The Perfect Bronzer? Check! ♥

For quite a while i was on a huge brozer-buying-spree! Reaserching well loved and raved about bronzers, hoping to fall head over heels for one, which i have done!

I looked through my drawres this morning and gathered up all the bronzers i own to compare to the one i now love and sware by :

Swatches:

Left to right...

Nars Laguna - Nice colour, but too sparkly.
Barry M Natural dazzle - Far too plum toned.
ELF Warm Bronzer - Too light and orange toned.
Mac Solar Riche - Far too red toned.
Cargo Medium Matte Bronzer -Ok, but a bit too warm.
Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel- Perfect colour, But too hard to work with.
Smashbox Colour Boosting Powder - Too sheer and messy to apply.

*sigh*
None of these met my picky bronzer standards!
I wanted a matte, brown...but not too brown, smooth, fool proof bronzer to give me a believable just back from hoilday colour.
I think ive found it!

'Hoola' Bronzer by Benefit.

My lovely mother came home with this a few of weeks ago, as she knew that i was wanting to try it out.
I was a bit doubting at fist as id practically given up hope on finding 'the one'.

I applied it one morning with my Gosh stippling brush (...Great brush i must add!) and it looked so natural i was amazed. and have used it everyday since.
With all the my other bronzers, i was unable to apply them all over my face and down my neck, But with this one, i can! I also use this to contour...I even used this as an eyeshadow the other week.
The colour is perfect...It gives a nice 'tanned' look, It dosnt have red or orange undertones whatsoever and is quite cool toned, so it matches my fair skin nicely.

As you can see, the colour is alot 'browner' then the other ones...

I wish i'd tried this sooner as i wouldnt have wasted so much money on other bronzers.
Its rather pricey at £23.50 a box, but so worth it if your looking for an amazing quality bronzer. Ive already baught myself a backup!


Whats your HG bronzer?

OOTD & A Little Haul ♥

I hope everyone has had a good Bank Holiday Monday!
I sure have (: Every bank holiday monday since i was about 5, me, my mum and dad have always, without fail gone to the seaside...
Today we woke at the crack of dawn and drove off to the beautiful town of Whitby, the home of Dracula!
The weather was really sunny and quite warm, perfect! (...it was really windy near the shore though!)
Heres what i wore today...

(...Warning, ive bee lazy and havnt applied my St Moritz the past couple of weeks, so im looking more than a bit pasty!)

Black bodycon skirt - Topshop
Leggins - New look
Floral crop shirt - Topshop
Cream dolly shoes - H&M
Mulberry bag

Accesories - Disney couture & Pandora.


I love the shops at whitby, it's full of cute cake shops, fudge shops and lots of vintage one-off shops full of lovely girlie unique clothes and accesories.
Unfortunatly its so overpriced and i'm a poor student, so the only items of clothing and accesories i got was this pretty denim skirt and these two rings:


I LOVE the skirt, Sadly its a tad too big, the smallest size they had is was a size 10 and i need an 8...So, im going to try and adjust the size with my 'amazing' sewing techniques! haha
It cost £25. eeek.
The rings were super cheap at only £2.99 each, I'm in love with the mint green rose (:
All purchased from a 'one off' a shop called 'Ruby Tuesday'.

I then headed onto boots, I cant walk past a boots without going in!
I got:

Barry M Mushroom,
Barry M Raspberry - 2 for £5!
No7 Queenie - £6.79
Rimmel Pink blush - £4.49

I thaught id stock up on darker polishes ready for winter and Queenie really caught my eye, its a very dark berry purple with a slight silver shimmer. Gorgeous, i really recommend checking it out.
I got Pink Blush lippie due to the fact its said to be a dupe for Mac's Viva Glam Gaga, its a very pale barbie pink, very lovely.

Now i'm going to go and stuff my face with the whitby home made dark chocholate fudge that i got, yum!

Rings, Rings, Rings ♥

One of my favourite accesories to wear is a big , bold ring.
I think it can really brighten up and bring a bit more interest to any outfit, the more the better i think.
Now, i dont have many rings and the ones i do have arnt anything fancy or expensive, however i'm rather fond of the cheap'o costume rings. Give me a chunky plastic faux diamond ring any day!
(...I wouldnt turn down a big, expensive, REAL diamond though!)

Heres my little stash of gems...
The majority of my rings seem to be of roses or based on some type of flower, I seem to be attracted to them for some reason.
Now winters creeping up, i think i may have to purchase some less 'florally' rings to fit the season, i might look a bit strange walking around in the freezing snow and rain with a huge rose on my finger!
My favourite ring at the moment has to be the big pastel lilac rose, It goes with every outfit and lilac just happens to be my favourite colour (:



Do you like cheap costume rings, or the more dainty expensive ones?

Nail Polish Collection & Storage ♥

♥
I love nail polish, I'm forever buying bottles of it.
I used to store it in a drawer, but i hauled so many polishes that it wouldnt shut, so i went on the search for a shelf.
Early on a sunday morning, i dragged myself out of bed to my local car boot sale and while perusing the isles, i came across a little white shelf for £3...Yes, £3! Bargin.
A lick of white paint and it was good as new. Now it proudly hangs on my bedroom wall, all organised and pretty.

I really recommend storing your polishes like this, its so easier to find what your looking for and because they're not laying on their sides the varnish dosnt leak into the cap, which causes the lid to get stuck and the polish to split.

I must admit, i'm a slight nail polish snob. I love my OPI and my Nails Inc. Although Revlon and Barry M do some fabulous colours aswell for a fraction of the price.

On the bottom row i keep all my OPI polishes, Middle row has all my Nails Inc and The top row is a variety of various brands such as Barry M, Nars, Nubar, China Glaze, Zoya, Gosh and Essie.

I took these picture a few weeks ago, and since then i have discovered the brilliant brand Models Own which now has taken over most of the top row!

I need to stop buying polishes, or i may have to hunt down another shelf...or two.

Whats your favourite brand and how do you store your polishes?

Exciting haul! Mac & Bobbi Brown ♥

On monday i toodled along to my local CCO which, thankfully, is only up the road from me, So i practically live there, which i suppose it kind of dangerous to my credit card haha.

The goodies...

Bobbi brown Shimmer Brick For Body - £45
Every time i went in my CCO, i always used to pass the Bobbi brown counter umm and ahh-ing, thinking 'one day, i will get that!' But i never do, it just seemed so much to spend on one item. But after some careful reaserch, I came to the conclusion that you get an awful lot of product for your money, 15g worth, and its going to last forever, so i baught...and so far, Its taken the place of Mac's Soft And Gentle and is now my favourite everyday face highlighter! I'm loving Bobbi Browns stuff at the moment.

Mac Oyster Girl Lipglass £7.50
This was just a compulsive buy.I do really love it though and glad i picked it up, Its a beautiful pearly pale pink lipgloss with quite alot of silver shot through it. It looks gorgeous paired with Mac's Pretty Please lipstick!

Now onto the most exciting part...

Mac's Marine Life Highlight Powder. (eeeee!)
I know i'm a bit behind on the whole Marine Life hype, But a friend in the US has been holding onto this baby for me since the 'to the beach collection' was released and ive been looking forward to recieving it ever since! It came this morning and i couldnt me more happy with it, It surley is a peice of art. Even my mother thinks this is beautiful, and shes not a huge fan of makeup herself to say the least.

Isnt it just gorgeous to look at?

I'm dying to try it on, however i'm too scared to use it though, knowing that the pretty gold is only a thin overspray...
I'm going to have to suck it up and use it at some point though, and when i do, expect a full review (:

First OOTD - Simple & Lazy ♥

Just a few snaps i took of my outfit today, I was just popping down to the post office, doing a spot of window shopping and just doing other pointless things to cure my boredom during these looong hoildays.
It's quite a smiple casual outfit...rather lazy actually! I opted for comfort and just let the bag be the star of the show.

Long black bodycon dress - £10 Miss selfidges
Knitted nude cardigan - £35 Miss selfidges
Black leggings - £5.99 New look.
Cream dolly shoes - £12.99 H&M

I'm in love with this cardigan, Just got it last week. Its so cosy and the knitted detail down each side turns it from a boring plain cardigan, to somehing slightly more interesting. It also has pleats on the back to add some more detail.
Cant wait to wear this in winter with a big chunky scarf (:

Accessories:
Mulberry Bayswater - £695
Disney Couture bracelet - £30 ASOS.com
Pandora bracelet - Christmas gift.
Large lilac rose ring - £4.95 Topshop

Kept the accessories simple aswell, as going to the post office isnt really a time to wear some serious bling haha.
I found my Disney couture bracelet this morning that i got a few months ago while snooping through my draws. Totally forgot i had it! It says 'Think of a wonderful thaugh', which is from peter pan i think? So cute.
I wear my pandora every day, as each bead means something different, see the cupcake on it? I got that bead for my 18th as i had a huge birthday cake made out of little cupcakes, so its a lovely reminder.
I'm going to be doing many many more of these outfits of the day posts, i really enjoyed doing it (:

Sneaky Little Haul ♥

Heres a little collective baby haul from a couple of weeks back. I was only planning on getting Benefit high beam because im trying to save my pennies, but being a self confessed makeup addict, i obveously got more...
Mac Hang loose - £17.50 Mac.com
Wanted this since the collection first came out, But didnt purchase it before because i thaught it looked too much like Macs well dressed. After seeing a few reviews on it, i came to the conclusion that it looked different enough to buy it. I LOVE it. Ive worn it everyday since i got it, Gives such a beautiful sheen that well dressed dosnt.
Mac So ceylon. £29.90 Ebay
Yes, I baught this off ebay a bit above the original price. The only other bronzey MSF i have is Comfort and wanted one with a plummy undertone. Its really pretty and i'm glad i own it, however it looks alot like Barry M's pressed bronzer when on the skin.

Benefit Sugarbomb £23.50 Boots
I really like Benefits boxed powders. Really really like them alot. I love the concept of a blush in a carbored box...Simple things like that make me happy! This 'blush' is more of a highlighter, A peachy highlighter but does give a lovely natural flush when layered. The smell is DEVINE, like sweets and rose petals (:

Benefit High Beam - £17.50 Boots
Ive wanted to try this, ever since i was about 16, so quite a while now. I just couldnt see why this tiny bottle cost so much! I caved and baught it though...and now i can see why it costs so much, its the perfect liquid highlighter and its going to last...forever. You need so little of the stuff to give a great glow. Hang loose + High beam = perfection.


So thats my little haul...If anyone wants any full reviews, i would be more then happy to oblige (:

Whats in my...Basket? ♥

...all 4 of my makeup drawers look like this:

a mish mash of everything all jumbled up and in the mornings it took me an extra 10 minutes looking for things, it just wasnt working for me!
But now ive found something that workes wonderfully. A BASKET, Not any old bastket, a pretty blue floral one ofcourse...

Ive tried a makeup bag...but everythings piled up together and i'm always scared of things smashing and cracking, like delicate MSF's...Makeup isnt cheap y'know.
I still store everything in the drawers, but keep my staples in the basket.
Its so easy now to locate everything and i just swich some products around a couple of times a week depending on what blush i feel like wearing or foundation.

Lets have a peak inside:
So, its just my basic everyday items.

The best thing is...it folds away! So when i go on holiday, i can just fold this up and throw it in my bag.

it costs £1.99 from Dunelm.
Go get yourself one (;

Haul: Nars, Mac, Bobbi Brown, Models Own & Cath Kidston ♥

Another week, another haul...

What i got:
Mac Spiced Chocolate quad - £21.95 Local CCO
Bobbi brown Pale Mauve Lipstick - £10.50 Local CCO
Models Own Nail polish Jade stone, Grey Day, Champeigne, Nude Beige - £5 each Boots
Nars Torrid - £19.50 Nars.com

The product i'm most excited about is Mac's Spiced chocolate quad that came out with the Cult of cherry collection...ive been eyeing it up ever since and thaught id never get my mitts on it since its Limited adition. I even was contemplating paying the mammoth ammounts on eBay for it! So i was very lucky to find this in my CCO, I literally squealed when i spotted it sitting on the shelf. It's Such a well put together quad (Nanogold, Brash, Sweet Chestnut, Spiced Chocolate), The colors are all very wearable and perfect for the upcoming colder months.
I'm also loving Models own polishes at the moment...Maybe even more then OPI? (...never thaught i would say that!). They have a beautiful range of colours and finnishes and i'm most definitely going to collect some more!
The Bobbi brown Lipstick and Nars Torrid are always things that i have wanted to try, So i just caved in and baught them. Hopefully some positive reviews will come soon (:


I also got this adorable HUGE Cath Kidston makeup/toiletries bag. Perfect for going on holiday and staying at friends houses. Right now i'm using it for my moisturizers and general skin care products as its waterproof, so if my Lush toner spills, it wont be damaged.

I'm a big Cath Kidston fan but only have several items as its quite expensive, But I was so suprised at the price of this...It was on sale for a teeny tiny £12.00, thats fab considering Cath kidston things are usually way above that.

I love it. Its made out of the usual Oil cloth material and has sweet little robins on it, How cute is that? (:
Ive never seen this design before, Its beautiful!

What do you think of Cath Kidston things?

Lush Dream Cream ♥

Most Lush products dont really appeal to me and i find them to be slightly overhyped. But i was on the market for a good bodycream, so i succumbed to the hype and picked this up, hoping for utter miracles!

My skin type is extremley sensitive, flares up and becomes incredibly itchy and inflamed so easily if it dosnt agree with a poduct, So i was slightly apprehensive about giving this a go...

Its made from mostly natural ingredients, its vegan and contains a blend of these essential ingredients to help soothe, calm and moisturise the skin:
Cammomile
Oat Milk
Rose oil
Lavender oil.

Impressive!

The cream itself is a quite unnatractive beigey/pale yellow colour and smells very...herby?
I cant really discribe the smell, but its definitely natural smelling, not totally umpleasent, makes me a bit drowsy though haha.
Its a very thick rich cream. Quite a weird thickness though, You could hold the pot upside down for as long as you like and it wouldnt fall out, but its not at all solid like a balm or anything.
Since its such a thick cream, it does take a good few minutes to sink in...So its best to apply this at night, also you dont want to walk around during the day smelling like a herb shop! lol.

Well then, did it work?
Dream Cream is said to 'calm irritations, reduce redness and banish blotches'...
It deffinitly did all this plus more!
Hurrah!

I absalutly love this body cream. I apply this all over my chest neck arms and legs before going to bed and in the morning my skin feels velvetty soft and has a nice natural, healthy sheen to it.
It didnt irritate my skin one bit, it actually calmed the redness down and felt so cooling and refreshing!
Ive used every night for 2 weeks so far, and ive hardly made a dent! So its going to last me a while, yay (:

Fairly good price also - £8.60 for 250ml!
Go grab yourself some!