NOTD: Essie 'Tart Deco'

I got this nail varnish in my April Glossy Box and I absolutely love it! I think it is going to be one of my most worn colours during the spring and summer. The quality is excellent I have been wearing it now for 5 days and there are no chips and it still looks fresh.

What are your favourite spring nail polishes?

Freebie Friday #3

Free Batiste Dry Shampoo

When you buy a can of dry shampoo from Batiste you can claim back for a refund. Just print the form off from online and send the form back to Batiste along with your receipt and Batiste cap.

Holland and Barrett Reward Card

You can get a free reward card for Holland and Barrett in store. They will fill up with 150 points, that’s £1.50 to spend in store when you activate it online.

Free Bottle of Coke Zero

Fill in your details and coke will send you a voucher to redeem your free bottle of coke zero.

Free Umbrella

Win one of 2000 free umbrellas with Comfort. Just enter on their facebook page.

As always I would love to know any freebies that you have found, let me know!

Marks and Spencer: Limited Collection Lip & Cheek Tint

This lip and cheek tint is part of the ‘Limited Collection’ makeup range from Marks and Spencer. Costing only £5 I think it is an absolute bargain.

The tint is available in 3 colours, the colour I chose was ‘Magenta’. In the tube granted this looks incredibly bright but do not let that put you off. This is definitely not one that I would have picked up myself but after seeing Susie Amy rave about it in her blog BlusherAndBlogging I just had to have it.

The tint gives you the most gorgeous colour on your cheeks. It gives a really natural sort of look and blends perfectly with your foundation. It also lasts all day long which is fantastic.

As a lip tint I don’t really like it, I don’t hate it its just I prefer to use other products on my lips. However as a cheek tint I absolutely love it!

Have you tried any other makeup products from Marks and Spencer?



Ebay Finds: Less Than £5

Today I thought I would put together some great items that I have found on Ebay that you can pick up for less than £5!

Floral Cosmetic Pouch (Variety of Colours) - £3.59

Owl Necklace - 99p

Skull Clutch Bag - £4.69

Lip Stick Holder - £1.26

Floral Iphone 4/4s case - £2.99

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post!

Garnier BB Cream

A little while ago when there was all the hype around BB creams being released I immediately knew that I wanted to try one. I have quite sensitive skin which makes me quite nervous about trying new skin care products as if my skin doesn’t like it you will know about it generally with a breakout and spots coming up all over the place! I decided I would go for this BB cream from Garnier as my skin tends to respond well to Garnier products. Also the fact that it wasn’t going to break the bank as it was on offer for £6.00 from £9.99 practically made it rude not to buy.

The other reason I decided to go for this Garnier product was because it had so many good claims such as; even skin tone, boost glow, blurs imperfections, smoothes fine skin, 24 hour hydration and SPF 15 UV protection. Quite an impressive list for one product!

The BB cream comes in a squeezey tube that sits on its head allowing the product to flow through and be squeezed out of the tube easily. I keep it in the box especially when travelling as I fear that because it is so easy to squeeze I could end up with a BB cream catastrophe.

I have quite a pale skin tone so naturally I went for the light shade of cream. When I first squeezed it out I thought it looked incredibly dark but I persevered.

Normally I wouldn’t notice the scent of a foundation but since this is more of a cream it does have a nice scent to it which kind of reminds me of sun cream.

To use I simply put four dots of product on each corner of my face, my forehead, my cheeks and my chin, and then rub in like I would a moisturiser.

To my surprise once I started rubbing the product in it did look lighter and was actually quite a good match for my skin tone. It blends into my skin easily and does not look at all cakey.

This does even out my skin tone and reduces and redness that I might have. In terms of coverage you have to remember this is only a BB cream. It does have coverage to an extent but if you have large or darker blemishes you will need to use concealer. I have used concealer with this product and they blend excellently together.

In terms of longevity I have put this on before and 8 hour shift at work and still feel confident that my skin is looking good at the end of my shift.

One thing I would say about this particular product is that I would not wear it if you have oily skin. On my skin the product gives a dewy finish but I think if you already had oily skin this would just make your skin worse. Garnier do sell a BB cream that is specifically designed for oily skin, I would recommend giving that one a go as it is practically the same apart from its consistency.

I really like this product as it makes a nice change to wearing foundation. It is much lighter and can be applied quicker. For days when you want to give your skin a bit of a break, you do not have time to apply foundation or you simply cannot be bothered this is perfect!

I have also used this as a base coat before applying foundation for a night out and it really helps to keep my makeup in place without having to touch up.

Tip: I heard through the grapevine that this was on offer for £1.99 at home bargains, might be worth checking out!

Have you tried any BB creams? What would you recommend?

Freebie Friday #3

Free Slimming Plan from Special K

Summer is fast approaching and if you are going on holiday chances are you may want to be bikini ready. The Special K slimming plan provides free meal plans, a food diary, advice and more.

Free Ciate Nail Polish

Get your free nail varnish is this months Marie Claire magazine.

Free Twinings Tea

Fill in your details on the Twinings tea website to be sent some free samples. This is how I discovered Twinings Breakfast tea, I absolutely love it!

Makeup Alley App

This is a bit of a different freebie but its one that I use all the time. The Makeup Alley app is a free app that you can download onto your Iphone. It has loads of beauty products listed and ratings and reviews from people who have used the products. It is easy to use and great for when you are on the fence about purchasing a new product.

Have you found any fab freebies this week?

Glossy Box : April 2013

It’s that time again when everyone is getting their Glossy Box’s so you are probably sick of these types of posts but I have never done a Glossy Box post so wanted to do one! The other reason I wanted to do this post was because recently I have not been overly impressed with what has been in the boxes and was going to cancel. The only reason I didn’t cancel was because when I was thinking back about previous boxes I had received my favourite one was my first one which was last April which was the natural themed box.

I am so glad I didn’t cancel as this month I really do think Glossy Box have done a great job.

First of all the box design is absolutely gorgeous! I keep the nice boxes as I find they are great to use for presents, saves some pennies.

The design continues onto the booklet which has all the information you need about the products inside, i never look at the booklet before looking at the products, I like the suprise. 

Of course when I opened my box the first thing my eyes transfixed on was the full size Essie polish, but what a fabulous selection! I am really impressed with this months box as there are 2 full sized products in there.

Model Co Lip & Cheek Tint – 10ml Full Size £15

Yves Rocher Fragrance ‘So Elixir Purple’ – 5ml. Full size 50ml £44. Sample value: £4.40

Sunsense Daily Face SPF – 10g. Full size 75g £18.50. Sample value: £2.46

Nip + Fab Dry Skin Fix Body Butter ‘Coconut Latte’ – 50ml. Full size 200ml £9.95. Sample Value: £2.49

Essie Nail Polish ‘Tart Deco’ – 13.5ml Full size £7.99

Box Total Value = Approx £32.34

I think this is a fantastic box and I am now looking forward to future Glossy boxes again. What did you get in this months box?

Book Review - 'A Walk To Remember' By Nicholas Sparks



“Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it.”

 A bit of a different post today, I wanted to share with you all one of the most moving books that I have ever read.

 ‘A walk to remember’ by Nicholas Sparks tells the tale of Landon Carter the popular boy and Jamie Sullivan the Minister’s daughter who spends her free time reading the bible and volunteering at the local orphanage, two 17 year olds living in a small town in North Carolina in 1958.

 The story is told from the eyes of Landon as he reflects on his life some 40 years later. When I first began to read this book I thought it would be difficult to get in to the mindset of a 17 year old boy. However I was wrong, the book is written in such a beautiful way that encaptures you into the story.

 I love books that you can really get in to, ones that you can imagine the characters so vividly and that you don’t want to put down as you can’t wait to know what happens next.

 This is not your typical boy meets girl story. It will have you smiling, crying and feeling a whole load of emotions in between.

 One of the most beautiful and impactful books that I have ever read and highly recommend it to anyone.

   Have you got any book recommendations that you think I should read?



Fashionable Finds: Marks and Spencer

Marks and Spencer’s sometimes gets put in the category of only offering clothes for the more ‘mature lady’, shall we say. However if you really have a look, either in store or online you can find some really fashionable pieces. Here are some of my favourite items.

 

Limited Collection Open Front Bird Print Blazer 

£59

Shawl Collar Floral Print Jacket 

£29.50

Limited Collection Hummingbird Print Dress 

£39.50

You can order items online for free in store collection and some items can even be sent next day delivery if you order before 12pm, perfect for those last minute outfit requirements.

What have been your favourite Marks and Spencer buys?

Urban Decay - Half Baked Eye Shadow

Just a quick post today to share this beauty with you lovely lot. This has to be one of my favourite eye shadows to wear as it is beautiful and neutral yet it is so versatile.

The pigmentation is fantastic and the colour really catches the light. I have to say I am a fan of gold eye shadows in general but love the metalic look of this one as it has a really nice glow but is not too over the top. The quality is great and the shadow is really long wearing, like you would expect anything else from Urban Decay!

All in all a fabulous eye shadow! What Urban Decay Eye Shadows would you recommend?

Revlon Lip Butter - Raspberry Pie

I finally did it, I finally picked myself up a Revlon lip butter and I have to say I am in love!

I chose the colour 010 ‘Raspberry Pie’ as it looked like such a beautiful dark pink and I was not disappointed.

The butter glides easily over your lips and gives an instant burst of colour. My lips look glossy and hydrated when wearing this and the colour is really long lasting.  The colour lasted several hours on my lips with no signs of cracking which I think is fantastic for a high street makeup brand.

This may be my first Revlon lip butter but it certainly won’t be my last. What shades have you tried?

Freebie Friday #2

Free Copy Of Marie Claire

Just fill in the short form to get the latest issue of Marie Claire for free.

Free Cow Shed Body Butter

Get your free body butter with the latest issue of Instyle magazine. Look out for the one with Keira Knightley on the cover!

Free Kinder Bueno

When you treat yourself to a Kinder Bueno you can claim your money back, free chocolate!

Free 1 day gym pass worth up to £20

Get yourself a free pass simply by filling in your details and finding your nearest club. Perfect for if you want a gym trial or if you just fancy being fit for the day!

Let me know if you get any of these freebies x

Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll On

I have had the Garnier eye roll on in my collection for a little while and its one of those products that when you first buy you use all the time and then forget about it. I had completely forgotten I had it until recently but now have started using it again am really enjoying using it.

The main purpose of this product is to provide a cooling effect under your eye to relieve the look of dark circles and tiredness. If you keep it in the fridge this intensifies the cooling sensation.

 To use I rub the roller in circles under my eyes. This provides an instant cooling sensation and feels so nice against your skin especially when you are tired or a bit under the weather. I have found that it doesn’t do much for dark circles but does help to wake your skin up and make it look less sort of puffy.

 This is by no means cheap and at full price retails for between £10 and £11, would I pay full price for it? No. I would say this is worth no more than £4 - £5 but if you can get it at this price it is a nice extra to have in your collection.

Spring Dresses: AX Paris

Spring is finally here and at the weekend I actually wore a dress! I love wearing dresses and as soon as it hits Spring/Summer time this is what I mostly like wearing. I have put together an AX Paris Spring Dresses sort of wish list together of my favourite dresses from the site which I would wear throughout the Spring.

Vintage Print Chiffon Skater Dress - £25

Aztec Foil Printed Midi Dress - £22

Floral Belted Skater Dress - £30

Sweetheart Neckline Skater Dress - £23

Polka Dot Cut Out Side Skater Dress - Was £25 now £11.99

Big Bird Print Elasticated Waist Dress - £18

Floral Print Scallop Dress - £18

Zig Zag Skater Dress - £25

I hope you enjoyed this post, which dress is your favourite?

Freebie Friday



Hello my lovelies!

New feature on the blog today which I am going to aim to do every Friday. I will link up some of the freebies that I have found for you all to enjoy. Freebie Friday!

Obviously all freebies are subject to availability by the companies that are offering them.

• Estee Lauder ‘Double wear’ Foundation

Simply fill in the voucher form on the Estee Lauder FB page, they will then e-mail you the voucher. Take this with you to an Estee Lauer counter to have your foundation consolation and they will give you a free 10 day supply of the ‘Double wear’ foundation.

Click Here

• L’Occitane ‘Divine Cream’

To get your 7 day free trial of Divine Cream fill in the sign up form and take it to your nearest participating L’Occitane store.

Click Here

• Origins

Visit any Origins counter between the 1^st and 30^th April to receive 3 free Origins expert samples and a free skincare consultation.

Click Here

• Free Starbucks!

By saying the code at Starbucks between 9:30am and 11:30am you can get a free tall Guatemala Antigua latte. This offer ends on the 9^th of April and the code changes daily. You can find the new codes everyday on the following website.

Click Here

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if you get any of the freebies! 

Barry M Lip Paint

I picked up this Barry M lipstick a little while ago when Superdrug were doing a 3 for 2 promotion on Barry M products. I chose this shade because it looked like such a vibrant and gorgeous bright pink.

 The lipstick glides onto your lips perfectly and is such a beautiful colour. However this is where my love for this lipstick ends.

 I found the lipstick to be very drying even when I tried wearing it with lip balm underneath. My lips were craving moisture after a couple of hours. I also found the staying power to be pretty awful to be honest. I put this on before going out for lunch, had one drink and a plate of chips and afterwards the lipstick was no where to be seen, not even the slightest bit of colour remained on my lips.

Usually I like Barry M products but this one is just a huge miss for me. However I do really like the colour so if anybody knows a colour similar to this in another lipstick of better quality, leave me a comment!

Banana and White Chocolate Muffins

I hate waste so the other day when I found I had some ripe bananas I just had to bake. After looking through my cupboards and finding some milky bar buttons I decided I would make banana and white chocolate muffins. Here is the recipe that I used, it can be found at www.muffinrecipes.co.uk

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

·        1 large egg

·        40ml cooking oil

·        40ml milk

·        3 mashed ripe bananas

·        250g flour

·        125g granulated sugar

·        1 tbsp baking powder

·        ½ tsp salt

·        100g chocolate chips – plain, milk or white

Instructions

·        Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mk 6, 400°F). Place the egg, oil, mashed bananas and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat together.

·        In another bowl place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips and mix. 

·        Pour in the liquid into the dry mix and stir until just blended.

·        Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases, and then fill each case to just below the top with the muffin mixture.  Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes. They are cooked when a skewer inserted into one and then removed comes out clean (apart from any chocolate!).

This recipe makes approximately 12 muffins.