Monday 24 December 2012

Christmas NOTD

Barry M - Raspberry / Rimmel - Black Out / Avon - Starry Sky
It's christmas eve! Whoever said you get less excited over christmas with age was clearly a liar, I'm feeling as excited as ever! Today my whole family has had a massive christmas clean out, because nothing says festive like a good dusting session. The final touch to get me ready for tomorrow has been painting my nails. I previously had a silver and green stripe combo going on, which to be honest looked more like Slytherin nails than anything festive themed, so I felt I was in need of a change.

I was inspired by the lovely Lily Pebbles to do these nails. Her design was lovely, and didn't require too much effort (it's been a long day). Check out the tutorial here. To make my little silver dots I used a bobby pin. I often think I should invest in some real nail tools but cocktail sticks and hair pins work so well!

To everyone, have an absolutely lovely christmas and I'll speak to you all soon!

Merry Christmas!

Love Abbie <3 

Saturday 8 December 2012

I belong with you, you belong with me



Cardigan - New Look / Tshirt - New Look / Scarf - Primark / Skirt - TopShop / Boots - Select / Necklace - Accessorize 

Hello! The time has once again come for me to present you with badly edited photos of my current outfit. Today I'm only off to one of my friends houses for what's guaranteed to be a night of slobbing about in front of the TV, but I was desperate to wear my new skirt. I battled wind and rain to buy this yesterday. These sort of skater skirts are very popular at the moment (look at me, all on trend!) and I love them. I think they're very flattering and easy to wear, plus this one is a perfect length. I like my skirts to be short enough not to be 'granny', but long enough so I don't have to worry about my arse being on show to the world. Another naughty purchase was this cute little 'a' necklace. I love any sort of large stylised letter or symbol (another necklace favourite of mine is my ampersand one, god bless you accessorize).

My song this OOTD wasn't hard to choose in the slightest. I've been in love with Ho Hey by The Lumineers, I've been listened to it on repeat for the last month. It's fair to say I'm now lyric perfect ;)


Have a good Saturday everyone! <3

Saturday 1 December 2012

November Favourites




It is now officially December, and I am officially excited. Counting down the days till Christmas, counting down the days till I can get a new phone (due to dropping my previous one and breaking it, I'm currently using a £12.99 one from Tescos, not much fun), counting down the days where I don't have to make the long walk to college for two weeks. I'm definitely excited. 

Revlon ColourStay Foundation: My skin has been terrible this month. Normally I get spots around the more.. er.. hormonal time of the month, but my skin has seemed to have decided to remain spotty for weeks. My darling ColourStay has been using it's medium to full coverage ways to conceal my uncooperative skin. It has the most lovely matte finish, and if you have oily skin I cannot recommend it enough.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains: Last month my favourite was the gorgeous deep berry hues of Crush. Through November it's remained a favourite, but also Honey has come into the mix as well. Honey isn't quite as amazing as I'd expected, on my lips it is quite a brown-pink, but it still makes a lovely neutral colour. I can't get enough of these Balm Stains, they're so incredibly comfortable to wear I just love.

Glitter Nail Varnish: My obsession for glitter nail varnish has increased by ten fold this month. Normally I find it too much hassle with glitter polishes, being infamous for their difficultly to remove, but this month I've just been addicted. My favourite has been Diamond Fizz (love the name) from Exposed. This polish... my gosh I'm in love. It makes any varnish look suitably gorgeous with one top coat of this. I included a close up as it's just so pretty I had to show you all.

I've been feeling pretty ill for a lot of November so this is where these three products come into play. They've all been a favourite because they're oh-so-easy to apply when you're not feeling your best.

MAC Paint Pot in Rubenesque: I really haven't been that into doing much with my eye makeup this month. When I'm feeling rough with a cold, and it's 6.30 AM, even picking up an eyeshadow brush is too much effort. When I've been feeling the need for a bit of colour of my eyes, this is where I've turned. Easy to wear rosy peach colour, which can be applied in seconds with a swipe and a blend of a finger. See the full review here.

L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim: If you read my first review of this (give it a look here) you'll know I wasn't best impressed with this. However what I find it is good for, is doing one very thin line across right next to the last line. It makes the lashes look a little thicker and fuller without requiring much effort. Again, perfect for days when you just cannot be bothered.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Liner in Taupe: I don't want to repeat myself with this product, so I'll leave you with the review here. All I'll say, is that this is the most lazy eyeliner you can use. Due to it's light colour, you can messily scribble it on, and then blend with a finger and not have to worry in the slightest about how it looks. It defines without looking heavy, and I love it.

What products have you been loving this month?

Thursday 29 November 2012

MUA Professional Eye Primer

It wasn't until the other day when I looked in my makeup bag that I realised how many products I actually own from MUA. I remember when the first MUA products were released into Superdrug. I must admit I turned my nose up at the stand, blaring with the tagline "All products £1!". If it wasn't for reviews then I probably would have dismissed the whole brand. As I tried more and more products, the fonder I became of the brand. Since their first release, MUA have expanded with more and more products, and although their makeup doesn't remain all at £1, it is all very cheap and (mostly) good quality. 

On to the actual review!


This little gem works wonders. Eyeshadow just disappears from my lids within hours without any sort of product to keep it all in place. It seems pointless to spend time layering and blending eyeshadows for them to slide from my lids! This makes my eye makeup stay in place all day. Apart from MAC Paint Pots, I haven't tried any primers, (they're not too common in the drugstore and I simply don't have to money for high end primers!) so I don't have much to compare this with. However I don't see how anything can work better. Shadows stay vibrant all day, what's not to love! The actual product feels a little greasy when you first start to blend it in, but is then quickly absorbed and leaves a nice base for makeup. 


I can't recommend this enough, it works, it's readily available in Superdrug (if you're not from the UK, here's the link) and at £2.50 it's an absolute bargain.

Sunday 25 November 2012

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer


Before this, the only concealer I had used in about a year was the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. It had come to the end of it's life so I decided to try something different. Although Collection's concealer is pretty full coverage, it's also pretty drying so it just wasn't doing it for under my eyes. When Boots had one of their fabulous 3 for 2 offers I picked up Bourjois Healthy Mix. 

I loved the Healthy Mix foudation, so I picked up the concealer in the same shade (52 for those curious) straight away. This is all I've used on my face in terms of concealer for a long time. The shade matches my skin perfectly. It isn't drying in the slightest which is why I find it perfect for the delicate skin under my eyes. I thought I would end up still using my Collection concealer for any blemishes, but Healthy Mix actually does a brilliant job of covering up any spots. It is very blendable and not too thick, so is ideal for larger areas, such as covering any redness.

For a long time foundation was a must-wear for me. If I was wearing any makeup at all, it was certain that I was slapping on the foundation as well. Now if I'm having a rare 'good skin' day then I brave it with only concealer and powder as my base. 

Healthy Mix costs £7.99, which coming from an unemployed (don't judge me I'm trying!) 16 year old is quite a lot for a concealer. I do find myself going through this tiny tube at quite a fast rate, but as it does the job I'm happy to pay a little bit extra for it.

What are you favourite concealers? Are you a fan of a creamy consistency or something a bit thicker?

Saturday 17 November 2012

These are a few of my favourite things..

I'm always looking for new blogs to follow, I love the excitement of spending an afternoon reading through the entirety of a new favourite blog. Today I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourite reads. I've tried to leave out most of the biggest beauty and fashion bloggers as I'm sure the majority of you will already read their wonderful blogs, and I wanted to introduce you to some new content :)

Vivianna Does Makeup: Okay I know I just wrote about not including massive bloggers but this has to be an exception. Vivianna was probably by biggest influence in starting blogging. I particularly love her Weekend Posts, where she describes one of her weekend rituals or tasks each week. The occasion fashion posts always appeal to me, I crave her wardrobe! Anna has a brilliant writing style, her posts are always an easy read, and really enjoyable, not just informative. 

Sleep and Water: This is one of my more recent favourite finds. If you want regular reviews purely on makeup, this is where to go. Her reviews are so very detailed, you can't help but trust her opinion. We share a similar taste in products so this is a particular favourite of mine :) Everything on Sleep and Water has such a clean feel, the blog layout, the large clear photos. Any makeup addict needs to follow this blog, the constant stream of reviews definitely won't disappoint you. 

P0lar milk: I discovered Rebecca's blog around the time I first started blogging. She was actually one of my very first followers! In the beginning I thought my little blog would remain unloved forever but then Rebecca came and followed me. I found her amazing blog that way and have adored it ever since. I love her consistently brilliant reviews, and her blog is beautifully designed. Rebecca does a lot of different posts other than just reviews, including 'How To's' which I am particularly fond of.

Write Like No One's Watching: I've read Charlotte's blog for well over a year. She's one of my absolute favourite bloggers, and recently (recently meaning yesterday) made my life by following me. Okay, this may be a slight exaggeration, but it meant a lot to me! Charlotte writes about her life, in particular her gorgeous son William. The main reason I love her blog so much, is that in short, she's bloody hilarious. Hilarious to the point where I actually have tears in my eyes. I don't know many people who can make a post about teething funny, but Charlotte manages it! 

I thoroughly recommend you check out all of these writers, they are all exceptionally brilliant. Please leave your own recommendations below, there's always room for another favourite blog!

Hope you're having a good weekend, and if you're not, remember there's only 37 days till Christmas ;)

Abbie

Thursday 15 November 2012

Collection Sheer Loose Powder



This powder is a holy grail item for me. Having oily skin, in a nutshell, sucks. Before using this I was finding myself powdering my face constantly. However on the average day (provided it's not too hot) this baby keeps my skin matte pretty much all day. Towards the end my nose is getting quite shiny, but the rest of my face is still pretty matte. One thing I really love about this product is that it doesn't collect under my glasses. I wear glasses on and off, so when I take a break from wearing them the last thing I want is to have powder marks around my nose!

I like the loose powder form, it is so finely milled that it never looks cakey, and doesn't exaggerate any dry patches too badly. It's definitely not the best powder for travelling, I think a nice idea would be a little swivel cover so it's easier to grab on the go, but considering it's only £2.99 I'm not complaining! I have the transparent shade so I don't have to worry about using different colours through the seasons. And it definitely does last long enough for this to be a problem! The two pots I've already been through lasted 6 months each, pretty impressive I think.

What products do you use to keep the shine away?

Monday 5 November 2012

October Favourites



I'm only five days late, it still counts!

The month has been so busy, today I started back at college after the glorious week that was half term. Sadly my Sunday was ruined with all the work I'd left till the last minute!

No7 Extreme Length mascara - I'd previously had a mini version of this and loved it, but until I recently purchased the full size I have forgotten how brilliant it is! I won't say too much as I have an individual review of this coming up soon, but it the wand makes it the easiest mascara to apply. It doesn't clump, adds length, and most importantly for me, a lot of volume.

Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer - Yet again I will do an individual review of this, it's too good to just briefly mention in monthly favourites! I decided my previous concealer just wasn't hitting the mark for under eye circles, so I picked this up. It has such a lovely, smooth texture, and blends seamlessly. I have shade 52, which matches me absolutely perfectly. It's pretty medium coverage, so I don't really use it much for spots, more for under the eyes and for any redness.

MUA Professional Eye Primer - It's been very, very occasional that I've used anything else to prime my lids with. It makes any shadow last absolutely all day. Also at £2.50 (I think) it's ridiculously affordable. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - I'm sure you've all read numerous reviews on these beauties so I'll keep it short. Crush is a gorgeous, deep, plummy colour - perfect for autumn. It applies like an absolute dream, is very moisturising and the stain lasts for quite a while. Crush is quite dark for everyday wear, so I've been patting it in to my lips to give just a hint of the gorgeous berry colour.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Liner in Nude - Just a lovely pencil for brightening up the eyes! Read my full review here.

MUA Heaven & Earth and Undressed palettes - I've gone on far too much about these this month! Gorgeous wearable colours, so wearable I've worn them pretty much everyday! Read the Heaven & Earth review here and the Undressed here.

I'm pretty excited for November, despite the fact I have several exams lined up! I just have to remember, only seven weeks till Christmas! ;)

Tuesday 30 October 2012

MUA Undressed Palette

After the success of the MUA Heaven and Earth palette, just as predicted, I picked up the Undressed Palette as well. I don't want to bore you all by repeating myself, the Undressed palette is exactly the same in terms of shadow consistency to the Heaven and Earth, so I'll just leave you with the swatches. If you want to hear more detail about the shadows then here is the review for the Heaven and Earth. 

I apologise for the poor quality of the photos, most are out of focus! The lighting in my room is pretty poor at the best of times, but today it was just awful! These photos were the ones with the truest representation of the colours.



Natural light

Natural light

With flash
The only thing I will mention is that the two mattes aren't quite as pigmented, always the way! You can still work with them though, and they are nice for blending out other colours. 

All in all, lovely palette, gorgeous colours, all for £3.50. Brilliant!

Thursday 25 October 2012

Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck





cardi - topshop, deathly hallows shirt - ebay, scarf - primark, jeggins - dorothy perkins, boots - select

On saturday I was off to the town to brave the new Primark that recently opened. It gave me a chance to give my new cardi it's first outing! This was a bit of a naughty purchase made in one of my free periods at sixth form. I was immediately sucked in by the chunky, cosy knit and ginormous  pockets. It wasn't cheap at £38, but my student discount softened the blow! 

These boots where definitely a worth while purchase. I bought them two years ago, and wore them constantly in 2010. Last year they were a bit neglected, but this autumn I've already rediscovered them. Converse aren't the most appropriate footwear for the rain, so these boots are my current go to for less than ideal weather. Surprisingly they are from Select, not somewhere I usually shop, but they have lasted very well!

And oh yes, I am completing the look with a Harry Potter shirt, because nothing says 'cool' like the Deathly Hallows. 


One of my absolute favourite songs at the moment is the latest from Fun, Some Nights. I blame this song for a rather poor score in my maths test, having this in my head was the worst distraction! I'm thinking of buying their latest albums 'Some Nights', has anyone else given it a listen?


NB: Carrying on the note from last week, I still need opinions! Do you like a longer ootd where I go into detail about my outfit or would you prefer to just see the photos? Do you like the edited photos or would you rather they stay unedited? Let me know! :)

Thursday 18 October 2012

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

Since buying this palette (post here) I have used this lil' baby everyday. Literally. It consists 12 shimmery, smooth shades perfect for any occasion, but especially good for an easy everyday look. All of the shadows without exception are strongly pigmented yet very easy to work with. This gem comes in at £3.50, a ridiculously cheap price for such a good palette!



Packaging is very plasticy and cheap, but let's face it, for £3.50 I'm not expecting brilliance! As we all know, it's what's inside that counts ;) It is rather slim, so handy for travelling. As for wear time, with a primer they last all day. 

If you're able to get your hands on this palette, and you're a fan of shimmery neutrals (matte lovers stay away) then head out to your nearest Superdrug and pick one up! I'm sure many of you will of have heard of the MUA Undressed palette, that one's next on the list. From the quick glances I've seen it's another fairly neutral palette but slightly cooler toned. I'm pretty sure I'll love it just as much as the Heaven and Earth!

What are some of your favourite eyeshadow palettes?

Abbie

NB: What do you think of the photo collage? Would you simply prefer the usual, individual large photos? My blog is still in it's baby stages so I'm still working out what's best. Let me know! :)

Sunday 7 October 2012

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Liners

If you read my last post, then you'll know how excited I was to see the new Rimmel eye liners had finally been released. I have pretty small eyes, and so a nude eye liner to open, brighten them up and generally make my eyes appear bigger has long been sought after. A pencil under five pounds and available at Superdrug and Boots is even better.


I picked up 'Nude' and 'Taupe' (such inventive names!). Vivianna recommended both, and as I sympathise with her small eye problems, I thought they would be good for me. I was possibly expecting too much from the Nude pencil. It's simply a completely matte peachy nude. I was expecting to look up and see a bambi eyed beauty, but alas that wasn't quite what happened. I think it does make your eyes look marginally bigger and rounder, but it does do a lovely job of brightening your eye and making you look more awake in general. 

The Taupe pencil is lovely. A simple cool toned taupey brown, which gives the most subtle definition to your eyes. It does have some shimmer, but this doesn't translate on to the eye at all. The pencil can so subtly add some dimension to your eyes without being too heavy and closing them up. Both pencils are creamy and long lasting.  A pencil can only last to a certain extent on the waterline, but this hangs around for a fair amount of time. On my top lid it lasts all day. They claim to be waterproof, I haven't tested this out yet but imagine they would last pretty well!

Have any of you tried out the new pencils yet? What are your thoughts?

Abbie

Saturday 29 September 2012

It's the simple pleasures...

After today I think it's fair to say that I'm easily pleased. I'd been having a bit of a crappy Saturday. Having to write out Biology flash cards surprisingly isn't all that fun. But then a walk into Superdrug changed all that...




You have to understand I live in a tiny, tiny town. A tiny town with a tiny Boots and a tiny Superdrug. For months I've lusted over certain MUA products but alas, the diddy MUA stand had nothing to offer apart from a few cracked eyeshadows. When in Superdrug today I glanced down to where the MUA stand normally stood, and shock horror, it had vanished. It's fair to say I must have looked like a lunatic, staring these bottles of nail varnish remover where the stand had once stood, with a look of pure disgust/horror upon my face. Until five seconds later I looked around and saw a gleaming, shiny, spinning stand of MUA products! Complete with eyeprimers, palletes and 'lip booms' (whatever they're called) galore. 

Happiness also came at the Rimmel section. I'm sure you will all have seen many reviews on the new Rimmel eyeliners, but unfortunately the large majority of us aren't bloggers lucky enough to try the products before they hit the shelves. The temptation to start fist pumping  in celebration was hard to ignore. I picked up the nude and taupe versions, after hearing Vivianna talk about them.

With the MUA products came a free lipgloss, and with the Rimmel products a free eyeliner! What with Superdrug's 10 points to a pound offer when using their loyalty cards, I left there a very happy bunny. What with all these new products expect lots of reviews soon! Six products came to a total of £13.48, which makes me feel slightly less guilty about spending money on non essential items... 

I'm sorry this was sort of a nothingy post, but the Biology revision is calling me back. Hope you're having a better weekend than me, if not pop into Superdrug for some retail therapy ;) Also, any Doctor Who fans, prepare your tissues for tonight! (nerd and proud)

Love you all!

Abbie

Monday 24 September 2012

Rimmel Glam Eyes Eyeshadow

Rimmel eyeshadows have never really attracted my attention before. I usually buy eyeshadows in palettes but  this colour was too gorgeous to pass over. It looks like a plain old shimmery brown but somehow it's so much more... Maybe I'm looking into this too deep! Smokey Quartz just caught my eye.

Like a said before, a shimmery, cool toned brown. But what I love about this is that it is light enough to be worn all over the lid. At 7.00 in the morning when I'm getting ready for college, it is rare I can be bothered to  be blending multiple colours over my eyes. I can apply all over my lid and be done with it.



The shadow is buttery smooth, nicely pigmented, and easy to blend. All for the price £4.49, lovely! I always use an eyeshadow base, there's just no point applying them otherwise with my oily lids. Used over a MAC Paint Pot, my usual choice of base, it lasts all day.



As for the packaging, it's simple, strong, easy to store. Easy to see the product inside. There is a bit of unneeded plastic going on there but otherwise it's all good.

Have any of you tried Rimmel's eyeshadows? Do you prefer to buy single shadows or palettes?

Abbie

Saturday 22 September 2012

And we're caught within the crossfire of love

Here with a face of the day. This is my first, I think with every FOTD I may link to a song I've been loving lately at the end, just to make it a bit different! Tell me below if you like that idea :) Doing this post certainly made me realise how much makeup I wear. It was slightly worrying!

Firstly, it has to be said, I apologise for the appalling state of my eyebrows. Please try and ignore them!



Face:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation (180 Sand Beige), Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Light, 2), Collection Sheer Loose Powder (2, translucent), Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (002 Hazel), MUA Clear Mascara, MUA Blusher (shade 2)


Eyes:

Mac Paint Pot (Rubenesque), Rimmel Glam Eyes Eyeshadow (030 Smokey Quartz, review coming soon!), Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner (black, in tightline), L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim (Intense Black)


Lips:

Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream (Cotton Candy), Barry M limited edition lip gloss

(Any reviews of products I've done, I've linked)

Today's song is Crossfire by Brandon Flowers. A few days ago this was played on the radio, ever since them I've been obsessed! Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of old songs you used to love.




Abbie

Thursday 13 September 2012

Rimmel Blush: Santa Rose

I'm very much a blush newbie. I have quite red cheeks so previously I've always stayed away from any sort of blush, wanting to take colour out of my cheeks rather than add it back in. Now I use a fuller coverage foundation (Revlon Colorstay for those interested) I can take out some of the the redness in my face. At first I thought this was a good thing, but now I think I need to bring back in some subtle colour and warmth to my face. Into the foray of blusher I go!




I've heard a few reviews about this Rimmel blush. It was quite inexpensive, and seemed pretty reasonable so I gave it a try. After a few weeks giving a go, I just don't think it's for me. It's a great product, but just not me. 

(I apologise for the odd angle and shadow, it was the best way to get an accurate representation of the colour!)
It has an okay pigmentation,  I did have to swatch quite hard to get the opaqueness shown above. In the pan it looks a little shimmery, but when swatched in Superdrug none of the shimmer seemed to show through. Sadly this isn't the case when applied, it is quite glittery. I am much more fond of matte blushes (the whole oily skin thing, I'm sure you're all sick of me mentioning it). On much paler skin I think this blush may work, but on me it just turns out with no colour and all glitter.

The packaging is pretty good for the price (somewhere in the region of £3.00, correct me if I'm wrong!). It is simple but strong, sturdy and slim. Perfect for travelling.

In summation, if you are pale, definitely give this a go! I think this may be one of the products that sits at the back of the draw unused, not because it's bad, but because it's just not for me. Maybe I'll give some of the darker colours ago.

Let me know what you think of the Rimmel blushes! Any colour recommendations, leave them below!

NB: I haven't been posting that frequently lately (not that I was brilliant before!) due to having started college. I have quite a lot of work and have to travel a lot which doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging! On Thursdays I finish early so I'm trying to post then. Hopefully I'll be able to do a few more posts than just that, but if I have a schedule I know at least one blog post will go up a week. I hope if you're back at school/college/uni then you're not getting too bogged down with work!

Abbie

Thursday 6 September 2012

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil

I've never really done much to my eyebrows, I always pluck them, but aside from that I'm pretty low maintenance when it comes to the brow area. Until a few weeks or so ago when I realised that actually, my brows are a little bit sparse at the front. Up until now any sort of eyebrow filling in has always scared me, I was always worried about ending up looking silly with too heavy brows!

Sammi always talks about this pencil, and seeing as it was so inexpensive (£2.99, correct me if I'm wrong) I thought I may as well give it a try. Oh how glad am I that I did!

This is just such a good product!



The shade (002 Hazel) matches me so well, which surprised me as initially I thought it might be a bit dark or too warm for my brows. It's a really soft pencil which makes it so very easy to blend. I think this is probably what makes it such an amazing product. I very, very lightly fill in the front of my brows and then blend it with my finger or the comb on the lid. This gives it such natural look. I don't feel as though my brows have been filled in, just given a bit of subtle definition. It lasts literally all day. When coming back from the paralympics I was so tired I only roughly removed my eye makeup, and by the morning my brows were exactly as they were at the start of the day! Impressive! The eyebrow comb is brilliant, it has very stiff bristles. 


And so the moral of the story is, try new things! But seriously, I'm surprised I'm getting along so well with this pencil after being so wary of anything brow related in the beginning. Now I actually feel like my face is incomplete without touching up my brows a bit!

Do any of you like brow pencils? Filling your brows in with powder? Or do you have a brow filling in phobia like I did?!

Abbie

Thursday 30 August 2012

Collection Blush and Highlight Cream Duo

It's not very often in the drugstore that you see cream blushes and highlighters, so when I saw this little product sitting on the shelf in Superdrug I picked it up immediately. One of Collection's newest products, this duo comes in two shades, with seemingly the same highlighter, but with different blushes. I picked up Peaches & Cream. 



At first the blush colour seems intimidatingly bright, but when applied it is actually a very nice subtle, peachy colour. The highlighter, to be honest, isn't all that great. When blended out there is very little actual shimmer, just glitter, giving you more of a 'nine year old at a school disco' look than the more preferable 'natural glow'. Both colours don't blend too smoothly, they have quite a waxy texture, but they're still workable. When I first started to apply them I thought they were going to be quite sticky, but that soon goes once you start blending. The blush dries to quite a matte finish.



The staying power isn't terrible, it hangs around for a fair few hours before fading, but this is only to be expected with a cream blush. However I think the plus side of cream blushes is that they are then easier to reapply quickly on the go. If you want to make it last a bit longer, then I recommend setting with a powder blush. 

The packaging is pretty standard but sturdy. I feel I can just chuck it in my make up bag and not have to worry about it breaking. There's not masses of product, but for the price it is quite reasonable. At Superdrug these are currently at an introductory price of £2.99, so if you want to give them a try, now is the time to buy!

Overall, it's not a bad product, I am quite pleased with the blush, even if the highlighter wasn't too brilliant. I probably wouldn't repurchase, but I'm glad I gave it a go! I like the concept of having a 2-in-1 product, it makes travelling with it easier.

Will you be giving the duo a go?

Abbie

Saturday 25 August 2012

The Body Shop Cucumber Cleansing Milk

My sister recently bought The Body Shop Cucumber Cleansing Milk, so I decided to give it a sneaky try. Wow, I am glad I did! It's not very often I am excited by skincare, I tend to think of it more as a chore than something I enjoy, but this is an exception. 



This light green, thick, creamy cleanser is amazing at removing make up. It thoroughly cleanses the skin and leaves literally no make up behind. I find it quite moisturising, but not overly so. My skin is never left feeling tight. I squeeze a small amount into my hand, spread it over my face and then rub in circular motions. After, I remove with either water or a cotton pad. As it is a very thick consistency I thought I would need quite a large amount to properly clean my face, but surprisingly this is not the case.


For those of you who are not fans of cucumber, there is only a very light smell to the product, so unless you really detest cucumber you will probably won't find it too offensive! For The Body Shop I'm surprised at the price, £4.00 for 250ml is very reasonable in my eyes. 

What are some of your favourite cleansers/methods of removing make up?

Abbie

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Sleek Storm Palette


Sometimes when a certain product gains popularity in the blogging community, after the hype dies down the product is forgotten and left in the back of the draw. I want to remind you of the Sleek Storm palette! Quite a while ago it did some rounds on the blogs, back when I was first getting properly into make up. I didn't purchase it, but a month or so ago when in Superdrug I spotted it on the shelves and remembered it's moment of fame and decided to give it a go. Oh my. Since then it has pretty much been the only eyeshadows I use.

 For my everyday make up I can never be too bothered with playing around for ten minutes with different shadows in different places, so I just normally use a light shimmery lid colour, a matte brown through the crease and a highlight in the inner corner, and occasionally the brow bone. This being my everyday look you can see the palette is perfect for me.



The sleek, black packaging is simple and easy to store. The large mirror is incredibly handy as well, so overall a good palette to travel with. It also came with a sponge applicator, which went straight in the bin. The colours are just gorgeous. The top row of shadows are well suited to daytime, and the bottom row are more dramatic, suited to a night out. You can make a whole host of looks using this palette, it is just so versatile. 


Now here come the swatches! (All photos were taken with flash, as this showed the colours most accurately) 





All of the shimmery shadows are buttery smooth and very pigmented. As normal, the matte ones aren't quite as pigmented. The brown shadows are the worst, but are still completely workable. The black however, is one of the blackest, strongest eyeshadows I've ever used! The palette is £7.99 for twelve shadows which is incredible value.

Have you tried any of the Sleek palettes?

Abbie



Friday 17 August 2012

Panda-monium!

Excuse my terrible pun, but I couldn't resist! Out of sheer bordem today I decided to do something a little different with my nails. I followed Bubzbeauty's panda nail tutorial and I think it's fair to say it turned out okay! Mine don't look exactly likes Bubz's but for me they're close enough. I'm always put off doing any sort of nail art as I though I would struggle doing both hands, but this was surprisingly easy, so give it a go!


For the pink base I used Rimmel Princess Pink. Cringey name aside, I do love this polish, it's a soft, muted, baby pink which makes it a lovely subtle colour for your nails. I actually wore this on my nails for prom! The black is Rimmel Black Out, and the white is from Natural Collection.



Are any of you nail art fans?

Abbie

Tuesday 14 August 2012

L'oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim

I had high hopes for this eye liner. I swatched this on the back of my hand in Superdrug and me and my friend literally gasped. The line was so thin and crisp we both picked one up straight away. I normally stay away felt tip liners, but this one seemed so good. I have tried the L'oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss (just like nearly every other blogger) and was impressed so I hoped the Perfect Slim would follow suite. Sadly not. When I actually started using it, it wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped. 







Maybe mine is just a faulty one, I don't know, but it didn't preform nearly as well as it did in the shop. As you can see the nib is incredibly fine. The point of the nib doesn't seem to really disperse much product. This means you have to press harder to use more of the nib, which then results in a thicker line. All this makes the liner quite hard to work with. It almost drags along the eye.

The wear time also isn't great with my oily lids. I found at the end of the day it had smudged everywhere - not good! If you have drier skin it may last longer.




I do like the matte finish, I much prefer it to Carbon Gloss. The thin pen shape is easy to hold, and to store and the textured part gives a good grip. The black and gold theme does make visually pleasing packaging!  


Have any of you tried the Perfect Slim liner?

Abbie

Saturday 11 August 2012

The Dress.

The dress.

My friend and I were shopping, when she picked up this number. She prodded me into trying it on as well, and I was doubtful it would do anything for me, especially as I had to get a size down due to them not having mine. I was amazed. Such a simple dress but yet it seems to work wonders. The photos may not show it, but it hugs you in all the right places, and skims over my tummy, giving an all round flattering effect :) 

(I didn't think to take off the belt before, sorry!)


Wednesday, my friend had a gathering of sorts, so I decided to go with this combination. It turned out to be surprisingly hot, so it probably wasn't the best suited outfit, but I think the combination works well!


Dress - New Look
Denim Jacket - Dorothy Perkins
Belt - H&M
Brogues - New Look





I love the colour, and the material is a nice, soft, stretchy material. The dress is such a universal piece. It can be worn through all the seasons, I can't wait to pair this with a chunky cardi and thick tights. Available in seven colours, and at £11.99, it's a great piece to have. I may even have to pick one up in another colour (I have my eye on the dark green!). Give it a look here :)

What do you think of the dress

Abbie