30 November 2009

CONTEST CLOSED - Aussie look

Sorry to all those that didn't get a chance to enter (...), it's now closed! I only received 3 entries, but I'm really happy and thankful to those that made the effort for me - Thank you!

So - just in case you don't know, the idea was to create a make up look based around Aussie. Basically just what you think of when you think Aussie, and if it were to be a 'look' what would it be?
I'm going to post the looks that i got sent, here they are!

Lauren from Sweet Sugar

Leanne from Do Not Refreeze

Caz from This Is Caz

And of course, me, from here!

Thanks to all those who took the time to create an entry - it's really appreciated.
As said in the original post, i would be posting all these looks, but if you would like me to take your picture down and just mention your name then feel free to let me know!

I'll do a separate post on the winners either later today or tomorrow :)

Thanks again!

29 November 2009

That Aussie name again

Just a quick post, I'm sure all the 'angels' have heard about the night out courtesy of Aussie.
I just wondered who will actually be attending?

I have an invite to the Manchester event on Thursday 10th December - I got it off work, so either way i'll be on a night out somewhere, but if not many people are attending the Aussie event, it's an awful lot of effort for me to get up there, so i'd prefer to stay on the home tiles...

So, who's definitely off? I'll need to start planning my outfit!

NOTD

NOTD - Per Una 'Pink Cloud';

This is my favourite nail colour - ever. No joke.
A spur of the moment purchase that actually paid off. I'm half way through this bottle, hoping to pick up another in fear of it running out.
Great consistency, great wear and a GREAT colour.

Also, there is just 26 hours left to enter the Aussie contest! Entries so far consist of 1... so your chances of winning are stupendously high.
Remember, there will be two winners - one on behalf of me and one on behalf of Aussie - so chances are even higher!

27 November 2009

Dazzledust junkie & then some...

My recent acquiring of Fix+ led to me dipping my foot into the Dazzle dust territory. It can now safely be said that i want more and i want them now.
I got my two Barry M ones, as shown in my previous haul post - then i also got some 'dupes' from JuicyGirl's blog sale (I think I'm right in thinking Primark?)


I'm hearting the second from the right (second from bottom), even if it is right on the same track as 'old gold'.
I've been playing with them - even moving around my make up drawers to make room for them, they look so pretty all lined up.
So here is the first play, with the Barry M ones, i did an even prettier look with the Opia ones last night, but i didn't take photo evidence - it was my loved one with MAC Trax in the crease and Black Tied on the lower lash line. Gave me a lovely smoke.

EOTN;


That would be,
  • Barry M - Old Gold all over the lid
  • Barry M - Black Gold in the crease (well blended!)
  • A tiny bit of the gold from the original Sleek palette in the inner corners
  • MAC Black Tied on the lower lash line
  • Rimmel black eyeliner on the water line
  • Rimmel liquid liner on upper lash line
  • Maybelline Pulse Perfection & Sephora Triple Action mascaras
Also in my haul post, i showed the Barry M Bright Pink nail paint - this came about because despite my nail varnish previously having pink over riding the rest of the colours, i have somehow managed to get down to 3. This isn't good. So i went out and picked this colour up. I don't like it, it's too bubblegum pink and maybe... Can anyone say, Porn star pink?

I think the porn star is more true in real life... Anyway, I didn't even manage to keep this on - it was removed about 10 minutes after applying, after 10 minutes thinking it's not even that nice. It's very rare that a nail varnish can't even last one night on my nails...
So I'm going to go through the Barry M pinks - this one is just a bit too stark for me, but i know Barry has the way.

25 November 2009

O.P.I Chip Skip - Review

On my overseas O.P.I mission, i noticed this product among the pretty colours and invested, looking back, with O.P.I's poor staying power, i don't know why i thought this would be any different.

So, there was me thinking it would be a lovely top coat to complete the look. That is not the case.
This is a base coat that mattifies your nail - you can see it looking dry if you apply enough or look really, really quick - so that there are no oils that will make the nail varnish slip when applying, in turn supposedly leading to longer wear.
I applied, not too generously, just a nice layer to coat the nail - and to make it brand fair, used an O.P.I polish over the top.

I had really high expectations for this, and it let me down. Badly. I don't think saying that my nail varnish lasted less time than normal would be an over exaggeration. It didn't seem to do anything in way of preventing chipping.
I know using a base coat should make it stick, so last longer, but surely the chipping comes from battering your nails on top? So a 'Chip Skip' base coat could never have done much...
I used this with two different O.P.I colours and a Barry M nail paint, which usually last pretty long without any form of base or top coat. But even Barry couldn't stand up to this polish, it seemed to chip a lot quicker - but maybe it's just a coincidence.

The brush is a new one as well - it's really short and stubby, it manages to coat the nail well but i did find myself dipping in after each nail to make sure it was coated well enough. It's one of the more synthetic brushes as well, meaning it's basically pure plastic bristles.
It might be because I'm not used to it, but i don't think it's the best brush to apply with, i found myself almost jabbing at my nails because of the shape and size.


The consistency is very thin - verging very closely to water, which is another thing which kind of threw me when using. I really don't think this is a case of getting used to a new product though. I've given it a good chance and unfortunately, it was a fail. Sigh.

The up side to this, is that it smells gorgeously chemical like a proper manicurists, which happens to be one of my favourite scents. Serious.
I think i paid $6.25 USD which is a little higher than a regular O.P.I colour, i won't be bothering to repurchase even if it is relatively cheap in pounds. I wouldn't recommend it to any other O.P.I wish lists either.

Have any of you tried this? What did you think?

Recent Additions To My Life & FOTN

This may be the last haul for a while, because I'm finding the whole thing a little obnoxious... But, simply must share at least two of these groups!

Firstly, I won Nefertari's blog contest - and my did i get some good prizes! I wasn't expecting it so soon either so was pleased to see a mystery package arrive at my house.

These were the goodies in question. I'm going to do a separate review on the Sleek polish because it was my first ever one & am in two minds about it.
I also got these butterfly earrings, which are being lusted after by mummykins - they went straight in my ears!


Next is another blog sale triumph - this time from CocoBella, it just reaffirms my love for Dazzleglasses and this is practically brand new... in fact maybe it is, i can't remember.

MAC Dazzleglass, Baby Sparks & MAC Eyeshadow pan, Black Tied.

LLast night i finally got to see New Moon, it's only been out 5 days but with everyone going on about it it seemed like an age i had to wait. There was actual gasps when Taylor Lautner first took his top off - phwoar!
I went to see it at Meadowhall with an old bestie, but seeing all the shops i hadn't been to in an age made me re visit again today. Mostly for Christmas shopping, so I'm not going to share everyone's gifts with you, but here is what i picked up;

Barry M Nail Paint 279 Bright Pink, Glitter Dust Black Gold, Dazzle Dust Old Gold.

Brogues, Garage Shoes £15

These aren't like anything I'd normally wear but for some reason I've been craving some for the longest time, but I'm apparently very picky and these are the perfect match for my feet :)

Robbie Williams - impressed.
Children in Need charity single - a must.
Lady GaGa - I just payed a tenner for 8 new songs, with about 3 good ones? And the first album which i already have. Let's hope it's a grower - not impressed.

And - this would be my FOTN from Monday night - unfortunately the lipstick ended up as lip liner and was swiftly removed after about half an hour... dang it.

Simples - which is my favourite.
Just a slick of Rimmel liquid liner, Carbon eyeshadow smudged on lower lash line, some combo of mascara and 17's Pink Power lipstick.
<3

22 November 2009

EOTD

I'm playing with my Fix+ any ideas what to do with it?

Today i used it with a loose eyeshadow from Sephora and really liked the finish it achieved.


I used;
  • UDPP
  • Sephora 'shimmer glitter' no8
  • Sleek Graphite palette, bottom right, purpleish
  • 17 Punky Purple on lower lash line
  • MAC Technakohl Greyprint upper lash line
  • Bourjous Coup de Theatre Mascara
So there's still a bit of fall out, but the fix+ really minimised it and it gave a great shimmer to the eyeshadow instead of just glitter, which the camera has failed to pick up on.
It makes me want to start my collection of dazzle dusts and pigments which i might just do.

Has anyone else got Fix+? What do you use it for?

Remington Wet2Straight - Review

Along with a lot of other bloggers, i was sent the Remington straighteners to review. I've used them religiously for just over a week to get a feel for them.
I think a lot of people reading this are faithful to their GHDs and there is little, if anything that can top them. I was one of them; when using other straighteners in the past there was just something that didn't measure up - I'm still to work out what it is.


Anyway, as you can probably tell from the name, these straighteners are primarily for use on wet hair, which basically eradicates the need to blow dry - saving you a bit of time in these dark, annoying mornings. The holes in the plates are designed to release any water, in steam form, which is apparently how it adds shine and stops frizz which has been seen from other wet to straight products. You can see the steam being expelled when you're straightening, which didn't really shock me, because where else would the water go?

They are designed for use on wet hair, which is what I've been using them on, but they also have a function specifically for dry hair, which I've also tried.

On wet hair:
It states to divide hair into sections then straighten these, but because my hair is so thin i did it all at once. Even with thin hair, it's better to divide it up just to make sure you get it all and then you're not going over the same bit over and over. Without dividing it up, it still works well and you can get it all done, but it just takes longer.
When divided into sections, i only needed to run the straightener over each section once, and it was done - and straight.
It steams and it sometimes crackles, depending on how wet your hair is (It suggests you towel dry before hand so it isn't soaking) but you just get used to it and wonder why those noises don't happen when you use it on dry hair!


On dry hair:
I used them on second day hair, when the majority of my hair was already straight, but not poker straight which is what i was going for. It works just as well on dry hair. Make sure you switch the wet function off though, on the little steam button. Just because I'm not sure the effect would be all that positive with it on, but i haven't tried it.

It has a heat function which is changeable, higher for thicker or less coarse hair. I use it at 200C on wet hair and 180C on dry, which is what it is preset to.

It will flash blue while it's heating up, then remain constant while using. This light is green when using it on dry hair - so you should always know what setting it's on.

My hair never went frizzy or dry in all the times i used it. It was left soft and shiny every time. I applied lashings of heat protectant before each use though, I'm yet to see any damage, even split ends, but I'm still not convinced of how safe that temperature is on wet hair. I plan to ask my hairdresser's opinion next time i go.

It also comes with a little silver pouch to store it in, which in all honesty is a bit pointless as it doesn't fit the wire in with it, and i don't know anyone who would just leave it out and cover the ends... But maybe that's just me. It isn't a heat protector pouch, just form of satin/silk.


So, i did get this sent to me, but i will be repurchasing if it ever fails because of how convenient it is. It saves me loads of time and until i start seeing the repercussions to my hair, then i won't stop using it. My GHDs have honestly been sat staring in dismay all week as they haven't been used once - that is the truth and it is the most shocking to me.
They retail for around £55 which is a great price for what you're getting. I'd highly recommend them.

Thanks to Remington for letting me trial this product!

21 November 2009

Bargains.

I love the fact i introduced myself to this little community, the random blog sales you find means good times.

This package arrived from J.Rose Online's sale - which still (for some reason..) has loads of really good bargains left if you're interested.

I picked up MAC's Fix+, OPI's Overexposed in South Beach & Purple With A Purpose. She also threw in the self adhesive falsies for free :) So nice of her, building up quite the collection now!

How much did this all cost you ask? Well, in english pounds (it's a US sale)....
Just £14! Including postage!
I'm sorry but is that not the biggest bargain ever? I've wanted Fix+ for a while and almost caved to the £11 just for this at MAC, so glad i didn't.

Bring on more blog sales - i'm contemplating having my own, but not sure if i can bare to part with my posessions...

So - my NOTD is;

O.P.I - Purple With a Purpose

Not really feeling it to be honest... It may be coming to a blog sale near you. We shall see.
:)

19 November 2009

Impulse 'Into Glamour'

To me, Impulse fragrances are just the girls equivalent of Lynx. They remind me of my teenage years (..well, the younger ones anyway), and i remember how excited i was when 'Thrill' came out - buying 3 at a time and using them within a fortnight - seriously.
These days I'm not bothered, i got one for Christmas and it's gathered dust in the back of my drawer.

But then! (Did you see that coming?) Laura from Unilever kindly scent me two bottles of their new body spray to try out; it brought me back to those middle school days i tell you.

I feel my lighting gives a boudoir feel.. Unintentional but rather fitting non?

I'm sure the majority of you are familiar with the Impulse brand. With The Saturdays featuring in the new ad, I'm sure they're going to be pulling in a few members of the older market & this fragrance is perfect for that.
I honestly love it.
It's very musky, very night time. It has "a blend of exotic oriental scents and citrus notes that will leave you subtly and exquisitely perfumed".
It's another point I'm going to have to agree with - it's in no way over powering. I wear my normal perfume then spray this all over just before i leave the house and i just think it adds a little something extra.

Impulse, if you don't already know, isn't expensive at all (under £2 a bottle). It's just a product to add a little something different to your daily routine. I really do recommend you pick this up on your next shop!

16 November 2009

Aussie Yum Yum

"Phoebe, a biscuit tin has arrived for you"
This is what i awoke to on Friday morning, I thought it was a father's version of 'hilarity' but nono - Aussie sent me (among the other 'Project Angels) a biscuit tin with a TimTam in it!


I'm still not sure of the reasoning of this gift, but it has been transformed into a sweet tin on my desk - I don't know how i accumulated so many over the weekend.
I munched away on the TimTam (a glorified Penguin biscuit?) happily while reading the card that came along with it.

Basically, Aussie have asked me to portray the brand in a make up look.

"What if Aussie were a look?
What palette would it use? How would it be applied?
Show us what an Aussie make - up artist would produce."

I realise there are going to be a few blogs with this request, but basically I am asking my readers to create a look based on Aussie - how would you portray it?
Plus, even if you see a lot, the more you enter, the more chance you will have of winning some prizes - Aussie might even contact you personally if they like what they see!

By the sounds of Aussie, the best will be getting a prize - but regardless of Aussie I will choose my favourite look and send out a personal prize to thank you for your effort!

So, the rules;
  • Be a follower of my blog.
  • Create a make up look (can be a complete face or just eyes/lips, whatever you like) based on or around the Aussie brand.
  • Either, email me pictures (email is on the side) or, if you post about the look, link to the post in the comments.
    I will post all the looks i receive and reveal the winner a couple of days after the closing date.
  • Contest will close on Monday, November 30th. I'll include all entries up to midnight (GMT) of this date.
I hope you can all have fun with this idea!

15 November 2009

The South

This past weekend i went to visit a friend who is at Reading university, today (the 15th) is her birthday, this is what it was all in aid of.
I surprised her with tickets to see Hairspray on Friday night, meeting in Selfridges and having the best sausage and mash (by the Krispy Kreme counter, must check it out) then taxi-ing off to Shaftesbury Theatre. We kind of bonded over Hairspray, hence why i took her to see it.

The real surprise came when we found out Phil Jupitus (of Never Mind the Buzzcocks fame) was in it, playing Tracy's mum (John Travolta's part in the film adaptation). He was brilliant, his scene with the husband was hilarious, I'm thinking it wasn't scripted. The husband started laughing anyway. And Verity Rushworth (Donna, Emmerdale) was also there as Tracy's best friend Penny - she played it brilliantly.
Great night, but watching musicals always makes me wish i was a dancer in one! If i could re do my life, I'd definitely take lessons and attempt to follow that dream...

Saturday we went shopping in Reading. I had my first positive MAC experience (the House of Fraser branch in The Oracle shopping centre), despite not being able to understand my northern accent (pssscch!) the guy who served me was really nice.
I picked up a technikohl eyeliner in Greyprint;
I've worn it as a liner for my upper lash line, and loved it. It doesn't work all that well on my waterline though - so the search for a grey eyeliner will continue.
I also got a gorgeous quilted make up bag from Topshop which looked even better when it was filled with my outrageous amount of make up (for me anyway...) that i took for just two nights;


In aid of her birthday we went out Saturday night, dressed as cave people! It was an amazing night, I think because i don't go out often it's always better when i do go out. We made our outfits during the day, the only picture i have of the two together we have coats on... so here is me sporting my outfit and cave girl dirt and hair.
When ordering a takeaway upon return i put on a Southern accent in a bid to be understood... very pleasant, apparently Yorkshire is not the way forward down there.
I went back to London a little earlier than my train this morning, so i could squeeze Selfridges in. I picked up a few Xmas presents, and of course, stocked up on Willy Wonka's Nerds sweets - scrummy. I also found this while moseying through the 'street fashion' area, but it isn't on the Topshop website for some reason...
A little dog and bone! Yeah man!

That's my weekend, I hope you all had a fun filled time!

Does anyone know where they stock Stila products? I looked in Debenhams, Selfridges and House of Fraser but there was no counter to be seen! Do i really have to get their stuff of the Internet?

12 November 2009

Giles Deacon for Cadbury

I think it's common knowledge about the Giles Deacon Nibbles scarf give away a couple of weeks back, but.. just in case you aren't aware - it basically involved joining a virtual queue at 'pop up' shops on the Internet, and gradually being counted down until you were lucky enough to leave your details.
I think there was 1400 scarves given away, for free, in total - I got mine from the MSN store because i got a heads up as to where it would pop up next - SCORE!
You watched your scarf get packaged and addressed, then two weeks later i finally got it!

A closer look at the print;
To be honest i just got caught up in the hype of tracking down the damn thing! I love how it looks when tied though, and have fashioned it slung around my neck in true Nicole Richie style over my blazer - good look :)
I got my message from Nibbles herself...


They're going on (possibly already are) sale in John Lewis, but they will be limited edition. They're being sold for £15 with proceeds going to charity.

While on the topic, i would definitely recommend getting the Nibbles sweets - they are scrumptious. I'm on to my second packet and i can't get enough!

Well done if you managed to track down a scarf!

11 November 2009

Soap & Glory - Heel Genius Review

This was a blog related purchase... I don't treat my feet and they rarely get attention other than nail varnish which is applied with haste compared to my fingernails' careful application.
After reading the Lipgloss86 blog, i realised they deserve more! Especially since winter is here, and the rare nights out in heels probably do more to them than the weeks and weeks they spend in UGGs and slippers.


It suggest to "Massage a generous layer of Heel Genius onto clean feet every night [or at least as often as you remember]. Slip cotton socks over top and let it soak in while you sleep."
My tootsies had a real treat the first week i had this. I removed all my nail varnish and applied this every single night except one forgotten exception.
On first use, I didn't really rate it - it was just like I'd moisturised my feet, which i could do at anytime... It wasn't anything special. But, after about 3 nights of using it i did see a considerable difference. My feet were tons softer and smoother, but the real difference was in my nails. I seem to constantly have white patches on my toe nails, as if they're dry, this cleared them up and i haven't seen them again since. I probably use this once every other night or so at the moment, just because once I'm in from work - i just want sleep & don't care about my feet...

It is a blue cream, verging very slightly on being a gel. It's really smooth and almost feels matte once you've left it on for a few minutes without socks. It's another scent I'm not going to even attempt to describe, I've got no idea. The scents that I can pick out from the ingredients are; Macadamia oil, menthol, orange and lemon. So just try to conjure up that scent...


So, I apply a pretty thick layer (I imagine the more you put on, the more will soak in as there is none left in the morning) all over my feet, concentrating on my heels, the balls of my feet and my nails, then put on bed socks (mine are £2 for two at Primark & are lush).
When i wake up, you can tell that something has been or is still lingering on your feet in terms of product, but there isn't any residue. It takes a few uses to see a difference and I don't have any dry skin or anything that really needs attention on my feet - so in terms of that, i can't answer, but, by how soft and smooth it left my feet I'd be pretty confident in saying it would clear up any dry or hard skin - But, I'd also hazard to say that the worse condition the feet are in, the longer and more vigilant you'll have to be with using it to see a good difference.

I got this for £6 from Harvey Nichols, I'd imagine it might be slightly cheaper at Boots, but after looking on their website i couldn't find it... So that might be a personal mission for you if you're interested.
You get 125ml; in terms of use I use slightly more than the amount above for one foot. I can see this lasting a substantial amount of time - especially without using it every single night, which let's face it, is inevitable.
It's a recommendation from me, as I'm sure it isn't just me who neglects my feet, when they do so much for me!
There is some weird 'fear' associated with feet, which i myself completely don't understand, but, Soap & Glory say;

"At Soap & Glory, we believe that you should never have to be afraid of your own feet."

Has anyone else tried this? What routine do you have on your feet?

9 November 2009

Monday 9th November

· Mood:

Not too bad, however, have just found out I’ll be missing the headphone disco at work this weekend as I’ll be in Reading. Catch 22 I suppose...

· Do you consider yourself a good cook?

I do. I like to do new things whenever I can, but cooking is the one thing that I want to be perfect. I'm always thinking "Oh they're not going to like it"

· Are you a spender or a saver?

If I wanted to save everything, I could do it quite easily. Right now, half of every pay goes straight into my savings account and if I come into any unexpected money then it heads the same way.

· What do you think about black lipstick?

I wouldn't wear it myself - and have yet to see any 'real' people pull it off... I personally think it's a little too far but if you can wear it, then more power to you.

· Eyes/lips/cheeks:

Another day at home - so I’m afraid there is nothing to display... Tonight I think i'm going to go a bit more natural, I haven't been in a while :/

· Last movie you loved?

Yes Man. This isn't the last film I saw, but I recently bought it on DVD and can watch it over and over. I love it. I did watch Taken for the first time the other day, doesn't instil much confidence for those who will soon be travelling alone, but I did like it!

· Spiders?

I can handle the little ones, even if they initially make me jump. Massive legs, or massive in general I may have to move away.

· What’s the weather like out your way?

It's been a really nice sunny - but freezing - day, but I’ve stayed inside... Loving the fact that I can wear my winter coats again though.

· Outfit:

Grey (what I call cloudy) leggings, long white top with feather detail, thin studded waist belt and a rediscovered brown cardi.

· Weekly goals:

Not feeling too ambitious this week, in that nothing needs doing. Maybe just some deep cleaning around the house...

7 November 2009

Lovely lovely O.P.I & contest prizes!

I finally got my O.P.I package - not because of slow delivery, but because of the strikes it was being held hostage and a random post office somewhere, meaning numerous failed trips to the depot to pick it up...
I wish I'd gotten more colours, I have about 5 on a list that i really want - but I'm going to attempt to get my US brother to go scope them out for me.

The price, seller & experience;
I used an eBay seller after getting a few recommendations from here and Twitter. Both lacquers cost $4.75USD (around £2.86) which i personally think is great for any nail varnish, never mind O.P.I. The Chip Skip came in at $6.25USD (around £3.76). Shipping was $9.50USD from America, and took just over 1 week to come. I used Jolie Beauty Store which stock more than just O.P.I, so I'm thinking of getting some more China Glaze products on my next time with them. From my experience I would recommend them, but when reading feedback there are quite a few people who never received their items, plus when i emailed to try and get the combined shipping cost it took over 3days for them to reply, so i had to send a second email.

So, here's what i got;



  • O.P.I Do you lilac it?
  • O.P.I Dating A Royal
  • O.P.I Chip Skip
I've been pining for Do You Lilac It? for aaaages, and i finally own it. It's a real stark lilac, no shimmer, no undertones. I was worried it would be too similar to Done Out in Deco, but that is a much more grey purple colour, so to me, they're very different.

I also got Dating A Royal, which is another really stark colour - literally just a perfect royal blue. It took about 3 coats to achieve the colour below, which I've found with a lot of O.P.I polishes, but once you've built up the colour it's definitely worth it.


Finally, I got the Chip Skip - this was just a random purchase. I thought it was a top coat, but it's actually a base that mattifies all moisture and any oils on the nail so the varnish will have something to adhere to better. It's pretty odd on first use, especially because the brush is pretty stubby.. We're only on day two and i haven't really done anything, but I'll give this a proper review when I've put it through its paces.

I also got my package from Emma (from Computergirl's Musings). I won her contest on her blog and got my pick of a bundle of prizes, here's what i chose;


  • Rimmel mono eyeshadow in Bronzed
  • Gel Masque (I love this brand)
  • Collection 2000 nail varnish in Minx
  • False Eyelashes
  • Revlon lipstick in Sugar Plum
I'm so excited to play with everything, especially the lashes as I've never managed to find any that i like - although i need to decide where I'll be wearing them...
Thank you Emma!