NOTD: China Glaze polish

 

 

 

 

 My first time purchasing a nail polish from China Glaze and i brought it in the shade 'something sweet' which is a pretty pink pastel colour. I love that its a really fun and girly colour!! I was amazed at how big the bottles of varnish actually are which i think is fab :) i brought mine from ebay for about £4 which i think is a good price if you shop around abit!!

 

Have you tried any nail varnish from China Glaze? any fave colours?

 

 

Eat Clean Stay Healthy....

Hi Lovelies :) Hope you are all having a lovely bank weekend!! The last couple of weeks i have been non stop into trying get more healthy and in shape. Apparently yesterday was the day that people start wanting that bikini ready body!! (I do!!) I have been reading womens health magazine online and it really made me think about getting back into being more healthy and now is the perfect time to change. I am a very fussy eater i like good plain food and i have a very sweet tooth. 

 

I am a sucker for italian food a good old pizza, pasta you name it im there. Before trying to change my diet i assessed what i actually eat in a normal week of course it will change as i dont have a set meal plan. I actually realised that majority of my food is bad carbs. So ive been gradually changing my meals with a more healthy approach making sure i get the all important 5 a day or near enough in my diet and swapping things for a more healthy approach. This is not a diet that i am doing just more of a lifestyle change that suits me and makes me happy. 

 

The next thing i have been doing is exercising. I have been exercising 3-5 times each week and upping my protein intake as this helps muscles to recover and also doesnt make you ache as much the next day. At least two of the days i do intense workout and then the other days a more gentle approach. Circuit training, running, swimming, pilates, full body workout.... Also Blogilates & Toneitupcom on youtube have been fab workouts to do at home :) .... these have all been what i have been doing to work out. I have also noticed a huge difference in my emotions and also headaches. I used to have a headache frequently and now i can go days without one and after a workout i feel fab!! The results that i want is juts to tone up and feel better about myself so hopefully this change will benefit me and my body. 

 

 

Bring on a healthier me!! 

Do you workout or have any healthy recipes you could share? :)

 

 

Review: Origins Clear Improvement Mask

I love a good face mask lately im sort of addicted to them too!! Having really enjoyed the Origins Drink Up Mask so much i just had to try another mask from the brand. I had read a lot of reviews on the Origins Clear Improvement Mask so i thought id give it a whirl. 

The texture is gel like to and then turns into hardened clay onto the skin when left applied. Its ideal for congested and blemished skin to get out all the dirt and debris from your skin. It has active charcoal which acts like a magnet draining out the pore cloggers. I had never used a pore minimiser mask before so it was a complete new experience for me.

Its a lovely mask if you are after a good through deep cleanse and ive been using it twice a week and my skin looks and feels amazing. I noticed that my pores became alot smaller. The price tag is £20 which i think is a reasonable price for what it actually achieves with your skin.  It reduces redness, blackheads and blemishes. If you have problematic skin then this mask will do wonders for you.

I am a total Origins convert now!! and i really want to try out more from the range. It could easily be a holy grail item to me as it does what it says and i think that is quite rare to find in such a product. If you have clogged pores then i would definately recommend giving this a whirl and i promise you will not regret it!!

Have you tried Origins masks before? Any favourites?

Latest Buys......

Hi Lovelies :) Hope you are all doing okay!! I have had another mini spend nothing too drastic for once!!

The Revlon Photoready Cream Blush 'Flushed' (£7.99) had to be mine. I have been wanting this for a little while and i think its the perfect spring/summer blush to add a bit of colour to your cheeks and something more different for me too. Really excited to use this. 

Next is the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in '115' (£7.99) the lightest shade. This foundation is still a bit too dark for me as i am very pale at the moment. But i love the coverage and the texture of it but will have to use it more to see how much i really like it. 

Superfacialist By Una Brennan is a skincare brand ive wanted to try for awhile and im turning into a right skincare junkie lately. The Hydrate rose intense mask (£5.99) is another alternative to the Origins drink up masks in my opinion and is alot cheaper. The only difference is you apply the rose mask for 5 mins and then rinse it off but still leaves your skin super hydrated. 

The Tresemme Split Remedy mask (£5.69) is a  hair mask i really need at the moment my hair is terrible and needs a good cut. Hopefully this will help get some life back into my hair. 

Have you had a little splurge lately? brought anything that could be a holy grail item?

I Love Body Shop.....

I love Body Shop. For me its like being a kid at a sweet store. All the products are of such amazing quality and can last a long time. If you have never tried body shop products then what have you been doing? seriously?!! I love that they stand for no animal testing as i am a big animal lover so in my eyes that has earned my respect. 

Four very small little treats i brought myself the other day....

I have mentioned before and have done a review on the Tea Tree Face Mask (£10.00). Its lasted me a good few months as i only use it once every week but it really helps to cool down the redness of spots and make them reduce in size. It works wonders if you use it every week and ive seen a really noticeable difference in my skin from using it.  

The Intensive Foot Rescue (£9.00) is a  new product for me. My feet have been very dry from working in the spa so i thought by using this it will get some moisture back into them and can prepare them for wearing sandals when the weather warms up. 

The Strawberry Body Butter (£5.00) is a firm favourite of mine, the smell is amazing. The lotion is really hydrating and bring so much moisture back into your skin. I love that you can really smell the lotion not that its too much and ive had many compliments when ive put the lotion on in the day. I like to buy this when i want abit of a treat for my skin as i find it so nourishing and works well on getting rid of any dry patches too. 

The last item is a new item that i havent tried before and its the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion (£13.00). Its an exfoliator thats removes dead skin cells for a more brighter complexion. It helps to improve skin texture and tone. So far so good and i think i will do a full review if i see a difference in the next few weeks.

What are your must haves or treats from The Body Shop?

What I Have Learnt: First Year at University....

 

 

 

I have been lacking on the lifestyle side of posts for abit and i thought it would be nice to read something a bit different!!. I started University in September at the Derby Buxton Campus studying International Spa Management. I can honestly say hand on heart it was the best decision i have made. I can name all the different career paths i have taken; hairdressing, childcare, IT, office, hotel. These careers paths were all ones that i have experience in from leaving high school and i have actually noticed that it has worked in my favour with having a good variety of experience that shows different skills. I have had a major passion for beauty/spa for a good few years and never saw it as a job but after a major lack of interest in my last job it was all i wanted to do and it was a big gamble as studying a new subject at degree level is hard anyway. I have had a lot of time spent in the library, cursing at myself why am i doing this but then getting a comment from a client like ' i really needed this treatment. You have been amazing' really makes it worth while. So i guess this ramble of a post might be insightful  to people who are starting university this year. 

 

I have learnt: 

 

Balancing having a social life with university workload: In the first few months it really sinks in how much work you have to do and with say 4 modules in a semester it is alot of work. Attending tutorials/lecturers are not even a quarter of the time you need. At least half of my spare time has been used by going in the library for hours and hours. I have felt so bad turning down friends for drinks etc for a deadline that is appearing so planning your time is something you need to find what works for you. 

 

Be confident: I have learnt that in order to meet new people and actually progress well within your chosen field you need to be confident. I had zero confidence at the start of the year and it quickly had to be changed. Whatever subject you are studying you need to be confident in yourself and that subject. You will have so many times that you need to present to people and this is something i wish someone had told me instead of finding out the hard way and being put on the spot. (Cringe)

 

Have fun: I know some of my friends went to university purely for the social side and yes it is amazing. Plenty of bar craws and crazy house parties. So enjoy it whilst its happening. You only live once!!

 

Say yes: For me this is an ongoing battle for myself. Trying to say yes to more things is something i wish i would of done in the first few weeks. So many societies you can join to meet new people and to go places on trips. My second  year i will be saying yes to alot more things

 

Be organised: For me im abit of a organised freak when it comes to workload. But being organised you could even finish an assignment before its due in causing you less stress. Also being prepared for what is coming up in lectures get a head start. 

 

For me so far university has been a ongoing journey that has ever so changed me slightly. Besides the debt side of things and the workload pressures its amazing!! 

 

Hope this little ramble might interest you :) its abit of change!! 

 

Do you like reading lifestyle posts? 

 

 

Review: Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara....

 

Hi Lovelies :) Hope you are all doing okay. Today im reviewing a well loved mascara thats in the blogging world and its the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara - £11.00 (Black) I have been wanting this mascara for a long time and im so happy with the results.

First of all the packaging is so pretty. A gorgeous silver with a swirly pattern which i think is really unique. The mascara wand is so tiny but yet it gets every single lash perfectly which really opens up my eyes more. Its super long wearing and leaves you with no panda eyes or smudges yayyy!!

I have now been left questioning myself why didnt i get this mascara sooner?? the price is very reasonable and its well worth to have in your collection. 

I could go on and on about how good of a mascara it is but you can have a look at the difference below:

 (Before no mascara)

Top lash: Gosh Bombastic Mascara

Bottom Lash: Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Pretty good? dont you think :)

Would you buy this bottom lash mascara?

My First Illamasqua Blushers ....

Today is a very special post. I have just brought my first two EVER Illamasqua Powder blushes and i have been so excited to review them for you. These are my first ever higher end blushers that i now own and they are beautiful. I decided to purchase 'Allure' and 'Sophie'. The packaging is a rounded square chunky shape. I really like that it has a clear window so you can easily see the colour.

Allure (£18.00) is a dusky rose pink shimmer powder and is stunning. Its quite a darker end of the pink colour. The colour is so pigmented and you only need the most tiniest amount to make you look fresh and awake. I wore this on a night out and it gave the most prettiest glow on the cheeks with the shimmer and it lasted all night which is a winner :)

Sophie (£18.00)  is a beautiful golden coral with a lovely shimmer to it. It is very warm in tone and is very similar to Nars Orgasm. Again its super pigmented and easily blendable which adds a hint of radiance to the skin. They are really buildable and not at all chalky. It is very light on the skin despite its high colour pay off. 

Overall i cannot recommend their blushes enough!! Amazing quality and pigmentation.

(Sophie top picture

Allure bottom picture)

Have you tried Illamasqua Blushes? 

Beauty Haul....

Hi Lovelies :) Hope you are all doing okay!! Today i bring you a beauty haul that just happened in the space of not a long time. You know when you get carried away shopping and trying to justify each item as a MUST?? well that was me. 

The two clarins products are smaller sized which as i spoke to a clarins assistant i explained that ive been wanting to try out some skincare bits and she offered me this two to try. First up is the Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel. This is one that ive seen quite hyped up around the blogging world for some time and ive always wanted to try a gel cleanser. Ive been using it for a couple of weeks and so far i really like it so a little review may be coming up. Also given was the Clarins Gentle Refiner which is a exfoliator with tiny microbeads that are gentle on the skin. Yet to try this one out but im looking forward to it!!

The two Origins products are my favourite purchases. I have already done a review on the smaller sized Origins drink up mask and i purchased the full size as ive been loving it that much. At first i thought i didnt need this product in my routine but i was so sadly mistaken. It just gives all the needed hydration into your skin and i think £20.00 is a bit much but i think it will last a good while. The Origins Clear Improvement mask again was one ive been wanting to try out and its targeted at congested and clogged pores. Ive used this a few times and its another item that is slowly introduced into my skincare routine. 

The Good Things Five Minute Facial Mask was just one that i wanted to try out. The smell is amazing and so fruity :) It is also free from all the nasty things which i really like about it. Yet to try it out so i will keep you posted if i enjoy it. 

The Sanctuary Body Scrub is one that ive repurchased in the travel size again as i use it for when im travelling and its a good body scrub that isnt overly scented and leaves your skin so smooth and soft. Added with exfoliating gloves and its the perfect combo!!

The two eyeliners black and white are the Rimmel Kohl Eye Pencils for the waterline. Ive been using these both for years and they last me awhile. I love wearing the black for more definition and dramatic look and the white eyeliner for brightening my eyes. 

The Collection 2000 Fake Up Mascara was on offer when i brought it so i thought why not il try it out. As of yet i havent tried it out but the wand looks amazing and exactly what i like. I just hope it isnt too clumpy. 

And finally i brought the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. Oh my days!! I have already been using this and why have i not brought it before?!! A review soon on it :)

And that is all that i brought. Hope you liked this mini overview of the things i have brought. 

Have you brought anything lately? Any recommendations? :)

April Monthly Faves....

This months favourites have been pretty straight forward and ones that i have been using on a regular basis. 

The Charles Worthington Miracle Elixir Oil has been my hair saviour this month. Ive noticed that the ends of my hair has been quite dry and just quite simply looking not its best. Ive been using this oil every other time that i wash my hair and have seen my hair look more healthy and shiny from using this oil and something that im going to continue to use. 

Now this next product oh my days.... the Maybelline blush is GORGEOUS. The texture and the pigmentation is to die for. I have been using this blush everyday and its given me a lovely bit of colour that makes my skin more glowing with colour. I have not been been contouring with bronzer just basics this month and with just this blush it looks so natural and the staying power is amazing. It stays on all day. No joke!! Really worth it :) I think i will have to do a more in depth review on this beauty!!

The Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel needs no introduction from me. Its simply a holy grail product that does the best job at exfoliating without being too harsh and its a lovely fruity smell to it too. I think i may have to stop putting it in my favourites as its getting predicable ;) but seriously its a good exfoliator to have in your skincare routine. Can not recommend it enough!!

The Illamasqua Obsess Nail Polish is the perfect spring colour. A beautiful pink fushia colour thats given my nail that pop of colour. I have been loving wearing this month. 

And last of all is the Maybelline Baby Lips. Its a great little lip balm to carry around that gives moisture to the lips with a peppermint smell. Its helped my dry lips travelling to and from uni. 

That has been a very short monthly favourites. Not alot of experienting this month but im sure too for next month :)

What have been your favourite go to items this month?