Mini Manhattan Haul

Do you ever get the urge to do some online shopping even when you don't really need anything? Well this post is the result of one of these moments! I was having a nosey on the Xtras website when I came across the Manhattan range. I've tried a few of their products before (the Intense Effect eyeshadow in Dim Brown is particularly lovely) so I thought I would take a gamble and try a few more! I was first intrigued by the Summer Sound Duo Bronzing Powder as it was half shimmery and half matte. They had two options, one for light to medium skin (01 Summer Glow) and one for medium to dark (02 Bronze Rockers). I thought this would be a great multitasker so into the basket it went! Next I spied the single Multi Effect eyeshadow in Choc Choc Kiss- a very cute name! It just looked like a dark brown shade on the site, but after a quick search for swatches I was sold, as it appeared to be a taupey brown and unlike anything I already had in my collection. All in all I spent £4. 38 as I also used a 20% code. The current code is PAYDAY but I used THANKYOU20 which has been working for a long time now!
The bronzing powder comes in quite a hefty compact but it feels nicely solid and secure. It contains 18g so this should last me forever! I was always going to like the matte side more than the shimmery one, but it's actually not too glittery and garish. I'd still use it sparingly though- just using on the cheeks and not all over! The matte side is very similar to my TBS honey bronzer in 01 and I think it would make a good contour shade. I've yet to try these out properly so I'm hoping it works! In a pinch the shimmery side could also work as an eyeshadow.
The eyeshadow was really hard to photograph as the colour is quite hard to capture.. I think it's best described as a mink brown shade- the purple tone is quite prominent in the pan. It is quite a shimmery shade and I reckon it could cause a little bit of fall out on application without a primer. The pigmentation is not as good as the Intense Effect shadows I've tried, and the texture isn't as buttery as some shadows, but it's not chalky. It's one that definitely needs building up to get the full effect, but I think it could look equally as nice worn a little sheerer. For me it may be a bit dark all over the lid but I think it would work well as a liner and as a crease/outer corner shade.

Shimmer, matte, TBS honey bronzer

Have you tried anything from Manhattan. For the price I think they're pretty good. 

Essie 'Spin The Bottle' - Spring Collection 2014

So yesterday was very exciting as my British Beauty Blogger beauty box arrived! I haven't had a beauty box in ages, as I cancelled both my Glossy Box and the then Jolie Box subscription after being disappointed just too many times. However this one really piqued my interest and I thought it was excellent value for money-plus I knew I would use everything in it.  When I opened it I was most looking forward to seeing what shades I got for the polish, blusher and eyeshadow palette as these were the items, along with a few other bits,that  were variable between boxes. I was really happy overall with what I received and will cover the blush and palette in another post! I do have to admit though that initially I was hoping for one of the blue polishes like Truth or Flare or Hide and Go Chic, but after swatching 'Spin the Bottle' I realised that it's not a colour I already have in my collection (which I'm not so confident I can say for the blues!) and that it would be a great shade to wear at my friends wedding or to use under different topcoats and as a neutral base for nail art.

I've tried it out today and I'm really quite impressed with the formulation. It dries quickly between coats and has a very glossy finish. The brush shape is ideal and makes the job so much faster and easier. I've used three coats in my pics but if you were more careful than me you could get away with two. It self levels pretty well (a new term for me- I read a few nail posts this weekend!) and isn't patchy like some nudes can be. Essie describes this shade as a 'semi-sheer nude' which it can be but I built it up for a more solid colour.  I'd say the shade is a creamy beige with a pink undertone. Please excuse my wonky nail and cuticles- I'm well overdue a little TLC!

What shade did you receive if you got the BBB Beauty Box?

Cheap Treats

I love checking out the clearance section in shops, especially Boots. Sometimes it's just a load of broken and/or dirty tut but other times there are some real gems to be had! If you follow me on Twitter you might have already seen my finds but at the weekend I managed to spy some Una Brennan products amongst the miscellany. I wasn't even looking for any new skincare items but I couldn't just leave them there! I got the Tea Flower Deep Clean Mattifying Moisturiser for £3.24 and the Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil for £3.74. Bit of a bargain I reckon as the RRP for both is £27.98! I haven't tried them out yet as I already have quite the stash of moisturisers and cleansers, but I've read positive reviews for both so I'm eager to try them at some point. Might be worth a look in your local Boots too, you never know!

I also bought a shower gel on a whim in Tesco, as you do, after giving it a sniff and being reminded of the Korres Guava shower gel.They're not exact obviously, being mango and not guava, but they both have that gorgeous 'holiday' scent to them that I love, especially now its summer. The best part is it's only 95p-can't go wrong! Unless you don't like coconut. Or mango. 

Found any bargains lately?

Hello :)

Hey! Just a chatty sort of post today as I'm currently lying on the sofa feeling a bit wet lettuce-y and rather sorry for myself! Once again I've picked up a cold/cough from the lovely kiddies at school and this, coupled with evil wisdom tooth pain, is making me feel a tad pap. I am enjoying the sunny weather of late though, as well as the fact that I've got another week off work after Friday, so it's not all doom and gloom!
 I don't really have many plans for my week off apart from some tidying- maybe. Hopefully I'll get to spend some time with my friends and family and generally have a good break. Actually, I've just remembered, I've got my first physio session for my back on Tuesday so that's something concrete. I'm a little nervous about it as I don't really know what to expect. I'm glad to be finally getting it looked at though as I've had back pain for years now (I suspect from working in day nurseries and the constant bending and lifting and carrying) and it can really get me down, especially when I get in from work and I just want to relax on the sofa but can't because every position hurts! We shall see!
Some more exciting news is that we've finally settled on where we want to go this year on holiday and have booked the flights. We are now going to Budapest for a week at the end of July, getting back just in time for my 25th birthday, which is also the same day as my friend's wedding. I can't wait! It does mean however that I will have to be super organised and plan my outfit in advance. I'm already having a nosey online but I'm quite picky about dresses and I don't want to spend a lot as my holiday will probably have wiped me out by then. I'd appreciate any recommendations for any stores/sites! Back to the holiday, it was really hard to decide on where to go as me and Stuart have quite different ideas of what makes a good holiday! He doesn't like lounging by the pool or beach as much as I do, preferring to be more active, so a city break seemed a better option. Plus Budapest have the thermal baths so I can still buy a bikini and have a dip. I need to shift a few pounds though as I'm not feeling my best lately. I wouldn't mind so much if I was more in proportion but not having much, at all, up top, means my gut to chest ratio is somewhat unsatisfactory at the moment so I'll have to work on that! I'd love to have a proper lazy beach holiday too with a friend but that's probably rather greedy of me! Unless I win the lottery or something equally as unlikely!
Are you looking forward to anything exciting? Hope you are all well!

Here are a just few pics from my last brief trip to Budapest in 2012. Can't wait to have a proper explore!

Book Review: Wait For You

So it's coming to the end of the Easter holidays for me now, boo hoo. One of the things I wanted to achieve in my time off was to get stuck into a book or two. Now I've only actually managed to read one but that's good enough for me as I haven't really picked up a book in months! Said book is 'Wait For You' buy J Lynn which I picked up from the Works as part of their 3 for a fiver deals. These always sucker me in! I'll pop in there after work and before I know it I'm at the tills with an armful of books that I'll inevitably forget about! Anyways this one managed to pique my interest as I love chick lits and I really like 'campus' based books. It's probably a part of me that is yearning for my old uni days! The back describes it as '...the book you've been waiting to read since you put down 'One Day' and 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. Neither of which I have read but still a bold claim as both were extremely popular. I'm not very good at describing books and I don't want to give much away but basically it's about a girl called Avery who meets the campus stud, Cam. Their relationship slowly develops as we learn more about Avery's past and why she has moved so far away from home to go to college. We also learn more about Cam and his past and ultimately how they have experienced similar situations. It's about trust and secrets and the fears of opening up and letting someone into your life and what you want to escape from.
The characters are good but sometimes you can't help but feel that you want to give Avery a shake, as it gets quite frustrating waiting for her to see some sense as she constantly pushes cam and her friends away. The story does feel a little dragged out because of that, but hey, it is called Wait For You after all! Cam's cockiness was rather annoying at first but he does have some redeeming traits and his personality develops more layers throughout the story. I do wish he wasn't so stereotypically depicted as the college 'hottie' though. He would have been more interesting if he wasn't so perfect physically. Oh and a little thing but it annoyed me how he referred to Avery as 'sweetheart' . It's sort of condescending and not very realistic, especially as he's only a couple of years older than her-just seems an odd term to use! About half way through it also got quite raunchy. It was tastefully written I suppose, nothing too cringey. The whole skin tingling and stomach fluttering felt by Avery, constantly, got a bit tiresome though as did the whole locking eyes thing and increased heart rate etc etc. We get it! You like him!
The storyline wasn't too predictable but the relationship between Avery and Cam was, then again the title and the blurb are big giveaways! Overall I enjoyed reading this and was a bit sad when I finished it but the constant lusting and soppiness was a bit much at times! I may read the sequel but after reading the extract at the back I've got a feeling that the characters will be very similar-another hunk, another girl with a past, so I'm not sure! There is also an ebook of the story told by Cam's point of view which could be interesting but I may leave it for now.

Have you read this? Any recommends on what I should read next?

Makeup Revolution £1 Deborah Lippmann Dupe!

If you follow me on twitter then you may have seen my tweet earlier, about my little observation that Makeup Revolution's £1 nail polish in 'Devil Inside' is a really good dupe for Deborah Lippmann's 'Modern Love', which costs a rather pricey £16. I do have to admit that Modern Love has a better formula but Makeup Revolution's effort is still very good, especially for the minuscule price, and isn't much different at all in colour. It's a great shade for days when you want a more 'professional' colour and will go with most outfits and suit many an occasion (QVC moment!).

I bought some other items along with the polish, and although I will probably review them at a later date, I have to recommend the Romantic Smoked eye shadow palette (stunning shades, fab pigmentation), the matte eyeshadow singles ( I got the shades Hung Up and Mocha Love) as well as the Amazing Care lipsticks. I got the shade 'Love a Hug' and initial impressions are very good!

Have you made an order yet?

TK Maxx Bargain!

Just a quick little post to share with you the bargain I bagged at the weekend! The bargain being the Nails Inc 'My Polish Diary' set for £14.99 from TK Maxx. I couldn't believe it when I spotted it right at the back on the bottom shelf. Normally I think through any possible purchases but there was no question about this, I had to have it in all it's glittery glory! It contains 12 4ml polishes, all of which are very gorgeous, but the one I am most excited about trying is the popular Baker Street shade. I love blue polishes but didn't really want to shell out £11 for it. I have an addiction but that's a little steep for just one! The other shades included are the Kensington Caviar Top Coat, St Martins Lane, Sloane Avenue, Fulham Palace, Chester, Notting Hill Gate, Fleet Street, Electric Lane, Belgravia Place, South Kensington and Knightsbridge Road. I love that it's a real mix of shades/effects and the mini bottles look so cute. Now I would have been extra chuffed if this had been the set with the full size bottles in, but in reality I have never used up an entire bottle so I really don't mind. 
I can't wait to try these out and I would definitely recommend you check out your local TK Maxx, you never know what gems you may find there!