Hot Pink Glossybox of Love - January

So I've been super excited to receive this months glossybox, mainly because I'm crazy impatient and the 6 week wait seemed ages. I've tried to be good and not look at other's preview blogs but was very excited to see this months was coming in a delicious hot pink. I do love the normal glossybox colour don't get me wrong but I love the special editions as their fun to put things in and make the opening of the glossybox package even more exciting. I'd actually love it if they did more limited editions in different shades of pink for the future. An entire spectrum of pink shades would be brilliant for my cupboards :)

So January glossybox was actually valentines themed which is cute and a different idea to the expected 'new year, new you' kind of box. I think despite my impatience it was a good idea to hold out until the end of January as I for one was much more excited. A cute little glossybox sweet/stick of rock was included too which I just loved. Little things like that really made the box special. 

One of my favourite things about this box was that you could use every single product during one pamper sesh. I had no big duplications and it meant I could test them all out immediately which I love. 

The first product was the Davines Cleansing Nectar. I've only briefly seen this brand on other sites a few times and didn't really know what it was at all. The packaging is simple and sparse which I normally like but being a novice and not knowing what this product was I had to google it and play it by ear. 

I found this online 

Davines have a reputation for using the finest natural ingredients wherever possible, and for extolling a philosophy which combines the pursuit of beauty with respect for nature. This is embodied in Davines Authentic Cleansing Nectar Hair/ Body, a gentle moisturising shampoo made from no less than 98% natural ingredients, combined together into an environmentally friendly formula. As kind to your hair and skin as it is to the planet, this oily nectar is infused with organic carthame oil, which gives it the protective power of antioxidants. Stimulate your body, hair and mind with this natural delight to the senses.

• Massage into hair and body with fingertips.
• Rinse off.

I don't really like the scent to this I know most people love it but there's something in it that would stop me buying it - from memory I think it's patchouli oil. It's not awful but it's not for me. I like the product it foamed nicely on my hair and left it soft. I find shampoo products in screw bottles like this annoying for the shower it's definitely more of a luxury bath product and would look lovely in a pretty girly bathroom. 

FAB gentle body wash - I loved the FAB cleanser that came in last months box so was excited to see this brand again. It's a standard fragrance free body wash/ cleansing. I don't have particularly sensitive skin so it's a little bit kind for my liking I prefer a nice scent to body washes but I think if you did have delicate skin it would be ideal it's a lovely creamy consistency too and once again lovely packaging. 

Davines Moisturising Balm - I love the packaging and tube to this product it jumped out at my straight away. However on reading the back it started to confuse me. It says its a face, hair and body conditioning balm. So I cleansed my face with it and it was nice took my make-up off quickly but seemed a little odd as the scent is so strong (again patchouli oil i think) I'm not used to skin products that smell that strong but it swiftly took of my make-up and left skin feeling really cleansed. However I fear the strong scents will eventually lead to a break out. 

I also used this product on the tips of my hair as instructed - I've just had my hair cut so can't really comment just yet on it's amazement at this but my tips did feel very soft after rinsing it out. Again it suggests rubbing it onto damp hair and leaving for a few minutes. I think both the packaging and usage again would work better as for a lovely bath but I'm a shower girl so will give it a go as a cleanser and hope it doesn't make me all spotty - time will tell. 

Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner - I'm unfamiliar with the eyeko brand changes so this is my first encounter with the brand. Like most people have said I was at first disappointed in the colour of this eyeliner as it's a dusty pink I couldn't imagine using. However after playing around with it I think it would be ideal for the corners of your eyes to open them out a bit more. The packaging was lovely too it will look delicious in my make-up case!

Murad Skin Perfecting Primer, Dewy Finish - I was most excited to see this product in my box as well as the 33% discount code included with the box. I've tried lots of different primers and am always on search for the perfect one. I really like dewy everything so this was delicious, I love the consistency and it was a really good tone for my skin. I think once I run out of my current primer I will definitely get this in full size I love this little sample though perfect for handbag make-up bags. 

I think this is my favourite glossy box so far, mostly because of the variety I like that I could try it all out at once and have one big glossybox beauty session. 

Mint Sparkles, Todays Nails.

I've been trying to steer away from my obsession with glitter nail polish as during Christmas they ruined my nails a little bit however I'd held strong and nearly lasted a month so couldn't resist this gorgeous combination. 

Technic - Carnival 

Barry M - Mint Green 

I used one coat of carnival over all my nails and three over my ring finger just because I'm still holding true to the idea that it brings you luck. (silly I know) I love this shade of mint by Barry M it's weird though one coat looks like it's going to need about 5 but the second coat completely covers. I love it! I still adore my this carnival nail polish the fact that it was only £1.25 cements it in my favourites too! 

My week, 29th January 2012

Thought I'd do a little round up of my week to kind of assure myself that it isn't just journal reading and library visiting at the moment - as that is a really depressing thought!

I've included a picture of my best friend Sophie as she's entered into the Company Magazine Casting Call and all you have to do is like her picture to vote - it's that simple and she's a hotty so click - here.  We caught up on Friday night and ate fajitas which were delish!

I went to see the Descendants yesterday - a really good film nothing to heavy although I cried quite a few times once again it's soppy but has enough of a storyline to take a boy. Also two hours where George Clooney is in nearly every scene is OK by me. 

I've become a little obsessed with Clementines at the moment I'm going though bags of them like they're going out of fashion can't get enough! 

I also finally got round to signing up to give blood this week, I've been meaning to do it for so long and this year I made it one of my new years resolutions so it could not be broken! My appointment is in my village next month and I'm really excited about it!

So that's pretty much my week I didn't include a picture of my dissertation reading pile or my university unit guides because that's just not pretty - and this post is mainly for my own self need to know I do have a life outside of books at the moment. 

A post dedicated to Baby Shampoo :)

This is a bit of weird one. But this morning I was appreciating what Johnson's baby shampoo did to my hair and I felt like it deserved a post. Sudocream and baby shampoo are two of my most used beauty products and I realised how much I actually use baby shampoo. 

Hair: my hair isn't particularly thick but I have a lot of it so it does get tangled and abused quite regularly. I've been using baby shampoo once a week for the past few years and it's pretty much saved my hair. I can't use it daily as it makes my hair to fly away however once a week leaves it soft and much easier to manage. I dye my hair regularly, straighten it, curl it, backcomb it and basically put every product under the sun onto it and this product has been my saving grace. 

Make-up brushes: also and I know this is a well known fact but it has saved my make-up brushes too. I always wash my brushes in baby shampoo and this set have lasted so long. I bought this Ruby and Millie set years ago (when the brand was still around) and they weren't luxury or the most expensive brush set although at the same time they weren't cheap however I've found washing them this way has made them outlast my predicted life span for them. 

For only a few pound a bottle I think baby shampoo is one of my complete must haves. I love it! It's saved my hair and my make-up brushes and this is why I wanted to dedicate an entire post to it. 

:) 

Concrete Grey Day, Today's Nails

Haven't been that adventurous with my nails my love the Nyla Nude hasn't yet waned however my selection of grey varnishes drew me in today. I used concrete mixer on every nail and grey day on my ring finger. Love these colours together and seen as though the weather is so awful I think they fit in perfectly. 

Models Own - Concrete Mixer

Models Own - Grey Day

Vivo Eyeshadow Palette

I've heard so much about the Vivo range for Tesco that whilst I was there picking up the weeks essentials I thought it would be worth trying something out myself. I am normally drawn to black eyeliners and eyeshadow palettes as I rarely wear eyeshadow on a day to day basis. However with a mass of those products already filling my make-up bag I thought I'd give the trio of cream and mocha shades a go. 

The palette came in at just £2.50 which is less than a pound a shadow which I just thought was too good to turn down. On the back it gives a little picture telling you how to put each shade on and it comes with a double ended applicator. I hate these applicators as I find the plastic in them just plain hurts your eyes when you try and apply. I can see why they put them in but I think they'd be better off leaving them out. Personally I think leaving them out would make the product seem more expensive as those horrible little applicators remind me of child's play make-up sets. 

(Large picture also includes eyeliner and mascara)

For the price I think it's a really good buy the colours are spot on and blend really well. It's nothing too striking and is perfect for day to day use. I really like the packaging and the little mirror that is included in the lid. Overall though it is a supermarket own brand product that they've cleverly repackaged to look like a brand. I don't think I'd pick up a tesco own branded make-up product but the design to the packaging on this is really well done and it does work. For £2.50 you can't really complain and I will definitely be using this (or trying to) for my day make-up. I also think the single shadows that are sold would be perfect if you were just trying to achieve a one off look in a bright colour you wouldn't normally wear. The price points are so cheap you don't even notice the buy in amongst your weekly shopping bill. 

I tanned the St Moriz Way

As a self confessed tan addict I am always on the hunt for new and exciting (more to the point) cheap ways to tan. I've had a long love affair with St Tropez but that ended when I found Lauren's way. However my current last term ever end of uni budget has taken a hit and as much as I know I should cut back on things like tan - it's just not going to happen. 

I first heard of St Moriz by the lovely Hannah Hind (who I always have tan envy of!) who has featured it in this blog post  So I went on a search to give this never heard of before tan ago. I was delighted to find it was only £5 a bottle on eBay with delivery. (I have since seen it in Tesco for £3.99 recently) So got myself a twin pack of St Moriz dark mousse. I normally love lotion tans as my skin dries out quite quickly so they sit better on my skin but couldn't find it online and I have nothing against mousse so went with it. (Tesco did stock the lotion and the mousse BTW) 

I wasn't really expecting too much due to the price however had heard and seen amazing things about this so gave it ago tonight. I love it! It's a little harder to apply than Lauren's Way as you do have to really rub it in to make sure you get a smooth effect - I applied with just a mitt and below was the result! 

It's a lovely golden brown colour and dries super quick. It doesn't smell quite as nice as Lauren's Way in my opinion but it is a third of the price so I'm definitely not complaining! 

I think St Moriz has just made it into my long term tan affair love list and for the price I think it'll be sticking around for a while. 

Volumising Powder Review

I headed to Tesco earlier in search for a product that would add some volume to my roots for tonights big hair attempt. I've seen this product advertised a few times and thought I'd give it ago. Most products I've tried in the hope of achieving volumizing roots have failed massively or left me with awfully greasy hair. This was only £4 at my local Tesco Schwarzkopf Got 2 Be Volumising Style Powder  and the link here is for superdrug at the same price. 

I didn't really have any expectations as it was bought on a bit of whim as there wasn't much choice for what I wanted. The product feels so light you could easily think there is nothing in the bottle. Obviously being a powder this is the reason for its lack of weight but even so for me it just felt strange to pick up an almost weightless product. 

It has a really fine consistency and is pure white, the directions say you need to rub your hands together and then rub into your roots. When you rub your hands together the product almost disappears but you can feel a kind of matte gummy feel left on your palms. It's strange because it disappears completely and I was scared to use too much at first. However after rubbing into my roots it definitely gives volume. It's hard to use because you almost want to use your finger tips rather than your palms but I couldn't seem to rub it in to fingertips without spilling it everywhere. It didn't leave my hair greasy though and did exactly what it said. I'm going to try to add some to my roots when my hair is curly as I often find the curls drag my roots down so I think it will work better with curls, we'll see. 

For the price tag and it's ease of use though its definitely worth it in my opinion I noticed a few on the market  by different makes too. I think for a day to day little spruce of flat hair it's ideal! 

Nude Champagne, Today's Nails.

Back to the trusted Nyla Nude - literally can't stop using it! I've gone for a simple nude base with Champagne tips and ring finger. I love these two colours together and they are definitely my favourite two models own colours. 

Models Own - Nyla Nude 

Models Own - Champagne 

I've had a wee blog redesign too I much prefer the coral tones for the overall look. Still a work in progress though lots more to adjust! 

Let me know what you think, 

Peach Split Nude, Todays Nails

So I'm back to my favourite nail combination, literally can not get enough of Nyla Nude by Model's Own it's the perfect shade. Seen as how well I thought it went with peach in my last post including it I thought I would create a peach split nail. 

Model's Own - Nyla Nude 

Barry M - Peach Melba 

So simply to do - just use nude as a base then paint half the nail once fully dried in the peach. I love these two colours together and they are close enough in colour to hide a few little mistakes if you make them. I painted all my nails in horizontal splits but my ring finger with a vertical strip of peach. 

Blogging from the library, so better get back to revision ... 

Tuxedo Nails (ala Zooey Deschanel), Todays Nails

I like most girls this morning went straight onto the gossip sites to check out the outfits from the Golden Globes last night. In amongst it all I came across this cute story of Zooey Deschanel's tuxedo nails. 

Since 500 days of summer I've had a huge girl crush on Miss Deschanel and since 'New Girl' started on channel 4 recently this crush has been well and truly ignited so I thought I'd give her cute nails ago. 

George - White Manicure Polish

Nail Art Pen - Black

These were so tricky to do black smudging on white is completely unforgiving so any mistakes meant starting from scratch. I couldn't get bow onto my nails at all as the nib on my nail pen just isn't up to scratch! So had to just do the tips and buttons. I still love them I think they look super cute and would be fun with a black dress for a night out. I normally only use white polish as an undercoat for pastel colours so I might get a model's own white for the summer time to get a better coverage. 

My Week.

Wanted to sum up the last 7 days in post partly because I've seen some amazing films and partly because I feel my cuticles get more space than my actual life. This is basically the 'I do other things apart from paint my nails' post. However following this is definitely a 'I've painted my nails post' oops. 

Anyway I have two exams this week and if I pass them they will be my last exams ever of my academic life. Which is ridiculously scary but also really exciting I just want them over with now. I've been a mass of library books, journals and highlighter pens for the best part of the last week. I however have squeezed in some time to actually have a life. I went to Winchester last weekend and picked up the prettiest phone case ever from the Cath Kidston store (pictured) amongst other little sale bargains. It was also my boyfriends birthday so we went for a lovely meal in a pub by where we life. 

I've included a picture of 'happy monkey' smoothies probably my best find ever! I hate the bits in smoothies so these children's versions are perfect for me, also they are much cheaper than the innocent ones! They are keeping up my vitamin intake in amongst revision hell. 

The two films I caught this week were both amazing - which is pretty rare these days most of the films I make it to the cinema to see are always a huge let down. However I love the pre-oscar month as all the best releases are put out at once! 

The Help - absolutely beautiful storyline completely heart wrenching and amazingly performances throughout.  This is a bit of a girly one but the amazing storyline made it bearable for the boyfriend too. I recommend this film to anyone it's one of the best films I've seen in a long time! It's the type of film you want to get up and cheer at the end of. 

Warhorse - Initially we only chose to see this film as it has Spielberg's name on. I don't have a huge love for horses in fact I'm quite petrified them so wasn't really expecting much. I find wars and in particular WW1 and WW2 really interesting so thought it would be a good watch. I was very unprepared for this film I literally cried for about 2 hours straight. It's again a real heart-wrencher with amazing performances from the horses as well as the humans.  It's a long one and I've never read or seen any other adaptations of the story so can't comment on it's supposed 'hollywood' ending as I haven't seen any others it worked for me. 

So that's been my week in between revision hopefully once these exams are over and I get into a lovely dissertation schedule I'll be able to get a bit of my life back. *living in a dream world* 

BB Cream - Miracle Skin?

I'm forever on the search for as perfect foundation, and I'm still yet to find it. However I'm currently very loyal to Clinique Super Moisture as it ticks all the boxes but I still think it's missing a certain something when it comes to consistency. Recently amongst a post Christmas detox and revision hell my skin has been a nightmare and the thickness of my usual foundation is just making it worse. I've tried everything to cover up my breakout but nothing has really done the job without making my skin 10x worse when I take it off. 

I've read alot about the new fad of BB creams and wasn't really sure they'd live up the hype of giving you miracle skin. Imagining them to be just like tinted moisturiser I didn't really see the point. However with my skin so bad and the need for something lighter to cover up I thought I'd give it ago. 

I know a lot of brands are making these at the moment but I found this Garnier one at my local Sainsbury's so was really convenient. It was available there in medium and light and was priced at £9.99. I chose medium as I thought it would work better with my ever changing face colour and love for fake tan. For a cream for me it would be too expensive but I paid roughly the same for tinted moisturiser anyway so thought even if that was all it offered it was reasonable. 

This product is like nothing I've ever tried before and I don't really know where to start in describing it. It's a tinted moisturiser, a foundation and a face cream all in one. 

The box claims it does the following 5 things: 

evens tones and boost glow 

blurs imperfections 

smooths fine lines 

24 hr hydration

SPF 15 UV protection 

In the large picture above my skin on that side is pretty horrendous at the moment I have a massive breakout across my right cheek and even though you can still make it out after applying the BB cream it is perfect for going out. I am ridiculously impressed, it's as soft as a face cream with better coverage than some foundations I have tried. Hopefully using this in the day will leave my skin a bit more open to recover from it's current state . However I think even after it's recovery I will definitely be using this product from now on. 

For more info on the Garnier website you can go here. 

Cheryl Cole Lashes - Eylure

False lashes became a bit of an expensive habit for me about 2 years ago and they are now a staple for any night out. I've had some eyelash disasters in my time and still haven't completely perfected the art of applying them. This expensive habit has become a bit cheaper now after finding sites like eyelashpalace.com and amazing buys on eBay. I always like to have a stock of them for nights out so I don't end up in boots paying £5 or more on eylure lashes. However saying that I do love eylure lashes they are fab quality and I love the glue that comes with their lashes - I've never used anything else as I think it's spot on. I find the glue with cheaper lashes is awful so always keep eylure glue to apply them. 

I'm a bit of a sucker for Cheryl Cole she's a serious girl crush and as stupid as it is it's very easy to buy into anything she puts her name too. These eyelashes were actually a Christmas gift though and are different to previous Cheryl lashes I've had. Previously they were in black packaging and Cheryl's version were thick short and curled. They were my favourite from the girls aloud collection (second always being Kimberly, third Nicola) I'm not sure if that's because this is subconsciously the order of my favourite members of Girls Aloud of that I actually like the lashes in this order. 

Any ways these were completely knew to me and I was surprised at how different these were to Cheryl's previous ones they are long, thin and super curly. I love the idea of them, I tried to take them out as carefully as possibly as I do all lashes but they really are very delicate and I lost some of the side lashes in doing so. I found how thin they are also made applying them a lot harder than any other lash I've used. They kept creasing in the centre and took several attempts to get in place. 

As you can see here left is before and right is after. They are brilliant quality like all of eylure products but for me they were far too thin too apply well. I liked the overall look of them and they did really enhance the eye but I think they would be much more suited to day wear as they aren't very glam but do open up your eyes really well down to the curl on them. They are available from boots here. 

Vintage Pink Flowers, Today's Nails.

I bought these nail art stickers ages ago from a mass buy on lovethymakeup.com and just haven't got round to using them. I decided I deserved a break after my day of revision so thought I'd give them a go. So my trusted Vintage Pink nail varnish is out again from Model's Own because I just completely love it! 

These stickers were super cheap at only £1.25 for a set of two sticker sheets available here. Super easy to apply just wait until your varnish is completely dry and stick down with tweezers they are super thin so you have to be gentle but after a few goes its really easy. They are also very sticky so you can't move them once you've placed them which I think makes them hard to apply but means they won't budge once on. I set mine with some clear varnish and voila some full on nail art. 

Overall I love them such a bargain, the other sheet I got is bright flowers and stars so I'm going to wait till the summer to use them. They are so thin they actually look really good on nails and almost pass as a professional manicure! I highly recommend. I think they are the perfect solution to having nail designs without the horribleness of nail wraps! 

All things gold that glitter.

So Christmas may have passed but I'm still obsessed with all things gold and glitterery. I'm like a moth to a flame at the moment literally uncontrollably buying anything sparkly and pretty. Maybe it's just a girl thing but I wanted to share a few bargains I picked up recently. This really is the tip of the iceberg but dresses and clutch bags will be featured at another time! 

The photo's don't really show this little purse off but I absolutely love it. It's from H&M and was only £1.99. Again I can't find this on their website but it's just a perfect little coin purse to take on nights out. I ordered it early December but it only just arrived. I think the H&M website is amazing because sometimes my local store is like a jumble sale with clothes everywhere so it's so good to have everything in one place. However one a couple of occasions even though it says in stock on the site they have sent a letter saying it will be despatched a couple of weeks later or in this case a month which is really annoying! 

This item combines two of my favourite things, leopard print and gold glitter. This glasses case is massively chunky but it's perfect because can hold some huge shades or just my glasses. I love it and it was only £1 from Primark literally too excited when I found this! 

Finally this is was a steal at only £7 its a 100ml perfume called 'gold' from Marks and Spencer. Every year at Christmas I am always bought so much perfume from various family members but this year I was left perfumeless! So when I saw this I couldn't resist as it was so cheap, it was in their sale and it isn't on their website but in my local store they literally had about 50 bottles so sure it's widely available. It's a perfect daytime scent floral and fruity with a hint of oaky tones. I love it. 

I have bought another clutch bag and dress but they will be featuring in an upcoming party blog. :) How long can I carry this gold obsession on for? 

Nude Coral, Today's Nails.

These are literally the same as my 'nude wine' post from a few days ago. I literally can't get enough of the Nyla Nude shade by model's own it's just perfect. I also really like the slight orange tone to it so decided to pair it up with a corally ring finger colour this time. I can't actually find this shade on their site and the little sticker from the bottom has come off so I'm not sure of it's name it looks a bit similar to 'fuzzy peach' but I think this shade has some shimmer in it.

Susan Posnick - Colour Correct Concealer Review

Susan Posnick? I have never ever heard of this brand I may be a complete fool in saying that but she's literally never made her way into my make-up bag. However as with the Stila one correct I had some money to do some exchanges and this little beauty came in at only £9.20 down from £11.50 from feelunique.com. I wasn't in need of a new concealer but this came up in a search as it has a similar name to the Stila product I bought. 

So the reason behind my purchase is I am basically a girl with the ever changing face colour. Sometimes I tan, sometimes I use gradual tan and some times although rarely these days I go for the English rose look and stay pale. Basically I am a girl who needs some versatility in her face products this is why this stood out for me I loved the idea of having two shades on each end. I also love pencil concealer the benefit one is favourite of mine. 

The shade mine came in was C1 which is a rosey light shade - C2 looked a little yellow to me. 

Anyway on her website she says this... 

BRIGHTEN AND CORRECT

COLORCORRECT- a dual ended brightening/correcting pencil in a revolutionary cream formula-the perfect complement to COLORFLO, in shades to match every skin tone.

Benefits:

• Brightener (lighter color on the left) fills in under eye area and softens lines on the face. Highlights cheek and brow bones. Use just outside of the lip line to create fuller lips.
• Corrector (warmer color on right) neutralizes discolorations on the lid and underneath the eye, and camoflages imperfections, sunspots and redness.

So I'm guessing it is meant to enhance her foundation but I loved it. It's not anything out of this world but the two tones are a great idea. It's smooths and blends really easily and is so easy to use! Having a little look into it I think her brand is more of a US thing but for the price I thought it really did the job. She does an entire beauty range so if you are interested check out http://www.susanposnick.com/

Am I the only one that hasn't heard of her? Has anyone else tried any of her products?