March Favorites

Hello Everyone :)

I hate five week months...they always seem so long and pay day always seems so far away boo! I've been pondering over my monthly favorites and i've come to the conclusion...that i'm quite boring! In a nicer way, i'm loyal to products I know and love eg Cleanse and Polish is all I ever want in a cleanser so I'll never stray. Where as foundations, mascaras, blush products i'm rather fickle. Anyway, what i'm attempting to say amongst all this rambling is that every month there are always a little team of products that I rely on...however, this is not the post for them, this post is to honour my fickleness :D

1. Illamasqua Promise + MAC Well Dressed


I've been experimenting with different blush combinations and I have fallen in love! In a previous post I talked about how I could only wear Promise when I have a tan. However, with well dressed layered on top, they combine to create a beautiful, glowy colour...
2. MAC Blanc Type


This was left, abandoned on my 'to-depot' pile (shamefully many of these shadows are unloved and still in their boxes, must devote time to depotting). On a recent rifle through I discovered Blanc Type. You all know I have a bit of a fear of really shimmery brow highlight colours so for me, blanc type (matte and slightly lighter than my skin tone) is the perfect highlight colour.

3. Benefit Strut & MAC Print

It's the month of new combinations apparently...a slick of strut and a smudge of print creates the perfect, quick smokey eye...it's quickly becoming one of my favorites when i'm in a hurry

4.Illamasqua Pencil in Strumpet

Red lipstick is often a look i've never really felt I could pull off, however i've braved it a couple of times this month and it's all down to strumpet (love illamasqua product names ha). Red always has the habit of bleeding or looking a little messy on me. However, because this pencil is hard and not creamy, it's much easier to be precise (particularly on my tiny upper lip). If you struggle with darker coloured lipsticks, definitely have a look at Illamasqua pencils, I'm definitely going to look at other colours!

5. Asda Facial Wipes

If Nick and I have any hope of a holiday this year, I need to dramatically cut my beauty spending. I have been using MAC wipes for the last couple of years which have now been deemed as an unnecessary expense. I bought these wipes from Asda for dum dum duuuuuum...28p! And they aren't too bad. I only use wipes to remove my make up and then use a separate cleanser and these do exactly that, even removing liquid liner. I did have to use a separate eye makeup remover for my mascara but i'm ok with that! The only drawback is that they are a tad rough but I feel it's the best 28p i've spent since crunchies were 25p!

6. Toni & Guy Heat Defence Spray

I don't actually use this as a heat protectant, I much prefer my Tres Semme. However, I've been using this spray as a leave in conditioner for my hair extensions. I neglect my extensions and lately they haven't been very happy. However, i've noticed such a difference in their condition by spraying my extensions at night after i've worn them :)

Also, a non beauty related favorite...


Team Jacob and Proud!

Can't wait to read all of your March favorites...I'm now going to tuck into my McD's chocolate milkshake and have a bubble at the last episode of No Angels, Hope you all had a marvelous March and an Awesome April (that was so lame ha ha)

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

FOTN

Hello Everyone :)

I've been a bit rubbish lately, I'm sorry! I've been ridiculously busy with uni on top of being ill but everything is handed in and I'm officially on study leave :D

It was my dad's birthday last night and Nick and I popped over for tea...I never really get to see him anymore as he lives in Sheffield so it was such a lovely night! I love going back to my mums, loads of food and wine and funny chat, I hate not getting to see my family that much and now my sister is moving to Dundee for uni and my mum's moving down to Sheffield with my dad so it's going to get even worse boo!

I literally had 10 minutes to get ready last night as I was working an 8-6 (torture!) which meant I had to sacrifice doing anything to my hair in order to my make up...






Face
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Clinique Translucent Powder
NARS Laguna Bronzer
MAC Super Duper Natural Mineralize Blush

Eyes
NYX Black Bean Jumbo Pencil
Barry M Fine Glitter Dust in Yellow Gold
MAC E/S - Carbon, Blanc Type and Cork
MAC Fluidline BlackTrack
Covergirl LashBlast

Lips
NYX Tea Rose
Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

Also look at this little guy...

I rescued him from the chaos of primark the other day...how cute is he? And yes, last night after some glasses of wine, Nick and I did try to use him as a monocle ha ha ha

Happy Sunday!
Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

MAC Club Eyeshadow

Hello Everyone :)

I am a proper sick child this week, I've got a really bad cold and an ear infection so make up and shampoo has pretty much been ruled out (Really don't want to get water in my ear!). I was chatting about this on twitter but this ear infection melarkey would be quite funny if I didn't feel so rubbish, it's completely messed up my balance so I can't even walk in a straight line, i'm Stagger McStagger just now booo!!

I bought Club Shadow about a month ago and honestly have been wearing it lots and lots...


The magical thing about Club is that it's a duochrome colour so where you would typically need two different coloured shadows...you only need one! In the pan I don't think it looks a particularly tantalising colour, it looks a bit muddy and bleugh but on the lid the colour transforms...





So, on the lid Club is a lovely brown/green however when blended up into the crease it loses the green and transforms into a red/brown...I don't really understand why this happens, I think it's something to do with the angle the light hits the eye...? I do apologise as I pretty much just slapped the colour on and blended a bit slap dash without shaping the shadow oops...

Pretty much I love this as it means you only use one shadow rather than two (I do recommend using a cream base, if you don't have one you could even use a khol liner) and I only needed to use two brushes = lovely eye make up in under a minute :D

Let me know what you think

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

I Heart Mail!

Hello Everyone :)

I've recieved two fab things in the post lately that I wanted to share! A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I was coming into some luck and it must be true as I won another giveaway! I came second in Tanyas giveaway and I recieved my prizes this week...


So Tanya sent me a MaryKate and Ashley lipstick/gloss and liner set, this is a beautiful pink/nude colour, I like how it comes in a set so all the colours have been matched! I also got a pretty, nude revlon gloss in bare essentials which will be perfect with my building nude lipstick collection, an urban decay pina colada shot o gloss (which actually smells like the cocktail, yummy), a crown crease brush (i've wanted to try crown brushes for ages so i'm rather excited) and finally a beautiful blue/green/gold special fx nail polish which i'm excited to try as i'm typically a pink/nude/pastelle nail person so will be fun to experiment!

Thank you so so much Tanya, I love everything and can't wait to try it all! Also if you haven't already had a peek at Tanyas blog do it now, she is so lovely and I love reading her blog :)

I also mentioned that I've been doing my first US Swap over the last couple of weeks and the other day my package arrived...thank you so much Cait!! As neither of us had swapped before we decided to keep it quite small and then if it turned out well swap again! Here's what I recieved...

I recieved two NYX lipsticks in tea rose and flower, three NYX jumbo eye pencils in milk, blackbean and slate (blackbean isn't pictured as i'd left it in the car), CoverGirl Lash Blast and Physicians Formula Baked collection in baked sands. If you're in the middle of/thinking of doing a swap I definitely recommend having a look at the physicians forumla shadows, they are so pretty and are specifically made to be used wet or dry! Cait was lovely and included a hello kitty lipgloss (Love) and a beautiful ring which is exactly my taste...


I also took some swatches, all were taken in natural light as it's such a lovely day!




The first swatch is Flowers then Tea Rose...the photos go from happy to sad ha ha. I've never tried any NYX lipsticks before so I'm quite excited to try them out, I think tea rose especially is a beautiful colour! Also look at how pretty the physicians formula shadows are, these are swatched quite lightly so imagine the pigmentation when used wet! Thank you so much again Cait, I definitely look forward to swapping again in the future :)

Lastly, you lovely people always seem quite interested in what I pick up from Accessorize. I popped in yesterday and got...


Now that spring has...sprung i've broken out my pretty denim jacket so a couple of these pins will find a nice home there. And once again i've fed my flower hair clip obsession...I think I have actually bought these before but have disappeared, again perfect for spring!

Lots of Love
Nicola
xoxo

PS I'm trying to convince Nick to adopt a little dog, I've fallen in love with his mums new puppy Flip look how cute he is!

Hello just come home from work after a 10 hour shift hair ha ha.

New Revlon Stuffs

Hello Everyone :)

I never intended on buying Revlon photoready after reading all of the 'cullen' reviews etc...However, I was wandering the aisles of Superdrug this morning and found myself testing colours. Moments later I found myself in line, photoready in hand.



I don't know why, photoready is pretty much the opposite I go for in a foundation. I like heavy coverage, matte foundations due to my horrendous skin...the opposite of photoready! I tried it tonight and here are the intial results...


My first impressions of photoready are meeeeeeh, I just don't know! It is a light coverage (you can see a spot trying to break free haha) though obviously this is good as we come into nice weather. It actually makes your skin feel really soft...colourstay, double wear and studio fix fluid have all left my face feel quite tacky and clogged up so this is quite a nice change!

However, other reviews have stated it's not untill you're in direct sunlight that you get your sparkle on so I'm going to reserve judgement!

I also had a look at their new nailpolishes...I was going to pick up minted but i'm still trying to work my way through MACs peppermint patti (love the colour, hate the forumla) so instead I picked up lilac pastelle...




This reminds me of my beloved OPI Mod About You...and I hate to say it, I much prefer the Revlon formula! This is after two coats and is a lot less streaky, I really like it!


Lots of Love
Nicola
xoxo

Sunday is Pamper Day

Hello Everyone :)

By far, Sunday is my favorite day of the week...it's my only day off, what with work and uni and I get the house all to myself as Nick is busy working till 12 so a little routine has emerged on how I spend my Sundays...it's beauty day! I find a day of pampering and relaxation really sets me up for the week ahead and generally just chills me out after the previous hectic week! Here's my Sunday routine...which actually starts on Saturday evening as I always ensure to take any nail polish off...I like at least one night and day where I wear no polish to let my nails breath (though I do apply it back on on Sunday night oops)!

1. Bath Time

Ahhhhh baths for me are the biggest luxury...there is something so relaxing lying in a hot bath surrounded by lovely smells that makes me feel so happy! Lush are my number one bath time provider, I typically mix and match products eg a bath melt and bubble bar so as to get mountains of bubbles but I also leave the bath coming out lovely and moisturised. Here's a look at some of my favorites...

l-r The comforter, creamy candy bath, the godmother, pop in the bath and butterball. Sadly this is a mere glimpse of all my Lush stuffs, I really need to stop buying the start using! I forgot to include the godmother in my next photo so just popped it in here...I also have a confession, I normally bring my ipod dock into the bathroom and listen to Stephen Fry read the Harry Potter Audio books...oh the shaaaaaame ha ha!

2. Body Time

After unwinding in the bath I normally give my body some tlc...I exfoliate, wash (normally twice because i'm loving my shower gel and soap just now) and do some good ol' body brushing...

This is what i've been using pretty much every Sunday...The Body Shop Dewberry Shower Gel, Clinique Sparkle Skin exfoliator and The Body Shop Body Brush...Also when I eventually drag my bum out of the bath I use Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter...typical for a body butter this is really thick but I always use it when my skins quite wet so it melts in beautifully and doesn't leave you sticky :)

3. Hair Time

I alternate between deep conditioning my hair and clarifying it each week. Lately i've been using Lush Big Shampoo and Tresemme Deep Conditioning Mask...

I don't like using Big shampoo too often as I have coloured hair and it dramatically strips your hair of colour however it does work brilliantly as a clarifying shampoo which I use fortnightly. I also love the treseme conditioner as it makes my hair beautiful, soft and shiny though it is a tad to heavy to be used regularly, I probably use this once a week to every two weeks.

4. Face Time



As you can see, I don't really do anything different with my face routine, I just stick to Liz Earle and her wonderful cleanse and polish system. I always do a face mask (You can read my post about my favorite maks and what they do here) however, I've started removing any mask with a natural sponge, it's so easy and quick!

5. Relaxation Time

After emerging from the bathroom in a puff of lush yummy-ness I quickly jump into my favorite comfy pjs...my favorites are the velour tracksuits from River Island (my grey one is my favorite!). I also don't use any heat on my hair so let it dry naturally...which means using a headband to get it off my face...

How sweet is this little headband? It's perfect though as it has those little teeth which really secure your hair, I think I got it in new look for about £3! Normally by this time i'm lounging about on my couch catching up on blog posts and watching disney cinemagic or come dine with me ;)

6. Nail Time

As I said earlier, I don't apply any polish on my nails all day untill a bit later on at night...

I have recently discovered the wonders of a nail buffer! It really does make such a difference to the longevity of your polish! Firstly I apply lemony flutter and sort my cuticles out... I then use the buffer to shape and buff my nails and reduce any ridges...I then apply a thin coat of Sally Hansen miracle base coat. These are my two favorite polishes of the moment, Metro Chic and Passion, both by OPI.

I didn't want to say too much about this as I know it freaks people out but I also do my feet at the same time, I have a ped egg which I love (but again I know it gives people the creeps) however, I've recently found this amazing foot cream...

I also like the fair trade foot lotion from lush which I use every day but this cracked heel cream from Scholl is amazing to use weekly as it really does sort out any dry skin or cracks you have on your heel! I then paint my toe nails to match my finger nails (Cannot stand mismatching nails!)

Soooo, that's how I spend my Sundays, i'm in a proper routine now and as I said it really does set you up for the week ahead and you feel all lovely and fresh on Monday morning!

Let me know any beauty routines you have...or better yet do your own version of this post, i'm always interested to learn any new tips or ways of doing things :)

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

New Video!! 51 Things in my Room

Hello Everyone :)

I'm slowly getting the hang of using IMovie...i'm a bit dim! I LOVE these videos so made one of my own!




Hope You Enjoy!

Lots of Love
Nicola
xoxo

PS 10 points if you can spot the mistake I made!

Make Up Bag, Eclipse, Ramble Ramble!

Hello Everyone :)

On formspring someone asked me what make up I carry about with me on the go...and so I decided to follow my own advice and show you rather than just tell you :D. A couple of months ago I used to cart around everything except the kitchen sink....eyeshadow and everything. However, my lovely friend Ruby pointed out this was completely ridiculous and since then i've dramatically cut down what I cart about with me...


I tend to change what's in my make bag each day dependent on what i'm wearing...so what i'm showing you tonight will probably change tomorrow but you get the idea! Oh and also I got my make up bag from H&M.

• MAC Studio Tech...This is one product that is always in my make up bag, in fact it never leaves! At the moment I'm using Double Wear as my normal foundation, but studio tech is brilliant for touch ups on the go. It has a handy mirror and is so lightweight on the skin, i'm not a fan of piling fresh make up on top of old so the lightness of this is perfect!
• Illamasqua Blush in Promise...This is something that does change dependent on what i'm wearing that day. I have always taken my blush with me...I tend to find when wearing a powder blush I want to touch it up come the afternoon, however I wore this today and it lasted all day :D
• MAC Shorthandled 187...This and the 168 were the two reasons I wanted the 'do the trick buff and line' brush set from 2009 holiday collection. I have the standard version of these but got frustrated as they don't fit in my make up bag...voila, problem solved! The 187 is the perfect brush for applying cream blush!
• MAC Smoulder Khol pencil...Dark eyes are my number one so reapplication of liner is essential for me...I have recently rediscovered smoulder
• M&S Cotton Buds...These are the buds that you can snap and out comes some make up remover, perfect for on the go!
• MAC Snob Lipstick...Another product that changes often depending on what i'm wearing...on a side note snob and promise are a perfect colour combination!
• Vaseline...Never leaves my bag, love the rose version!

As the title suggests, this post is going to develop into a twilight ramble so if you're not a fan I suggest you vamoosh ha! Have you all seen the new trailer for Eclipse? If not go here and watch now!! Waaaaah i'm so excited, everything about twilight turns me into a giggling 12 year old school girl! Honestly my friends and I have spent hours chatting total twilight nonsense...my friend and I got some odd looks whilst waiting to go into our Modernism tutorial today after a HUGE 10 minute twilight chat...I suppose i'm supposed to read 'grown up books' since I study english lit ha ha. So my lovely ladies...what's your team, Edward or Jacob? I can't deny it I'm TEAM JACOB! I have been ever since the books ahhhh i'm not going into a big rant as to why (I may devote a whole post to this nearer the release of eclipse)...I want my vampires to do a bit more than sparkle, a bit like these bad boys...



I think i'm going to have lots of vampy/werewolf dreams tonight :D

Lots of Love
Nic
xoxo

Paul and Joe: Alice in Wonderland Collection

Hello Everyone :)

Today was a very exciting day as my Paul and Joe Alice in Wonderland tin came in the post! It is beautiful! The set comes with a lip conditioning stick, a mirror/blotting paper dispenser and a refill set of blotting paper...all packaged in a beautiful tin. There are two sets available Day Dream and the one I picked, Fantasy...here are some pretty photos :D



Firstly, look at how beautiful the box is...it's so detailed and pretty. You then open to find the most amazing tin...as I said I picked Fantasy which was pink and features the white rabbit and the cheshire cat on the front. I was surprised at how big it was which I don't think translates in photos very well!




This is the mirror/blotting paper holder. As you can see the design features on the front and back of the mirror. I included this silly side photo just to show how thick and big the mirror is...it's padded and excellent quality. It also shows where the blotting paper is kept.


This is the blotting refill and one of the blotting tissues. I love how much detail has been included in the set...it would have been so easy to just include plain blotting tissues but even they have rabbits on!


You have to admit...this is gorgeous! However, sadly I was a bit disappointed with the lipstick. The packaging is made from cardboard rather than plastic and it claimed to leave a little colour on the lips....to be honest it's more of a sheen. However, I can't help it, I still love it!

What do you all think? I really don't know what i'm going to do, I think it's too pretty to use! If you're interested in picking one up for yourself (they're limited edition) you can see them here.

Lots of Love
Nicola
xoxo

P.S On a side note, this is what I've been listening to whilst writing this...it made me smile and sing along :D