Mini Boots & New Look Haul!

Its no secret i love Boots, after all i now have a job there, but i still love browsing the aisles and finding new products that i hadn't yet tried. When i went into Boots most recently i was looking for a powder and some bleach for my hair, i didn't quite expect to come out with as much as i did but i guess i needed it all.. or maybe i just wanted it.

Ive already done a blog post on the L'Oreal Paris Wild Ombres kit which you can find HERE and thats simply because i was so excited to use this that i did as soon as i got home. Ive had the same dull brown hair colour for almost a year now and i was so ready for a change, after all, last year i had pink, blue, black and blonde hair so brown for a whole year was simply not fun enough for me. I chose this after reading loads of rave reviews and thinking it would be best for a subtle change rather than going say, bright green or something like that. If you want to see my thoughts on this then click the link above!

Im so bad at looking after my hair, i only tend to take notice when I'm using heat or changing the colour and then i feel bad as it begins to break and start looking really unhealthy. I wasn't too sure what to buy but my friend assured me these were a good starting point. I picked up the VO5 Give Me Moisture Treatment Mask as hopefully it will restore a little life into my hair and also the VO5 Nourish My Shine all as my friend told me it would help. Im not too sure about these but ill get a post up with my thoughts when i do know!

Everyone and their dog knows about the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder so i won't go too much into it except for that i managed to grab it for £1.50 due to a crack in the lid and considering i still had two empty ones of these at home i could just swap the lids over and it would be good as new! I also picked up the Rimmel London Natural Bronzer as in summer i find i use less foundation and just powder and it gives me a very dull face, I'm hoping that this bronzer can help put a bit of colour back into it!

Next up is the Rimmel London Soft Khol Eye Pencil, i chose this in a Denim colour as i thought it would be a bit more wearable and less harsh than a black, i think this will be brilliant blended for an everyday look! I also picked up the Rimmel London Kate Mascara (can you see a theme?) as i have a thing for mascaras and the packaging just made it look so pretty, although fingerprints i can already see will be an issue. I also got another tube of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, theres not much i can really say about this because i think just about everyone has tried it, what i do think though that is because I've got a bit of a tan now this might be slightly too light for me so i won't be able to use it. Never mind, just another excuse to go shopping again right? 

I love Barry M, its no secret. I have a pretty impressive collection of their nail polishes and while I'm not enthralled about their makeup collection when i saw these makeup brushes i simply just knew i had to have them. They're so girly and cute with their design and are possibly the softest brushes I've ever tried. I picked up the Powder Brush and The Concealer Brush.

Lastly, these. How gorgeous are these sunglasses and for just £4.99?! I picked them up in New Look and thought they were just so feminine and perfect. I love the look of round sunglasses but all of the smaller ones really dont flatter me at all, whereas because these are so huge they cover half my face and you can't really tell if they're flattering or not! Im not really selling these very well am i? Anyway, i love them, lets leave it at that.

Anyway, i hope you've enjoyed reading this post, if you've tried any of these things or if you have any tips with how to use them then i love for you to let me know! Hope you're all enjoying the weather!

Summer Shades // Barry M

When the warmer weather rolls in i fancy wearing something a bit brighter on my nails rather than the pastels and pinks i stick to through spring, this is where my favourite Barry M gelly shades come in. Ive owned these for a while now and they've become a firm favourite within my collection! 

Barry M // Greenberry & Guava // £3.99

Greenberry has been featured a lot around the blogosphere lately but i dont often hear much about Guava. These two are my favourite summer colours, from the perfect formula to complimenting my skin tone there really is nowhere that they disappoint. The shades are fairly old and have been around for a while but i think they both deserve far more appreciation than they both get.

Barry M has been one of my favourite nail polish brands for as long as i can remember. They were the first branded nail polishes I bought and I've been an addict ever since. The bottle design is so simple yet chic, and the logo is something you'd recognise anywhere, and the brushes are just spot on. I was looking for a couple of shades that were a bit brighter to take me into summer and i feel these two are both perfect.

Opaque in two coats, these shades work so well on either long or short nails and draw the eye but certainly aren't too loud for everyday wear. I know what ill be wearing this summer on my nails, what about you?!

L'Oreal Paris // Wild Ombres Kit Review

Its not often i find something to dislike about a product but from time to time i do get disappointed with results and sometimes its important to share it. Hair dye for me is a very big thing to do at home, its very important that you trust the creators to have gotten it right so that you’re going to come out with the desired effect. All too often do we see home hair dye catastrophes and if i can help prevent that with this post then thats what i intend to do. 

L'Oreal Paris Wild Ombres No 2 // Boots // £7.49

(please excuse the lack of makeup photos)

Ive experimented a lot with different types of hair dyes in the past but rarely have i ever used one from L'Oreal, after reading all of the raving reviews about this i decided to take the plunge and give it ago, and that was where I made my first mistake. Ultimately i was choosing between Bleach Londons offerings and this set however my local Boots only had this one in so this is what i ended up with.

I went into this with a positive frame of mind, if it didn't work i could just try again in a few weeks, so i eagerly mixed up all the different components. The instructions for this were very easy to understand and follow, i mixed up the dye and applied it to the supplied brush and started putting it onto the end of my hair, the smell however was awful and made me open three windows in my house to try and create a bit of a breeze. The leaflet says to apply it at about chin height and work down for long hair but in previous experience I've found that the ends take longer to bleach and started there instead so i could have more of a graduated effect. I worked my way up the hair with the bleach and took it just slightly higher than my chin as thats where i thought it would look best. I then left this on for 45 minutes.

When it came to wash all the bleach off i was slightly anxious because the ends of my hair weren't actually too much lighter than what id started with and i could already feel that i was slightly disappointed, but nevertheless i washed all the bleach off with warm water and then applied the conditioner. I left the conditioner on for about 10 minutes because in this kind of situation you can never be too careful and washed it off with lukewarm water in an attempt to stop damaging it further, next i applied a heat protection spray and blow-dried my hair on the cool setting until it was completed dry. 

That was when i realised the extent of my disappointment. Its looked like more of a dip-dye than an Ombre, there was no fading, no graduated effect and the ends certainly weren't much lighter than the rest of it. My hair had lightened only a couple shades to more of a muddy ginger than a dark blonde - brown like the box had said. I understand that these box dyes aren't always accurate but i can't rave about this when I'm just so disappointed with the result. Im going to get a Bleach London Dip Dye Kit and try and do half of the ginger bit in an attempt to get the ombre effect that I really wanted and until then i certainly won't be recommending this to anyone. If you want to do an ombre effect then in my opinion you're better off getting some bleach and just doing it yourself, that way you can be certain about the outcome!

Sorry for the negative Nancy review but i really am disappointed about this product, i know how i wanted my hair to turn out and its nothing like that even though the box said it would be. Maybe i did something wrong, i don't know, but i do know that i won't be using this box again. 

A Dark Chocolate & Blueberry Lip Balm?!

Now this isn't a new purchase of mine, this is actually my second tube of this but i absolutely love it and thought i needed to rave about it somewhere on my blog. A lot of people tend to forget about lip care when it comes to summer as dry chapped lips don't occur as commonly in winter, but with all the hot sunny weather it really takes its toll on our lips so i try to make sure I'm doing the best thing possible for them and this is where Burts Bees come in. 

 This lip balm has probably one of the most acquired smells ever, i absolutely love it but i love dark chocolate and blueberries, but so many people i have asked have hated it. The scent certainly doesn't stop it working its magic on your lips though. It takes a little bit to work this onto your lips the first time but once thats done it's an absolute dream to apply and makes your lips feel so nourished and healthy with just a few uses. This comes in the most practical twist up tube that is common with the cheaper lip balms but it feels nothing but sturdy and protective; its also the perfect size to be kept in a pocket or a small compartment in your handbag which is where mine currently resides! 

In case you can't tell, i really love this lip balm, it's so practical and does exactly what it says it will. Its not the cheapest of lip balms, but it's certainly not the most expensive either and i think its well worth the price to keep your lips protected from everyday sun. Have you tried any of Burt's Bees products? Which was your favourite, id love to know! 

Sunshine & Seahorses

Seahorse Crop Top // H&M

Shorts // H&H

Kimono // H&M

Sunglasses // Matalan

Im really loving H&M at the moment, in case you can't tell. All of their fashion seems to be absolutely spot on and prefect for this kind of weather, i recently picked up this little ensemble from the store on Oxford Street and I'm so glad i did as it's the perfect summer outfit. Im not a huge fan of showing off my belly but when paired with this kimono i don't feel like I'm showing off too much skin and the kimono isn't patterned so doesn't draw attention either.

As i live near the beach I've mainly been wearing this when i go to the beach, but i also wore it when i went  on holiday and the lightweight kimono and cropped top and shorts really helped to keep me cool but still covered enough to keep me from burning.  The seahorse print is just so adorable and the pink shorts i feel just liven up the whole outfit.

Have you ventured into the world of kimonos yet? What do you like to style with them?

A Trip To The Med - NOTD #5

 

If you haven't seen my review of this nail polish here then i suggest you go check it out as it's such a lovely polish. Trying to capture all the afferent colours in a photograph without throwing the rest of the image out was so difficult and i still don't think they express how truly gorgeous the colour is! 

Since we've been having lots of sun lately I've been straying away from the pastel nail shades and heading more towards bright summery colours and these gorgeous duo chrome offerings from Barry M. The shade pictured is Mediterranean and just makes me think of sitting on the beach watching the sun set, being able to carry that image around on my nails with me is just perfect and brightens up my day instantly when i see my nails!

The CC Cream to top them all?!

I can remember the exact moment i decided i wanted this CC Cream, i was strolling down the aisles of boots and for the first time i noticed the Bourjois stand properly and was instantly drawn to the 123 Perfect CC Cream. I have a love hate relationship with base makeup and know instantly after a few uses whether something will be right for me or not and this is possibly my favourite thing yet. 

123 Perfect Colour Correcting Cream // Bourjois // £9.99

Now let me start by saying the photo above is of me wearing the CC cream with no other makeup at all, i have naturally very pink and dry skin and it has toned it all down completely as you can see. I absolutely adore this cc cream, it works as a fabulous base for everyday makeup and works well when coupled with a foundation or a powder. 

This has a really runny texture and is more like a liquid than a cream but this just means that it's so easy to blend and spread over the whole of the face. It dries to a really lovely matte finish but i still go over this with a powder because its just what I'm used to. It has low - medium coverage but is definitely build able however with a cc cream you don't really want layers caked on so i just couple it with a concealer under my eyes and around my nose for a more finished look. 

I use this on days out to the beach and town as it has SPF 15 and is better than wearing nothing, it also seems to cope quite well when its sunny and doesn't slip at all even after wearing it all day. Have you tried any CC Creams yet? Which was your favourite and why? I'd love to try some more!

JLo's Nude by L'Oreal

I feel like i haven’t blogged in forever but oh well. Im back now and I’ve got more post ideas than ever before! I was on holiday last week in Turkey hence the late upload but the week before i had a job interview and i was looking for the perfect nude lipstick to wear for it, cue J Lo’s Nude by L’Oreal. I picked this up on my latest shopping spree in London, and although its a little more expensive than most drugstore lipsticks its definitely worth the price. Also, apologies for the greyish photos, i don't know whats up with them but i can't get them any whiter? 

JLo's Nude // L'Oreal // Boots // £9.99

The packaging of this is so luxurious and doesn't feel at all like a £9.99 lipstick, the gold detailing of the signature and the band around the middle just give it just a nice, more expensive looking finish. It doesn't stop there though, L'Oreal have even engraved their brand name onto the lipstick similarly to those found on higher end brands! It's not particularly useful but it sure does look good. The packaging is sturdy and the lid clicks on so won't be falling off in your handbag anytime soon, the only thing i have notice though is that when applying the lipstick the bullet move a little in it's casing and as a result its scratched the bullet, if that makes sense. It's not a horrible thing to happen, its just something I've not experienced before and isn't that pleasant to look at. 

When applying if i don't use a sugar scrub on my lips before i find its clings to and accentuates dry patches, but this really is an easy fix with a bit of exfoliation and a moisturising lip balm. This is such a subtle pinkish/brown baed nude and looks so flattering on the skin and its so close to my natural lips that i feel comfortable enough to wear it on a day to day basis, whereas some of my other nudes are a little more noticeable. It has such a creamy formula and applies like a dream and applies to a semi matte finish. Im going to be honest though, this doesn't have the most pleasant scent or taste to it but after a little bit of wear you get used to this and it's barely noticeable, just not particularly nice in the beginning. 

Im very fussy with the types of lipsticks i like but this is a complete winner for me and i definitely want to try more of the Collection Privee lipsticks by L'Oreal as I'm so pleased with this one. Whats your favourite dad to day nude lipstick? 

The Summer Shoe Edit

I know how frustrating it is with all these ‘edit’ posts flying around but i simply had no idea what else to name it so there you go. Its only just beginning to be summer but throughout the last couple of weeks I’ve found myself reaching for a few pairs of shoes more than any others and i thought id share them with you. I also apologise, i haven’t posted in a while due to college commitments, working and also being on holiday in Turkey for the past two weeks but now I’m off for summer so I’m definitely going to get my posting more regular. Hope you enjoy this post, its a little different from what i normally do but its been so fun to put together!

 Cream Lace Flats // Primark // £6

Frieda Lace Up Shoes // Topshop // £26

Tan Sandals // Primark // £6

I live in ankle boots through pretty much the whole of the autumn, winter and spring months so when it comes to summer i end up splurging on loads of pairs of summer shoes that i have something for every type of weather so that i can save my boots for the winter. These are the three pairs of shoes that i find myself constantly reaching for, they're all so wearable and each can style up or down and outfit in their own little ways. 

The first pair of shoes i found was this pair of cream espadrille/toms style shoe with this really gorgeous lace over it. I don't normally go for Primark shoes as i find they never really fit properly and can be quite uncomfortable and hard to wear but these are the complete opposite, once they loosened up after about 2 hours of wearing they're possibly one of the comfiest pair of flats I've ever worn. They're such a dainty pair of shoes as well that they go with almost every outfit I've tried, from shorts and a cami, to maxi dresses it works with them all. 

I bought the next pair on a recent shopping trip in Westfields. The Frieda Lace Up shoes from Topshop are possibly the most gorgeous pair of shoes I've ever laid my eyes on and i had to have them as soon as i saw them. The sizing of them is a little funny, I'm normally a 5 and a half but the 5 fits me perfectly with room at the end although I've heard other people say different. The gold detailing around the eyelets and at the front of the shoes just gives the most luxurious touch to them and makes them look a lot more expensive than they actually are. The fabric on this shoe is so subtle with the pattern and its just a really lovely classy pair of shoes in general, wearing these with sone ankle grazers or skinny jeans would look gorgeous, although i think they might be a bit difficult to keep clean! 

The last pair was again bought in Primark with the first pair. Im not a huge fan of flip flops as i dont like feet and feel like they leave too much exposed and dont give you enough support. I have however been loving sliders lately and thought these would be nice as they have a similar concept to sliders but with a slightly more complex form. The colour of them is absolutely gorgeous, they're such a vibrant browny/reddish colour and dont look like they're going to fade or go patchy like some can. Although the ankle strap doesnt go as tight as id like for just wondering down to the beach or sitting in town for the day these shoes are absolutely perfect, they fit my feet so well and as so comfy. Either Primark has stepped up their game or i just got incredibly lucky.

Other than Converse which I'm pretty sure everybody has a pair for summer these are my three favourite pairs of shoes at the moment. What your favourite type of shoe to wear for summer?