Saturday 31 March 2012

Random March Favourites

This month has been a long one with me, I've had essays to do and I've been ill for the first time in ages for over a week! I'm slowly feeling better now and I have a good range of favourites from this month to share. 

TV- The Walking Dead


I was on the look for a new TV show to watch whilst I was waiting for Breaking Bad to come back (July is so far away!) So I thought I would watch The Walking Dead. Oh my god it is such a good show! I watched season 1 & 2 in a few weeks and now that it's on a break till the next series i'm kind of upset but glad that i've found another show I love.

Music- Jack White
Oh I do love this man, the past few months I have been listening to all his bands. From The White Stripes, The Racontuers, The Dead Weather to his new solo stuff I just can't get enough! I was very lucky to get tickets to see him in London in June and I seriously can't wait, I'm very excited!

Documentary- It Might Get Loud
I really love music documentaries and this is one of my favourites. Of course the fact it has Jack White in it and Jimmy Page who I both love. It's great hearing their stories of how they got into music and hearing them all play together some of their most famous songs was just great.

App- Bloglovin'
I finally joined bloglivin' and Hello Cotton this month (you can follow me on both through the bottons on the right) and I think they are both great ways to find new blogs. I really do love the bloglovin' app becuase it means I can even catch up on blogs when i'm out which definitely helps in those boring frees at Uni!

Films- Public Enemies
I love everything about this film, the actors, the clothes, the romance I could go on! It is based on a real story of bank robbers and the whole film is just so well made. I would definitely recommend this to anyone because it is one of my favourites of recent years.

So thats my random favourites for this month, what were some of your film, TV or music favourites for this month?

Friday 30 March 2012

March Beauty Favourites

I treated myself to a few new products at the begining of the month and for the second half I was ill so wasn't really wearing make-up but anyway these are some of the products i've been loving this month.
Skincare-
Palmers Natural Bronze Body Lotion- I love Palmers products and after hearing good things about the gradual tanner I thought I would give it a go. I love it! It smells great, is moisturising and gives a natural looking tan. It also lasts well on the skin too!

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction- I've reviewed this here. Pulp Friction s a great body scrub and is light enough to use as a shower gel too.

Make-Up, Face-
No7 BB Cream, Normal/Oily- I've reviewed this product here. This is so natural but gives coverage. I find it evens out my skintone and even covers some old acne scars. It's not heavy on the skin and lasts very well, such a great product.

No7 Airbrush Away Primer- I won this in a giveaway and i've been really liking it this month, i'm planning on doing a review of it soon. It makes my foundation or BB Cream last a lot longer than on their own. It is a bit pricey but you only need to smallest amount.

NARS Laguna Bronzer- I bought this on buyapowa this month since it was cheaper and i've heard such good things about it. I love the colour, its a gold toned brown so looks very natural, this will be a summer must have for me!

Natural Collection Blush in Peach Melba- I really like Natural Collection blushes, they great quality but very affordable. This colour is a very natural pink which is perfect for everyday wear.

Top, Laguna Bronzer. Bottom, Peach Melba Blush

Make-Up, Eyes-
MAC Painterly Paint Pot- I've had my eye on this for a while and when Debenhams had 10% off make-up I had to get it. Painterly is the perfect matte skintoned with a hint of purple eye base. It looks great on it's own with a bit of mascara or as a base to any eye look, very useful product to have.

Benefit Creaseless Cream in 'Birthday Suit'- I reviewed this here. Birthday Suit is a lovely gold/brown with a hint of green cream that doesn't crease and is very easy to use.

MAC Everyday Eyeshadows- Another buyapowa purchase, I got the colours, Espresso, Satin Taupe, Brule and Omega. All the shades are perfect for everyday eye looks.

Make-Up, Lips-
MAC Plumful Lipstick- I've done a post on this here. Plumful is a lovely plum shade which worn sheer looks great for everyday or built up for a more dramatic night look. It is a Lustre finish so is slightly glossy on the lips.

Revlon Lip Butter 'Berry Smoothie'- I love these lip butters, Berry Smoothie I have been wearing most days since I got it for during the day.

Revlon Lip Butter 'Strawberry Shortcake'- A pigmented light pink shade which will be perfect for Spring/Summer.

Left, Plumful Lipstick, Top Right Strawberry Shortcake, Bottom Right, Berry Smoothie
So thats my beauty favourite for this month, what were some of yours?

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Collection 2000 Super Size Fat Lash Mascara - Reviewed!

After using up a lot of old mascaras last month (4 in total!) I thought I would try this Collection 2000 mascara after hearing some goodd things about it and it not being that expensive.
First off I really like the packaging, it's simple and pink and black always work very well together. It is a smaller tube compared to other mascaras i've used especially ones like mayebeline which have some what chunky packaging.
The brush is rather large and is tappered towards the end. I don't find that product gathers on the end which I like. For me I found it lengthens my lashes. Due to the fact I have not the greatest of lashes which are short and don't have much curl to them I don't find that this is this greatest mascara for me. I do find it works well over the top of another mascara but on it's own I personally find it doesn't define them enough or give me enough curl. I do however think that this mascara would be good for someone who has fairly good lashes because it does give a nice natural look to the lashes and for the price it is a pretty good deal. I do love the wand and if you're on a budget this would be a great mascara to try.

Collection 2000 Super Size Fat Lash Mascara retails for £2.99 and is available here.


Monday 26 March 2012

Soap and Glory Heel Genius - Reviewed!

So today I have another Soap and Glory product to review, this is another product I got in the huge set that was available at Chirstmas. I normally not a person who uses foot creams because I always forget! Also the ones that i've tried in the past haven't been that great or have that 'foot cream' smell so normally I just use some body lotion on my feet.
I feel like I say this everytime I review something by Soap & Glory but this product has lovely packaging, I just love the style of all their products so much.
The consistency of this feels more like a gel than a cream and is a light blue colour, which at first I thought was a little strange! It works into the skin nicely and doesn't feel greasy after it is rubbed in. It almost has a slight cooling feeling when you apply it which I like.
What I like about this is that you can't apply too much because it is very moisturising and almost melts into the skin very easy. I use it a night after i've had a bath, you can even apply and good amount and put some socks on to make it work even better.

Now this doesn't have that normal 'Soap & Glory' scent to it, it has a hint of that but mainly it is a minty scent which is very plesant and it doesn't smell like your ordinary foot cream. 

For me this product has definitely helped with dry skin during the winter and is something that I will use all year round and buy again and again. I love it so much that i've got my Mum using it and I've just bought my Gran some! This is a most have for getting your feet ready for summer and flip flop season!

Heel Genius is available at Boots and retails for £5.50.

Saturday 24 March 2012

NOTD - Barry M 'Berry Ice-Cream'

Since the weather has been a lot nicer this month I have been wearing some more Spring coloured polishes. This is one of my favourites to wear, Barry M have some great pastel shades which are perfect for this time of year.
Berry Ice-Cream is a lovely pale lilac shade and took two coats to make it opaque which is good for a pastel shade. It lasts really well on the nails too, Barry M Nail Paints are very good when it goes to wear.
I bought this last Spring but the colour is still available and I will be wearing this colour throughout the season and into Summer! 

Barry M Nail Paints retail for £2.99 and are available here.

Thursday 22 March 2012

MAC Plumful Lipstick

So this is only my second MAC lipstick, I really like them but I find it hard to bring myself to shell out £13.50 on one lipstick! Due to this I do a lot of research before I buy anything high end to make sure I will like it.
I personally love the MAC lipsticks packaging because it looks so sleek and simple. It also feels good quality unlike some drugstore lipstick which feel like they might break in half when applying, this is the opposite of that.
'Plumful' is a Lustre finish which means it is 'Demi sheer with a smooth wet look' this means that is has a glossy finish and has a sheer colour pay off, it also means that it doesn't last long on the lips. I personally find that this shade gives a lovely plum shade to the lips, it does last ok on the lips and even when the gloss finish has worn off it still acts as a stain to the lips.
I love this shade and I think it would look good all year round even though it is a plum shade, you can build the colour up as well which I really like.

MAC Lipsticks retail for £13.50 and are available here.

Wednesday 21 March 2012

My Spring Nail Picks

So we are finally in Spring now and this is one of my favourites seasons, I love wearing pastel shades and they are definitely in this seasons. Nail Polish is something that I change depending on the season so these are some of my favourite picks for this Spring!
I've picked 10 shades that I think are perfect for Spring, some of these are my favourite colours in my collection too!

Blues-
  • 17 Lasting Fix - Mint Choc Chip - This is actually a mint shade but I love it and mint is very in at the moment I definitely will be getting some more mint shades soon!
  • Barry M Blueberry Ice-Cream - I lovely creamy blue shade, I have a NOTD on it.
  • Revlon Blue Lagoon - This is a pale blue with a slight shimmer too it.
Purples-
  • Barry M Berry Ice-Cream - A light purple shade that goes with everything. NOTD.
  • Essie Nice is Nice - A creamy blue toned lilac shade. NOTD.
Pinks-
  • Barry M Pink Flamingo - A classic bright pink.
  • Nails Inc Warwick Avenue - A pigmented baby pink shade. 
  • Essie French Affair - A purple toned baby pink. NOTD.
Peaches and Nudes-
  • Barry M Peach Melba - A beautiful creamy peach shade, one of my all time favourites.
  • Beauty UK Cafe Culture - A perfect nude with a slight blue shimmer to it. NOTD.
So there's some of my favourite nail polishes to wear in Spring, hopefully this was useful of you're looking for that perfect Spring shade.

What are some of your Spring picks?

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow 'Birthday Suit' - Reviewed!

I'm a big fan of cream primers. I'm always looking for a way of making my eyeshadows stay bright and not creasing throughout the day. There really doesn't seem to be any drugstore options that actually work well, I really want to try the Maybeline Color Tattoos but who knows when we will be getting those in the UK. So onto the review of the Benefit Creaseless Creams, this is the second one I have tried and I really like them.
I feel like with every Benefit product I try I can't get over how nice the packaging is, this one is no different with the simple black and white theme with swallows, very pretty. It comes in a glass jar which I like because it means it is likey likey to dry out.
'Birthday Suit' is lovely neutral colour, it as shades of gold, brown and even a hint of green it in. These apply very smoothly, even smoother than the MAC Paint Pots which I also love. This are also very buildable, you can apply a small amount for a day look and go for a darker look at night. This is a very versatile shade which lasts all day without creasing at all. You can also use these as a liner which again lasts very well on the eyes.Here's a swatch:
I've been wearing this everyday since I got it, it is so easy to wear and looks great with just a brown shadow in the crease. I can create a really nice eye look with these and it takes hardly any time to do which is great if you are in a rush in the morning!

The only thing I don't like about these is that they don't have any matte shades which is a shame but I definitely would recomend them. The do retail for £14.00 which is a bit steap but I think they are worth the money. You can buy them on Feel Unique with free delivery here.

Sunday 18 March 2012

NOTD - OPI 'Charged Up Cherry'

I got this polish from Fragrance Direct and you can see the haul I did here. It is a lovely creamy hot pink shade which is great for Spring/Summer.
OPI do have some of the best formulation when it comes to nail polish. I used 2 coats to make it opaque but I could have easily got away with one. This last 4 days without chipping even after doing some hard core cleaning!
I can see me getting a lot of wear out of this polish in the warmer months. As I said I got mine for from Fragrance Direct for £6.49.

Friday 16 March 2012

Make-Up Haul - Frangrance Direct

I love Fragrance Direrct, they're an online discount website. They sell a range of products from perfumes, skincare, haircare but I'm always drawn in by the make-up section they have. They have a range of brands from drugstore to some high end. Some of the products they have are things that have been discountinued but some are still part of the current lines but are cheaper. I ordered I few things the other day so I thought I would show you what I got.
The first two things I got were two nail polishes, I really don't need anymore nail polishes but I can't resist a bargain!

The first one is an OPI Nail Lacquer in 'Charged Up Cherry' it's a lovely hot pink shade, I will do a NOTD on it soon. It cost £6.95 which is a lot cheaper than the normal price of £10.50.
The second one is a Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure polish in 'Dainthus' this is the first Sally Hanson polish I own and I can't wait to wear it. It cost £1.99.
Next is the Mayebelline Waterproof Shadow Stick in shade '20'. I saw these in Boots over a year ago and always wanted to try them but I think they've now been discontinued which is a same because these are really good. I would describe it as a MAC Paint Pot in a stick. They last all day and only cost £1.99.

This next product is by Calvin Klein, who I didn't even know had a make-up range. This is a cream shade in 'Bare Silk' and is a lovely pearl colour which is great for the inner corner. It isn't waterproof but looks very pretty on the eyes. It only cost £1.99 and i've already ordered a few other shades.
Saving the best till last is this MAC Blush I got in 'Mocha'. It is a matte finish and is a lovely light pink with a slight hint of brown to it. This shades is perfect for an everyday look and cosst £9.99 rather than the retail price of £17.50, this blush is still avaialble on the MAC website.

So thats all I got, I would definitely recomend checking out Frangrance Direct becuase they have some really good deals on.

Thursday 15 March 2012

March Glossybox - Harrods Edition, My Last Glossybox

So this month's box was another over hyped one, Glossybox teamed up with Harrods and designed a box full of luxury products available in Harrods. I liked this idea hence why I decided to stay subscribed after the disoppiontment that was last months box. Anyway here's what I got in my box.
This months box was white which I thought was a nice touch. Once opened it had some lovely green ribbon that said Harrods on it which I really liked.
I liked that there was a range of products, a few skincare, some body, perfume and make-up. This first product was:
1 - Versace Vanitas Versace Eau De Parfum - 'A luxurious scent from the House of Versace. Vanitas is a rich and voluptuois fragrance with notes of tiare flower, lime and freesia.'
I was very impressed with the size of this sample and the fact that this is a scent that I would actually wear! It is very fresh and would be suited for Spring. I would seriously consider buying the full size of this although I think it will be fairly expenisve!
2 - Bliss - Blood Orange and White Pepper Body Butter - 'Deeply moisturisig, skin softening, naturally rejuvenating body butter in mouth watering blood orange and white pepper.'
When I first saw this I was disoppionted, another body butter! But when I smelt it I was very pleased, it smells so fresh and the orange scent really comes through. It feels very moisturising without being heavy or greasy. This is another product that I would consider buying the full size of although I have a lot of body products to use up at the moment.
3 - Revive - Intensite Creme Lustre SPF 30 'An intensive, firming moisturizer that helps reduce the appearance of sagging skin.'
Oh and we were doing so well with the good products! This is acutally a nice size sample but it's totally not the type of product I would use since i'm 19! I think I might give this one to my Mum since she might enjoy it more.
4 - Lancome Juicy Tubes - Toffee R 'N' B 93 - 'Ultra shiny hydrating lipgloss'
I don't normally wear lipgloss especially brown shades. Swatched this looks well pigmented and a nice glittery orange/brown shade. This has a very strong toffee scent to it which is pleasant but I bit overpowering for me.
5 - Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream - 'A formula rich in regenating and firming plant extracts which restores the skin's youthful density and elasticity.'
Again this seems like a product that I wouldn't normally use but the cream feels very nice, smooth and not greasy when rubbed in. This is a decent 30ml sample so I look forward to trying it out. It also seems that a small amount would go a long way.


So that was this months box, I'm very happy with the products that I got even though some may not be suited for my age. This however is going to be my last Glossybox. I have many reasons why I have cancelled my subscription:
  1. For me a lot of the product have been hit and miss which is to be expected but even though I filled in the survey saying my age, hair type, skin type etc I still recieved products that weren't suited for me.
  2. I dislike the fact that the bloggers that recieve the Glossybox's for free to review seem to get better products than everyone else. They aslo recieve the boxes early meaning that spoilers and hype around the box is built up even before it is shipped. I don't mind people recieving boxes for free I just dislike the fact they get better boxes.
  3. A lot of boxes are over hyped which ties in with my last point, I get that they want more people to subscribe but I find that i'm disappointed when the box arrives and it includes poor samples compared to the hyped about ones.
Obviously these are just my own opinions but for me at this point I don't feel that it is worth £12.95 a mouth. For now I won't be looking for another beauty box but this may change in the future.

What are your thoughts on this months box?

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Soap and Glory Trick and Treatment - Reviewed!

As i've said before in a few posts I don't have terrible under eye circles but I do have blue tones and my eyes can look very tired in the morning even if i've had a good nights sleep. Due to this i'm still on the hunt for the perfect under-eye concealer. I saw this in the 3 for 2 offer in Boots and thought I would give it a go.
As with all Soap and Glory products this has lovely packaging, it really stands out to you and the before and after shots are so funny. The product itself comes in a lip gloss shaped tube, it looks very similar in packaging to the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer which I love.
The product itself is yellow toned which helps correct any darkness around the eyes. It also has some slight glitter particles in it which when I tried it on my hand when I got home did scare me a bit but on the face this isn't noticable, in fact I think it helps with the brightening around the eyes.
With it being a liquid it is very easy to blend and is very buildable. The only problems is it can clinge to some dry patches near the inner corner of the eye but this can be solved with putting some eye cream on before applying.

I think this is a really nice product because it really does brighten under the eye and in some ways even seems to improve the area arounf my eyes. It isn't the cheapest of products but you only need a small amount so it will last a long time.

Soap and Glory Trick and Treatment Under Eye Dark Circle Concealer is available at Boots and retails for £9.00.

Tuesday 13 March 2012

TAG - Get To Know Me

I loving reading and watching TAG videos but I've never done one myself. I thoguht I would do this one so that you guys could know a bit more about me!


Vital Stats:
Name - Helen
Nicknames - My Mum calls me Hells Bells sometimes but most people just call me Helen
Birthday - 4th September 1992
Place of Birth - Huddersfield
Star Sign - Virgo
Occupation - Student studying a degree in Behavioural Sciences

Appearance:
Hair colour - Naturally brown but now I've been having blonde highlights for a while so it's fairly blonde now
Hair length - Just past my shoulders
Eye colour - Blue
Best feature - I like my eyes and lips and my shoulders/chest area haha
Braces - No
Piercings - No, although i've considered getting my ears pierced a few times
Tattoos - No, but I do love them and might get some in the future even though my Mum hates them!
Righty of Lefty - Righty

Firsts:
Best friend - I can't remember her name which is pretty bad, but she was our next door nieghbour when I was little but she moved away before I started school.
Award - Probably something in swimming
Sport - I used to do swimming in Junior School
Real Holiday - We used to go to Jersey I lot when I was young so probably there
Concert - Haha, I went to see Busted in Manchester when I was 10 (I think) and I thought it was amazing! My music taste has since improved a lot!

Favourites
Film - I have some many, I love the the Christopher Nolan Batman films and can't wait for The Dark Knight Rises! I have a really wide taste when it comes to films, I like most things
TV Show - Again I have a lot! Breaking Bad is probably my favourite or Saturday Night Live
Colour - Purple
Song - I couldn't possible choose!
Restaurant - I love Nando's, does that count!?
Store - Boots, HMV, New Look, Topshop
Book - Anthony Kiedis - Scar Tissue
Magazine - Q Magazine for music and Company for fashion and beauty
Shoes - My Boots from Topshop or my Converse

Currently...
Feeling - Happy since it's sunny!
Single or Taken - Single
Eating - I just had some grapes
Listening to - I was listening to Smodcast earlier
Thinking about - How Jimmy Page is still an awesome guitarist and person
Watching - It Might Get Loud
Wearing - Grey jeans, I love the big apple t-shirt and some flip flops!

Future:
Want Children - Think so
Want to be married - Yeah
Careers in mind - Not fully sure, maybe something to do with my degree! Or something to do with beauty, it keeps changing!
Where do you want to live - I'd love to live in London or New York but it depends on what job I end up doing

Do you believe in:
God - No
Miracles - Not really
Love at first sight - I guess so
Ghosts - I've never seen one but i've heard people tell stories about seeing ghosts so i'm not sure!
Aliens - Yeah, I don't see how we can be the only ones here! Although they're probably not little green men!
Soul Mates - I don't think that there is only one person out there for you but people can become soul mates over time
Heaven - No
Hell - No
Kissing on the first date - Yeah
Yourself - I don't really get this one, but I will say yes! 


So thats the questions done, if you've done this TAG or have any other good TAG's let me know in the comments :)

Monday 12 March 2012

No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser - Reviewed!

I've been meaning to review this for a while since I've been using it a lot later so i'm finally getting round to it! Hot Cloth Cleansers seem to be everywhere at the moment with every brand bringing out their own version. This is the second what that i've tried so far, the other one being the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser.
It comes in a light blue box which includes 200ml bottle of cleanser and one muslin cloth. One thing I really like about the packaging is that you can see how much product you have used which is great because you knwo when it is running out! It also comes with a pump so it is easy to control the amount of product you need so product won't get wasted.
The cleanser is very creamy which I love so it is easy to apply over the face. I use between one and two pumps to remove my make-up. It is very gentle on the eyes and can remove even heavy/waterproof make-up. After the cleanser is rubbed in I use the muslin cloth and some warm water to remove it. This is gentle but the muslin cloth helps to almost exfoliate the face. If i've had alot of make-up I sometimes do this twice to make sure everything is removed but you don't have too. There isn't much a scent to it either which I like.

I also use this in the bath and the warm water helps to steam the face and open up pores leaving my face very clean and fresh. I use this every night to remove my make-up and cleanse my face. Before I got my Clarisonic I used it both in the morning and I night.

I really like this Hot Cloth Cleanser, it leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean. It does retail for £10 but there is always No7 £5 off voucher going around in Boots which makes it very afforadable.


Saturday 10 March 2012

NOTD - Barry M 'Blueberry Ice-Cream'

After wearing nudes shades for the past few weeks I fancied some colour on my nails. Whilst looking through my collection I noticed that I hadn't worn blue on my nails for a while and even though it is more of a summer shade I could resist it!
It took two coats to make it opaque and was very easy to apply like all Barry M nail paints. The colour did look a bit flat so I decided to use a glitter top coat that I got in a free gift from ELF around Christmas time and still hadn't tried. The glitter is very subtle but added a really nice finish to the nails.
The glitter is called 'Twinke' and is available from ELF and retails for £1.00.
Barry Nail Paints are available from Boots and Superdrug and retail for £2.99.