Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Colour B4 Review

Hello everyone :)

So, after what seems like forever, I'm back! I decided a while ago to take a little break from blogging. I was just so busy with everything else that finding time to fit this in almost felt like a chore, and I want this to be something I enjoy and love doing. I've missed it a lot, so after a break of what seems like forever, I'm back to resume work on my blog :)

I'm starting with a bit of a random review today. I have dyed my hair for as long as I can remember, and always had it pretty dark. I alternated between dark browns, reds and purples, but this summer I finally decided that I wanted something a bit lighter and more summery. I had quite bad colour build up, and no matter what colour dye I put on my hair, it was getting to the point where it almost looked black, and I couldn't change it.

I never really wanted to use a hair stripper, as I'd heard a lot of horror stories about how they ruin your hair (and make it fall out, or make the colour patchy.... you name it, I heard it) but after a friend at work said she used it and never had a problem, I decided to give it a try.

 
I bought Colour B4 from my local shop, as it seemed to have the best reviews online, and one night after a glass of wine for courage, I gave it a try.
 
It didn't smell amazing. Actually, it smelt awful! The consistency was pretty much the same as hair dye. I did a patch test before I used it all over my hair, and knew it was going to be ok with my very sensitive skin, but I wasn't holding up much hope for the end result.
 
But actually, I was really happy! Once I'd washed it all off and used the after treatment they give you, I couldn't smell it any more, and was left with a light coppery hair colour. Naturally my hair is light mousey brown, but I expected there to be some staining from all the red tones I had used on it, but I actually love the colour I was left with. It took all the dark colours off my hair perfectly, and the result wasn't patch at all, my hair wasn't even in bad condition afterwards! Any of my most recent twitter pics show the colour that I was left with, and I think I'm going to be keeping it for a while (I get bored of my hair insanely quickly).
 
Now I'm not going to say that if you use it you will get amazing results, I don't want to give anyone that guarantee just in case. There are a lot of factors you need to consider such as the colour your hair is, the colour it is naturally, the condition of your hair and many others things. I'd suggest doing a bit of research first if you are considering it, but all I can say is that it couldn't have gone better for me.
 
 
Well, it does feel good to be back on the blogging scene, and I promise I will be going back to regular posts :)
 
Thank you all for reading, and as always .....
 
Love to you all x
 

Sunday, 29 June 2014

Avon BB Gentle Beauty Cream

Hello everyone :)

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I've got a good one for you today! It features a lovely little BB cream from Avon - as mentioned in the title - in the shade 'light'. I was doing my friends makeup for a night out, and used it as the base. The coverage was amazing especially for a BB cream. She has good skin anyway, so I didn't use a concealer, and only used a light dusting of clear powder to set....


As you can see, the overall effect is brilliant. It evens out the skin tone amazingly, and leaves an almost airbrushed effect on the skin. I've always been a fan of Avon, but this is the most impressed I've been with them in a long time. It was easy to blend, has a thin but not runny texture, and can be applied easily with either a brush, sponge or fingers (I used my fingers). Rose (featured in the pic) owns the BB cream, and as her mum is an Avon rep I'm not sure if this is a demo product due for release or if its already out, but I couldn't find it on the Avon site. That could just be me being stupid :P Avon prices are always pretty reasonable though. 

I'll update this post once I find out the price, but trust me when I say this is a brilliant little product, and Avon has impressed me yet again. Also, thank you to Rose for being my model for this post. 

Love to you all x


Sunday, 8 June 2014

Beauty UK Nail Polishes

Hello everyone!

I know it's been around 2 weeks since my last post, and I'm sorry! I've been settling in at my new job and all the time I've spent at home has basically been spent sleeping. Things are starting to level out a bit more though, so while I've got a spare afternoon/evening, I thought I'd try and get a blog post done.

Today's post is a review on two different nail polishes that I've tried recently by Beauty UK. One is from the Gel Fix range in the shade Pink Orchid, and the other from the Grit Fix range in the shade Printworks....


We'll start with Pink Orchid. In the bottle, the colour looks quite dark, but when applied its a lovely deep pinky purple colour. As it's part of the gel range, the consistency was quite thick which I liked, and the result was amazingly shiny. I was very impressed! I still used a top coat however, and with that the lasting power was around 5 days - this is impressive for me as I use my hands a lot and tend to chip my nails within a day or two!! I also have it on my toe nails at the minute and love the colour for spring/summer. 

The grit effect polish was something unlike anything I've ever tried before. I know quite a lot of brands have brought out this kind of effect recently but I've never tried it until now. To protect my nails from the hard gritty bits I used two layers of base coat, then only needed to apply one layer of the polish to get a striking effect. I didn't use a top coat as I didn't want to get rid of the matte and grit effect of the polish, and even then it lasted around 4 days without chipping. I loved the effect too! Something really different and I'll definitely be trying more from this range. 

Overall I've been really impressed with these. They are the only things I've ever tried by Beauty UK, and I'll be trying more from them soon. Not sure what to try next though, so if any of you have any suggestions let me know :) 

Thank you for reading, and sorry again that its been so long since my last post.

Love to you all x  

Monday, 12 May 2014

Bad Beauty Habits..... Oops!

Hello everyone :)

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've been a very bad blogger lately! So, continuing with the theme of being a bad beauty blogger, today is going to be a little post revealing to you all my bad beauty habits. I love reading posts like this, so I hope you will enjoy reading it too!

1. Brush cleaning. I have a feeling this might be quite a common one, but none the less, I am insanely bad at keeping my makeup brushes clean. One of my new years resolutions was to try and clean my brushes more often, but it still ends up being far too long between cleans. Oops!

2. Lipstick storage. I'm someone who likes to keep all her makeup neatly organised in acrylic storage so I always know where everything is. However this goes completely out the window when it comes to my lipsticks. I have a little stand which is supposed to hold the ones I use most often, however they always seem to get chucked in my bag when I go out somewhere and then stay there for ages. I forget what ones I have, and it has sometimes even caused me to buy one I already had because I forgot I had it. I find them everywhere, in bags, drawers and all over the place in my car.

3. Hair conditioning. I'm lucky enough that my hair normally tends to be in pretty good condition, so i tend to get a bit lazy when it comes to conditioning it. I always use conditioner, but never leave it on as long as I should. Like 30 seconds at the max which almost seems pointless. I should probably count myself lucky that my hair doesn't suffer too much for it.

4. Morning skincare routine. When it comes to bedtime, I'm pretty good with my skin care routine, and always make sure to remove my makeup, cleanse and tone, and do a face mask a couple of times a week. But in a morning, I'm all about getting up, dressed, makeup on and out, so my face gets nothing more than a wash while I'm in the shower and a quick moisturize before I put my makeup on. It's lucky my foundation has an SPF in it too cause I never remember to protect the skin on my face. Bad beauty blogger!

5. Picking at nail polish. It's no wonder that I have to paint my nails so often, as I have such a bad habit of picking it and peeling it off. I know it can't be doing my nails any good, but it seems to be a stress related habit. I find it hard to properly test the lasting power of a nail polish as I pick it off before it would normally chip, but I do always say that in my reviews. I like to be honest :)

So that's it! I'm now filled with shame, but please don't hate me beauty bloggers... It feels good to admit it all to you :) What are all of your bad beauty habits? I'd love to know in the comments.....

Love to you all x

Thursday, 1 May 2014

My Payday Wishlist

Hello everyone :)

Sorry its been a while since I've posted, but things have just been a bit crazy, what with studying, a job interview, actually getting the job and arranging everything for the week away for training! But today, I woke up completely full of cold, so have spent the day curled up in bed watching Netflix, looking online to plan what I'm going to buy with my first months wages...

1. Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette
I've tried a few products by Makeup Revolution, and have been really impressed. So when I started seeing reviews popping up everywhere on how this was a good dupe for the Naked 3, I knew I had to try. Plus, it's only £4... Bargain! I will probably end up adding a few lipsticks and nails polishes into my basket too... but haven't decided which yet.


2. theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer Highlighter

 
Lately, I have been obsessed with all things highlighter related! I was having a mass blog reading session the other day, when it dawned on me that I don't actually have this one in my collection. I had a little look on good old feelunique.com, and decided that for £16, this WILL be mine come payday :) I've heard nothing but good things about this, so I hope it lives up to the hype!
 
3. Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser
 
 
 
So far, all I have ever tried from Burt's Bees is their lip balms, and I love them. I have been looking for a new facial cleanser to try, but don't want one that's too full of chemicals. This one looks perfect, and is made up of plant-based ingredients too, so keeping it natural. It's also got a gentle exfoliating quality to keep skin looking polished. Sounds good to me! I've seen it go for between £8 and £12 so I will be keeping my eyes out for a bargain.
 
4. Models Own Polishes for Tans
 
 
Finally we have the newest range from Models Own. The Polishes for Tans range contains bright neon colours which are perfect for adding a bright dash of colour into your spring/summer wardrobe or beauty routine. I can't decide which one I want most, so I might have to go for all of them... Oops! I've always been  huge fan of Models Own polishes, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed by these.
 
Well that's all I've added to my payday list so far. If there's anything else you lot think I should have a look at then please let me know :) and sorry again for the insanely long time it's been since my last post.
 
Love to you all x 
 


Tuesday, 22 April 2014

Barry M Silk Nail Polish in Meadow

Hello everyone :)

As any of you who knows me or my blog will know, I have a huge addiction to Barry M nail polishes. However, I was so caught up in buying all the colours from the gelly range, that I have only just got round to trying any from the silk collection! The first colour I chose to go for was Meadow, a lovely pastel blue which is perfect for spring.


 
 
I always find Barry M polishes to be good quality and quite long lasting so its no surprise that this lived up to the same standards. I applied two coats of the polish, and this lasted around 5 days before I started to see signs of chipping.
 
The colour itself is beautiful, and I love the slightly matte finish you get from this collection. I can't wait to try more from the silk range, do any of you have any recommendations on which colours I should try next?
 
Thank you all for reading, and as always, all comments are loved and appreciated.
 
Love to you all x

Friday, 18 April 2014

Makeup Revolution Review

Hello everyone, and happy Good Friday! :)

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been seeing loads of reviews pop up on products by Makeup Revolution, and all of them were positive. I'd personally never heard of them, but based on all the wonderful reviews, I decided to make a little online order and try a couple of things. Everything shown on the website is so well priced, and in the end I settled on a lipstick (only £1) and an eyebrow kit in medium (£2.50). Here's what I thought....



First off, we have the amazingly priced lipstick, in the shade Crime. This is a lovely and well pigmented bright pinky purple colour, which has quickly become one of my favorites for spring.  The packaging is very similar to that of MUA lipsticks - sleek, simple and sturdy - but what more do you need? I quite like the simple packaging. In terms of the product itself, the lasting power is amazing! For me, it lasted around 6 - 8 hours without needing to be reapplied, and was still visible on my lips up to 10 hours later! I was amazed. It's also quite moisturising too. I still used a lip balm underneath as always, but I'm not sure you'd need to. 



When I saw a brow shaping kit for only £2.50, I knew I'd end up buying it. I chose the shade medium, as the colour still looked quite dark, and I was glad I did as they are also really well pigmented. Also, even though I would prefer to use my own tweezers to remove stray hairs, how cute are the mini ones you get in this? They are possibly the sweetest thing I've ever seen. I also chose to use my own brush to apply this, but I did try the brush that came with the set, and it's pretty good. Obviously it's only got a small handle which means you don't get as much precision, but the brush head seems pretty good quality - great if you want a top up while out and about. 

Overall I was really impressed with both of these products, and I can see myself making a few more sneaky purchases soon. Have any of you tried any Makeup Revolution products, and if so what did you think? 

Love to you all x