Monthly Favourites November 2010

As we are now approaching the depths of Winter I always feel the effects in early November, especially with my skin getting rather dry and my lips chapping. I am prone to dry skin anyway, but it is a lot more pronounced, and I find it close to impossible to wear lipsticks as my lips become sore and chapped. Here are some of my favourites during the month of November, mostly make up in fact it is all make up (and a couple of brushes) as my hair/skin routine never changes very much. 

Cherry Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm

This little tube of loveliness has been my absolute saviour, I use it every single day, as soon as I wake up and several times through the day and finally just before I go to bed. It definately does what it says on the tin (or tube in this instance) it moisturises my lips, if you have any chapped areas it does tingle a little bit but it isn't sore or irritable, just the product saying "I'm here to help and I'm working". I've definately seen an improvement in the condition of my lips, therefore I say to you all to DEFINATELY purchase this for the Winter season. 

MAC 187, MAC 129 and Ecotools Foundation Brush

These three brushes have been my go to brushes. The MAC 187 I tend to use more if I'm going out on a night out, or making more effort with my make up and spending more time applying foundation, as I feel with this brush if you take the time to apply your foundation with it, you really do end up with great results. Secondly the MAC 129 is an all rounder brush for me, I use it to set my foundation with MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, I also use it for blusher, the brush is so soft and is a good size for what I use it for. Finally the ecotools foundation brush is my go to brush when I'm in a rush in the morning or afternoon, going to University, I simply pump a couple of pumps of my foundation on to the brush and apply it to my face and blend and it's never streaky and never cakey, it gives an even finish, at first when I purchased this brush I never gave it a chance, now I couldn't live without it.

No7 Skin Illuminator in Peach

I was never a highlighter fan, I own a couple (Eyeko's cream, and the Sleek Contour compact) but I have never used them as part of my daily routine, I purchased this No7 Illuminator when I had one of the £5 off vouchers from Boots in September, I never really used it when I bought it until my flat mate had a friend to stay (Nicki from Coach Trip if any of you were a fan, I didn't know who she was..I never watched it) she used it, and her skin always looked lovely and when I realised I had the same product I started to play with it, and now I blooming love it. I just apply it to my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, and on my cupids bow. I don't use a lot of product, but when you squeeze the tube loads of product comes out and it is a slight waste (as you can see from around the lid of my photo). The only negative I have to say about this product is the packaging, I'd personally prefer something which brought out less product, but that's me. This gives the right amount of 'glow' to my skin, which I really need in this cold weather!

Collection 2000 Shimmering Glow Powder in 4 Espresso

I have got quite into bronzers over the past few months and more so when I was taking on the fake tanned approach to life. This bronzer is quite 'light' for a bronzer, I have fair skin, and I can still use this one when I don't have any fake tan on. I don't tend to fake tan a lot, but I don't want to look like death warmed up either, whether it is Summer or Winter, I feel a touch of bronzer in the Winter adds a bit of warmth to how you look. I lightly dust this on my cheeks when going to University and I really like how it looks on my skin. Although the product is called "shimmering" there are no traces of shimmer in it, which I'm not complaining about as I'm not really a shimmer person, but it definately gives a glow. I'm not 100% sure of the price, but I think it's under £5, I love Collection 2000 for it's prices and you can really find some good products from their line.

Bourjois Volumizer Mascara in 01 Noir

I am a mascara junkie, I can never go without the stuff, and I also love trying out new ones. I love this one mostly for 'step 2' as this is the volumising step, step 1 is more defining of the lashes. I love thick, black and long lashes and this mascara does this for me for definate. I never tend to wear fake lashes as I just always have a terrible time either with the glue, or applying the actually lash to my lash line, so I'm always on the hunt for a new great mascara. This one will be my go to mascara for the time being, it does everything I want from a mascara, I probably won't use this mascara forever as I'm always getting bored and changing mascaras but for now, it is my best friend!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

I don't tend to wear a lot of eyeshadows as I never have the time or patience to do my eye make up in the morning,  don't get me wrong I love playing with eyeshadows and different looks, I just never seem to have the time unless I'm going out planned and have a lot of time to get ready. I always reach for my Naked Pallette, whether it's for a smoky look or a neutral eye, I'm not very adventurous with colours, I stick to what I know (although I have been experimenting lately but that's for a later date). I bought this pallette when it was first out in September, and I purchased if from Oxford Street's House of Fraser when I was in London for a girly weekend and I know I will always love this, it has all the shade and finishes I could ask for my favourite colours are Halfbaked, Toasted, Buck and Smog! I will play around with a few looks and maybe post some on here at a later date!

Revlon Lipgloss (Top-Bottom 150 Peach Petal, 200 Lilac Pastelle, 180 Pink Pop)

I bloody love these babies, these three are my first purchased Revlon lipglosses at different times, but they certainly won't be the last one's I buy, I never used to even look at Revlon, now I love so many of their things. I love the packaging and the colours of these three that I have. I reach for Peach Petal the most as it is more of a day to day colour, but the others are very popular on nights out, I thank Pink Pop for getting me to meet someone special as I was applying it as they approached me. (haha) I have never been that massive a lipgloss fan, I only own these three, one MAC and two Barry M one's. The one thing I love about these lipglosses is that they are in no way sticky, they also have a decent colour pay off which I always love in a lipgloss. I will definately be purchasing some other colours from Revlon lipglosses.

Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil

I have fell in love with Aveeno, but especially this creamy oil! I used to just use this for my  body pre-fake tanning, but I have been using it on my face for the last month and I love it. I feel that it really hydrates my skin and makes it feel much more moisturised. As I mentioned earlier I have very dry skin especially in Winter, I think what I also love about this product, is the 'oil' factor, I don't like really thick or rich moisturisers as I just feel they are too heavy for me, or they are just sat on my face and not being taken in by my skin. Don't think baby oil, or bio oil, it isn't oily in that sense, just more water based. I have noticed such a good condition in my skin since I started using this, it hasn't completely cleared my dry skin but I think in a couple of weeks it will majorly control it. Massive thumbs up from me!

Hairspiration!

As I'm at university I have no pennies to get my hair done. I rebelled a little bit in my first couple of works, i had just dyed my hair all over brown a couple of weeks before leaving for University to cover up highlights I'd had in the summer, and I felt it was fading a lot in my freshers week, so I decided to dye my hair brown/red colour, then I used a red illuminator, which then made my hair that little bit more red, then I soon realised how fast red fades and it needed a lot of up keep. I then dyed it brown and parts went black! I was mortified, so I trotted off to superdrug (luckily, or bad luck maybe as I spend all my money there, I live above a Superdrug). I bought a hair stripper, and a light brown dye, and also a medium brown dye as a back up, I already have a dark brown in a box beside me as we speak which was another back up for the red. Anyway, after absolutely killing my hair with stripping it and dying it twice all in one night, my hair was brittle and horrid! I have made a friend here who is a hairdresser and he lives locally so he picked me up and gave me a good telling off about my hair and trimmed away all the nastiness, my hair now is in decent condition, still dry but I naturally have quite dry hair. It has also grown a bit, and now the dye has faded, but I have promised myself to not dye it until the 17th of december, as I am getting my hair cut that day and the 18th of December I have my dad's business christmas dinner to go to, and i don't want to go with hot looking patchy/faded hair. I've decided on a medium/chocolate brown, but I don't want to get too close to black again. I am really tempted by the John Frieda foam hair dyes. Has anyone tried these?

I want a slight change in my hair, and I was looking at a few images for hair inspiration, and I'm tempted for a full fringe, and as I also own extensions I thought it would look lovely in the festive season. Here are just a few examples of what I was looking at

Images taken from weheartit.com

NOTD!

I love my nails like this! 

I have the shortest nails ever, I can't grow them because of the things i do, I'm cleaning around all the time, or picking at things so it's a lost cause trying to grow my nails. So I am forever trying to find ways to make my nails look pretty without just wearing one colour. I am not going to put stick on nails or get gels or acrylics, as I have a slight case of dermatitis, which has made my nails "pit". Which means some of my nails looks like someones dinted them with a needle.

For this look I used Essie's 'Fill The Gap' which smoothes my nails out to make applying nail polish even. Two coats of Americana Apparel's Dynasty. Models Own 'Juicy Jules' on the tips, then finally Rimmels Pro-Super Wear top coat. 

I'll be rocking this nails over the Christmas season, I might invest in other colours of glitters :)

B.xx

Quick FOTN

I wasn't up to very much tonight. I was seeing a few friends from the flat upstairs, and everytime they see me I'm usually in my PJ's or lazy clothes, usually with little or no make up on, and my hair messily tied up. So I thought tonight, I'd make a bit more of an effort and actually wear make-up, because they all see the amount I own and buy!

Face
MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC15 (under eyes, around nose and covering blemishes)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light
Sleek Contour Kit (to contour cheeks and highlight cheeks, nose and forehead)
Lacura Beauty Bluse (from aldi!!) in 76 Sunset
Dark Brown 'Liner' Shadow from Benefit 'Big Beautiful Eyes' (fill in brows)

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Sin (all over lid from Naked Pallette)
Urban Decay Smog and Hustle (in outer corner also from Naked Pallette)
Sleek Kajal Eyeliner in Dominatrix
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara
Maxfactor Masterpiece Mascara

Lips
Carmex
MAC Chatterbox

i need eyelash rescue :(

This is  a short but sweet post, as I'm still settling into Uni and trying to socialise with my flat mates as much as possible.

I've never had eyelast troubles before, but I've been noticing that mine aren't really that "full" looking,I have long eyelashes which I love, but when I apply mascara I feel it makes them look very sparse, and I've noticed this more so recently, I don't think I've lost any eyelashes, although maybe I have. I've taken a very quick photo on my blackberry to show what I mean about my eyelashes, excuse the basic eye make up, I was in a quick dash this morning for Uni, and just did what I could in very little time.

It's not a great quality photo but I'm sure you get the idea.

ANY help would be so much appreciated, whether I should use some sort of eye lash primer or a really good mascara? Preferably not too high end?

B. x

Dear Santa...

I am well aware it is only just September, but I 'want' so many things lately. Mostly beauty, but that's me in a nutshell.

River Island Wedges

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick No 7 Lingerie Pink

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Michael Kors Watch £200 + 

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation

Mac Pink Lemonade

Flower Bomb

This is more so a wishlist, that I would like to tick off, over a long period of time, but it is nice to have something to save for yourself etc.
What are you girly's after?
B. x

August In and Out

In

Benefit Coralista - I cannot get enough of it, at all, I fell in love with coralista a little over a year ago when my brothers ex-girlfriend had bought after she was cornered after having a Benefit make over, and she liked the look of Coralista, she had said she was more of a baby pink girl as she was blonde, but liked the changed, she let me borrow it one night and since then I have just lusted after it. So after a painful 12 months or more, I caved and bought it, and now I can't put it down. I love how I can justify spending £23.50 on a blusher, by saying 'I've had ten for over two years and I've not even hit pan yet, so when you look at it that way, it's less than £10 a year' the girl on the counter laughed yet agreed at how long they last. I find Coralista has a way of complimenting most skintones, I'm very pale but I also would tan often enough, and either when I'm tanned or not, I still love it. Well worth it and will definately be part of my make-up bag for a long time.

Simple Derma Moisturiser- I had been told about this moisturiser by a friend a couple of months ago, and went through all my Boots stores, Superdrugs, even the shops that would randomly sell fake tan etc. and I couldn't find this anywhere, as she lived in England she picked me up a pot of it, and when she came to visit she brought it with her, I have to say it's been one of the best moisturisers I've had, and she got it for £3. I have super sensitive skin, which can be quite dermatits prone, and this has brought my skin up an absolute treat. I also know the pot will last forever, nor do I have to worry about repurchasing it as I'm moving to England in a couple of weeks.

Nail Polishes - Not just any but three makes, Collection 2000, O.P.I, and Barry M. After my exams I had decided to go through my nail collections, and when I had, I noticed all my nail polishes were various purples and pinks, and I threw so many out, that were very similar or just 'past it'. So I purchased Button Moon, Fruit Salad and Love Hearts from Collection 2000, Mushroom and Mint from Barry M and Caffe De Leche and Do You Lilac It? by O.P.I, I know this is seven nail polishes, but I have used them all equally, varying between toe nails and finger nails, and I have to say I love them all and they will all definately be coming to Uni with me.

Out

St Moriz - I'm sad to say but I'm a little bit 'over' St Moriz, I don't know what it is. Either my skin has changed loads, or the formula has changed, but it just doesn't seem to work the same anymore, it's become more green over time when I compare it to one of my earlier bottles, and it never tans my chest, at all, what is with that?! So now I'm back to the drawing board for a new tan that I will fall in love with all over again like I had originally done with St Moriz, I've got my eye on Fake Bake, and will keep St Moriz as a very much emergency bottle. So if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Eye Make Up- My eyes just arent taking it, I seem to end up looking like a drag queen, even if it's an eye look I have done religiously it's just not working for me. So I'm sticking to a little bit of liner and layers of mascara until my eyes decide to handle more make up.

University Loans- I hate anythingto do with finance, I'm like a lost sheep when it comes to it and I'm such a worrier that I feel like it's all going to go wrong, I should be excited for my new change to University, but I'm so stressed with going into debt and being a pennyless student that I'm crushing my own dreams.

Hair and Make Up Lust Afters

As it's Summer, I tend to want to lighten my hair, and in the past I have stupidly tried to do it myself and of course, I have always failed. So over the past few months I have slowly worked towards lightening my hair just by getting a t-bar done, and I am getting close, but I am going to have to fork out for a full head so that the underneath of my hair isn't so dark. I had close to black hair around November, so really I should be pleased with how light it is now.
Just a few images following of how I would like my hair to look, it may never look like this but a girl can dream right?

I am also craving after a few make up items, I have recently been reading up about Lily Lolo mineral make up, and  I have made a wishlist of all the samples I want to try out. Also, I STILL want the Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick, and one of the In the Groove Duo Blushers! I need a job that is going to handle my lust afters! (hehe)

What are your lust afters at the minute?

B. xx