Topshop Nails in AWOL - Feeling Blue

I am not normally partial to a blue nail varnish, the thought of it brings me back to my teenage years (along with bright blue mascara!) However whilst in Topshop I was drawn to this electric blue shade of varnish called AWOL. There are so many nice shades in Topshop at the mo, I think I will be going back to purchase Adrenalin & Drink Pink.

To be all matchy matchy, I bought this ring from Primark for £2.99 

How do you feel about blue nails? I know that Essie & Barry M also have some very nice blue shades, have you tried it yet?

Also, do you like to match nails with jewellery/accessories or do you think its a bit too matchy matchy? for me, I quite like to co-ordinate! I found some pics below for inspiration. Although its not co-ordinated, I love the big pic at the bottom with the tattoos & piled up jewellery - I want to recreate this! minus the tattoos though, I am not quite brave enough :) 

LINKS - 1)  http://indulgy.com/post/zVousxgqJ1/match-nails-to  2)http://followgram.me/i/528743355883622950_26904771 3)http://www.glendaloughmanor.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/wedding-day-nails/ 4)http://www.glendaloughmanor.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/wedding-day-nails/ 5) http://samamamann.tumblr.com/ 6) http://www.emilydenisephotography.com/blog/?category_name=nail-art&paged=7

7) http://azavarzina.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/the-fashion-of-nails/

John Frieda Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo & Conditioner Review

One of the tricky things with coloured hair is the maintenance to keep it looking great. When its time to do my roots I give a sigh of relief when the jobs done and my hair is bright, glossy & back on form. Its only when I have my hair coloured that I realise how lacklustre it had become and looks a bit, well, dull.

I am a bit of a fan of John Frieda hair products and when I heard that they had brought out a new shampoo & conditioner from the Sheer Blonde range I was keen to try them. The latest addition to the range is a colour preserving duo called Everlasting Blonde which helps to keep your hair looking as if it had been freshly coloured. 

The idea is to use this shampoo & conditioner at least three times a week to maintain a freshly coloured look. I wash my hair everyday, tut tut, but I absolutely have to because otherwise my hair looks vile as my hair type is greasy - enough said. I had been using the John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo & conditioner but have recently switched it to the Everlasting Blonde to give my hair a colour boost. 

I am due to have my next colour top up, however if it was not for the roots coming through I would be really happy with the colour as it is. I have found that this duo has actually brightened my blonde locks and has helped to keep the colour fresh. It also claims to preserve the 'feel' of just coloured hair, for me my hair doesn't feel particularly great after it has been coloured so I can't compare it to that. It does however make my hair feel soft which I was pleasantly surprised about, accompanied with the sweet scent makes it nice to use too. 

If you want a bit more info about the Everlasting Blonde range, you can visit their website here. They have also revamped a few other ranges so its worth taking a look

Overall I am pleased with the results - have you tried this? what are your thoughts?

*Pr sample 

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Kiss Kiss

Hello Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint, you are most welcome in my make up bag. 

Have you shopped the new MAC range yet? as mentioned the other day I did buy a few sneaky pieces including the MAC In Extreme 3D Black Lash Mascara reviewed here. The other item I chose was a Lipglass tint in Kiss Kiss, a gorgeous pinky peach shade.

One of the things that really appealed to me (other than the lush colour) is that its a twist bottom tube, a couple of clicks and the gloss is dispensed into the brush for application. Now if your a bit impatient then I have a warning for you - only twist the bottom a few times, the gloss will come out, just not instantly OK? how do I know this? because I must have twisted it about 10 times saying "nothings coming out!!!" swiftly followed by "Too much is coming out!!!"

The wearability is pretty good, although I do have to reapply through out the day. The texture is a little on the sticky side, but I am yet to find a MAC gloss that isn't.

When swatched on the skin it has a red/orange tone, however once applied it actually looks pink which I do like. My advise is to try on the lips before purchasing if possible.

Have you tried any of the lip glass tints?

Mini Primark Home Haul

I am afraid to say that unfortunately, I am one of those sad people who will buy anything with their pet dogs breed on it. The latest addition is a cushion, with of course a chihuahua print (£4.00), I am sorry it had to be done. I spotted this delightful cushion in Primark's home section so naturally I bought the cushion along with a few other home bargains.

My candle stash was looking a bit low so I bought two scented candles, one vanilla and the other blackberry both £2.00. I also bought a few lime cushions (£7.00 for two) which will go perfectly with my pouffe that I got recently to go in my living room, the wicker heart stand would also go nicely in there (£2.50)

The last thing I bought was some wooden hangers for £2.50. Now this will hopefully spur me on into getting organised (I know I have said it before but this time I mean it) I am going to get rid of all the crappy plastic odds & ends hangers and replace with new fresh wooden ones. This is the start of a big project, watch this space!

They say never work with children & animals, after trying to photograph my chihuahuas with my new chihuahua cushion (sorry couldn't resist) I know exactly why. Maggie is the poser & Moji, well, he just sat on the cushion and that was is it! 

Have you bought any new home bits recently? Do you want to join me in my up coming Mission Organize (take 2)? 

Baby Lips - Peach Kiss - Worth the hype?

Baby Lips has hit the UK!!! OMG how utterly exciting a new LIP BALM. Just in case you did not twig, that sentence was written with a touch of sarcasm. To be honest I was not in the market for a new lip balm, my cherry Carmex is doing just fine thanks, but the hype got to me and I just had to understand what all the commotion was about. With three golden nuggets in my purse (I still can't let go of calling a pound a golden nugget from childhood) it was either baby lips or a Costa and luckily for Mrs (or Ms) Maybelline, she won - Baby lips it was. 

I chose Peach Kiss, because, well, I like peach? and erm kissing? I'm not sure why but this one appealed the most so that's what I got! The fact that the packaging was purple had nothing to do with it....

So, what to say, its a lip balm. It moisturises the lips for a few hours then you have to apply again. Its supposed to give 8 hours moisturisation, really? maybe on a baby's lips, that's probably where they got that from. For me its a few hours max. As for the colour, its subtle and barely there, which I actually like, if I want a bit of colour I would go for a different product like a lip pencil/butter.

For £2.99 its OK, but when you compare it to other drugstore lip balms it is one of the most expensive. For me its comparable to a Chapstick/Nivea lip balm and in my opinion Carmex is much better at moisturising the lips than other drugstore lip balms.

This is not a re-buy item, sorry I just don't get the hype. Damn, I should have had that Mocha 

Dr Nick Lowe Oil Control Anti Blemish Day Cream Review

Moisturisers & oily skin, a tricky combination that requires an equal balance of moisturisation & oil regulation. Get it wrong and all hell breaks loose, trust me I know all to well. There's been many an occasion where I buy a moisturiser after testing it on the back of my hand and I say to myself  "oh it makes my skin feel so soft" yes dear I am sure it does on a dry hand but on a greasy face? oh no. I would love to be able to buy those ultra rich vitamin packed moisturisers, but my pores just don't want to play ball.

When I spotted the Nick Lowe Oil Control Day Cream it instantly ticked many boxes - Light moisturising day cream - check, Easily absorbed - check, Regulates oil - check, Anti-bacterial - check, Was this day cream made for me? - check, Should I buy this right now? - Absolutely 

It pleases me greatly when I find a moisuriser for oily skin which is not gel based texture, somehow they just don't seem to cut it, yes they mattify but they do not really moisturise. The texture of this cream reminds me of cliniques dramatically different (the old one, I have not tried the new one yet) and absorbs into the skin fully to leave a smooth surface.

I use this as directed, in the morning after cleansing applied to face & neck. I found that it has helped with the midday shine and has not "broken through" my make-up, but it has still left my skin feeling moisturised. What I really like about this is the Anti Blemish Complex as it protects your skin whilst moisturisng to prevent further breakouts.

Over all I am pleased I have found this moisturiser, for me it seems to be the right balance for a day cream so I would repurchase this - I bought mine from Boots £15.49 for 50ml 

What are your thoughts on this moisturiser?

Week in Pictures

 From top -

 Top square of five:

1- 3) when selfies go wrong, 4) - 5) new bag!

Middle square of four - having a fat week:

 1) Krispy Kreme, 2) This is what happens when you go to Tesco with a craving, 3) Oh so yummy dessert, 4) a meat platter at a local cafe. 

Bottom square of four:

 1) Benefit Fake Up concealer review see here 2) Mac Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash mascara review see here 3) I succumbed to the hype of baby lips, review soon 4) Primark home bits, post coming soon

More pictures on my instagram, why not follow? WKDN85WKDN

Benefit Fake Up Crease Control Hydrating Concealer Review

This little beaut has been a staple in my make-up bag for the past few months, after weeks of usage it is definitely worth a blog post. I was drawn to this because of its crease control claims, I hate it when concealer creases up around the eyes and sinks into every crevice & for that reason its claims instantly captured my attention.

I use this to cover up dark circles and to disguise fine lines around my eyes, it has a very smooth texture so it is light on the delicate eye area & makes application easy. There are currently three shades to choose from (light, medium & dark) light is actually a perfect match for me so no concerns over a colour match. It seems to have been quite popular so they may well bring out more shades in the future.

The concealer consists of two different formulas, the outer part is the moisturiser made up of vitamin E & apple seed and the center is for the coverage. Initially I thought there was too much moisturiser versus actual concealer (as there is just the small part in the middle) but on application they blend together well to give a soft & silky concealer.

The claims are that it keeps your skin hydrated for 6 hours without creasing, I find this to be true & works well to keep the creases at bay. Its light enough for the eyes but also has a decent coverage to cover dark circles. 

At £18.50  it is at the higher end for a concealer (particularly if you on use it on your under eye area like me) but I have found it has lasted well and works as it is supposed too so I would purchase this again 

Over all I enjoy using this concealer and would buy it again, have you tried this yet?

MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara

Hurrah MAC have released their new collections, just the right timing as I needed a new mascara. Now in my last post I said I was going to stay away from MAC and broaden my horizons, however I had already bought this (and a few other bits) so this doesn't count!

So there are two new mascaras, In Extreme Dimension Lash & In Extreme 3D Black Lash. Both have a lightweight formula which adds length and volume without clumping/flaking, however the 3D version has a few added extras. Seeing as they were both the same price (£18.00) I decided to opt for the 3D version.

So what makes the 3D any different? well it is highly pigmented to give the blackest black colour on your lashes. It also has a larger brush head so that you can apply mush more mascara adding to the volume of the lashes. 

Now I am normally a fan of a big brush, I like to get it on nice and thick no messing about building it up with a small brush. However messing about is usually what happens, I am a bit clumsy so the length of this brush did not help with my application skills - see on my lid below. I am more of width over length type of girl, I like them short and fat, when it comes to brushes that is! oh dear

I am quite lucky when it comes to lashes, they are naturally quite long so generally most mascaras work well for me. I don't usually curl them either, in the pics above I didn't and I think that the mascara still looks good.  As for being blacker than black, in my opinion it does not look any blacker than a normal black mascara. There may be a difference comparing it to the standard In Extreme Dimension Mascara but my guess is that there is not a lot of difference between the two. Over all I like this mascara, it works well on my lashes with minimal clumping but I am now wowed by the brush & pigmentation. 

Have you tried either of these? what are your thoughts?