Nail haul Elegant Touch & MUA // Be Your Own Nail Technician.

Morning ladies and possibly gents (who knows?)

I haven't written a post for a couple of days because I have been having a traumatic time with Cody :( so that has pre-occupied my mind. For those of you who don't know who Cody is, he is in fact my guinea pig :)I have written our story here if you would like to find out what the deal is with him. 

I will be writing an updated post in the next few days about what's been happening with him since. 

I thought I would just let y'all know that's where I have been anyway. :) 

Today's post is, as you can see from the above pic, nail related (ignore the concealer and the lip balm, I changed my post idea last minute). 

I would love to visit the nail salon every few weeks like a lot of women do, but I for one could not afford it. How I see it is, yes, some nail techs are pretty awesome at creating beautiful nails. But there are also some pretty awesome falsies about that give you the exactly same effect at a fraction of the price!!

I went to Superdrug (UK drugstore) the other day and wanted to treat myself to some new bit 'n' bobs, inexpensive for sure, as you all know I am currently jobless which sucks ass big time. And as I was walking around I came to the MUA (Makeup Academy) stand and noticed they had some new pastel coloured nail polishes in. I am into pastel colours at the moment as they are completely summery and fresh looking. And I also find that they are super flattering to whoever is wearing it. 

Their basic nail polish range is only £1 and I couldn't decide which colours to go for. The mint colour was an obvious choice for me as I LOVE that colour and the pastel blue was next in line. Then I thought "what the hell" just get all four. So I did. 

Again, 'Blogger' has a right old knack of changing the colour of my picture uploads, but as you can see the polishes are highly pigmented. Which is nice to see of course, but what every girl wonders is, what's the colour payoff like once applied to the nail and how many coats to achieve an even finish?

Well, the mint and the blue actually finish up pretty nicely, I applied two coats when using each colour and when dry it's fairly even and the colour payoff is true to the bottle. The mint wins though out of all four. Now the baby pink polish is a right let down. The colour payoff is awful and you would have to apply more than two coats to remotely get a slightly even finish. Not a fan of this polish at all, in every aspect of testing. They are only £1 though so my expectations weren't high, but I have tried cheap nail polishes before and got a way better result. 

I haven't tried the purple as of yet but I can only imagine it's going to go the same way as the pink colour I am afraid. 

Maaayyynnn. 

P.S. They are also pretty shiny when dry which is nice and if you are amazing at paining your own nails, and you have nice nails (unlike me) then you could get away with using these polishes or any other instead of visiting a salon.

D.I.Y is the best form of learning! 

How frickin awful are my nails. They are so thin and break constantly. 

Nightmare. 

Elegant Touch are by far my favourite brand of false nails. They are so versatile in design, shapes, colours and lengths there is something for everyone. Some of their nails are a little over priced I think, but the plain ones that you can paint yourself aren't too bad. 

 I usually buy the square 'bare' ones in extra short as they were the only ones in this brand that you can paint. This time round though, I noticed they had brought out two new 'bare' ones in 'oval' and 'stiletto'. I spent bloody ages in that isle trying to decide between the two. The 'oval' pack looked more natural, which I liked, but I have always wanted to try the 'stiletto' design that you can only usually get in the salon. 

I went for the stiletto, why play it safe?

I am yet to put these on, but I cannot wait until I do. 

I feel like a proper lady when I have false nails one. It's really sad. 

The little things in life. 

I am easily pleased! 

They look super pretty even unpainted.

If you would like to purchase some you can do so here. They are £4.65 and in a 'short' length.

Next, I brought two different Elegant Touch nail packs but this time from Savers (a discounted shop in the UK). 

I love going into Savers as they always have some cool nails in stock that are WAY cheaper than Boots & Superdrug. I picked these up on passing through the store. 

Believe it or not these were £1.99 each...I repeat £1.99 each!! 

I couldn't believe it because in the other stores they would of easily been around £6-7, so I made a massive saving. 

I loved the silver glittery ones on the right and these would be perfect for a night out or thinking waaaayyyy into the future, Christmas or New Years. 

The pink ones are really lovely in real life and really subtle. I was trying to decide between this rose pink colour and a lavender, but the pink won! I hate wearing pink clothing but I love it on nails and lips. Strange. 

Both packs have adhesive tabs attached to the nails, so no glue is involved. This is great for people who have never worn false nails before or dislike what the glue does to their natural nail on removal. I personally, don't like the tabs as I find they don't stick down for very long so I end up sticking some nail glue on as well.

There is a false nail pack or nail polish out there for everyone. If you are on a budget or don't fancy a nail bar then I would highly recommend trying out Elegant Touch nails. As for nail polish, the MUA brand are totally not that bad for budget, it hardly breaks the bank and the overall finish is standard. 

Give them a go, you have nothing to lose! 

♥

  

Makeup Must Haves // What's In My Makeup Bag?!

I love makeup. 

Period. 

I never used to wear much at all, especially when I was at school. Back then it was "FORBIDDEN"! Gradually, through the years I experimented more and more with different foundations, concealers, eye shadows, eye liners, lipsticks, you name it I was trying it out. Now that I am a little older, I have come to find that I know what I like and don't like in a makeup brand or product. And I find that a product doesn't have to be 'high end' for it to be of value to your face. In fact a lot of high-street/drugstore brands work just as well. I don't like to spend a lot of money on each product unless it's truly worth it, and even then it makes me cringe! 

Put it this way I am a drugstore queen, I like deals, value for money and accessibility of a product.

 If you are either looking for some must-have products that are bank balance friendly, or someone who only uses high end brands but you are intrigued by what else the makeup counter has to offer you, then you have come to the right girl!

I am going to show you what I carry in my makeup bag on a day to day basis. I have split it into sections for you.

. Face

. Eyes

. Lips

In each category I don't always carry everything within my handbag, I tend to mix it up a bit each day. But those shown are my HG (holy grail) goto products.

Here we go. :) 

FACE

 

FACE.

1. I LOVE this concealer, I have been using it for years now. I use this around my eyes, especially the dark circles, blemishes and on spots. I always put this on before my foundation, and I know a lot of other people put it on after, but in fact I find it works better my way round. It acts as a base for the foundation so it doesn't allow it to sink into the dark circles and emphasise it more. Give it a go and see the difference.

2 & 3. I will then apply either foundation depending on what I am doing. For instance, if I am just wanting 'natural' looking makeup that day I will apply (3) as it is lighter and illuminates my face. If I am going out or have a job interview (which is a rarity at the moment) I will apply foundation (2) as it is a little thicker and has more of a matte finish. Both equally as good, just for different occasions.

4. I love this product by MUA. It is the 'Undress Your Skin' illuminating powder. It is soooo nice to use and I LOVE using it when I am wearing foundation (3) as it enhances the illuminating effect. It doesn't apply really thick, and is even on application. It gives a natural glow and makes my skin look healthy. I will always have this in my makeup bag and in my daily makeup ritual. 

5. The Collection blush is another favourite of mine. I use the shade 'Trouble' and it lasts for like FOREVER!! Seriously, I use it every time I have makeup on and it hasn't even hit pan yet. Again, it applies really nicely and evenly and leaves you with natural looking flushed cheeks. Winner!!


EYES

  I love my eyes, I regard them as my best feature, so I like to emphasise them as much as I can. I am currently loving the smoky eye look so these are what I have been carrying around with me.
I don't always wear this amount of eye makeup as I have bad hay fever and I just end up rubbing it off but when I can this is what I use. 

1. I start off with pencilling my eyebrows in, they are naturally really light so it looks like I have none. I look like an egg, a hard boiled egg. The colour I use is 'dark brown' and I love the Rimmel one as it has the staying power, easy to apply and it has the little brush on the lid to tame the strays. 

2. I have recently used the Eyeko eyeliner pen and I really enjoyed using it. It is smooth to apply, it doesn't drag like others I have used, it doesn't scratch the skin and it creates great cat flicks. I ALWAYS have a cat flick and I am pretty on point with creating them, but this pen makes it easier because of the nib. The only downside I feel this product has is that it sinks into the skin and the colour fades quickly. This is when I use product (3).

3. I will use the Rimmel 'Exaggerate' liquid eyeliner over the top of the applied pen to bring back the depth of the black that was lost. I love using this liquid eyeliner as again it's easy to apply, there is enough liquid on the nib to cover but not smother. It stays black and dries really quickly. I have been really reaching for the Rimmel products recently, especially their 'Exaggerate' range as they are richly pigmented, great value for money and the colour pay off is awesome. 

4. Next I will apply the Rimmel 'ScandalEyes' Kohl pencil to the inside of my waterline and tightline. Both upper and lower. This defines my eyes even more and I love to use it on the outer corners of my eyes so I can smudge and blend downwards. Hello smoky effect. 

5. Mascara's aren't a big deal for me as my eyelashes NEVER curl. It's so frustrating as I always have poker straight lashes and I always envy the girls that have amazingly spidery lashes. I just grab the cheapest mascara to hand and the Miss Sporty one is like £2. It's nothing special, but it does the job. 

6. And finally for the eyes, if I want to create the smoky, sultry effect then I will grab my Front Cover Eye kit. I brought it a few Christmases ago and it was quite pricey at around £35 but it was totally worth it and it's so pretty. It comes with the palette shown, and loads of different eye shadows and little accessories.

LIPS

When doing my make up it can either go two ways as far as my lip colour is concerned. I am currently loving either bright red lips or nude. 

If I have done heavy-ish eye makeup then I usually go for a nude lip and let the eyes do the talking. If the eyes are still dark but lighter in appearance, I will then go for the red. Red lipstick makes me feel glamorous, as stupid as that sounds. If I have that on, I feel good no matter how crappy I do actually feel that day. 

I always use a lip liner and matte lipstick, I just like the feel and appearance and these are always in my makeup bag. 

I didn't go into detail on my lip must-haves as I have touched on those before. 

I hope you have enjoyed finding out what I carry in my makeup bag and that there might be some products you would like to try out yourselves.

♥

Primark Kimono & More Lush Bath Bombs.

Before I begin, I would like to apologise for my picture quality on this post.

They are a little grainy due to poor lighting as we occurred a horrible little storm when I took these photos. 

I seriously need a DSLR but that isn't happening straight away so I am trying my best with what I have. 

I will state, that I LOVE to take photo's and I love to edit them too, I just don't have the amazing equipment that most of the 'cool' bloggers have. :( 

I hope that's okay? :)

Lets get started!

I went into town with my parents again Friday as I needed to grab Cody's (my guinea pigs) fruit and veg and decided to have a look around the shops whilst I was there. And since I am currently jobless it is killing me walking around the shops because I am wanting everything that is in there. Girl problems. 

I originally went into town to see if I could upgrade my phone at Phones 4 U, but their prices and tariffs are stupidly high. So I thought I would just leave it until my contract ends. 

It's not worth the trouble in the long run!

So, after visiting there I went into Primark. I tried on a couple of t-shirts and some jumpers and I didn't like any of them or the fit in particular. I made my way down to the bag section (my favourite isle) and to the left of me something caught my eye. 

It was a black knitted kimono with tassels. 

I was like "YES". Finally I have found one I like. 

I tried on a size medium and a size large as I like my clothes at the moment to be kind of baggy and boyish. I ended up going for the medium as the large was a little overwhelming and engulfed me to say the least. Plus it seemed a lot heavier than the medium. 

I had no one to take the picture. You want a job done... Do it yourself. 

 Ha, I took that picture in my parent's room as the lighting was way better than in mine. The kimono is the right length and you can't go wrong with black as it goes pretty much with everything you own. 

Well, most of the clothes I own are black. I really need to change it up. 

I love the Boohoo Kimono that I featured in my 'Wish List' post earlier in the month as it had splashes of floral colour and well, was more interesting to look at than this one. 

BUT...

This Primark Kimono is a complete steal at £14 and the quality isn't that bad considering it's from there. I find sometimes with their products that they can be of poor quality and actually quite expensive for what it is. I am very picky when it comes to spending my money in Primarni. I have a good eye for detail and getting value for money so I tend to walk out of there with nothing at all. That said, they can sometimes have some great pieces and this item is one of them.

The hang.

This kimono is great to wear in the summer and ties in nicely with the festival season. But I think this would also wear nicely in the fall and winter, teamed with some jumper layering. 

I would like to add, that whilst coming out of Primark I got caught in a rain shower and got SOAKED. My Primark bag almost fell apart and I was running like Phoebe from Friends.

If you don't know what I am on about YouTube it and you will see what I mean. Too funny. 

Before I left the town, I HAD to pop into Lush again as I feel like I owed it to myself as I am that stupid and didn't realise we had one. I don't know where I have been for all of these years. 

Not in the real world. That's for sure!

And I picked up these bath bombs that were on my MUST HAVE list. 

'Think Pink' bath bomb. 

'Butterball' bath bomb

Each of these bath bombs were £2.50 which I think is pretty good and I cannot wait to use them!! The 'Think Pink' bomb apparently has heart shaped confetti inside so when it hits the water they explode into your bath. I am actually quite excited about using this one. And the 'Butterball' bomb is meant to be good for sensitive skin, which I have, so I hope it makes my skin feel nice after using it. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my little purchases. 

And if you liked it give me a follow. Or even subscribe.

Over and out. 

♥

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The Power Mouth // A Rimmel Lipstick Every Girl Should Own

First of all, I apologise for not writing for a couple of days. I have literally had the worst hay fever in the history of allergic reactions. So I have been trying really hard to sleep off the itchy eyes, itchy face and throat, swollen eyes and horrendous amounts of sneezing. To my dismay... It hasn't worked at all. If any of you guys reading this have any good tips on how to ease these symptoms please leave a comment on this post. 

Now I have got that out of the way.

"Ahhhh, hmmmm" *clears throat*

What I am going to talk to you about today is what I call 'The Power Mouth'. The Power Mouth basically, in short is a mouth that does all the talking. And not literally. I mean by appearance, a set of lips that are eye-catching, bold and makes a statement to the naked human eye. 

I am all for understated makeup, you know your neutral colourings, 'barely there' base and some slick mascara, but sometimes just by adding a pop of colour to your face really can make a difference.

The lipstick that I feel every girl should own is the Rimmel London, Kate Moss Lasting Finish, Matte lipstick in 111 - Kiss of Life. Seriously I have brought this lipstick so many times now because it is THAT good. This is my go to lipstick at the moment as it is highly pigmented and the colour payoff is fantastic. It is in a matte finish which is what I look for in a lip product as I don't really like shimmery/moisture ones, and the staying power is awesome. 

If you too like a matte lipstick then this is the one to grab and add to your bag. This summer is all about bold colours!! Let's forget pastel shades for a moment and appreciate the vibrant, sultry red's that are bulldozing the shelves at present. Nothing says "wow" more than a perfect lined and filled in red mouth. Let's face it, it's a classic colour and screams "look at me". 

And who doesn't want to feel glamorous? 

Oh dear, the old lady hand strikes again. This uploading programme really hates my hands. 

It is highly easy to apply and doesn't overtly need re-applying. Sometimes I don't at all in a day and the colour hasn't feathered (bled) into the skin around the lip once. As I have said before I have never used a Mac product once in my life (I hate myself for this statement. Tut tut), but I think this could actually rival the 'Ruby Woo' as I have seen people wear it and it isn't far off the same texture and pigment. Plus it is only £5.49 in Superdrug (UK) which is an absolute steal and a great Mac dupe if you can't stretch to their prices. If you click the highlighted word 'Superdrug' above I have added a link to the product for you.

You're welcome. :)  

Superdrug at the the time of me posting this have an offer on this exact lipstick for £3.99 so please girls if you want 'stand out' lips I highly recommend buying this product. It is my HG (holy grail) lipstick and you will never see me without it!! 

I also team this lipstick with the Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Red Diva 24.

   

This twist out lip liner is a god send. I line my lips with this every time I use the lipstick.And because I love my lipstick to be extra matte I also fill my lips in with this liner before I apply the lipstick. These two products go amazingly well together and there is no difference in colour pigmentation at all. It's a perfect match.

The texture to this liner is quite waxy but it's soft too and easy to work. When you first open it it's tip is quite angular so it's great to draw straight lines without the 'wobble'. The only disappointing thing that I would say about the lip liner is that it doesn't last that long and I have gone through SO many of them it's silly. 

This product is £3.99 in Superdrug (again the item is linked within the 'Superdrug' word.) 

You don't even have to wear a lot of makeup to carry off 'The Power Mouth' either, you can either wear it with smoky eyes or just plain old mascara. Either way anyone can pull off this look, and it looks super cool in the day as well as at night.

Ladies, what are you waiting for? Go and grab it quick, they are flying off the shelves.

Good work Kate Moss. I salute you. 

If you are more of a pink, coral or orange kinda gal then have a look at these alternatives to the red.

Barry M (left-right): Shade 54, shade 158 & shade 52

                                            

Yay a normal looking hand :) 

    

Finally I will leave you with some pictures on how I wear 

'The Power Mouth' 

♥

X

My Wish List - Fashion, Beauty & Bits 'n' Bobs

" 'Cause we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl." 

Like most of you ladies out there, 

I LOVE to shop. 

Sometimes a little too much! 

But there are so many things I still want in my life. :)

The shops in my local town aren't really amazing. Sure, they have the high-street brands like Topshop, River Island and H & M but they aren't superstores and they don't really stock many of the things the larger stores have. Currently, I am job searching which means I can't go shopping like I want to and there are so many things catching my eye at the moment. Heartbreaking I know (get the violins out). So I have decided to do my own little wish list of the things I am loving and it all ranges between clothes, make-up and other knick knacks. 

It's my day of birth in August so maybe I will have to buy something off here!! (Maybe just a lipstick...)

Here we go. 

♥

www.coupoining4u.net

I have literally seen every single one of my favourite

bloggers with this product. 

And I want to see what all the fuss is about. 

The Urban Decay 'Naked 3' eye shadow pallete seems to be really popular, and I constantly see it featured in YouTube vids. Urban Decay also have a 'Naked 1 & 2' pallete but I genuinely like the look of this one, the colours seem a lot more neutral and easily workable. The price... Not so much. It is a whopping £37 in the likes of Selfridges and Debenhams in the UK. It is a massive investment, one of which I will need to save up for!! Even so everyone seems to be loving it, which shows it is obviously worth the near bankruptcy. Ha. 

♥

www.milkteef.com

I have wanted these for SO LONG!!!

Yes you have guessed it,

It's the Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balms.

I first saw this product in a bloggers YouTube haul video and I love matt lipstick.

    I am not a massive fan of glittery, shimmery or glossy kind       of lipsticks. I always tend to stick to matte lippies as I       find they are more pigmented in colour and last longer on the     mouth. I just like the finish, but it dries the hell out of       lips so obviously it isn't great for conditioning.  

Now these beauties seem to be really popular and the amount of times I have gone into places such as Boots and Superdrug (UK stores) and attempted to purchase them is ridiculous. I love the berry shades and the orange/coral colours too. Especially 210- Unapologetic and 220- Showy. I just cannot bring myself to spend £7.99 on each stick. I know it sounds stupid but it's true. Maybe I am too careful with my money?!I pick them up, get to the till and then go and put them back. I am silly!! :)

Whilst looking for these on the Boots website 

I have noticed they have 2 for £10 on Revlon make-up.

Now I am even more tempted. Score!! 

♥

www.vogue.co.uk

I don't own one single Mac product.

I know you are screaming at the screen right now.

In disbelief. 

But it's a true story. 

Everyone owns a Mac product I am sure. Unfortunately I am not one of them. And I really want this awesome lipstick. It's a popular one 'Ruby Woo' and it looks soooo nice. Mac lipsticks are like, what? £15 or something like that. I just cannot justify spending that much money on a lipstick, and because I wear lipstick a lot I would get through this one with no problem. That's what scares me! I have wanted it for so many years now though, when I eventually get a full-time job (someone PLEASE give me one, I am the BEST worker you will EVER have!) I will purchase this bad boy!! This is one of my must have products without a doubt. My make-up bag is screaming for it. I can hear it now as I am typing.

 Shhhhhh. 

♥

www.lookfantastic.com

These are so cute!

Again, I have never owned a pair of GHD's in my life! And then I saw these!! They are so summery and girly. I have worked in a couple of hairdressers and they always used GHD's and I have always loved them. They curl the hair amazingly as well as doing their straightening job. They are good for already damaged hair (note: No amount of heat is good for your hair but I have a valid point... You may resume reading), because they heat up so quickly. And you only have to glide through your hair a minimal amount of times before your hair is straight. Another must have product, which most people in this world have... Apart from me. I MUST GET SOME!!  

♥

www.johnlewis.com

This is more of a convenience product that I want but I guess it's also a 'need'.

 My hair gets so knotty pretty much all of the time. I think it's due to the bleach I have still left in my hair and the condition of it. Now the Tangle Teezer claims to de-tangle hair so I would love to give this brush a whirl as my biggest annoyance is when my hair is pulled. I think it would save me a lot of time de-tangling and also maybe help the condition of my hair as it won't be snagged or ripped out of my head. I definitely need to give this a try. 

♥

www.spylovebuy.com


I NEED THESE ON MY FEET NOW!!!

I am totally in love!!

I could cry a little at how gorgeous these boots are!! They are 100% me and they look so comfortable to wear despite the height. The ones I originally saw were from New Look but they are no longer on the website (well when I searched for them they weren't there). So I searched the net and these were the most similar and from spylovebuy.com at £49.95 which I think is actually a little more than the New Look ones. Correct me if I am wrong though! Or if you can actually find the New Look version I would love it if you could send me the link. :) Anyway they are called BANDIT Chunky Cleated Sole Zip Platform Ankle Boots ( a bit of a mouthful) and they are (stating the obvious) in black. I think these would look super nice with anything you wore. Such as, disco pants, leggings (matte or leather-look), jeans, shorts and even dresses. 

I can't help but stare at them.

This is a love that will never be broken. Sob. 

♥

www.boohoo.com

I love boohoo's clothes, they are good value compared to other competitive clothes sites and the quality is awesome. I brought a Parker style coat from them and I have worn it to death and it still looks good. I was looking on their site the other night and was searching for the 'perfect' Kimono and found this lovely number. I love the colour work on it and the floral pattern is totally in trend and the black background colour is perfect to match it to other clothes you are wearing. It's only £20 which is a bargain, considering I found one in Primark which was similar in price and not half as nice looking. Plus it has the fringing which I love on these. I would love to style this and it's very Indie/Boho and would look super hot at festivals. 

I need to get this!!

♥

www.topshop.com

I need some new black jeans and I love how understated these are!

These are the Topshop MOTO Jamie jeans, with rips placed at the knee. I have seen a few celebs' wearing these or similar ones on television E.G. Lucy Watson in Made in Chelsea (UK reality show). I haven't tried these on so I am unsure of the fit. Now I always have problems finding the right pair of jeans because they will either fit on the leg and not on the hips or visa versa. It's highly annoying for me and I usually find River Island jeans fit me the best. I haven't really tried Topshop's but I would love to get these. 

My two favourite things in clothing. 

Black and ripped. 

♥

www.hightech-edge.com

Jeeze, I have wanted an Apple Mac laptop for so many years now!! It's stupid. 

It has always been out of my price range, but now that I have started to blog and want to do my YouTube channel videos I seriously need one. It has everything I need on there for me to edit my sound and video's. The only downside is the new Mac's have no disk drive. So I would have to download The Sims and not use my CD's. I think I will still be waiting a long time before I get one of these. 

This one is new MacBook Air. 

So Pretty.

♥

www.amateurphotographer.co.uk


This beauty is the Canon 600D with flip-out screen.
This is another expensive 'want' on my wish list, but it's a practical one. I want it to film my YouTube video's on whilst I am in my room and to take high quality pictures to post on here. I have read many reviews and apparently this is a good beginner DSLR?
Maybe one day?! ♥

www.canon.co.uk

The Canon PowerShot S120.

I religiously watch Zoella's YouTube channel and noticed that this is the camera that she uses to VLOG (video blog, for those who don't know) and know that this camera is good quality. It's a pricey digital camera but it makes bloody good video's. ♥

www.play.com

I used to love this programme and really got into it in the later series, so I would love to watch it the whole way from beginning to end. Who doesn't love One Tree Hill?
Chad Michael Murray.
That is all.♥

And finally. SWEETS.
 



AMERICAN SWEETS!!!! :D

www.dolci.co.uk

There are A LOT more items I could put on this list.

In fact I think the list would be never ending!!

But those listed are the items that have been etched in my mind and have been for a while now. 

I hope you have enjoyed looking through my wish list and I know it's been a long one ( I did warn you I am a chatterbox) and I would love it if you gave my blog a follow. 

I don't have many at the moment. :(

Until next time...

♥