Snow...

This is the view out of my window over looking my back garden from this afternoon. So much snow!

Yesterday my friend and I went sledging and made a snowman. Well... we gave him a halo and twig arms that made it look like he was praying to turn him into a SNOWMAN-ANGEL! lol. Was so much fun. :) We had the park all to ourselves as everyone was at school or work. There was so much snow and so much of it was untouched which was amazing and quite remarkable.

I love snow and got as excited as a child about a third of my age but tonight I'm not so happy about it as its cancelled my girly dinner out. :( Majorly gutted.

Hence why I've also found time to write three blog posts!

Is it snowing where you are? Post a pic on your blog if it is!

Love Sarah xxx

Christmas!!!

I meant to show you all this before now but what with this hectic time of year I’m only getting round to it now.

May I present to you all….

My mini pink xmas tree!!!!


I bought this from paperchase in Borders (still can’t believe its closing). It was…£8 I think. I can’t remember to be honest but I LOVE it.

I’ve decorated it with mini silver baubles from John Lewis which came in a pack of about 20-25. There are matt, shiny and glittery silver ones. :)

The angel on the top is from Accessorise. They do really cute xmas decorations.

My mum randomly bought my some LED battery powered lights from Lakeland which I’ve now put on as well but aren’t in the picture.

This is the first year I’ve had an xmas tree in my room and I love it. I feel its totally justified as I spend so much time in here! :)

How does everyone else decorate their room? I’d love to see pictures of everyone’s xmas trees! :)

Love Sarah xxx

Birthday Gifts :)

This is a very late blog post…

I turned 21 on the 7th of December and was lucky enough to receive some wonderful gifts from friends and family.

Here is a picture of the yummy cake my mum baked for me:

I asked my mum and dad for a piece of jewellery and after much debate and looking at pictures I decided I wanted a tiffany key necklace. I remember first hearing about these from lollipop26. I really wanted something special that I could keep but also something “classic” that would stand the test of time.

So here is a picture of the one I went for:


I love it and wear it most days. The chain is a perfect length and I think its stylish but simple so can go with any outfit almost.

My amazing friends at uni got me this beautiful necklace from Swaroski which I love. I have a total thing for bows.

And finally, two family friends gave me a very generous amount of money with which I decided to buy a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet as I’ve been lusting after one for a good while now. Unfortunately when I went in they didn’t have all the charms I wanted because of the festive period but I got one horse one and I’m going back after xmas to get the others.

Winged Pegasus charm.

I love all my new jewellery so much and its even more special because it was given to me by people I love and care about so much.

:)

Love Sarah xxx

Winter Warmers

Winter has been here for a while now in Glasgow and wrapping up warm is a total must. I actually love winter and I’m aware that some of you must now think I’m totally mad! I love cold frosty winters mornings with a perfect baby blue sky and the low sun. Plus I love getting wrapped up in scarves, gloves and hats, and layers of cosy clothes.

Here are two wee purchases from Primark:


One pair of leather purple gloves (£7-8) and one pair of grey arm warmers (£3).

I love arm warmers. I actually like them more than gloves. I feel really cute wearing them and do so inside as well as out. I like how they keep me warm but don’t restrict finger movement!

I’m lusting after more gloves, scarves, and arm warmers. Accessorize makes me drool. lol

Love Sarah xxx

Do you like winter?!

Hydrate those lips! :P

I purchased this product a while ago after watching one of Gemma’s videos from Gem's Maquillage.

I tend to apply this when I’m in the house studying at my desk or before I go to bed. It lives on my bedside table and has become handy to reach for when my lips feel a bit dry.

I have a few blistex lip products and this is one of my favourites. It does work well – moisturising your lips and sorting out any dry areas. It’s quite thick in consistency and is definitely as it rightly says on the tube a “moisturiser” rather than a balm or gel. This means it’s probably not for everyone as I can imagine not all will like the consistency but it’s great for night time wear before bed.

Only a very small amount is needed which is easy to do as the product has a slanted tip applicator.

Nice lip product and definitely something I’d recommend for winter.

I would say though that this isn’t a total miracle worker and for very dry and chapped, or peeling lips I’d recommend Blistex Relief Cream.

Love Sarah xxx

Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything is right!

Yes Paulo Nutini I agree! Lol

That was all very cheesy, wasn’t it! Just a quick post to show you some shoes I got a while back. I have to wear smart black flat shoes for part of my university work and they currently need to be replaced about once a year minimum.

So here they are:


I love bow details on anything really so that was my main reason for choosing them. I got them in Office and paid about £35.

Love Sarah xxx

A perfect match

A good number of months ago I picked up a sample of Estee Lauder’s Double Wear foundation after a recommendation from a friend. I’d never bought any Estee Lauder products before but the MUAs at the House of Fraser counter were lovely and colour matched me well. There was no stingyness about giving a sample either.

I used up all of the sample and when the weather started getting colder I felt the need for a bit more coverage than my tinted moisturiser, so I purchased 1 30ml bottle of the Double Wear foundation in shade 2N2 fresco 01. And I’d like to report that after at least two months of wear that I am a very happy customer!

Things I love about this foundation:
- On the bottle it says “Stay-in-Place Make-up” and this product does just that. One of my main requirements for any foundation I wear is that it must stay on my face and look flawless for as long as possible without touch ups. I don’t have time during the day to be checking my make-up and this has great lasting power.

- Shine control/finish. I have combination to oily skin but can occasionally suffer from the odd dry patch in winter. This foundation suits my skin perfectly. Its not ridiculously matt but is definitely more of a matt finish than dewy. Personally I love it as I can get to the end of the day and not look horribly shiny.

- No breakouts! Obviously this is a very individual thing but I’ve not had any adverse skin reactions whilst using this product.

- SPF 10

- Good colour match. They seemed to have a good range of colours and I am impressed how close a match the MUA chose for my skin colour. I often find that a lot of foundations are too pink and warm toned for my oriental skin tone but this is a pretty good match.

What could be improved about this product:
Make a pump!!! Please Estee Lauder I implore you to sell this product with a pump! The amount of waste is very sad. I did even go back to the counter and ask if they sold a pump separately but no joy. I just try to pour a small amount out on to the top of the lid and use it from there. It is annoying but I’m willing to make this small sacrifice for a great product!

So this is my perfect foundation of the moment! What’s yours? :)

Love Sarah xxx

When life gets in the way

When life gets in the way most things get thrown up into the air. Its been ages since my last blog post and that’s mainly due to life getting in the way of everything! There has been some rather horrific drama in my life recently – which was worthy of a Hollyoaks script. Lol (I don’t like Hollyoaks) I broke up with my bf of two and a half years and while that may not seem like a lot to some of you it’s the longest relationship I’ve been in and its all been quite a shock to the system.

In case you’re a bit nosy like me none of it was his fault and it was me who mucked up and needed out. I did some bad things and it wasn’t fair to him to drag out a failing relationship. So I’ve cried hysterically, felt ill with guilt and worry, and beaten myself up about it all, but at the end of it all, I’ve emerged a better and stronger person. And most importantly I haven’t felt this happy in ages! :)

Yes, its been hard but you survive. I didn’t mean to talk about this as much as I have but I’d like to mention two people’s blogs that have helped me so much. (Its possible a bit weird saying that two people who you’ve never met before can help you through difficult times but I truly love reading these people’s posts – and in many ways they have changed the way I think.)

1. Kandee Johnson (kandee the make-up artist). I first found kandee months and months ago on youtube and I instantly knew she was going to become a youtube star. Her blog is often about much more than make-up and fashion. Her writing and advice is inspirational and has encouraged me to be so much more positive and happy about life. (Her videos are also amazing – she is so enthusiastic and talented!)
2. Kim from Mermaid in a Manhole. I found Kim quite recently on blogger and I love her practical advice about life and various issues. She gives lots of really useful tips and ideas which has encouraged me to think differently about things.

Also check out this website which I found through Kim. Something really different. :)

Thanks for reading. I’m going to write some more blog posts on make-up now and post them soon.

Love sarah xxx

Ugly or cute?

Slipper boots. Discuss.

I bought a pair from Primark a few weeks ago and I LOVE them. Is this wrong? I feel like it should be. Afterall they aren’t really a necessity and no-one actually gets to see them bar about 3 people (mum, dad, bf).

And yet they are so ridiculously cosy and warm and I feel much cuter lounging about the house in them.

I actually want more pairs – but I am aware this would be excessive and unnecessary… but still…

What do you think? My mum thought they were ugly. Agree or disgree? Do you wear slipper boots?

A nasty surprise

This post is about a skincare product. I’m always a bit wary about writing about skincare as it’s such a personal thing. Therefore please be aware that I’m not trying to put you off buying or using this particular product, it may work wonders for you but I am simply blogging about my own personal experience.

I’m a bit fickle when it comes to skincare products especially cleansers. A while ago I tried this one:

Clean&Clear Deep Action Refreshing gel cleanser.

It was quite a spur of the moment purchase. My Body Shop Tea Tree cleanser was running out and I decided to try something new. I like Clean&Clear products and have used them in the past. I am also drawn to anything that says “oil free”.

For reference, I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and shine control issues. I also take acne medication. My skin is 20years old (well obviously I’ve not had those exact same cells for 20yrs but you know what I mean)

To start with I quite liked it. Nothing special but perfectly adequate cleanser. But then it happened…

My skin reacted. I’ve never experienced anything like it. (Bit dramatic but I don’t have sensitive skin). My chin and upper lip area went red, itchy and on closer inspection tiny white sports had appeared. The area felt uncomfortable, sore and tight for 2-3days. Not pleasant. I fixed it using some emollient cream I got from my doctor for a rash I had once and this did the trick nicely. The area still took about 5 days to recover totally. I also noticed that the rest of my face was affected but to less of an extent – basically got very dry.

I can now sympathise with anyone who suffers from sensitive skin or who has had this kind of problem. I felt quite traumatised afterwards!

Anyone else tried this product?
xxx

Winter Boots

One thing I love about autumn and winter is being able to wear boots. To be honest you could probably get away with wearing boots for the majority of the year here in Glasgow but I feel that in the winter months they become a necessity. At some point over the last year – I think it may have been early summer, around the same time of the winter jacket clearout – I also had a winter boot clearout. I got rid of one pair of short ankle boots from Aldo which were cute but hurt, and another pair of flat just below the knee boots from River Island – much loved but worn done.

Therefore at a month of two ago now I decided I needed new boots. It wasn’t so much a “need” or a “want” more a deeper knowledge from within that this purchase HAD to be made. I also wanted to buy early in the season to be prepared for the no doubt sudden change in weather and the numerous wet, cold Scottish days. Additionally, buy early = maximum wear = good value for money. :)

Justification done.

So randomly I was in TKMaxx with my mum (not somewhere I usually go but have come across wonderful hidden gems) and I found THE WINTER BOOTS. I wasn’t even actively looking. It was love at first sight. They ticked all my boxes in what I was looking for in my winter boot.

Flat/low heel
Black
Leather
Below the knee

Very comfortable and priced at a reasonable £40.

Job DONE.

Since purchasing I have worn these almost every day. They are comfortable, keep my feet warm and dry, and go with everything. I couldn’t ask for more.

For completeness to this post I thought I’d also share with you my gorgeous Dune boots which I got in the sale last year. These are my “going out winter boots”. Happy times. :)

Do you have winter boots? What are they like?

xxx

Oh dear

Just realised its been almost a month since my last post. This is shocking. And yet still I have gained a few new followers. Thank you so much for clicking that magic "follow" button. :) I've decided to adopt a new approach - write a number of blog posts when time, save then publishing over a few days. I've done three so far so keep a look out for those. :)

xxx

She deserves a crown or at the very least a very special cupcake. :)

I purchased Baliste Dry Shampoo a while ago. I probably hear about it from YouTube or Blogger I can't remember which now. Possible lollipop26 had something to do with it. I bought the Tropical one and I quite liked it. So much so that I repurchased it. I didn't love it but I thought it was a good product and useful for freshening up your hair.

Then I read a blog, watched a video and I can now say that in some small way Gemma of Gem's Maquillage and Baliste shampoo have changed my life. Quite a big statement I hear you say, well hear is the story behind it. :)

Before these life-changing events this is how I used Baliste:

• Occasional usage mainly at night before bedtime so that when I woke up the "whiteness" would have disappearred from my black hair.
• Application involved random, fairly liberal spraying throughout hair. Think hairspray kind of movements.

At the weekend I was reading Daisy's blog at Cupcakes and Cherries (for exact post click that sexy link) and she mentioned Baliste shampoo and how she wasn't using it properly. She included a link to a video that showed you how to use it properly.

I admit my initial thought was how can someone make a video about this. (Terribly judgemental of me I know. I have my tail firmly behind my legs now.)

So I watched the video. Freaking awesome is the only way to describe it. Check it out here. (In case of crazy link issues its Gemma at Gem's Maquillage on YouTube)

I was using it sooooooo unbelievably wrong. I tried it the way that Gemma shows in the video yesterday and WOW. What a difference. My hair felt and looked so much cleaner. :) And equally importantly it was quick and easy. :)

So thank you Gemma. :) In my opinion, (as the title says) you do deserve a crown or at least a nice cake. :)

xxx

Love, lust and lounging around

I am so glad its the weekend.

Just finished my first week of fourth year at university. Pretty hardcore stuff. I've been back at uni since the end of July (the course has an extra semester compared with most) but on Monday we officially entered fourth year. Very scary. Can't believe how quick my time there has flown by.

Surprisingly we have been given this Monday off thanks to the September weekend, so I have a bit of time to re-organise myself and mentally regroup. :)

LOVE

Around this time two years ago me and my bf took our first holiday together in Paris. Amazing couple of days. I loved Paris and can't wait to go back one day.

LUST

I am lusting after so many clothes, accessories, bags and jewellery at the moment but I have pennys to buy them with. A major lust is also clip in hair extensions. I want long hair again. :( Where is my bursary?! lol

LOUNGING AROUND

To be honest there won't be much lounging due to uni work however at least I'll be doing it in the comfort of my own room.

One little flower in the city

I love this:

It makes me feel pretty and glamorous in a wonderful modern everyday kinda way.

I soap&glory.

xxx

A good ol' scrub

With skincare products I am prone to being quite fickle and totally unloyal to any one particular brand. I'm always looking for something better. Typical eh - never satisfied. :)




So here is a recent addition to the skincare family. A scrub.




More specifically, Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Clearing scrub. Bit of a mouthful. Anyway, I havn't had that much experience with scrubs - I think I've only ever tried two different ones from Clean and Clear.

Still, I feel quite compelled to offer you my opinion as to be honest I quite like it. :)

It was bought for perhaps three main reasons...

1. My old scrub ran out (A Clean and Clear one with bursty beads that I didn't like)
2. I got caught up in the blogger Garnier hype
3. I do have some blackheads on my nose and all the stuff on the packaging sooked me in.

Like I said, I'm quite happy with it. It leaves my skin very refreshed and it feels like it cleans deep down and gets rid of all that gunk. I like that. I also love how soft it leaves my skin. :) Has it got rid of/improved my blackheads? Possibly, but then again possibly not. More time is needed to judge that.

However, I won't be in a huff if it doesn't because I really quite appreciate everything else it does. :)

Thank you Garnier Scrub. :)

xxx

Revlon

A while ago there was a three for two offer on Revlon products in Superdrug and I purchased the following three items:

1. Nail Enamel in "Cherries in the Snow" £6.16
2. Nail Enamel in "Purple Petal" £6.16
3. Super Lustrous Lipstick in "Cherries in the Snow" £7.13

I also got the BarryM 3 in 1 mascara.

I've had these products for a while so I feel that I'm ina pretty decent position to let you know what I think.

The Revlon Nail Polishes

• Nice colours.
• I found the "Cherries in the Snow" went on more red than I expected and is less raspberry-ish than the lipstick.
• Good to work with but quite a bit runny-er than I'm used to.
• Only bad thing I really than to say is that these did'nt really last that well for me, and that was with the Seche vite on top. Maybe just me.

Revlon Lipstick

• Pretty colour although it does scare me
• Lasts very well on the lips
• Doesn't seem to dry out my lips that much. (My lips are quite prone to drying out out and lipstick is often unwearable but this doesn't do nasty things like that)
• I usually dab this on my lips and wear with lip balm to tone down the colour and make it more "safe". lol Hopefully, I'll have the guts to go all out and wear it properly soon.

BarryM Mascara

• I like it. I don't love it. I like my mascara to add masses of volume and length. Definition and separation aren't really my thing and I'm not going to stress about some clumping. I like the dramatic lash look. Not everyone's thing I know. Hence this mascara is good but I don't think I'll buy it again because it just isnt vavavoom-ish enough. lol :P

xxx

New Coat!

I LOVE my new coat.

(I actually got it a few weeks ago and have neglected to tell you all. Sorry)

Sit back and relax. I'm going to tell you a story. :)

The Story of the New Coat

Around Spring time of this year a young girl called Sarah decided to get rid of her winter coats and jackets. The worst of the winter weather had past and she needed more room in her bulging wardorbe. Not forgetting the fact that she was SOOOO very fed up of her old coats. These included a black "duffle" kind of coat from New Look which had gone horribly bobbly and felt minging to wear. (It had only been bought the year before in a moment of desperation when faced with the scottish winter weather.) She also had a "parka" style coat from Primark which had been a bit of an impulse buy and did nothing to keep her dry.

So it was with great satisfaction that she dispatched both jackets to the charity shop. She knew that come Winter she would have to find new jackets/coats and decided to buy quality ones this time that would last well.

A couple of weeks ago, Sarah realised that the weather was turning wetter and colder and she knew that soon enough Scotland would turn into one giant puddle for the rest of the year. She knew she had to find a new coat has a matter of URGENCY!

Sarah did as any young girl of this time and age would do and searched the internet. Nothing like a bit of pre-shopping research. She find topshop, oasis, miss selfridge, river island and many more. But then she found the Warehouse website and fell in love.

A beautful grey trench coat stared back at her. Sarah was entranced.

The next day Sarah had some free time before university and she trotted into the nearest Warehouse. When she had almost given up she found the dream coat tucked between tops and dresses at the back of the store.

She tried it on.

She looked in the mirror.

She took it to the till.

She got a student discount. ;)

The coat was hers!

When Sarah got home she looked lovingly at ner new coat and to this day she loves wearing it. :)

THE END

If you read all that well done! lol :) If you just looked at the picture I don't blame you - I got carried away writing my "wee"story. lol :)

xxxx

Random outfit

I sometimes take a picture of the outfit I am wearing with the intention of doing an OFTD but this never happens. As a result here is a picture of me in an oufit I wore sometime last week. :)

Ignore the dressing gown. lol

I am wearing:

• Grey top from Primark
• Denim skirt from Topshop (years ago)
• Thigh high black socks (possibly Primark) scrunched down a bit
• Black leather boots from TKMaxx. (new purchase, I love them)

The skirt is very short - I am aware of this. I have though about retiring it and giving it to charity but it would only result in the purchase of another equally short skirt. *sigh* My new rule is the skirt should only be worn with leggings or tights but I get too excited and have broken this rule already. :)

I guess you're only young once eh? Might as well..... :)

xxx

New Clothes :)

Over the last few weeks I've bought a couple of new pieces which I've been meaning to show you. :)

1. Pale lilac top from H&M. Purple/lilac has been my fave colour for a while now. I love the length and baggyness of it as well as the shoulder detail shown below.

2. Black and white top from Primark. I'm not usually a fan of geometric style designs but I though the way that this one started off as a pattern then turned into birds (swallows maybe?). I wore this with leggings as it is quite long (tunic-like). Its 100% cotton which I'm a fan of cos I find cotton washes better and lasts longer than anything with viscose in it.

3. Black top with zip detailing from Primark. I love this was such a bargin at £6! I saw this a while ago on hele's blog and she looked amazing in it. I never expected to actually find it in my local primark though. I wore this on a night out with black shorts and gold accessories. I love the one shoulder look and I have since seen quite a few pics of celebs wearing clothes with zip detailing. I feel quite "on trend" with this top. lol :)

Thanks for reading. :) Anyone bought the same?

xxxx

Obsessions Tag

The fantastically fabulous Fasionable Affair tagged me. :) Thank youooo! Here is the link to her blog which is a wonderful mixture of celeb pics and fashions and as well as showing us loads of looks and outfits from her own wardrobe. :) followingthefashion.blogspot.com

The rules with this award are:
1) List 5 current obsessions
2) Pass the award on to 5 fabulous blogs
3) Mention the person who tagged you and post their blog link
4) Post links to the 5 winners and let them know!

My Current 5 obsessions:

1. The new Black Eyed Peas album "The E.N.D." Love the BEP, went to see then years ago when they were on tour.
2. Glamalot by Soap and Glory. Smells divine!
3. Benefit's "You Rebel" tinted moisturiser. Loving not being caked in foundation.
4. My new trench coat. Not worn it much yet admittedly but I do love looking at in affectionately. lol
5. Reading fashion blogs and looking at fashion pics. I just love seeing what people are wearing. :)

I tag...

• ellamarie84 http://ellamarie84.blogspot.com/
• fliss.is.bliss http://flissisbliss.blogspot.com/
• mszcheysser http://mszcheysser.blogspot.com/
• pretty geeky http://lottieb-prettygeeky.blogspot.com/
• tanya talks http://tanyatalksmakeup.blogspot.com/

Yey! :)

50 followers! Yey. :) Thank you so much to all my followers. I know 50 is nothing compared to what some people have on blogger but its a lot to me. :)

Hello to my new followers who have helped me reach 50. :)

Hope you're all having a good weekend. :)

Lots of love and smiles.

xxxx

Barry M Lip paints

Here is the last in the series about my Barry M products.

I have three lip paints. From left to right:

• 129 Palest lavender
• 107 Pink Glitter
• 101 Marshmellow

I will start by confessing that yes I did buy 129 and 101 purely because of the hype on blogger.

129: Pretty lilac colour. Very wearble. Nice consistency

107: Amazing glittery pink. Actual chunks of glittery goodness.

101: The famous Barry M nude. Nice colour. Horrible consistency. Very drying on my lips. :(

More shades are available on the Barry M website and in superdrug and boots stores.

Have you tried any of the new shades?

xxx

Barry M Fine Glitter Dusts

Sorry these further installments about my little Barry M collection have taken so long.

Here are my two fine glitter dusts and one loose body glitter.

Sorry about the blurry picture.

From left to right:

• 10 Yellow Gold Fine Glitter Dust
• 13 Blue Silver Fine Glitter Dust
• LE2 Loose Body Glitter (only just realised that this is limited edition)

The fine glitter dusts are great for a night out and themed looks. They vary greatly in consistency in my opinion. The gold is much smoother and only marginally chunkier than a dazzle dust. On the other hand the silver is basically fine chunks of glitter. I actually prefer this. It looks amazing when placed on top of a white eyeshadow. The tip with these is too lay them on top of your finished eyeshadow above the crease near the brow bone. Damping your eyeshadow brush with fix+ from MAC then picking up some of the glitter can help the product stick better. :)

The Loose Body Glitter is available in other colours but no longer gold. This stuff must be handled with extreme caution! It goes everywhere and is difficult to remove from some hard surfaces. (My painted chest of drawers has never recovered. lol) But it is fantastically glittery so I forgive it. :)

Check out the BarryM website here

xxxx

BarryM dazzle dusts

Here are my four wee dazzle dusts:

Aren't they cute? :)

From left to right we have:

1. 75 lime


2. 85 neon pink


3. 53 chocolate


4. 23 midnight

Why do I love dazzle dusts?

• Cheap. Great price at £4.50. Much better option than MAC pigments I think.
• Colourful. Amazing colour range. Awesome pigmentation.
• Versatile. Can be used wet or dry. Apply a little and blend like crazy for a light wash of colour or pack it on for a more dramatic look.
• Fun. They always make me smile and are fantastic for themed events where a dramatic, dress-up look is required.

A bit about each one:

1. Lime - this was originally bought for St Patricks day and is a shimmery pale green colour.
2. Neon pink - this was bought for a themed event (the theme was rave lol) and is a truly awesome bright neon colour. LOVE it.
3. Chocolate - very wearable dark brown colour. Looks great in crease and when paired with gold/bronze colours.
4. Midnight - very unusual dark shimmery blue colour. Gorgeous. Looks amazing when paired with a pale lilac.

Check out the full range of BarryM colours here.

Looking at all the colours on the internet makes me drool a bit. lol I would love to expand my collection and get some of the more natural colours and the purples.

What dazzle dusts do you have? Any faves?

xxx

Barry M Nail Polishes

Here's an in depth look at my Barry M nail polishes:

From left to right:

1. 289 Gold
2. 292 Navy
3. 54 3 in 1 clear
4. 47 Black
5. 272 Shocking pink
6. 119 Baby pink
7. 264 Pink iridescent

Each bottle contains 10ml of nail polish and costs £2.95 from the BarryM website. Click here to see all their amazing colours. I paid the same I believe from Superdrug or Boots.

What do I love about BarryM nail polishes?

• The price. Cheerfully cheap. Very affordable. Especially for someon like me who only wears nail polish for special occasions and holidays.
• The quality. Great pigmentation, non-streaky. I've never really had problems applying these.
• The colour range. Its like a rainbow. :)

A bit about each colour:

• Gold: Lovely sparkles. Darker, antique-y gold colour. Pretty Xmas colour.
• Navy: One of my faves. Bought to match dress. Unique dark blue with gorgeous shimmer. Beautiful rich intensity of colour.
• 3 in 1 clear: Basecoat, topcoat and nail hardener all in one. I love a product that can multitask. Very good basecoat and nail hardener. Not so great as topcoat.
• Black: Solid black colour. No shimmer or sparkle - a classic staple.
• Shocking pink: Not all that shocking but great bright magenta pink. Looks great on toes during summer.
• Baby pink: I think of this as porn star pink and love it.
• Pink iridescent: This makes me smile a lot. Its so sparkly with proper chunks of glitter. Very girly. I think of barbies and pink fluffy things. Looks great alone or when painted over any darker colour. Fast drying.

Hope that was fairly interesting. :) What are your favourite BarryM nail polishes? Any suggestions for what I should try next? I'm thinking something purple....

xxxx

Barry M collection

I promised I'd do this a long time ago when there was all the BarryM hype on Blogger. Better late than never I say... :)

This is all of my small collections. I have 7 nail polishes; 4 dazzle dusts, 2 fine glitter dusts; 1 body glitter; 1 eyeliner pencil and 3 lipsticks. Its probably a very small collection compared to some peoples but its the largest amount of make-up I have from one brand. I've built the collection up over time, with some items being bought for special occasions. Barry M has an amazing colour range and is therefore great to turn to if your trying to find nail polishes or eyeshadows to match to a particular outfit.

In the next few posts I'll talk about the products in more detail. :)

How many BarryM products do you have?

xxx

One of those weekends...

It's been one of those horrible, done nothing, wasted a lot of time weekends. :( Felt rotten and unmotivated to do anything at all useful or productive. I hate it when I get like that. Feels like in in a massive rut all alone, which is ridiculous really. I blame it all on female hormones, I really do.

Anyway went to tkd this afternoon and feel better than I have for the last two and a bit days. Yey! Feel vaguely human, alive and happy. :) Clearly the exercise was good for me. I wasn't even going to go because I felt so BLEURGH. lol

Hope everyone had a happier, more productive weekend than me. lol What did you get up to? :)

xxx

Favourite Nail Polish of the Summer

I have never been a big nails person. Partly because I can be a bit impatient and hate waiting for the stuff to dry but also because due to what I do at uni I'm not allowed to wear nail polish for the majority of the time.



HOWEVER...



...as a result of all the nails talk on Blogger over the last few weeks and months I've got sucked in. But its a happy kind of sucked in. :) My very small nail polish collection has grown a fair bit. Thanks for this mainly goes to hele1 who is in my opinion queen of nails/nail polish/and all nail related matters here on Blogger.



So here is my fave summer nail polish. It was purchased after reading about it on someone's blog, sorry I can't remember who's.

This is Rose Libertine from Rimmel. Its in their 60 second range (this appeals to me a lot). It a gorgeous coral pink colour and applies very smoothly. It does dry pretty quick and lasts well too. I basically wore this throughout the summer and it made me smile and feel happy inside when I looked at my nails.

What's been your nail polish of the summer?

xxx

Back...

Hello, :)



Yesterday I got back from Florence. I must confess I'm gutted to be back. lol It was my 21st birthday present to my boyfriend and I managed to keep it all a surprise for him until his birthday which was three days before we left. lol



We stayed 4 nights in a LOVELY hotel. I had done a lot of research before I chose it and it certainly paid off. Even better than I thought. The weather was gorgeous - sunny, hot, perfect blue skies.

Anyway I'll stop gushing now. lol Hope everyone is having a good summer so far. Where did everyone else go?

xxx

A very late review. DOVE Summer Glow.

Hello bloggers....

*looks guilty*

A long time ago I purchased the Dove Summer Glow daily face moisturiser.... and promised a review....

Sorry I'm so late.

*hangs head in shame*

"I must blog more, I must blog more," *repeats to herself*

Anyway, on with my review. Here is a picy of the product.

I purchased the fair to medium as I could find the medium to dark one. Not sure if a darker one exists. I applied this twice a day for a week.

Some product info:

Packaging:

You get 50ml of product. The moisturiser is dispensed from a pump. I quite liked the pump from hygiene reasons but I think it would be very difficult to get every last bit of product out. The container is white plastic so its impossible to tell how much you have used/have left by looking at it.

Smell:

It smell exactly the same as the body version. I really like the smell but I find it impossible to describe. There is definitately something fruity about it though. lol :)

So did I like it?

Well, no. I personally we did not get along well together at all. :( Which saddens me because I really like the body version of Summer Glow. It doesn't suit my skin type at all (combo-oily skin). I found it much too greasy and it just sat on top of my skin and didn't seem to absorb at all. I didn't notice any difference in colour at all.

This is just my personal experience so perhaps if you have normal or dry skin this product will work well for you.

Anyone else tried this? What did you think of it?

I'd love some recommendations for face self tanners. Please and thank you. :)

xxx

A random pic of some fave products

I found this picture on my laptop recently. I clearly took it for this blog but totally forgot about it. Its a picture of some of the fave products from a few weeks ago. Most of them are still faves so I thought I'd show you all. :)

Sorry for the rather blurry picture quality. The products shown are:

• Neutragena Visibly Clear Triple Action Lotion. I purchased this after lollipop26 talked about it ages ago. I love this stuff as its great for my oily spot-prone skin. Its a good price too. I've already repurchased it as I love it so.
• Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. This bottle is the first time I've tried this stuff and it was probably the result of hearing about it from a youtuber or blogger. I LOVE it. I think I've blogged about it before but basically this is my fave moisturiser ever.
• Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner (black). I purchased this after hollymae20 on youtube recommended it. Its got the style of applicator that I like (a bit like a felt tip nib) and has good staying power.
• Prestige "Glam Tan". The former hype bronzer of Blogger. I bought this because of all the hype and I really like it. Gives a lovely golden sheen.
• Blistex Relief Cream. I bought this after hearing about it from hollymae20. This is an amazing product. My lips always used to get dry after wearing any lipsticks and MAC lipglasses for an hr or more. The product allows me to wear lipstick and not worry about dry lips. Quite a claim to fame I think.
• GOSH darling. I was very, very, VERY late on the bandwagon with this one. But I finally got there and I love it like everyone else. yey! :)

Thanks for reading. What are your fave products atm? I love hearing about things that others like. It usually inspires a wonderful shopping trip. lol

I'll need to show you all my new desk at some point soon. Its so sexy. lol

In the mean time check out hollymae20 on youtube. I love her videos and have watched them somewhat religiously. (But in a non-freaky, out of admiration way) lol She seems like a lovely fun girl. :)

xxxx

A lovely pink bargin

As I mentioned in my last post I went shopping today. :)

I've already showed you the cosmetic products I purchased but I also got a little something else. I promised myself that I would buy any more clothes because I don't need them. I've got plenty of summer clothes especially since I live in Scotland. lol

HOWEVER, I decided to "have a wander" in Vera Moda. I instantly spotted a lovely pink dress hanging up right in front of me as soon as I'd climbed the stairs into the shop. Love at first sight. Even more interestingly there was a sign above the rail that they were hanging on saying "Everything £10 or less". £10!!! - I thought must be a mistake. I checked the label and there was no mark down on it. Just its original price of £34.99. After a wee tour of the shop, my heart was still crying out for the dress so I decided might as well ask the shop assistant if it really was £10. I had a horrible feeling she was going to laugh at me for being so daft.

BUT...

can you believe it....

It actually was £10!!! Bargin. It was tried on. And bought. Simple.

So here it is:

Its a lovely mid-tone cerise pink. Silky and floaty material. Lined inside.

Here is a close up of the detailing at the top.

I'm plannign on wearing this in the evenings either really casually with flats and simple jewellery or with heels and mega bling. Not sure if I'll wear a belt with it or not.

Thanks again for reading. :)

Love to hear your thoughts. :) What kinda of jewellery, accessories etc. :)

xxx

Haul! (it was a bit unplanned...)

Hi everyone! :)

So today I popped into town after a dental appointment to get something for my bf's 21st birthday. (It's a total surprise so even though I want to let all my lovely followers in on it he does know about this blog so I'm not going to take any chances.) I ended up picking up a bit more than I intended but oh well. I had a nice time and I'm really excited about trying out some of the products I picked up. :)

Here is a collective picture:

From Superdrug I got:

• Nivea Lip Care. I got this for the SPF
• Rimmel Base Coat nail polish
• A purple comb.
• Poppy Tint and Pussy cat cheek and lip tints from MEMEME. These were on special offer with 25% off everything on MEMEME. I've been wanting to try these for a while. Basically rip-offs of benefit's versions.

From Watt Brothers (a discount department store) I got:

• Sally Hansen Nail Quencher Hydrating Cuticle Cream
• Sally Hansen Gel Cuticle Remover

These were both £1.99 so I thought I'd give them a try. Never tried products like these before.

From Boots I got:

• Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat. Finally, picked this up. I think its the most I've ever spent on a nail product but I've been longing to try it. Hele has mentioned it a lot in her awesome blog and I trust her opinion a lot so I'm mega excited to try this. :)

I'll let you know what I think of these products once I'd tried them out. :)

Thanks for reading.

xxx

Tea Tree Body Shop Products Review

I promised this review a while ago now, sorry for the delay. The plus side of my lateness is that I have been able to give all three products a good test as I have been using them quite religiously every day.

These are the products I will be discussing...

1. Tea Tree Oil Foaming Facial Wash

I started using this products the minute I got home! I was excited to see if it was any better than the soap that I have been using for months. I was instantly impressed. It tingles beautifully on the face when you massage it over your skin and leaves me feeling so refreshed. :)

Other things I like about this product:

• The packaging. Simple. Great pump. (You only need one pump max. to do your whole face.) I took this on holiday recently and it travelled fine - no leaks. :)
• The price. Very affordable.

2. Tea Tree Oil Mattifying Moisturiser

I have never tried a moisturiser like this one before. When it says mattifying it really does mean it. I have combination/oily skin and I find that oilyness builds up quickly on my t-zone after washing my face. This moisturiser reduces that horrible shine very effectively. Only thing I'd say is that it does not apply like a normal moisturiser - its not as "liquidy" and you need a bit more product as it doesn't spread much. However I still love it and I think that it could be used as a primer as well if you wanted.

3. Tea Tree Oil

This is the product that I am least opinionated on. I don't hate it but I don't love it. I went through a phase lasting more than a week of applying it at least twice a day. Did it help? Who knows. (More on this below).

Other comments on this product:

• Best applied with a cotton bud and inverting the bottle upside down.
• Has a secure top. (Quite like the child safety ones on medicines.)
• It doesn't seem to last that long.
• Is most effective on spots which have not delevoped yet (my own opinion!)

So do I think that these products work you may be asking....

Unfortunately I can't really comment on their ability to reduce blemishes and spots because I'm taking prescribed medication for my acne after my skin got so bad from exam stress. :(

My skin is now clearing up (yey) probably as a result of a combination of factors, namely, being on holiday, no exams, and the medication.

However, what I would say is that these products have certainly not made my skin worse in any way - no dryness or breakouts - and perhaps they have also played a part in clearing up my skin. (I'd like to think so)

I would definitely repurchase the foaming facial wash and the moisturiser as they are nice, affordable products that my skin seems happy with. :)

Thanks for reading. Skin products are very individual but hopefully this may be helpful for some.

xxxx

p.s. please note I bought these products myself. I would always say if I had received the products from a company.

Holidays

Hello!



I'm back from my holidays. I feel bad that I never told you all that I was going away. Many apologies for the blogging silence. But now I'm back refreshed and tanned. :)



Summer times make me lose interest in cosmetics and make-up for a while which results in the products I reached for being slashed down in numbers. I like to have more time for relaxing and just doing what I want with I bit more "get up and go" rather than having to do my face first. So I'll be doing some posts on what products I'm loving at the moment.




And I really need to show you all my little barry M collection because I've been promising that for ages.

Here's a picture from my holidays. We went to Cornwall. :)

xxx

Body Shop Haul

The other day I went into my "local" body shop for some new skincare products. I have been eyeing up their range some quite some time. Here's what I got.

The products came in a cute paper bag which is all quite lovely but a bit impractical. Environmentally friendly thumbs up though. :)

I purchased:

• Tea tree oil foaming facial wash for £4.50
• Tea tree oil mattifying moisturiser for £6.00
• Tea tree oil (15%) for £3.90

I have used the tea tree oil bar of soap from this range for a year or two and have never had any problems with it. I even preferred it over the Clinique Facial wash stuff. I have also tried the Tea tree toner before from the body shop but I hated it.

I've been having major skin issues at the moment which are gradually going away after exam stress. I'll let you know how I'm getting on with these products soon. :)

Thanks for reading.

xxx

P.S. I have oily skin thats prone to breakouts and spots. Hence why I chose this range. I've heard good things about the Seaweed one for people with normal/combo skin.

Summery Outfit

Hey blogger friends!




Here is a picture I found on my camera from the other day. It was warm and sunny so I picked out this outfit..

Sorry about the picture quality havn't got around to polishing that mirror yet. lol

I am wearing:

• Pink halterneck top by H&M.
• White linen trousers by Primark
• Gold leather pumps by New Look
• "Love" necklace by Aldo.
• White watch by Oasis.

As you can see by this post and my last outfit post all of my clothes are from the high street. Hope this doesn't put readers off. I'd love to be able to mix designer and high street brands but unfortunately my bank account would simply not be able to manage this. lol

Hope your having a nice morning. I need to decide on my outfit for tonight. Off to see my bf's band at a gig. :)

xxx

Outfit of Yesterday

I love reading people's outift of the day posts so I thought I'd try doing one myself. I wouldn't regard myself as fashionable or stylish but I do like to make an effort into looking nice. :) Unfortunately, I didn't have time to do the post yesterday so I'm a day late. lol

Apologies for the random blurry bits - I clearly need to clean that mirror. lol

So this is what I wore to uni on friday.

• Red jacket/blazer from topshop
• Over-sized, customised white t-shirt
• Skinny black jeans from H&M
• White pumps from new look
• Waist belt from primark
• Gold "LOVE" necklace from Aldo

Its nothing very exciting I'm afraid. :)

xxx

TAG! woooooo

Hi everyone, sorry about the lack of posts recently. :( Even though I have finished my exams I now have a report to write as well as lots of last minute uni stuff to do. Only two more week though and I'm finished for the summer. Yey! Hi to all my new followers as well. Thanks for following. :D

I was tagged by A fashionable affair. Thank you so much! I am mega excited to be doing this tag as I was loving reading everyone else's and I just loved getting tagged in general. :)

Enough waffle, lets get down to business. :P

Where do I blog...

This is my messy desk. I've had this next for years and it was actually my grandad's originally. We put a new table top on it to make it bigger and painted it white. My mum also made wee curtains to cover over the side storage areas. So this is where I sit to use my laptop and study. Its usually covered in paper and books etc. On the wall I have random postcards and bits and pieces.

What I'm wearing...

I'm currently wearing skinny black jeans by H&M; an oversized white t-shirt; a black and gold waist belt from primark; black hoop earrings from Claire's; and some gold jewellery.

Last thing I read...

I don't have time to read for pleasure/leisure during term time because all I'd do was read stories and not about my actual subject. So I ban myself. lol I am a very quick reader though and books have always been in my life for as long as I can remember. To be perfectly honest though the last thing I read was for my report. How dull. :(

Do I nap lot...

Never. I can't sleep during the day. I have to be really, really, really ill to sleep during the day and even then its not for very long.

Last person I hugged...

Probably my friend Nicola. She is awesome. :D

Current obsession/addiction...

Blistex Relief cream and counting down the days till the holidays.

Dinner...

I've not had this yet as it is 10.48 in the morning. lol Last night was some awesome spagetti with bacon and mushrooms and courgettes. I'm hoping for more awesome pasta tonight. :D

Last thing I bought...

Very unexciting. Yesterday, I bought a copy of the Independent newspaper so I could get the free bottle of water. There was logic behind this I think.

Listening to right now...

Nothing! Although a few minutes ago it was Radio 1.

A Superpower...

Hmmm tricky. I've never really felt the need for one. More hassle than its worth I think. lol

Favourite weather and why...

Sunshine but not to warm. Like first thing in the morning before it heats up. Also cold crispy frosty morning with blue skies. :)

Time I usually get up...

At the moment I don't usually have uni in the morning as our timetable is lighter at the moment. (This is rare!) Usually it is aabout 6.40-6.45 am sometimes if I need to go somewhere further away its more like 6.30am.

Most challenging goal just now...

Writing my report of 2,500 words for monday. Hmmm...

Something to the person who tagged me...

Love your blog. :) Its always so interesting and varied. I like the posts you do about celebrities and what they are wearing. Keeps me in the know. lol Also love how you reply to me on twitter. :) Its nice when people reply. You seem like a lovely bubbly friendly person. :)

Favourite Item of Clothing...

I really don't know! *lightbulb moment* ! My wee purple jacket from topshop about two years ago. :D

Favourite pair of shoes I go back to over and over again...

My white pumps from new look.

One thing I can't live without...

My boyfriend. :D

Bedtime...

11.30 ish

Wake up anywhere it would be...

My boyfriend's bed or Paris.

I tag...

Phoebe

Kloey7

Ondine

GlossQueen

Thanks for reading. xxx

Life and stuff

So here's a little update about what I'm up to at the moment.

• I finished my exams over a week ago and have been off uni since my last one on the 12th.
• I got my results yesterday....

I PASSED!!!!

I am so happy and relieved about this as I really thought I'd failed. I didn't do as well as I had wanted on one section of it but I did pretty good on the other part. :) <<<>

So last night my mum and dad took me out for dinner at the local-ish Italian, which was lovely. I love Italian food. Pizza and pasta are my friends who are welcome in my stomach any time. :)

I go back to uni this coming Tuesday for 4weeks as our academic year is longer than a lot of courses. However, can't complain too much as my dad is currently booking a nice family holiday for us. :)

I hope everyone's exams and revision is going ok. Its a horrible time of year I think when everyone is stressed about exams.

love you all my wonderful followers. :)

xxx

Dove Love

Hello my lovely followers!

This post is going to be a review of the Dove Summer Glow Body Lotion. :) I purchased this almost two weeks ago now and having been using it twice a day. Once after my shower in the morning and again after my shower at night. It does say apply daily so the two applications may not really be necessary but I was very impatient when I first started using this. lol I have been using this product for over a week and I would definitely say that you have to use it for a week so see results.

So what do I like about it:

1. The colour. I am now a lovely colour. I think the colour looks very natural on me - I'm not yellow or orange but a nice slightly browned/tanned colour.
2. Even finish. Its not streaky and for the most part the colour is very even. (However more on this below)
3. Ease of application. You just slap it on and rub it in. This attitude I like a lot. I found the St. Tropez products quite a lot of hassle. Additionally, I don't have to wash my hands after - I can be really lazy and the fact that I don't need to worry about scrubbing stuff off my hands before I go to bed appeals immensely.
4. Price. I like that it doesn't cost me over a fiver. I felt very bad about paying £20 for a product to essentially paint myself brown with. £3-£4 on this moisturiser I can live with. :)
5. Moisturising. It really is a great moisturiser. I always used to be too lazy to regularly apply body moisturiser but with the incentive of looking tanned I now apply this religiously and my skin is lovely a smooth and soft. :)

What am I not that keen on:

1. NOTHING!

I am hence experiencing a lot of dove love, love for the dove etc at the moment. :)

Some extra info:

• The smell is fine. Its not so amazing that I feel the need to rave about it but equally it doesn't smell awful. Question: does it smell like fake tan? Answer: only if you stick your nose right up against your skin and sniff. The chances of that happening often are slim. Please note I only did that for experimental purposes, its not a hobby. :P
• I have once or twice been a bit lazy and not applied this at night after my shower and found that my upper arms get a bit patchy. However, I think this is something to do with the fact that I used to have dry skin there and eczema when I was younger.
• I am using the fair to medium

I was quite doubtful about this product at first as I tried the Johnson &Johnson version (Holiday sun?) years ago and hated it. But this has changed my opinion completely of gradual moisturising tanners. Loving it. :)

Thanks for reading. xxx

p.s I'm still using the Dove face version of this - review will come in a week or so.