Impress Press-On Manicure

I was too happy to receive these impress nails in last months Glossybox. I dont wear false nails ever but these looked so easy to put on and were so pretty I've been eyeing them up from the many adverts with Nicole Scherzinger adorning her fingers with them. They cost £8.99  and as someone who doesn't wear false nails I would never have bought them.

I got on with these really well - they apply so easily you literally work out which nail each fits too peal off the back and apply down. You do need to trim each one but this is super easy with nail clippers or nail scissors or just file them if its not that much that needs to come off. They pattern I got looks super lovely on and got loads of lovely comments.

The down side to these is - the sticky pad that ensures they stay securely on your nail doesn't set. It means that when putting your fingers through your hair you always rip out hair or get your fingers tangled into it. For me this was a no go for these nails. They ticked every single other box they lasted in pristine condition for the 5 days I wore them but they also ripped out a lot of my hair. It drove me insane I couldn't put my hair up without getting my nails stuck and I had to brush my hair trying ever so hard not to get my finger nails involved.

If you have short hair then these will be brilliant but for me they need to make the sticky pad able to set somehow. After it hits the nail it needs to go solid so it doesn't remain tacky for the duration of wearing them as I lost more hair than I ever wanted to wearing these.

I'd love to hear how other people got on with these so please do leave posts or comments it intrigues me how people seem to be buying more than one pack .... :/ haha

No7 Beautiful Skin Blemish Defence Serum

I've wanted this serum for quite some time it's been featured on quite a few wish lists. I absolutely loved the Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum which came in a glossy box quite a few months ago. While the Caudalie version retails for £29 for 30ml it was a little out of my price range. I absolutely loved it but it seemed like quite a splurge for something I'd done pretty well without for 23 years. So the Boots Skin Blemish Defence Serum comes in at £16 for 30ml which is a little more palatable. I actually got this as a birthday present which was even more scrumptious. 

I wanted this as the skin blemish defence name screams ideal for me - I don't have bad acne or anything but I do get spouts of really bad spots in one area that are hard to shift so the idea that this could defend against these sold it. I have been using this for over a month and if I'm honest its a product I could take or leave. I do like it and when I put it on it does plump up the skin and I haven't had any bad spotty spells since using it so it is working for me. However it has nothing on the Caudalie version in my view - the Caudalie was something I wanted to use every single day as it left my skin plump, fresh and glowing - I find myself often forgetting use this product which maybe shows I don't love it as much as I did Caudalie. 

I think if your after blemish defence this is pretty much ticking the boxes however if you have that extra £13 get the Caudalie version - when I finish this I will be taking the plunge and spending the money to get it myself. 

THCF is Officially Launching

It's been a long time coming but today is the official launch of The Hannah Chamberlain Foundation. Since Hannah died in November 2009 we have strived continuously to fund-raise for cancer charities - The Bone Cancer Research Trust in particular - in the ways she would have loved and done herself. 

For the last 6 months we have been surrounded by all things yellow and worked so hard to bring together the launch of The Hannah Chamberlain Foundation. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity by both massive companies and individuals from our local town. I wanted to share these photo's in a post today to show some of the Trustee's gluing, tying ribbon and preparing for tonight. Everything we've created for tonight has been done between us and I am so proud of the THCF team. 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank the most generous of companies in helping us secure one of the most amazing raffles and auctions I have personally ever seen in my whole life: 

Barry M Cosmetics 

Umberto Giannini Hair Products 

Bottle Green Drinks 

TGI Friday's 

B&Q

London Zoo 

True Utility 

Travis Perkins 

Glossybox UK 

Lipsy London 

White Hart Lane Football Stadium 

I am crazily excited tonight to share Hannah's Story and to get everyone involved in the future of The Hannah Chamberlain Foundation. The event is a complete sell out and I can't wait for everyone to be greeted by bucks fizz in a room full of yellow and share some Bacardi shots into the early hours of the morning - exactly how Miss Hannah would have wanted it. 

Simple - Eye Make-Up Remover

I've had this post in draft so long that I've nearly finished this product. It's one of the best eye make-up removers I've tried. It wipes away my liquid eye-liner with ease and is so soft on my eyelashes. This bad boy even manages to remove Benefit They're Real after quite a few pads anyways! It retails for £3.39 here. It fits into my evening skin care routine so easily and I think this is one product I'll be using for many bottles to come. 

Lipcote

I absolutely loved this months Glossybox - more than I think any other box. And I loved it so much because it was full of products I've wanted to try and can actually use. I was surprised to see so much hatred towards it on their Facebook page but to be honest I think even if the box was full of 5 full size high end products there would still be complaints - baffles me.

Anyways I loved it so much I've decided to give each product a proper test run and full review. Today it's all about Lipcote. I know this product has been around years and to all the moaners saying 'why have you put this in the box its so old' maybe the brand is trying to reach a new younger audience. I for one have always wanted to try this but just never bought it - probably for the 'it's a bit old fashioned' name it has.

I'm so glad it was in my box - it genuinely works. Now this isn't an everyday top coat for your lips because it does seriously tingle them and I don't think it's particularly nourishing or good for them either. However if you are attending a super long work meeting, or are heading out for a late night this is perfect. I popped it over the top of a pink lipstick at 7.30am before work and it was definitely still in place at 5pm when I was heading home checking it out in the rear view.

I have found to tackle the drying element it is worth having a similar shaded lip butter or lip balm to pop over the top during the day. This way you don't need a mirror you can keep even more pigment in your lip and it just eases off the drying quite a bit. When I attend the charity launch on Sunday with my lips a popping bright colour Lipcote will be keeping them that way all night long. It retails for just £3.99 here it's got cute if not a little retro packaging and it works. I'm so glad it was featured because I probably would never have tried it.

littlepretty.bigcartel.com

I've had this little store in my menu bar for months now and I've been playing around with the idea of setting up different lash options and packaging. But for now I'm excited to share littlepretty.bigcartel.com I've chosen some of my favourite lashes and packaged them so they will fit and curve to the eye perfectly. They are sold individually for £2.50 without lash glue as I feel most people have their favourite brand already. I do have some emergency lash glue for nights out on there too though for just 50p. At the moment I'm only shipping to the UK but I will be hoping to add international shipping soon once I work it all out :)

http://littlepretty.bigcartel.com/

I personally love these lashes and wear them all the time so I wanted to set this up to offer some reasonably priced lashes that I love on here too. 

ELF Lip Stain - Crimson Crush & Pink Petal

I've been loving lip stains at the moment - they mean less reapplications during the day and a real splash of colour. I did a little ELF order a while ago and was excited to see the lip stains now available. It's available for £2.50 in four shade here. I bought them in shades Crimson Crush and Pink Petal. They are in felt tip like applicators which allows for easy precision around lip line as well as filling in the whole lip. 

Pink Petal isn't even worth photographing you can't see it at all on my lips. It's got near to no pigment in it and does nothing for my lips. I can however photograph Crimson Crush. It's a lovely quite deep red which can be built up to be darker and much more red in tone. It does last pretty well - not as long as some other lip stains I've tried but for £2.50 it does a decent enough job. To get an amazing red lip it acts as a brilliant base it doesn't dry my lips out particularly but using a balm on top does keep them looking much nicer. 

What if God made shower gel?

I seriously 100% believe that if God created a scent garden made up of flowers he loved the smell of - every single one would smell like this. The original source vanilla milk and raspberry shower gel / hand wash combination is probably the best thing I have EVER smelt. I mean it hands down I can not think of a single thing that smells better than this. It is pure vanilla milk and raspberries it literally smells like what it says it does - when does that happen? It is super moisturising which I love and I can't stop smelling it. Mum's across the land despairing that their children will not wash their hands or have a shower just need to buy this it smells like sweets but natural sweets the kind of sweets you don't want to eat but just stick your nose in all day long. I can't imagine ever showering in anything else ever again. 

I want Original Source to keep growing this extraordinary scent into many more products. I'd love hair products and also an antibacterial hand spray so I can smell this wherever I go and not have to use the horrible smelling hand wash at work. I want Original Source to make body cream, hand cream and everything that I can put on my body and in my hair. I literally want to smell like vanilla milk and raspberries forever. Please Original Source start the brand extensions now.

I want to smell this all day everyday.

Benefit - They're Real

Benefit They're Real Mascara £18.50

I'm quite late on the they're real band wagon but I am on it. I got this little beauty for my birthday and have been trying it out since. I have to admit when I first started wearing it I really wasn't impressed I found it didn't really lengthen my lashes anywhere near my trusted L'Oreal Million Lashes mascara. I also just couldn't get it off - good for a tear filled day I guess but even my eye make-up remover had to be held on my lashes for a good 30 seconds to break it up and get it off.

However after wearing it and using it for about three weeks now I am liking it. I think it might have dried out a little and built up to give a better thickness to my lashes. It gives very good coverage, has the perfect brush that gets into all the corners and also coats lower lashes without looking clumpy and horrible. At £18.50 here it's pricier than I would normally spend on a mascara but lots of Benefit products fit into this category and it hasn't stopped me buying into the brand so far. Would I buy it again? I don't think I would - in all honest I do prefer L'Oreal Million Lashes mascara which retails for £10.99 here. I do like this product don't get me wrong but I am not convinced it's the number one mascara in the world. I think it's hype and clever branding have maybe preceded it.

When I was younger I had a teacher who said you are either a girl who changes mascara constantly and never sticks with one brand or your the girl who changes her foundation with every bottle despite finding good coverage. I'm not sure she's entirely right but I have always thought I am the foundation girl I will use the same mascara brand for years and even though I dabble with others I will always go back. I spent my teenage years using Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara and for only £4.99 it's still my go to 'i'm a little poor' mascara.

I'd love to hear other people's They're Real experiences so please do share your links :)

Everyday Work Make-Up With Flower

Base: L'Oreal Revitalift Repair 10 BB Cream in Medium (review) Concealer: Vichy Dermablend Foundation Stick in Nude (from June Glossybox) Bronzer: Vivo Baked Bronze Healthy Glow (review) Blusher: Maybelline Blush Apricot (review) Eyeliner: Collection 2000 Liquid Eyeliner Mascara: Benefit They're Real : HD Brows Palette in Foxy & HD Brow Beater Lipstick: Benefit Cha Cha Tint  (review)

I've been at my new grown up job for just over a full month now - time has flown and I've begun perfecting the done face in less than 15 minutes look because in all honesty I want more minutes in bed. I am loving the Vichy Dermablend kit I recieved in June's Glossybox it covers all unsightly marks so well and really lasts all day long. I'm also loving the Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner which I've had for ages but never really used until now. It lasts all day and is still in tact before I go to bed. It's perfect for a day in the office when you do not have time to re-apply eye make-up. I'm also loving the HD Brows palette in Foxy which featured in July's Glossybox as it has the perfect tones for both eyes and eyebrows - it's just perfectly compact and can be built up for night looks or used for a more subtle day eye.

Crazy about Coral - Lips and Cheeks

Left to right: Vivo Baked Blush in Peaches & Cream, (Full Review) Topshop Cream Blusher in Neon Rose, Benefit Cha Cha Tint (full review), Revlon Matte Lipstick in Smoked Peach (full review), Vivo Lipstick in Coral Flair, (full review) Maybelline Dream Blusher in Apricot (full review), Loreal Caresse Lipstick in Dating Coral (full review)

Wearing L'Oreal Caresse in Dating Coral with Topshop Neon Rose Blush 

I am reaching for Coral toned products daily at the moment both from my make-up bag and in cosmetic stores. I love the colour - hence the whole background of this blog. I wear it all the time and I love how it goes with the brown of my hair and the majority of my wardrobe. It also sits so well with my love for a tan too. These are some of my favourite lip and cheek products that I layer up wear alone and always have stashed away for all occasions. It's definitely my summer colour - it can be worn with a hint of colour or built up for a pop of colour. 

Topshop Neon Rose Blush

Again this is a product I have wanted for ages. It's the Topshop Cream Blush in Neon Blush which retails for £6 here. It is right up my street - I love cream blushers anyway and this is so soft and super blendable. My favourite part of it is how pigmented it is and how it can be used for a soft day look like above or really built up for a night out pop of colour. 

It's only £6 which I think is a good price considering how soft and lovely it is and also how little you need to get a really bright cheek. I think the pictures speak for themselves really there's not much I can say except I really love it, I love the colour, feel and packaging. I want to try more Topshop make-up as my first dabbles have been huge successes. 

Does anyone have any recommendations for future Topshop purchases?