really ought to get my hands on?

x

A little life update.

To be perfectly honest this isn't so much a life update, more of a love life update. And the update is - Sweet F A! Yay go me, I can't even get a date through a dating website (she sobs into her share bag of Doritos that most certainly wont be getting shared!).  To be honest I have given up with the whole thing, it is flipping hard work sifting out the sex crazed maniacs and old men, and then you actually get to the point of texting someone because you think you could be on to something but they seem to be constantly too busy to meet you and only want naked pictures.  Am I deluded for thinking that people might have wanted a date instead of just casual sex?  I would have thought porn would have been a much easier way of getting your fill of nudity (I for one wouldn't bother texting someone daily if all I wanted was at the end of a www.) but hey that's just me! 

Well this is a bit of a random rant and I apologise, I just know I'd mentioned my foray into the world of internet dating.  The conclusion is that it was quite fun for about a week and then it got boring, creepy and then just plain annoying.  It hasn't done me any harm but I'm still just as single as I ever was! 

On the plus side I get to look like this and nobody gets to tell me I look like a troll!

x

Proud new owner of...

I am now the proud owner of three beautiful shades from O.P.I (well two really, and Alpine Snow to do french tips with).  I am so excited to finally have got my hands on some, because I have been lusting over them for literally years.  I have never been able to bring myself to part with the money that O.P.I ask for their polishes but now I can buy from trade suppliers (because nail painting is now my profession) I can get them...and this makes me ridiculously happy. I do believe that you'll be seeing  a lot more of these as I don't think I'll be able to hold myself back! 

The colours I went for are: Left - Dutch Tulips which is a deep pinky red. Middle - I Eat Mainely Lobster which is a really bright orangey coral pink with a hint of shimmer. Right - Alpine Snow which is a pristine white which I'll probably mostly use for French Manicures and to do nail art.

What do you think of O.P.I? Are they worth the money? And do you own any?

x

Beauty Blogger Tag

I don't know if I can be counted as a Beauty Blogger but lets face it my blog is mainly about beauty related things so you know what I think I'm allowed to do this tag! I saw this on The Beauty of Louise, and I thought it looked like fun so here we go!


1) Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
My hair used to be very curly but since I have spent years abusing it with straighteners it now has more of a natural wave but around my face it still goes curly crazy if I let it! 


2) What is your natural hair colour?
Dark brown - aside from some pretty awful highlights when I was about 13 I have never coloured my hair.  I really like my natural colour and until my gray hairs get out of control I have no intention of torturing it with dye. 


3) How often do you wash your hair?
Despite my best efforts I always fall back into the trap of washing it every day.  I know it isn't good for it, but I have fine hair that just looks greasy, limp and lifeless if I leave it.


4) Do you wear the same style or change it?
My safety mode is to straighten it but I do like to just let it do its thing some times and leave it to curl. I quite often just scrape it back into a mess on top of my head because sometimes I just can't handle having it down! 


5) Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
I do my own, but I absolutely love having my nails done and if I could afford it I would have them done all the time! Having said that I don't think there would be much point of me having them done regularly as I'm not allowed to have my nails painted when I do make up or manicures at college.


6) How often do you change your nail polish?
I go through stages, sometimes about three times a week, and other times once a week or even less.  I love painting my nails but i do get a bit annoyed if they get sheet marks or other imperfections so sometimes it seems more hassle than it's worth! 


7) Do you polish your nails in the winter too, or just the summer?
I paint my nails all year round, I think that it is such an easy way to make you feel better, and to add some interest to the rainy days and pretty plain colours I tend to wear.


8) How long does it take you to put on your makeup?
About 15 minutes at most I think because day to day I don't do anything very exciting just the same every day.  On a night out though if I am going to do something more exciting like  a smokey eye then I like to leave myself a lot longer so I can relax and take my time.


9) What do you do first? Face or eyes?
My foundation and concealer, then eyes then powder, bronzer and blush. But I often regret doing my foundation first when I use dark colours as it all has to be touched up anyway! 


10) Do you 'collect' makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
I used to be very strict with myself and only buy what I needed when I needed it, but now I've got a bit of a make up obsession and I most definitely collect it! 


11) How often do you wear false eyelashes?
Very rarely.  I wish I wore them more though because they make me feel so much better.  I get pretty stressed putting them on though and am phobic about them peeling off during a night out and just making me look ridiculous.


12) Do you always do a full face of makeup everyday?
I don't always wear make up (if I don't plan on going anywhere or if I'm only popping to the shop) but if I do I go for my standard face make up and eyeliner and mascara or just mascara.


13) Do you wear make up when you're home alone (or with family)?
No, although I wish I was more disciplined and did because makeup makes me feel better overall. 


14) Will you leave the house without make up?
Yes, but I don't feel as happy about myself if I do.


15) How many high end products do you have?
Quite a lot really.  I really do prefer them and make up is my treat, I don't really buy clothes so I spend on makeup instead.


16) How often do you clean your make up brushes?
I used to be pretty bad but I now use brush cleanser after every use and give them a deep clean about once a week or once every two weeks using baby shampoo.


17) Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?
I sometimes think about possible outfits but it often changes as I'm getting ready and I end up trying on a few different options (which then get thrown on my bed and end up on the floor as I come in a little worse for wear!)


18) How often do you change your handbag?
Never, I wear my bags out until I need a new one and then I change.


19) What time do you get up and go to sleep?
I tend to go to sleep a little after midnight and get up around 8, although it obviously changes if I have specific things to do.


20) How often and when do you work out?
I don't.  I used to but now I don't but wish I did.


21) Left-Handed or Right-Handed?
Left (a sign of great intelligence and creativity I'll have you know haha)


22) How tall are you?
5 foot 6 and a half...the half is very important!


23) Do you speak a foreign language?
I did Spanish up to AS Level, but I have mostly forgotten it all.  I'd love to relearn it though, I think speaking foreign languages is such a beautiful and valuable skill.


24) How many pets do you have?
None


25) How often are you on blogger?
Everyday.  I'm officially addicted!


26) Do you read comments on blogs?
Yep


27) Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
Every now and again I write up a list based on other peoples blog posts but more often than not I'll get to a make up counter and the list goes out the window and I go mad!


28) How did you come up with you blog name?
I did it in a bit of a hurry.  I had been wanted to start a blog for so long and kept putting it off because I wanted it to be perfect.  In the end I just faced up to the fact it wouldn't be and just created a name in a minute or so...and regretted it haha!


29) What kind of camera do you use for photographs?
My iPhone because I don't have a camera any more but when I go home I borrow my mums which is a Panasonic Dsomething!


30) How often do you clean your house (daily, weekly or other)?
I do bits day to day and then big cleans weekly.


31) What is your favourite colour?
Turquoise


32) What is your favourite beauty/fashion magazine?
Cosmopolitan, I've been reading it for years and love it!


33) Do you swear?
Sometimes yes, it's not an attractive thing to do and I wish I'd never got in the habit if you will.


34) What are you doing with the rest of your day?
It's jubilee weekend so I'm planning on going to a big street party but it's just started tipping it down and I'm not sure if I'm brave enough...but I'm definitely going to paint my nails in a royal red, white and blue! 


I'd love to read your response, so I tag everyone and anyone!