Make-Up Revolution: First thoughts

There has been a lot of hype and excitement about new budget brand, Make up Revolution. I myself was dazzled by the colours of some of the products and happy to see a more affordable brand offering more daring products, usually reserved for the likes of Urban Decay, Illamasqua and Lime Crime. 
I will do a proper review of these when I get a day at home (weather has been too awful today to take photos after I got home from work), but I was very excited when I opened my package so thought I would share what I got:

Iconic 3 Palette: £4
Like all beauty fans I have been lusting after the Naked 3 palette, but £37?? I don't think so. People were saying this is a dupe (though I don't think these are as rosy-toned) and I'm looking forward to giving it a go

Individual eyeshadows: £1
These are ridiculously bright! Can't wait to try these when I've hit the fake tan.

Velvet Lip Lacquer: £3
These have been compared to Lime Crime's Velvetines. I quickly slapped some on to try, but not owning any Velvetines I can't really comment on whether they are comparable. However this is a highly pigmented, super bright candy pink with serious staying power (I had trouble removing it!)

Blue lipstick: £1

This is the product I was excited about. Rihanna had worn a similar lipstick last year but it was so unique and crazy that I thought only high end brands would do something similar. I didn't want to shell out a lot of money on something I probably won't wear too much so was happy that they've done a similar shade. I've seen some people have issues with it applying streakily but when I gave it a quick try it didn't seem too bad, though I'd recommend a light foundation layer to make the colour pop even more

Here's a brief swatch of the two lip products, I will post some decent photos when we have another brighter day

So this little bundle cost me a whole..£10! I'm looking forward to trying these properly and it wouldn't surprise me if I made another order soon

What's in my basket...Boohoo S/S 14

The glimpse of sunshine we've recently had has made me long for summertime to hurry up! The weather has influenced the sort of clothes that are now catching my eye, as you can probably tell my selections from Boohoo below:

Though drop waist dresses remind me somewhat of the dreaded peplums, there was something about these two dresses that I really liked. The short sleeved pink dress is only £12 and also comes in lime and navy; I'm quite tempted to get all three colours! It's a bit longer at the back which I appreciate, as you know there's no risk of an unsightly bum flash.
The red long sleeve drop waist dress is £18, still really reasonable, and comes in black and navy as well. I love that lots of websites now provide a video of the garment being worn, as you get a much better idea of the movement and how the fabric looks on. With Boohoo the fabric can be hit and miss, and I was concerned this dress would be that horrible thin jersey material that clings. But in the video it looked really flattering so I'm definitely considering it.
The floral slip dress (£20) is a bit 'sexier' than something I'd usually go for, but I think it has potential to be 'grunged' up with boots and an oversized denim jacket.
Finally, the lime and metallic shoes (£30)- I think these are incredible! I'm still trying to think of something in my wardrobe that I could wear these with to justify purchasing, but I'm struggling. They also come in white; maybe that would be a more sensible choice?

NOTD: nude half moon mani using Barry M Nail art Pen

I have something of a split personality when it comes to nails. I veer between the completely crazy to the more refined and classic. A friend at work had recently had a gorgeous, chic half moon mani that I wanted to recreate myself. I don't have the steadiest of hands (something of an impediment when you are a big nail art fan), so I thought it would be a perfect time to try my new Barry M Nail art pen

I needed a new black nail art pen and the design of this looked so much easier than conventional nail art pens- it's just like a felt tip.

So the idea is, you pump down on the nib a couple of times to get the ink flowing and voila! Nail art is a hell of a lot easier! It is literally like drawing on your nails with a felt tip (FYI- I have heard Sharpies can be used for nail art, something I'm yet to try out...) I always found conventional nail art pens to be difficult; if you used the nib, it would sometimes scratch your polish and would eventually clog up, not to mention the cramp you get in your hand from squeezing the tube bloody tight to get the polish to come out!  But this was so easy to use, you can tell by the crisp lines I managed to get doing my half-moons 

My only issues with this is that I think it is meant more for drawing lines and shapes rather than block areas; it did crack slightly when used to 'colour' in a large area. But it's hardly noticeable, as in the photo below you can barely see it. Also, you have to make sure your polish is dry before drawing otherwise it can dent a bit. Still, this is definitely my new favourite nail art tool, just wish they did more colours!

What's in my basket....New Look

I think New Look is a brand that girls of my age have a sentimental fondness for. It was one of the first stores where I would spend my pocket money on buying my own clothes, from the 915 range. At one point I don't think the brand had the best reputation, but the last few years it has gone from strength to strength, managing to keep up with the trends and remain affordable. Here's my pick of recent pieces (links below)

Coral Boyfriend coat: £34.99 
Gingham top: £12.99
Cream check A-line mini: £17.99
Floral Midi skirt: £19.99
Black rucksack (also available in a beautiful taupe): £17.99



Do you ever shop at New Look?

Models Own Haul inc. Hyper Gel swatches

I've been keeping my eye on the Models Own Facebook page for weeks now,waiting for the elusive 50% off code to drop when they reached 250,000 likes. And it finally happened! I was so happy as some of my favourite Models Own polishes needed replacing, and I wanted to try a couple of the Hyper Gels too. Here's what I got...
All swatches are 2 coats

(top L-R: Hedonist, Beach Party, Ibiza Mix, Sophie's Pink, Red-Black
Bottom L-R: Hypergels White Light, Pink Veneer, Cornflower Gleam, and Scented Blueberry Muffin)

My Hed Kandi collection polishes (Hedonist, Beach Party, Ibiza Mix) had gone thick and gloopy but they're some of my favourites so I wanted to replace them.
Hedonist (left) is a neon red and Beach Party neon orange. They have somewhat of a matte finish and look really good with a tan (which I'm lacking at the moment)

Ibiza Mix is my all time favourite glitter. Below is 2 coats; you can see how good the coverage is. It looks great over so many colours. 

I've always seen Sophie's Pink on the website and been tempted, so when the 50% off deal came around I thought I might as well. It's not as bold as the swatch looked on the website which I'm a bit annoyed about.

Left- Sophie's Pink on the website. Right- Swatch

Img- nailpolishdirect.co.uk

Red Black actually seems more purple-black than anything, which I was a bit disappointed with as I was hoping for more of a 'Chanel Rouge Noir' colour. It was really hard to photograph too, so in the photo below it just looks black.

I didn't indulge in the scented collection when it was first released, as I thought it was more gimmicky than innovative. But I love a blue polish so went for Blueberry Muffin. This applied really well and wasn't streaky which surprised me. Looking ahead to summer I kind of wish I'd got the whole scented collection as I do love the pastel colours.

And finally...the Hypergel polishes. Part of me wanted them all but I restricted myself to three. 

I always find white polishes a chore, as it's so hard to find one that's not streaky and gives solid opaque coverage. The Hypergel shade 'White Light' is completely opaque in two thin coats. 

In hindsight, I didn't really need Cornflower Gleam, as on inspection it is nearly identical to Barry M's Gelly Polish in 'Blueberry'. I'm a sucker for a blue polish though.

Below is a comparison between the two, Models Own 'Cornflower Gleam' on the left and Barry M's 'Blueberry' on the right. The formulas are also really similar, in that they are quite sheer and require a few coats for full coverage. I was hoping this wouldn't be the case with the Models Own one, as that's part of the reason I don't use the Barry M one as much. You can see how much shinier the Model's Own polish is though.

Pink Veneer is a pretty cool toned baby pink which I didn't think would look right against my skin tone (a lot of pink polishes just don't look right on me) but I really like it on. It applies well and non-streakily which is a bonus in such a pale colour.

Recent wardrobe additions featuring Mulberry Alexa 'dupe'

My mum's had a Matalan card for as long as I can remember, but I do find it to be so hit and miss. Think it's because in my mind I view it as a shop like Primark, but it's a bit more expensive and sometimes the quality can let it down. However, I went in recently and was very pleasantly surprised and picked up the following bits:

Daisy print wrap dress: £16 I love the style of this dress (wrap dresses are so flattering), and though the print is a bit summer 2013, I always like a good daisy print. The quality of this is good, it fits nicely and it's not ridiculously short. I'm looking forward to wearing this in summer with red lipstick and hair in victory rolls for a 40s vibe
Alexa style satchel: £15   

This picture doesn't actually do this bag justice. I LOVE IT. It is such a good size, it looks a lot more expensive than it is and will fill the Alexa shaped gap in my wardrobe whilst I save for the real deal

Scalloped Hem Shorts : £7 These were in the sale for £7 which I thought was great, again as the quality is a lot better than I expected. I was also delighted to find a pair of shorts that don't show off half your arse cheek, as I am seriously finding it difficult to find any shorts on the high street that are not hot pants or 'knicker' shorts. It winds me right up!

Save my Skin! Ft. Una Brennan Superfacialist,Soap& Glory and Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser

Recently my skin has not been behaving itself. As someone who has had pretty ok skin for the majority of their teenhood, to suddenly reach mid-20s and have skin issues seems a cruel twist of fate. The problem is mainly focused around the chin and lower half of my face, where there are lots and lots of tiny under the skin bumps that sometimes mutate into larger painful blemishes. The blackheads on my nose have also been getting worse, and my pores seem to be growing larger by the day, with some of them becoming blocked. Sorry if that was too much info!

I've read that imperfections around chin are to do with hormones, but nothing in that department has really changed; I'm on the same pill I've been on for years. I think the excesses of Christmas and all the alcohol and naughty food has really had an affect

So all in all I've not been too happy, and have been trying a number of things to clear my complexion. I think my efforts have in some part actually contributed to my problems, as I started buying products targeted for blemish prone, oily skin, which is not really my skin type. So as well as having blemishes, I started to get random dry patches too. Nightmare!

After doing a bit of reading around, I kept hearing really good things about Una Brennan's Superfacialist range and chose two products.

Superfacialist Rose Miracle Facial Oil- £14.99

After reading on Crunchy Betty's blog all about the oil cleansing method, I knew I wanted to incorporate oil into my routine, but wasn't really up for the faff of sourcing organic oils and making my own blend. Lazy.

The bottle is a tiny 30ml and as you can see I'm starting to get through it (I've had it around 4 weeks). At £14.99, it's neither cheap nor completely unreasonable, though I do wonder why its more expensive than some of the other oils in Una's range; the Vitamin c facial oil is £10.99 for a generous 200ml. Luckily I purchased when it was on offer for about a third off.

I have to say, though I usually enjoy rose scents in bath and beauty products, I'm not overly keen on the scent; though not overpowering, it does have a more medicinal/ herbal edge to it than the typical rose scented product. After 4 weeks of use the dry patches that had developed from over stripping my skin with harsher cleansers have been soothed and my skin is feeling comfortable and hydrated despite the colder weather and central heating.

Superfacialist Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask-£8.99

I'm still undecided on this face mask. I try to use it at least once a week and its ok... it's a typical clay type mask that dries after 5-10 minutes and leaves skin feeling thoroughly cleansed and soft. My chin area has cleared up slightly, but my pores and blackheads are still getting me down and I was hoping for a more drastic improvement to my blemishes. I will make a concerted effort to stop being slack with my regime and try to use it 2-3 times a week to get a better idea of it.

Superdrug 'Naturally Radiant' Hot Cloth Cleanser

img from Superdrug.com

After reading some reviews, I've also purchased Superdrug's version of a hot cloth cleanser. They do 2- a 'Naturally Radiant' and a 'Vitamin E' version, but I went for the Naturally Radiant as it was on offer for only £2.98. The bottle is 150ml but it seems a lot more, as the cleanser is quite thick and luxurious you only need a very small amount so I can see this lasting a long time. It takes off makeup with ease and leaves skin smooth and soft. I've never used the Liz Earle cleanser, so can't make a comparison, but for the price I purchased Superdrug's for, I'm pretty happy


Soap & Glory 'Clear Here' Moisturiser

To finish up my regime I purchased this moisturiser, mainly being drawn in by the blue box at the top- "Tired of clogged pores, shine, spots and blotches?". These were all the problems I am having so I thought this would be perfect. However, I've now used up the entire tube and have to say I've seen no improvement whatsoever. It also felt slightly sticky on the skin and not moisturising enough for my personal preference, maybe because it is aimed at oily skin, which mine isn't really. I also saw no improvement to my pores or spots, so all in all this has been the least successful product out of the bunch. I'm wondering if it is now discontinued, as I couldn't find it on the Boots website.

Saving money on online shopping

Since I finished working at Top Man and stopped spending the majority of my time in a shopping centre, physical shopping trips (i.e. actually venturing out of the house to shop) have dramatically decreased. This doesn't mean I've stopped shopping, but rather I tend to do it all online nowadays, particularly as my favourite retailer at the moment happens to be the online-only Missguided. Here are some tips for saving some money when shopping online.

1. Always search for a discount code

img: vouchercodes.co.uk

Before I part with my cash, I always do a quick google search for any discount codes. There are loads of sites that list valid codes, but my favourite is Voucher Codes. They seem to have the most up to date codes and not just widely publicised ones either; recently they listed a 30% off Motel code for at least a week before it was broadcast on Motel's website or emails, and often have random codes that have featured in magazines that you may otherwise miss.

2. Social Media is your friend

img: www.graphicsfuel.com

No brand neglects the power of social media, so I wold recommend following your favourite retailers on twitter, nstagram and Facebook. As well as getting style inspiration and notified about new items on Instagram [thank you, River Island PR], retailers frequently post discount codes on a variety of social media platforms, and I've also seen some ridiculous competitions on offer too.

(FYI: If your panicking about having nothing to wear at the weekend, a lot of sites, particularly Missguided, will offer free Saturday/ Next day delivery on a Friday to encourage you to buy a new outfit for the weekend)

3. Sign up to emails from Money Saving Expert

img: moneysavingexpert.com

The money saving expert site is an absolute gem. The site contains a wealth of information regarding more 'grown up' stuff such as banking, utilities, insurance and mortgages, which for those who have flown the nest and are struggling with the realities of adulthood could be extremely useful. But not only that, it has the latest restaurant, web site and clothing discount vouchers, gives tips on shopping on eBay, has info on consumer rights and far more stuff than I'd be able to capture here. It is pretty overwhelming just how much the website has on it though, so I find that signing up to the weekly email is really worth it. It ensures you get a compacted summary of the most recent and exciting stuff (most surprisingly for me, it has even been including a heads up of what the Boots Star Gift has been week by week)

4. Sign up or create accounts with your favourite retailers

Though a lot of these recommendations involve clogging up your inbox, I do believe that signing up to your favourite e-retailers newsletter's is worth it for offers and discounts that you might otherwise miss. You often get notified about sales early, so you can grab some great bargains before all the decent stuff in suitable sizes sell out. I've also found with 90% of the websites I've signed up to or have an account with will give you a birthday discount too, which is a sweet touch.

5. Look for cheaper alternatives

Though there will always be a place in my heart for Top Shop, without my staff discount it is a wee bit expensive to regularly splash out on. But I do find with the most popular trends you can almost always find a cheaper alternative. Prime example: the pastel cropped fluffy jumpers I was coveting but never got around to buying (fool...)- between £35-£45 at Topshop, £20 at Missguided. Why pay more?

Bits and bobs

When I picked up the OPI dupes from Primark (see this post) I also treated myself to a few other bits and pieces

4x Primark Nail polishes, £2: probably didn't really need these, but I thought the purple was a really interesting colour that I don't have in my collection, and the true orange on the end is also one missing from my stash.

All the colours were really bright and opaque in 2 coats...perfect summer nails.


2x Barry M Gelly Nails, 2 for £6 in Superdrug: Though these have been around a little while, none of the previous colours appealed to me at all. So it was only with the new releases that I decided to invest in a couple. I've seen the turquoise (Green berry) on a few blogs and loved it, and I always love a good neutral shade (Lychee).

Frilly socks, £1.50, and scrunchies, £1: a 90s revival at Primark! I have exactly the same socks from Top Shop, which cost £3.50 (booo!) so I picked up two black pairs in Primark. They also had white ones and grey with cream lace, which I'm regretting not buying now... Not sure if the scrunchies will be a bit too hipster for me, but as they were only a pound for three won't be the end of the world if they don't get worn.

Primark OPI Minnie Mouse dupes

Picked up a few bits from Primark the other day but thought these deserved a post. I saw this four pack of nail polish and thought no, I really don't need any more polish. But then, I couldn't remember the last time I bought a new one so I just went for it! Especially when I took a closer look and the colours and realised 'OMG OPI Minnie Mouse dupes!'

Primark vs OPI (OPI picture from shefindsit.com )

Obviously for £2 they're not gonna be on par with OPI, but after swatching them I was quite impressed.

From left to right:

Polish One: This was a deep pink polish with a shimmer to it. I don't usually go for shimmer or pearl finish polishes, preferring opaque block colours, but because of the hot pink colour I think this would look great on some talon-like nails. It did take three coats for full coverage but the drying time was surprisingly quick

Polish Two: This was the worst out of the bunch. It had barely any colour, a mere hint of golden-pink shimmer, and was very difficult to pick up any of the hearts with the polish brush as they just kept sinking through the polish. Though I think the golden shimmer could look nice layered up over one of the other polishes. I've heard various complaints about the real OPI one too with regard to getting the hearts out, so maybe this isn't just Primark's fault but a general problem with larger glitter shapes.

Polish Three: Loved this one- a bright almost neon pinky-red. Again this went on quite sheer, but once three coats were layered up it was a lovely bright pink, again one that'd look great on some serious nails (and with a tan)

Polish Four: I've been after a baby pink polish for a while, but could never find one that was quite right (as in opaque, pink but not pastel and girly, one that packed a punch). I loved this one from the four, as it was more opaque in colour, only needing two coats and was the perfect shade of pink. 

So out of the four, two I loved, one I was surprised I liked and one was a du. For £2, I don't think that's bad at all! :)