Hair Envy

Recently, I've been quite the self hater, disliking pretty much all elements of myself from my hair to my weight, my skin, the fact I'm unable to not..for lack of a better word fuck up a good relationship, so I've decided I'm only allowed to have one serious hate, and at the moment, that shall be my hair.


Now, me and my hair have a real love-hate relationship, I wanted to be blonde, my hair didn't want to co-operate...and resulted in a kind of yellowy-blonde mess (I tried to find a picture but it's really for the best those don't see the light of day...) an attempt at medium brown resulted in black hair with some odd gingery blonde bits in it, and after various changes between varying shades of brown and several returns to black, here we are

a short blackish brown colour with brown-blonde roots, which are much lighter than this photo, which was taken about a week ago, and nope, I've not chopped all my hair off since my last photo, it's the joy of clip in hair extensions.


Now the major down fall of clip in hair extensions is that they can fall out, generally you've just bought them they go ratty quite quickly and tangle by the end of the day which are awful to take out and tangle into your own hair! after a few months, they need replacing again, and without buying some which are pretty expensive (£70!) so if you need to replace those about 4 times a year, it's gets pretty pricey for something which is always raved about as a cheap solution to short or flat hair and I think that maybe for adding volume, clip in's might be great, but for length, not so much. With my hair at the length it is now, I feel quite uncomfortable with myself, I feel very unfeminine, now some girls carry off short and shorter hair with ease and look beautiful, but for me it really doesn't work and I feel very ugly! 


So, the next logical step is 'permanent' hair extensions, at the moment I'm deciding between the brand name systems of Cinderella or Great Lengths extensions, or going for a slightly cheaper option which I have herd is very good,but I do assume that the brands are famous and the first pick of many people, for a reason! (although being a make up lover I do know it's not always the case) So, at the moment I'm having serious hair envy of these girls

Google Images - thanks!

Ignoring the colours, I love the length of all these beautiful ladies hair!

Little Update

As alot of you will know, today was GCSE Results day...the day we spend 11 years building up too and was out of our hands months ago.


In the end, I got 4 B's, a C ad one A*!!!

Giveway!

I've decided I'm going to do a give away once I reach say...30 followers? So tomorrow I'm going out to get prizes!


Are there any items you'd love to win girls?

Loosing Weight

loosing weight is the most common new years resolution ever, and like loads of other people, I made it again this year and it's now august, guess what? it's not happened.
I'm a stress and emotional eater, and add in having depression and GCSE's, that's a recipe for getting fat. After trying on a lovely pair of jeans two or three days ago, I decided it's time I really really loose weight, I've tried before buy going on a low calorie diet and increasing exercise but nothings ever stuck.


So, tomorrow early I'm going to boots and joining the 'Tony Ferguson Weight Loss Program' and hoping for the best, wish me luck.


I'll update next Monday with how it's gone, if I've lost any weight etc, but I'm not 100% sure I'll be sharing my weight, maybe at the end of this once I've lost a substantial amount of weight I'll show a number and a picture. I'm also going to be combining it with 3 exercise classes a week and increasing my walks with the dogs.


Have any of you struggled to loose weight? if so what did you/are you doing to help? 


PS here's a picture of what I'm aiming for

July Faves

I cannot believe that the months gone by already! I'm still sat here in Florida, I get back on the 5th of august at about 7am so by the time we've driven back up it'll be 10AM, then mission up to Blyth to collection Blake from his holiday home, which he most likely will not want to leave, and the to the kennel to collection her ladyship and bring her home, who will most likely be moody! by the time I get home, it's going to be coming up for 1pm! I'll have been up for 25 hours and about to die of exhaustion so that isn't going to be pleasant.


But, I will be posting up a haul of the things I got, and so far I've got quite alot of stuff, including some lovely older limited edition MAC, but anyway, on to the faves!


Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Soft Porcelain - I'm in love with this product, it makes my skin look almost flawless and soft, it doesn't look powdery or too matte but just lovely! only problem is that it can make my huge pores stand out a bit more but with a good primer that is no issue

Illamasqua Katie - This gives me the perfect doll like cheeks over the Laura Mercier Powder, it offers natural looking colour and even though it's matte it's got something about it that makes me look healthy. Also like all Illamasqua blushes, it smells amazing!

Sleek Pout Polish in Pink Cadillac - I'm in love with this, it's moisturising, smells and tastes good, the colour is just enough to make your lips look pinky and nice without being too much, it looks pretty and girly, and has become a staple in my quick make up routine.

MAC Feline Eye Kohl - The famous 'blackest black' eye pencil, this month I've really been into just applying a medium-thick line of pencil and smudging it out with the 219 brush to give my lashes a bit more definition.

Sonia Kashuk Domed Multi Purpose Brush - I need like...4 of these! One for powder, one for blush, one for foundation and one for cream blush, it is good at all these things, it's also the softest thing on the planet, and has been applying my Laura Mercier powder so well, it's really impressed me. If you have a chance to get hold of any of the Sonia Kashuk brushes, do so, they're really good brushes and pretty cheap!

Pictures are all off google images, sorry they're not my own.




Sorry that this is quite a small post! 

Thankyou!

Huge thanks to the 15 of you who follow my blog! I never thought anyone would want to read what I have to say but thank you so much! 


Other than posts being more regular (which I promise will be happening!), what things would you like to see on my blog? Reviews of any specific products? hair 'stuff' (tutorials, care, colour) anything, just leave a comment and tell me


x


PS. Thankyou again!

USA CCO Haul #1

I say number one as, after going to the CCO I think I'll be going back to do some serious damage!


for those of you who don't know, CCO stands for Cosmetics Company Outlet, which is an estee lauder brand outlet in the USA, we do have three here in the UK, which I believe to be in Swindon, York and Ellesmere Port in 'Designer Outlets'  but I am not 100% sure of these locations, so don't quote me on it.




In the CCO I managed to grab


Femme-Fi Eyeshadow from the Neo-Sci-Fi Collection and most recently from Blonde, Brunette, Redhead

Sorry for the blur, the camera was like 'no, I won't focus on this for you!' 

Perfect Topping Mineralize Skinfinish from the Sugar Sweet Collection

Conjure Up Mineralize Blush from the Magic, Mirth and Mischief Collection (The Christmas collection just gone)

So Sweet,  So Easy Creamblend Blush from the MAC in Lillyland Collection

Blood Red Lipstick from the DSquared2 Collection, which until in was involved in a traumatic accident involving the washing machine, was my favourite lipstick of the fall just gone

Strada Blush which I believe wasn't limited edition but instead was discontinued, this seems to be the contour colour I searched so desperately for!

I attempted swatches, but my camera hates me because I made it take about five-hundred-thousand-million pictures in Harry Potter World Yesterday, so I apologise for that (let me know if you wanna see those pictures though!)


The CCO has provided me with the gifts I plan to bring back from the' Land Of Sephora' for my favourite bloggers who I think know who they are but I've not told them, and also some prizes for a give away I'm planning to do, so stay tuned for more! 


Any recent haul's you girls have done and want to share? also, any recommendations for products to pick up while I'm here?

In's and out's #2 & June Faves

This post's just combining my monthly faves and monthly fails!
I'm in Orlando! the trip here was interesting, luckily my cousin slept the whole car trip to Manchester (2 1/2 hours for us) but was excited for the entire wait in the airport, which did NOT have a starbucks like the website said. On the flight I ended up in pain for the first hour! it was awful it felt like the pressure on my head was trying to crush it or something, and it wasn't like when you're on the plane and your ears hurt, it was awful, I've been on planes since I was 6 weeks old and this has never ever happened before, but for the rest of the flight I had Harry Potter audio books and Titanic on my iPod so I was entertained once I got rid of the headache. So, on to the makeup...


In's/Faves 


Blonde MSF - This came out with Blonde, Brunette, Redhead last year but I only acquired it towards the end of May, but now it's a go to for when I need a more glowing look, it really does make you look as if you're glowing! it's an excellent blush topper and can be used to highlight the top of your cheekbones. 


MAC Blanc Type eyeshadow - I bought this about 6 months ago, and I'm running out! I love this eyeshadow I wear it just about everyday all over the lid  to even out the colour of my lids and be a good base for any eyeliner if I'm not wearing anything else  on my eyes that day. 


Maybelline Full n Soft Mascara - I'm going to cheat and put this in here even though I've only had it about a week, after getting it in a swap I now don't know how I never asked for this mascara from one of my US swaps before! I absolutely adore it and for the price of just under $6 I think I'll be stocking up on this while I'm here as it's just that good, full looking lashes (Which do look soft and not crunchy) a good black colour and it hold a curl! what more do I need? it's not a lengthing mascara but personally, I don't need length as I do have very long lashes but they lack the fullness I desire. The first paragraph of Cami's latest post sums up my expectations of mascara completely.


MAC's Marine Life Highlight Powder - My first really coraly blush! the pink in it makes it wearable for me when I mix the two together, a great summery cheek that doesn't look odd on me! NARS blushes are now becoming more and more necessary for me to buy now that I think I can get away with more colours.


NARS Fez eyeshadow - A beautiful bronze-brown kinda chocolatey shade, looks amazing in the crease of any look or the outer v, again, a nice summery colour


Out's/not loving


Diorshow Extase Mascara - ever so sorry Dior but this mascara is not for me! it's too much effort and doesn't even give me half the great effect of Full n Soft and costs about 5 times the price! 


MAC Lipglass - I continue to buy them, especially from MAC but I don't like wearing them! too sticky and the colours aren't that great nor pigmented, I am a loyal lipstick lover! 




Also, here's a picture of my baby boy, who I am missing alot (but not missing his love of eating headphones and stealing!) I'm sorry for all the yapping I do about him, but he's lush and mine!

His beloved paddling pool

Yes, that is a carrot he's eating

Diorshow Extase Mascara

This mascara is the newest edition to the Diorshow Mascara 'family' which, according to Debenhams website, consists of 8 mascaras. Before I get on with the review, here's a bit about my lashes, I have long lashes with a little bit of a curl, but they're not as full and 'false' as I'd like.

I chose Extase out of the Dior mascaras about a month ago as my first high end mascara (other than mini Lancome ones from my aunt) it claims to be an 'Instant Oversize Volume Mascara' with a 'couture brush', offering both length and volume along with a 'lash care' ingredient, I picked this one partly because the sales women at both Dior counters were pushing this one and were very reluctant to show me the other mascaras and if I asked about them they would refer back to this one and since it was the same price as the others, I figured it was worth a try since I had birthday money. On to the mascara its self...

It comes in a shiny gold tube which is very pretty and quite classy looking, with black writing showing the name of the mascara, the tube it's self is very sleek and it has a 'click' when you close it which is nice as you know that air is not getting into the mascara and drying it out. However, the top of the tube is to wide and lets too much mascara onto the brush which could lead to very clumpy lashes so you've got to sort of wipe it off in the tube which is a bit of a fuss. The mascara its self is quite wet feeling and thickens the lashes nicely, it can easy go clumpy though and if you have any left over mascara from the night before which didn't come off, it will clump pretty quickly as the brush can't separate the lashes, I'm not sure if that's because of the brush itself or because it has too much mascara on it, either way I find it difficult. For me, it holds a curl okay, but I've got a crap eyelash curler so I think it's difficult for me to say if this will or won't. This mascara only comes in black at the moment and isn't waterproof, neither of these are serious flaws for me, as I think brown mascara is weird looking with my dark hair, brows, lashes and eyes! and waterproof is often irritating for my eyes. One this that I didn't expect this to do and I assumed was just marketing is the fact that my lashes feel much stronger and look much nicer since using this which I think is due to the lash caring ingredients.

Overall I'd say this is a pretty decent mascara, nice volume and length, I'm not sure if it's right for me though, for others, it may be HG but for me I think I need considerably more volume! I'm not returning to the drugstore just yet as Diorshow Blackout is next on my list!

May Favorites

I cannot belive that may is over! it's really scary how fast this year has gone by, I think it needs to slow it down. Sorry for the lack of posts which is due to the fact my exams are here, It sounds weird but I'm really happy my exams are upon me. Now, I'm not one of these people who just love exams (Anyone Hermonies face in harry potter when exams were cancelled?) but we've been building up for these preparing for about two and a half years so I can finally just get them over with and move on to a life without school. So yes, back on topic, I've been revising alot recently and then doing other things too to help my mother with the guide dog puppy who's recently become a nightmare as he enters the doggie equivalent of the terrible two's which seems to involve alot of chewing. 


Moving swiftly on, I can seriously talk for England. 


So in the past month, I have been loving...

Topshop Cream Blush in 'Crushed Berry' 

Since getting this, I think I've used it most days it's creamy and smooth but doesn't look OTT grease or anything. I disagree with the cream-to-powder formula it says it has as I think it's a bit more of a satin finish on me, but either way it's very good. It looks natural despite the fact it's a berry colour but it comes out more pink. I'm really egar to try the other blushes in the line (Flush and Pinch are on my list!) excuse the ickyness of the picture, i tried to use a too fluffy natural hair brush in it...just don't do it

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

This is my daily foundation and I truly love it, I normally only have one foundation open and 'in use' but I do currently have two on the go, the other being MAC's studio Sculpt which I plan to do a review on at some stage, and this is the one that I choose everyday to wear, I love the finish of it and it lasts all day without feeling heavy see my review here

Illamasqua Loose Powder

I love this powder, I got it back in December for Christmas and used it to set my revlon colourstay foundation, but the look wasn't good for me, overly matte and highlighted all my winter dryness, so I instead swapped to MAC and these were left in the draw. Until recently when my Illamasqua loose powder has been busted out and used to set my Sheer Glow, I have the colour 115 which is described as having golden undertones, I personally consider this to be crap as I cannot detect the slightest golden hint in the powder when in the jar or on my skin, but this powder does a great job of setting my foundation without making the foundation matte, but it does prevent me getting oily and the foundation transferring. It's a daily essential for me, even though people have told me that because I have dry skin I shouldn't use a setting powder I find it to be necessary to making foundation last and this does an outstanding job.

MAC 'A Rose Romance' Lipstick.

I recently got this in a swap so I've only been wearing it for about two weeks, but the colour is beautiful, the pink is just right and the formula is quite pigmented for a lustre. The slightly gold hint to it I think is what makes all the difference it feels pretty and summery. I must say, it is slightly more drying than other lustres I've tried but I'll put that down to it being more pigmented than others I've tried.
Image property of Temptalia 

NARS Eyeshadow In Ondine 

This is a lush colour to use in the crease or outer-v the purple is great on my dark eyes the colour is just perfect to use lightly over the lid for a wash of colour too.
Image found on google

NARS Eyeshadow in Mekong

This eyeshadow is so pretty, the picture doesn't at all do it justice you really need to have it! it's beautiful pushed over the top of black liner (I use a 212 brush and pack it on) to give a beautiful deep espresso brown and gold glittery finish but it also works nice in the outer-v and crease, I reach for this everyday! 


What have you been loving this month? or what things have you been hating this month? 

Big Boobs = Big Bra Budget!

Is it just me? or does it seem that the bigger your boobs the more you have to pay for a bra. I'm not talking about bra sizes going up to bigger size and costing more, but as in being able to find a nice bra, for a reasonable price! 
I'm a bit stingy when it comes to spending money on things such as underwear which are hidden 90% of the time but the going rate for a nice looking bra which fits well seems to be about £14 which to me seems pretty reasonable price and even though it is hidden most of the time, it makes me feel confident to have a nice looking bra on! The problem, however, lies in the fact that in general, these bra ranges seem to finish at a D. DD is your lucky maybe, but that's way to small for me! 
After my mother told me that my bra was looking awful and making my boobs like as if I was about 50 years old, I went to deb's for a bra fitting (I'd normally go to M&S but after the last bra..no thankyou) and when the woman told me my size  (I'm a 34F) I seriously sighed. My previous size of a  34DD to E was hard enough to find bras which are nice looking and fit well on a budget but at an F! Now, I do know that there are loads of places that cater for bigger boobs (Bravissimo, Figleaves...etc) but at prices of about £24 a shot I think it's a bit over priced since a smaller bra costs about a tenner less! I tried on a lovely freya bra that was super comfy but it was so expensive! lucky I managed to grab it on sale along with two which were reduced to £16 pounds so I'd have some bras which fitted me nicely! now these bra's do fit but I was so put off by all the prices, the ranges designed for bigger bras seem to cost so much more, and my question is just why!? 
Also, a little rant about all these lovely looking structured dresses around with cups in them, I actually think I could pull one off but I don't think I could get half a boob into one of those cups!
Anyone else think this is a bit of a scam?


Anyway, rant over just something I've noticed that's bothered me for a while now. 
GCSE literature exam on Tuesday and I'm ever so slightly bricking it! Poems and of Mice and Men are my subjects for it :( 

40 Beauty Questions.

I'm currently sat here, purple from my hair dye (it's black by the way, not purple but it stains purple) so I thought I'd do this beauty questions quiz.


Skincare Questions



How many times do you wash your face daily? I was my face twice a day most of the time.
What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) I have super dry skin that's also currently suffering with clogged pores =(
What is your current facial wash? I don't use a wash actually, I use like a milk cleanser to take off my make-up and an oil cleanser too.
Do you exfoliate? I do about twice a week.
What brand do you use? well I'm currently between brands, I just bought the body shop facial buffer today and I'm looking for a nice exfoliator.
What moisturizer do you use? Avene rich compensating cream at the moment at night but I have the light one for the day
Do you have freckles? No, I don't actually.
Do you use eye cream? No, but I am planning on getting one to see if it makes my eye area look nicer
Do you or did you have acne prone skin? sort of, I don't get spots but I do get clogged up pores, so is that sort of the same thing?
Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? nope.

Make-up Questions

What foundation do you use? NARS Sheer Glow

How about concealer? MAC's moisture cover but I don't like it anymore so I think I'm after the Bobbi Brown one now

Do you know your undertone color? I think I do I'm neutral with a slight lean to cool

What do you think of fake eyelashes? I love how they look but I aruge with them to look nice so I think I'm going to stick with corner ones, but I think I'll get full on falsies for my prom.


Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months? I do but I also know that is a lie and it's really 6 months.


What brand of mascara do you use? Currently Dior, after I found that it's really 6 months and I have been lied to I bought a high end one I'd craved.

Sephora or MAC?
I'm in the UK so MAC, but If we had Sephora I'd go for Sephora.


Do you have a MAC Pro-card? No but I'll be able to get one next year :)

What make-up tools do you use in make up application? Brushes and sometimes fingers but I like using brushes.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? I do, I use a Paintpot or Too Face Shadow Insurance but I prefer Paintpots.

For the face? I'm useing a GOSH one but its not as good as the sample one I tried for the new one that comes in a pot, with dry skin I think using a primer helps with application but not with lastings power is has no impact on me. I'm going to get the Laura Mericer one soon I hope.

What is your favorite eyeshadow ? I love NARS Fez or Mekong, I wish I could wear Mekong all over all the time!
Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? Liquid pen liner thingys or Pencils, I love both.
How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? Too often I'm natural clumsy and misjudge the distance.
What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? I like the Naked one I have from MAC but I'm not too into loose shadows.
Do you use mineral makeup? NO. I don't get the hype.
What is your favorite lipstick? MAC's Girl About Town.
How about lipgloss? I love my new Dior one, they're such pretty colour all of them!
What is your favorite blush to use? Either Azalea Blossom or I love Topshop Crushed Berry
Do you buy your makeup on ebay? Not often but I have done.
Do you like drugstore makeup? Yeah, I like Revlon alot and sometimes Rimmel.
Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) No, Uk girl :( I shall be visiting in the US though and hauling like a mad woman
Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? I am actually doing a theatrical make up course in September and I can't wait.
Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? no, I think I'm pretty good but I've got plenty room to improve on my skills.
Name a makeup crime that you hate? Spindery lashes, too thin brows, and being orange.
Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones? Bright lips neutral eyes.
Which celebrity always has great make up? Kat Dennings, Dita Von Teese and Leighton Meester are all beautiful with great make up. I love Taylor Momsen too but not everyday.
If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use? Foundation, but I'd look dead with no blush on too.
Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? Yeah, I do quite a bit.
Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? no, I don't look very good.
In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? NARS I think, I love MAC's range of products but sometimes things are hit and miss on quality.
What do you think of Makeup? I love Make-up! shocker, I know.

I so don't get the deal with...

I don't know what it is about LUSH, but I really don't get it. I've tried and tried to like it and I just can't manage it! I will admit I liked the Butterball bath bomb's smell but I didn't like greasy feeling on my skin, it was too much or me! I also loved the smell off the melting marshmallow moment but it gets sickly after a while, along with the fact it dyed my bath pink for a couple of weeks after. I did buy a sugarscrub from them for my lips which tasted amazing but on it's own it was super hard to use so I mixed it with vasaline, and I do like it, but a 25g pot costs £5.00 and I think I could make it myself for cheaper! (I have also tried a handcream from here but lets not get into that one, when it comes to handcream I'm a very very fussy person)
I will say, I've not written this brand off yet, the shower jelly sounds like a fun concept and the 'Honey I Washed The Kids' soap might be one for me, but from the products I've tried I'm not getting the hyper around this brand.

Mineral Make-up, this is the one brand I've tried myself but I don't quite understand the appeal. Me and my mother were wondering Debenhams (The Monday before Spring Colour Forecast came out which my counter wouldn't yet sell :( I was very sad ) and a woman from the Bare Minerals counter pounced on us and offered to try some products on us, seeing as we had nothing better to do we decided to take her up on her offer as she was also giving away 10 day samples to people who tried the foundation. My mum went first, and loved it! the primer erased all pores, fine lines and visible imperfections (I must say though, my mum has very few) and the foundation colour was a great match and easy to apply, at this point I was sold too and let her take of my foundation and try it on me. Lets just say it wasn't a success, my face felt awful with it on and the lightest colour was all 'off'' and looked very very weird, it also took away from the fact I'm pale, and I may be one of the few but I like that I'm pale! after three hours of wear, I took the foundation off and the next day; spots galore! I thought this was meant to be good for your skin? not make it break out and feel sore and sort of clogged up? This has put me off the idea of mineral make up, but some smaller companies do look good but I've herd a few dozen re-packaging scandals *cough*Limecrime*Cough* I'm not sure who to trust!

I don't know what it is about these but I don't get it. People RAVE about Urban Decay's 24/7 liners but for me, they don't do anything more than any other liner does. Zero is meant to be the be-all-end-all of liners for the waterline but on me, it just looks sheer and doesn't stay on any longer than MAC's Feline or those cheapie Rimmel Kajal liners do and they do it with about 5x the intensity. Coloured eyeliner does very little for  me, but as a base these liners can work pretty well, but not well enough for me to want to buy a full-size, and they are actually about 2/3 the size of a MAC pencil (Which when I first got I was shocked by the size of). I actually don't get Urban Decay in general, I always look but never buy, nothing seems to grab me too much, there eyeshadows are meant to be really good but the one I tried was fallout city! I did want to dry the Alice palette but something stopped me getting it. I do wonder about their lipsticks though...

These are all things I often here talked about, but I just don't get the deal with them! What products do you hear people rave about all the time but just don't understand the hype?

FOTD 1 (Which is actually a face of Saturday...)

You can't see my eye make up very well thought but this was the only one where my face didn't look really bad! my liner was actually even in real life, Promise. This was my look for going to lunch and shopping with my best friend.


Face
NARS Sheer Glow in Siberia 
Illamasqua Translucent Loose Powder
Topshop Crushed Berry Cream Blush
Illamasqua Katie Blush (Lightly to add to staying power)
Eyes 
MAC Blanc Type
NARS Abyssinia 
MAC All Races
NARS Ondine 
Maybelline Define-A-line Liquid Pen Thingy 
MAC Feline (Tightlining)
Dior Show Extase Mascara


Lips 
MAC Girl About Town Lipstick
Rimmel Eastend Snob lipliner (I wear this under practically all lipsticks)


I think this looked nicer in real life and I can't find a good picture for my eye make up! I know it's not the best but I think once I get some better brushes I'll be able to do nicer looks (My 226 is on it's way in a swap!) 


Any blog posts you'd like to see? I have a Fafi Eyes Quad on the way in a swap too so I'll do a review and a look or two with that but are post's you'd like to see? Reviews of anything? If I don't have it I'll see if I can acquire it.


Also! Big thankyou to Camiloveskiwi for the mention on her blog! it was so sweet and thankyou to my new followers because of it!

In's and Out's

I love reading these so I thought I'd do my own.


In's


Clip In Extensions. Something you guys may not know or might have worked out, but my hair isn't my own, it's extensions, for some reason I decided to go blonde about two years ago and my hair is paying the price in having been cut short and my hair is taking forever to grow! so extensions it is and recently I've gotten into the habit of wearing them again after saying to myself it was too much effort when it takes me like 5 minutes! and I look so much nicer with long hair.


NARS Mekong. I'm using this everyday right now over liner pushed on with a 212 brush so all the glitter says on it and looks amazing rather than just flat black! 


The end of school - Thankgod! I've had a horrible 5 years and I can't wait for it to be over, and I must say if school day's are the best of your life then I truly have something to worry about


Glee. I'm a Gleek and proud! I love this show and I'm so happy we started recording it. 


Out's


With the end of school, comes the revision and the exams, when waiting for A MAC package the dogs went into full blown "ZOMG THAT MAN HAS THE CHEEK TO PARK HIS FAN IN MY STREET!!!!!" mode and my mother went to answer the door, as I'm getting excited that this is my parcel from MAC...nope. £50 of revision guides and work books from CGP...


The Sun. I'm a girl who's suffered with migraines for around about 5 years now and apparently the sun is now a trigger for my migraines so the summer means that could get alot worse but hopefully the new medication I've been given will help so my holiday to Florida will just mean alot of having to remember sunglasses, water and Migraleve pink pills.


MAC. Now, I'm not meaning to be blasphemous here but I'm sick of the new collections! all the time I feel like I've just recovered from the money I spent last time and they hit us with a new one I keep trying to stay away from hype but it's so hard.

Sigma Make Up SS197

Sigma Make-up SS197

Before using the brush I would use a MAC 187SE, 190SE or a 109 to apply liquid foundations an had problems with all of them. The 187 sheds a couple black hairs when you use it and it also takes forever to stipple with and it nowhere near dense enough to buff with (I must say, I do not understand why people like this for liquid foundation) the 190 leaves streaks like any regular foundation brush does which I really dislike, I also tried it with my gosh brush foundation brush which is much more 'fluffy' and the same issue an the 109 sheds like an absolute beast! it's super awful for liquid foundation in my opinion and I also don't understand the hype over this one. Right, before I start this review I will admit that I did only get this brush this week so it's a bit of a first impressions review but so far, I am truly in love with this brush. I bought it for liquid foundation as I love my NARS sheer glow foundation but I needed a brush to give me the application I wanted without much effort (Lazy me...) and this brush really does deliver. It's super dense, the most dense brush I've ever felt actually and it gives me a flawless finish in no time. I just get a bit of foundation and buff it into my skin and it's done is no time! I can then go over it again in areas I want a bit more coverage. Now, I must be honest and say that I did think this brush would be a let down as I often find with brushes and things I buy online without being able to see them first but I was so pleasantly surprised by this brush!It's very sturdy with a big thick handle and hasn't shed during use or washing (been washed about 3 times, currently drying out actually) and it's incredibly soft!. It makes me curious about other Sigma brushes and I may even buy one of their kits, because if they're all as good as this one I'd be sorted brush wise!

The Good -

• The Price. I got this for about £15 and that is including post and packaging prices. 
• The Finish. This brush does give me the best finish I've had with a foundation before with no streaks and good coverage.
• Multi-purpose. This brush actually works really well with cream blush, I'm waiting for my 130 brush so that I can give that a whirl but I do like this brush too, it's down fall is only that it's a little big.
• Shipping from Sigma was quick, it took around a week to get to me from the US.

The Bad 

• It takes Forever to dry! I'm currently washing it once every 2 days and that keeps it nice and clean but deep cleaning is a little difficult as the brush is so dense and takes a while to dry, but an easy way around it is to wash it after you use it and it will be ready for using again the next day...or buy two! I honestly think that this brush would be the sort I'd pay close to £30 at MAC so being able to get two for that price is great for something really high quality. 
• Can only be bought online, which might put some people off if you like to have a feel of a brush before you buy it.
• It was out of stock for about 4 months! it's currently back in stock and apparently has some slightly changes from the original (The original had SS197 on the handle where as this one has Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki) so perhaps  the delay was getting the changes to the brush but I'd still say buy it now when it's still in stock!

All round, I love this brush, love it, love it, love it, I've never had a finish like this and the only serious con for me is that it takes ages to dry after washing but I think it's a minor flaw that's unavoidable in having a seriously dense brush so I would buy another one so I could wash it on a night and have a clean dry brush every morning but I do really recommend this brush and if you were thinking of buying it I'd say go for it!

Also quick question ; How often do you wash your brushes? I wash all of my brushes at least once a week and my foundation brushes once every two days, but how often do you do it?

*Pictures found on google images*

Current Lemmings and a bit of an offload

I decided that I was going to make a little list of things I currently wish to own as a way to pass a bit of time. It's almost 8 o'clock on a Tuesday night and I've intended to start working on my case study on Nuclear Power since around half three this afternoon, but I've managed to put it off by playing with the dog, or watching Fringe, I even tried to have a little nap, but that didn't go too good, I think this is going to be the last time-wasting activity that I have before I am actually going to have to start working on it. 

So, onto the actual post topic!

I've been hauling like crazy for the past month and a half, but I'm not done yet! My stash/kit has been growing like mad recently but I still think I need a few things to 'complete' it!

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick

Lipsticks actually, I really fancy Lingere Pink, and maybe Rose Culte also. I don't know what it is about these lipsticks but in swatches they look beautiful! the classy packaging is also a plus point for me. Rose Culte especially look like it could be a HG lip colour for me, I thought I had found my HG lip colour in MAC's Blood Rose (LE, obviously...) but that was involved in a terrible accident with my washing machine that I still cannot explain, and the counters near me and the website were all sold out at this point. Despite being a berry colour, I think it was the rose tones that brightened my face up. Here's to hoping...

CHANEL Pro Lumière

I'm in love with my NARS Sheer Glow and when my SS197 arrives I have a feeling my love will grow even stronger, but for some reason unknown to me, I am craving this foundation so much. I like to change my foundation now and then, unless my skin aggressively objects to it, and this seems like a good contender as it also claims to tighten pores which seems to be a massive issue for me at the moment. The only problem seems to be that the shades are confusing, in the Mat Lumière the lightest shade is '05' but in Pro Lumière the lightest shade is '10' but the next shade down in both is '20', so does that mean that the Mat Lumière is lighter than the Pro Lumière? If somebody knows, please tell me! if not, I'll try get myself down to the Metro Centre soon and see for myself...provided my lazy arse can be bothered that is! 

Illamasqua Cream Blush

For about a month and a half, I have been desiring a cream blush. I've never had one before but apparently they are amazing to prolong the life of powder blush and look amazing on their own with foundation. The colour 'Sob' which I swatched it in Fenwicks two weeks ago looked amazing on my hand in store and in daylight and I've herd good things about Illamasqua's cream blush and I am a big fan of their power blush I'm sure these are no different. My only problem, a problem I'm sure is fairly common in Illamasqua is which colour to go for? 

NARS 'Scarlet Empress' Lipstick

After all the red lipsticks I've tried, Ruby Woo, Russian Red, a couple hundred drugstore lipsticks and one or two from Illamasqua, I think I've finally found the  perfect red lipstick. When I found this lipstick in SpaceNK around two months ago I fell in love. A classic red is something I think every girl need to have, there;s a perfect red for everyone and I think, I might have found mine.

A Contour Colour?

I need something to try make my face look a little more sculpted. Having a bit of a rough time at the moment (and over the past year or two) has made me turn to the most wonderful people. Ben & Jerry, the two most calorific men in the world! which also means I've put on a stupid amount of weight which is why I'm trying hard to do something about it, but in the mean time, I need something to make my mainly round face look nicer. I bought a Scuplt&Shape Duo in a blogsale (Held by Lillian who's blog you should check out and follow) but the darker colour is too warm toned so I look a bit funny. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know! 

Review - NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

I've been using NARS Sheer Glow Foundation for around two weeks now, which I think is long enough to give it a fairly good review. I herd about this foundation many times over Youtube Make-up Alley and other forums for a few months but I never bought it untill recently. Two major factors caused me to be a bit put off it, the words sheer and glow which to a girl who normally wore fairly high coverage foundations that were very matte sounded incredibly unappealing. The other, being the price tag, which is pretty steep at £29 at pop for the average 30ml of foundation. but for some reason, I decided I wanted it, partly down to the fact that my foundation wasn't working for me and I realised that matte skin didn't suit me at all and was drying out my skin, and I got it for my birthday.
This foundation really works for me, it feels like there is nothing on your skin at all, and the colour is as close to perfect as I've ever had (Siberia) and offers just enough coverage that it still looks very natural but flawless, I personally think under-eye concealer is needed on me, but may not be for you. I set this foundation with Illamasqua's loose powder but I plan to try some others soon, has this can sometimes make my skin look a little dry.
The downfall of this product is the fact that it has no pump which means that you could waste foundation, and if you were to knock it over or the lid were to come loose when you were travelling it could lead to a bit of a disaster. The only other flaw I've found is that I can't find a brush which works really well with it, but I have that problem with most liquid foundation
for me this is a wonderful foundation and the best I've had to date, the coverage and weightless feel make it worth it's price tag 100%!


Here's a quick pro's and con's list for you


Pro's 
Great Coverage.
Feels as if nothing is on your skin.
Easy to blend.
Great colour match for my pale skin (I'm unsure for other skintones)
Perfect stain finish, not too matte nor to dewy.
Non Drying.


Con's 
No Pump! this leads to wasting foundation by pouring out too much. I have herd that they may be selling one apparently, but I don't now.
Which setting powder?
Bit of a big price tag (By my standards at least)


Since I only have three gripes with this foundation, I really do think it is amazing! current HG foundation, but I won't stop looking for more.
I'd give this foundation at least an 8/10.


What foundation is your Holy Grail foundation? and what do you think is the best brush for liquid foundation?


Thanks for reading, I'll answer any questions in comments :)
Simone xxx