May Must Haves!

So we're a week into May already and I only have two weeks left of University, YAY! Finding time to blog with all my work is really hard. But this evening I've made time to spruce up my blog a bit by giving it a new background thanks to SHABBYBLOGS.com and adding some new buttons so you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, so go ahead follow, follow, follow!
In today's post I am going to share with you things I have bought in the last few weeks that are great bargains and must haves for everyone!

Firstly, I bought some lovely floaty tops from H&M for £7.99 each. I loved the style of the tops so much I bought 3. One in white, one in black and one in a black and white almost monochrome style. They are fitted vest like at the top with a gold zip on the back and are floaty from the waist down and are slightly longer at the back and cover your bum. They are great to wear with leggings and a jacket but can also be worn with jeans, shorts and even a tight midi skirt. Not bad for £7.99!

White.

Monochrome.

I recently saw Hannah over at Glitter and Sparkle featured some of the new MUA nail varnishes on her Instagram so I thought I'd give them a go. I bought the colour Natural Days, which is a very light baby pink. I love it. They are really pigmented and you only need two coats to get an even colour on your nails. The bottle design is a bit like the ESSIE range, just a lot less pricier! Essie are priced at about £8 per bottle and MUA are only a £1 per bottle and at this price I'm definitely going to be buying some more colours for the summer.

Another nail varnish I have bought is a BarryM Gelly Hi Shine. I have 2 of these already and absolutely love them. I don't find they are THAT different to the regular Barry M nail varnishes. They've brought out a lot of new colours in the Gelly range from when they first started doing them so I thought I'd give 314 Lychee a try. The colour is gorgeous, it's like a beigey creamy colour and looks really nice on both your fingers and toes. I also gave it a go with a bit of Seventeen by Boots Glitter Top Coat on top and they go great together! The Gelly Hi-shines are priced in Boots and Superdrug at £3.99 each.

With Glitter.

Next up is something I actually bought today. I'm fed up of having to use such a big suitcase to go home for the weekend. I'm not one for packing lightly so its great for long holidays like Christmas and Easter but when I'm going home for 4 days it just isn't needed. So today I asked my housemate where she got her holdall bag from as it looked big enough for my clothes, make up, straighteners, hair dryer etc in and she said it was from Primark. So after Uni I went for a gander, I found the exact same bag and it was only £2.50!! They do it in other colours but I liked the Black and White Polka Dot as it would go with what I'm wearing. I thought this bag is perfect to help take everything home for summer, it would make a great beach/pool bag on holiday, and would even be great on the plane! So I'm sure for £2.50 you could think of something it could be used for!

So there you have it. Some of my best buys from the last few weeks. I have to admit I haven't really bought that much else or at least nothing that would interest people!!  I will try and make some more time over the next week to post again! Leave your comments below as I love to read them!

Have a good week
xo

Smokey Eyes.

I pretty much wear smokey eyes everyday. Rather than just using black and grey's, I tend to use brown's and beige's which look great. In this post I am going to try (emphasis on the 'try') and show you how I do my smokey eye look.

These are products I have used in this post:

Clinique Duo Eyeshadow P48,  Bourjois Black Jack Mascara, MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NW25,
Clinique High Impact Mascara, !7 High Drama Intense Liquid Eyeliner, Maybelline 630, Barry M Dazzle Dust Black, MUA Brunette Eyebrow Pencil

I start with applying foundation evenly on my face making sure my eyelids are covered as well. I find the foundation helps to keep the eye shadow stay on better when it has a liquid foundation base.

 Once you have an even skin tone, choose the two colours you wish to use as the base of your smokey eye. In today's post I have decided to use a beige and dark brown.

Apply the beige across the whole of the eyelid and make sure you cover the crease of your lid and sightly above. Then take the darker colour (in this case brown) and open your eye in order to use the eye shadow brush to put the brown in the crease of your eye. Only put the brown on the middle of your eye lid to the outer side of your eye. Leaving it to go from beige to brown. Once the brown has been applied use your finger to blend the two colours where they meet.

Once the two colours have been blended, you could apply eye liner and mascara to complete the look but today I want to make the eye look a little darker. In order to do this I am going to use some of the Barry M dazzle dust just above the crease and use my finger to blend it with the brown and beige down towards my lashes. Depending on how dark you want your eye to look you can use less or more of the dazzle dust.

Once you are happy with the colour of your eyes you can apply eyeliner on the top of the eye and mascara. I tend not to wear eyeliner on the bottoms of my eyes as I don't like it when it smudges. But if you prefer eyeliner on the bottom, it does look great too!

This look is such an easy look to do when you know how. The key to this look is the ability to blend and the easiest way to do it is with the tip of your finger. So if you like this look, give it a go yourself and I'd love to know how you get on so leave your comments below!
xo

Summer Wish List

I think we can all agree that this years Spring in the UK has been appalling. The sun seems to be trying it's hardest to push through but every time I go to pull out my sunglasses it appears to be raining (or snowing!) yet again.  I have had enough. This time last year I was enjoying the sun on the south east coast at Uni catching some rays to start off my summer tan! To lift my spirits I've collected together an outfit I WILL be purchasing whether we get sun or not because I am THAT in love with it.

Over the past few Summers I have purchased a few playsuits from Miss Selfridge and they have been brilliant, I still wear them on nights out today (I'm a student, let me off!) when I saw this gorgeous Aztec print one online I fell in love at first sight. Playsuits are great at complimenting peoples figures with the elastic waists so playsuits are a must buy for you all!

I don't usually go for shoes with colour but when I saw these beauties in New Look I've decided they will be mine when that Student Loan makes it to my bank account! I like the vintage-ness they give to the look and they are clumpy but almost dainty at the same time. The only thing I will be cautious of is the cork heel as I have had heels of this material in the past and they have a tendency of easily getting scuffed. 

I have chosen a range of different accessories to go with this outfit and even though the playsuit has a lot of eye-catching detail, there's nothing wrong with adding a FEW bits to it. Firstly I have fancied buying a gold chain necklace for a while but I have never found the right one. I still don't know whether this one would be the exact one I'd buy but it goes nicely with the outfit! Gold chains seem to be really in this season and I think they look great when dressing up an outfit. Cateye sunglasses also seem to be popular for this summer with almost every shop selling a pair. I have actually found a Prada pair in matte tortoise shell colour but due to being a student I guess I'll have to settle for a Topshop pair! Sticking with a gold theme I found this ring on the Topshop website and thought it was subtle enough for the outfit but still makes a statement (and I LOVE statement rings). The watch by Michael Kors is a little bit out of my price range and seeing as my birthday is not until December I guess I may have to wait until then for this one! I'm not really a small bag person, unless I'm using my clutch bag on a night out, as I like to fit everything and anything in my handbag but for some reason I was drawn to this bag when I was browsing online at ASOS.com. I think the gold chain on the strap and the little gold bow on the front go perfectly with the jewelry but this is one of those outfits that would go with a big or small bag, its all down to personal preference. I know some people aren't keen on bowler hats but I love them. I think with the shoes having giving the outfit that vintage look the bowler had joins in and gives the outfit a bit of edge. 

For the make up, those of you who know me know I am a MASSIVE fan of Barry M. So whenever it comes to matching my make up and nails to my outfit I will straight away head to the Barry M section of Boots or Super Drug. I currently own the nail varnish shade, Peach Melba NP318, and it was one of the very first shades I bought. My bottle, however, seems to be running low so I must purchase a new one. When on your nails it is a light pink/peachy colour, looks lovely and only needs to coats to be applied. I've only had one Barry M Lip Paint in Coral. It has lasted forever and has great pigmentation. The shade I have chosen for this outfit is Peachy Pink LB147 to match the peachy colour in both the playsuit and the shoes.

And then last but not least, the false eyelashes. I am a huge fan of Eylure false lashes. They are just as great on the second, third and even fourth wear as they were on the first. The glue that comes with them is see through when dry so you don't have to worry about being messy with it and it also lasts and leaves the lashes on your eyes from when you applied the lashes to when you decide to take them off. They are a must have!

So there you have it, my number 1 Summer outfiit. Let me know what you think, and if you can add other suggestions to this outfit I'd love to hear! Finger's crossed the Sun will be shining VERY VERY soon.

xo

March Beauty Haul

So as today is the last day of the month I thought I'd share with you some of the beauty purchases I have made over the past 4 weeks.

Firstly, there is Tesco's own Cucumber Extract Cleansing Facial Wash, Softening Daily Moisturiser and Hydrating Night Cream for all skin types. For the past year or so I have sworn by The Body Shop's day and night moisturisers, but since I'm recently running low I decided to find some similar creams and wash with a cheaper price tag. These Tesco creams were a great bargain, the Night Cream was £1 and the Moisturiser and Facial Wash were 74p each. I love them, they are great for day to day use and leave my skin smelling gorgeous and so so soft.

The next product to feature this month is the Maybelline FIT ME Pressed Powder. This is the second time I have purchased this powder and I think I've finally found the perfect one. I've tried many different powders but this one is great as it works evenly over my foundation and doesn't need to be reapplied that often throughout the day. The colour I chose is Natural Beige 220 and works great with Maybelline Matte Mousse foundation in Nude and with MAC Studio Sculpt in NW25. I really recommend this powder and it lasts a reasonable amount of time considering I use it everyday. You can find it in Boots and Super Drug for £5.99.

After writing a post a couple of weeks back on my favourite Lipsticks and glosses, I decided to add to my collection. I have purchased a Barry M lipgloss in shade 233 and even though it looks like a peachy pink it actually looks different on the lips. On the lips it's more of a light shine and doesn't give much colour. However I do like it when I'm doing a subtle lip with my make up. You can purchase this in many Boots and Super Drug stores for £4.49. I also bought some new MUA shades in shade 2 (a bright baby pink) and shade 4 (a dark purpley pink). I have found that with shade 2 you have to apply quite a few coats to really establish colour due to lack of pigmentation, so if you're in a rush this is not a good lipstick. Shade 4 is great it is dark and goes great with slightly smokey eyes. They're a great buy for £1 each.

Next up is Clinque's High Impact Mascara in 11 Brightening Black. I have used this Mascara quite a few times over the past few years and absolutely LOVE it. It's really black and tends not to give you the black dust under your eyes when you've been wearing in over the day. Which I hate with mascaras. Another great mascara which I haven't featured in the picture is Boots' 17 Black Jack Mascara, I got it for Christmas but it is soooo good. And for those of you who want to wear fake eyelashes but can't be bothered this mascara gives you that wow look for your eyelashes just like fake ones.

I fell in love with MAC cosmetics years ago and when I get the chance or have the money I will splash out as their products are amazing and last forever . They are quite pricey but as they last so long it's probably to that bad (or at least that's what I tell myself). I recently read some raving reviews on MAC Studio Sculpt foundation so when my Mum an Dad offered to buy an Easter present I couldn't resist. I have previously used the Studio Fix NW25 powder many times but as I'm so in love with the Maybelline Powder I gave the foundation a go in NW25 as well and it is THE best foundation I have ever used! I find it works best when I've just moisturised my skin and it leaves me with a great even tone with no patches. If you want to give it a try I highly recommend it and to use it with a foundation brush for best results. From MAC Westfield Shepherd's Bush £20.50.

For those of you who know me well, know I am addicted to Barry M nail varnish. I love their new Gelly range, even though they aren't that different from the normal varnishes the colours are beautiful and I just keep wanted to buy more and more and more. The two Gelly Hi-shines featured in the picture are Blueberry and Pomegranate priced at £3.99 each. And the other two shades are Cappucino and Aqua Glitter prices at £2.99 each.

Next up is my Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden collection. I swear by these, featuring in this post are the Hand Cream which I always keep handy in my handbag (essential for the weather we're experiencing in the UK at the moment), the Body Butter 100ml and Body Wash 250ml. They all smell beautiful and work wonders! Give them a try, they are a must have! You'll find the Body Wash 250ml priced at £5.50, Body Butter 300ml £9 and Hand Cream 30ml £3 in Boots Stores.

And then last but not least my beloved fake tan. I tend not to splash out when it comes to fake tan and that's how I discovered St.Moriz for £2.99 in Savers. The one I'm using at the moment is the instant self tanning mist. It was awarded the winner of the Cosmopolitan Beaty Awards 2012. It's great and makes your skin look flawless. I hate it when fake tan leaves your skin looking streaky but both the tanning mist and the mousse have never left me streaky! I'm addicted.

Well, thanks for reading today's blog and if you've got any questions comment below, I'd love to hear your opinions on these products too!
Xo

Textured Nail Paint from Barry M.

I'm gunna open my new blog with a review of my new Barry M nail varnish. I am such a huge fan of the Barry M make up and nail varnish range and currently, I have 19 different shades (no doubt I'll be purchasing more). Today's shade is Kingland Road and it's one of their new range of Textured Nail Paint. I absolutely LOVE the colour and when dry it almost looks like the MUA fur-nails just a lot less messier! The only down side to this nail varnish is that even when dry it is very easily smudged or dented. However, a way to avoid this smudging is to make sure you allow each coat to dry before applying the next one. I really recommend this range to EVERYONE! All the shades are gorgeous, so head down to Boots or Superdrug and try it out for yourself!!