Beauty buys & smokey eyes

Here's what I've been up to for the past week or two.

#1 I went into Superdrug for one thing… I’ve seen this got2b styling powder everywhere so finally decided to give it a try. It does create volume that lasts for a while but it feels a bit sticky for my liking. The Superdrug’s own vitamin E body scrub is amazing - really big thick beads that feel like a massage when you rub them in, and I can’t quite put my finger on the smell but I can’t get enough of it. Decided it was time to look less like a ghost for the summer (fingers crossed there’s going to be one). I don’t get the attraction of smelling like food but I can’t find a better tan than the cocoa butter one, it always turns out perfectly even and doesn’t go patchy after a few days / showers. I treat this more like a self tan than a gradual tanner though, definitely wouldn’t use it every day. Needed a new liquid liner, this Collection one’s okay but no match for my usual Rimmel Exaggerate.

#2 and I couldn’t resist these new natural texture lashes from Eyelure! I bought them mainly out of curiosity as I thought they’d look either amazing or terrible. They are amazing if you like your makeup messy like I do, a little too thick for me though so I’m dying to try the thinner ones.

#3 I wore them to two of my friends’ joint birthday a few weeks ago, along with a new leather-look skater dress I’m obsessed with.

#4 On Wednesday I went to a Mexican themed party for my friend’s fiancé’s birthday- tequila is my favourite drink ever so I was in heaven. Had so much fun trying on various moustaches, playing battle shots and we even had a piñata!! No photos though unfortunately as I charged my camera but forgot my memory card :( 

#5 I bought the dark red carnations to wear in my hair to the party, when I put the rest in a vase I realised I’d forgotten how happy fresh flowers make me! Couldn’t resist the bright yellow ones when I saw them.

#6 This is Chanel Illusion d’Ombré in Mirifique, it’s a granite grey cream eyeshadow that you can build up to be almost black, and it’s very very sparkly. I’ve only ever worn it once before on New Year’s Eve but it’s so so so gorgeous.

#7 I used it to do a smokey eye look, building it up towards the lash line and blending it out across my eye lid. Mine has gone a little dry so it wasn't the easiest to work with, it took some blending but was well worth the effort.

#8 Here I am wearing it.

#9 I went to rock night \m/ with my friends and my boyfriend and his friends, plenty of drinking and dancing and it lasted all night ;)

I hope you're all well! I have deadlines and exams coming up but I'll try and post whenever I can.

Much love

Sophie xxx

A few beauty buys and Max Factor Colour Elixer review!

So, it's meant to be Mani Monday right? Right. However, I've done quite a few polish reviews and all things nails lately so I thought I would share you some of my latest beauty buys and give you a little review to read. You'll forgive me, i'm sure. 

It's actually been quite a while since I purchased anything hair and make up wise so I thought i'd treat myself whilst on my break at work on Saturday and this is what I ended up with: 

From left to right/ top to bottom

Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless Foundation: I've currently been wearing, either, a beauty balm or Body Shop Virgin Liquid Mineral foundation but i've been feeling a little run down lately so my skin is being a pain. I had a free sample of this in a magazine quite a few months ago and used it all up pretty much straight away, it's just so good. I'll do a proper review of this in weeks to come, but basically it's a 3 in 1 foundation (a primer, concealer and a foundation) so it's covers EVERYTHING. Superdrug/ £11.99

Collection Supersize Fat Lash Mascara: I've fallen out of love with my previous mascara and I needed a quick, cheap fix before I did proper research for a new one. This was the result. I've no idea how this is going to turn out so proper review soon! Boots/ £2.99

Lee Stafford Sunkissed Lightening Spray:  I love ombre, I really do, but i've been terrified of actually doing it myself with those box kits because I just don't think the whole blonde block of colour will do much for my ginger hair. I came across this a couple of weeks ago and I thought I would give it a go. It's a spray that permanantly lightens your hair GRADUALLY. Which means I have a lot of control about how much I stick in it/ how light it will go. I'm so excited to start using this so expect my full length review as soon as possible. Boots/ £7.99 

Batiste Dry Shampoo/ Vibrant & Red: Bit of an impulse buy. I am not Batiste's number one fan in the slightest, I would actually go as far as to say I don't like it at all. BUT, the dry shampoo I was using was leaving white residue everywhere and, quite frankly, the grey hair look isn't pretty. I picked this up right at the till because I wanted to see if the hint of red would solve my problem. We'll see. Superdrug/ £1.99 

Collection Lasting Perfect Concealer: I've heard so many good things about this product, I just had to buy it. This is for when I don't want to wear foundation and I just want a cover up. Can't wait to try! Superdrug/ £3.69

Max Factor Colour Elixer Giant Lip Pencil in Passionate Red:

 There isn't much information on this product anywhere, so I was intrigued when I got one of these free when I spent over £10 on other Max Factor products at Superdrug (my foundation was £11.99) 

There are 6 shades in this collection, including this one Passionate Red. The others are Blossom, Hot Chocolate, Princess Rose, Subtle Coral and Vibrant Pink, and they're £6.99 each. It is described as 'a chunky pencil with a precision sculpted tip for defined application and an intense slick of glossy colour', however as you may see from the photo above, it's not really a 'scultped tip' but more of a chubby one. 

I'm not overally sure on this product, it just lacks quite a lot of finesse which is a shame really. First of all, it's not very pigmented as I needed about 2-3 coats before it covered my whole lip evenly. Secondly, it has no lasting power at all, I don't even know how to describe this, you've only got to touch it and half it comes off. I did a 4 hour shift on Sunday and it hardly lasted an hour. Thirdly, it has that weird, gritty feeling that most of Max Factor lip products have (well, from what i've tried) and so it doesn't feel that nice. And lastly, I still don't know what it's trying to achieve! Is it a gloss, a lipstick, or a balm? It goes on like a standard lipstick would but it has the texture of a too-sticky gloss. Hm. Not Impressed. 

The only thing I like about this product is the deep cherry colour, which is the only reason I would wish to continue using it. However, I wouldn't pay £6.99 for it so i'm glad I had the chance to use this for free. 

Left- Just applied. Right- After ONE SIP of water.

I would love to know if any of you have used this product too, and how you felt about it!

XXX

MUA Nails & Fur Effects!

Afternoon guys, it's Jenn here (: 

Firstly, I hope you all had an absolutely lovely Easter bank holiday! Unfortunately, I was at work all day Friday, Saturday and Monday so I couldn't enjoy it as much as I would of liked. However, I did get the Sunday to scoff my face, spend some quality time with my parents and bake my heart out. 

L-R Top to Bottom- chocolate hamper from my mum and dad, my hot cross muffins, my chocolate and oreo brownies, and my sweet gift bags from Rosie and Maisy!

 Right, on with the show! I have some spare time this morning/ afternoon so I thought I'd review these two little products from MUA. The first is a new shade of nail varnish called Natural Days. I actually bought this because I thought it would be a perfect pairing with the Fluffy Puff Fur Effects, which is the second product i'm reviewing! 

 Quite a straightforward review here. 

 Pro's

• A lovely, on trend, ice cream shade of pink.
• Highly pigmented. I applied two coats but it really didn't need it at all. 
• Fast drying. 
• Hard to chip. I've done loads of house work today and my nails can't usually take it but it's all still on.
• £1!  

Con's

• The brush appears to be made out of plastic, and the bristles don't create a very nice feeling on the nail. 
• Because of the above, makes quite a few track lines so you have to make extra effort to cover them. 

 

I do think this is a great varnish for the price, I actually can't believe I only paid a pound for it. I've paid much more for other varnishes that haven't been half as good as this so i'll definitely be trying the other shades (:

 

I've wanted one of these the second I knew they were being released and I visited my local Superdrug for weeks until they stocked it. It's taken me this long to review it because I worried I was going to be disappointed with it, which is the case for most products that have been hyped up. But alas, I love it! 

First of all, it's so simple to apply. MUA say to apply two coats of your nail varnish and then, either, shake some powder into the lid or take off the sifter and use it straight from the pot. I was feeling wild this morning so I chose the latter. 

I applied it to an accent nail instead of covering each and every one of my nails because I didn't want to go overboard. I'm impressed with the effect. It isn't too garish, messy and dried instantly so I didn't have to wait around for ages trying not to touch anything. 

I also fretted about what would happen when I washed up or got into the bath and shower, would it go all soggy and look absolutely revolting? It didn't, it hardly made any change to it at all actually and, again, dried instantly. 

 

 (Please ignore the state of my hands and fingers, work does bad things to them!) 

 Overall, I am very happy with both of these products and I can't to get my mits on the other shades in both collections. 

 

XXX

 

MUA Magnetic Nails- Mayfair

I adore MUA so after a shopping trip with our dearest Amber, I purchased this little varnish. I've never tried any magnetic polishes before so I was quite eager to use this and I'm so, so glad I bought it. There are 6 shades in this collection, including this one called Mayfair. there are two other 'swiggle effects' which are Regent Street and Park Lane and 3 circle effects in Picadilly Street, Kings Road and Leicester Sqaure.

I picked this dark, rich shade of blue as I don't really have many varnishes in this colour and it was a nice change from all the pale pinks and nudes at the moment. From the photo it looks quite glittery but it definitely isn't (if you wanted a glitter go for Kings Road or Picadilly Circus), it's actually quite shimmery but the magnet seems to turn it more into a glossy finish which just adds to the effect. 

To Apply: 'Just apply the magnetic glitter to your nail, and while the polish is still wet, hover the magnetic brush cap over your nail for five seconds. Be careful not to touch the polish though!' 

It was literally that easy (trying to read the super fine instructions on the back of the bottle was more difficult!) It was also quite pigmented for a super cheap varnish as well which was a nice surprise and it also didn't take years to dry so I was super impressed. 

 

I will definitely be purchasing the rest of this collection. The application process was effortless, it dried pretty much a minute after it was one, and the overall effect is lovely. Personally, I think it looks a bit like a base to a galaxy nail and I'll be playing around with this more in the future. 

So impressed and a must-buy for £3.50 from Superdrug.

You can see the rest of the varnishes here.

Pro's 

• Gorgeous, glossy finish.
• Quick drying.
• Highly pigmented.
• Good quality magnet to create the 'squiggle effect'.

 Con's (I'm being picky for this because I actually can't find a solid con)

• Slightly pricey for MUA... But it's worth it. 
• Hard to read instructions on the back. 

 XXX

Weekend Haul & Mini Reviews (:

Evening, it's Jenn (:

Just a little post about my mini shop over the past few days. I'm actually trying to save but I assure you it's not going very well. However, I got all of these products on offer or at a stupidly bargain price so I don't feel as bad about it! Here we go. 

Tesco

Top to Bottom: L'Oreal Feria Preference in Mango Copper, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, and The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. 

It pains me to say it but i'm definitely not a natural ginger (more of a mousy brown!) I've been this colour for a quite a few years now and this is the dye that I always reach for. It has a natural tone to it, and it's definitely not too harsh. I've recently seen that Schwarzkopf have bought out a new Live XXL called 'Fiery Copper' but I personally think it's WAY to bright, especially for my super pale complexion. I love Mango Copper, even when it fades I'm still very fond of it and it was £4 at tesco! I usually pay £5.79 at it at Superdrug but that's also been cut down by £1. 

The two books were a bit of an impulse buy. I read an awful lot but lately I've had a bit of a break from it as I was continuously reading classics and they were giving me a heavy head so I thought these would be a bit of a light relief. Part of a 2 for £7 offer, instead of the £7.99 each I was supposed to pay.

Poundland

Not the first place you imagine to bag yourself some beauty buys but i'm so impressed with my finds! Poundland stock a lot of the ChitChat range and also do one offs and discontinued products from famous brands. I got the Miss Sporty nail polish and eyeshadow/concealer duo in a pack, and also this Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick too. 

 Miss Sporty Be Connected liquid eyeshadow in Intrigue and concealer in Dark.

 I've never seen either of these products before but I haven't really dipped my toes into the Miss Sporty collection before. I wasn't too bothered about this product to be honest, I bought it more for the nail polish that came with it. The concealer is obviously too dark for my skin, which you can gather from the photos above, but it was very creamy when applied so i'll give it that. I was a bit put off from the look of the eyeshadow as i'm never one for pastel shades on the eyes. I was even more put off when I swatched it but then I blended it in, and to be honest it isn't too bad and i'll be giving this another chance for sure. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail polish in (what my boyfriend originally called) Brown.

Annoyingly, Miss Sporty don't print the colours of their polishes on the bottle so Brown will have to do. I love this colour, I've been looking for a rich chocolately brown colour for AGES but I didn't want to pay loads for one and I couldn't never find the right shade. You can imagine my surprise when I found this thrown carelessly into the corner of the beauty bit in Poundland and I didn't even stop to think about it. The photo isn't too brilliant, but it's goes on pretty well and it only required one coat for a even finish. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Mocha Cream.

This colour is now discontinued but i've got a thing for dark lips so I snatched this up when I saw it. The stick itself looks remarkably darker then how it actually looks when it's our your lips but i'm not going to complain, it was only a £1 afterall and it's still a lovely nude colour! Always remember to swatch when you're in the shop, just so you're not disappointed when you get home and discover it's not what you thought it was. 

Superdrug

Barry M Gelly Effects in Dragon Fruit & Textured Effects in Atlantic Road.

 Superdrug have an offer on Gelly Effects and the new Texture Effects at the moment, 2 for £6 instead of £3.99 each. Pretty much everyone I know owns a Gelly Effect nail polish so I thought I would see what the fuss is about and I really love this shade of pink. I didn't even know Barry M had released this new polish so i'll be writing a more in depth review later on this month! 

Miss Sporty Dr Balm Honey lip tint in Glam Kiss. 

I got this as Superdrug were offering a 2 for £2.99 offer on selected Miss Sporty items (the Dr Balm tints & nail polishes.) The packaging really does this justice as it was the first things my eyes were drawn to which is always a positive! The balm looks like any average lipstick actually and it smells delicious (fruity!) too which is the main reason I bought it. Glam Kiss is a really, realy sheer pink and doesn't really change my lip colour at all but it's really moisturizing and it's handy just to keep in my bag. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail polish in It's Too Latte.

I've been looking for a nude for far too long and i've always ended up buying the more pinker shades. I am really fond of this colour though, it's subtle and not too peachy. I've no idea whether this actually lasts for the 10 days it claims it does but i'll definitely give you an update. I only needed one coat and it went on pretty easily and mess free. Part of the 2 for £2.99 offer but originally £1.99.

Overall I think i've done pretty well on the spending front as I've only spent £21.99 for 4 nail polishes, eyeshadow/concealer duo, a lipstick, a lip balm, a hair colour and 2 books! 

XXX

 

Cheeky little haul

Hey guys! Sophie here, just thought I’d share with you a few bits that I’ve picked up over the past week or so.

Dangly gold and silver cross earrings - £1 each pair, Primark; 12-pack stud earrings - £2.50, Primark; Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail colour in Caramel Cupcake - £2.99, Superdrug; Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal pencil in Nude - £2.99, Superdrug; Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel - £2.99, Superdrug

I went to uni as usual last Friday and accidently came back with 4 new dresses. They’re all little black ones, and all 3 quarter or long sleeves which are perfect for the colder months. I was only going to pop into H&M just for a little browse (honest) but the following 3 dresses were on sale for £10 each – would have been rude not to!

   

Leather shoulder black shift dress - £10, H&M sale

Leather shoulder black shift dress - £10, H&M sale

Leather shoulder black shift dress - £10, H&M sale

This first one is a shift dress, meaning it hangs straight down from the shoulders. I absolutely love shift dresses as I like to pretend that it’s the 1960s. The visible silver zip at the back and leather effect patches on the shoulders give the otherwise plain style a bit of jazz – I will forever love leather and this is a flirty little nod towards it.  

I adore this next dress, it’s not what I usually go for but I’m so glad I did. Seeing it on the hanger here really doesn’t do it justice but here goes:

Black fitted dress - £10, H&M sale

Black fitted dress - £10, H&M sale

 

 

 

H&M black fitted dress - sleeve detail

 

  

It’s really low cut but balanced out beautifully by the long sleeves and the length as it falls to my lower thigh. It's very fitted, especially around the waist, but definitely isn't bodycon. I think this one’s an 8 – I’m usually a size 6000 in H&M as their clothes are always so inexcusably tiny, but I was lucky with this as it fits perfectly.

Lace shoulder shift dress - £10, H&M sale

Lace shoulder shift dress - £10, H&M sale

Another simple black shift, livened up a bit with the lace detail on the shoulders. This one hangs beautifully so it looks really elegant and pretty when worn. Ideal to throw on for an impromptu drink or two.

 

I picked up this next one thinking it was also on sale, it actually turned out to be full price (oopsie) but I really like it so I think it’s worth the £29.99 I paid.

 

Gold stud shift dress - £29.99, H&M

Gold stud shift dress - £29.99, H&M.

Another 3 quarter sleeve, high neck shift dress (are you sensing a pattern?) but this one has these pretty understated gold studs along the neckline. The reason I fell in love with this one was the back:

Gold stud shift dress - £29.99, H&M

Gold stud shift dress - £29.99, H&M

Can not wait to wear this with a messy bun to show it off!

 

Rimmel 60 seconds nail colour in Caramel Cupcake - £2.99, Superdrug; Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Nude - £2.99, Superdrug; Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel - £2.99, Superdrug.

 I also slipped on a banana peel and landed in Superdrug.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Nude - £2.99, Superdrug.

This nude eyeliner has quickly become a staple of mine: bigger, brighter, opened up eyes with no white liner in sight? Yes, yes please. 

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel - £2.99, Superdrug

 I also got this Rimmel eyebrow pencil in hazel, as I needed a new one. Really liking this so far, the colour is excellent for me and it’s soft enough to go on easily but hard enough to last. The little comb on the lid is useful too although I do prefer a spoolie!

Rimmel 60 Seconds nail colour in Caramel Cupcake - £2.99, Superdrug.

  Loving Rimmel, also got this 60 seconds nail varnish in a nude colour (Caramel Cupcake). These are my all time favourite varnishes as I usually find doing my nails a real chore, I physically can’t sit still long enough for them to dry. These are really quick drying (maybe a little over 60 seconds), really quick and easy to apply due to the big flat brush, and you can usually get full coverage in one coat. I also find that these varnishes last quite a bit longer than others without chipping. You do need to work quickly with them though: the reason they are so quick to dry is because they are formulated so thickly.

I hate having bare or messy nails, so this nude is an ideal wear-every-day, goes-with-everything shade. Here it is on:

 

And finally I’ve got a few items of jewellery to show you. They’re all from Primark and amazingly cheap, I had to pop in after Jenn told me how good their jewellery is at the moment. She wasn't wrong!

12-pack stud earrings - £2.50, Primark; Silver dangly cross earrings - £1, Primark; Gold dangly cross earrings - £1, Primark

12-pack stud earrings - £2.50, Primark

Iwill never get over the fact that these 12 beauties cost me £2.50!! I’d just like to point out that Jenn got these first and posted them on instagram, so I feel a bit cheeky putting them in my haul, hopefully she won’t mind! I think I’m most excited about the little Buddhas and hands of Fatima.

Buddha and eye studs - Primark; Rose gold effect cuff - £2, River Island

I had my second ear lobe piercings done 6 weeks ago and today I was finally able to change the studs!  I went for the Buddhas and the little eyes, are these the evil eye sumbol, I'm not sure? I'm really wanting a 3rd one now but I'm running out of ear space! I got the rose-gold coloured cuff I'm wearing here from River Island in a set of three (gold, rose gold and silver colours) for £2!

Silver dangly cross earrings - £1, Primark

Also from Primark, I got these really pretty, dainty silver cross earrings.

Gold dangly cross earrings - £1, Primark

And I don’t usually wear gold (bar my beloved Michael Kors) but for £1 a pair I indulged!

That's all for now but I'm sure I'll have some more things to show you soon enough! Have you found any good bargains recently? Let me know!

Sophie xxx