Revlon Colorburst Balm's

So with this post, I thought I'd throw a slight spanner in the works. The other week (as I'm sure you're aware), Revlon released a new line of lip balms to their Just kissable balm stains with a matte and a lacquer version. On arrival I decided to buy just the two, one from each line to see what I thought with the intention of probably buying more of the matte ones as they were soo hyped up! They're the usual balm packaging with a wind up type bottom with a slight minty smell.  

I'll start with the matte. I picked up the colour Elusive which is a dusty pale pink. I love the colour but the formula really let me down! I mean, it's alright.. but nothing special. It didn't last very well and immediately settled into the creases of my lips. Now in the last few weeks my lips have been in surprisingly good condition, but you'd have thought otherwise if you crossed my path last Wednesday! Anyway enough of the depressing side of this post, I adore the lacquer version that I picked up in Flirtacious - a slightly shimmery fuchsia that is really quite opaque for a balm. This is very easy to apply, and although you need to top it up every couple of hours (unless eating then it's less) it fades, rather than looking cakey! I adore this.

I like the slight pepperminty smell, making it rather fresh but I understand this isn't to everyones taste. What are your thoughts on these two new comers?

Elusive (205), Flirtatious (125)

Naked Basics Palette

This was my only requested Christmas present for 2013. I wanted a primarily matte palette for using as as just a wash of colour, before creating the rest of my look. This handy little palette is so pigmented, better than my Naked 3 infact. Venus is the only shade with a slight shimmer which I use in the corner of my eye whereas the next 3 (Foxy, W.O.S. and Naked 2) I use as my base with faint and Crave adding definition. 

Venus*: A soft, off white

Foxy: A yellow based cream

Walk Of Shame: a pinky based nude

Naked 2*: A light taupe

Faint*: A warm, dusty brown

Crave*: A deep matte black

* Exclusive to Naked Basics

I find this and Naked 3 to be the perfect combination. Add the other Naked palette's and it's probably an over kill. However, I am a huge fan. The only this would be the packaging. It is so stiff to open! Great if you throw it in you handbag, not great if you don't want to be chipping nails in the process. 

Just a little wishlist for Spring/ Summer

Oh it's fun to dream, right? After my big shopping spree the other week I am supposed to be on a spending ban. It's hard, really hard especially with all these beautiful colours that are emerging in Spring/ Summer collections. 

First off is the Narsissist Blush Palette (£35). It's currently available to pre-order and sat in my Space NK basket. Now, I don't own any Nars blushers so I can justify buying this. It has both Orgasm and Laguna with the addition of a limited edition highlighter. For the price, I think it's a bargain and will hopefully soon be in my collection!

This mint green coat from New Look (£54.99) is divine.  I love pastel colours but I don't really suit them so close to my skin. My answer therefore is to buy in to this seasons trend through a coat, to which I can team it with colours that suit me a little better. Do I need another coat? No. Do I love this Mohair-ish, oversized design? Yes.

I definitely do not need another pair of boots. I have so many pairs that I rarely wear, but I do not own any riding boot styled ones (I really can justify my way to purchasing anything). These Kurt Geiger Victory boots (£180) are simple, timeless and elegant. I just need them to come in to the sale!

How cute is the embossed design on this Dior (£30.50) blusher? I don't think I could ever actually use it, but I love it so soo much! 

Dior have won my heart again with this palette (£59.00). The exterior is pretty enough to frame and the colours featured inside are equally gorgeous. Again, I would never use the pastel colours as they're not for me but I can dream of spending so much money on something I'll never use...

Now I know these eyelash curlers (Shu Uemura £20) have taken the beauty world by storm but I really don't see how they differ from the ones you get for a couple of pounds. The mechanisms do not change, the pads all look pretty similar and the curvature of the top (don't know what to call that part) is equally identical. This being said, I'd like to own a pair just to see what the price difference equates to in terms of curling power.

I think a Tom Ford lipstick (£36) is on every beauty bloggers wish list. I'd chose the shade Cherry Lush because if I were to spend that much on a lipstick, I'd want it to make an impact!

Lastly, this Bobbi Brown Brightening finishing powder in porcelain pearl (£40). How friggin gorgeous is this? I don't really care if it works or not, it looks fabulous and I'm so curious as to try it out!

So there you have it. A rummage into my mind of the palettes and shades I dream of owning at some point this year. My wishlists will only continue to grow and my purse will continue to shrink. I think it's time I give up this uni malarkey and get a proper job!

Deborah Lippmann nail vanishes - nails #7

Just need to take a second to honour TKMaxx once again. I really don't understand why people shun it. If you take the time to rummage through all the crap, you really can find bargains! Especially on the beauty front. Go in weekly and just browse, you soon learn when they get their deliveries and what week they discount what section. It normally rotates from Women's, Men's, Shoes, Handbags, Homewear and then Beauty - but this can differ. I saw these in store when they first came in before Christmas priced at £12.99 for the three. Now I know this is still less than "Across the Universe" (far right) which is on sale here for £17. However I do not need nail vanishes, so I left them, only to stumble across them this week for £3!! This I could not refuse. In the set I got (in order shown) "Hit me with your best shot", "Modern love" and "Across the universe. I haven't tried the first two yet as it isn't quite the right time of year for "Modern love" but primarily I couldn't wait to try the sparkle top coat the last has to offer. I paired it with a Barry M Gelly paint in 351 "Blue Grape". Oh my it is stunning. I have got so many compliments this week. The aqua sheen and metallic pieces are truly gorgeous! These are probably the best bargains I have ever bought out shopping, I'm a very happy bunny. 

Marc Jacobs Perfumes

Hmm, it's fair to say I have a bit of a soft spot for these delightful scents. But, to get one thing straight. I haven't bought these all at once. My friend's bought me "Daisy" for my 16th Birthday and since then, Santa has brought the others for me over the last 4 years. It's fair to say he knows me well! Sadly "Daisy" and "Lola" are now empty with the exception of the miniature. What I love about these perfumes (aside from the striking bottles)  is that they are so versatile; Easily taking you through from day to night. Anyway, enough of an introduction. I'll do a brief description of them all, in order that they are shown in the picture.

Oh Lola: I received this Christmas 2013 and I wasn't supposed to get it. My Mum knew I wanted Honey but it had sold out everytime she went to purchase it, so settled for this. She did however find Honey eventually so I got both! This has notes of Strawberry, Peony, Rose and Vanilla and I think I will enjoy this more in the Summer months. It  is a beautiful scent but something is quite right when it's raining and cold and i wear this... I can't quite put my finger on it.

Honey: This is slightly more of a fruity floral with notes of Orange blossom, Peach, Honeysuckle, Vanilla and Honey - as the name suggest. I got this last Christmas and it is my current favourite. It is soo sweet and girly and fresh and I love it! I've heard a few of my friends say that it isn't a scent for them at all, but I seem to use it five days out of seven.

Dot: This floral scent has notes of Jasmine, Orange blossom, Red berries, Dragon fruit and Vanilla. This is probably my least favourite and one I go to less often. It isn't that I dislike it at all, it's just a little harsher than the others, less sweet and therefore I seem to think it should be worn at more serious events - do not ask why! However, this is probably the longest lasting perfume on me.

Lola: I received this in Christmas 2012 this bottle barely lasted a year! I adore it! Described as having notes of Rose, Fuchsia, Geranium, Pear, Grapefruit and Creamy Musk, it is an easy to wear daily scent with the perfect floral balance without you smelling like an old lady. It isn't so overpowering that you get odd looks, yet is fresh enough for you to smell good all day.

Daisy: Oh, I still love this perfume four years on. This one seems to smell slightly less sweet on me than others. I know perfumes adjust to everyone differently but this genuinely smells completely different on me to others! On me it doesn't smell half as sweet and girly, which I find perfect on occasion. I guess it is just a very natural scent. This has notes of Violet, Strawberries and a sort of woody undertone.

So there we are, scents for the girly girls out there. I also find Marc Jacobs perfumes to be very reasonably priced. The 50ml are all under £50 in Boots, and you can pick up the gift sets with either the 100ml and the miniature's or with the 50ml and shower gels/ moisturisers making them perfect presents. I also have a tendency to keep the boxes, for reasons that I will showcase in a later blog post! All I need now is "Daisy Eau So Fresh"... Hint Hint!

Bourjois 1 second gel polish review - nails #6

Now, I gave a mini review on the brush in my last nails post and stated I would only buy more if the lasting power was acceptable. It wasn't but I did. I wanted to see if there was a difference in shades from what I experienced with the pink. I used to frequently get the Jessica geleration manicure while working for a salon. We found that with a 30 second led lamp, some colours experienced a shrinkage. No matter how close to the nail beds you went, and how careful you were to paint along the top edge of the nail, the polish would shrink and you're left with a gap around the whole nail. This is what happened with the pink. The polish shrunk back around 5 minutes after finishing with my seche vite top coat. So, I decided to try again without the top coat and used an essie one instead. It still shrunk back. At this point I decided to purchase no. 22 turquoise block. Again, the colour is gorgeous! They are so opaque after one stroke that it is there only saving grace for me. Again, this one shrunk back, not as much, but enough for them to chip in the first 24 hours. It's a shame as I love these colours so much!!

I know so many bloggers rave about them, so maybe it's the natural oils of my nails that these don't get on with. But if you do have little fingers, I would stay clear. The brush is just a little too wide for this to be an easy manicure.

Help needed - how to depot Mac duo eye-shadows?

I recently purchased a pre-set Mac duo that featured "Dazzle me" and "Mulch". Two perfect shades that I'd had my eye on for building up my own palette. Now I am aware that once de-potted they need some magnetic strips in order to keep them in place, but my problem is how to get them out in the first place. I have de-potted two other eye-shadows prior to this. I followed a youtube video created by Fleur (Here) but this method doesn't work for the duo's. So, this is a small request for anyone out there that has successfully done this before, or a suggestion as to how I would go about this. From what I can see, I can't pop the back off of them and just hovering the pan over my straighteners is ineffective.

I would be forever grateful for any tips right now as they're starting to get a little lonely on their own!

Pretty in Pink - Nails #5

I ran out of time to photograph my previous nails. Possibly my favourite polish of all times... Jessica's FX 2000 Ruff & Ready. This bright pink is so sparkly in just one stroke. I love it. Pink and glittery!! The point of the range is that they are rough on your nails, which without a top coat is really quite irritating. You find your nails stuck to everything! However with a top coat and just by using your hands, the roughness smooths out slightly after a day or two. I think it looks incredible!

However, after yesterdays purchase, I could not wait to try what Bourjois had to offer with their 1 second gel polish. Now  whereas it isn't 1 second at all, it is fairly quick, especially when paired with the Seche Vite top coat. I finished my nails about 5 seconds before typing this. They are fully touch dry, which is pretty darn amazing. I adore the colour of this polish but I really dislike the brush. I have narrow nail beds and I could not put any pressure on the brush with the fear of coating my whole finger. Depending on the lasting power of this polish will determine if I purchase more of these.

Haul time (again)

Oh dear, I've been naughty again. When I said to myself this morning "what do I actually need from today?" My answer was simply "cotton pads and a potato masher". Well I have come back with the cotton pads (I'm sure boots do a constant buy one get one half price on them) but no masher, and bag fulls of more stuff! I personally love reading haul posts, and as everyone says, yes I sort quite a lot of money today, but I am not trying to brag. I work and have worked since I was 15. Some people spend their money on nights out, being a student, but this is how I chose to spend my money. It makes me so happy!

So today, blogger Lucy and I went to Southampton again on a little beauty gander (soton has mac, need I say more?) and although I'm not going to photograph every item I'll show you a collection of everything, with reviews to follow on soon!

First off I started in Zara. Now I had said that I wasn't impressed my Christmas sales, and I still stand by that, but I couldn't resist these two items. Firstly is the massive tartan scarf, and the other, the maroon/ mustard/ black bag. I think it's beautiful! I'd eyed up the scarf on a blog I'd read a few months back (sorry I can't remember who's) but it was always out of stock back home. Luck was on my side with it being in the sale!

Next was John Lewis. Oh dear oh dear. This was where the damage happened. From Mac I purchased:

- cremesheen lipstick "hot gossip"

- a large pro eyeshadow palette

- eyeshadows "sable" and "tempting" 

- studio fix fluid foundation in NW20

Then it was on to Liz Earle where I purchased the skin repair light moisturiser for combination/ oily skin. And from Laura Mercier, a set of 5 mini long wear creme eyeliners in; sage, espresso, cobalt, noir and violet. They were reduced to £15!! 

Boots was slightly more restrained with many brands featuring a buy one get one half price offer. Again sorry for the list, but :

-Maybelline colour tattoo in "on and in bronze" (wanted this for ages but it's always out if stock) 

- Maybelline sculpting brow mascara in dark brown

- Max Factor lip liners in "pink petal" and "mauve moment" 

- Bumble and Bumble mini surf spray and their bb texture (I want to try them out before I purchase full sizes)

- Bourjois 1 second gel vanish in "rose cupcake" (so gorgeous, and raved about by Liana)

- Bourjois colour booster in "red sunrise"

- Sally Hansen instant cuticle remover

- cotton pads

Tkmaxx - shocker. Lucy wanted me to show her how I shopped in there to find bargains and, luckily, I did it again! I picked up a Nars eyeliner stylo in "nabucco" and a pink Kilner jar which I'm going to use to keep my cotton pads in! 

Lastly, Next. Now I wasn't expecting to pick anything up, but Lucy was interested in a few of their candles, and after smelling their New York scent, I couldn't resist their room diffuser from the same line. However, after closer inspection (do not know how I got this so mixed up) I picked up their eau de perfum instead, so I'll have to exchange that at some point.

Few, I'm exhausted just reading through all that. If you want more information on any of the products mentioned, or perhaps one review quicker than another, please just leave a comment!

2013 Highlights

Barcelona with Alex ~ teaching Sam to play tennis ~ bowling with Lucy, Alex and Sam

Portugal ~ uni house night out ~ night out with Amy at home

Heathrow airport ~ my Dad's birthday ~ NYE

Beauty and Geeks carnage at uni ~ Portugal with Vikki ~ another night out at home with Amy and Emma

Wimbledon ~ a walk in Portsmouth ~ Sam won a DJ competition

Vikki's 21st Party ~ Whipsnade Zoo ~ crazy golf

There are definitely too many events and good nights out to put into just a few pictures without this being a really long rambling blog, but overall I loved 2013!

2014 Goals and Resolutions

Every year I start with the view to attempt to better my life and each year I fail miserably. I don't know if I'm just to lazy to follow some goals through or whether I forget what I originally set, but one thing is for sure. This is the year to change.

1) Lose weight. Now this is probably on many people's list and it's been on mine for several years now. Last year I made the excuse that I was living in uni halls and our kitchen was often too disgusting to want to spend much time in there cooking and eating so that resulted in many ready meals or pasta/ jacket potato centred meals. I'm quite an active person. I play badminton at uni and do a lot of walking as I don't take my car with me and at home I play tennis and golf. I live a healthy life style at home too, I'd say one meal a month is in the form of a take-away or pizza and apart from that my parents cook a variety of meals from scratch, all with fresh vegetables and fruit for dessert. It's back at uni that I don't follow through with this. I'm not looking to lose weight through eating tiny portions or excessive exercise at a gym as I want to change my lifestyle to keep the weight off - I don't want a quick fix. I start eating healthily with fish/ meat and veg and dinner and salad or soup for lunch, but I quickly get bored of this, and that's when I start snacking on crisps and chocolate. So my goal to achieve this is to learn to cook more varied dishes, that will keep me full but also interest me, things I look forward to eating. In terms of what I'll be measuring on the scales, I'll be more than happy if I drop a dress size by Summer. As I said, this is for long term rather than short.

2) Stop worrying at uni. Recently I've got myself quite worked up at uni, often phoning home in floods of tears. For whatever reason I feel very unsafe in Portsmouth right now and it's a problem I hope to over come. As of yet I don't know how, but my boyfriend Sam suggested that instead of coming home from uni and staying in bed for the afternoon, we need to explore the area we are living in a little more - make ourselves feel more at home. So fingers crossed!

3) Avoid leaving everything to the last minute and manage my money a bit better. The first is in aspects of uni work mainly. I am terrible at leaving assignments to the last minute often handing them in on the deadline day! The later is pretty self explanatory. I feel so sorry for my friends having to put up with me moaning about lack of money - we all students in the same position, yet I seem to be the worst on keeping track of my spending. I get plenty of student finance and I work so really I should not be complaining! My goal is to not at least half of what I earn, putting half of my wages immediately into savings and what I don't spend by the end of the month from the other half also goes into savings. If I manage to do this by easter time, I'm going to treat myself to a holiday, but hopefully I'll be in the mindset of spending less!

4) Blog more! I have been terrible through December at writing posts and for that I am sorry. I don't know where the last 3 weeks have gone! My target is going to be to write 2 posts a week. It doesn't sound a lot, and I know many bloggers manage to write a lot more than that, but for now, that is my goal.

Okay, so there it is 2014 in the writing. I now have no excuse for forgetting what my goals are and hopefully my last blog post of 2014 will be that I have accomplished all of these. Wish me luck!