It's a Girl Thing

Review: Eyeko Mascara

2010-08-20T03:04:00.000-07:00

Despite all the good reviews I had read and heard about this mascara, when I purchases it I still wasn't expecting much from it. It seems I may have been proved wrong though!

The Brush

At first look at this brush it's difficult to imagine how it would make your lashes look good, but believe me it does. It seperates, volumises and lengthens.

The Formula

The forumla of this mascara is quite wet. I would say if this is something you aren't keen on then stay away from this mascara. However, I really like the formula because it coats all my lashes, root to tip without dragging on them or looking clumpy.

The Packaging

I admit that the packaging on this mascara isn't the most sophisticated or expensive looking but I personally love it. It's unique, looks really funky and is completely different to anything else on the market.

Before and After

Before

After

As you can see this mascara gives my lashes length and volume aswell as seperating them.

I'm really impressed with this and I think I may have found my holy grail mascara. I'm the kind of girl who uses a mascara until it drys up and then moves onto the next one. This mascara however will have a permanent place in my collection for a long time.

Have you tried eyeko mascara? What do you think of it?

Laura xXx

Project Ten Pan Round Two

2010-08-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

Hey girls,

So you may have noticed that I didn’t do monthly favourites this month. I haven’t been buying much make-up recently so didn’t really have any new or interesting products to feature in a favourites post.

The start of August marks the start of project ten pan round 2! I haven’t been buying much make up lately because I’m trying to save money and so I thought I’d embrace the opportunity and do it properly and not buy any more make up until I have finished ten products.

This is my second attempt at project ten pan, I wouldn’t say the first time round was a absolute disaster but I wasn’t completely committed to it. So this time round I will be trying harder!

If you wanna join me feel free (I’m sure I will get not no takers on this!) and look out for updates of how I’m getting on coming soon!!

Laura xXx

FOTD

2010-07-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey girls, I saw a tutorial on Juicystar07's You Tube channel a couple of days ago and absolutely loved it, so I gave re-created it ago and here's what I ended up with...

Eyes:

-urban decay primer potion

-MAC - satin taupe all over the lid

-MAC - ricepaper in the centre of lids

MAC - Phloof as a highlight

- Urban Decay - Flipside on lower lash line

-L'oreal voluminous mascara

Face:

-Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation -54

-MAC Mineralized skin finish natural - Medium Plus

Barry M - Natural Dazzle

-Nars- Orgasm Blush

-MAC mineralized skin finish - Comfort

Lips:

-Maybelline - Ambre Rose

-Random Lancome Juciy Tube

Hope you all had a great weekend, Laura xXx

Review: MAC 130 Brush

2010-07-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

I ordered this brush on line and my initial thought was that they had sent me the wrong brush because of how small it is. I decided to give it a go anyway because I had read some good reviews on it.

I use it to apply my liquid foundation and I think the key with this brush is to use less foundation and buff it into the skin really well. From my experience, loading the brush with foundation just leaves a big streaky mess.

Obviously the surface area of this brush is really small considering you are using for all over your face. I think this brush is perfect if you have the time to make it work. I wouldn’t recommend it for the morning routine but think it’s perfect for evenings out and weekends. It gives a lovely flawless finish, better than I’ve experienced from any other brush.

Pros:

Densely packed bristles which really buff the foundation into the skin leave a flawless finish.

I’ve found I use less foundation with this brush.

The small surface area means you can get into the hard reach areas like around the nose etc.

Cons:

Small surface area means it can take longer than your average brush to apply foundation.

After my initial scepticism I really enjoy using this brush and the finish it gives. It definitely isn’t the perfect brush but it gives a better finish that any other foundation brush I’ve used in the past. If you have the time to make it work, I think it’s worth the effort.

Have you used the 130 brush? What are your thoughts on it?

Laura xXx

Update/Small Haul

2010-07-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies, sorry I’ve been quiet on the blogging for the past couple of weeks, I started my internship on Monday so have been concentrating on that and I’ve been so knackered by the time I’ve got home the last thing on my mind is blogging!

At the end of last week I went to visit a friend from uni who lives in Buckinghamshire. While I was there we took a trip to Westfield. I was really excited to go because I had heard so much about it, and it didn’t disappoint. My credit card took a bit of a battering but I won’t bore you with everything I bought, but I thought I would share a select few things with you...

I had some vouchers to spend in River Island and when I saw this gorgeous leather bag I knew I had to get it. It's a light tan colour and cost £59.99.

I've been really impressed with all the Models Own nail polishes I've had so far so picked up two more. Pastel pink and Jade stone. Both gorgeous pastel colours, with great consistency and opaque after two coats.

I didn't go crazy on make-up purchases but these are the few things I did buy:

Urban Decay primer potion to replace my old one that had run out.

Mac mineralized skin finish natural in medium plus which I'm loving

Eyeko 3 in 1 cream and mascara.

Hope you are all well :) Laura xXx

Five Good Things

2010-07-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hey girls, I’ve not done one of these posts for a while, I did try and do them every week for a while but started to struggle thinking of five things every week so from now on I’ll be making it a bit more random!

1. Tomorrow is my last day at my current job. Obviously I’m going to be sad because it’s the end of an era but I know I’m leaving to move onto bigger and better things :)

2. My internship starts a week on Monday and I’m really excited! I can’t wait to do something that’s actually going to utilize what I spent three long years working on at university.

3. My friend from university who currently lives about 4 hours away from me has just landed a job an hour away from me. I can’t wait till she moves up here so I can spend time with her!

4. I have a week off next week before I start my internship and I’ve got a few trips organised to visit friends who don’t live in my area. I guess that’s one good thing about having friends in different parts of the country... it’s a good excuse for a weekend away :)

5. Recently I’ve got back in touch with a few old friends and I’ve really enjoyed catching up with what’s been going on with them. There’s nothing I love more than when you regain touch and it’s like you never lost touch.

Hope you are all well, Laura xXx

FOTN & OOTN

2010-07-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

On Friday I went to see a ballet at the lowry theatre in Salford Quays. I thought I'd share my OOTN and FOTN with you all...

FOTN

Face:

Relon coloursyat foundation in Natural Tan mixed with revlon photoready in Vanilla

Mac studio finish concealer in NW20

Rimmel stay matte powder in tranparent

Mac Harmany blush as a contour

Elf peachykeen blusher

Prestige minerals in pure shimmer as a highlighter

Eyes:

Mac femme fi all over the lid

Mac phloof as a highlight

Mac plum dressing on the outer third

Mac sketch in the outer corner to darken it up

Maybelline million lashes mascara

Mac fluid line in blacktrack

Benefit bad gal liner on lower lashline

Lips:

Mac creme d'nude lipstick

Barry M lipgloss in toffee

OOTN:

Cream chiffon top - primark

Skinny jeans - Topshop

Black patent heels - new look

Beads - accessorise

Hope you've all had a great weekend! :)

Laura xXx

June Favourites

2010-07-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies, it's time for my monthly favourites favourites. June's been a fairly up and down month for me and to be honest I'm not too sad to see the back of it!

MAC Dainty Blush

I've only had this for a couple of weeks but it's become one of my firm favourites. It gives a gorgoeus coral pinky glow to the cheeks and looks lovely with a tan.

Neals Yard Power Berry Daily Moisture

I got this moisturiser free with a magazine a while ago but wanted to use my regular moisturiser up first before I tried this one. It feels quite light on the skin so is great to use in the morning before I put my make up on. Even though it's light it still feels moisturising on my dry skin and it smells lovely too.

No 7 Eyeshadow blend and contour eyeshadow brush

I've heard this is a good dupe for the MAC 217. I don't personally own that brush so I can't compare but one thing I do know is that I love this brush. It's great for applying a wash of colour over the lid or for blending in the crease. I use it everyday without fail and has become one of my staple eye brushes.

Nails Inc - London

I went from not being too sure about this nail colour to absolutely loving it. It's become one of my favourite summer polishes but will definately work in the winter months aswell.

Benefit Eye Bright

I'm sure a lot of you will have got your hands on this freebie with glamour magazine at the beginning of the month. I think it's my favourite of the three free gifts. It works wonders at brightening up the eyes and helping you look fresh and awake in the morning. As you can see from the photo it's been well loved!

What are your favourites of June?

Laura xXx

MAC Haul :)

2010-06-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hey girls, I had a bit of a weak moment at the beginning of the week. I needed a new pro palette so went to order it online and 'accidently' dropped all these other goodies into my shopping basket.. oops!

MAC 130 Brush

I was really surprised by how small this brush was when I opened my package. I'm a little sceptical but I'll give it a go and probably do a review soon.

Left to Right - Mineralized blush in Dainty, Blush in Well Dressed

Swatches:

Left to right:

Well Dressed - I've been wanting this blusher for ages, I'm sure you all know what it looks like but it's a really pretty pale pink.

Dainty - Love this blush, it's a perfect peachy coral and leaves a gorgeous glow to the cheeks.

Pro 15 pan eyeshadow palette

I got three eyeshadows in pan form (left to right) Naked lunch, Gleam, Cork

Swatches:

I'm really sorry about the swatches, they didn't come out well at all.

Left to right:

Cork - a pretty standard medium golden brown that will be a great crease colour for an everyday look

Gleam - a beautiful pink laced with gold shimmer

Naked lunch - a gorgeous neutral pinky colour, it's quite close to my skin tone gives a really natural look

Lipglass in underage, Lipstick in creme cup

Swatches:

Underage - a gorgeous milky pink nude colour

Creme Cup - a lovely mid toned neutral pink

I feel a little guilty about this splurge but I was feeling a bit down so wanted to treat myself!

Laura xXx

NOTD: Barry M - Flamingo Pink

2010-06-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies, I'm sure you are all more than familiar with Barry M's Flamingo Pink nail polish but I thought I'd do a quick NOTD post because it's one of my favourite summer colours.

I think this nail polish comes close to being a perfect coral. It's got a great balance between pink and orange and has a real brightness to it that the photo doesn't capture at all. It's one of those colours you can't stop looking at when you are wearing it. Perfect for this lovely weather we are having at the moment.

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine

Laura xXx

FOTD & OOTD

2010-06-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hey girls, this is the look I wore a couple of days ago. I don't often wear bright eyeshadows but sometimes I get bored of wearing neutrals all the time. The two colours I like to wear most on my eyes are purple and green. I opted for purple...

FOTD:

Eyes:

Light Pinky colour from the sleek graphite palette all oer the lid

Purple from sleek original palette in the crease

Urban Decay AC/CD in outer V

Mac black track fluid line on upper lash line

Benefit bad gal liner on lower lash line

Barry M white liner in waterline

L'oreal voluminous mascara

Face:

Bourjois healthy mix foundation

Rimmel stay matte powder in transparent

Maybelline mineral blush in rose topaz

Barry m natural dazzle bronzer

Mac mineralized skin finish in by candlelight

Lips:

Revlon Pink Pout Lipstick

Benefit her glossiness in my people your people

OOTD:

Light wash skinny jeans - river island

White cotton ruffle top - new look

Black skinny belt - tesco

Navy cardigan - New look

You can't see my feet but I wore black gladiator sandals from Jane Norman.

Hope you've all had a great weekend.

Laura xXx

Update/Ramble

2010-06-20T02:32:00.000-07:00

Hey girls, really sorry I’ve been quiet on the blogging side of things this week. I’ve had one of those weeks...

Yesterday me and my boyfriend split up. I feel like I’ve lost my best friend, the person I shared everything about my life with and the person I felt completely comfortable with. Right now I can’t imagine how anyone else will ever be good enough or will share the same kind of connection as we had. Deep down I know it’s for the best and in the long run will make me happier but it’s going to take some time to get used to the whole thing. I knew it was coming and it wasn’t really a shock but to be honest right now that doesn’t make things any easier. I know I’m not the first person to feel like this and I’m sure a lot of you can empathise with me. I know times a healer so I just need to be patient.

On a positive note, I had an interview on Wednesday for a marketing internship which is what I studied at university. It’s only a temporary position but I’m giving up my permanent job to do it. ‘She must be mad’ I bet you are all thinking. But I think this is just something I need to do. I’ve been trying to get a job in marketing for over a year now and have failed. I feel that this experience is exactly what I need to help me get to where I want to be. I’m at a stage in my life where if I was unemployed for a while it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I live at home and have very few ‘essential’ outgoings. I’ve been finding it hard to fit job hunting around my current job anyway because it’s the last thing I feel like doing when I get home from work. The only bad thing is that it’s in the town where my now ex-boyfriend lives and a part of me just wants to be able to leave that part of my life behind.

So I handed in my notice at work on Friday, feels kind of strange if I’m being honest. I feel like everything’s going to change for me over the next couple of months and nothing is going to feel the same. I’m not sure how this makes me feel... a little uneasy I guess. I know I’ve just got to go for it though and make the most of everything that’s thrown my way.

Sorry if this was a really boring ramble and well done if you got to the end of it!

Hope you are all ok. Much love, Laura xxx

NOTD: No.7 - 60's Mini Skirt

2010-06-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, to celebrate their 75th anniversary, No.7 have launched a 'decades ' collection to represent each decade they've been on sale. I went to check it out a couple of days ago and the one thing that caught my eye was this nail polish, 60's mini skirt.

It's a beautiful creamy, ivory colour that's extremely opaque for a colour this light. I found the consistency easy to work with, it only took two coats and I didn't have any problems with streaking. I really like it, what do you think?

Will you be checking out No.7's most recent collection?

Laura xXx

Collective Haul

2010-06-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

I've been spending more than I should be these past couple of weeks. The only excuse I can come up with was that I was in desperate need of some summer clothes and you know what it's like once you're in the shops...

New Look:

Lilac spotty cotton top - £20

Tan gladiator sandals with gold studs - £20

Pearl bracelets - £6.00

Silver beads - £5.00

Boohoo.com

Cream summer dress - £21.00

I really liked the style of this dress so of course I have to have it in three different designs! I featured it in a OOTD last week so check that out to see how these fit. £21.00 each.

Zara:

This looks like nothing special on the hanger but on it's a really pretty summer dress which I think is going to be easy to wear. £25.00

Primark:

I bought this top in grey and cream. I think it's a versatile top that can be dressed up for a meal or drinks with friends or will work well for an office outfit aswell. £8.00 each.

I'm not 100% whether I'm keeping this dress, it looks better on than it does on the hanger.What do you guys think? £9.00

Turquoise and gold chunky ring - £2.00

H&M:

Turquoise and silver ring - £2.99

Silver butterfly ring - £2.99

Accessorize:

I've been looking for a 'love' ring for a while now and when I saw this sterling silver one in accessorize I loved it. It just looks so pretty and delicate and for £6.00.. bargain!

Sorry for the long post. Hope you're all enjoying the Friday feeling.

Laura xXx

Small CCO Haul

2010-06-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

I knew there was a CCO in York so thought it would be rude not to stop by while I was there. To be honest there wasn't a lot that was grabbing my attention but I did pick up some eyeshadows.

Digit:

'Soft pale violet with subtle shimmer' (velvet)

Plum Dressing:

'Subtle pinky-purple shone with metal' (veluxe pearl)

Femme-Fi:

Limited edition with the Neo Sci-fi collection.

'Frosty Golden Cream' (veluxe pearl)

Cranberry:

'Reddish plum with pink shimmer' (frost)

Swatches:

From left to right:

Cranberry, Femmi-fi, Plum dressing, Digit

Now I just need another palette to store them in! :)

Laura xXx

Magazine Freebies

2010-06-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hey girls,

I'm sure you are all aware that in the July issue of Glamour they are giving away a free benefit product. There are three up for grabs so of course I hot-footed down to the newsagents this morning to make sure I got my hands on these.

The Freebies:

It Stick: 'Instant concealing pencil that disguises lines, blemishes and flaws of any kind for a smoother, younger appearance. RRP: £17

Bad Gal Liner: 'This big, black kohl pencil has attitude. It goes on smooth and straight or can be smudged for a smoky, sexy look. RRP: £15

Eye Bright: 'This pale pink, brightening stick is a purse-szied pick me up for tired eyes. RRP: £15

I haven't tried any of these products before before so I'm excited to give them a go. At £2 per magazine you can't go wrong, £6 for £47 worth of product is a real bargain!

Red magazine have also jumped on the free gift bandwagon this month and are giving away a Jemma Kid lipgloss.

There are three colours to choice from but i got 'Shell' a peachy nude colour. It's quite sheer with a slight shimmer to it and looks gorgeous over a nude lipstick. I love the consistency of these too, they aren't too sticky but still stay put for a whole. These usually retail at £14.

Will you be rushing out to get your freebies?

Laura xXx

Five Good Things...

2010-06-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hi girls, hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend. Dan and I went to meet some friends from uni on Friday night for a lovely meal. Apart from that it’s been fairly low key, apart from some shopping yesterday.. oopps! I know I shouldn’t have but I was desperate for some new summer clothes. Onto my five good things for this week...

1. I’m on holiday this week... yay! I thoroughly enjoyed my first lie in this morning and have some good plans for the week!

2. I found out this morning that I’ve been offered an interview for an internship I applied for a few weeks ago. I’m really excited but nervous at the same time. It’s not till next week so I have plenty of time to prepare.

3. I am off to York on Wednesday night with the boyfriend and I’m super excited. I love little breaks in England.

4. I met up with the girls for a few drinks last night and we had such a laugh. We don’t meet up as much as we should anymore because life just kind of takes over sometimes doesn’t it? I love that whenever we meet up it’s exactly the same, like we just saw each other yesterday.

5. I’ve been getting the summer wardrobe out in full swing now the weathers finally getting warm. I love pretty summer dresses and gladiator sandals. Summer fashion is so much fun.

Laura

xXx

Giveaway Winner!

2010-06-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you soo much to everyone who entered my contest. I used random.org to find my winner. And the winner is...

Olivia @ Olivia Writes

Congratulations. Please email me at lauraann5@hotmail.com and let me know your address.

Hope you've all had a great weekend.

Laura xXx

NOTD - Nails Inc with Diet Coke - London

2010-06-06T02:09:00.000-07:00

Nails Inc - London

I don't own many nail polishes in the grey, beige, taupe family but since this was free with the diet coke promotion I thought I might aswell pick it up and give it a go.

I have to say that when I first applied it I wasn't really sure. However after wearing it for a while it's really growing on me. I'm not an expert on these types of colours but I'd describe it as a taupe with a hint of mauve. It looks really sophisticated on the nails and I will probably be sporting these types of colours more often. The only let down with this polish is that I found the consistency really difficult to work with, it's really thick and gloopy and was just a general nightmare to apply. Once I had my seche vite top coat on they looked fine though.

What are your thoughts on the taupe nail polish trend?

Laura xXx

FOTD & OOTD

2010-06-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely sunshine. I thought I would share my OOTD and FOTD with you all today.

Face:

Bourjois healthy mix foundation - 53

Elf concealer

Rimmel stay matte powder - translucent

Barry M natural dazzle bronzer

Mac ripe peach blush

Prestige skin loving minerals - pure shimmer as highlight

Eyes:

I used the sleek storm palette to create a really neutral

Urban decay - homegrown under the lower lash line

Mac black track fluid line

Maybelline the falsies mascara

Lips:

Topshop lipstick - desert

Barry M toffee lip gloss

Outfit:

(sorry for the bad photo and massive smear down my mirror :S)

Dress - boohoo.com

Skinny tan belt - primark

Thank you very much to everyone who entered my giveaway. I will do my best to have the winner posted up by tomorrow evening.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Laura xXx

Five Good Things...

2010-06-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Girls, sorry this is a bit later than usual this week, been really busy and had the added stress of a power cut this morning. I didn’t expect to be boiling pans of water to have a wash with at 6.30 this morning but hey ho! Hope you all had a lovely and relaxing bank holiday, mine was lovely, I didn’t want it to end. Onto my five good things for the week..

1. Getting to spend time with family over the weekend that I hadn’t seen for nearly two years. Some of our family live at the other end of the country so it’s difficult to meet up regularly. I almost forgot how much I love to spend time with my family.

2. 2 days to work till my week off... seriously excited and soo ready for it now!

3. My best friend from uni lives a fair distance away from me but she’s up near me visiting her boyfriend this week so I get to see her! I don’t get to meet up with her very often anymore and I miss her so much.

4. Lately work has been getting me down a little bit but the last few weeks I’ve been feeling more positive about it and I’m really glad because I hate being unhappy at work.

5. The sun has got its hat on again this week; I just hope it stays nice for my week off. Sod’s law will probably mean it’ll rain all week!!

My giveaway ends on Friday so if you haven’t entered already make sure you don’t miss out!

Hope you are all having a great week. Laura xXx

May Favourites...

2010-05-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies, it's that time again!! I'm not going to say I can't believe how quick this month has gone because I say it every month! Here are this months favourites...

Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe

I'd heard a lot about this fake tan in blogland and was looking to try something new so I thought I would give this a whirl. The slightly olive green toned cream slightly intimidated me to begin with but once it was on it left a lovely olive toned tan to my skin. It smells lovely and sweet and doesn't leave behind the usual digestive biscuit smell and it lasted for ages which I was really impressed with. I may do a full review on this but it's a big thumbs up from me.

Revlon peach petal lipgloss

This lipgloss is the perfect milky peachy lipgloss which is non sticky and looks fab over any nude lipstick. Love!

Mac peachykeen Blusher

This blusher looks a little scary in the pan but it's a sheertone shimmer so it isn't too pigmented. It leaves a lovely sheer glowy flush of peach to the cheeks which looks fab with a tan. I think this will be in my collection for a long time.

Model Own - Lilac Dream & China Glaze - For Audrey

I've been loving pastel nail polishes this month and these have been my firm favourites. Both look stunning on the nails and the forumulation and lasting power are great!

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Cream

I've been using burt bees lemon cuticle for ages but I recently switched to this one. It is so moisturising that you only need a tiny amount so this tub will last me forever. It's got a lovely citrus lemon smell that some people don't like but I think it smells really fresh. It's also multi purpose and can be used on dry skin such as elbows etc.

Boots Organics Body Butter

I've always loved The Body Shop's body butters but because they are a little on a pricey side I tend to just buy them as a treat. These are a great cheaper alternative which feel just a luxurious. I have a few different scents and they all smell delicious but the coconut one is definately my favourite.

What are your favourites from this month?

Laura xXx

TAG: Top Ten Summer Products

2010-05-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've seen this tag on a few you tube video's and blogs and with the weather finally warming up I thought it was the perfect time to do it..

1. Sunscreen – As boring as it is, when you have skin as pale and sensitive as mine it’s an absolute must have.

2. Fake Tan – Warmer weather means showing more skin and no one wants to be looking pasty. Fake tan is the perfect way to achieve that bronzey glow without damaging your skin. My current favourite is zen-tan.

3. Pretty Sandals and Flipflops – the perfect way to finish off a summer outfit.

4. Bright nail polish – Bearing your toes means bright nail polish is a must have but summer is the one time of year you can get away with wearing it on your finger nails aswell. My summer favourites are barry M flamingo pink, Models own - coral reef and Barry M - Turquoise.

5. Bright lipstick – I don’t usually have the confidence to wear bright lipstick but I think if there’s one time of year anyone can pull it off, it’s summer! I think MAC’s Victorian will be my go to summer lipstick this year!

6. Body exfoliator and moisturiser – showing more skin means you need to take care of it and make sure it’s looking in tip top condition. I love boots organics range and my favourite is the almond one, it smells delicious!

7. Tinted Moisturiser – When it’s really hot there’s nothing I hate more than caking on a thick foundation. Tinted moisturiser is the perfect way to get a bit of coverage that feels light on the skin.

8. Highlighters – everyone wants to achieve that glowy look in the summer. Highlighters can be used on the face and body to create an all over glow. I love Me me me - beat the blues highlighterand also MAC’s msfs.

9. Water – I drink lots of water all year round but I drink even more in the summer. It’s important to keep hydrated when the weather’s hot.

10. Sunglasses – goes without saying really but sunglasses are one of my favourite summer accessories.

I tag anyone who wants to do this! Laura xXx

Giveaway!!

2010-05-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies, it’s giveaway time! I just wanted to do a small giveaway to say thank you to all my lovely subscribers for sticking by me while I was away. It’s nothing massive but just a small thank you.

The prizes:

Benefit silky finish lipstick in Jing a ling
Girls Aloud Nadine lashes
A bag of Cadburys caramel nibbles.

The rules:

Comment below saying ‘enter me’ or something similar
You must be a subscriber of my blog to enter
If you are under 16 you must have permission from your parents
Only one comment per person
For an extra entry you can tweet about it, do a blog post or leave a link in the side bar of your blog. If you do any of these don’t forget to link me.

The giveaway will close on Friday 4th June at 12 Midnight.

So that’s it. Thanks everyone and good luck.

Laura xXx

Five Good Things

2010-05-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hope you all enjoyed the lovely sunshine over the weekend. I went out for a lovely family meal on Saturday night and the rest of the time was spent enjoying the sunshine and lounging about.. this weather makes me soo lazy! Here are my five good things this week..

1. I’m sure it hasn’t gone unnoticed that this weekend has been absolutely glorious here in the UK. I think it was what we all needed after an uncommonly cold start to May and ‘the big freeze’ and all that.

2. I’ve recently found the hills season 6 on the internet, I don’t have sky so I always feel like I’m missing out but now I can keep up with it. I thought it wouldn’t be the same without Lauren but I just love the drama!

3. 8 days to work till my holiday… yay!

4. My spending ban is going really well so far, I haven’t been shopping since pay day so haven’t been tempted to buy anything I shouldn’t. There are a few things I’m lemming after from MAC though but I may treat myself to a little something at the end of the month if I keep being good!

5. In all this warm weather I’ve been craving salads and ice lolly’s rather than carbs and chocolate.. always a bonus! I was munching on a fab ice lolly on Saturday afternoon and it took me right back to my childhood!

I know I said last week that I was going to go a little giveaway but I'm going to post it at some point tonight so keep an eye out for it! :)

Hope you all have a lovely week. Laura xXx

Updated Nail Polish Collection

2010-05-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I did a nail polish collection at some point during last summer but it's expanded quite a bit since then so I thought I would do an update on my collection. Just a little warning, this will turn into a really long post!

Pinks

I'll do them all left to right just so I don't have to keep writing it.

Top Row: Barry M - Bright Pink, Rimmel - Funtime Fuscia, OPI - That's Hot! Pink, China Glaze - Strawerry Fields, Revlon - posh pink.

Bottom Row: Nail Incs - Shoreditch, Nails Inc - Hollywood, Models Own - Pink Blush, No.7 - Milan, Ciate - Kniker Bocker Glory.

Purples

Top Row: Barry M - Vivid Purple, Barry M - Bright Purple, OPI - Purple With a Purpose, OPI - Done Out in Deco, Collection 2000 - Dynasty

Bottom Row: Ciate - Shaken Not Stirred, Ciate - Plastic Fantastic, Nails Inc - Melrose Avenue, Models Own - Lilac Dream

Corals

Top Row: Orly - Cotton Candy, OPI -Shootout at the Coral OK, Revlon - Tropical Temptation, Barry M - Flamingo Pink, Rimmel - Rose Libertine.

Bottom Row: Nails Inc - Instyle Coral, Nails Inc - The Beach, Models Own - Coral Reef.

Reds

Nails Inc - Beverly Hills, Nails Inc - Victoria & Albert, Barry M - Raspberry, Maybelline - Cerise Cherry, Revlon - Cherries in the Snow, China Glaze - Ruby Pumps

Blues/Greens

Top Row: Nails Inc - Rodeo Drive, OPI - Blue My Mind, OPI - Teal the Cows Come Home, China Glaze - Watermelon Rind, China Glaze - For Aubrey

Botton Row - Barry M - Navy, Barry M - Turquoise, Barry M - Mint Green, Collection 2000 - Button Moon

Darks

Top Row: OPI - Black Onyx, OPI - Ink, OPI - Black Cherry Cutney, Tesco (it doesn't have a name on it sorry), No. 7 - Temptress.

Bottom Row: Mavala - Las Vegas, Barry M - Grey, Nails Inc - Victoria, No.7 - Betty Blues

Neutrals

Top Row - OPI - Got a Date to-knight, Models Own - Eutopia, Nails Inc - Elizabeth Street, L'oreal - 102, Barry M - Baby Pink, Rimmel - Beige Style, Models Own - Snow White, Mavala - Top Coat.

Middle Row - No.7 - Twinkle, Sally Hansen - Sheerly Opal, Orly - base coat, Seche Vite - Base, OPI - Nail Envy, Rimmel - Top Coat, Seche Vite - Top Coat

Bottom Row: OPI - Soft shades.

If you would like a swatch of any of my nail polishes just leave a comment and I'll post a picture.

What's your favourite nail polish??

Lots of Love, Laura xXx

TAG: Love/Like/Hate

2010-05-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

I saw this tag on lollipoploves' blog and thought it looked like a fun tag to do. So they idea is to share 12 likes, 1 love and 8 hates. So here goes...

I like getting packages and letters in the post. I particularly like it when they are unexpected.

I like chocolate.

I like the first cup of tea I have when I get home from work. For some reason it tastes so much better than all the rest.

I like thunderstorms, but only when I’m inside.

I like ice cream.

I like getting bought flowers.

I like coffee and cake – the perfect combination.

I like the colour pink.

I like catching up with old friends and feeling like you never lost touch.

I like sunsets.

I like the seaside.

I like baking.

I love all my families, friends and boyfriend. I might not tell them enough but they are completely appreciated.

I hate waking up and thinking it’s the weekend and then realising it’s not and I have to get up for work.

I hate being grown up.

I hate waking up early at the weekend when I want a long lie in.

I hate eggs and milk.

I hate snow.

I hate football.

I hate arrogance.

I hate dogs - not out of choice but I have a phobia of them :(

I know I'm supposed to tag three people but I'm just going to tag who ever wants to do this!

Laura xXx

Five Good Things

2010-05-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hello, my lovelies. Hope you had a great weekend and a good Monday. I’m finding it hard to be positive this week because of one thing and another but here goes anyway...

1. The boyfriend and I aren’t going to get a holiday abroad this summer which is unfortunate but instead we are hoping to take a few short breaks in this country. We booked out first one this weekend, we are off to the lovely city of York.

2. My mum is away this week which means I get the house to myself for the week. I miss having her around but it’s great to do my own thing and not have anyone to answer to!

3. It was pay day on Friday... my favourite day of the month :)

4. Apparently the weather is supposed to get warmer this week. I think it’s about time really, I’m sick of feeling cold all the time!

5. We are going out for a family meal for my brother’s birthday this weekend. We don’t go out as a family enough but when we all get together I love it :)

I’m thinking of doing a giveaway, probably just a little one just to thank you for all my lovely subscribers who stuck with me even when I was absent for six months. Look out for that sometime this week.

I hope you are all ok and have a great week :) Lots of love, Laura

xXx

NOTD - Orly Cotton Candy

2010-05-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a pastel pinky peachy colour for a while and when i saw swatches of Orly - Cotton Candy I thought it looked lovely.

The colour doesn't dissapoint, it's a gorgeous pastel peachy colour which is perfect for the summer pastel trend. However the formulation of this polish isn't so fantastic. A opaque coverage after two coats is easily achieved but I had issues with this polish streaking. It looked slightly better after my seche vite top coat had been applied but the finish still wasn't perfect. I think it's worth the effort just for the colour though :)

What colours will you be wearing on your nails this summer?

Laura xXx

Five Good Things

2010-05-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a lovely weekend; mine was fairly low key once again. I spent the whole of Sunday job hunting which isn’t really my favourite activity but it’s just gotta be done. Here are my five good things for this week:

1. 4 weeks till my week’s holiday off work.... and counting!!

2. I’m going to start saving more so I’m putting myself on a bit of a spending ban. I know a spending ban doesn’t sound like a good thing but I find saving just as addictive as shopping sometimes!

3. My hair has really grown since I last had it cut. It was back in December mind but I’m really happy with how it’s looking. I need to book a hair appointment soon though; it’s getting a tad ridiculous.

4. I went into MAC on Saturday to check on their new prêt-a-papier collection and I walked out completely empty handed and uninterested.

5. I’ve found a few new gurus on you tube lately. I love it when you come across someone and wonder how the hell you didn’t know about them before. I’ll probably do a share the love post soon.

Hope you all have a great week, Laura xXx

Topshop Make Up

2010-05-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was shopping yesterday so went to check out topshop's new make-up range. I was really excited to see what all the fuss was about after hearing loads about it in blogland. I have to say i wasn't blown away. The thing that did stand out to me though is the packaging... it's super cute and feels really good quality. I came away with two things, the cream blush in flush and a lipstick in desert.

Cream blush - flush:

I had never tried a cream blush before but after hearing so many good things about these I knew i was going pick one of these up. The consistency is cream to powder so it isn't oily or greasy and looks really natural on the skin, creating a natural and pretty flush of colour. I can't compare this to any other cream blushes but I am impressed.

Lipstick - Desert:

The lipstick was a bit of an impulse buy, I think I picked it up just because I wanted to try more than one thing from the range and nothing else was catching my eye. The consistency and formula of this lipstick seems really nice but it's the colour I'm not too keen on. It looked like a pretty nude colour in the shop but it's quite brown with orangey undertones and it just doesn't work with my skin tone at all. It reminds me of rimmel - nude delight and revlon - nude attitude, i have both but rarely wear either. I think it would work better on someone with a darker skin tone but unfortunately it's not for me.

So overall I think the cream blushes are the standout product of the range. Nothing else really wowed me to be honest. The nail polishes did look really nice and there seemed to be a nice colour range but i'm trying not to buy anymore nail polish so i skipped on those.

What are your opinions and first impressions of topshop make-up?

Laura xXx

My MAC Neutral Palette

2010-05-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

I finally completed my first MAC palette. I decided to keep it fairly neutral because I know i'll get the use out of the colours.
From left to right:

Top row: Vanilla, Phloof, Ricepaper, Goldmine, All that glitters.

Middle Row: Satin Taupe, Patina, Texture, Paradisco, Tempting.

Bottom Row: Sable, Mulch, Trax, Sketch, Handwritten.

My favourites:

Ricepaper
All That Glitters
Satin Taupe
Patina
Handwritten

What are your favourite MAC neutral eyeshadows?

Laura xXx

NOTD: Nails Inc - Rodeo Drive

2010-05-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

I bought Nails Inc 'The Hills' Collection back in December, purely just because it was 'The Hills' collection. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were all unique to colours i already have in my collection.

This is rodeo drive, one of my personal favourites from the collection. It's a dark teal cream. I don't own anything else like this but i love it, i just think it's a really unique colour. The consistency of this is great aswell, it's completley opaque with one coat.

Did you give in to the hills collection?

Laura xXx

Recent Nail Polish Haul

2010-05-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

One of my new year's resolutions for 2010 was to not buy anymore nail polish. I lasted three months and last week I caved in and ended up buying some. One thing I've learnt from this is that i definately have a problem when it comes to nail polish... I'm obsessed!

Models Own:

I've heard loads about models own nail polish's so i thought it would be rude not to try them out.

From left to right: Lilac Dream, Eutopia, Coral Reef, Pink Blush.

China Glaze and Orly:

From right to left: Orly - cotton candy and China Glaze - For Audrey

OPI mini collection - soft shades 2010:

This collection includes from left to right: Isn't that precious, pink-a-doodle, I think in pink and It's a girl.

I haven't had chance to try them all out yet but on first impressions, models own nail polishes seem really nice, I love the china glaze and orly polishes but I'm a little dissapointed with the OPI collection. Look out for reviews and NOTD's with these polishes soon.

In case any of you are interested i use two sellers on ebay to buy my nail polishes, Sally's Manicure Supplies and Nails Supply UK. I prefer to buy from UK sellers on ebay which both these sellers are and I've never had any problems with either of them.

Laura xXx

Five Good Things

2010-05-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hope you’ve all had a lovely bank holiday weekend. I’ve enjoyed spending quality time with the people that mean the most to me! I think I’m going to find it quite difficult to think of five good things to write about every week but surely it’s gotta be good for me!?

1. Bank holiday weekend – just having one extra day off at the weekend makes so much difference. I really think it should be made a permanent thing! :)

2. Obviously because of the bank holiday it means a four day week at work. I can’t complain about that and hopefully before I know it it’ll be the weekend again!

3. Post – I received a few packages through the post this week. I absolutely love getting parcels and even if I’m expecting them I’ll get really excited about getting home so I can open them... oh god.. how sad is that?!

4. Nail polish – nothing much to say about it apart from that it makes me happy :)

5. I’ve been shopping a few times this weekend and surprisingly haven’t really spent much, which is a real achievement for me! I’m quite impulsive when it comes to shopping and often buy things just so I don’t come home empty handed. This weekend I didn’t feel the need...

Laura xXx

Sunday FOTD

2010-05-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday. I did a spot of shopping today and this is the make up i wore.

Face:

Revlon photo ready foundation in vanilla
Rimmel stay matte powder
Me Me Me - Beat the blues to highlight
Barry M natural Dazzle dusted over my face
Revlon matte blusher - perfectly peach
Prestige skin loving minerals - pure shimmer

Eyes:

Urban Decay - sellout all over the lid
Mac - Texture on the outer third
Mac - Mulch in the crease and outer V
Mac Blacktrack fluid line on upper lash line
Prestige total intensity liner in bold brown in lower lash line
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Lips:

Barry M 101 as a base
Revlon Peach Petal lipgloss

Laura xXx

April Favourites

2010-05-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we are in May already, it means summer is on its way though so I'm certainly not complaining.

Onto this month's favourites:

MAC 109 Brush:

I use this for contouring and it's the perfect size to fit just underneath my cheekbone. I've used many brushes in the past to contour with but this is definately my favourite.

MAC harmony contour powder:

I bought this on recommendation from pixi2woo. I think it's really difficult to find a colour that doesn't make you look muddy or orange. MAC describe it as a 'muted rose-beige brown'. I think it would work for many skin tones but if you are pale and struggle to find a good contour colour I'd definately recommend trying this one.

MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick:

I LOVE this lipstick. It's just the perfect wearable bubblegum pink. It can look a little intimidating in the tube but it's not overly pigmented so a light covering looks really natural but it can also be built up to a bright bubblegum pink.

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara:

This mascara creates volume, length and seperation without clumping and what I love most about this mascara is that it doesn't leave my lashes feeling stiff and spikey.

Lush Sugar Lip Scrub:

Yes this may just be sugar in a jar that costs £4.50 when you could make your own at home for free but I'm too lazy for that! I suffer from really dry and flakey lips and this sorts them out in a flash and tastes lovely at the same time. I got sweet lips which is chocolate and vanilla flavour.

What have you been loving this month?

Laura xXx

Five Good Things

2010-04-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone’s had a good weekend, mine was fairly low key but we went out for a lovely meal for my boyfriend’s brother’s birthday on Saturday evening. I love reading these posts on other people’s blogs so I’m going to make it a regular part of my blog.

1. My new bed – I ditched off my old single bed for a double this weekend and I’m in love with it! It’s going to make getting out of bed in the morning really difficult though… as if it wasn’t hard enough already!!

2. The sunshine – I love this time of year when the weather starts getting warmer and the nights ligt,er, it puts everyone in a really good mood.

3. Being busy at work – the past three weeks at work have been dead but luckily this week things seem to be picking up a little. I love being busy at work, it makes the time go soo much quicker!

4. Walking – me and mum have started going for regular walks in the evenings. It may not be quite the same as a work out in the gym but I’m really enjoying it and I think it’s something I will able to stick at.

5. Blogging again – I missed blogging and the beauty community lots while I was away, I’m really happy to be back doing it again!

Hope you have a great week.

Laura
xXx

I'm Back...

2010-04-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've been absent from the blogging world for a long time, it's been over six months since I wrote my last blog post. I just kind of lost inspiration for blogging but I've missed it so much so I've decided to start up again... Expect to see some new blog posts from me soon.

Hope you are all well, Laura xXx

Update…

2009-10-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

Hey girls,

Sorry i’ve been absent from the blogging world for a while. My camera completely died on me so i decided to give blogging a break until i got a new one! I’ve now got a sparkly new camera so i’ll be back to blogging very soon.

I’ve been really busy at work because i’ve recently started working full time hours so i’m always knackered in the evenings and can’t get the motivation to blog. I’ve been trying my best to read everyone elses blogs but it’s hard to keep up with them all. I feel like i’ve missed out on loads.

I’ve still not finished project ten pan but hopefully i’ll get there soon. Another reason i haven’t felt like blogging much is because i’ve not been buying any new and interesting products and my make up has become rather predictable in a bid to use up products faster. I’ll do a update soon.

As you may have noticed the name of my blog has changed. I come across more than one other blog with the same name and that’s what spurred me on to change it. I’ve also gone for a different lay out because i fancied a change. Let me know what you think?!

I hope you are all well. Laura xXx

FOTN

2009-09-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry i’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately, had a really busy week and it was my boyfriends birthday on Thursday so i moved in at his for a couple of nights!

On Tuesday night i went to see ‘Lord of the Dance’ in Manchester and it was absolutely fantastic. I reluctantly went along thinking it wouldn’t be the same without Michael Flatly but it was still just as good!

So here’s my FOTN:

Face:

Revlon colour stay foundation -natural beige
no.17 powder in natural beige
maybelline mineral concealer - natural
fake bake bronzer
maybelline pure blush mineral - topaz rose
prestige skin loving minerals - pure shimmer

Eyes:

Benefit lemon aid as a base
Sleek storm palette - dark gold as an all over lid colour and light gold as highlight
Barry M dazzeldust in 34 in the crease
loreal super liner - carbin gloss
prestige automatic eyeliner - black
Maybelline lash stiletto

Lips:

Revlon matte lipstick - nude attitude
barry m glossy tube - number 4 i think!? The numbers rubbed off!!

The outfit:

(sorry the pictures rubbish)

Dress/top from river island

Black boots from river island

Leggings from primark

And i just wore a black long cardy over the top of it.

Hope you've all had a great week. I'll be doing a project ten pan update very soon... i'm getting nearer to finishing now :)

Laura xXx

Black Nails??

2009-09-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

I purchased OPI – black onyx about three months and have never touched it until today when for some reason i was inspired to paint my nails black. This is the VERY first time i have ever had black nails and i just don’t know if i actually like it or not. Clearly should have bought a cheaper brand if i wasn’t sure but hey ho.

So what do you think about black nails? Do you wear them on a regular basis?

Hope you are having a great weekend. Laura xXx

Ins and Outs 4

2009-09-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ins:

- Being proud of my boyfriend - basically he should've graduated in july like me but there was an issue with his dissertation and he had to re-do a part of it. It was all a bit traumatic and he could have potentially come out of uni without a degree but he's just found out he's passed with a 2.2... i'm soo happy for him eeee!! :)

-Pay day - need i say more?!

-Bright Nails - i know it's nearly autumn but i'm trying to keep summer alive with bright corals and pinks!

Golf season - one more weekend and then its officially over and get my boyfriend back.. well until next april at least!!

Chicago - I recently booked tickets to go and see chicago in manchester. I love this musical, i've seen it twice already and can't wait to see it again.

Outs:

Post uni blues - i feel like i write something about uni in every ins and outs post, i'll get over it soon! :P Just with people talking about going back and starting, its not making things any easier!

'Floating around' - that's what i call this stage in my life. I have a job but it's only a temporary solution and i need to find a more long term job that has more to do with what i want to do. I've been searching hard for jobs but it's so hard to get anything at the moment. I just don't know what i'm doing with my life and i feel like i'm inbetween stages.. hence why i'm 'floating around'.

Project ten pan - Ok, i'm not gonna lie, its getting REALLY old now. It seems to be taking forever and i'm only on five products so far. I've very nearly finished this bronzer but i swear it's not gone down anymore for about two months. Just finish god dammit!! I miss doing haul posts aswell!

Blogger events - i had the priviledge of being invited to both aussie and maybelline but sadly i couldn't make either. Hopefully i'll be able to make one soon.

My camera dying - my digital camera's on it's last legs and it think i'm gonna have to buy a new one soon. Any recommendations? I'm just looking a pretty standard digital camera that's not too pricey but does a decent job!!

Laura xXx

Aussie Hair Care

2009-09-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

Aussie Hair Care held their first of three events last weekend. It was a treasure hunt to find lots of goodies! They sent everyone the clue and the key but unfortunately it was special delivery and nobody was in to sign for it. So i wasn't able to get hold of my key till monday.. gutted :( But Lauren still offered to send me some goodies which i thought was really generous. They arrived this morning...

So these were the goodies i got. I got two full sized products which are the miracle moist shampoo and the 3 miute miracle frizz remedy. Then i recieved 6 sample sized products, which are the mircale moist shampoo and conditions and the 3 minute miracle reconstructor.

I also recieved a topshop voucher which i was really excited about. I had heard that people who had made the event got a voucher but i didn't think i would get one because i didn't go! Super happy! I have no idea what to spend it on.. hmmm decisions decisions!

I have never tried aussie hair care before so i am really excited to try them and the products sound perfect to my dry, damaged hair! On first impressions the products smell absolutely amazing! Look out for some reviews coming up soon!

Hope you all have a great weekend. Laura xXx

Blog Awards

2009-09-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was tagged for the 'i think you're an awesome girl' award by Shortiee's beauty blog and peonies and water lillies. Thank you girlies and if you haven't check them out... go do it!

So you have to state ten random facts about yourself.. i have already done a ten facts post here, but i'm gonna try and come up with ten other facts...

1. I can'r ride a bike, i think my parents just gave up on me because it was clearly never gonna happen!!

2. I have a really close relationship with my mum, I tell her most things and she's always the first person i go to with a problem...

3. ...however i really struggle to get along with my dad :S

4. I have a bad phobia of dogs. I'm not too bad with small dogs but if they come anywhere near knee height i can't deal with it.

5. Me and my boyfriend very first met on a night out at uni. He had a girlfriend at the time but i was totally coming on to him... whoops :S He claims that it made him remember me but i felt really embarassed and out of order!

6. I can't keep me mouth shut when i'm drunk. I tend to really open up with my feelings and don't hold back with what i want to say.. (hence the above). It's the total opposite to how i normally am and i've got myself in some sticky situations because of it...

7. I can't whistle, wink or role my tongue!

8. I'd really love to be able to attend a bloggers event but i'd be REALLY scared because i'm really shy... especially around new people.

8. I don't own a single item of mac make-up.

10. I'm really indecisive. I always leave to decision making to someone else because it seems to be an impossible task for me!

I tag:

I was also tagged by rosa adores for the i love your blog award.

I tag:

victoria @ lilyloveslola

laura @ lauras bloggy blog
ella @ ella cinderella

Laura xXx

Hair History...

2009-09-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been brave enough to do anything drastic with my hair so this won’ t be the most exciting hair history but still I fancied doing it..

This is at my high school prom when I was sixteen (unfortunately I don’t have the facility to get any older pics on my laptop) My hair was a mid-length, just a few layers and... blonde STREAKS! Why.. !?

This is a couple of years after when the blonde had gone and I had let my hair grow. Again I just had a pretty unadventurous cut. As you can tell I used to like my hair to absolutely poker straight.

This was in my first year at uni and I think this is probably the longest my hair has been. I started wearing my parting more to the side.

This was probably only taken a couple of months later when I decided to get some blonde bits put in the underneath layers on my hair. This picture doesn’t show it well but it was pretty subtle. The rest of my hair is my natural colour.

This was at the start of my second year at uni when I had a complete hair disaster. I went to get some more blonde in my hair and it turned out blue. Yes... bright blue! I was mortified. Long story but I got my hair dyed for free! I asked for it to be as close to my natural colour as possible but it turned out nothing like it. It was lighter and more red toned. I did like he cut he gave me though, a side swept fringe and more layers.

When I got bored of plain brown I decided to get blonde again but a little bit more this time and once again I asked for a dark brown colour on the rest of my hair but I got light/reddy brown. I hate this when I look back at pictures, I’ll never do it again plus it totally ruined my hair where I had it blonde.

Eventually the previous colour just went really ginger so I got a bit of a drastic colour change and went almost black! I didn’t like it at first but it soon faded.

So this is what it looked like once it had faded. This is waayy lighter than my natural colour and I can’t seem to get rid of the reddy tones it in! I also decided volume was the way forward.

More recently I dyed my hair a dark brown colour to try and get rid of the reddy tones in it. I’d vowed that I won’t dye it any more now and I’m going to let it grow out to my natural colour.

And this is what my hair looks like currently had a bit of a trim last week but nothing too drastic. Love how healthy it has made my hair feel and I will definitely be getting regular trims from now on.

Laura xXx

New Boots :)

2009-09-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for some black leather flat boots for a while and when i came across these beauties i couldn't resist.

They were £85 for River Island. Expensive but i see them as an investment and i'm hoping they'll last me a few years.

Do you think i made a good investment?

Laura xXx

St. Moriz - The Results

2009-09-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

So as i said i would last night, i applied my newly purchased st. moriz. I showered, exfoliated and then moisturised. I've been using fake tan since i was 16 but i have never used a mousse formation so i was a little scared!!

A few people had told me it was quite hard to work with so i only left it about an hour after mositursising before i started applying it. This seemed to work for me because my skin was still moist so the tan worked in really smoothly and evenly.

I used the st. tropez soft mitt and found it was a really easy way to apply the mousse. You can cover a large area at a time which is good with this fake tan because it dries pretty quickly! I would say however that the mitt isn't that great for the more intricate places such as round the collar bones because you have less control over where the colour is going. So i just used my hands to rub it any bits i felt looked a bit patchy.

For my face i used a make up sponge. I find this helps to get a precise and even finish... no one wants a patchy face!! And for my hands i mixed a pump of tan with some moisturiser and lightly swept it over my hands with the sponge.

I've tried some fake tans where the application process has just been really messy however this seemed like less hassel and less mess. It dries really quickly aswell so i wasn't walking around like a zombie for half an hour waiting for it to dry!

So this moring after i was all showered i was really impressed with the result. The colour didn't come out too dark on me which for some people may be a downfall, but with me being so pale it's definately a good thing because it looks more natural. There's also not a single streak in sight, the finish is really smooth and even. I'm pretty impressed with the lack of fake tan 'smell' aswell. There was a slight smell last night after i'd applied it but today i can't smell it anymore.

This is the finished result...

So over all i'm really impressed, and for £2.99 you can't go wrong!!
You may also have noticed i've had a little trim. I went and got it cut yesterday because i was so sick of it being in such bad condition. I probably had about two inches off which isn't loads but it's a big deal for me because in the past four years i've never had more than half an inch taken off! I was amazed by how much healthier the ends look and feel. I'm definately going to be going to more regular trims!!
Laura xXx

St. Moriz

2009-09-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ok so i know i'm about five years too late on the st. moriz bandwagon but i finally spotted it in my local home bargains today so i picked up a couple of bottles. I also took Hele's advice and bought a st.tropez tanning mitt to apply it with.

I'm going to apply this tonight and will post about the results 2moro!

Anyone got any application tips/advice!?

Laura xXx

Burts Bees Review

2009-09-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

So those of you who have been following my blog will no that I got the burts bees essential body kit a few months back now. It is a kit full of sample sizes of some of their products. I’ve had chance to try them all out and I have mixed feelings about the products, some were hits, but unfortunately some were complete misses and there were a few products in between.

*warning* this could turn into a really long post but I’ll try and keep it brief.

The Hits:

Repleninshing lip balm with replenishing pomegranate oil:

‘replenishes moisture to reveal smooth, healthy lips while coating them with a hint of colour for e even toned appearance’

Retails for £3.42

I love this lip balm. It feels super moisturising on my lips without being greasy. Because of it’s non-greasy nature I think it makes the perfect base for lipsticks and have been using it every day for that purpose. I also love the fact that’s in a stick form, I haven’t bought a stick balm in years but it’s so much convenient and less mess. As for the hint of colour.. it seemed to be pretty clear to me but that’s even better because my lips are quite pigmented anyway.

Lemon butter cuticle cream:

‘nourishes and moisturises nails with a hint of lemon oil which makes nails smell incredibly clean, healthy and beautiful.’

Retails at £5.86

This wasn’t in my august favourites for no reason... I LOVE this. It smells divine to start with; lemon is one of my favourite scents and actually smells like fresh lemons. It’s really nourishing and mosisturing for the nails and cuticles and sorts out any dry skin or ragged cuticles. The texture is like a thick creamy butter which feels really luxurious.

Peppermint Foot Lotion:

‘peppermint oil and menthol invigorate tired, overworked feet while sunflower, wheat germ and coconut oils nourish and moisturise rough, calloused feet.’

Retails at £11.26

This foot cream has a strong peppermint scent which I love it feet products. It just smells really clean and fresh and personally I don’t want anything other when it comes to feet. I put this on a night and then put cotton socks on and my feet feel refreshed and moisturised by the morning. It’s definitely moisturising and makes your feet look and smell great!

The maybes:

Hand salve:

‘our most intensive hand treatment is packed with botanical oils, herbs and beeswax to moisturise hard working, rough and dry hands’

Retails at £8.31

I only really suffer with dry skin on my hands when it gets really cold so it’s hard for me to evaluate this one just get. It seems to be really moisturising but it also feels a bit greasy which is something I don’t really like. It also has a bit of a funky smell that I’m not too fond of.

Radiance Day Creme:

‘light weight natural moisturiser which is specifically formulated with royal jelly and botanical oils to help enhance skins radiance.’

Retails at £18.59

This would probably be a great moisturiser with someone with normal or combination/oily skin but my skin is dry and I need something more than a light weight moisturiser to help my skin keep hydrated. As for the radiance... personally I didn’t notice much difference but then I wasn’t really expecting anything drastic.

Citrus and ginger root body wash:

(don't have a picture... totally forgot and threw it away when i finished it)

‘blends essential citrus oils and ginger root extract with a gentle plant based cleansing complex to leave skin feeling clean, smooth and soft.’

Retails at £11.74

Don’t get me wrong this body wash smells absolutely gorgeous but I can only get soo excited about a body wash and I’m not sure I can justify spending over £10 for a bottle of shower gel...

The misses:

Naturally nourishing milk and honey body lotion:

‘Naturally nourishing, lightweight lotion feeds your skin with milk to soften and honey to deeply moisturise’

Retails at £11.24

I found the smell of this to be far too overpowering. The smell stayed with me all day and started to make me feel a bit yucky after a while. Its great that this body lotion is light weight because it doesn’t feel too sticky throughout the day but personally I prefer something thicker and more luxurious feelings for my body, such as a body butter.

Peach and willowbark deep pore scrub:

‘natural penetrating scrub with finely ground peachstone to gently exfoliate, willobark to remove oil and Hawaiian ginger to increase circulation and replenish essential moisture.’

Retials at £9.78

‘This product smells divine! I really wanted to love this product but it felt far too harsh on my sensitive skin. My skin felt baby soft after I used it but it brought me out I red blotches because the granules were too harsh. I love my skin to feel soft but red blotchy patches isn’t usually a look I go for.

Well done if you made it this far! So this was my honest review of all the products I tried from the burts bees. Some products I’m sure I will be repurchasing over and over again, however some products I won’t.

Laura xXx

'The list'

2009-09-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

This tag has been going around for a while now, so thought it was my turn to share my 'list' with you all!

Enjoy...

Zac Efron

Channing Tatum

David Beckham

Jude Law

Patrick Swayze

Robert Hoffman

Will Smith

Yum!!

Laura xXx

August Favourites

2009-08-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is my first monthly favourite's post but i will try and make it a regular thing! :)

Burt Bee’s Cuticle Cream:

I love this mainly for the smell. It smells of fresh lemons which is one of my favourite scents. It’s really clean and fresh. This is really moisturising and has sorted out my ragged cuticles no problem!

Ciate paint pot – knickerbockerglory:
See my previous post for a full review on these. This is the most amazing hot pink colour. The consistency and application is great and they last really well. You can’t go wrong!

L’oreal paris super liner carbon gloss:

I love the applicator on this; it makes application for me really easy. It’s an opaque glossy black and it won’t budge all day! Happy days.

Natural Collection Mositure Shine Lipstick – Apple Blossom:

I wasn’t expecting much from these lipsticks being under £2, but I’m impressed! This is a gorgeous muted baby pink colour that is really wearbable and the consistency is really creamy and non-drying.

Maybelline pure mineral blush – topaz rose:

These blushers are really pigmented and a tiny bit goes a long way. You get loads of product so they will last me ages. This is a really pretty bright pink colour that gives a natural glow.

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Over Night Treatment:

This product is great for dry and damaged hair like mine. I like the idea of it going on to dry hair and being left over night because I feel like it has the chance to work. And for me.. it definitely does. It makes my hair feel really soft and manageable after I have washed it. It makes your hair feel yucky when you first put it on but it’s well worth it for the results!

Batsite Dry Shampoo:

Now that I’m working I can’t always be bothered with the hassle of washing my hair every other day. My hair gets pretty greasy but this product is a life saver. It not only soaks up the grease (yuck) but it also brings life back to your hair and gives it volume. I have to be careful with this because I have dark hair and it can look like I’ve tipped a bottle of talcum powder over my head. I usually spray it in to my hair at night before bed and massage it in and by the morning.. all the white powder has soaked in!

Hope you had a great August, can’t believe it’s September tomorrow... time it going was too fast!!

Laura xXx

Ciate Paint Pots

2009-08-31T06:27:00.001-07:00

I’ve wanted to try this brand of nail polish for ageeess so I was so happy when I was sent some to try! I was sent four of the ciate paint pots to try... isn’t the packaging just adorable!?

I was really impressed with these nail polishes, they are really easy to work with and have great coverage. You get the colour in the bottle with two coats and they are really long lasting. They have a long and pretty flat brush which I found made application really easy. They retail for £9 for 13.5ml and I think they are well worth the money.

Knickerbockerglory:

This is pretty much as hot pink as hot pink gets. I was super excited when I saw this colour and it didn’t disappoint when I got it on my nails. It’s a deep, rich, almost red hot pink and I absolutely love it. I have lots of hot pinks in my collection but this is totally unique to any of them. I couldn’t stop looking at this colour when it was on my nails.

Plastic Fantastic:

This colour is a purpely pink berry colour which looks gorgeous on the nails and I think it would suit any skin tone. It’s not too bright so I think it would be perfect to take you into the autumn/winter months.

Refresher:

This is a pastel, powder blue. I’m not usually a huge fan of blue’s on my nails but I like this because it’s so light it still looks really feminine and pretty. I was really impressed with the consistency of this one because I find sometimes light colours don’t provide opaque coverage but this was totally opaque in two coats.. brilliant!!

Shaken not stirred:

When I saw this colour in the bottle I thought it would be my least favourite. But it was a different story once I got it on my nails. It’s a purple with pink tones and blue running though it and it looks just gorgeous when the light hits it. It doesn’t look much in the bottle but it really comes to life once it’s on the nails. It’s totally unique to anything else I have in my collection and it’s gorgeous!

I will definitely be purchasing some more of the ciate paint pot range, I have my eye on a few colours already, I love that all the colours are really unique. Cookies and cream looks like a great colour and I need to have it just because of the name. Cookies and cream is my favourite ice cream flavour... yum!

Laura xXx

TAG: Products i'm using right now

2009-08-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist doing this since it's so popular at the minute...

Shampoo & Conditioner: Tresemme Mositure rich

Shower Gel: Some random lavender avon stuff

Styling products: Tresemme 24 hour body mousse and root booster

Body moisturiser: Either palmers cocoa butter or body shop coconut body butter

Deodorant: Mitchum Smart solid

Fake Tan: Dove summer glow

Skincare: A mixture of nivea, Neutrogena and burts bees at the moment

Primer: Don’t use one

Foundation: Revlon colourstay or nivea tinted mosituriser

Foundation brush: Crown brush duo fibre

Concealer: Maybelline mineral concealer

Powder: boots 17 pressed powder

Blusher: Changes daily but I’m loving Maybelline mineral blush in rose topaz at the minute

Bronzer: Fake bake beyond bronzer

Highlighter: Prestige skin loving minerals – pure shimmer

Eyeshadow base: Benefit lemon aid

Eyeshadows: Usually some sort of combination from my sleek palettes

Eyeliner: L’oreal super liner – carbon gloss

Curler: I don’t know who it’s by but it’s from boots

Mascara: Maybelline – lash stiletto

Lipstick: Loving gosh darling and Revlon nude attitude for nude lips at the moment

Lipgloss: Usually barry m glossy tubes or benefit her glossiness

Nail Colour: At the moment, ciate – knickerbocker glory

Laura xXx

Some Random Thoughts...

2009-08-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was sat having coffee with my boyfriend this weekend and we got chatting about make-up/blogging etc. And we starting discussing how some of my friends aren’t all that into make up and some don’t wear a scratch. I was telling him that this sometimes make me feel like I’m judged for wearing make-up and maybe people sometimes think I wear too much in comparison to my friends?

Make up is a choice, not everyone chooses to wear it and I don’t have a problem with that. But it has always been a big part of my life and I started experimenting with it when I was in high school. I wear it because I enjoy the application but also because I just think it makes me look a better and I have a lot more confidence when I wear it.

I was thinking this morning that I don’t know what I would do without make-up, I literally don’t feel like me without make-up on.. Is that bad? When I look in the mirror in the morning, I don’t like what I see until I have applied my make-up. I also feel that applying make-up is showing that you are making an effort and that you care about your appearance.

Makeup is such a part of my life for so long that when I come across someone who doesn’t wear any I guess I judge them in a way. And they probably judge me back wondering why I feel the need to wear makeup every single day.

My boyfriend assured me that he doesn’t think I wear too much make-up and that I probably think I’m being judged for wearing it when I’m not. He just agreed that it’s a choice and if it’s something that I enjoy and it makes me feel good about myself I should continue to have an interest in it.

I’m sorry so the rambly post but I just wanted to get your opinions on it. Do you ever feel like you’re being judged for wearing makeup? Do you have friends who choose not to wear any? How does this make you feel? What are your reasons for wearing makeup?

Laura xXx

Contest Winner!!

2009-08-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

So firsty I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who entered! And also a big hello to all my new subscribers.. i am now one subscriber away from 200 and i'm soo happy! Never imagined i'd get anywhere near that amount so thank you to everyone!

Now on to the important stuff..

I printed out everyone's names and put them into a tupperwear box...

And the winner is...

Emma @ girl with the arab strap! Well done! Please email me your address to lauraann5@hotmail.com and i will post it out to you asap.

I hated only picking one winner, next time i'm definately going to have more winners!

Hope everyones had a great weekend

Laura

xXx

Ins and Outs 3

2009-08-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ins:

Project ten pan – I’m still enjoying not spending stupid amounts of money on make-up I don’t need! And I love to see the end of products that I won’t be re-purchasing.

The body shop event – I wasn’tlucky enough to be invited but I’ve been loving reading everyone’s posts about it today, looks amazing and I can’t wait to try some of their new make-up out!

The golf season coming to an end – one month and I will finally have my boyfriend back for the winter!! :D

The autumn – it’s on its way and it’s one of my favourite seasons. I love autumn winter fashion and I can’t wait to wear dark vampy colours on my nails again.

Money – I haven’t had the enjoyment of a wage for three years and I’m LOVING it! Not that I have the time to spend it...

My mac wishlist – I’m not kidding you it’s HUGE! Cannot wait start purchasing!!

Considering getting my hair cut – the state of my hair is really starting to depress me. In true lollipop26 style I’m considering getting it chopped. But it won’t be anything TOO drastic because I’m just not brave enough!!

Outs:

Project ten pan – ok it’s great and all that, but why do some products take soo bloody long to finish!! :@

Summer coming to an end – although I love autumn I find the depths of winter rather depressing, it’s not cool when it starts getting dark at 4.00pm.

Being emotional – for some reason I’ve been ridiculously emotional for the past month and I don’t know what’s brought it on. The slightest mishap has been making me cry lately :S

Not getting a holiday this year – a couple of my friends have just got back from being on holiday all brown and stuff. Plus this time last year I was off for two weeks in Crete. Hopefully next year...

Uni – I got sent my alumini letter this morning which for me was the ultimate reality check I needed. I’m still finding it hard to ajust to my new way of life. At this time of year I would normally be getting ready to head back to uni, but instead I’ve got a life of full time work ahead of me... eugh!

Ps, contest ends tonight, I’m not sure I will have to time to do a post on the winner tomorrow but I promise you it will be up by Monday night!

Hope everyone is having a fab weekend! :) Laura xXx

Very First Blog Award :)

2009-08-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

I was nominated for my first blog award from the lovely rachel at I love that, I totally appreciated being given this award so thank you very much Rachel! :) If you haven't already, go check her out!

So I have to nominate 12 lovely bloggers, which was hard to do because there are so many i love, but here goes.. (they are in no particular order)

Laura xXx

FOTD and OOTD

2009-08-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

I get really bored of wearing neutral colours all throughout the week so today i went for purple on my eyes...

Eyes:

benefit lemon aid as a base
the lilac colour from the pastel beauty uk palette
the white as a highlight from the same palette
the purple from the sleek original palette in the crease and under lower lash line
loreal carbon black liquid liner
maybelline lash stiletto mascara

Face:

Revlon colour stay foundation in natural beige
rimmel stay matte powder
fake bake beyond bronze bronzer
maybelline mineral blush in rise topaz
prestige skin loving minerals in pure shimmer as highlight

Lips:

Barry M 101
Benefit my people your people lipgloss

Outfit

Oversized vest from topshop
long black cardigan from new look
black leggings

Hope you're all having a great friday

Much love, Laura xXx

Project Ten pan Update No.1

2009-08-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

So p10p seems to have started quite slowly. It’s been three weeks but to be honest it feels like a life time!! So far I’ve finished three products.

Maybelline lash stiletto – LOVE this mascara. I’ll be honest, when I first started using this it wasn’t living up to the hype for me but after using it for a week or so I really started to like it. It just gives me such great length and separation. Luckily I had a back up waiting so no panic!! I’m not one to stick to the same mascara all the time though so no doubt when my back up is gone I will try and different one.

Prestige automatic eyeliner in sepia – I used to use this eyeliner every single day before I discovered liquid eyeliner. It used to do the job and I repurchased it for years. But after using liquid liner I will never go back. It drags along your lid so it’s hard to get a smooth straight finish. They are also a nightmare to keep sharp because you can’t sharpen them so you just can’t achieve a thin line. They are fine for the lower lash line but that’s all I would use it for. Unfortunately I still have one left in my collection but I will just continue to use this on my lower lash line.

Natural Collection tinted moisturiser – I love the natural collection for affordable make up but unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing this one. I mean its ok, but I have since started using the nivea tinted moisturiser which I like much better. It provides an ok amount of coverage but it doesn’t last on my skin and doesn’t apply as smoothly as I would like.

So far I’m actually quite enjoying it. I like that I’m not going out wasting money on loads of makeup I don’t need. And it’s nice to see my make up collection clearing out of things I’ve had for ages or was never really that fond of in the first place! I’ve also discovered a few products I had totally forgot about which is always good.

The only bad thing so far is that I’ve got myself into a rut of using the same products day after day as a way of trying to finish products faster. So my makeup is seriously lacking variation at the moment!!

There are a few more products in my collection that I can see are coming to the end of their life so will update when I have finished a few more.
Laura xXx

NOTD: French Manciure

2009-08-15T06:47:00.001-07:00

I haven't done a french mancure in years because i usually prefer a bold colour on my nails and i just don't think i'm that good at it! I thought i would give it a go today and i'm quite pleased with the results :) Although my right hand is always a bit of a nightmare because i just can't keep a stready hand!!

Products used:

OPI nail envy as a base
Avon french manicure white
Sally Hansen sheerly opal
Seche Vite top coat

What are sporting on your nails this weekend?
Hope you're having a great saturday! Laura xXx

Recent Purchases..

2009-08-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry i've not been blogging too much lately but i've just been feeling a bit uninspired really.

Anyway, these are just some of my recent purchases. I haven't been buying much because i'm trying to chill out the spending. And of course none of this is make up because of project 10 pan!

This necklace was from accessorise, its sterling silver so for £12 I don't think that's too bad! It's so dainty and cute. I love small, dainty necklaces, i just think they look really feminine!

I got these earrings in the accessorise sale for £3.50 so i couldn't really say no :)

Clinique brush cleanser - I'm REALLY bad when it comes to cleaning my brushes so hopefully this will encourage me to do it a bit more! This works a treat and my brushes feel great after i've cleansed them.

Finally, i got this purse from river island for £15. I just couldn't resist it... love the quilting and it's got the most gorgeous leopard print design inside!

Hope you are all well!

Laura

xXx

Favourite Three Nail Polishes

2009-08-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for the nail buff's contest. If you havent already go check it out.. its a fab blog! :)

From left to right...

OPI - shootout at the ok coral - this is the first coral nail polish i bought when i began my 'obsession' and it continues to be my favourite. It's so vibrant and with the pinky/purple duochrome it just makes it that bit different to all the other corals out there.

OPI - done out on deco - it's just a simple cream lavender but i love it! It's not the type of colour i usually go for and when i first heard about it, i thought it wasn't for me. But since buying it i've fallen in love with it.

OPI - that's hot pink - hot pink nails have always and will always be my favorite nail colour. And hot pink nails don't get much better than this colour. It's a rich and vibrant shade of pink and i can't stop looking at whenever i wear it!

Laura xXx

100 followers CONTEST!!

2009-08-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I hit 100 followers!! J So it’s time for my very first giveaway because I want to give something back to my lovely followers!

Up for grabs...

Limited edition curious sleek palette
Collection 2000 hot looks nail polish is hula hoop and dynasty
Barry m nail paint in cyan blue
A full sized burts bees lemon butter cuticle cream
A mini size boots Mediterranean almond pistachio and milk body butter
A collection 2000 mositure shine lipstick in apple blossom (nudey pink colour)

The rules..
You must be a follower of my blog
You need to post a comment on this post saying ‘enter me’... or something along those lines!
For two entries – mention this contest in one of your blog posts or on twitter and post me the link in a comment.

The contest will run for two weeks so will end on Saturday 22nd August at 12 midnight GMT.
I will draw a name out of the hat soon after that and will post the winner on here!
So that’s it, dead simple
Thank you and good luck
xXx

Thank You!!

2009-07-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

So today i woke up to 85 followers and i am super excited!! I remember when i got my very first follower and it was such a big deal! I never imagined i'd get anywhere near 80!

So i just wanted to say thank you to all my lovely subscribers to reading my rambles!

If i ever make the 100 subscriber mark i'm gonna have a give away/competition, so keep your eyes peeled for that!! :)

Hope you are all well!

Laura xXx

REVIEW: tresemme 24 hour body

2009-07-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Tresemme very kindly send me their 24 hour body hair range. These products are perfect for me because my hair is naturally as flat as a pancake so I’m all about creating volume!

I currently use john freida luxurious volume, click here for review.

From left to right – Amplifing mouse, finishing spray, root boosting spray

I put the amplifying mouse into my hair after towel drying my hair and then just before I blow dried it, I applied the root boosting spray. I then blow dried as a I normally do with a big brush, lifting up my roots as I go.

This was the result...
(Excuse the no makeup, I hadn’t got round to putting it on and was too eager to take photos of my big hair!)

So I think the photos pretty much speak for themselves. I achieved some SERIOUS volume! The products felt light on my hair. There were a few places that were a bit sticky where I had concentrated too much product but overall it didn’t feel weighed down by the product at all.

After I had tamed it slightly, I applied the finishing spray to keep it all in place. Now I’m not usually a hair spray person because I hate that horrible crunchy feeling you get. However, this felt really light, my hair still had movement but it helped my volume stay all night. Totally impressed.

So will I repurchasing these products? Definitely. I was really happy with the amount of volume they created and how light they felt on the hair. It lasted all night and even today I still have volume left.

If I could only repurchase one of the products? It would be the finishing spray. Just purely because I find it hard to find a light feeling hair spray and this has fulfilled it for me!

Have you tried any products from this range? What did you think?

Laura xXx

Having a bit of a clear out...

2009-07-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Since i'm doing project ten pan, it kind of inspired me to chuck out some of that old make up that i'm really never gonna use again!

Yeah i know it's not much but it's better than nothing right??

A number 17 teal eyeshadow. Seriously.. look at the state of it. Why on earth was i keeping that?!
A red loose eyeshadow bought from a market stall for one halloween while i was at uni. Never worn it since.. never will again!
An avon pink and brown eye shadow duo. I think i've probably had this since i started using make up. Time to throw it i think...
Benefit bad gal lash... i tried to like, i really did. But in reality i hate it!
The deadly maybelline liquid eyeliner than was making me eyes sore and puffy!
A white body shop eyeliner than has no pigmentation what so ever. Maybe due to the fact that it's as old as i am!?
Two maybelline line define felt lip eyeliners. Great when you first start using them.. then the tip dries out after about two weeks!

I think i should clear out my make up collection more often!!

Laura xXx

Project Ten Pan...

2009-07-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided to take part in project ten pan! I realise I’m about four months too late but ahh well!

The main reasons I’m doing this?

Because I need to STOP spending so much money on make up. I hope this will help me love all the products I already own and help me realise I don’t need to splurge on new items all the time.
Because I want to make my first MAC purchase but at the minute I just can’t justify it. When I have finished this hopefully I will have a gap in my make up collection along with the space and money to facilitate it.
Because I’ve just started earning after three years at uni. For some reason I’m more protective over money I’ve worked hard for than money that’s lent to me by the government, eg, student loan. I don’t particularly want to throw my hard earning cash down the drain on makeup I really do not need.
Because I need to save a bit of money and obviously not being able to buy any new makeup will help this in a big way!

So I won’t be able to purchase any new make up until I have used up 10 of my makeup products. SO you won’t be seeing any makeup hauls from me for a while :( I’ll be sure to update you with how I’m getting on though :)

I have no idea how long this will take me (ages probably) but I’m really going to try me hardest with this. I don’t want to have any slip ups. WISH ME LUCK!!

Have you tried to take park in project 10 pan?

Laura xXx

Boots Haul

2009-07-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

I popped into boots this morning to get some eye make up remover and came out with this lot!
I’ve been having real problems with my eye lids getting really sore and puffy lately. I think it might be the liquid eyeliner I am currently using, so that’s going in the bin! My make up remover has started stinging my eyes aswell so I bought something more gentle. I got nivea ‘extra gentle eye make-up remover’ and simple ‘kind to eyes’ eye make up remover pads. I haven’t had chance to use them yet but hopefully they will more gentle on my eyes.

Barry M nail paints were on offer so I got Raspberry 273 (right) and grey 293 (left). Raspberry is the most gorgeous rich, deep berry red colour and will be perfect for autumn/winter.

I’ve heard so much about the new barry M glosses so thought I would try them out for myself. I got number 4, baby pink and number 2, toffee. I’ve heard some good and some bad things about these but I have to say I love them! the baby pink is much more pigmented than toffee, which can be scary but applied in the right way creates the most gorgeous baby pink lip. Less is definitely more with these!

Baby Pink

Toffee

I picked up Revlon matte lipstick in pink pout. Its a gorgeous mid tone pink that I think is really wearable because it’s not too bright.
Finally, I got Maybelline khol express in black, which is a lovely creamy eye pencil. I got the barry m kohl pencil in white, number 30 and the shimmering eye and lip crayon in gold. It’s a really pretty light gold colour, perfect for highlighting.

Swatchy Goodness!!

(top to bottom) Barry M shimmering eye and lip pencil, Maybelline kohl express, revlon pink pout, barry m lipgloss toffee, barry m lipgloss baby pink.

Hope you are all having a great sunday!

Laura xXx

My Nail Polish Collection

2009-07-25T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have always been into nail polish from a very early age! My collection was quite big when i was younger but then i sort of got out of the habit of painting my nails through uni. But now i'm building my collection up again!

Here it is as it stands at the minute:

I just store them all in a plastic vanity box. Totally unorganised but it works for me :)

The pinks:

Top row (left to right)

OPI - thats hot pink
Barry M - 279 bright pink
China Glaze - strawberry fields
rimmel 60 seconds - funtime fuchsia
rimmel 60 seconds - rose libertine

Botton row

no 7 stay perfect - 25 twinkle
revlon - 090 posh pink
Sally hansen - sheerly opal
Loreal resist and shine - 102
OPI - got a date to-knight

The oranges/red:

china glaze - ruby pumps
nails inc - insytle coral
OPI - shootout at the ok coral
revlon - tropical temptation

The greens:

Barry M - mint green
China Glaze - watermelon rind

The blues:

Barry M - cyan blue 294
OPI - teal the cows come home
OPI - blue my mind
no 7 stay perfect - 110 betty blues

The purples:

OPI - ink
OPI - purple with a purpose
OPI - done out in deco

The Plums/Blacks:

OPI - black cherry chutney
-OPI - black onyx
-tesco nail polish (dont have the colour :( )

The Clears/whites:

top row

avon lasting lengths laquer
nails inc albert bridge top coat
OPI nail envy
seche vite top caot
seche vite base coat

Botton row

avon french manicre
sally hansen french manicure

Pinks seem to be the most popular in my collection and they definately are my favourite colours to paint my nails!

The only major gap i can see in my collection are nude polishes! I've never had one before so any recommendations would be very welcome!! :)

Hope you are all having a great saturday!

Laura xXx

FOTN

2009-07-25T07:07:00.001-07:00

Last night was my best friends 21st party!

This was my FOTN...

(excuse the untamed hair, i hadn't got round to that part yet!!)

I wanted to pick out the colours in my dress so I did a pink and grey smoky eye with pink lips!

Eyes:

-The baby pink from the beauty uk pastel palette

- The dark grey from the safari sleek paletee

-The white from the pastel beauty uk palette as a highlight

-maybelline liner express liquid liner

- maybelline lash stiletto mascara

Face:

- revlon colourstay foundation in natural beige

- maybelline mineral concealer

-rimmel stay matte powder

-fake bake bronzer

-maybelline mineral blusher in rose topaz

-prestige skin loving minerals in pure shimmer as a highlight

Lips

- A combination of barry m 101 and 146 with benefit 'her glossiness' lipgloss in your people, my people over the top.

Me and my boyfriend Dan

Me and the birthday girl (she’s a stunner isn’t she!?)

Me with my two besties!

Me with another one of my favourite girls!

We had a brilliant night! :) Hope you all had a great Friday night!

Laura xXx

NOTD

2009-07-24T08:52:00.001-07:00

Barry M Nail Paint - Bright Pink (279)

This is only the second time i have tried a Barry M Nail Paint. I have the barry M mint green but i think the consistency of the bright pink is much better. I heard these nail paints differ is consistincency right? The bright pink is really creamy and goes on streak free and opaque in two coats!

The colour is i bit brighter than its coming up in this picture, it's looks a bit pale but it really is quite bright! But i like it :D And it compliments my dress for tonight perfectly!

10/10 for me on this nail paint! REALLY impressed!!

Laura xXx

TAG: All About Beauty

2009-07-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

What's your favourite makeup look?
For the day time – neutral eyes with a pop of colour under the lower lash line.
For night time – smokey eyes and nude lips. Predictable I know, but this looks just never gets old.

What part of your body do you love?
Erm... my eyes!? I don’t really love any part of my body but I guess I think the colour of my eyes are quite unique so I’ll go with that!

Who is your beauty icon?
I have all of their photo’s at the side of my blog... I think every one of those ladies has natural beauty!

What beauty products instantly make you feel sexy?
Mascara and eyeliner because they bring your eyes to life and make them stand out! And I’d probably say bronzer as well because I hate looking pale and this instantly gives me a bronzy glow!

How do you look after your skin?
I used to be awful at looking after my skin. But now I make sure I always take my make up off at night and lather it with moisturiser at night and in the morning. I also try and exfoliate a couple of times a week. I think water has a big factor at keeping your skin looking healthy and I drink a hell of a lot of the stuff!!

What is your signature scent?
Probably CK – in to you.

What are your hair secrets?
My hair is in quite bad condition. I abuse it with heat but I just can’t stop because without products and heat my hair is just nothing. Plus I don’t get it cut nearly as often as I should! But I always use a heat protector when styling and deep condition it a couple of times a week.

How do you pamper yourself?
A long hot soak in the bath or giving myself a manicure and pedicure. What is your pet peeve?
When foundation looks really cakey.. i just think it looks nasty. Really badly chipped nail polish... I just want to go and buy them some nail polish remover! An obvious colour difference between someone’s face and neck. Lip liner than hangs around well after the lip stick has faded and is about five shades darker than the natural lip colour!!

What would be your desert island must haves?
Suncream, lipbalm, after sun and waterproof mascara

Finally, do you have a beauty philosophy?
I just believe that beauty is about more than just what you look on the outside. I think it’s about being a beautiful person inside as well.
I also believe there are no rules... like you should only wear bright colours in the summer! Who cares!?... Wear whatever colours whenever you like!!

Laura xXx

Crown Brushes Haul

2009-07-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

My crown brush order arrived on my door step yesterday! :)

This is what i got...

Face Brushes

(From left to right)

-c106 unique pointed dome (£6.95)

-ib124 italian badger kabouki (£8.99)

-bk5 dual length powder (£7.63)

c104 angle blush (£3.70)

Eye Brushes

(from left to right)

-ib116 round tapered crease (£2.89)

-1b119 duluxe crease (£2.99)

-ib113 taklon line (£2.23)

-bk15 oval fluff (£1.95)

-bk14 duluxe oval fluff (£2.39)

I've never owned a MAC brush so i can't make a comparison but on first impressed i think these brushes are great. I used them to apply my make up this morning and was really happy with the way my make up looked :) They are really inexpensive in comparison to what you can pay for brushes. I will definately consider buying some more!

I was really happy with the service of crown brush. I ordered on monday evening and i recieved my package on wednesday. The packaging was great, there was no way the brushes would have got damaged! They also have a great choice of brushes on their website!

So all in all, i'm very impressed :)

Have you tried any of the crown brush products?

Laura

xXx

REVIEW: Seche Vite Top Coat

2009-07-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I’ve been using the seche vite top coat for about three weeks now. And despite my good first impressions I’m not impressed...

Let me explain...

I bought this top coat to prevent my nail polish from chipping because my nail polish always chips soo quickly and it frustrates me. However, it just didn’t fulfil this purpose.

I painted my nails with OPI’s done out in deco on Monday evening at about 5pm, and this is what my nails looked like at about 4.30pm on Tuesday afternoon! That’s just under 24 hours!!

(There were more chips on my left hand but i just couldn't get a clear photo)

This isn’t the only time this has happened, I change my nail colour all the time (mainly because it chips quickly) and it’s never really lasted longer than 24 hours without chipping!

I have read some really good reviews about this product so I think my nails are just incapable of holding nail polish on for any length of time!! I know a lot of people swear by this product but I just wanted to give you all my honest opinion based on my experience.

In some ways it’s the best top coat I have ever used. It creates the most amazing shine which doesn’t fade after an hour! It also dries really quickly so it’s good for if you are in a rush when your painting your nails!
But unfortunately it doesn’t prevent my nails from chipping, therefore it I’m still on the search for my HG top coat!

If anyone has any tips on how to prevent chipping, where I might be going wrong or any recommendations for a good top and base coat they would be greatly appreciated!!

Laura xXx

FOTD

2009-07-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here is todays face of the day:

Eyes:

-The pinky/gold out of the sleek original palette (i wish the eyeshadows had names, would make it soo much easier)

-The plummy shade out of the sleek jewels palette

-maybelline liner express

-maybelline lash stiletto mascara

Face:

-Revlon colourstay - ivory

-Rimmel stay matte powder

-fake bake bronzer as a contour

- maybelline moonlight mauve blusher

-prestige skin loving minerals in pure shimmer as a highlight

Lips

-burts bees lip balm

- barry m 101

- benefit her glossiness in my people, your people (forgot how much i love this gloss)

Also, this is me with my pretty much natural colouring! I pretty much hate it because i'm soo pale. I've been a fake tanner since i was 16 but lately i've got more slack with it.. mainly because its an effort and i can't be bothered with the up keep anymore! I've more into using dove summer glow lately (review coming soon) to give me a natural glow rather than a full on fake tan!

How was everyones monday?? I have to say i'm pretty glad mine is over, i'm knackered today!!

Laura

xXx

Twitter...

2009-07-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've finally joined twitter! Feel free to follow me HERE if you like! :)

Hope you've all had a great weekend!

Laura

xXx

FOTD

2009-07-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't done one of these for ages... so here's todays face...

I went with a really neutral eye, i literally just washed my lid with a skin toned shadow and applied lashings of mascara and winged eyeliner.

Then on my lips i used barry m's 147. I think this is such a pretty colour but i've been neglecting this lipstick. It's a brighter colour than i normally wear which is why i kept my eyes really neutral!

ALSO... Ditzy make-up is having a contest... go and check it out!

Hope you are all having a great Saturday!

Laura xXX

Burt's Bees

2009-07-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

So i saw this 'essential body kit' bu burt's bees the other day when i was in boots with my boyfriend and wanted to buy it with my advantage points. When i got to the till i had like a pound less than i needed on my card so i reluctantly put it back on the self! :(

My boyfriend only went back the day after and bought it for me... what a sweetie!! :)

I've never tried anything from the burts bees range so thought this would be a great way to try out some of their stuff. You get 7 sample sized products -

- Citrus and ginger root body wash
- deep pore scrub
-hand salve
- lemon butter cuticle cream
- naturally nourishing milk and honey lotion
- peppermint foot lotion
- replenishing pomegranate lip balm
- radiance day cream

They all smell gorgeous and i can't wait to try them all out!

Have you tried anything from burts bees??

Laura xXx

My Graduation

2009-07-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my graduation day! :) I was soo nervous about the whole thing! For some reason the thought of walking across the stage was soo daunting to me! No idea why! Anyway i managed to get across without falling or my hat coming off which is always good!

I ended up having a really great day and luckily the sun was shining for us! :)

Here are a few photos...

Me just after i was fitted with my gown. The hat was an absolute nightmare which i ended up pinning to my head with hair grips so it didn't fall off!!

Me and my mum getting blown away!!

Me and my boyfriend :)

Mum, me, brother and dad!

So i am officially no longer a student :( I'll miss the discount and all the free time but i won't miss writing essays!!

Laura xXx

Sunday Hauling...

2009-07-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

So i popped into town today mainly to try and pick up the few things i couldn't get in London!

First i got Marc Jacobs - Daisy purfume

I'd heard loads about this through blogging and had to try it. I tested it for the first time in london and absolutely loved it. But every boots i went back to didn't stock but i finally got it today! :)

I needed some new silver flats coz my current ones are knackered so got these from new look. While i was there i also picked up some black ones for work.

This black blazer was from new look and was £25. I'm not sure if it's the 'one'. I'm still gonna look around other places before i completely settle on this one.

Finally i just got these long vest tunics from H&M... perfect to wear with leggings!

A pretty boring haul really! Hope you're all having a great Sunday!

Laura xXx

New Hair Colour

2009-07-12T08:42:00.001-07:00

I dyed my hair yesterday morning! It's just a pretty standard dark brown colour. I have to admit it's darker than i like it to be but my hair tends to fade pretty quickly so i know it won't stay this dark for that long!

I'm gonna try my hardest to let it fade in to my natural colour and stop dying it for a while now. There's nothing wrong with my natural colour, i've just got into a habit of dying it to get rid of the blonde i used to have in my hair!

Laura xXx

Honest Scrap Tag

2009-07-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

I don't think i've been officially tagged to do this but a few people have tagged who ever wants to do it so i thought i'd jump on the bandwagon coz i think it's a great tag!

So the deal is that you tell your followers 10 things about yourself that they may not already know. You are then supposed to tag 10 people.

So here goes...

1. I used to dance between the ages of 3 and 18. It’s a massive passion of mine but I was never good enough to pursue it as a career. I miss it soo much. I’d love to get back into it but think it’s really hard to find places to cater for my age group!

2. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason and if something it meant to happen it will. Sometimes it’s weird how things work out...

3. I’m actually a really negative person. I know it’s a REALLY bad feature of my personality but there isn’t anything I do about it. I kind of have the view that if you are negative about something then you won’t get disappointed if it doesn’t turn out well. Totally stupid I know.

4. I’m the messiest person ever. I put this down to pure lazy-ness!! I always have a massive pile of clothes on my bedroom floor that usually stays there but about a week until I realise I should really do something about it :S

5. I’m really superstitious.. I can’t walk over three grids or have my stereo on volume 13. Irrational I know but I just can’t help it!

6. I try not to care too much about what other people think of me but only my REAL friends know the real me. I’m really shy around new people. I kind of sit back and observe people first and try to figure them out. Sometimes this comes off as me being really standoff-ish but it really is just because I’m shy.

7. I’ve never been one of the ‘cool’ people... I’m a self confessed geek. Sometimes I just feel like I don’t fit in...

8. I HATE milk. I actually eat my cereal dry! It really goes through me when I see someone drinking a glass of it... YUK! I’ll have a little bit on my tea but that’s the only time I’ll have it.

9. I found the beauty community on you tube by searching for how to create waves with a hair straightener and I came across one of lollipop26’s video’s. She was the first person I subscribed to on there. From you tube I found the blogging community. I was an ‘observer’ for a long time before I decided to write my own blog. I don’t think I would ever make video’s though, I’m just not confident enough to ‘put myself out there’.

10. I have a really low self confidence. Again it’s not one of my best features but I guess a few things have happened that have just knocked me right down and I’ve found it hard to pick myself back up.

I tag anyone who hasn't already done this!!

Laura xXx

My first MAC experience...

2009-07-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Since there is a MAC shop in convent garden and we were staying right near there i felt it would be rude not to visit!

So i went with the intention of buying something but came away empty handed. It's not that i didn't like or want anything... i wanted EVERYTHING!! I was with my mum which i think was a good thing actually because she kept me level headed. She said i should get something that is different to anything else in my collection. But i really struggled to decide what it was that i wanted!

My first instinct was to go with a lipgloss but when i tested it i realised they were SUPER sticky! I don't mind a bit of stick... but these seemed too sticky for my liking. Hair suck in lipgloss is never a good look!!

So bascially the point of this post is ask if you guys have any advice about what a good first time item is for a mac virgin! What was your first ever MAC purchase??

Also i've read about them increasing their prices, I don't know whether it's really worth the price? I wouldn't know because i've never used any of their products. What does everyone think?

I'm having a bit of dilemma!!

Laura xXx

London Haul

2009-07-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

I got back from London on thursday and we had such a brilliant time! London is such a great city, i love it so much!

So here's what i bought (i didn't go mad, i'm soo proud of myself!!)

The gladiator sandals i got from Jane Norman to replace the ones that broke from new look. They are pretty similar but i think they are actually nicer! I'm really happy with them!

I got a cute off the shoulder striped top from H&M. From Primark i got a pair of tan flat boots for the autumn and also a cream chiffon top which is really pretty but it's long enough on me so i think that will be going back...

From accessorize i got these two pairs of cute earings. They are both simple but great for during the day.

The sleek safari palette! These palettes never fail to impress me, i love all of them and this one has a great selection of earthy colours, great for neutral looks.

Finally i got a new charm from my Thomas Sabo bracelet. It's a little key with black gems in it.

There were a few things i wanted but couldn't get so expect another small haul coming soon!!

Hope you all had great week.

Laura xXx

New Bag + FOTD

2009-07-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

So i popped into next with the intention of getting something for my mum and came out with a bag for myself! I just saw it and had to have it!

I've been wanting a bag slightly bigger than my current one and this fulfills that perfectly! And i know its white and totally impratical but i just love it!! It was £26... i think that's pretty reasonable!

And today's face...

Just the usual neutral eye with a pop of green underneath and neutral lips but i tried something new with my hair. I saw this on purse buzz's you tube channel and it's really simple to do! I don't usually like having my hair off my face... my fringe is almost something to hide behind! But yeah i got compliments on it so it can't have looked that bad :P

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Laura xXx

Ins and Outs 2

2009-07-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ins:

- London - i'm off to london with my mum for three nights on monday and i can't wait :) We're going to see dirty dancing and i'm sooo excited!!

- The Weather - i have to say i'm glad it's cooled off a little bit. Don't get me wrong, i love sunshine but last week got a little ridiculous and when you're trying to work in it, it's no fun at all!

- Seche Vite - i can't believe i just discovered this brand, i know it's early to say but so far their top coat is A-MA-ZING!!

- Revlon tropical temptation - an absolutely gorgeous colour that has summer written all over it!

- Graduation - my graduation is the week after next... i'm nervous and excited all at the same!

Outs:

-Student life - graduating in less than two weeks time has kind of given me a reality check that i will never be able to enjoy the student life again! No more dossing about and spending all my time shopping rather than writing essays! Oh and of course... no more student discount :'(

-Gladiator Sandals - the ones i bought from new look a couple of weeks ago have broken on me.. so i had to take them back and i haven't managed to find a in my size since :(

-Saving - after i get back from London i'm going to watch what i'm spending because i need to save. No more fun make-up purchases! :(

What are you ins and outs??

Laura xXx

Seche Vite

2009-07-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

I have real problems making my nail polish last... no matter what brand i use! Sometime it doesn't just chip is just literally peels off my nail! It annoys the hell out of me.. and after trying a multitude of different top and base coats and having no luck... i purchases the seche vite range.

I purchased the fast dry top coat and the ridge filling base coat.

I painted my nails this morning and was really happy with the application of these products. You're supposed to apply the top coat when ur nails are still wet... the thought of this scared me! I'm pretty sure if i did this with any other top coat it would end in absolute disaster! You almost just have to drop it on your nail and it levels itself out and creates a flawless looking nail with a super high shine!

So far so good... i will keep you updated on how my nail polish lasts!

Has anyone else tried any of the seche vite range??

Laura xXx

My contest prize! :)

2009-07-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

Legseleven held a contest and i won one of the prizes! I was sooo chuffed... i never win anything! :)

I'm sure you are all already subscribed to her but if your not... go check her out here.

My Prize...

A bronzer and blusher brush... both from the body shop.

The bronzer is absolutely gorgeous... it's a lovely warm colour and is packed full of shimmer. It will look gorgeous for a summer bronzy look!

And i'm really impressed with the quality of the brush, it's really soft and lovely. I've been wanting to try out the body shop brushes for ages so i might have to invest in some more!

I love all my prizes... thank you very much marcia! :)

Laura xXx

Stunning!

2009-06-29T14:40:00.001-07:00

My boyfriend bought me a bunch of pink lillies for getting my degree results last week! They have all opened up and they look absolutely beautiful!

Thanks Baby!

I love you

xXx