Eyebrows/HD Brows review.

Hello lovelies!

Apologies again for my short hiatus.  It's so easy to forget how much work goes in to moving in to a new uni house, from making sure you have adequate storage to attempting to fit all your clothes into an inadequate wardrobe to building a bookcase (YES! I built a bookcase....from Ikea but even so.  My first foray into the world of flat-pack furniture was largely successful!).  Because of that blogging had to take a back seat but I am slowly getting back into routine and getting round to writing everything that I have had planned.

So!  I think women often feel that shaping their eyebrows is a daunting task that can so easily go wrong so often spend money getting them threaded/waxed etc.  Whilst I am a huge fan of threading, (and think you should have it done every once in a while!) as a student it simply isn't feasible to be throwing my pennies away like that all the time!  With this is mind I thought I would show you the 'rules' of eyebrow shaping at home.

1. To determine where your brow should start, hold a pencil or make-up brush along one side of your nose.  Where it crosses the inner corner of your brow is where it should begin.  Unfortunately my brows start a little short of that point so I just let mine start where they begin!

2. Now angle the brush across the iris which will show you where the highest point of the arch should be.

3. Finally angle it to the end of the outer corner of the eye which is where the brow should end.

4. With those angles and lengths in mind, use tweezers to pluck the stray hairs.  Don't be afraid to pluck above the brow if you need to but be careful!  Once this is done fill in the brows using light, feathery strokes as if you were drawing individual hairs.  I have used the HD Brows kit that I received in my first glossy box, see here.

As you can see in the pre-filled photos, my eyebrows are VERY fair compared to my hair colour and also very thin.  Because of that I ALWAYS fill in my brows and I think it is a really important step in the daily make up regime.  It works wonders to lift your face and complete your eye make up.

As for the HD Brows kit, I'm a fan.  I had been using a Benefit gel eyebrow kit and hadn't used powder before. I'VE BEEN MISSING OUT.  The powder is so much more subtle and natural looking.  I have done them quite lightly in these photos because it was day time, using the second darkest shade.

I'm afraid that the crack in my set has gotten worse and just crumbled on my way to uni:

Disappointing but as I said, that particular colour isn't the right shade for my brows so I'm not too upset!

Today is a chores day, slowly getting my life in order!  Here's what I'm wearing:

Dress: Topshop

Belt: River Island

Cardigan: Topshop (old!)

Please ignore my horrendously clashing nails!  They will be getting a different lick of paint before the day is through!

Hope everyone is well,

...me again!

Hello all!
So, on Monday I moved back up to university into a new house with 5 other girls (EXCITING!) hence why I have been quiet over the last few days!  There is so much unpacking to do and I have an inordinate/embarrassing amount of cosmetics/beauty products/clothes/general crap that I probably don't need!  So, considering how busy I've been, I've not had a whole lot of time to post.  With that in mind, I thought I'd give you a snippet of my room and the general mess I'm living in!

As you can see, it's all very much a work in progress but it's exciting to be able to put your stamp on a room and do something different and new.
My wardrobe is absolutely STUFFED.  It's a struggle to get anything in/out of there.  Just done a huge clear out but I think I'll have to do another...


The only other thing I have been up to is a cheeky bit of baking for my friend Sam's birthday.  I donned my Cath Kidston apron and whipped up some red velvet cupcakes.

Ingredients

60g butter at room temperature

1 egg

150g caster sugar

10g cocoa

10ml red food colouring

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

120ml buttermilk

150g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

Frosting

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g butter at room temperature

125g cream cheese, chilled

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Cream the butter, egg and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl mix the cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla extract. Once mixed add to the creamed mixture.

4. Mix carefully until combined and then add half the buttermilk, mix further and add half the flour and the baking powder. Mix thoroughly before adding the remainder of the buttermilk and flour and mixing further.

5. Add the white wine vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix thoroughly for at least 5 mins.

6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until the cupcakes spring back slightly when touched.

7. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

8. In the meantime, to make the frosting cream the icing sugar and butter together until well mixed.

9. Add the cream cheese and mix until it is incorporated. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy for at least 5 mins.

10. Use a spatula to layer the frosting on top of the cupcakes.

EAT! and show off to your friends.  The red colour of the sponge always surprises people and they taste great.

More from me soon, sorry again for my mini hiatus!  I am attempting to build an ikea bookcase today... wish me luck!

A snippet of London

I'm back from the most fabulous mini trip to London!  Very tired today but it was worth it.  I kept falling asleep on the train home and waking up to a man watching me. Alarming. But THAT is how tired I am!
I started the day at Paddington, ready to peruse Topshop on Oxford Street (and embarrassingly head to toe in recent Topshop purchases...!)

Dress: Topshop
Cardigan: Topshop
Bag: Topshop
Hat: New Look
Bracelet: Thomas Sabo
Belt: River Island
Lipstick: Topshop in Rumour Has It


This dress is so wearable and comfy but must admit it doesn't cope well with the gusts of wind in the London underground!  I was accidentally giving a bit of an eyeful to passers by all morning, as well as trying to keep hold of my hat!


I walked up and down Oxford street from 11 until 4, soaking up the buzz of fashion week and getting my fill of the high street.  Later, my friend Annabel and I headed to Borough market and found a delightful little tea room in which to indulge in MACARONS! (a personal fave!)

Just look at the size of those meringues! And here are the macarons themselves, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.

They really were beautiful, and not just to look at!

In the evening, we headed to Clapham for a night on the tiles and we had SUCH a great time.  I wore a black and white polka dot dress (didn't get a pic I'm afraid!) to match my polka dot nails and did my hair and make up like this:

Foundation: Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NC25

Concealer: Benefit Erase Paste in no. 2 Medium

Bronzer: Mac in Refined Golden

Blusher: Topshop in Flushed

Lipstick: Topshop in Pillow Talk

Eyebrows: Benefit Brow-zing!

Mascara: DiorShow Extase

Eyelashes: Eylure Naturalites

I curled my hair using GHDs.

I'm gutted a didnt get a good photo of this dress because I am head over heels for it!  I also have it in a plain Oxblood colour (yes, I know! More Oxblood!) and it really is the most wonderfully flattering shape.  I paired it with black opaques and patent platform heels.

Hope you girls have had a lovely weekend too!

Cath Kidston Inspired Nails... Part Two?!

Hello Lovelies!


So, yesterday I did a Cath Kidston nails tutorial and couldn't believe the response it got!  I've always been a huge fan so it really was great that fellow Kidston lovers appreciated my sloppy nail painting!
For my London trip I decided to paint my nails in a big AW trend, polka dots...

Navy and white are always a winning combination.  I used Nails Inc in Kabaret and the Andrea Fullerton Nail Art pen in Kathleen.  What I love about this look is how lovely it looks against any outfit.  They really stand out without looking brash or tacky.

Whilst uploading these photos I also noticed something else.... Navy and white polka dot is remarkably similar to another Cath Kidston print! Oops... obsessed much? I think so.

What's your favourite print?  Any nail art requests?

Have a lovely weekend!

September's GlossyBox!

Today was a bit like Christmas.  A little pink box with mysterious interior but very promising packaging appeared in my post box.  My very first GlossyBox had finally arrived!  Given that I ordered it 4 weeks ago I was beginning to get a little impatient/concerned about its whereabouts but I the excitement of seeing it sitting there just about made up for it!

For those of you who don't know, the premise of GlossyBox is that you pay a fixed price of £10 a month to receive a box filled with some of their favourite products.  The box is beautifully prepared with black paper and pink ribbons hiding the booty underneath!

The idea behind this month's box is to take popular products from across the world that are unusual or have something different to offer and bring them to the UK.

Here's what was inside and what GlossyBox has to say about them:

"1/ Dead Sea Spa Magik - Salt Brushing

Voted 'Best Exfoliator' by You Magazine.  A harmonious blend of pure Dead Sea Salts, vitamin E and coconut oil, with hypnotic citrus aroma, make this a wonderfully pampering body exfoliator.

2/ Green People - Fruitful Nights

Night treat for face and neck.  this 'magic' night cream smoothes fine lines and improves pigmentation marks.  Using pineapple and wild berry extracts, dead skin cells are lifted away revealing younger skin.

3/ HD Brows - Eye&Brow Palette

Eyebrow experts HD Brows have developed this fantastic multi-use eye palette containing four matte ete-brow colours.  They double up as eye shadow and eyeliner as well as lasting 24 hours!

4/ Neal and Wolf - GLOW Super Shine Spray

GLOW is a weightless spray that adds deep, lasting shine.  Its unique formula also helps to smooth hair, control friz and reduce static.  The result?  Incredible all-over shine that leaves hair glowing!

5/ Plum by Mary Greenwell - Eau de Parfum

Plum is the signature fragrance by world-renowned celebrity makeup artist Mary Greenwell.  A stunning classic chypre with a memorable modern twist."

So!  All sounds very promising.  I'm planning on having a nice relaxing bath tonight (I did Body Pump at the gym last night and OW OW OW today!) so will use the salt scrub then and that shine spray will come in handy tomorrow for my trip to London.  Same goes for the HD brows.

One little complaint.... My HD brows set was broken when I opened it...

Very disappointing but I suppose it cant be helped, no ones fault.

Overall, I love the surprise element of Glossy Box!  If you want to learn more, click here to go to their website.

I'm off to London tomorrow so may not post for a few days but I will have more for you on my return!

Until then lovelies,

Olivia Palermo at NYFW

When this photo of Olivia Palermo looking stunning at the Tibi Spring 2012 show at New York Fashion Week popped up on my screen I was firstly jealous of those legs (wow!) and that glossy hair (swoon) but also loving how she always manages to mix basic separates and create such glamour.
If you're anything like me, you'll want to emulate this for your next night out on the town or dinner date but Tibi is WELL out of my price range!
With this in mind, hit the high street!

These leather Oasis beauties are pricey but well worth investing it.  Leather is key for the next few seasons and this lovely Taupe shade will match your winter jewel tones and your summer pastels.  If you dont already own a pussy bow blouse, you must!  It will be one of the hardest working items you own.  Dressed up or dressed down, always chic.   These Misguided heels are a dead ringer for Olivia's Charlotte Olympia Pumps at a tenth of the price and with Leopard set to be huge, they will take you straight through the party season.

I love this look and I love Olivia.

What do you think? Can this woman do any wrong?!

Loveee

Cath Kidston Inspired Nails

Since I love my Models Own polish in Grace Green so much, I couldn't resist using it in a tutorial!  As a baking enthusiast my kitchen is litered with Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston, including a lovely green apron that my friend Sam gave me for my 21st!  Using this as inspiration I created these lovelies and I cant stop looking at them as I type away...

The good news is, it's so much easier than it looks!


Here's what you'll need:

A base coat and a top coat: I'm using Nails Inc Kensington Basecoat Caviar and Albert Bridge Topcoat.

A base colour: I have used Models Own in Grace Green but this looks just as good with pastel blues or pinks.

A light pink shade for the roses: I've used Barry M Nail Paint in Bright Pink

A darker pink shade for the petals: I've used Topshop Nails in Paint It On

A green shade for the leaves: I've used Topshop Nails in Beyond the Sea

A blue shade for the small flowers: I've used Models Own in Feeling Blue

If you have a white nail polish, you can easily use this but I have used the Andrea Fullerton Stripe and Sparkle pen in Kathleen:

You will also need a kirby grip, opened out:

This is what you will use, dipped into the polishes to create your design!

Start by putting on your base coat and your chosen background colour:

Next, take your white nail pen (or using the kirby grip) draw two stripes along 2 of your nails and cloud shapes on the other three.  Put polka dots along the outside of each shape.

Dip the kirby grip into the lighter pink shade.  Draw large rose shapes onto the clouds and put dots along the stripes.

Next, take the dark pink and put lines inside the large rose shapes to resemble petals.  On the lines, add more dots.

Finally, use the dark green to add leaves to the roses and put more dots along the stripes, slightly on the outside to make them more like leaves.  Use the blue polish to add more flowers to the stripe.

Finish with a glossy topcoat, making sure you leave enough time for it all to dry.

And there it is. A Cath Kidston style manicure.

What do you think?  Will you be giving this a go?

Smoky Green

The beauty world is abuzz with vintage and khaki greens at the minute and I couldn't be happier!  Since I have hazel eyes (and maybe because of my Irish blood!) I have always loved green, and green loves my complexion!

So here's what I picked up on a recent trip to Boots:

Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow palette in Steel Impressions and Models Own nail polish in Grace Green

Revlon Colorstay palettes are a firm favourite among beauty journos and bloggers alike but this is the first I have ever bought!  So far, I'm impressed. Here's what I did,

1/ Sweep the pale white shade all over the lid and right up to the brow.Don't be afraid to really press the shadow onto your lids.  I don't like my base to be too white as I think it can make me look a little washed out but if it suits you, layer it on!


2/  Load your brush with the silver shade and press it onto the outer edge of your eye and along the socket line.  Place a little under your lower lash line to give a nice smoky look.


3/ layer your brush with green shadow and apply from the middle of your eyelid, into the crease and also underneath your lower lash line.
Use the black shadow like a liner on your lash line and in the outer corner of your eye. Finish with lashings of mascara (as ever!).

And there it is!

I like these shadows in terms of quality and wearability but I was a little disappointed that the green wasnt a little stronger or more vivid.  I think next time I will skip the silver and focus on the green instead. I will let you know how I get on!

Since it is no longer summer, the tropical blue shades that I have been so keen on over the past few months are feeling a little out of place with my autumn wardrobe...  Cue, Grace Green!

Just two coats, (I couldnt find my top coat so haven't applied that yet), and it's already lovely and glossy.  I really like this shade.  It's fun but sophisticated and will look great paired with my topshop Rumour Has It, lippie! (see the post below!)

Are you loving green this season?

Review: Topshop Smoke and Mirrors Lipsticks

Whilst having my obligatory daily Topshop browse (I feel a bit like I should attend some kind of Topshop Addicts meeting!), I saw their new make up launch for Autumn, Smoke and Mirrors.  Inspired by the early seventies, the range features an eyeshadow palette, a highlighter, mascara, eye liner and lipsticks in rust, pink and smoky greys which capture the glossy 70s vibe.  I fell in love with the light pink "Pillow Talk" as soon as I saw it but it was sold out online.  Luckily a few days ago I wandered in to the Nottingham branch and there it was, next to the Adele inspired "Rumour has it" and I had to have both!

Here's what Topshop has to say about the lipsticks:

"Velvet finish lipstick to smooth, moisturise and nourish lips. Apply for fabulous colour and moisturised, matte finish, wear alone or with gloss for a shiny finish"

The first thing I noticed when applying was the gorgeous vanilla scent, closely followed by how creamy and moisturising they were.  The coverage is good, as is the level of pigmentation.  I'm not sure I'd call it a matte finish but I prefer a shine so I'm happy!  Over all, I LOVE THEM.

Despite thinking that I would prefer the pinky shade of Pillow Talk, I think I prefer Rumour Has It.  It's nothing like any other lipstick I've used before and it really compliments my skin tone.  It's going to look great with the AW 40s vibe as an alternative to red lips.

I've read quite a few reviews from bloggers complaining about the price and the variations in packaging when Topshop bring out limited editions etc but I think what we all have to remember is that Topshop is primarily a fashion brand.  You pay to have on trend colours and packaging which reflects their 70s theme and I think it's all the more exciting to have a nicely packaged treat every once in a while!

What do you think? Do you rate Topshop make up and how do you feel about limited editions?

Until next time,

New Loves...

Hello all!
Today I journeyed up the motorway to uni to see my new house!  It's so strange looking at an empty building and imagining yourself there but I can't wait to move in!  I also managed to do a bit of shopping and picked up the two new limited edition Topshop lipsticks! Gorgeous shades, more on them later!
I've been spending my pennies on some new beauty buys these past few weeks.  You know when you buy something and every time you use it you are (embarrassingly!) grateful for having bought it? THESE give me that feeling!

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Sex Bomb Massive Mousse

Lee Stafford Argan Oil from MoRocco

Vera Wang Princess

&

Nails Inc in Picadilly Circus

These beauties are sitting in pride of place on my dresser since I CAN'T stop using them!

1. Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Sex Bomb Massive Mousse
The tag line of this product is "The bigger the hair, the smaller the hips"!  And boy does it deliver!  I have quite thin hair (but a lot of it) and struggle to keep it as big and bouncy as I'd like.  This mousse is a revelation.  I scrunch a plum sized amount into damp hair and use TRESemme Medium Ceramic Hot Curl brush to blow dry and voila! Voluminous hair that isn't sticky, static or dry and crunchy.  It smells great.  In fact, I could smell it every time I moved my head for the rest of the day! A big thumbs up from me.

2. Lee Stafford Argan Oil from MoRocco
Argan Oil has been the buzz of the beauty world for the past few months as it is full of Vitamin E and other lovely things to keep hair looking great.  Lee Stafford's offering is a purse friendly way to experience these benefits and it smells great!  Used like a serum, simply apply to damp or dry hair and style as usual.  With this product, a little goes a long way and although a small bottle I'm sure it will last a long time.  It left my hair soft, shiny and manageable and kept frizz to a minimum.

3. Vera Wang Princess
This fragrance has been around for a few years now.  Although it isnt for everyone, I myself love sweet fragrances and have always liked this whenever I had a cheeky sniff in store.   I saw it on offer at work last week and with the discounted price, could resist no more!  The fruity floral scent is laced with vanilla making it sweet but not overwhelming.  The bottle is a little bit 'Disney Princess' but I'm still young and let's face it, we all think we are princesses at heart!

4. Nails Inc Polish in Picadilly Circus
I'm sure you'll all be quite sick of this colour after a few weeks of reading my blog but aaah, I just love it!  Nails Inc being another favourite brand of mine this classy polish ticks every box.  Great coverage, great shine, great shade.




Do any of you own these products and how have you found them?
Any tips?
I got lots of new followers this week and am very excited and looking forward to all I have to share in the next few weeks!
Until then,