Models Own Purple Poppy

I'm so glad I chose this shade when I made my order, it's so pretty. I paired it with Barry M Rose Quartz glitter on one of my nails and I love the effect. I was impressed with the formula as it wasn't too thick or thin and the standard two coats dried quickly and to a high shine finish.  

I seem to have a few dark purple shades in my collection but none like this. It's love!

Korres Guava Shower Gel

Mmmmmmm! Now this shower gel really does smell amazing! I'm so glad I got it a couple of weeks ago at TK Maxx.I'd heard a bit about the Greek brand before but had never tried anything. It was a bit of an impulse buy, I certainly didn't need any more shower gels as I seem to hoard them, but the smell completely drew me in. It reminds me of holidays abroad-The coconut notes make me think of suncream but there is something else to it also, I just can't put my finger on it! The bottle just says it's a 'invigorating blend of tropical fruits'. It's definitely tropical, even though I'm not entirely sure what guava smells like! As well as a gorgeous scent it also lathers up beautifully and I find a little goes a long way. The ingredients are 91.4% natural and it contains no parabens, silicones or phthalates (whatever those are!). Though it isn't SLS free if anyone is interested.  The label also says that it contains organic extracts of althea and helichrysum but even after looking it up I still don't know what they are exactly! Whilst not amazingly moisturising it does leave my skin feeling very soft and not dry in the slightest. It also contains wheat proteins to help form a protection film on the skin and to aid hydration. The smell lingers for a fair while but I would love to layer it up with a matching body lotion-which I believe they do after a bit of online research. I am so very tempted! I often see Korres shower gels in TK Maxx, in a variety of 'flavours'  so it's well worth a nosey. At £3.99 it is more expensive than what I usually get but it is a good brand,as well as great value, as you don't need to use lots at a time.

Have you tried any of the Korres shower gels or any of the other products?

Wednesday Shopping!

I went into Chester today with my sister and dad for some lunch and a mooch around and whilst I was there I had to have a look in Superdrug, as always! These were all impulse buys really and I should have shown some more restraint but oh well, too late now! I got a tube of Jergens Original Beauty Lotion with the cherry almond scent just because I'd heard it smells like bakewell tarts, which it really does-yum! I also got a face mask I have been wanting to try for a while- the Yoghurt Smoothie mask. It contains cocoa butter, vanilla and honey and is ideal for normal to dry skin. Whilst I'm mostly oily I do have so dry patches so I'm looking forward to trying this. I love a good facial scrub so when I spied Superdrug's Naturally Radian Brightening Micro Polish I thought I would give it a go. The texture of my skin isn't that great lately so here's hoping it helps. Finally I got a super cute Hello Kitty eyeshadow palette from the new stand of Hello Kitty cosmetics they had. I wanted it all I have to say! Such adorable packaging and lovely colours! Eventually, after a lot of umming and ahhing, I got the more smoky coloured quad in 'This Show Ain't Ova'. The pigmentation isn't great, but they do fare better over a primer. The lightest shade though is pretty poor either way. The two standout shades for me are the two shimmery taupey and grey shades. The matte black is ok but not as intense as I'd like. 

The lotion was on offer for £1.74

This beaut was £4.99-just how cute is the packaging?!

No primer

With primer and flash

With primer, no flash

Have you seen the new Hello Kitty stuff yet? I really wanted to get a nail polish but I couldn't pick a shade! I'm going to check my collection then have another look I think!

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint By Barry M- Prickly Pear

I picked this up the other week after hearing about them on the blogosphere. In the end I chose the shade 'Prickly Pear' a lovely lilac colour for £3.99. I thought this would be quite a thick formula but the first coat was very sheer and not at all shiny. It eventually took 3 coats for the opacity I wanted dried to a high shine finish. When it did eventually dry that is! I found it was tacky for quite a while afterwards and I woke up with the dreaded duvet marks, spoiling the shine somewhat! Ultimately whilst they were left shiny they were no more shiny than some other polishes I've used, but I love the colour and reckon I will wear it quite a bit.

MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Enriched Moisturising Facebase

Wow, I got this so long ago now! Definitely more than a year ago and I never really use it! I spied it on my shelf this week and thought I'd try it out again and show it some love. My skins been feeling a bit dry in places and it's effecting how my foundation is looking so I thought this would be a good base for my makeup. Firstly I love the scent, it's very zingy and refreshing. The MeMeMe website says it's scented with the zest of lemon, orange, lime and mandarin and it really does smell yum! It also gives a product description- 'Rich yet lightweight, this Moisturising Facebase is enriched with Shea Butter, Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene to rejuvenate, nourish and hydrate skin. Active nutrients and extracts work to brighten, smooth and even out skin tone to prime and create the perfect base for makeup application.' I have to say it really does have a lovely texture that applies really well but I don't find it to make my makeup last any longer. In fact I think it makes my foundation slide even more, but then again I probably do have the wrong skin type for this being predominantly oily. I think I'll be sticking to using this just on the drier bits and not all over! I don't think I'll repurchase this either as at £15 for just 30ml it is very steep for what is essentially a rich moisturiser.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation

I've been testing this foundation out this week and overall I have mixed feelings towards it. It's a good colour match and it does work at brightening up my skin but I do sometimes find it difficult to blend in. I think it's less to to do with the formulation and more to do with my crappy skin. I need to try to buff away away dry bit before using this and moisturising well. Coverage is decent, not too sheer or heavy, but I do need to use a concealer on any blemishes to make sure they're fully hidden. And I have a lot of blemishes lately! The finish is nice and glowy but I do need to go over my face with a little powder afterwards as throughout the day my skin does tend to get quite oily, especially where I have large pores on my cheeks. Which I always think is quite possibly the worst place to have them! So whilst it isn't perfect, it is one of the better foundations I've tried.

Saturday Shopping

Ooh it felt nice this morning to have a bit of a lie in after having to get up at 7 all week! As usual though I was a bit bored once I was up so I went into town for a potter about. Firstly I picked up three cans of dry shampoo at Superdrug for just £1.99 as it was buy 1 get 2 free. Such a steal! I've already got a few cans but I do go through them quite quickly so these will be handy to have. I got three scents, 'Heart on your sleeve' has a coconutty note to it, 'Head in the Clouds' is very fresh and fruity and 'Away with the Fairies' is more musky and floral. 'Head in the Clouds' is probably my fave but as long as my hair doesn't smell like wet dog then anything goes really!

At Boots it was 3 for 2 across all beauty stuffs so I picked up a new Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Fair as the one I've got in Light is just a touch too dark. Though it does depend on what foundation I use, I'm sure I'll still get some use from it. I picked up a Maybelline Colour Tattoo eyeshadow cream next in On and on Bronze as I have been after it for ages! This will be perfect for my rushed mornings. I also got the new Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Taupe after seeing some positive reviews of it. It glides on lovely, least on my hand, and once dried doesn't seem to budge! The purple undertone makes it a bit different than my usual brown eyeliner and I'm looking forward to trying it out properly.

I also went to Home Bargains and picked up some Simple baby wipes, some hand gel (to help fend off the kiddies germs at work!) a new nail polish remover pot and Gum Hair Moroccan Argan treatment oil. I thought it would be good to compare this against my current V05 miracle concentrate oil. It was £2.99 for 100ml which I think is very reasonable..if it works! Very eager to try this out.

My moustache jumper also arrived this morning! It looks lovely and is £19.99 from Internationale but I think I got 20% off and free delivery online so was only £15.99.

Done any good shopping today or lately?

JolieBox October 2012

So I've just returned home from work and awaiting me was my new JolieBox! The theme of this months box is 'Pure and Natural' and contains a box of Lov Organic herbal tea bags, a full size Ritessens cleanser, a full size Jason Aloe & Beeswax lip balm stick, a sample of Moa The Green Balm and a sample of Balance Me Balancing Face Moisturiser. At first glance it's an OK box but I would have rather received a 4th beauty item rather than some tea bags! As much as I do like tea, I can't get too excited about the stuff! I also feel Balance Me are doing the beauty box rounds and though I haven't actually tried the moisturising it would have been nice to see something a bit different. I'm very pleased with the cleansing milk as my skin is just awful lately so this might just be the product that whips it back into shape! Ever hopeful! This also contains Argan oil which is very 'in' right now it seems. I've never heard of this brand before so I'm looking forward to testing it out. I have also never heard of Jason products (the name is meant to have accents on some of the letters but I'm not that clever). The lip balm states it is 70% organic and contains some lovely natural ingredients like cocoa seed butter, beeswax, coconut oil and sweet almond oil to name but a few. It smells minty and feels very moisturising and 'slick' -if that makes sense! The mint also makes it a bit tingly. I'm not in desperate need of a lip balm but you can never have too many! I am also unfamiliar with 'Moa' (again there should be an accent on the o) but The Green Balm is a multi purpose balm for chapped and dehydrated skin. I've just tried a little bit on the back of my hand and it feels rather oily and is unscented. This may well come in handy though if my hands end up getting cracked come winter.
So this post is really just on the contents and my initial reaction. I will get some more in depth reviews up of the products when I've had the chance to try them out properly.

I quite enjoy reading the mag. This months JolieCrush is Fleur from FleurDeForce.

What are your thoughts on the October box?

NYC Boundless Berry

A predictable shade for the season but gorgeous none the less! Better still it was only 99p from Fragrance Direct. I really like how NYC polishes apply and this isn't any different, it took the standard two coats for opacity and isn't too thick or thin- same goes for the brush too. A staple for any polish collection surely!

Very sophisticated I feel!

*UPDATE!!!* This polish didn't even last a day on my nails and started to completely peel off in massive, nearly whole, chunks! I am a very miffed Laura but I feel it is down to the base and top coat I used rather than the actual polish itself. I used my new NYC turbo dry topcoat and I'm thinking that is the culprit! I'm going to redo them tonight using a different one and will report back on my findings.

Tesco Everyday Value 25 Facial Wipes

I like to use face wipes of an evening to get rid of the majority of my makeup before using a proper cleanser. I'm not that fussy on what I use, sometimes I use baby wipes but I never like to spend more than a couple of quid. Luckily these are a rather bargainous 45p and do the job just fine! They are formulated with aloe and camomile extracts and have a pleasant fresh smell. Even though I use these to take off my mascara, which I probably shouldn't as it doesn't state they can be used to remove eye makeup, they don't irritate or sting my eyes at all. They are also nicely 'wet', I hate overly dry wipes that pull! At this price you can't really go wrong.

Sorry for the flash but the weather was dire today affecting the lighting!

Essie A Crewed Interest

This is one of the bargain polishes from Fragrance Direct that everyone and their dog took advantage of! The wide (but not too wide) brush made this really easy to apply but it did take 3 coats for a even finish. I might have gotten away with 2 though if I had been more careful. It also dried to a smooth shiny finish and I like the bright creamy peach colour even if both my mum and sister are not keen! Once I'd finished the result reminded me of another polish I've got, the Collection 2000 one in Fruit Loop. This is a bit lighter than Fruit Loop but they are very similar and is a cheaper option. I also tried out my new NYC turbo dry top coat (99p from Fragrance Direct) and it did indeed dry very quickly. There were a few tiny bubbles on some of my nails but that might have been because I shook it beforehand! 

My alter-ego!

So it all began with a sample of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation.... that and a huge sense of utter boredom.....

Wotsit Perfection!

 It started off with a foundation that was far far too orange. I don't actually think anyone is this colour!

It then progressed into this..my chavvy/tranny alter-ego!

Fit as fook!

W7 Metallic Jupiter

This is the nail polish that just keeps giving! It's amazing how much it changes under different lighting. It was hard to photograph but I hope you get the idea! It applied really well, though it is thin so took 3 coats. This wasn't a problem however as each one dried quickly. It's also holding up really well so far so I'm very impressed.

Cosmo Missguided Lip Splash freebie

I picked up the November Cosmo the other day for £3.50 (ouch) and with it came a Missguided Lip Splash. I chose the purpley shade 'Fashion'. Now this a really bright fuchsia lip gloss! It also has blue shimmer running through it making it pretty unusual as well as giving it some dimension in different lights. This would have been great teamed up with the Purple Haze lippie I was wearing the other day. Less is probably more though with this one! Unless you're really into statement lips! It's a standard doe foot applicator and is a fairly standard product in general. A fun item to have in my collection though.

Have you picked up this freebie yet? What shade did you go for? Betting the peach will be a popular choice. Oh and it also came with a little sample of the new OralB toothpaste.

Autumnal FOTD **100th Post**

Woop it's my 100th post which is sort of a milestone I suppose. I've had quite a bit of free time though so I could have squeezed in more so far! Today I had a little play around with my MUA Undressed palette to get a smokey brown look with a bit of dark blue near my upper lash line. I also wore what I think is going to be an Autumn fave on my lips-17 Mirrorshine lipstick in Purple Haze.

I used Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light (that white tube there!), MUA Undressed palette, Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, Natural Collection powder, Sleek Rose Gold blush, 17 Mirrorshine lipstick in Purple Haze, Miss Sporty brown eyeliner and Miss Sporty Fabulous Lash mascara in black.

Autumn (Not Fall!!) Nails-Something Different!

I was grubbing around in my nail polish drawer today and found two W7 ones that I had sort of forgotten about. Not hard when you have a collection as big as mine! But it struck me that these would be perfect colours for Autumn. Not fall, it really gets my goat when I see non-American blogs use that term! I think they're something a bit different and unusual, plus they remind me of fireworks and bonfire night. A bit magical shall we say! These were a bugger to photograph so you best appreciate them :p
Oh, I should probably say what they are! Introducing Metallic Jupiter and Metallic Neptune. I got mine from Nail Polish Direct. Click here to see the 'Planet's Collection'. If I remember rightly these polishes stink but the results are lovely, even if it does take a few coats to reach opacity. I think this applies more to Metallic Jupiter than Neptune. Apologies for no pics of it on my nails, but I will more than likely wear it soon and show you.

Metallic Jupiter- no flash

flash

Metallic Neptune-no flash

with flash

I'm bored..here have some facts!

I really can't win. I complain when I do have work and I complain when I don't! I've been pretty (well very) bored today and I'm feeling a bit off :( Plus I won't have my car back until tomorrow evening now so will have to lose out on another day's work. Grr. So I thought I would reel off some Laura factoids again. I love reading other peoples as I'm nosey and think it gives a better insight into them as a person rather than just a beauty blogger or whatever.

1. I'm currently working as a supply teaching assistant with a couple of agencies. I also do playwork in the school holidays. 
2. I quit teacher training in my 2nd year as I found it to be far far too stressful and I felt too young to be doing it, i.e to be given so much responsibility. Plus didn't help I look young for my age!
3.  I'm immensely proud of my sister's fiancee after beating his cancer and for battling on with chemo. I've had an awful spring/summer but really in comparison to what he's been through it makes me feel a bit pathetic. But he's always been there to listen to me whinge and give me advice. 
4. I was a tree in a school play whilst at primary school whilst in the same play my sis got to be a ballerina. Not fair. Brown tights and a green tshirt can't compete against a tutu. 
5. My dream dinner party guests would be Ray Mears, Tim Wonnacott, Dale Winton and that guy from Strictly who does the music, love his little face when Brucey thanks him, haha. Yeah...
6. My first hamster was a dwarf one called Tiddy. Who I then preceded to accidentally stand on and kill :,(  I was heartbroken and we buried the poor mite in a fruit pastille tin. 
7. In high school I used to play viola and do gymnastics but they all fell to the wayside. Too lazy. But I thought my leotard was rather snazzy.
8. I used to love wearing Buff's in upper primary. I thought they were the mutts nuts. Even though someone said I looked like a pirate.
9. My first valentine card was from a boy called Dale and I remember it had an ape on it saying 'Can you handle it?'. Again this is upper primary. I probably thought I was going to marry him. 
10. The most boring job I have ever had was working as a Christmas casual at Royal Mail. Hand stamping=tedious. 
11. My favourite cocktail is a Cosmopolitan. Even though I always manage to spill them. Can't beat a Long Island Iced Tea either!
12. I once dreamt I was being posted through a letter box. Reality was I was falling out of bed whilst in a sleeping bag. 
13. It annoys me when people don't change the toilet roll and just leave the new one chillin on top. That take laziness to a new level, even by my standards. 
14. When I lived in Bangor for uni I spent two years living next door to a weirdo man called Brian and his dog Bingo. Who also set his house on fire. Scary times but I remember there was a fit fireman with a lovely smile and we got to miss out on a boring 9am lecture. Swings and roundabouts eh?
15. Remember than jaffa cake advert? The one where the teacher eats it all then says 'total eclipse!'? I genuinely thought she was saying 'chocolate lips!' For the longest time. True story.

I hope you haven't found that to be boring drivel but it's kept me entertained and prevented me from gnawing off my arm in boredom! 

Models Own Soda Pop Pink

This was one of the polishes I bought for 50% off and I'm reasonably happy with it. I love the colour but it was fairly hard to work with and like I mentioned previously these seem to smell awful! I needed three coats in the end to get rid of all the streaks but each coat didn't take an age to dry so that's ok. I also added 2 coats of the Barry M Rose Quartz glitter polish to my pinkies. Very girly and princess-y I think!

with flash

without