REVIEW: LOUISE GRAY EYESHADOW PALETTE

As the last of the Christmas sales are finally coming to an end, I decided to pick some things up from the Topshop sale. The first thing I picked up was this Louise Gray Eyeshadow Palette because I loved the salmon pink colour for spring and the black/dark gray colour, which would be good to use as a softer eyeliner than a heavy black eyeliner in the spring. It was also a bargain for only £1! 

Eyeshadow Palette & Swatches of the four colours

As soon as it came in the post, I immediately could not wait to open it up! It came packaged in the cutest pink and gold box and the actual palette has the same gold pattern on the top of it as well, and also has a decent mirror in the top of it. When I was trying them out, I found that they were quite pigmented, however the lighter colours were less pigmented than the darker ones. I also found that to get enough of the colour on your eyes, you need to use quite a lot of the lighter colours. However, because I want to use these colours in the spring I don't mind as much, because they give a subtle colour, which will look good in the spring. The only downside to this product would be the cheap applicator that they give you with it, but I used another eyeshadow brush, so overall I would reccomend picking this up before they all are gone!

Review/Update: Vo5 Shampoo & Conditioner

I previously bought the new VO5 shampoo and conditioner for damaged hair, and last night I finally got round to using them! 

I found that the shampoo was really nourishing and made my hair seem really soft and even looked repaired from all of the heat and hair dye I have previously used. I also found that it already seemed like I had used conditioner on my hair just with this shampoo. It also seemed like quite a light shampoo and made my hair feel lighter, which is good especially since I have really thick hair. Shampoo 7/10

Shampoo & After Shampoo

I found the conditioner made my hair really shiny, however after I had dried it, it wasn't shiny at all and I don't think that this conditioner would make any difference to the overall look and feel of your hair. I felt that the shampoo would work better on its own, as this morning I've had to wash my hair again, because my hair felt so greasy and straw-like, even though I spent double the time washing my hair than I normally do trying to get the conditioner out of my hair.  Conditioner 4/10

Conditioner & After Conditioner

Overall, I prefer the shampoo, and would probably just use another conditioner, such as the Herbal Essence Conditioning Mask, because I don't think that this conditioner is very good and doesn't nourish or soften your hair. I think it just makes your hair feel heavier and makes your hair get greasier quicker. 

Instagram of hair after washing & before straightening!

Excuse the bad quality of the photos, I used my Iphone Camera! 

Another Liebster Nomination!?

I really think before you even read the rest of this post that you should go and check out Michelle's blog, Luxe Life Aspirations. She has nominated me and she has an amazing blog, with really good posts, so she is absolutely worth a follow! 

Because I've already done the facts about myself, and I probably don't have anything else to say haha  I will answer the questions from Michelle! :-)

3rd nomination?! 

1. What do you want to be doing 5 years from now?  (I need some inspiration!)

I hope to be finished university and completed a degree in Food and Consumer Studies. I hope to have a job in a supermarket working as a retail buyer, which is where you decide what the supermarket sells on the shop floor.

2. What’s your favourite fashion obsession?  (shoes or bags or both…)

Now this is a difficult one! Hmm, I would have to say both. If you ask anyone I know I probably buy too many shoes and bags... 

3. What other hobbies do you have besides from blogging?  Shopping is a hobby right?

Shopping of course, haha!

4. Motto in life?

It's not about what you do, it's about how you do it.

5. How many pairs of shoes do you own?  (Do you know?)

I'd say I own around 15-20 pairs of shoes, is that bad? 

6. What food could you happily eat for the rest of your life?

If I could eat this and never put an weight on, I would choose pizza and if I would put weight on, I would choose pasta or tomato soup.. mmmm

7. What’s your favourite cosmetic brand?

Personally, I would have to say either Maybelline or MAC!

8. Biggest vice?

It would probably have to be that I am really lazy!

9. Books or magazines? 

I like both, but at the moment I have been reading books more.

10. What is your favourite item of clothing?

My favourite item of clothing would have to be my new black jeggings from ASOS, which my boyfriend bought me for christmas, which are the perfect fit and go with anything!

11. What do you order in Starbucks/Costa etc.?

At Costa, I normally used to order an iced peach tea, however they stopped selling them, I stocked up on the bottles of it they had left over ;), so now I normally just order a Tall Tea, is that boring? 

Review: Simple Spotless Skin Wipes & Moisturiser

Both the Anti Blemish Moisturizer and the Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes claim to give you 'Spotless Skin' and that you should get 'Results from Day 1'. From my experience of these products, I have used the wipes for around 4 months and have repurchased them around 4 times, because I really think that they actually work and I had been looking for some face wipes which could fight spots and take off my make up and these do both effortlessly. I also have quite sensitive skin so I sometimes struggle to get these kind of cleansing wipes, however these do not react with my skin at all and actually leave my skin feeling so soft!

Also, another one of my pet peeves would be when your cleansing wipes are freezing cold especially at night, and they are actually warm and not cold at all, unlike the normal Simple Face Wipes. I really recommend these wipes!

However, I am undecided about the moisturizer. I cannot decide whether it works or not. I find that it doesn't really moisturize my face, it just helps the wipes along with helping to fight spots, which I guess isn't such a bad point, but I always find that I have to use a different moisturizer afterwards, because my face still feels dry after I have used it. However, I do have really dry skin in the winter, so maybe in the summer I will be able to use this more often and not have to use a heavier moisturizer. I think this product would be the perfect summer moisturizer and I also find it useful as a base for my make up, because it is so light and makes it easier to apply foundation more evenly.

These are both now on offer in Superdrug at the moment and I recommend trying these products for yourselves! :-)

Link for Wipes- £2.35: http://www.superdrug.com/face/simple-spotless-skin-quick-fix-cleansing-wipes/invt/205723/

Link for Moisturizer- £3.99: http://www.superdrug.com/face/simple-spotless-skin-anti-blemish-moisturiser/invt/205722/

Another Liebster Post!

Even though I have already done a Liebster Award post, I got nominated again by the beautiful Jade who runs the blog You look nice today so I will answer her questions! I think you should go and check out her blog and follow her because she does really good posts! 

1. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I have been watching people like Zoella for a year or so now, and really wanted to join the beauty and fashion community because I wanted honest opinions and reviews on products and to see what other people were blogging about.

2. Which celebrities Wardrobe would you most want to steal?

Hmm, I would absolutely love to steal Miranda Kerr's wardrobe. She has the best fashion style ever!

Just to give you an insight into her style, haha!

3. Which Celebrities Make-up bag would you most like to steal?

I would like to steal Zooey Deschanel's make up bag, because she always looks flawless.

4. What's your favourite MAC lipstick colour?

My favourite MAC lipstick colour would be either Brick-O-La or Russian Red.

5. What's your favourite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing about blogging would be seeing other peoples reactions and thoughts on similar products that I would buy and seeing whether it would be worth buying. I also like to see what people are buying clothes wise as well.

6. What's the next thing on your beauty wish list?

I really want to try the new MUA fur effect for nails, because its only £3 and looks really different!

7. What was your best sale buy this year?

My best sale buy was probably my new dip dye jumper from Urban Outfitters, because it was £42 and it went down to £10! What a bargain!

8. What is your favourite TV show?

My favourite TV show is Gossip Girl. I'm not sure how I will cope without it being on anymore.

9. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I don't think I would want to move anywhere abroad, because I really like England and the surrounding countries, but I would probably most like to live in Wales, because of the countryside and their accents!

10. If you could have free Make-up for a year which brand would you choose?

 MAC, no question about it! 

11. What is your favourite blog?

I have lots of favourite blogs, see the post below and the people who I nominated would be my favourite blogs!

Liebster Award?!

I literally have no idea what this was, seen as I have only started this blog on the 1st of January, so I am honored to be nominated by Keeley Laura,  livinginyourimagination. You really should check out her blog, because it is so good and she does really good posts! :-)

It is awarded to blogs who have under 200 followers and I am still in shock that I even have 1 follower, let alone over 30!? I want to thank everyone who reads and comments on my blog, it really means a lot!

The Main Rules are:
You must thank the person who gave you this award
You must display the Liebster award 
You should nominate up to 11 up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers
Each person must post 11 things about themselves
Create 11 questions for those you nominate
Notify your nominees and provide a link back to this post

11 things about me:

1) I have an unhealthy obsession with Pepsi Max

2) I have an ex-guide dog who is also called Claire! (We didn't name her!)

3) I'm probably the laziest person you will ever meet

4) I'm scared of spiders, clowns, deep water and needles.

5) I own nearly 350 DVDs, and in my house we have over 600 DVDs

6) I cannot wink at all

 7) Before I die, I want to collect all of the Disney movies and all of the old programs I used to watch, such as Saved by the Bell and Sabrina the Teenage Witch!

8) My favourite TV program would be Gossip Girl

9) I love jumpers

10) My favourite clothing would be leggings, because they go with anything and are so comfy!

11) My favourite beauty product would be my Miss Sporty Concealer, which was my first review on this blog or my Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer, which makes my skin so soft and makes it so easy to apply foundation

11 questions from Keeley!

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time?

I hope to be finished university and completed a degree in Food and Consumer Studies. I hope to have a job in a supermarket working as a retail buyer, which is where you decide what the supermarket sells on the shop floor.

Do you have any tattoo's or piercings?

I actually have neither! I haven't even got my ears pierced  This is mainly because I am scared of needles, however I currently am deciding whether to get a tattoo, which would help me overcome this fear and I really like tattoo's because they are more personal to you than a piercing. 

Favourite item of clothing/footwear that never lets you down?

My white low converses! I wanted some of these for years. I literally have always loved converses since I was about 8, but I could never justify paying that much for some trainers and I don't think my mum could either because I remember getting Woolworth versions, which were lime green and bright red, I looked like a clown! However, around 10 years later, when I finally purchased them, I now wear them with absolutely everything and they are my favourite shoes ever! 

If you were told you could have one item free of charge for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I would probably have to say Pepsi Max, because that's all I really buy at the moment haha!

Heels or flats?

I would have to say flats, because I mostly wear these for Sixth Form and shopping. I only really wear heels for going out, however I do love a good pair of high heels and I probably should wear them more often!

What is your dream job?

My dream job would be to be to bake and design wedding cakes! I absolutely love baking, especially cakes, so this would be my ideal job.

Twitter or Facebook?

I prefer Twitter, because I can follow the people I want to keep updated with, whereas with Facebook you feel more inclined to be 'friends' with people, who you like but you don't really want to know what they are having for dinner or what the weather is like.

One item of clothing you would ban forever?

Hmmm, this was a difficult one! I would say that the one clothing I hate and that I would ban would be woolly cardigans or even jumpers which have holes in them... like this...

If you are going to buy a jumper or cardigan, you mainly buy them because of the cold, so why would you buy one which has holes in!? I've seen some people wear just that, not even with a tank top underneath and that's where my hatred for this kind of clothing came from!

Celebrity crush? 

I have quite a lot of celebrity crushes, but probably I would say that it would be Johnny Depp!  All his films are so good as well and he is just so hot for a middle aged man haha! 

Now who is your embarrassing celebrity crush?

My embarrassing celebrity crush would have to be Harry Styles, because everyone has a crush on Harry Styles, even though he is a bit of player, to say the least!

Who is your favourite designer?

I absolutely love Michael Kors, especially his watches and bracelets! 

The 11 blogs I'm nominating are:

Huckleberry Friend

Natalia's Owls

You Look Nice Today

Almost Emily Jane

Shona Lou XO

Katies Tea Party

fun size beauty

As Pretty As You Please

Life as Izzie

bitsandbeautybobs

victoriajanex

My 11 questions for these blogs are:
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
What is your favourite chocolate bar?
What is your favourite make up brand?
What could you not live without, and why?
Why did you start your blog?
Who are your favourite bloggers, and why?
Who is your celebrity crush?
Which is your favourite high street fashion brand?
What is your favourite make up brand?
What is your least favourite make up brand?
Do you prefer tea or coffee?

BEAUTY WISHLIST #1

First beauty wishlist of 2013

1→ Lips in Innocent- £8- Topshop. I love the colour of this lipstick and I have seen many good reviews about the Topshop lipsticks. They look so moisturizing and very pigmented, which is always good for a long lasting lipstick. Although, I have been using many of the MUA lipsticks and this is 8x more expensive, I think that it would be worth the extra money, because the colour is just so nice and could easily be worn in the day or at night. 
http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=2256909&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208567&parent_categoryId=208495&pageSize=200#BVRRWidgetID 

2→ MUA Fur Effect Nail Polish Fluff and Cuddles-£3- Superdrug. I saw this on the Superdrug website a couple of days ago and was amazed at what it does! I have never seen any other products like this and it looks so cool. They also have a variety of different colours, which I also might have to try out. It is also has £1 off on the link below! Bargain. 
http://www.superdrug.com/nails/mua-fur-effect-nail-polish-fluff-and-cuddles/invt/590763/

3→ Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation- £8.99- Boots/Superdrug. I have wanted to try this foundation for absolutely ages, because so many people have been raving about how light it is, however it still has such a good coverage. It is also has been claimed to be better than MAC foundations, which I was going to buy instead, however I might try this one first and see if it is a good foundation or not. Plus it is also on offer for £5.99 in Boots at the moment.
http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Wake-Me-Up-Make-Up-Foundation-30ml_1246748/

4→ Rimmel Lasting Finish Strawberry Fizz- £2.99- Superdrug. I love the colour of this nail polish and it would be perfect for the spring/summer. I think this colour would look really nice with putting a matte top coat over the top to change the appearance of the nail polish. It is also on offer for £1.99 in Superdrug, see link below. 
http://www.superdrug.com/nails/rimmel-i-love-lasting-finish-fruties-strawberry-fizz/invt/210697/

5→ Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash- £6.50- Boots. I have heard so many good reviews about this. Mainly because of the smell of the body wash. I already use the standard Soap and Glory body wash and I love it and couldn't use any other brand of body wash. Therefore, I might have to splash out and try out this version.
http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Sugar-Crush-Body-Wash-500ml_1286669/

6→ Neutrogena Visibly Clear Cream Wash- $4.49- Superdrug. I really liked the 2in1 mask and face wash from Neutrogena, and now I've used that up, I wanted to have a look around for a different face wash. I've heard that the pink grapefruit face wash's smell amazing and actually work and make your face feel really soft and moisturized, and therefore I think I will try out this face wash to see if its any good.
http://www.superdrug.com/face/neutrogena-visibly-clear-cream-wash-150ml/invt/237276/

7→ L'Oreal Perfect Blonde Creme Highlight Kit- £6.12- Boots/Superdrug. At the moment, I have ombré at the bottom of my hair in blonde and I used this the first time I did it and it worked so well and so much better than the other actual ombré kits you can get. It is also cheaper than many of the other dyes you can get in drugstores. I would recommend this to anyone who wanted to ombré their hair, because it is cheaper, it doesn't dry your hair our and it actually leaves your hair so soft.
http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Perfect-Blonde-Creme-Highlight-Kit_868102/ 

VO5 Products

Hair products are my guilty pleasure!

Recently, I bought the new dry shampoo from the VO5 range and I loved it! Normally, I would always opt for Batiste dry shampoo and I've always found them to be really good, however the last bottle I bought of Batiste was just full of water! Nothing was coming out from the bottle and I kept trying it and nothing was coming out. So when I saw that there was a new dry shampoo, I decided to try it out and I am so glad I did. I plan on doing a review on the dry shampoo very soon, so watch out for that. Then, today I was in Sainsbury's and saw that the VO5 shampoo's and conditioner's were on offer, £1.95 from £3.90, so I decided to pick some up. There were 3 different types of the hair products, but I decided on getting the versions for damaged and heat styled hair, because I use a lot of heat on my hair nearly everyday, so I thought it would be the best for my type of hair. 

I have yet to actually try them out, because I only bought them earlier today, therefore I might write a post to update you about if they actually do nourish and repair your hair as these products claim to do. However, I have had a sneaky sniff of them and they smell insanely good so I am hoping that they work wonders on my hair.Also, I was planning on purchasing the separate VO5 bottle of argan oil for £4.99 anyway before I bought these products, however I read the back of the bottle in the shop and found out that both the shampoo and the conditioner already contain the oil in them, which is a big plus for these products and save you from spending more money on the argan oil. I've had a look around the other beauty chains online, such as Superdrug and Boots, to see if they have any offers on them and in Superdrug at the moment, they are selling the 250ml versions for only 99p, which is a bargain! Also, in Boots, they are selling the full 500ml bottles for only £1.79, which is half price! How can you say no to that?!

Links to buy shampoo:
Boots: 
500ML→ http://www.boots.com/en/VO5-Nourish-Me-Truly-Shampoo-500ml_1257464/
Superdrug:
250ML→ http://www.superdrug.com/professional-hair-care/vo5-nourish-me-truly-shampoo-250ml/invt/267656/
Links to buy conditioner:
Boots:
500ML→ http://www.boots.com/en/VO5-Nourish-Me-Truly-Conditioner-500ml_1257450/
Superdrug: 
250ML:  http://www.superdrug.com/haircare/vo5-nourish-me-truly-conditioner-250ml/invt/267660/
Links to buy dry shampoo:
Boots: 
http://www.boots.com/en/VO5-Refresh-Me-Quick-Dry-Shampoo-200ml_1262111/

Wishlist #1

First wishlist of 2013

1→ All Black Low Converses- £44.99- Office. I have wanted these for ages, because I already bought the white version and I think the black versions look more suitable for winter and cold weather and black goes with a lot more clothing than other colours that you can get. These converse are also very hard to find and only a few shoe stores sell them and they sell out really quickly, so I might have to purchase these as soon as possible.
http://www.office.co.uk/mens/converse/all_star_ox_low/21/576/3967/1/1?fs=576

2→ Ostrich Zip Around Handbag- £45- Topshop. I saw this on the Topshop website and have fallen in love with it! I love it because it isn't too casual so you could use it for a night out, but it could also be used just as well for daytime with leggings and a hoodie or over sized jumper. It also has quite a lot of different compartments, which is always a plus for bits and pieces to save them going to the bottom of your bag, such as your phone or chewing gum. http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=8774676&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208548&parent_categoryId=204484&pageSize=200

3→Grey Eagle Print Oversized T-Shirt- £15- River Island. I like this t-shirt because it is oversized which makes it easy to wear with either jeans, jeggings, skirts or even leggings, because it will probably be long enough to go over your bum. I also like the rolled up sleeves, because it makes it different from other t-shirts. I also like the retro feel of the t-shirt, which would work well with any casual outfit or even going out to a meal tucked into a black skater skirt.
http://www.riverisland.com/women/t-shirts--vests--sweats/print-t-shirts--vests/Grey-eagle-print-oversized-t-shirt-632205

4→Victorian Stone Ring- £6.50- Topshop. I absolutely love rings, and this one isn't too expensive, especially since it is from Freedom Jewellery from Topshop. It is also looks quite expensive and it looks like its from a vintage shop/market. I love the pale pink colour of the centre stone as well although it is not semi precious, it still looks just as effective. http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=8796671&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208556&parent_categoryId=204484&pageSize=200

5→Jacket- £29.99- H&M. I have liked this style of coats for a long time now, and I bought myself a cream colour version last year in the January sales, but I still really like the khaki colour, because it goes with more clothing and shoes and they seem more in fashion at the moment. It is also a reasonable price and looks like a good quality coat.
http://www.hm.com/gb/product/04161?article=04161-A 

6→Black Floral Print Sleeveless Peplum Top- £25.99- River Island. I love the print on this top, because many floral prints are either too bright or too busy, however this print is very demure but still stands out against the black background of the top. I think this top would look really nice with disco pants or leather leggings for a night out, or in the day time you could easily tuck the peplum detailing into a black skater skirt or into high waisted jeans for a more casual look.
http://www.riverisland.com/women/tops/peplum-tops/Black-floral-print-sleeveless-peplum-top-634077

7→Black Wide Strap Cage Wedges- £24.99- New Look. These wedges are nice because they are not too high and they aren't too expensive, but they still look like they are good quality and will last a long time. They also look quite comfortable and they are easy to match to outfits because they are black. They would also be perfect for a night out or even in the daytime in summer. 
http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/view-all-shoes/black-wide-strap-cage-wedges_269303301

REVIEW: MISS SPORTY LIQUID CONCEALER

I know everyone has been raving about the Collection 2000 24hr Wear Concealer, however I have tried that and although it is very good, I still prefer this one. I have bought several of these since I started to use it when I got it for Christmas a year ago! 

It even looks like the same product, apart from the obvious colour of the lid and the make. 

The Miss Sporty Concealer gives you a more natural coverage and does not make your skin go dry at all or even go in the creases of the skin, which makes it blend into your skin more easily and people won't even tell that you are wearing any make up! It also contains vitamin E&C, which makes your skin feel so soft when you take off your make up at night! It might look like there is not lot of product in the tube, however one lasts me around 4-5 months and I use it mainly under my eyes and for breakouts. I also sometimes use it as a colour corrector because I think it blends in really well and whenever I use this, I tend not to use foundation at all! It also balances out your skin tone and corrects your natural complexion without making it look like you are caked in make up!

Even though I tend to use a different make up brush to apply it, the brush that comes in the lid is so soft as well!

It also has the same amount of product as the Collection 2000 version and it is even cheaper as well at £2.99, and there is a special offer on at the moment at Boots if you spend £3 on Miss Sporty products, you get a free black eyeliner! You can't go wrong!

Below is the link to the Miss Sporty concealer on Boots and the special offer!
http://www.boots.com/en/Miss-Sporty-Liquid-Concealer_1247440/

Tattoo Troubles

Tattoo's are a big decision, especially since you will have it for the rest of your life. I've currently been looking through pictures of other peoples tattoo's for inspiration about what to get...

They seem to have become more like an fashion accessory rather than something that is special and personal to you, which is a bit of a shame, however I still think that tattoo's are a great thing, even if you are just 'following a trend'!

I've also been trying to decide WHERE to have a tattoo.
I quite like the idea of getting one on your wrist, however that is meant to be the most painful place to get one and I'm not sure I could cope with that much pain, haha. I guess you also have to decide if you want to see it or not, for instance, on your arm or on the back of your neck. 

Also how big do you get it? 
I kind of like the idea of having a smallish tattoo, rather than a big tattoo, because it would be more difficult to cover, especially if you get one of your hand or arm where you may have to cover it up for work purposes. However, big tattoo's also look really good. 

There are so many questions! Decisions, decisions!

New Year Resolutions

2013

This year I'm planning on setting a new years resolution, which I will achieve. I've combined two of my most difficult goals to keep; eating healthier foods and doing more exercise! I'd rather sit on the sofa, eat snacks and watch a movie than go jogging and eat an apple, however this year will hopefully be different! Its also that time of year again where everyone says that they will set themselves ridiculous goals or change to become 'new person', however I personally think you should set a realistic goal for yourself. Because hey you know yourself whether you are eating too much or setting yourself impossible goals! 

BRING IT ON