Messing around with nails

Sophia used a navy blue maybelline express finish nail varnish with different colours and effects over the top and came up with this. I used Barry m's and opi's rally pretty Pink to make this rose gold effect. I'm not entirely sure I like this colour on my nails I think I will have to wear it with certain outfits to make it look right. 

I'm looking for the perfect rose gold colour and if anyone has any recommendations I would be grateful. 

Empties!! Lots and lots of empties...

As i finish one product i throw it into a classy Tesco bag and move on to the next. I thought it was time to recycle when i realised i had four deodorants and three shaving foams... I won't go through every single item as that's boring and will put you to sleep.

wow i go through a lot of products!

You know when you get shampoos and conditioners from travel sets or Christmas and you think you will get to use them but never get around to finishing? I am very guilty of this and always have random brands. Shampoo here, conditioner here. It just takes up space. 

L'oreal Everstrong No sulphates Conditioner didn't really agree with my hair and either made my hair greasy the same day or left it feeling dirty after directly washing my hair. Unfortunately there was a promotion so i have a couple more of these to get through. I hate when shops suck you in like that!

Orofluido shampoo and conditioner consisted of a creamy "gold" colour. I liked the shampoo but the conditioner was too light for my curly prone to frizz hair.

I would genuinly buy all these products again apart from the "Ever Since" hand and body lotion on the second left, which i got for Christmas in a nail set. The Body shop products never seize to let me down and i absolutely love the vanilla and brazil nut scents.

Crabtree and Evelyn's LA source and soothing body lotion were not my favourite scents. LA Source was a handy size for overnight stays and weekend breaks. The scent was favourites  by the men in my life. I used the soothing body lotion at night before bed due to its relaxing lavender and rosewood essential oils. In fact i've nearly finished my second bottle of this! The little squashed hand cream at the front there will be re-purchased when i finish all the millions of hand creams i have.

 I received Lush's Charity pot in Chocolate for Christmas. I used this to treat myself as it started depleting very quickly. The chocolate scent is strange and overpowering at first but once you put it on the skin it feels so soft and smells faintly sweet. I liked the thin consistency to it too.

Everyone knows how amazing Body Shop and Soap and Glory shower gels are so i won't go into those. I bought the No 7 Luxurious foaming shower oil (with the body spritz but that's not finished yet) as part as a 3 for 2. I love oils so the fact this could foam was a win for me. However, it didn't foam up that much and i had to remember not to pour out double of what i would normally use. I think i would purchase this again as it left my skin so silkly soft.  Used with the body oil it feels heavenly.

Good old Laura Mericer does it again. I bought these two in a set along with the matching shower gel (40 pounds gone down from 50 - bargain!) and used this for very special occasions like nights out or if  i needed a pick me up. The Creme Brulee smell is just amazing, but if you don't like sickly smells i wouldn't go for this as it smells very strongly of the dessert. The body creme is so thick and you can just tell it is expensive and luxurious: almost as if you stepped out of your bathroom and into a spa . If this wasn't too expensive i would definitely buy this set again. Hello Father Christmas?

I won't talk about the Bioderma but something i have been doing is putting them into these little Vichy samples. This has been good for weekends away or holidays and i will be keeping these little bottles for future trips. I am yet to buy another Bioderma but I've been using Decleor Aroma Cleanse followed by a face wash and moisturiser. I've lost my Decleor toner somewhere which is a sad time for me because it was a full, big bottle of it. Sigh.

I received the BB cream sample from a magazine and after using up the sample i went out and bought it straight away. I do my face as usual in the morning with moisturiser and use this on top as a replacement to foundation. I was using this the most in the summer months and on holiday, but if you apply too much it's hard to blend in. Another sample, which is the Yu Be skin cream, will not be purchased in full size. It smells very medicinal and although it claims to defeat dry skin i don't think it was any better than my usual handcreams.

The L'oreal mascara is my favourite and i would use again and again. I've actually finished another one and i'm on to my fourth. I've also repurchased a concealer and Laura Mercier foundation, which hasn't been touched all summer, winter is coming Laura don't worry!

Prada Candy is an amazing perfume! Is smells so sweet and as i love sweet smells it is perfect for me. It has base notes of caramel and top notes of musk (you can tell i'm good at recalling scents can't you?) The staying power isn't great but i still would purchase it again in the future. Right now i have the new Prada Candy which is my new favourite perfume. I like to mix it up although it is always the sweet scents i go for.

DIY cushions

One of my best friends got married back in June and as her bridesmaid i wanted to give her a special keep-sake gift which was original and unique to her. I thought personalised "Mr & Mrs" cushions with their wedding date would be a nice touch.

What you will need:

- textile marker (i bought the edding 4500 from Amazon)

-Tracing Paper

- Cardboard or any sturdy object

- linen/cotton pillow cover 

- stencils or printed letters of your choice

-iron

First draw over the printed stencils with the tracing paper over the top using the fabric marker to make it stand out.

Put the tracing paper on sturdy cardboard and position it under the pillow cover for a hard surface to lean on. I bought linen covers from EBAY and at first i used a DVD, but the case was too dark and i couldn't see the outline properly so i switched to white cardboard.

Carefully draw the outline of the letters and numbers first and later colour them in. To fix the letters so they won't smudge iron over them without the steam function. 

Voila! it's really that simple! 

Holiday Empties

These are a few travel - sized empties from my recent holiday to Corfu. 

Korres Basil Lemon Little Moisturising Body Milk - 50mls

I liked the smell of this but it ran out very quickly as it didn’t foam on the pouf! I wouldn’t recommend this for holidays but instead for weekends away or when you go to the gym.

Korres Aloe & Soapwort Little Shampoo For Frequent Use - 50mls

This left my hair refreshed but not greasy the next day. I tend to wash my hair everyday on holiday so i needed something that wouldnt be too heavy in my hair. However, i wish i bought a full size version as it ran out quite quickly. 

Korres Body Butter Guava Extra Moisturising Cream For Dry Skin Conditions - 50mls

This was very moisturising as it states and the smell is refreshing but not overpowering. I used it over my normal moisturiser, when i knew my skin was going to take a beating from the sun or water, or when my skin felt tight or itchy, especially after being in the pool or on the beach. When it ran out i cut open the tube and there was lots left, i hate anything going to waste! I will definitely be repurchasing this in the bigger version for the approaching winter months.

Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body oil - 115mls

This smell has a very overpowering scent of lemons, to the point if someone entered the room ten minutes after applying they would say, “are you using your Mama Bees?” So be warned! Admittedly, i don’t like the smell of lemons but after the smell subdues it is quickly forgiven as it makes your skin feel so beautifully soft and silky, especially using it when you're damp right out of the shower. Sophia also stole this a few times to use this when her skin felt tight. This originally was a present for a friend but they sent two by mistake and i’m very glad they did! It lasted for two different two week holidays so i would recommend taking this abroad with you.

Tara Smith Working Curls Conditioner - 100mls

My hair is quite dry at the ends but greasy on top so i need quite a nourishing formula while at the same time one that won’t make my hair greasy the same day. I like to leave my hair dry naturally and this light formula didn't leave my hair too fly away or frizzy. 

King Of Shaves Alpha Oil Shave Oil Sensitive Skin - 15mls 

This little shaving oil is so compact but little goes a long way with this product. It lasted for nearly two weeks before it ran out, using it every couple days. It is actually a men’s product but i tend to prefer men’s shaving oil/foam to women’s for some reason (am i the only one?) It was handy to use as it comes out in a blue colour which makes shaving quicker. However, if you don’t rinse the razor properly it becomes clogged with oil. I think i would stick to my La Roche-Posay Homme Shaving Foam in the future. 

Do you prefer travel size or the standard size when you go away?

Insanity with Shaun T

Last year i embarked on a journey to become toned and fit

in a short space of time, while being completely healthy and in control. I turned to Shaun T. Insanity (the name gives it NO justice) is a 63 day high intensity workout DVD programme complete with a nutrition plan designed to give quick - but safe - results. Shaun T is your very own personal instructor who barks instructions such as "dig deep ya'll," "let's goooo!!" and "watch Tanya." To which i reply with a few swear words and the odd tantrum on the floor. There are ten different workouts to do which are split into three groups: the last four weeks are meant to be harder than the first four weeks, with a recovery week in between. 

Some shots of insane Insanity

Apparently you can lose up to 1000 calories in one 60 minute session. I kid you not i do sweat like a beast during all the workouts so i wouldn't be surprised. Also i take regular water breaks during the workout as those people in the video work like machines, i actually do not know how they do it!

I take pictures of my front, side and back and take down all my measurements before i started the actual workout programme,  then every week after. I love seeing the results and squeal at delight at my measurements. For me, the measurements are the most important: i'm quite heavy anyway so i don't really take notice of what the scales have to say.

So how am i doing? 

The first time i did it, i didn't stick to the nutrition plan but i followed the programme religiously. In the 63 days i did not skip one workout which im quite proud of myself for. I lost 5% body fat and went down a dress size :). I won't put up any before and after pictures as they are in my underwear but i will include my measurements.

That's a total of 8.5 inches lost altogether!

Im on day four of insanity at the moment. I woke up at 6am to do todays and when i say i hate getting up a minute early for anything, i HATE it. I was sulking at Shaun T during the first five minutes!

To be completely honest i don't really follow the nutrition guide properly, i just drink loads of water throughout the day and try and get a lot of greens and fruits in my diet. The worst part of it for me is to not skip breakfast! I think if i followed the guide i would get absolutely amazing results though. 

My tips

You HAVE to be committed. I cannot stress that enough. Last year i went on holiday with my work for two weeks and was getting up an extra hour early so i wouldn't have to face the intense Mallorcan heat. It feels like torture at first and i've ached in places that i didn't know existed. BUT after about a week you enjoy the feeling of feeling energised and actually look forward to the workout. It becomes addictive in a way.

It also helps to keep a little journal of how you are feeling during the progress. Furthermore you could ask someone to do it with you, even if they do it in their own home. Or you could even go online and join a forum of people who are also enduring it. I found that journalling and bitching about it to my friends really helped the process. Also looking at 'before' and 'after' videos on Youtube helped me when i had a hard day at work and just didn't feel like exercising. 

I like treat myself to a professional massage every now and again, as a reward of how well i'm doing.  Also, what i've been doing recently is "shopping my stash," by treating myself daily to the more high end products that i only usually use on special occasions. This is just to pamper myself for all my hard work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcsewEUNkn4 - Shaun T speaks about Insanity on Youtube.

Click here to buy Insanity! - it is three monthly payments of £33.00 and £6.95 p&p. It seems like a lot of money but this isn't the last time i am going to do the programme. 

Clinique hair care - perfectly straight straightening cream

Clinique hair care - perfectly straight for medium/thick hair -150mls

My parents bought this for me for Christmas last year and it's just been sitting in my hair box since. As it was being abandoned i decided to try it out and if i didn't like it to give it away to someone who would appreciate it. Well i'm glad i tried it because i absolutely love it and it works really well for my hair type! My hair is naturally curly and it's not very often i blow dry or straighten my hair. I don't really like straightening my hair with my GHDs because i find my hair becomes limp and thin and greasy looking after just a few hours. This cream gives my hair a nice texture and shine to it without weighing it down and leaving my hair feeling greasy. I have medium length hair and i use about a 50p size amount all over (including the roots) and then style my hair as usual. The product states that is for medium/thick hair and i don't have thick hair at all so maybe if you have thick hair use a little bit more.

The picture on the left is after i used Clinique and quickly blow dried it (just with a paddle brush - i was in a rush). It's not incredibly straight as i don't like it styled to be poker straight: i like a little flick at the end. My hair lasts like this until the next time i wash it which is normally two or three days after. The picture on the right shows you just how curly my hair can be! I would give this product a 3/5. I like the smell and the consistency of the cream. I like how it leaves the hair shiny without leaving my hair greasy. However i think it is hard to purchase and it may have been discontinued since my mother purchased it. I found some travel ones on ebay but other than that i don't think anywhere else are selling them, which is a shame because i think it is a really nice product!

Sophia's FOTD

Face

Loreal Studio Secrets Anti shine primer

Bobbi Brown long lasting foundation - Cool Beige

YSL Touche Eclat

MAC mineralize skinfinish natural - Medium

Cheeks

W7 Africa

MAC Mineralize skinfinish - Soft & Gentle

Eyes

Bourjois Coup de Theatre

Lips

MAC Lustering

Hair

Curled into tight ringlets with Nicky Clarke curling iron. Then brushed out! Quite pleased with the outcome as it was my first attempt & my hair looks slightly ombre wooo :)

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Well... not quite on the wall haha! While shopping in the Fenwick centre whilst having 20% off across the whole store, i came across this chrome L.E.D vanity mirror with a battery operated light inside, by Danielle creations. I really like the mirror because its a good height and size, and can be turned 360 degree angles. Also, the on/off light around the mirror really helps to see in my poor lit bedroom. Also it has a normal mirror then if u flick it over, a 5X amplified side (which is horrific to look at yourself in lol, but good for tweezing.) However, i don't think the light lasts up to 5000 hours like they claim, as I've only used the light for maybe up to an hour in total in the past few months and the light is already so dim. It uses four AAA batteries and costs £25.00.

my fish certainly liked looking at themselves in it... vain creatures!

Available to buy for £26.99 HERE

Foxy locks hair extensions

Well hello, its been a while! I've felt really out of knack with blogging recently, the lack of light after i get back from work and my complete writers block has not helped at all. I apologise and make a bid to blog more often.

Now onto the juicy part! To me, hair is something you first notice first on a person and depending on what colour/style it can really change your facial features and more importantly your confidence . I love long curly princess-like hair and always wanted them. My hair used to be so long, thick and wavy/curly but over time and a close family death my hair became limp and thin, and dyeing my hair a reddy colour didn't help its condition, so i drastically cut my hair to try and recover it.  Because of the thinness my hair became quite  curly, but also lacked shape and volume.

I bought some foxy locks (owned by the lovely Imogen) after hearing them from a friend, and seeing countless amount of reviews and oogling at all  Imogen's youtube videos (look at the ponytail tutorial - amazing!) I bought the colour Chocolate Brown in the deluxe version which is 160g, but had to go to the hairdressers to dye and have the extensions cut and blended in. I would highly recommend spending the extra money to get them professionally done as it is really worth it.

Imogen includes special instructions on the back in taking care of them:

• Treat them like your own hair - but better! Always use a heat protection spray while using hot tools.
• Brush gently before and after wearing
• Wash in lukewarm water, apply a nourishing shampoo and conditioner. Rinse thoroughly, you should only need to do this every few weeks.

Before i had my hair dyed and extensions cut

After coming back from the hairdressers

How I've styled my hair with foxy locks:

Well I'm actually so crap at doing my hair, i feel like I'm about five when trying to manage it and find it so difficult to get the angles right when blow drying or styling (anyone else like this??) After I bought my foxy locks i decided to fix up and try and make an effort on my hair. I bought some different sized rollers (post on this soon) and i start with putting some rollers in the top of my hair. Then i curl the extensions individually and curl my hair as I'm putting them in, using lots of hairspray. Afterwards i use my fingers to tease the curls out a bit to make it look more natural. There are ten pieces, 2 four clip pieces, 2 three, 2 two and 4 one hair pieces. The hairdresser cut them to frame my face so I've put them in order. I put the 2 three pieces at the very bottom followed by 2 fours, and then 2 twos, i put the four pieces wherever there is hair left. I hope that makes sense. I then backcomb the top of my hair (never backcomb extensions.)

Me with my foxy locks extensions. My friend on the top left also has them in.

My foxy locks cost £74.00 with a standard £2.99 delivery for 160g. This is great value for price and my hairdresser said she's never seen such full extensions for that price before. They also have 120g or 250g, with many different hair colours. I would love to buy an extra pack for straight hair so i might start saving my pennies. 

So far I've only had my hair curly while I've had them in, but watch out for other hairstyles soon! 

Foxylocks website HERE

Lesley on Wishes do come true

I've been a very very naughty girl... oospie haha! Since completing my P10P I've gone a bit gaga and bought some new makeup I've been lusting over for ages (See wish list HERE.) The Bentall Center were having an exclusive 20% off sale on most their items so i took the plunge and bought Laura Mericer Tinted Moisturiser (full review on that later) and MAC "Blue Brown" (I love this sooo much and have been wearing it constantly since purchasing!) Saving myself around £12.00. Then there was a 25% off for students on ASOS so i bought another item on my wish list. Then onto ELF... i bought my cream base eyeshadows and eye primer (not shown) because... well just because! haha! Brace yourself this is going to be a long post! Now onto the beautiful products...

Elf Duo Eye Shadow Cream - 3g, £1.50 each (yes you read right!)

Ive heard some good reviews about this cream base so at £1.50 a pop i was desperate to get my hands on one! I initially wanted the 'Black Liquorice' duo but saw the 'Olive' duo and as i use a lot of brown eyeshadows i decided to get this too. I haven't tried these out yet but i will do a full review of these soon. I won't use these as a single eyeshadow but more as a base. From my swatches they seem highly pigmented so i can't wait to try these out with different looks. I'll be posting a full review soon.

In natural sunlight and with flash

Mac Blue Brown Pigment - £15.50, 4.5g

Introducing the b.e.a.uuuutiful first MAC pigment I own... 

This is the new love of my makeup life, blue brown! Blue brown is such an intriguing, i first laid eyes on it when someone swatched it and said it was an exact dupe for Wet'N'Wild Comfort Zone palette, i tried to find it online but couldn't find it so i went and bought this, and I'm so happy i did! At first glance it really looks like purple/reddy brown with green sparkles and i can't see the blue until i really pack it on. It really brings out the green in my hazel eyes but i can imagine it looking gorgeous on blue eyes too. Today i wore it in the day, although i think this is a daring day time look but I've worn it for a night out a few times pairing it with burgundy or mustard yellow (sounds gross) outfits and it looked really nice... if i say so myself!

Onto the swatches...

Yes, it was necessary to take five pictures! (Although i had more than ten because its so pretty) i wanted to capture the duo chrome and the fine small blue-green sparkles. As you can see, in flash the duo chrome is more pronounced but in natural sunlight it looks more purple/brown. Also when i rubbed it in a bit (last picture) you can see the effect of the different colours despite the glitter which i really like for daytime looks. I love how in certain lights the sparkles are captured... its just so pretty

i can't believe i forgot to put on mascara grr!

These are swatches taken in natural sunlight and with flash. In natural sunlight it looks like a dark brown but with flash it looks more like a rusty/brick brown. I pack it on with a firm eye shadow brush, add some Nehru or Twinks to the outer crease and then pack some more pigment in the middle. I haven't tried it with my ELF cream base yet but when ill do i'll make sure to post a FOTD/N. From purchasing this i know what the hypes about with MAC pigments and i'm tempted to buy a little collection.

With Jess sporting my Blue Brown Pigment and mustard yellow skirt!

NARS Strada Eyeshadow 2.2g, £16.50

Strada is such a beautiful lilac purple with fine gold sparkles. When i first swatched this in SPACE NK i wanted it straight away but resisted my urge to get it, which I'm so glad as i could never justify spending £16.50 on a single eyeshadow! I haven't had a chance to play around with it yet but I'm looking forward to doing so many FOTD/N so watch this space!

with flash and natural sunlight

Sophia's love for Ombre hair!

Ombre hair is so pretty to me. I've liked that 'beach effect highlight' look ever since watching Sex And The City when I was 13 (nearly 11 years?!). Carrie Bradshaw was the first person I remember rocking the look. Some people hate it and think it looks trampy but I dont care, I love it!

Carrie Bradshaw (SJP)

In 2010 and still this year 'Ombre' hair became a big hit with Alexa Chung being the main style icon. I came across llymlrs blog last year, she shows you how to do DIY ombre and her hair looks lovely! My mum bleaches her hair so theres always bleach in the house. I followed the instructions and left it on for only 4 mins as my hair has warm tones and I didnt want an orange mess! Washed it off, dried it and it looked.....nice? subtle but nice. Thays where i should of stopped....... Next morning I bleached it again but left it on for 10 mins like a complete idiot!!! OMG it was bright orange brassy yellow :(  So i had 3 inches cut off and kept using semi perminent brown hair dyes to tone it down without causing further damage to my hair.

Perfect - Lily Aldridge, Hilary Duff & Lily again

Im still left with 2/3 inches at the ends and the underside is a lighter brown/sometomes brassy colour 14 months later. I dont mind the colour now because its faded so much. Ohh but i still lust after proper Ombre hair. Maybe one day I can get it done properly. I cant see me going off the style as ive loved it for so many years!

Yes Lily, I love you and your hair!