Friday 27 December 2013

What I Got For Christmas 2013

Hey everyone let me start off by saying i hope you all had a great Christmas and got to spend lots of time with your loved ones.
We had a lovely day this year and had all the family round to our house for Dinner.
I thought id do a quick post to show you what i received for Christmas.

I was spoilt rotten again this year and i absolutely love all my gifts!!
Most of the Things above are from my Boyfriend, (minus the fizz set, that was from my sister) because i receive money from the rest of my family on Christmas as i like to go to the boxing day sales.

I got a gorgeous fluffy star print dressing gown which i love, and it is super super soft
Ernest Jones White Gold and Diamond Family Locket to hold precious photos of my 3 gorgeous boys
 (not many of you may know but i am actually a mother to 3 boys not just 2.) 
read my post here:
Lady Gaga Fame Perfume Set
Juicy Couture Couture Couture Perfume
Britney Fantasy Perfume
Fizz wine set
Money in the Red Envelope
A Ring?????
2 pairs of flat shoes
Soap and Glory Yule Monty Set
Slippers
Socks (lots, haha!!)
Also i got a ton of sweets and chocolates which are not pictured, mainly because I've ate half of them already LoL!!!

We also got a puppy for Christmas although that was more for my son as he has been asking for a dog for the longest time!! 
His little face was an absolute picture on Christmas morning when he saw that Santa had brought him a dog, couldn't wipe the smile off his face all day long!!
We got a Jacahuahua and hes so cute and tiny!!
He is nameless at the moment but i shall update when we choose a name for the little fella.

A close up of the beautiful locket that i got, i absolutely love it!!
(Sorry for the bad quality picture it was taken on my phone)

Oh after i opened all of my gifts, i was handed this, it was wrapped up and when i opened it i immediately fell in love with the box, its a solid polished metal with a gorgeous pearlescent finish to the top half, and a gorgeous diamante heart opening.
When i opened it i was Blown Away, i was presented with this gorgeous beauty below and asked these four words.
Will You Marry Me!!!!


Naturally i said yes, and we are now officially engaged!!!!

Friday 22 November 2013

MAC Nocturnals Holiday Sets Haul

I recently purchased these MAC gift sets from Debenhams online whilst they had their 10% off beauty offer.


They are the from Nocturnal Holiday Sets and they are absolutely gorgeous!!
I got 2 of the pigment sets and 1 of the lip gloss sets.

The lip gloss set i got was the pink shades, it was a toss up between this one and the corals, but after seeing swatches of the coral set I'm glad i went with this one.
It comes with 4 lip glosses, 1 dazzleglass and 3 cremesheens 
The shades from top to bottom are as follows:

*Dressed to Dazzle
*Fashion Scoop
*Petite Indulgence
*Colour Saturation

I think these are a perfect size and the colours are right up my alley, i also absolutely adore the packaging and think they would make an ideal Xmas gift for the beauty lover.

Next up we've got the Pigment set in Black and Gold.
Lets start off by saying i absolutely love mac pigments, i already have a huge collection and didn't really need more (but i just had to have them, lol)
I already own 2 shades from this set, but still went ahead and bought it for the other 3 shades, the price really is a great deal, you get this full set for £25.50, plus i also got the 10% off, and it worked out so much cheaper than buying the colours that i don't have in full size, and honestly how often do you use up a full mac pigment?!
The shades that you get in this set from top to bottom are:
*Naked
*Museum Bronze
*Gold (Glitter)
*Copper Sparkle
*Black (Glitter)

I think my fave from this set is Museum Bronze, its truly AMAZING!!

The second set of Pigments i got was the Green and Teals.
I initially only picked up this set for the 3D Gold Glitter, but the rest of this set is gorgeous too!!
I love wearing greens on my eyes anyway so this was perfect for me!
The colours in this set from top to bottom are as follows:
*Reflects Gold (Glitter)
*Old Gold
*3D (Glitter)
*Deep Blue Green
*Just Before Dawn

All of these pigments from both sets are amazingly pigmented, super smooth and just apply like an absolute dream!!
I like to apply the glitters over Duo as a base to help them adhere and get a stronger look.

Overall i am so happy and impressed with these 3 kits that i purchased, and cannot wait to use them around the party season!!







Thursday 21 November 2013

Review: CATRICE Limited Edition Glamazona Absolute Eye Colour

I received these two shadows in a beauty/nail swap that i did with a fellow blogger 
This is the first time I've tried anything by Catrice as its not a brand that's available to me in the UK.

First off i really like the packaging on these, hard sturdy plastic with a lift up lid design and the 
Catrice Cosmetics logo imprinted onto the front.
The patterned design on the front is pretty nice too, although I'm not sure if its limited for these shadows or if all the range comes like this.

The purple shade is 'I got the Flower' and the Lighter shade is 'Jungle Treasure'

These feel really silky soft to the touch, have pretty good pigmentation and last a decent amount of time on me.
'Jungle Treasure' feels a tad bit softer than 'I got the flower' but both seem equally as pigmented, overall I'm happy with the both of them.
I would recommend to use these over an eyeshadow base to make them pop even more.


Have you tried anything by Catrice??




Friday 8 November 2013

Free nails inc with glamour magazine

If any of my UK followers are Nails Inc fans, then head straight out to your local shop and pick up a copy of the latest glamour magazine.
You get a full size polish for just £2 (The price of the magazine) although if any of you have a Wilkinson's near to you i would suggest trying in there first as i picked up 4 of mine from there and they each scanned through at only £1, total bargain!!!
There is a choice of 4 shades to choose from Gold, Silver, Red and Black and these polishes are from the 'Kate Spade New York' Collection. 
I managed to bag myself one of each shade plus an extra red and silver for a friend.



You also get an added bonus inside of the mag itself, Katy Perry Killer Queen Perfume Sample and a Body Shop Joy Card, which entitles you to £3, £15 or £100 off a purchase.
I have 6 to play with so will hopefully get a good offer from one of them
Fingers crossed for the £100!!

Wednesday 6 November 2013

£20 Beauty Blogger Swap

So a few weeks ago i was contacted by the lovely Imke asking if i would like to do a swap with her, we sent a few messages back and forth to each other and decided on a set amount of £20 for our swap.

Imke already knew that she wanted to receive all nail polishes and gave me a wish list of  Barry Ms that she wanted to try, i managed to get her all the colours she asked for bar one 'Racing Green' i couldn't for the life of me find this shade anywhere, i tried loads of different boots and superdrug stores but nothing!!
So instead of the racing green i picked up the mint green for her and thankfully she loves them all!!

I asked Imke for a mix of both polishes and make-up, she told me she could get Essence products which i love but cant get them anywhere near me so she offered to send essence products.

This is how the package came.

It was so beautifully packaged and wrapped nice and securely.

She wrapped each item individually and numbered them so i had to open them in order following the instructions on her letter she sent along with the package.

These are all the goodies i received and i love everything!!
I got a mixture of 'Essence' and 'Catrice' products which I'm told is 'Essence's' sister company.


Here are the polishes i got, the two fruity ones on the bottom were an extra gift from one of Imke's friends (how nice is that!)
The shades i got from top to bottom left to right are:
*Essence Free Hugs
*Essence That's What I Mint
*Essence Graffiti Topper in Not Punky Nor Funky
*Catrice I Got The Flower
*Essence Fruity Nail Polish (No shade names on them)

She included some lovely Essence Makeup
*Be Loud Blush in Pink Me, it has a gorgeous camouflage pattern to it.
*Stay with me long lasting Lip gloss in Deep Rose
*Stay Matte Lip cream in Velvet Rose
*Lip liner in Cute Pink
(Sorry the pictures aren't doing them any justice, but i will no doubt be doing separate posts on most of these items for you all anyway)

Lastly some Catrice makeup
*Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette
*Jungle Treasure Eyeshadow
*I got the Flower Eyeshadow
*Defining Blush in I'm a Survivor

Imke was also nice enough to send me 2 little samples, one was a Dior BB cream and the other a YSL touche eclat, both of which I'm excited to try.

I'm so happy and grateful for everything that i received from Imke in our swap.

You can go and check out the polishes that i sent Imke right here:











Monday 4 November 2013

NOTD: Holiday Nails Essence Free Hugs

So I've just returned from a lovely week in Turkey, the weather out there was absolutely beautiful although the nights were very cold, we had a fab time and I'm sad to be back to this awful British weather lol.

I thought id show you a quick pic of the 'Holiday Polish' i chose.
This is Essence 'Free Hugs' and I've been trying to get my hands on this colour for ages, so i was over the moon when i recently received it in a swap i did with a lovely fellow blogger.
Ive been a fan of Essence polishes for a long time now, and this shade is no exception, its my perfect baby pink colour, applies great and is just an all round great polish!!

Saturday 19 October 2013

NOTD: Dorothy's Shoes!!

My new nails, just freshly painted, i am in love with this colour!!

Its by the Fearne Cotton Range from boots, which they bring out each Christmas, this shade is from last years collection and is called 'Ruby Cotton' its a gorgeous deep ruby shade shot through with tiny red and gold glitter particles, so tiny that you cannot feel any texture to the nail, it applies so smooth.
This shade totally reminds me of Dorothy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz, hence the title above.

I'm not sure if you can still get this shade but they have some new Fearne polish sets out again this year, you can find them here:

Saturday 12 October 2013

October 2013 Glossybox UK

So my October Glossybox just landed on my doorstep this morning, and I couldn't wait to open it and share the contents with you all!! 

I have to say I'm not happy with this months box and I really can't see myself using any of these products at all, I think this box is pretty poor compared to the last few box which I feel have been great, but I guess that's the way it goes with beauty boxes, some months you love them and some months you hate them, either way I'm still subscribed lol!! 

Onto the products I received this month:

Can you spy the free choccy in there lol

Killer Queen Perfume Sample
This is a perfume sample of Katy perry 'killer queen' now if you read any of my older Glossybox posts then you will know that I hate receiving perfume samples... Well I hate this one above even more because I didn't even get the sample lol, I literally got the card and that's it, I searched the box and everything, but nothing!! Oh well!!

Gamila secret cleansing bar mini
This is a 100% natural bar that provides gentle and deep cleansing of the skin whilst hydrating, promoting elasticity and encouraging the skins capacity for self repair. This is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive and can be used on both face and body. It has no artificial perfumes, parabens or colouring added.
Whilst all the benefits above make this sound amazing unfortunately I can't hack the smell of it, it's far too herbal smelling for me.

Premae moisturising smoothie serum.
This serum is apparently the ultimate skin saviour for combination skin, it's 100% natural, helps to soothe redness (something which I don't suffer from) and hydrate the skin, whilst keeping it matte and shine free.
Now this does smell lovely, has a strong scent of lemon, very fresh and clean, and I may just may give this a go to check out how it performs on keeping the skin matte and shine free as I do suffer from an oily t zone. 

Me Me Me Cherubs Blush Cheek and Lip Tint.
I'm sure you've all heard about these 'liquid tint' type products by now, this is supposed to be a dupe of the benefit benetint, I've used 'benetint' loads as an ex benebabe, and honestly still can't see what all the fuss is about lol, it's probably the 1 product from benefit that I just didn't like. In terms of the me me me one, it's pretty much exactly the same as the benefit one, has a great staining effect and smells pleasantly nice (think very soft floral) if anyone is toying with the idea of splurging on the benefit one I would say save your money and buy the me me me one, it's only £5.50 for 12ml of product, a fraction of the cost of the benefit one!! 

Monu Illuminating Primer
Is it just me or does anyone else feel like Glossybox is so overdone with products from monu? I feel like I always get there products in my boxes, anyway this primer is paraben free and has been formulated with light reflective mica particles and soft focus technology to brighten the complexion. Can be used alone, under make-up or as a tinted moisturiser for a flawless illuminating finish.
I have swatched this primer and beware you only need a tiny bit, it comes out white and blends to a shimmery finish, (a tad bit too shimmery in my opinion), it's the same concept as MAC strobe cream.
There is no way I would wear this alone as you would literally look like a shiney shimmery disco ball, no thanks!!
The other thing that puts me off this product is the smell, it has a very cheap artificial soapy type smell, it makes me think of those god awful soaps you receive as 'freebies' in some hotels.
Again, this is a product that's probably going to sit in the back of my draws doing nothing, not a one for me!! 
Swatches of the monu illuminating primer and the me me me cheek and lip tint.


The theme for this months box was  'dark  romance' and I honestly have no idea why they picked that theme because the only things in my box that make me think of 'dark romance' are the lip and cheek tint and perfume sample. Honestly the other products have nothing to do with 'dark romance'

What did you get in your GlossyBox this month??









Wednesday 9 October 2013

REVIEW: Be a Bombshell Eyeliner in Onyx

I recently received this in one of my monthly glossy boxes.
I was excited and a tad bit nervous at the same time, as i don't really wear eyeliner that often, i did however give it a go, and  i actually really like it.

It comes in sleek black packaging, think permanent marker style, and has the 'be a bombshell' logo printed onto it

Once opened you can see that this indeed looks like an actual marker pen, i have to admit i was petrified when i first saw the tip and was thinking 'how the hell am i gonna be able to use that' but to my surprise it was actually pretty easy, the tip of the nib is so fine and pointy that it gives really sharp, smooth and precise lines.

I did two swatches here above, you can apply a little more pressure whilst applying this liner to get a bit of a thicker line, or apply using the very tip and a light hand to achieve a thin line.
The pigmentation of the liner is very impressive, its jet black in just one swipe, and it has great staying power, it stayed on my eyes all day and did not budge at all.
I tried to remove the swatches from my hand above and had to wipe over with a baby wipe and firm hand at least 3 times!

Overall I'm very impressed with this liner, and it gets a big thumbs up from me!!






Wednesday 2 October 2013

NOTD: Navy shine of the times.

So I just freshly painted my nails, and went for a deep dark colour to reflect the changing season 
(hello cold weather, lol)


I decided on Barry m navy which is such a deep dark rich navy blue colour, and gorgeous worn alone, but I wanted something to jazz my nails up a bit so I grabbed for my Essie shine of the times, which is a truly stunning duo chrome flakie polish. 
It shines different colours depending on which way you move your hands, this polish is truly amazing!!







Family Fun!!!

Hey everyone, I know I have totally neglected my blog for the last 6 months, but I have just been enjoying having family time, I had a baby boy in February and have loved spending all my time with him and watching him grow and gain new skills each and everyday!!
Then we did lots of activities and trips away in the school summer holidays.
It's literally been non stop fun!!

I have been looking back in my blog lately and have enjoyed my posts and sharing things with all my readers so I've decided I want to try and get back into blogging again. 
So for this first post since I've been gone I'm going to share with you some fun family snaps!!
Hope you enjoy!!