Thursday 27 November 2014

Simple leopard nails


Last year I sported this leopard nail print quite a lot, too much if anything. I remember trying so many different colour combinations. You know when you are wearing a nice nail polish and when you look at them made you feel happy. Yes, that.

The other day whilst browsing Pinterest I came across the leopard print nail design again and it rekindled my love for it. So naturally I thought I would share it with you all. 

All you need is two nail polishes that compliment each other and then a black nail polish for the outlines. So for the base I used a light brown nude shade from Nails Ink in Basil Street (£11). I then used a brown/purple shade for the spots from George at Asda in Berry Smoothie (£1.75) and finally for the black outline I used an old MUA nail polish (£1) and a thin brush. My black nail polish is a bit gloomy now - thats evident from the picture, oops! But overall the design is so easy to do!

Leopard print is a bit marmite, you either love it or you don’t but I do love a good animal print! Here are a few different styles on Pinterest.

I hope you enjoyed this little post. Let me know what you think and if you will be trying this?  


Tuesday 25 November 2014

Christmas Gift Guide: Under £5

1. Pink Cable Knit bobble hat - New Look (£4)
2. Penguin Pinspot ankle socks - Topshop (£3.50)
3. Stag head Jewellery holder - ASOS (£4.50)
4. Pink stripe ceramic cup - New Look (£4.50)
5. Floral phone case - eBay (99p)
6. Moleskin Cahier Journal | Set of 3 - eBay (£4.26)
7. Heart Sunglasses - Topshop (£5)
8. Map big dial watch - eBay (£3.95)
9. Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake | Sweet little thoughts to keep you sane book  - eBay (£4.65)

With only a few weeks to go until Christmas I thought now would be the right time to write up a few Gift Guide posts. This post is perfect for those of you who are doing Secret Santa or looking for stocking fillers. I managed to find a fair few items under £5.

I have ordered a few of these things. There are so many bargains around and sites like eBay are perfect when you want to buy little quirky presents too. How cool does the Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake book look? I can’t wait for this to arrive, apparently it’s filled happy quotes that will 'keep you sane'! Needed muchly.

I will be posting a few more gift guides over the next few days/weeks.

In other news I can’t believe the year is almost over. Winter is well and truly in full swing. Cosy fluffy socks and suede boots are officially out and the fire is definitely lit. I finally got around to buying a DSLR too. Finally. I just need to learn how to use it now :) 

Anyways do let me know what you think of this post? Have you started your Christmas shopping?

Sunday 23 November 2014

Nip + Fab: Glycolic Fix

I am a skin care obsessive, I love trying out new products and usually can tell quite quickly what does and does not work for me. The Nip + Fab products were new to me, a brand I had never tried before. When I was sent these back in August after a few uses I decided it wasn’t for me and it didn’t really do anything for my skin.

A few weeks ago whilst looking for another cleanser I came across the Nip + Fab, Glycolic Fix products again in a box. Glycolic Acid is know for exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin, it then brings new fresh skin to the surface. It also helps with lighting discoloured parts of the skin. 

Now that the winter has arrived I thought I would give them another go and glad I did. I have been using the cleansing pads and overnight serum daily now for a few weeks and have totally changed my original opinion on them, they have been working a lot better for me and the results have been great.

I use these cleansing pads in my night time skin care routine just because they are pretty hassle free. I particularly like these soaked cleansing pads because they exfoliate the skin too as well as remove any makeup. The cleansing pads make my skin feel so clean and fresh. I also find that my skin looks  more even toned and any redness from spots subsides. I have used a few cleansing pads from other brands and they usually retail at £60+. This product is only £13 so it is a total bargain. 

I have been utilising the overnight serum along with the cleansing pads and have found they work perfect together. I apply this serum like a moisturiser. I find it completely reduces pores and also makes the skin feel very smooth. There is aloe vera in it and this soothes the skin. I feel like any fine lines I had have disappeared and again my skin feels really smooth and firm. 

Overall I have been loving these products! They are a bargain when compared to other brands and I found the products to work quite quickly which is always great. Not many of us bother with a night time skin care routine because of the hassle but I have found these to be perfect because they are so simple and easy to use. I have also found the serum works well as a primer under foundation, it prevent foundation setting in lines and provides a smoother coverage.

Do let me know if you have tried anything from nip+fab and what your thoughts were? Also, do you have a night time skin care routine?

Saturday 15 November 2014

£1.49 Hair Dye - Derma V10

Yes, you read that right... a £1.49 hair dye. The inner bargain hunter within me gleamed with pride when I noticed this little beauty sitting on the shelves of B & M Bargains. All time low some may say, but I just HAD to try it.

I must admit though when I came home, I began to turn a little skeptical. Normally the Derma V10 hair dye wouldn’t have been my first choice of hair dye purely because of the price, and by that I mean because it was cheap I naturally assumed the results would be disastrous. When I tweeted about it a lot of you were interested and most of you also promptly told me you avoided them!

With that in mind I still couldn’t help but wonder how it would turn out. 

The contents were pretty much the same as any other supermarket box dye; a pair of gloves (nice ones, mind you. They actually fit and are not plastic XXL size like some), a developer bottle, the dye colour and a conditioner.

I have quite dark hair and so purchased 8.2 Light Brown. I wasn’t expecting it to go this colour but was more hoping for a medium warm brown shade, nothing ashy. 

Application wise it’s just like any other box dye, the consistency is a little more runny and I felt this helped with an equal application. I left it on for 30 minutes and then applied the conditioner for 15. I feel like the price is reflected on the conditioner - it’s not the best. 

Now the most important part, did it work? Yes, it did!! I was so surprised, the colour pay off is great, my hair has gone considerably lighter but not too light which was what I wanted. My hair feels good, it doesn’t feel dry or anything. I am so impressed! 

£1.49 for a hair dye is such a bargain, I also came across this site which explains why the price is so low, you will be surprised, and it’s not because they use cheaper ingredients. Once I get bored of this colour I am definitely going to try out their other shades - that’s how good I thought it was. 

I can safely say I still have hair and didn’t go bald. Score. I purchased mine from B & M Bargains, but I think they are also occasionally sold in Pound shops too.

What are your thoughts? Would you ever dare to use a cheap hair dye?

Saturday 8 November 2014

The WOW Stick collection | Makeup Revolution



(l-r) Atomic, Hanging on the Telephone, Heart of Glass, Rap-Ture
Maria, Sunday Girl, Maria, Call Me

Happy November! 

I have another Makeup Revolution post for you today but this time the WOW sticks from their I ♡ Makeup range. I was kindly sent the full collection, how exciting?!

These matte lip pencils come in 8 different shades. I love the colours, they have catered for the whole years trends. I love the formula of these pencils, they meet somewhere in the middle between a lip pencil and a lipstick. I was really surprised with the pigmentation of each wow stick, it applies and gives you a solid colour similar to that of a pencil. It’s safe to say if you are looking for something long wearing that doesn’t transfer these are ideal. They are so pigmented that a standard makeup wipe doesn’t remove it, these wow sticks are also waterproof!

The packaging is cute and very compact. The sticks don’t come with colour names on them so I have left them in their coloured packaging. (I have them popped in a little glass jar displayed on my vanity) Pretty!

I’ve really enjoyed trying out these colours, some of them I mix with lip balms just so they weren’t as bright but on the whole the WOW sticks are totally worth it and are indeed wow. (Sorry had to be done)

Would you believe they are only £2.99! You can find them on the Makeup Revolution website

Hope you enjoyed this post! Do let me know if you like any of these shades and what you think of the brand?

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