Wednesday 24 February 2010

NOTD ~ Lace Manicure

I have been playing around with my Konad plate and today i thought i would try a lace manicure. I loooove it, It's so pretty! This was my first try so it could have been a bit straighter but other than that i think it looks beautiful, so dainty and girly.

What i did: I applied two coats of Nubar polish in 'Oh Baby Pink', using my M57 plate i used the lace tip stencil and applied the special Konad polish in white, stamped it and voila! Simple as that! It is definitely a funkier alternative to your standard french manicure. I love Konad, without it i would never be able to do these kinds of designs unless i paid loads at a salon on stuck on some falsies. I am definitely going to be trying out more Konad designs.

If you don't know about Konad check out my video :) HERE

You can purchased the Konad kit HERE
and the Nubar polish HERE

What do you think?
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Tuesday 23 February 2010

Eve Pearl Make-Up

I was recently introduced to Eve Pearl make-up by the lovely Holly (Yummy Mummy Beauty Blog), she recommended the Salmon concealer. I had a look around the internet and it's hard to find unless you buy from the actual website in the US www.evepearl.com/products. I was browsing through ebay and thought i would search for the concealer, when i came across someone who was selling a whole bunch of unused Eve Pearl make-up in the UK! After a bidding war i managed to get all these products fro £40!!!! Massive bargain :)

First up i will tell you my thoughts on the popular 'Salmon Concealer', The consistency is lovely, is smoothes on and doesn't sink into creases once set with powder. The colour is perfect, the pink/peach tones help to cancel out dark circles.
RRP: $35

HD Duel Foundation seemed to be a great foundation but by the end of the day i felt it looked quite dry. I would recommend applying more moisturiser before applying it, as it does look great when first applied. It gives that matte effect and covers evenly.
What they say: A multi-functional High Definition Dual Foundation applied with fingers, a brush, or a sponge (included). The luxurious lightweight cream provides full coverage with a non-greasy texture that glides on the face, while allowing your skin to breathe. The 2 shades of foundation blend into the skin and the universal spectrum of color in the pigments adapt to the skin tone and the changes caused by body chemistry, weather and sun exposure. Ideal for use when flawless precision is required with High Definition Cameras or real life. For all skin types, including sensitive skin.
RRP: $54

I was so impressed with the 'Glamour Lash Mascara', the brush is fab and leaves no clumping at all really. It separates the lashes and extends them. I actually prefer this to my Estee Lauder double wear mascara! As this one also doesn't flake and leaves the lashes a lot less clumpy.
What they say: A beautiful black lengthening and volumizing mascara with "Glamorous" results.
Enriched with jet-black micro-fine fibers and formulated to create maximum lash extension effects.
RRP: $22
Eve Pearls Blush Trio in 'Sweet Cheeks' is lovely. The colours when mixed together leave a pretty subtle bronzed pink. They are very soft and powdery and the staying power is great. I love the fact you can use all of them at once of just one depending whether your feeling blush or bronzer on that day :)
What they say: Trio of 2 Matte colors: Peachy + Pinky with a light illuminating Bronzer for gorgeous effects. The rich textured formula blends perfectly on your skin for long lasting wear. The 3 cheek color combination is versatile for every day natural looking cheeks or those dramatic hot steamy nights.
RRP: $36
(sorry the swatches aren't in the right order)
The 'Au Natural' eye pallet is lovely, the colours are exactly what i would wear on a daily basis. They have great pigmentation and feel very soft when applied.
What they say: The rich textured formula blends perfectly on your skin for long lasting wear. The 6 eye shadow combinations are versatile to take you from Matte to Pearl-EYE-zed effects. Colors include: Caramel Crisp, Cafe Latte, White Russian, Coco, Nutmeg, Tiramisu.
RRP: $40

Kisses of pearl lip gloss combo 'Wet Kisses' is a great lippy but unfortunately not a colour is would use so i will probably sell it on. It has a lovely fresh mint smell which is really refreshing.
I want to try it in Baby Doll/Honey Bunny.
RRP: $28

My only downside is the packaging, they have that 'lip' that you need to stick your nail under to open - which is bad news if you have nails because it can easily break them and it's also bad news if you have short nails as you can't open them, so i just stick something in it to open it. That is my only downside and it really isn't a big deal, just watch your nails :)
That's everything i got and i am so impressed with it all! It's high class make-up and definitely worth it.

Have you tried Eve Pearl make-up?
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Sunday 21 February 2010

Product Rave: Kao Essential Damage Hair Treatment - Rich Premier


If you read my blog you will know i am always on the search to find a good hair treatment, this week i purchased 'Essential Rich Premier' hair treatment. This hair mask provides intensive care, especially for the last 15cm of hair, which is most prone to dryness, tangles and split ends caused by chemical treatments and styling.
It penetrates deeply into the hair core to repair and moisturize without the heavy feel, so hair becomes easy to manage and style.
 
After seeing Xiaxue's blog post on this hair treatment i had to try it. Her hair looked amazing! Whether or not hers was an advert - i was sold!
I bought mine from an ebay seller in Japan for about £16, a little expensive but worth it - I'm sure in Singapore where it originates from it's probably half that price or less. That's the only downside of it not being out over here - fingers crossed it does.

I decided i wanted to do some tests with a really old set of hair extensions (not Foxy Locks!) that were all tangled up and dry - they are about 3 years old and i don't wear them anymore. I also did a test on my own hair but because my hair isn't in bad condition i wanted to see how it would work on hair that was very damaged, so i also used a set of extensions that had be dyed repeatedly over a week - maybe three times or so with bleach, so you can imagine they were looking a bit worse for wear.

Up-first i will tell you my results, and how i felt the treatment benefited my hair.
My hair gets very tangled after washing it, i HAVE to brush/comb it when it's wet otherwise it would be a dreadlock mess - i know people always say it's bad to brush your hair when it's wet but my hair seems fine to me and i've been doing it since i was little :)
I can't read the directions as they are not in English but here's what i did:
After shampoo and conditioner i added a table spoon amount from root to tip, left it for 5 mins then i combed my hair through. Straight away the comb went through my hair so smoothly, finding it no problem getting out the tugs and knots. When i washed it out i could feel how soft my hair was - it felt amazing! After putting it on my roots i was a bit cautious that it would make them look very greasy (i never normally put conditioner on my roots), after blow drying my roots weren't greasy at all and my hair felt lovely and soft. The smell was gorgeous too, very similar to Guava fruit.


Up next i am going to show you the results when i used it on a tangled hair extensions weft. I bought these extensions three years ago:
To be fair the before picture isn't brushed at all so it looks really bad but they were in awful condition. You can see how much smoother they look after - they literally look repaired!

Very soft and silky! The ends look much neater. After years of curling and lots of hairspray, this treatment works wonders. If your hair is damaged you have to get this!

My next test was on some 'over-dyed' extensions, before the treatment they were very dry - i don't think the hairdresser had even bothered to wash off all the dye properly. You could never wear them in the state they were in, this is why high quality dye should always been used on extensions and they should never be re-dyed more than once if possible.

Above is the after result. As you can see the hair doesn't look damaged or dry at all and this hair was literally bleached and dyed over and over - pretty amazing results?! Very shiny and manageable.

On both these treatments i left the product on for 15 mins and combed the hair through after applying. They were then blow dried and straightened.
You can see the results are unbelievable, this is definitely one of the best treatments i have tried so far!

Rich Premier Formulated with honey & milk protein to protect and strengthen. Plus Shea Butter to repair and moisturize.

I am going to try out all of the other products and will keep you up to date with what i think. I can't wait to try the 'Nuance Airy'.
I bought mine here: Ebay

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Friday 19 February 2010

Nubar Nail Lacquer


I got 8 beautiful Nubar nail polishes from http://www.beautyshed.co.uk/. They offer a huge range of stunning colours.
I have been trying them out over the past few weeks and i am very impressed. They are so well pigmented and apply very smoothly. Some colours take a lot longer to dry than others but that is the same with all polishes i have come across. They have a huge range of colours that also come in cute collections.


I love glitters and holographic polishes, and these two are gorgeous! I have been rocking 'Treasure' the most as it's my favorite colour and sparkly! It's so pretty:

Above: 'Treasure'
Even though it's a glitter - it's so smooth to apply and to touch. As you can see this colour is really unusual and beautiful.
Here are the pinks/reds i got. I love everyone of these. The brushes on these polishes are perfect.
Above: 'Oh Baby Pink'
I love this pale pink - it looks so powdery and pretty.
Above: 'Amazon Coral'
I'm really into corals at the moment and this one is beautiful, this is more of a vibrant coral than a pale one. I can't wait to wear this one in the summer, i think it would look amazing next to tanned skin.
I also love these moody dark colours. 'Passionate Purple' is a disco mix of blue and purple sparkles.
Above: 'Peacock Feathers'
This is beautiful, it's ashame the colour didn't come up very well on the camera but it is almost that petrol colour where it changes from blue-purple-green.

These retail at about £8 and are definitely on par with the bigger more expensive brands. They are fantastic!
You can buy these at http://www.beautyshed.co.uk/.

 What do you think? Have you tried these polishes?
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Wednesday 17 February 2010

Viva Glam Lady Gaga MAC Lipstick

When the postman came this morning i nearly died when i saw my package, i knew straight away it was my Gaga lipstick!! Thank you to the lovely Sandy i was able to be one of the first in the UK to get my mitts on one.
To be fair it didn't matter what the colour was, i was going to buy it because it had Lady Gaga's name on it, but the fact that it's a beautiful pink is a massive win for me. I love pinks and this one is to die for, it can be very vibrant when it is applied a few times, but one or two swipes leaves a lovely subtle pink that most people could pull off.

Here are few pictures with a full coating of it:
It really is gorgeous and so creamy. It applies very smoothly and feels extremely silky! The staying power seems pretty good so far too, i would highly recommend it.
Mine was purchased in Canada which worked out at about $18, which is £11. I'm not sure how much it will actually be when it's released over here, but i think that is a fab price. All proceeds are going to support the Aids charity, which is amazing. This lipstick is a Limited Edition but is meant to be around for 1 year.

What are your thoughts? Are you liking this pink?

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Tuesday 16 February 2010

Weekly Blog Giveaway ♥ Foxy Lashes - Natural Glamour (OPEN)


Foxy Lashes - Natural Glamour
To be able to WIN please:

Follow my Blog
Leave an 'Enter me' comment on this post  
Follow me on Twitter ~ click here
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♥ And if you have Facebook become a fan ~ click here 

Open Worldwide.

Winners will be picked randomly every week and announced on the next Giveaway post.

Good luck lovelies!

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Mini Lush Haul

I suffer from dry lips and it drives me mad! I am always searching for good lip moisturizers or exfoliants. When i was in Lush the other day i noticed 'BubbleGum Lip Scrub' by the till, gave it a sniff and had to buy it! It smells gorgeous, it's hard to resist a lick when you put it on :D And guess what it smells of......SNOW FAIRY! Lush's most popular scent.
Made from basically sugar and some jojoba oil, you just rub it in your lips, wipe it off and your left with a smoother pout! I love it!

I bought another 'King Of Skin'! I love this body butter, although it goes way too quickly! You rub it on while in the shower and it instantly moisturises your skin. So you don't have to worry about putting any on after your shower, which i can never be bothered to do. When applied it almost 'greases' your skin (but to the baby oil extent!), it is super moisturizing. This is one product that i always re-purchase. It's full of cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut butter, bananas, toning essential oils, jojoba and almond oils, fresh avocado and oatmeal. I highly recommend this!

I did mainly just buy massage bars and Body Butters this time, as they really are my favorite product from Lush. I just wish they lasted longer!
I decided to try 'Strawberry Feels Forever', anything that leaves the scent of strawberries is a winner for me. It's lovely and creamy and leaves your skin nice and soft, 'King Of Skin' is still the best for moisturizing, although this one does leave a nicer scent.

I did forget that i already had 'Aqua Mirabilis', but another one won't hurt! I'm really bad for remembering to exfoliate, mainly because it hurts so much with the brush I use - I never want to...so this body butter is great. It has tiny ground almond shells which exfoliate your skin, and leave it very soft. I use this once a week.

So that's it for this Lush shopping trip, only bought what i really needed :)

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Sunday 14 February 2010

WIBT: What I Bought Today

First up is my new yummy perfume 'Scarlett' by Cacharel, this scent is beautiful. I like my perfumes to be sweet and this is very. It has quite a tropical smell to it, very fruity and fresh. It's my new favorite. The bottle is also beautiful, very vintage looking!
And with my purchase look what i got free from Superdrug...

If you spend over £10 on perfumes then you get a free goodie bag, how fun! I love free things. I got a mini straightener, Barry M lipgloss tube, Versace perfume travel bag, two lipton ice teas, two skinny cow hot chocolates, toothpaste and a lollipop!


In my local town there is NO Sleek collection, boo! So i had to go a bit further to get this, my next town which is about an hour away had a pretty good selection. I wanted to pick up another Sleek palette but they didn't have the one i wanted. I got myself the Sleek Glo Highlight in Peach Shimmer - i am so impressed with it! It is so well pigmented and gives a gorgeous golden shimmer which is lovely and subtle. The brush it comes with is also pretty handy - perfect for your handbag!

This ColorSensational by Maybelline - Pink Pearl lipstick is gorgeous! I am in love with the pink! I am going to keep this short and sweet because it definitely deserves a blog post of it's own.

These hairbands from River Island are so cute, made from leather and dark crystals (which look more like studs). They are elastics so they help to create volume behind. LOVE!

How beautiful is this ring from accessorize?! I saw it and fell in love. I always wear statement rings, the detail on this is gorgeous. The pearl in the middle is wow!
 
I bought some more goodies from Accessorize. I have been looking for both a cute pair of ear muffs and fingerless gloves/mittens for awhile and i found the perfect ones.

Shoe envy? :)
These courts from Dorothy Perkins are gorgeous!! I love the gold studs around the hidden platform heel. (sorry it's black and white i couldn't bare to show how pale my feet were haha:).

I think these shoe/boots are so cute, but i'm not too sure if i'm going to keep them because i have so many like them. These are also from Dorothy Perkins.

Last up is my very pretty grey scarf from River Island. It has sequin detailing on it which looks beautiful. For some reason i always seem to buy grey scarves.

So that's it for today. Will be doing more detailed post on a few of the make-up products.
 I hope you like what i got!

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