Pretty Green Eyes

I would like to take a moment to explain why I've slightly abandoned my blog.  A couple of weeks ago I had surgery on my eyes, luckily everything went fine, and even though I have had time off work, I didn't realise I wouldn't be able to blog for so long because of the healing process.  I have been very sensitive to light and not allowed to look at a computer or watch tele :( my phone has had to be turned off to stop me looking at that too.  There is also an aftercare routine which involves drops and medication which had made me just want to rest all the time.

I know this looks like some sort of swimming by candlelight tutorial 

I had planned to spend the time actually bombarding you with posts.  I had written a couple of posts that I didn't have a chance to upload before my operation so I managed to sneakily post them.  From now I should be able to get going and start blogging regularly again.

Thank you for understanding 
x

GlossyBox - August

I was pleasantly surprised with Glossy Box this month as my box arrived a couple of days ago, normally mine comes on the last day of the month.  One thing I really like about GlossyBox is how there is always a theme to the boxes, whether you think the products go with the theme is purely personal opinion. This month is International Superstars, I think 'Superstars' may be pushing it a bit but I'll let them off.

I had mixed reactions when I opened this month's box, I looked at the card and there wasn't anything that jumped out at me.  I was only as I started looking at each product that I decided that this actually isn't a bad box.

Alessandro Pro White Original Nail Polish

I can't wait to use this! These types of products are why I subscribed to GlossyBox, I would never have thought of buying a whitening nail varnish, but now I have it, I'm going to give it a test drive and hopefully be reviewing it on here soon.

Valentino - Valentina Assoluto

Perfume samples in beauty boxes really don't float my boat, it's just a way of filling up the box in my opinion.  However,, I do like the fragrance but not for myself, I think this is a more mature scent and I will probably be passing this over to my mum to cop a whiff of.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
I love trying new cleansers and this one is described as 'better than any other make-up remover you've ever tried' I hope it lives up to its claim.  If this is as good as I hope, this could be the best product GlossyBox has ever included, so look out for a review.

Vera Valenti L'Ombre a Paupiere Margarita
One of the more disappointing products, which is a shame because Spain has some lovely brands that would have been a better choice.  At £3.85 I would not call this a luxury product that GlossyBox claim to include in the boxes.

Lipcote Lip Sealer
I've never tried a lipstick sealer before so I'm excited to try this out, Lipcote is 'the secret of long lasting, feather fade and water resistant lipstick.'  This is one of the four full sized products in this box and normally retails for £3.99, which also is not really luxury but think this is a better product for the box than the eyeshadow palette. 

GlossyBox Lipstick in Glossy Pink
As the last product listed, I am assuming this has been included as a freebie to promote the GlossyBox brand, which I am not complaining about.  This is a lovely coloured deep nude pink that has a nice texture.  However, as you can see from the picture, it either arrived broken or broke the second I placed it on my lips.  This is such a shame because I think this could have been a step forward for the GlossyBox brand as I love lipsticks and I hope that it is just me that got a dodgy one off.

So all in all I think Glossybox has done quite well this month, six products included with four being full sized!  If you are interested in further reviews of any of the products, once I've properly tried them out, leave a comment below or check back to see if I have posted about them.

If you wish to subscribe visit the GlossyBox site here

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

Over the passed few months my eyes have suffered at the hands of my weird sleeping patterns, I wake up with dry, puffy, purple bags under my eyes most mornings. I have tried different eye creams and recently stumbled upon an eye gel, so I thought I would share my views on the Nivea Visage Aqua Sensation Anti-Shadow Eye Cream and No7 Beautiful Skin Vitality Eye Roll-on.

Our eyes are one of the most sensitive places on the body and the skin around them is equally as delicate so choosing the perfect eye cream can be very hard.  Nivea Aqua Sensation is very light and uses Hydra IQ to help create aquaporins.  Aquaporins are our skin cells 'hydration channels' which is why Nivea claim this cream has an instant and long-lasting effect on reducing signs of tiredness, wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles.  I found my eyes feeling more nourished and any flaking skin quickly heals to become smooth.  When using this product twice daily I do notice signs of my eyes looking a lot fresher and youthful.

Light and very moisturising  

Reduces lines and smooths the skin

Normal and combination skin

£5.99 at Boots

I found No7's eye roll-on by accident really, and it has soon become one of my favourite skincare products ever. I apply a small amount under my eyes with the metal balls in the morning, I allow this is seep in to my skin for about five minutes. I still can't believe the results this gives, the puffiness goes down and even better so does the bruise-like purpleness! I look instantly awake, and no more nasty dark circles either.  I sometimes leave this in the fridge the night before if I know I've had a few late nights because I find, the cooler the gel, the better the result in the morning.

Reduces puffiness and dark circles

Makes eye area look wide awake

All skin types

£12 at Boots - but at the moment there is 3 for 2 offer on No7

I am now very happy with my eye care routine, I use Nivea Aqua Sensation cream at night and then the No7 Beautiful Skin Vitality Roll-on in the morning.  Overall, my skin has benefited so much from these products and find the combination of them mix well to suit my skin.

What do you use to keep your eyes looking young?

The Beauty of Ebay!

I have a love-hate relationship with Ebay, I love how cheap it can be, but hate how many fakes are on there.  My biggest tip is to use sellers that are recommended to you.  And also, when buying branded products expect it to be fake, I always ask myself 'would I pay this amount if I knew this wasn't the real deal?'  If the answer is yes then there's no tears when my 'Mac' lipstick breaks within 2 days. 

However, there are some little gems to be found floating around in that big Ebay pool.  The first is seller coastalscentsuk the name gives it away really.  Best customer service I have ever received and also no duty and delivery charges from the US.  I purchased the Coastal Scents 22 brush set and as far as I'm concerned it is the real thing and I've been on their website http://beautystore4u.co.uk which, if were fake hopefully would have been closed down by now.

I am a big fan of lashes, my own, other people's and false ones.  These eyelashes are probably the biggest money savers for me, 20 pairs for £3.99 (+postage and packaging) and I love them.  The band is not at all flimsy and used with Eylure glue you cannot go wrong. I've gone out, come back in and accidentally fallen asleep with them on and they did not budge an inch.  There are all different styles and can also be sold as a single pair or in sets of 10.  Also suitable for contact lens wearers.

A trend that was sort of going round on YouTube was the UV Nail Curing Lamps, mine cost me £9.45 and saved me loads in not having to get my nails done professionally all the time.  I think this is a good little gadget if you've got some spare money, but it can be waste because the gel nail varnish can get pretty pricey.  I would recommend to start with, buying just a gel top coat and then in time, if you wish, to buy colours in order to get full use from the lamp. (And then the genie will appear, no, wait, wrong blog.)

Lastly, these caviar beads are a new find of mine.  Who needs £18 Ciaté caviar when you can get 40g of beads for £1.99? (+postage and packaging)  Saying that, I haven't tried them out properly yet so the final effect may alter my view.  I'll keep you posted on how they fare with a nail of the week coming soon.

Thanks for reading, But sshh remember... it's a secret
x

GlossyBox - July

As most of you probably know GlossyBox is a subscription service that issues you with a box of products each month.  The products can be a mixture of high end and drugstore, normally of sample size but sometimes there are full sized products too.  I want to mention that I am not affiliated with GlossyBox nor an ambassador for the company.

I'm sure a lot of people are aware of the disappointment that was the June box last month, and as my first ever beauty box you can understand why it was too painful to blog about.  Also, the reason I am only blogging about this now is because I have been receiving my boxes at the very end of the month so I sort of already know what's coming my way before I open it. Stupid me being so nosey with other blogs. Anyway, I thought I would show what I received last month in the festival box.

HD Brow Kit

If I remember correctly this was featured in nearly a year ago in September's Glossybox and the whole beauty community and their mother loved it. I too am a big fan, not only because my brows look amazing and stay put all day, but this handy little palette can double up as an eyeshadow quad.  Mine is in Foxy which is the brunette version, quite handy, but I do have to mix the darker and the lighter brown shades together to get my perfect brow colour.

Monu Golden Glow
This looks a little scary as it is bright yellow but claims that with Shea Butter, Vitamin E and essential oils it can leave moisturised, natural-looking tan within 3-5 hours. I might be brave and try a little on my face to see what glow I can get from this. I hope this works out well, I'll keep you posted on how I get on with this. 

Clynol Enrich Colour Shampoo
Firstly, I'd like to point out this is shampoo for coloured hair, I keep my natural hair so this is when you can tell GlossyBox doesn't read the beauty profils which is a little disappointing. However, this product smells lovely and claims that after 30 washes with this shampoo, 99% of the original colour intensity will remain.  This shampoo will also leave hair with 'diamond-like' shine and resist again damaging and fading.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Frosting
This is advertised as being a lip and cheek product, I actually think it's slightly too thick for a cheek product and could be quite cakey. But as a lip product this smells and feels great on the lips, not the longest lasting product on the market but I really enjoy using this. Due to this being a multipurpose product it comes in a tube which can be a bit finicky when using as a lip product as too much product comes out. I can live with it though.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Line.
I was impressed with the Elizabeth Arden products in this box. The trio of Exfoliating Cleanser, Skin Serum and a second sample of the Lotion was giving as a bonus product, I'm going to take that as an apology for last months box.  I am yet to try these properly but they look great and I feel GlossyBox has started to redeem itself. 

I can't wait to see what next month has instore.
If you wish to subscribe visit the GlossBox site here!

Shopping My Stash - August

I am on a mission to try and use more of my products, I hope to rediscover some favourites and also save some money by going on a mini spending ban! GOOD LUCK!  Anyway, I have chosen four products that I plan to use as much as I can over the coming month. I've set myself a target of at least two of these a day.

NYX Cream Blush
I am slightly cheating because even though there is only one pictured, I am including any NYX cream blushes, I have five shades so plenty to choose from.  Cream products are good for summer months as they are light on the skin and very rarely do they become cakey on the skin.

ELF Lipsticks
Ok this is the last one I'm going to cheat on, again I am allowing myself to use all shades that I have.  To be honest, I don't know how I'm going to style out Natural Nymph as this is my least favourite lipstick out of my whole collection.  These are good everyday lipsticks, though I find that some of the shades can enhance dry cracked lips.

Natural Collection Bronzer
I am currently loving the duey bronzed look, one swirl of bronzer and I think I'm Mila Kunis.  This bronzer works well on a matte base because it gives a nice glowy finish without looking like a discoball.

No7 Amazing Eyes Pencil
I have decided to add this to the mix because I actually don't wear eye liner, or very occasionally, and I have been eyeing up the Pixi eye liners.  The rational part of me managed to take control and not pay £11 on something that I will try out once and never let see daylight again.  So this is a prime example of me trying to discover my love for certain products.

Today I managed 3 out of the 4, not bad, I left out cream blush as I wanted a shimmery blush to go with the bronzer. (I might not have thought this through as well as I'd hoped)

Thanks for reading, but sshhh, remember it's a secret

x

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Mascara Collection and Mini Reviews

I have a small obsession with mascara, for years I've been on a quest to get the longest, fullest lashes possible.  I am so envious of people with naturally beautiful lashes, because I have the priveledge of sporting the shortest, shubbest lashes going.  Also this list is not necesarily in the order of most favoruite to least favourite, however, the ones to the right are slightly less used.

Benefit Bad Girl mascara

The first thing people notice is the large wand, and yes for my small eyes I would have thought that this would be a nightmare. I was pleasantly surprised with my first high end mascara, and more so after a week so it wasn't quite as wet.  Instantly lengthens and slightly fills out the lashes I probably wouldn't buy this full size version again but when Glamour magazine were including a mini sample a couple of months back I did snap it up for £2.

Maybelline Mascaras

For a long time Maybelline was my favourite brand for mascara, when I found out there was a new release on the high street, I would be the first one buzzing about the makeup stand. The ones I would by again are Falsies, and Colossal.  One by one, im not a big fan of the plastic brush and this is by no means a bad mascara, but personally I prefer the result of the others. 

Comb Mascaras

For people with small eyes like myself, mascaras that have a comb-like wand are a godsend to us. To give the effect of bigger or rounder eyes the lashes should be made longer preferably in the centre of the eye, rather than volumising or fanning the lashes at the end as this makes them look smaller and longer. L'oreal Telscopic and No7 Extreme Length are perfect examples of how to achieve long clump-less lashes, even as the mascara dries out.  I'm one of these people that use lots of different mascaras in order to get the finish I want.  I would use various volumising mascaras to add some depth and then finish off combing my lashes through with either combing mascara. Writing this post really makes me want to get the new telescopic mascara because probably all in all this is my favourite type of mascara because it captures all the lashes and leaves a very natural looking lash so can be used to create a simple daytime or more dramatic night time look.

Voluminous Mascaras

These types of mascaras work best for larger eyes as the volume elongates them and really makes big eyes pop.  My favourite from the bunch is the Max Factor False Lash Effect, again a large wand which could lead to panda eyes if you're not careful.  I overcome that by getting into the habit of putting my mascara on my bottom lashes before the top ones, this way when I tilt my head back I don't get a line of mascara at the top of my eyelid.  My least favourite is between Maybelline Volum' Express and 17 Ultimate Volume, neither for me make a lot of difference on the lashes and can transfer easily onto the skin.

Thanks for reading... But Shh remember, it's a secret

x

Better than Chanel for £3.99?

The perfume Mademoiselle by Chanel has been very popular and at £62 for a 50ml bottle, it seems it's not cheap to smell good. Or is it? International supermarket chain Lidl decided to rival the French brand by selling their own Suddenly Madame Glamour for only £3.99 per 50ml bottle.

Now everybody loves a dupe but does it really match up to the quality of Chanel? A blind test was carried out and the result showed that an amazing 91% not only liked the Lidl's version but actually preferred it to their £62 rival.


I, like other people, would ordinarily prefer to say I wore a branded perfume rather than one off of a supermarket shelf, however, the love of a good bargain is too much for me. I would now actually yell about how I get the same, if not better, for 15 times less than I would at a chanel counter.


Chanel

• Packaging is beautiful and I prefer the colour of the perfume
• Longer lasting and stronger scent
• Brand name

Lidl

• £3.99 (Can buy 15 bottles to one of Chanel's and still have some change left over)
• Softer scent but 91% of people preferred it
• Easy to find - Supermarket

Ding Ding, round one to Lidl I think. but which one would you buy?

But sshh remember, it's a secret!

x

£100 Asos Challenge!

In the past couple of days I've seen a few of these posts pop up, so I thought I'd join in too, discountcoder has the details of the challenge.

                                                              Dress £45, Rimmel Lipstick £5.49, River Island Clutch £15, Earrings £4, Shoes £21

When I first had a look I didn't know what type of outfit I was going to create, but I did know I wanted a classy, elegant look.

This dress is beautiful, I know some people have gone for more versatile pieces, but I love that this isn't a dress that everyone has in their wardrobe.  However, the rose gold colour really sets this outfit off and is a really popular colour at the moment.

I thought because the dress is so striking I would go for simple accessorises that wouldn't steal the limelight, yet still have the sophisticated edge that I wanted.
Makeup wise I liked the idea of a red lip to add a small pop of colour onto the face.


Total Spent = £90.49 (I never have money left over, success)

Thanks for reading... But sshh remember, it's a secret
x

Monthly Favourites - June

June has been a very busy month for me and these are the products that I have reached for the most.  In May I decided I wanted to try and sort out my skin care routine because I do sometimes neglect my skin and dare I say it, I don’t always take my make-up off before I go to bed.

Therefore, I’m going to start with my favourite of my skin care routine.  My daily moisturiser is La Roche-Posay Hydreane Light  which I love, not just because it works and my skin feels better than ever, but the consistency is perfect which, for me, is very unusual for a light moisturiser.   Normally I find them a little bit watery and don’t feel they actually work, whereas with my La Roche-Posay you can feel it settle into your skin and notice a difference.  The other thing I love about this cream, is the smell, hands down the best smelling cream I own, when I open the bottle I forget I bought this from Boots for £14.30, so luxurious and fresh, but not strong so that it lingers after its been applied to the face. 





Second moisturiser is Garnier Intensive 7 Days Daily Body Lotion with calming HONEY for Sensitive Skin. This moisturiser claims that it will keep your skin soft for 7 days, after applying it for 4 weeks, my skin felt hydrated after just a few days.  The lotion absorbs really quickly so there’s no need to hang about before getting dressed, and has a lovely honey smell which lasts for hours.  There are five different variants for a range of skin types which all have their own fragrances.  I use my body butters religiously but my Garnier body lotion, for the moment has definitely taken their place at only £4.99 for 400ml.

I’ve used exfoliaters on and off for years but mainly before I fake tan to remove any dry or dead skin cells.  But recently I’ve been using them just because I love how they leave my skin so smooth and I think my shower gels are more moistening after use especially on my arms.  I can’t decide which body scrub I prefer out of Soap Glory Flake Away and Cocoa Butter Cream Body Scrub both work so well to transform your skin to be so silky smooth which I haven’t found in other scrubs.  I will be doing a more in-depth review on these products as well as other Soap & Glory and Body Shop products.

This is definitely my favourite product of this month and maybe even of the year so far  L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick, I stumbled upon these on the Boots website and saw these had a high rating and good reviews so next time I was out shopping I picked up one in Sweet Berry.  Sheer but buildable to create a pop of colour, these just glide on so softly they leave you rubbing your lips together, maybe that’s just me.  Light weight and moistening I ran back and picked up 4 more, slowly I want to buy all of the different colours because since buying my first Caresse lipstick, I haven’t used any other,  including forgetting about my MAC lipsticks and I would always choose these over the Revlon Lip Butters.  As much as this pains me to say it, this would not be fair if I didn’t point out one small criticism.  You do have to reapply these more often than many other lipsticks which for some people will be a big no no!  But I actually don’t mind this, the application of these lipsticks will never get old for me I love this product and would recommend to anyone.  At the moment Superdrug is doing 3 for 2 in L’oreal products or £7.99 each from Boots.

 Next, a brush, Coastal Scents Flat Top Kabuki Brush which I purchased from Ebay in the 22 Brush Set and is by far the best brush I’ve ever tried for applying foundation.  I know everyone keeps saying about the Samantha Chapman brushes but since using and falling in love with this brush the immediate need for the Real Techniques brushes has, for now, been suppressed.  When I use this brush I get a flawless base, whether I use a light coverage or a fuller coverage foundation, and due to this I'm starting to come round to thinking that it is the brushes that make a high quality makeup look.  Saying that, this brush proves that you don’t need to throw £30 at a MAC counter for one brush, you can pay half of that and achieve the same beautiful effect.  Probably the softest brush I own and when I went back and used my ELF Powder Brush, I couldn’t believe how rough it was I have been completely converted.  The only downside to this brush is that where it is so dense it sucks in a lot of product into the bristles so a waste of product, however, I slightly dampen the ends to stop it absorbing my foundation.

Eyebrow pencils are another product that when I use get into the habit of using powder I completely forget how good and precise a pencil is and Rimmel Professional Eye Brow Pencil is one of the best I’ve used.  The dark brown colour I use is not the perfect colour for me but the brush on the end just adds to making a more natural filled in brow.  This month I don’t even think I’ve picked up my normal ELF brow set that I have used day in day out for a good year or so, and think the pencil application is quicker.  Sometimes this pencil makes me wish that I could just change my eyebrow colour whenever I wish, just so I could collect all the colours of these pencils.

I have a love-hate relationship with doing my nails, I love what they look like afterwards, but it’s hard for me to find the time to sit down and do my nails.  I also get really impatient waiting for my nails to grow to a normal length so I use false nails and these Boots French Nails are brilliant to pop on with Nailene Ultra quick glue and you’re good to go.  Due to the fact I have been gifted with weirdly small hands, I use the extra small pink nails and think these give a beautiful nature look to the nails.  The longevity of most false nails depends on lots of different factors but mainly how you treat your hands.  For example someone who works with their hands a lot or their hands are constantly in water the nails are more likely to come off easier than someone who isn’t heavy handed and take care not to knock or weaken the nails.  Another thing is the glue that is used, Boots own nails glue I definitely would not recommend, however Nailene Ultra Quick Nail Glue which is only £2.80 and even though the bottle is little it will last a very long time, it’s really strong and as the name suggests, very quick drying.  False nails normally last 5 days without any coming off at all, but when one or two do I reapply them and they last another couple of days, then I remove all of the nails.

Thanks for reading... But shh remember... It’s a secret

x

Makeup Haul

This is just a quick haul but I got some bargains so I thought I’d share my finds with you. Firstly, Boots is doing 3 for 2!!! Say no more!

Boots

Boots False Nails Clear & Glue 200 Pack - £8.50

Nailene Ultra Quick Nail Glue - £2.80

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Concealer - £4.99

Barry M Instant Nail Effects Nail Paint - £3.99

Superdrug

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette - £4

MUA Mosaic Blusher English Rose -£2.50

MUA Lipstick in shade 2 & 15 - £1 each

MUA Face Primer - £4 (not pictured)

Beauty Base

L.A Colors in Merlot, Grape and Blue Lagoon – 99p each

I went back to Boots again.. the offer was too good not to

Boots
Barry M Nail Paint in Blueberry and Peach Melba - £2.99
Barry M - Instant Effects Nail Paint - £3.99
Maybelline Forever Nail Polish - £4.09
Rimmel Moisture Renew in Vintage Pink, Diva Red and Fancy - £6.29
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19
Boots Moisturising Nail Polish Remover Pads - £1.50

Disclaimer: I am not in any way trying to ‘show off’ all products were bought with my own money but I have chosen to do this post because my blog is all about sharing good deals that can be found on the high street.