Oops I've been spending again...

I am in no position to be wasting my money on more nail polish and makeup yet I can't go into a Superdrug or Boots without the urge to buy something pretty! Need help! But seriously, I am going to be putting myself on a no-buy as I really do have enough makeup and nail gubbins to sink a ship!
Buut yesterday I did give in and buy a few things that were unashamedly flirting with me at Superdrug. In my defence individually they were all cheap items. All adds up though doesn't it at the tills!
Anyways I got two more nail polishes to feed my addiction and two lip glosses. I got some nail polish remover too but that's boring and rather a necessity.

I got a Miss Sporty 'Clubbing Colours' polish in what I thought was Manga but I think is actually Salsa.  Annoyingly they don't have the names on the bottles. It cost £1.99 but I think they had a deal on for two for £2.99. It's a lovely corally red colour that I think will look great on my toes. I also got an Accessorize polish in Utah for a bargainous £1.95. I was reaaaally tempted to get another one at that price but I resisted. For now.. I then checked out the NYC stand and got a Liquid Lipshine lipgloss in Brighton Beach Peach for £2.99. Finally I got a  BeautyUK Lip Vinyl in Pure Pacha as I've wanted it for ages. This was also £2.99. I actually tried this on whilst I was still out in town as I couldn't wait and all I have to say is Wow! It's very very bright. My boyfriend wasn't very keen on it but I don't care I think it's fab!  Here's some swatches of the lip glosses. Tried to do them on my lips but they didn't turn out very well.

Pure Pacha is super super pigmented and smells divine- like sweets. Actually smells a bit like energy drinks. You have to squeeze the product out onto a sponge applicator and it does a good job of applying it evenly and without mess. Brighton Beach Peach is a shimmery goldy peach with no glitter. However it does give quite a pearly finish as I hope the picture shows. Again it smells pleasant. Smells like the tree shaped vanilla car air fresheners you can get. It has a doe foot application but it is longer than usual ones and quite bendy, making application more faster as it covers more lip in one swipe! Not that I find lipgloss application a real time suck. Both feel really smooth on the lips and though I haven't worn either for any length of time I think they would last fairly well for glosses.

I was really intrigued by the colour of the 'Utah' polish and couldn't wait to give it a go. In all honesty it is quite an ugly colour - one of them grungy ones. The shade is a bit hard to describe. It's a pale khaki/brown shot with gold shimmer. In some lights it looks coffee-ish. Hmm the more I look at it the more brown I think it is. Here's some piccies so you can be the judge! In any case application was fine, taking two coats and drying quickly.

BeautyUK Posh Polish Gemstone Collection - Elfstone

I bought this polish on a whim a while back and it's been lurking in my collection ever since waiting to have it's first outing. I was bored last night so thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm not very keen on 'frosty' metallic sort of polishes but I think I quite like this one. It's a silvery pale green, with the colours changing depending on the lighting. Such a hard polish to photograph! It's very pretty and sparkly in the sun though I have to say :)  

 No complaints with the formula - it went on smoothly and was fairly opaque in two coats, which dried pretty fast. I always think these sort of shades are more forgiving so they're perfect when you don't have much time and as a result application is a bit sloppy! Overall, not my favourite shade ever but makes a nice change from my usual choices.

£3.49 from Superdrug or from the BeautyUK website. It also comes in 5 other shades-Amethyst, Sunstone, Topaz, Sunstone and Silmaril.

Excuse the crappy cuticles

Fave Perfumes...and Perfume Firsts!

I'm so picky when it comes to perfumes. I've not bought one myself in ages, least not a 'proper' one. Whenever I go to Debenhams I'll douse myself in them and take home lots of testers but most times none of them will have jumped out at me. Overall I think I like fresh, fruity ones as well as soft snugly powdery ones.
I'd loved Narcisco Rodriquez For Her for ages before I finally got my hands on it. Actually I didn't buy it myself, it was a present off my best friend- was so chuffed with it as it had been a bit out of my price range at £49 for 5ml (Debenhams) I would describe this as being powdery and musky. The Debenhams site says 'Three notes enhance the heart of musk:floral, amber and woody notes.' I find it to be more of an evening scent as it is quite strong and heady. But in a good way. Rather sensual really!  Good for a date night. Not like I'd know what one of them is right now. Hint hint, Kyle. I do feel it is more suited to Autumn/Winter but I wear it whenever I feel like it, as I'm sure most people do! I also really like the smell of Narcisco Rodriquez Essence Eau De Musk. To me it smells sort of like Matey bubble bath! Hmm I think I do have a preference for musky perfumes!
A long time favourite is Moschino I Love Love. I've 'Loved' this since high school as it's so light, cheerful and easy to wear. It is very similar to Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue but I do think it has some subtle differences. It's perfect for Summer as it's really citrussy and fresh. It seems to be quite hard to find in shops. I got this one at Debenhams but last time I was there I couldn't see it and it's not on the website either. Cheap Smells sells it though so I'll buy it there next. I have also pilfered this description from the site. 'Love is in the air with fresh, fruity and floral scents. Featuring top notes of orange, lemon, grapefruit, and red currant. Middle notes of rush, lilly of the valley, tea rose, and cinnamon leaves. Base notes of tanaka wood, musk, and cedar wood.'  50ml costs just £20.15 which is great. The 30ml costs £19.10. 20ml more for just £1.05 extra, who'd buy the 30ml one?!
Finally I  really like 'So...? Kiss Me' which is the cheapest of the bunch. Surprise, surprise. This is currently £5.24 down from £10.49 at Boots, but I'm sure you can get it cheaper at many other places. I like that this is fruity and 'creamy' at the same time. It is particularly nice when it has dried down and the musky base notes come through. I find it a rather comforting, snuggly scent and because it's pretty cheap I don't have to use it with caution. Not like I marinade myself it in but you get my gist! Boots says 'So…? kiss me teases with fresh blackcurrant, pineapple & citron before revealing layers of kissably sweet vanilla and a floral heart rounded by musks and woods.'  Some people may find it a bit naff and 'high schoolish' but whatever, I think it's lovely so ner :P
Just remembering the first perfumes I got when I was younger. Avon 'Butterfly' springs to mind. I do believe I wanted this after reading a review of it in 'Girl Talk' magazine! I also had Natural Collection Dewberry perfume, which I thought was the muts nuts at the time. Oo and I also remember loving 'Mizz' (as in the magazine) bodysprays -the epitome of tweeny sleepovers. Ah, the good old days!
What are your fave perfumes? What was your first perfume?

My Current Hair Care Products...And the Immortal Hair Cream!

Just thought I'd share with you what hair products I'm currently using. My hair is long, colour treated and very thick and I can go quite a few days without the need to wash it. I'll wash it maybe three times a week. Though it depends what I'm doing really and how grub-ish I'm feeling! I go through conditioner faster than shampoo as I absolutely pile on the stuff. My hair can get very dry and it helps with detangling my haystack afterwards.
The shampoo I'm using is Head and Shoulders Hydrating Smooth and Silky. I really like this and have bought it before on a few occasions. It leaves my hair nice and soft and helps with my dry scalp problem. My scalp can also get quite itchy and this seems to soothe it somewhat. I've tried the matching conditioner before too and I recall it working well. Overall I think it's a pretty underrated shampoo.
The conditioner I'm currently using is Boot's Fruit Essence Vibrant Colour Conditioner and is not the best I've ever tried. It's probably not the worst either, but I can't get very excited about it. For one it's SUPER thin and runny. I don't even have to squeeze the bottle for it to come dribbling out. And secondly, because it's so runny, I feel like I'm wasting half of it as it slips through my fingers and down the plughole. Got to work fast and just slap it on my head with this one! I think I only bought it because I got a voucher for it from the Boots Advantage Card machine. I definitely won't be repurchasing it. The matching shampoo I got at the same time is slightly better but not one I'd repurchase either. Makes a good brush cleaner though!
For deep conditioning I'm loving Alberto V05 'Treat Me Right' deep conditioning treatment - Elixir with 5 natural oils. It smells amazing and works really well with the miracle concentrate I mentioned in my favourites. It has a lovely texture and smells amazing. Most importantly it makes me hair feel silky smooth as soon as I've rinsed it out.

As well as the miracle concentrate I also use Tigi Bed Head Headrush shine spray which smells gorgeous and is not heavy in the slightest. The bottle describes it as 'Shine Adrenaline with a Superfine Mist.' I like to spray this onto a hairbrush then brush it through once I've finished drying/straightening it. A fairly recent purchase is Charles Worthington All Over Gloss Spray which I have also been using now and then. I got this from Home Bargains for £1 something-not sure exactly but I know it was cheap! Again this is also light (though not as much as the Tigi one) and leaves my hair looking more glossy. Quite a feat with my dry growing out highlights hair!

And now we have The Immortal Hair Cream! Introducing Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Cream

Seriously, this stuff has last me ages and ages! I bought this in my 2nd year of uni I think and it's now been a year since I've left. It just doesn't seem to be going down even though I use it nearly every time I wash my hair. It's not to say I don' t like it though. There's nothing wrong with it at all. And should I finish it I probably would buy it again. It smells lovely and fruity and doesn't weigh my hair down. I'm quite generous with it on towel dried hair and I'm not left with lank or greasy looking hair. It says you can use it on dry hair also but I've never used it this way. I do think it has helped with preventing and disguising split ends as I haven't been to the hairdressers in ages and my hair isn't looking too bad. I do need a cut badly and the ends are a little frizzy but it could be worse!





Shopping!

Today I thought I'd have a wander around town and spend some money that I haven't got. I've had such a boring weekend on the whole so just needed to get out of the house! I got a few bits and pieces and didn't actually spend that much. I will do full reviews once I've had the chance to try them out.
Firstly I went into Boots to use my No7 £5 voucher on the Hot Cloth Cleanser. I used this last year and I was very impressed with it. It made my skin soft and the cream feels so luxurious. It lasted a good while too as you get a massive tube of it (200ml). I paid £5 for it with the voucher making it rather bargainous in my view! It also comes with a muslin cloth, which I find is a bit on the thin side, but it does the job ok.

I had a look around Poundland also and got a Heathcote & Ivory bath and body hand cream in the scent blueberry and white tea and a glittery Chit Chat nail polish in 'Rio' which looks a lot like the Technic Carnival one if you are familiar with it- I looked on the bottom and seems they're both made by the same company. It's full of multicoloured glitter- I can see gold, blue, green, pink and silver- and though I haven't tried it yet, I reckon it'll be pretty good. Can't wait to layer it over a bright summery polish! The hand cream comes with a rather strange bobbly bit on the top corner of the tube making it eye catching at least I suppose. The tube states that it contains no sulphates and no parabens which will be important to some people.It also contains shea butter, vitamin E and glycerin and smells very fruity and yummy. I've used, and enjoyed, a Heathcote & Ivory hand cream before so I'm hopeful that I shall like this also.

 

Nice and thick

Before I left I popped into George on the hunt for the new Montagne Jeunesse 2 stage face masks and was pleased to find the one I wanted-the Break-Out mask. It cost £1.15 (I think they were on offer) and I can't wait to try it out, especially as my skin is being really shitty lately! I also got the pomegranate and butter milk shower sorbet by n-spa. I read about this on The Sunday Girl blog and really wanted to try it. This was also on offer and only cost me a pound, so couldn't really say no!

Just what I need right now. My face is erupting all over the place!

May Favourites

This month has flown by, really don't know where the time has gone. I've spent a lot of time this month job hunting and going to interviews so make up wise I've either been sitting indoors glued to the comp wearing nothing (not naked, as my sis Cara thought and lol'd at!) or out babbling and generally getting flustered wearing neutrals. I've not included it here but my go-to lipstick for interviews was my Maybelline Color Sensational one in Pink Brown that I mentioned in my makeup faves post.

I wasn't that keen on the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream when I first got it but I've grown to rather like it. As I've said previously it is perhaps a bit too dark for me but once blended out and finished with powder it looks fine. It gives me a nice glow and goes on smoothly. Most foundations usually cling to dry areas around my nose and the space in between my eyebrows (even though I exfoliate and moisturise well- so annoying) but this one doesn't thankfully. I've actually been reaching for this over my mineral powder lately but I think this may be due to the fact that I'm using the new Collection 2000 mineral powder instead of my usual Loreal one and I'm not loving it as much! 

My favourite blush combo this month is definitely Sleek Suede blush, used as a contour, and Elf Studio blush in Pink Passion. It makes my cheekbones stand out more and it helped me feel more confident on interviews. I have a baby face so I felt it made me look a little older!

My lips feel like they are constantly dry and scaly.So annoying especially when the flakes makes my lipsticks cling. Not good. I used to use Carmex, the one in the tube, and for a while I thought it was working, but it just seemed to lose its effectiveness. I'd put it on a night reapply loads throughout the day, but my lips would still be bone dry for the most part. So I thought I'd get a new one and the one I chose was Burt's Bees. I'd heard good things about it and was hoping it would be more nourishing, which I think it is. I love the mintyness and it has a good texture-more waxy and less slippy than other ones meaning it seems to stay on longer. I think the condition of my lips has improved since using this but it could also be because it's not so cold anymore and my lips aren't suffering in the elements. Either way I reckon I'll be sticking with this for a while. Would love to try the mango one!

Another makeup item that has stood out to me is my little sample sized Clinique High Impact mascara that was a magazine freebie. I love that I can put on multiple layers and it doesn't go clumpy at all. It means I can really take my time to make sure my lashes look how I want them too. It does take a few coats to get the effect I want but because of the easy application it's not an issue. Plus it comes off really easily. Can't be doing with scrubbing at my eyes when all I want is to crash out. I'd consider buying the full size of this.

Hair care wise I've been enjoying using V05 Miracle Concentrate-elixir with argan oil. I'm in dire need of a haircut so until I can get to a hairdressers I've been needing something to make my hair look that little bit healthier. I use quite a few drops as my hair is thick, fairly long and fairly dry! It needs it! It doesn't make it look greasy at all and I do think it makes my hair smoother. Plus the smell is gorgeous, reminds me of Love Heart of Refresher sweets. It's good value for money too as it'll last me for ages.

It's possibly a bit naff but this month I've been using 'Play it Lovely' perfume by Playboy. I got given it at Christmas along with a matching bodyspray. It's not something I would have chosen for myself at all! But I have to admit it smells nice and is light and easy to wear. I can't describe it myself so I've stolen this description from Boots.

Play It Lovely lures with wonderful, innocent notes that emphasize the beauty of every women. Top notes: citrus, blackberries and juicy peaches Heart: Sharry Baby orchid, Belle de Nuit and tuberose Base: amber, patchouli and tonka  

It costs £12. 95 so it's pretty reasonable. I could possibly be tempted to buy it again. Maybe.

And lastly there's Ciate nail polish in Jelly Bean which was a freebie in Marie Claire. I've only worn it once but I was very impressed with the quality and how well it went on (though I do wish the shimmer was more visible). I'm a sucker for bright pink polishes so I think I'll be wearing this a lot over Summer.

Jubilee Nails

Thought I would get all patriotic and have a go at doing Union Jack nails. They're really not the best, I didn't do them quite right, but hey it was just a bit of fun!