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Drifting through life...

Sunday 30 September 2012

A Glossy Death...


Aloha, bloggers! How are you all this fine day? I just wanted to do a quick and simple post on why I have unsubscribed from GlossyBox this month. I haven't been very happy with these beauty boxes for a while now, but I kept on hoping that GB would listen to their subscribers and pick up their game...but they didn't. 

GB is supposed to be a beauty box that allows its subscribers to try high end and luxury products that we wouldn't otherwise come across. Well, this month none of the items are 'high end' and I was left feeling very deflated and let down. 

A quick summary of the products;

BALANCE ME Wonder Eye Cream - We were given a sample of this with Glamour Magazine a few months ago so I didn't see why they had to be in a beauty box. I understand that not everyone may have gone out to buy Glamour, but all I could think was that these were probably left over samples that Balance Me was trying to fob off. 

THE BODY SHOP Vitamin E Moisture Cream - Again, this is not a luxury product for me. I could easily go and get a small potted sample of this from my local Body Shop. I mean, it's a great moisturiser, it is light, smells great, and hydrates the skin. BUT, like I said, I don't consider it to be a contender for a beauty box.

L'OREAL PROFESSIONAL Full Volume Mousse - I don't consider L'oreal to be a high end brand. Wow, I must sound like such a snob! But I want what I paid for, and this is not what I paid for! It id a great product but not what I was hoping for.

L'OREAL PROFESSIONAL Smooth Control Gel - This isn't even on the GB site as a product - I guess that shows how proud they are that this is in one of their products. I would have preferred to have any OTHER hair product in the box - grrrr!

LADY GAGA Perfume Sample - I have noticed that some bloggers have started to become a bit more content with getting perfume samples in their beauty boxes, but I am the annoying one that just.won't.settle! I can pick this up from Debenhams, and I probably will - because - it's - free!

RODIAL Glamoxy Snake Serum - I don't have the energy to continue to write about how much I disliked this box, so I will stop typing.

I realise that this is the most negative blogpost I have ever written, but I think that some people need to write this so other people aren't conned into thinking that it is more than what it actually is. The bloggers that swayed me into buying into the beauty box hype are Ambassadors for the beauty boxes, so they get them for free. I have nothing against that, but when it is your money going down the drain every month then it feels a little bit different.

What are your views on beauty boxes?







Thursday 27 September 2012

Holy Grail Skincare?


Oh, hey there! How are you this fine day? I am feeling a little bit broke! 

It's my birthday on Saturday! Woohooooooo! So I felt like treating myself (yep, it's going to be another one of THOSE posts). Do you remember a few months back when Glamour magazine gave samples of L'Occitane skincare? I was rather baffled by why such an established company would want to give samples of their products in a magazine. Well, I found out when I got all three samples to try out, and fell head over heels in love with them...

Before using the Angelica skincare range from L'Occitane, I used to use the Clinique 3 Step (and boy, did I hate it). It stripped my skin and made it drier than it originally was; I thought my skin was always going to be like that! However, when I used the Agelica skincare range, I was blown away. My skin felt cleansed, fresh, it went back to combination skin because it wasn't being stripped, it felt hydrated and it was just so much better. 

It's always easy for bloggers to profess their love to anything and everything, but the real commitment is shown when you go out and repurchase with your own pennies. And boy, did I spend a lot of pennies!


First, I will tell you about the free gift I received because I purchased 2 L'Occitane products. I got mini samples of the cleanser and toner, a mini foot cream, and a shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair, with a lovely little toiletry bag. I have obviously tried the cleanser and toner before, so I am pretty pleased I got those, because I know they work and they are perfect travel sizes. I am going to be re-dyeing my hair pretty soon, so I look forward to trying out the shampoo and conditioner. And last but not last, I know how much hype L'Occitane foot creams get, so I cannot wait to try this one out. I think that for a free gift, this is above the standard I expected! It kind of makes me feel a bit better about the money I spend in total.


I bought the Angelica Cleansing Gel and the Hydrating Cream. Both of these products worked wonders for my skin, so I knew that I needed them. 

The cleansing gel has water and oils from organic angelica; this is what helps fight the impurities and remove the make up without irritating your skin. It also works to hydrate your skin [which was a great selling point for me] and leaves it feeling radiant and refreshed. 

I was more excited about buying the hydrating cream than anything else...however, I did not realise that it cost nearly £30! I nearly died when I went to the till. As much as it pained me, I still bought it because I had seen the benefits it had for my skin. The woman said that this should last me for about 6 months, which made me feel a bit better. This moisturiser is rich without being too greasy and clogging up your pores [like the Benefit one], it works to moisturise your skin throughout the whole day, smells amazing, and really does make your skin look and feel radiant.



The woman behind the counter clocked onto my shaking hands as I paid and was kind enough to give me a few samples. She gave me 2 samples of the eye roll-onex foliating gel and a body cream. I am really looking forward to trying more L'Occitane products.

This all came to £45; which probably won't seem a lot, but when you have no money it is the worst feeling in the world parting with the little money you do have. I highly recommend that you try this line of skincare if you are looking for something new because it really does make a difference. You can try out the starter kit if you don't want to part with too much money.

What are your holy grail skincare products?

Have you tried any products from L'Occitane?

Wednesday 26 September 2012

A much needed holiday!


Oh, hey there! It has a really long time since I last blogged and it is safe to say that I have missed it like crazy; every time something exciting has happened I would immediately make a mental note *mustblogthismustblogthis*, but alas, I never blogged. Why, you ask? Because I was on holiday in Pakistan, where I had no.internet.connection! 

I want to do a quick post about my holiday before I start with my beauty and cake [nom] posts because it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. 

My parents are from Pakistan but they both came to the UK when they were children. They go back to Pk every few years because we still have family there, but us, the children, have never had any sort of connection or love for Pk. I mean, we went on holiday there, but that was 9 years ago! This holiday was going to be a chance to reconnect with our family there, see how they live, gain a bit more cultural understanding and really value what we have.  

I don't even know where to begin. Let's just say that on our first day there we had the biggest culture, climate  and any other shock that we could have had. 

It was hot and sweaty that we would shower twice a day...and it still wouldn't be enough. 
The Government took the electricity every other hour so the fans wouldn't work - and we nearly boiled to death on many occasions.
It was too hot to leave the house during the day!
There really was not much to do in the village we stayed in.

I know what you're thinking, 'Wow, she is a little Moaning Mona!' And that is exactly what we thought after the first few days. How dare we go to a different country and not appreciate what they had to offer. It was their way of living but we couldn't see past our excessive lifestyle! 

Once we embraced the way of life there, we LOVED it! The people were amazing; they were so simple and forgiving (my attempt at Punjabi had them in giggles). They didn't take ANYTHING for granted. It was really humbling being there and having them give us an insight into their lives. We were showered with so much love, more than we deserved! It was lovely seeing all the girls I remembered from the last time I went and seeing how we had all grown up. We went on a gazillion road trips and sight seeing, and got to see the beauty of Pakistan that we didn't even know existed.

It really makes you take a step back and appreciate what you have. I found that some people there didn't have much money but they were so happy, because, even though they weren't materialistically wealthy, they had the love and support of their family and local community which is so much richer and more valuable.


How was your summer?









Sunday 29 July 2012

A slob on a Sunday with a Strawberry&Cream Cupcake...



This past week has been a whirlwind of work, numbers, maths, students, low bank balances and procrastination.

Slightly tortured by all this craziness, I decided to take a few hours out of my day yesterday and do something I wanted to do.

So, I baked!
These are vanilla cupcakes with strawberry icing and a chocolate covered strawberry on top.



What inspires you?!
What do you do to unwind?

Wednesday 25 July 2012

GlossyBox redeems itself...

Hey Ladies!

I got my Glossybox today! I have been so disappointed these past 2 months so it was a nice surprise finally getting a box worth blogging about. I had a little sneak peek at other peoples boxes yesterday so I knew what products were doing the round and what I was hoping for. This morning the postWOMAN knocked on the door at 8:45am and I was up and out of bed like a lunatic, running down the stairs to get my GlossyBox. Unfortunately, I didn't get the HD palette which I had wanted but I am still pleased with my box. (Sidenote: I think it is incredibly unfair how not everyone gets to try out products by high end brands like HD Brows and Caudalie - GB works in strange ways.)

This is my box!
I will give you my initial thoughts on the products and then review them as I use them.



Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist
I have never heard of this brand before so I was very excited to try this out! This is a hydrating spray for the hair and for the skin which will be perfect for the summer days. I tried this on my face (are you meant to?) and it felt really light and was refreshing. It has no detectable scent to it either which is a bonus for me. It doesn't say whether it has any benefits for the hair or the skin but it seems to do what it says on the bottle. I am going on holiday in 3 weeks so I am saving this little bad boy for that.

Monu Eye Cool Gel
This is another brand I haven't really come across before. I am only just getting into my skincare so this is perfect for me. This gel promises to revive tired looking eyes, reduce puffiness and dark circles. I don't get puffiness as such but I am hoping this will help with my dark circles. I still need to use my Benefit eye cream, then the Clinique, Dior and Balance Me, so this probably won't be reviewed for a while. 

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Frosting
Again, another brand I have not heard of. I feel that GlossyBox are doing their job this month - introducing us to higher end brand products (I still shudder at the thought of the Collection eye liner I received a few months ago). This lip frosting smells devine!! However, that is where the positives kind of end - it is not very moisturising and it sits on your lips. I have had very dry lips these past few days so when I applied it, it just seemed to emphasise the chapped-ness (I know that sounds gruesome but I am being honest here). In future, I will make sure that my lips have been properly exfoliated before I apply this. You can also apply this on your cheeks but it is sheer and the colour pay off isn't that good - but then again I do have dark skin so it might work better on paler skin?

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
This is a dry oil for the face, body and hair. I am new at the whole oil skin care and hair care products so I am not sure how to use this or what it does. I will probably youtube some vids and google some tips before I try this but I am very excited. Do you have any tips for me?

Bex London Londoner Urban Fragrance 
I am not a huge fan of perfume samples in beauty boxes and this sample hasn't really changed my perception.   It is described as a 'modern fragrance' that is inspired by 'unique character and idiosyncrasies of London'. I'm just going to go ahead and put it out there that I have no idea what that means and that this perfume in no  represents the unique character of London, unless the unique character of London smells like a MAN! I kid you not, the first thing I said to my sister after I smelt this was, 'Oh my god, this smells like Dad.' I won't be using this...

Bonus Item Elizabeth Arden's Visible Difference Hydrating Line
The generous sachet containing samples of the EA new skincare range more than made up for the little perfume disaster. I am a massive fan of EA skincare and I love their 8 hour cream. GlossyBox said that if we took the pamphlet containing the product info on it to an EA counter then we would get a free deluxe samples of their skincare range. Being a complete sucker for freebies, I drove to my local town centre in my lunch break today and went on the hunt for my free samples. Unfortunately, there were no 'deluxe samples' in the store (gutted!) but the sales laydee kindly gave me three more sachets of the skincare range, a deluxe sample of the 8 hour cream and some mini serum tablety things. I was rather pleased with what I managed to blag!


Overall, I am very pleased with this box. I will stay subscribed for one more month to see what it is like next month and then I might pack it in. 

What are your thoughts?


Wednesday 11 July 2012

My Little Cupcake Business

I want to start a baking business!

There! I've said it - I feel like it is somewhat of a taboo stating something so ambitious because there is such a massive chance of failure, but I don't care - is that crazy?

I have some ideas that I'm hoping will work but we shall see!


If there is anything in the world that you could do as a job, what would it be?

Talking of pursuing what you want - there is a fab giveaway over on Lexi Minty Fresh blog. It is for a gorgeous YSL lipstick that I have been drooling over for a while.

Monday 9 July 2012

Listing your life away...

Howdy Ladies!

How are you all doing this fine day?

I have had a bit of a strange week. I have found myself in the same situation as many other graduates - I has no job. I went from being severely down in the dumps to enlightened. I realised that instead of focusing on the negative, which I can't change at the moment anyway because there are no teaching jobs out there, I should put my energy into something constructive.

I have had so many ideas buzzing in my head and this has led me to put together a list of 10 things I want to do before I hit 30. I know it sounds a bit silly but I am 22 and I feel that I have not done much in my life. I went from primary school to high school, to college, to university (under grad), to university (post grad). I had around 4 jobs while I was doing my undergrad degree. Don't get me wrong - I have loved all of it - I have achieved so much academically, I have great friends and family, I have had the most amazing experiences - BUT, I feel like I should have done more.



I have always wanted to travel, become more independent and go out in the big bad world and just go for it!


Here is a list of 10 things I want to do before I turn 30...

1. Go on a pilgrimage.

2. Road trip through the US.

3. Explore Paris.

4. Have my cake business up and running (to a certain degree).

5. Get a real job!

6. Get married and have a mini meeeeeeeeeeeeee.

7. Have my own happy family.

8. Anything that scares the shit out of me - bungee jumping, sky diving, skiing, anything!

9. Actually learn how to play my guitar! 

10. Stop caring what other people think.

So that is my little list.


What is on yours?
Do you make lists like this?
Or do you just go with the flow of life?

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Cupcakes, Celebrations and Challenges...

Hey All!

I cannot believe it has been nearly a month since my last blog post - and boy, what a month it has been! I honestly do not know where to begin. I'll start off by sharing some amazing news with you - I AM FINALLY A QUALIFIED TEACHER! This year has been the most challenging, rewarding, inspirational and amazing year of my entire life. All those sleepless nights, 6am starts and 2am finishes paid off!

It was not an easy journey...


I don't want to dwell into too much detail but this past month I was really pushed to the edge. It is amazing what a university tutor on a power trip can do to your self esteem and confidence. Regardless of what career path you are on or intend to take - please do not let anyone make you doubt yourself or strip you of your confidence. Believing in yourself, having faith, and being resilient is key to succeeding. A strong and positive network of support in the form of friends, family and colleagues really helped me get through this month. Make sure you never struggle on your own! 


After spending the past few months drowned under paperwork and lesson planning I finally had some freedom! To celebrate my good news I decided to plan a road trip to Sheffield to see my homies (yes, homies). You may think that that is no big deal, but I had never driven that far or for that long (100 minutes-ish) before so it was quite nerve wrecking. Friday after school I substituted by nap time for a drive instead (cue alarm bells) and I managed to get there in one piece (woo woo). 

It was one of my cousin's birthday so we all got together and went to a cupcake decorating workshop. It was so much FUN! 

Here are a few pictures of what I did.  





We had such a good time catching up and munching on cakes. I do enjoy my trips to Sheffield. What is your favourite place to go to? Why? 

On the way back we were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather. My sister snapped these photos on my new Samsung S3 (aaaaaahhh) whilst I was doing over 50mph in Buxton. How fricking amazing in the quality of the camera? I literally only got it for the camera! 


This year has been filled with highs and lows.
I have met the most amazing people.
I have been privileged to see some inspiring teachers in action.
I have realised just how strong and weak I can be.
All this has helped me develop myself, my personality and my character.

Now...who wants to give me a job?








Tuesday 5 June 2012

Soap & Glory

Hey lovely bloggers! This is another mini review of some products I have been trying for a few weeks. I mentioned in my last post that I am really into looking after my hands and feet now that the summer has decided to dry them out, so I picked up the Hand Food and Heel Genius from the Soap & Glory range. 

I have heard SOOOO many good things about these two products but I wasn't initially going to buy them. I walked past the shelf with the products on in Boots and decided to try Hand Food with no intention of buying it. For the next few hours I could not stop telling my sister how amazing my hands felt so I dragged her back and bought these two beauties. 


They are the first products that I have tried from the Soap & Glory range and I have been so impressed with them. I wear Hand Food throughout the day and it is ah-ma-zing (nearly on par with Burt's Bee's). It smells gorgeous, it isn't greasy , it is so hydrating (esp in this weather) and totally moisturising. My only criticism would be that they should do mini sizes so I can carry it around with me without taking too much space in my bag. 

Heel Genius, however, is the winner for meeeeeeeee! I got heat rash on my feet last week, cracked heels from all the running around AND blisters. I kid you not, they were awful! I got really self conscious about wearing sandals and flip flops in public...so I stopped. I started wearing this foot cream at night by slathering it all over my feet and then putting on socks on top over night. It worked a treat and I was able to see the difference within days.

Have you tried either of these products?
What other Soap & Glory products would you recommend?

Disclaimer: You cannot eat Hand Food...my 21 year old brother nearly did!



Monday 4 June 2012

Cuz I'm fly like a bee!

Hey homies! How are you, lovely readers? I hope you have all had a lovely bank holiday weekend. What have you all been up to? I watched a bit of the Jubilee concert before and I was all blown away by the turnout in Landaaaaan. Friends Facebook statuses and Instagrams have kept me up-to-date with all the happenings around the country and I have really felt proud to be British. The way that the whole country has rallied together for this event has been phenomenal. Screw the haters! 

Moving on, I recently decided to invest in a little Burt's Bees gift set after reading about Mittens experience with the brand. Burt's Bee's is a brand that has been around for over 25 years, so I knew that it was going to be pretty impressive. I was browsing through the Boots in Westfield (Derby) when  I stumbled across this little beauty! 



This is the Tips and Toes Kit containing all the products that you can give your hands and feet a little TLC with. I was very impressed with all the products I got for a mere £12.99. 

                  Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream (7g)
                  Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil (4.25g)
                  Burt's Bees Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream (20g)
                  Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream (20g)
                  Burt's Bees Hand Salve (8.5g)
                  Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream (8.5g)

All the products smell absolutely divine! They are gorgeous little minis to carry around in your purse when you are on the go. I have been very impressed with this set because I have loved all the products in it. The creams, salve and lip balm are all very nourishing and have left my skin feeling amazing. I always get really dry hands and feet in the summer *sob* because of the humidity and the heat, so I am incredibly excited now that I have found products to combat this little problem.   

I didn't want to review every single product in the set because I didn't want the post to be mega long but please leave a comment if you want me to do a more indepth review on any of the products.

I am also going to link you to a song that I have been blasting out of my car for the past few months, I thought it was fitting for the post...because it's about bee's. I have a retarded sense of humour - ENJOY!




Sunday 3 June 2012

My first Glossy Box experience

Aloha, Hombres! I hope you are all enjoying this bank holiday as much as I am. I have been so excited about this holiday for such a long time that I thought I was going to explode when I finished work on Thursday. I have spent the past few days relaxing, shopping, attending a few pre-wedding parties and having cinema times with the girlies. I really wanted to have a tea party in the garden but the weather has been awful! What have you been up to this weekend?

Anyway, I wanted to do a quick review on this month's Glossy box. I know that you have all probably seen all the different versions of the box already but I wanted to use the products and really give my honest opinion on the products rather than just show you what I got. I used to be subscribed to SheSaysBeauty but I cancelled after a REALLY bad box. You can read about that here.

I swapped to Glossybox because I was really impressed with the previous few boxes and I knew that it was going to be their 1 year anniversary and I guess I was expecting some major WOW products. I was pleased with the box but I wasn't blown away. I expected a lot more but I checked up on the products that SheSaysBeauty had this month and I can honestly say that I was glad that I did the swap!



Here is the list of the products and my honest opinions;

Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture (Neal's Yard Remedies)
I have never heard of Neal's Yard Remedies before but I have seen it pop up more and more in the Beauty Blogs since this Glossybox and I even came across a counter in Boots! I wasn't too excited about this moisturiser when I first saw it because I am currently obsessed with my Benefit Total Moisturiser, but when I gave it a whizz I was pleasantly surprised. It is really light on the skin (my Benefit can be a bit heavy), sinks in immediately (my Benefit one can be a bit greasy if I put on a bit too much), leaves the skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. This is recommended for all skin types which I think is a bit strange because surely you need to have a different combinations of ingredients for the different types of skin but who knows, it works for mine so I'm happy. It retails for £12 in the shops which I think is a reasonable price, I will deff be checking out more products from this brand.

Summer Rising Cornish Hedgerows Bath & Shower Gel (Noble Isle)
I had never heard of this brand before the box but I was pretty impressed with the product. It smells beautiful, lathers in the shower, and leaves your skin feeling gorgeous. The smell lingers on my skin throughout the day when I use it and I love getting whiffs of it throughout the day. This was a full sized product (I think) and it retails for around £20 in the shops. Personally I wouldn't buy this but that is just because £20 is a lot of money for a shower gel when you are a student, the product is amazing though. 

Lolita Lempicka samples
I'm not one of those people who get excited about perfume samples in Beauty boxes because it pisses me off! I can pick those up in a department store for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Granted there were two samples, but I could also pick two samples up from Debenhams. I felt that this was a bit of a cop out by the Glossybox team. The samples were alright; they were nothing special, they were pleasant but I wouldn't purchase the sized products because they are ridiculously over priced.

Eldora False Eyelashes
What absolute crap! What is it with beauty boxes and false eyelashes. I never wear them and think they are just awful. STOP SENDING THEM!

Collection Lasting Gel Eyeliner
My initial reaction was of disgust when I saw this because it isn't a luxury, high-end brand that Glossybox promises - but I decided to use it with an open mind because I know how hard Collection are trying to relaunch. Erm, I went straight back to my initial reaction; firstly the colour was gold (not very wearable), the brush wasn't very good, it didn't look very nice. It was long lasting like it promised but I wasn't taken by it at all. This retails for around £5 in most supermarkets, Boots and Superdrugs.

I loved the little extra special touch of adding the compact mirror and balloon, but I would have preferred getting some of the other items like the Murad Clarifying Mask or something from HD Brows. I am going to give the box another try next month and then I might just unsubscribe; beauty boxes are slowly losing their novelty. 

What are your opinions?
What boxes are you subscribed to?
What has been your fave/worst beauty box item this month?



Tuesday 29 May 2012

Don't be coasting through life, yo!

Apologies for the lack of activity on the blog-a-sphere! I have been crazy busy with university, school and life in general, so it has been hard to find time to sit down and write a blog post worth reading. It's nearly midnight now but I wanted to do a quick post to say 'hello' and share a little tidbit with you.

Last week I was driving down the road (yes, a road) and I came across a Land Rover parked up on the street. On the side, in huge letters, it said 'One Life Live It'. It sort of hit me hard because I know how stressed out I have been recently, really moody and narky because of all the pressure at university, and I could not think of one think that I had done recently that I would say fitted into 'One Life Live It'. I've sort of been coasting through life doing everything I can to pass this course.

It is so easy to get lost in areas of your life that don't necessarily count as you 'living' your life. Think about the last time you got some negative feedback at university or work; how did it make you feel and how long were you in the dumps? Now take a step back and think about all the positive things in your life that you take for granted and look at ways to enhance them and really live your life. What is the point of life if you don't live it?

I am giving myself a goal to try a new thing every week (everyday would just take the fun out of it and it'd become a chore) and I have already took a step to accomplishing it. I have booked myself some guitar lessons! I am so excited! I cannot wait to rock out to Oasis, Maroon 5 and Coldplay.

How are you changing your life to suit you?


Sunday 20 May 2012

Tagged by Mittens

Being new to the Blogging World I have not yet participated in any tags, but I received this tag from by Mittens so thought I'd give it a whirl myself :)





Rules

1) You must answer all 5 questions

2) You must tag 6 other beauty blogger's

3) You must link the blogger who tagged you in your post


The 5 questions
1) What is your favourite part about blogging?
I love the sense of community on here ~ I get a buzz when I get see new faces on my followers list; I get an even bigger buzz when I have see the same faces leaving comments on my blog knowing that they come back to read my posts because they enjoy it. I love the encouragement and support provided by other bloggers on here and I ensure that if I see a new blogger I give them the same support I received when I started out.


2) Is there something you dislike about blogging?
It makes me sad when bloggers leave comments like, ' Follow me and I'll follow you back.' Blogging isn't about the numbers on your followers lists and how many hits you get everyday, it's about doing what you love. I always make sure that I check out the blogs of people who write on my posts or follow me.

3) What are your favourite types of posts to read?
I love reading anything and everything. I follow blogs about beauty products, fashion, cooking, life, general musings and baking. I love how diverse this community is.

4) What's your favourite post from your own blog?
Meeting my all time fave make-up artist, Lisa Potter-Dixon, and my day at Benefit in Harvey Nichols. 

5) Which beauty product do you want to purchase due to reading another persons blog?
The Clarasonic (is that even how you spell it?), it sounds like it does an amazing job! Bit pricey though so it can stay on my wiishlist until they have a 90% off sale.

I am not going to tag bloggers with this tag because I know a load of you have done this before. However, if you haven't done this then please have a bash at it on your blog or in the comments below :)

Saturday 19 May 2012

Benefit Exchange!

Please excuse the files and upside down octopus in the picture!


A recent conversation with one of my best friends led to her professing her undying love for YSL make up. Shocked, I asked her what happened to her Benefit make up that she had starter collecting a few months ago and BOOM, I got a whole load of barely used make up for a mere £35!

I was very careful about hygiene; I sharpened the eye liner until it was all new product and I threw away all the make up brushes that she had used with the foundation and blushers. 

I am so excited about using these products. Have you ever tried any of them? What were your thoughts?

Have you ever done any make up swaps with your friends?




Thursday 17 May 2012

B.right Day!


As many of you know, I am a massive Benefit Cosmetics fan! It has killed me not having the Radiant Skincare range starter kit because it was out of stock. However, after months of pining after this kit, I was ecstatic when my nearest Benefit counter stocked up on it again and I was able to purchase it. It is an amazing little starter kit with 6 deluxe samples of the skin care range.

It contains a foamingly clean facial wash, refined finish facial polishmoisture prep toning lotion, triple performing facial emulsion, total moisture facial cream and it's potent! eye cream. I am not going to go into too much detail because I know that this kit has been reviewed to death! However, I will say that it is one of the best skin care ranges I have tried. I am currently using up my Clinique 3 Step products and the Benefit products are so much better! Clinique tends to dry my skin out whereas Benefit moisturises and hydrates. It literally makes me feel so happy using it because it smells gorgeous and my skin feels so clean afterwards. I have used this a few times but I'm going to use the rest up after I have used my Clinique 3 step (I'm not one to waste products). 

The reason I got the little tester kit is because I also have to try my new L'occitane purchases and I really want to try the Liz Earle Try Me kit. Your skin builds a sort of immune system to products if you use them for a long period of time so I try to change my skin care routine every few months. 

This product is out of stock on the Benefit Cosmetics website and sold out in most stores again, but you can get it from Asos.


What is your current skin care routine?


Tuesday 15 May 2012

SheSaidBeauty? More like 'SheSaysByeBye'...

                       


I popped my Beauty Box cherry last month with SheSaidBeauty. I was completely in love with the whole concept; you do an online beauty profile and they send you samples that are catered specifically for you. I loved the box last month so I was really looking forward to finding out what products they were going to send me this month. Disappointed is not the word - after seeing the contents of the box I immediately logged onto their website and unsubscribed. I'm getting really mad just typing this out - ARGH!



I got a Sun Lotion (Green People) which retails for £17.95, it has got SPF 15 and accelerates your tan by 25%. Erm, I'm Asian, I have a permanent tan, why are you giving me this? I told you in the beauty profile the colour of skin. And, have you seen the weather? I thought it may be a good product for people who need protection in the sun and actually want a tan, but after reading the feedback reviews on this product on the site I can tell you that no one is particularly impressed with it. 


I got soap. I got SOAP?! It retails at £8.50...for SOAP?! It is a hefty size but it is nothing special...it is soap. Natio is also a cosmetic company, I would have preferred to try some make up than soap.



Some eyelashes. They retail at £6. They are okay.


Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew! I hate Kim Kardashian with a passion, and I hate this perfume even more. It smells so bad. It's sort of musky and really heavy. Why would you do this to me?! I would actually just like to point out that I don't hate this perfume because I hate Kim Kardashian, I mean I don't like Justin Beiber but I think his perfume is okay.


I was looking forward to trying this lip whip by Inika. They do cosmetics that are vegan and halal friendly and free of animal cruelty. These retail at £14.30 and I think they are the biggest rip off's in the world. It has a gloopy consistency, it left my lips greasy, it smells gross and it tastes awful. 


I also got some Snowberry samples of their skincare range. The samples were too small, they had a horrible consistency and they smelt awful! 

Is anyone else subscribed to SheSaysBeauty?
What were your thoughts?
What box would you recommend?

Good Hair Day

I have been cursed with naturally curly (but really frizzy) hair - damn you genes - and I cannot live without my trusted GHD's. I nearly had a heart attack when they broke last month....

I got my first pair of GHD's when I was in Y10 when I decided that I could no longer with a frizzball on the top of my head. They lasted me for about 4 years before they gave up on me. I then went to Toni and Guy and purchased another pair for £115; they were limited edition, pretty, and I got a free travel sized hair dryer and a heat proof bag with it. Unfortunately, my latest pair decided to break on me after 3 years of taming my hair. I didn't mind too much because I felt that I had got my moneys worth (I use them pretty much everyday). I just want to say that GHD products are really good and my straighteners always broke due to my own neglect. 

                                

This time I decided to ring up GHD customer service because one of my friends told me that they might be able to fix them for me. However, it turned out that they didn't provide this service if you didn't have a receipt (gutted) but the lovely guy on the phone gave me a great offer instead. He said I could have a pair of GHDs from their classic Gold collection for £95 (it retails for £119) AND £30 of free hair products. I jumped at the chance because I knew I was getting a great deal.

He told me that if you already have a pair of GHD straighteners and they break, you can ring up and get a discount on a new pair if you give them the make of the ones that you own. What a great idea!
The GHD's are pretty much the same as my old ones but slightly prettier. It has got smoother plates, it also feels a lot lighter and it has got sleep mode (so if you forget to turn them off, it will turn itself off). My life feels complete again!

What can't you live without?

Monday 14 May 2012

'Who wouldn't be interested in free products?'



I <3 getting free stuff, oh yes I do! 

I popped into my local shopping centre today because my eyebrows REALLY needed threading and I have had a pretty shit week so I wanted to buy something to cheer myself up. I had a look in Superdrug for the Sleek 3 Blush set because I have heard such good reviews about it, but, alas, there was none. Deflated, I started to head back to my car but a very smiley sales assistant from Clarins stopped me. They were giving away free samples of their foundation and would I be interested in trying it. 

I have never tried Clarins skin care or make up range so I thought I'd pick up a sample and try it out. I expected to only get a sachet of their foundation but the lovely sales assistant threw in a moisturiser and gel cleanser as well. I have now added those products to my growing samples of Clarins products that I really need to try out!

Have you used Clarins?
What did you think of their products?



Sunday 13 May 2012

Lippy in London Giveaway Win

I am one of those people who never.ever.ever.ever.ever win anything, so you can imagine my excitement when I won a giveaway hosted by Hannah from Lippy in London. She held the giveaway to celebrate the 100 followers milestone - I was quite surprised by this because I have been reading her posts for a while now and I feel that she deserves far more followers than that! Her blog is a mixture of beauty reviews, style posts and an introduction to quirky products. I would definitely recommend you check out her blog!

This is what I won!


Hannah had only listed the Colour Tattoo eyeshadow, Loreal eye liner and Revlon Lip Butter in her giveaway but added a sample of a body moisturiser and a Clarins exfoliator. I won these last month and I feel that I can give honest opinions on these products because I have tried them out over a long period of time.

I have been meaning to try the Maybelline Colour Tattoo eye shadows for a while now but I never got around to purchase so I was really excited to see the gold one in my parcel. I was a bit dubious about whether or not it would last for 24 hours, and I haven't actually worn it for 24 hours straight, but I have found that it lasts for the 16-18 hours that I do wear it. They remind me of the Benefit creaseless eye shadows and I would recommend them as a cheaper alternative.

The Revlon Lip Butter was another product that I had heard about a lot but hadn't got around to trying. I find that my lips get really dry throughout the day so I don't wear lipsticks or anything that can emphasise the dry lips. I was pleasantly surprised by this product though because even though it gives great coverage on the lips and it is pigmented, it manages to moisturise my lips rather than dry them out. The pink colour is also really eye catching without being too overwhelming. 

I hadn't heard much about the Loreal  Super Liner but I am really impressed with this product. It has a spongy applicator, which took me a while to get the hang of, but when I figured it out applying the eye liner was super easy. You can build up the line for a night look or go for a more natural look during the day. The only thing I would say is that make sure you don't give your eyes a rub when wearing this because you WILL have panda eyes!

Have you tried any of these products? 

What is your opinion on them?