Lesley on Body shop

I went into Body Shop looking for a good body scrub and of COURSE came out with a couple other goodies :)

Cocoa butter body scrub, Almond hand and nail cream, Hemp hand protector



Cocoa Butter body scrub 200mls - £12.50 

Sophia recommended this to me as a good scrub as she and i are obsessed with getting a good scrub that has the right grain consistency but doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy (review to come) as you know, there are so many amazing different types from lemon to olive or mango. But for me my favourite scent is cocoa butter and one sniff won me over from the others. The scent is quite a strong chocolate smell but smells very subtle on your skin. It contains almond shells for exfoliation, i used it with my exfoliation glove and it is rough enough to remove dead skin without being too harsh on the skin. It also removed a weird patch of extra dry skin on my hand that has been bugging me recently. It costs £12.50 but with a student card it's 20% off at £10.42 which i think is an excellent price for a product that works well for me.

you can see the small bits of almond skin used to exfoliate the skin

Almond hand and nail cream and Hemp Hand protector 30mls, £5,00 each (or £4.17 with 20% student discount)

I bought the almond hand and nail cream because my nails always have really dry areas and peeling skin and as we approach the winter months my hands are getting drier and drier, especially with lots of hand washing. As i approached the til the lady announced that it was buy one get one half price. A hand cream for £2.50? Yes please! So i bought another, yet very different Hemp Hand protector. Also available is wild rose hand cream with SPF15.

Almond hand and nail cream

When i took a whiff of this cream it smelt unbelievably delicious! I just wanted to eat it! The smell is not too overpowering like some hand creams are, and it sinks in straight away which I've found is quite rare in a hand cream. It contains sweet almond oil and Brazil nut oil which is why it is also good for nails. The only problem i had with this is if you open the tube a little bit comes out straight away so i can't open it just to smell it!

Hemp hand protector

I bought the bigger tube of this for my aunty last year and she always tells me how much she is in love with it. Although hemp is not my favourite smell, help seed oil is ultra hydrating and i am glad i picked it up as it is a thicker cream than the almond cream, so will help me through the really harsh winter days. It also sinks into my hands quite quickly and leaves my hands feeling beautifully soft. 

Lesley on Crown

After my first review of my brushes (here) i was pretty satisfied with my brush collection. However with my recent purchase of Sleek i decided i needed a lip brush, then a crease brush... then my list got bigger and bigger! Since then i have settled for three brushes from Crown Brushes that (i hope) have completed my brush collection.

Top to bottom: lip brush, crease brush and fan.

C206 Deluxe Red Sable Oval - £4.91

I love this natural bristled brush as it has a cover, so it is handy for travelling but also you can attach it to the end of the brush to make it longer (see picture above) i cannot wait to apply Sleek with it as it will give a more accurate application.

C412 Deluxe Pointed Crease - £4.95

Whenever i apply eye shadow with my stiff(ish) chubby brush, i always seem to miss a bit out or make it look so dramatic in the creases of my eyes and have to blend like crazy with my contour brush, which is extra effort when i haven't got the time. With this, it is shaped to a rounded bullet point for and precise application and "a must have for anyone creating smokey eye looks". Again it is made with natural sable and goat bristles and is so soft. 

C143 Deluxe Soft fan - £8.03

Considering how cheap my other brushes were, this one was almost double the price, but nevertheless still a good price! However i really wanted a good brush for highlighting and to dust off excess powder. I saw so many on the Crown website and went for the larger one, i didn't realise how big it actually was: its the size of my palm! (see below for my hand comparison) I also like the white with the black stripe and also it has natural goat bristles.

Lesley on Wheat

Today i was told that i have to be wheat free. Before i was only eating brown bread and pasta, but now i have to give it up completely. The prospect of giving up my favourite pasta or Nutella on toast is so daunting.

Source: Google

10 foods that contain wheat:

1. Flour -  Most flour is made directly from the wheat grain, including brown flour, white, or bran
2. Bread - Most obvious one when i think of wheat the first thing i think of is bread. This includes all kinds of breads, including pizza and battered food, unless stated otherwise.
3. Pasta - Another obvious one
4. Canned soup - Contains wheat to thicken the soup.
5. Vegetables - Frozen or canned prepared in a sauce.
6. Sauces - Including salad dressings, soy sauce, gravy, ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard containing thickening agents or starches containing wheat, unless stated otherwise.
7. Desserts - Icecream, sherbet, icings, meringues and puddings all contain wheat.
8. Synthetic cheeses - pasteurised cheese spreads, cottage cheese and blue cheese.
9. Beer - The main ingredient commonly used is barley but also contains wheat.
10. Sweets and chocolates (including hot chocolate) - Including chewing gum, contain wheat extracts.

As you can see lots and lots of things are made from wheat and it actually gives you limited choices. But there are great alternatives on the market such as wheat free bread and quinoa or rice pasta. Other alternatives are corn and potatoes.

Big supermarkets are now adding lots of products that are wheat and gluten free while health shops have many food alternatives. For example, i found a lovely bread in Tesco called "Genius" that is thick and fresh, unlike some other dry and hard breads I've found.



Genius is just... genius!
Source: Google

 I think i will gradually cut out things like sweets and chocolate, as taking it out from my diet will be a shock to my system! Is there anybody else that is wheat/gluten free? I would love to hear how you manage!

Lesley on Wishlist

While searching on Crown Brushes for a new fan brush and lip brush, i came across this beauty...

Image from google

This is the Botan brush from NARS. Its a hefty £55 but has natural bristles and is designed for blending and buffering. Also, for loose powder application. It is quite a big brush (fits in the palm of your hand) and in some reviews people have said its too big for their face. I would use it to blend in my bronzer as sometimes it tends to be quite harsh and no matter how much i blend with my kabuki it doesn't quite blend enough. Ah if only!!

Sophia's Shoe dilemma

Argh why are shoes so high?! I ordered these online from New Look because i only wear the same black shoes from Primark i bought 2 years ago, there just soo comfy. I wanted something strappy but not too strappy? If that makes sense. I just love how they look but omg they're so high i can't walk AND it has a zip at the back and it kinda digs in. I think it will cut my ankle after a few hours wear. I didnt expect really comfy shoe from New Look for only £25 but still! I know it dosnt sound like a dilemma as i should obviously return them but maybe i cant try to make the zip better? ...i dontno how though....

Damn you shoe!!!

Update : I took them back :( booo

Sophia's buys from Boots

Went into Boots and realised it was 3 for 2, so me and friend got over excited and bought stuff. All i went in for an eyeshadow oops!

Barry M Lipgloss Bubblegum number 5 £4.49

(Lemon Meringue Models Own Nails)

Ooooo so pretty and pink! I was drawn to the bright pink colour in the tube and its soo bright. It smells like amazing sweets, its a certain sweet ive had before but i cant remember the name dam it. In photos it comes out more pale pink with a cooler undertone for some reason but if you like barbie pink pale lips i would suggest this for you.

Loreal Colour Appeal 151 pure gold £6.99

This is what i originally went in boots for! Its shimmery gold without being over glittery. Either a light application or heavy looks really good. Slightly over priced and im sure i wont repurchase because i doubt ill ever use the whole thing.

Loreal Eyeshadow, Barry M lipgloss & Boujois Coup de Theatre mascara with flash

Rimmel Volume Flash Mascara £5.99

Second time ive bought this. Its a cheap mascara that works really well. I do alot of coats with any mascara, im guessing 10? It does dry fast so it can get clumpy but i think its really good for 6 quid.

Random Hair Stuff

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection £5.89

Toni & Guy Finishing Shine Spray £7.14

Aussie 3 Minute Take The Heat £4.69

Lesley on Battle of the Brows

Recently, as you all may know I've gone a little eyebrow crazy and I'm attempting to have the perfect, neat, symmetrical eyebrows. I'm going to do a little comparison post on two eye gels and see which one in my opinion, is better.

Mac vs Benefit: which one is better?

Benefit's 'speed BROW'

I have to admit i have a love/hate relationship with this 'speedBROW'. I got it unexpectedly as a free gift when i ordered lots of makeup off of a website. Here are my high and lows of it so far...

We will start with the negatives...

• The tube is SO small! I admit it has lasted me months and I'm only halfway, but for only 3g a bottle and using one/two coats everyday, i think i will get through a few during the year.
• Although the gel looks brown in the tube, it actually comes out a very light almost clear brown, it might as well be a clear gel.
• If i put on more than two coats, it flakes badly.
• It takes a little while to dry: i would use this as a final part of my routine.
• If i use it on its own it won't last the whole day.

The positives: 

• I love it as a lazy girl product, just two coats and my eyebrows will stay in place (after applying with brow zings of course!)
• It's a good travel size, so i might buy one just to keep in my travel makeup bag.
• As it is quite clear, it's not messy to apply and you can't see if I've missed and gone past my eyebrow.
• The wand is big for a quick and easy appliance
• Doesn't dry "crunchy"- I've heard a lot of gels that do this and i would not use a product that did that.
• No smell.

MAC's 'BROW SET'

My first impression on 'Brow Set' was "why does it look shimmery?" Also, it wasn't the brown i was expecting. I recently bought it online from the Debhenhams 10% off, otherwise i wouldn't have tried it.

The negatives...

• A bit messy to apply, i kinda just went for it and applied liberally like i do my with my Speedbrow - you can't do this! It went all over my skin and took a while to clean up, not a great start as i was in a rush.
• The colour is dark, so again, less is definitely more!
• Strongly scented
• My eyebrows look perfect, literally perfect! Which is not always a good thing, as i do like the natural look. My brother asked me why my eyebrows looked weird when i used this with Browzings for day time. 

The positives...

• 8g for this baby! Because you only have to apply a little bit, it will last for ages and ages!
• The gel and wand reminds me of mascara (which makes sense really) the brush is compact and the gel is so strong and it lasts a full day on my thick unruly eyebrows.
• The colour is a very deep brown and highly pigmented, which is a good thing for me as my eyebrows are almost black. However, if you have medium or light hair i wouldn't recommend this for you, as it is noticeable.
• As this has such a good colour pay-off, i don't have to worry so much about filling in my eyebrows with browzings, perfect lazy girl product for me and also great when i have no time!
• Doesn't flake
• Also doesn't dry crunchy, and my brows look highly defined.

MAC and Benefit

VERDICT: MAC is £11.50 for 8g, Benefit is £12 for 3g, instantly i would reach for MAC as it is more value for money. The two eyebrow gels itself are so different, they are rather like cousins than sisters. The most important thing for me is staying power.

 Benefit's 'Speed BROW' i will use after complete time and effort filling in my eyebrows with 'Browzings.' I think it makes a good finishing touch. However, you can use clear gel or vaseline with hairspray and the results would be exactly the same. It is better suited on its own for a natural day time look.

MAC's 'Brow Set' is more for the night time look. I used 'Brow Set' on its own today for work with a natural face of makeup, and every time i looked in the mirror i thought "woah!" To me, my eyebrows stood out so much! It has a better staying power than Benefit, which is important to me as my eyebrows always 'drop' making them look messy.





THE WINNER.... MAC!

(However, I'm not going to stick with this forever, i am willing to try others in the near future.)


 

Lesley on experimental makeup

Last night on a night out with the girls i decided to do a little experimenting with my eye makeup, and i think i did pretty well, don't you think?

Gold and green match so beautifully together, and i think they compliment each other nicely without being too over-the-top.

makeup used:

• Mac prep and prime for primer
• Mac Rubenesque Paint Pot
• Mac Humid
• Mac Amberlights
• Mac Nehru
• Body Shop 01 eye shimmer to highlight
• Elizabeth Arden gel eyeliner in black
• No7 amazing eye pencil on lower lashes
• Mac haute and naughty mascara

What i did:

• I primed my eyes using prep and prime and 'Rubenesque'.
• I put on 'Humid' from the centre of my eyes to the crease using the Chubby shadow brush, and then the firm shadow brush in the crease
• I then took 'Amberlights' and with the smudge brush applied it into the inner corner
• Using the firm shadow brush i used a bit of 'Nehru' in the outer corner
• Elizabeth Arden gel liner on upper lash line
• Amazing Eyes pencil on bottom lash line
• Body Shop Eye shimmer to highlight
• Haute and Naughty Mascara to finish

(I don't think i needed to use the prep and prime AND Rubenesque as Rubenesque acts like a good primer too.)

I'm actually really smiley in real life! I was getting annoyed because i couldn't get a good picture, this was the best non-blurry pic

Other makeup used:

• Elf studio primer
• Benefit 'You Rebel' tinted moisturiser
• No7 'Highlights' illuminating lotion
• Guerlain 'Terracotta' bronzer
• GOSH multicolour Blush
• Browzings for eyebrows
• MAC Marcel Wanders 'Nice Buzz' lipgloss

Sophia's Mac Lipsticks

I only own 2 MAC lipsticks....and they are my only lipsticks! shocking! I've always been a lipgloss girl but thought id try out some good lipsticks. I wanted a nude-ish pale colour and a pinky one, so after reading 100's of reviews (I always do this) i decided on these two:

 

Creme Cup - Cremesheen 

"MAC Description = light blue pink"

I looked at so many reviews of this online. In some photos it looked really deathly pale and others quite pink. Me and a friend were shopping near a MAC counter so I went to test it out. I stupidly only swatched it on my hand because i was to preoccupied with choosing a foundation (which was an epic fail, review coming). The colour looked like what i wanted so i purchased it. When i put it on at home I decided I looked dead and washed out. So for the first few applications i've been applying a thin coat and puting lipgloss on top. Yesterday i decided to try it without lipgloss and a slightly heavier coat and my boyfriend said my lips looked pretty? So i think i have to get used to it. Im going to venture to nandos wearing it and see how i feel lol Overall i like it, It's most likely the high pigmentation of a lipstick im not used to.

Lustering - Lustre

"MAC Description = outspoken pink"

I was torn between Lustering and Lovelorn but decided on Lustering because i thought it looked more of a warm pink. Its a very bright warm pink, not a cool barbie pink on my lips. I like to put lipgloss on top for more shine. It has long staying power and slightly stains my lips which i dont mind. I still want to try out Lovelorn though!

I will try out more lipsticks from different and cheaper brands but so far i like MAC lipsticks :)

Sophia's Models Own Smash up

Smash Up Pink

This is my 2nd type of crackle polish, i have the black China Glaze. This Models Own is soo much easier to use: the polish is so smooth and thin compared to China Glaze. You don't have to worry about overlapping the pink and it not crackling because it's so thin. I've also tried the black version and it's just as good. My only thing was, i thought it would be opaque but it's quite transparent if you paint it too thin. I painted it over blue and got purple, i liked it but just wasnt expecting it. I want to try the silver smash up next.

Two coats of Lemon Meringue, Pink Smash-Up and Seche Vite top coat

 

Lesley on Models own

I recently received my four nail polishes from Models Own in their 50% off sale. It would have been £20 but i paid £10, not including £2.95 P&P... absolute bargain! I think these are the perfect colours for the seasonal change from Summer to Autumn.

L-R: Gun Grey, Snow White, Slate Grey and Gold Digger

Gun Grey - This is a very shimmery dark grey - almost black, with silver glitter. The name is perfect for this shade as it really is a Gun Grey. I like this because its not as harsh and gothic as black sometimes can be. It catches the shimmer in different lights really well. I've got it on my toe nails and it looks very pretty.

 

Snow White - I went to America back in May, and on the plane i saw a girl with white nail polish, i thought it looked so pretty and complimented her look with her white jeans, and wanted it for myself. I think white is quite a daring colour to wear as it is really bright and draws attention to your nails, so i want to wait until my nails are longer to wear this. The first application was a little streaky, but it is quite expected and the second coat was good and dried quickly. I also love the originality of the name, its so cute! This is more of a spring colour to me because it looks clean and fresh. I am going to use as a base to create polka dots and different experiments.

Gold digger - Gold digger is a yellowy metallic gold. This is so easy to apply, very smooth and needed two coats. It really reminds me of the colours of Autumn and I'm excited to try this on my nails as i think it will look very glamorous on my toes.

Slate Grey - When Slate Grey arrived i didn't really think much of it. It looked like concrete grey in the bottle. However, on the nail it looks amazing! It looks more like a creamy nude beige with slight purple undertones than grey. When it comes to nude colours, i am so critical (see my nails inc post) so i surprised myself to how much i really like this. It only needed one coat to be opaque, but i put on two out of habit before applying Sally Henson's 4-in-1 top coat. However, after applying two coats and a top coat i thought it had dried pretty quickly but tried to open a box and smudged my thumb, so maybe one coat is really enough. I wore this on a night out and couldn't stop looking at my nails! I think it makes my nails looks very neat and tidy and can be worn with anything and everything.

Slate Grey

It looks great with one coat

And the same with two - with flash

In natural sunlight, it looks so pretty!