How I apply false lashes!

I was chatting with my friends recently about false lashes. I thought it was really interesting that we all had different styles of applying them - some of us applied them before makeup, some of us applied them after makeup, and some of us found them too difficult to use (hi Amy!).

I thought I'd blog about my method - I suppose this is kind of a 'how to apply false lashes' guide, but also, don't be afraid to experiment to find the method that works for you too!

I always use Duo glue (£10 from Debenhams, or ~£6.14 from US eBay) rather than the glue that comes with the lashes. Duo is a professional grade product that is really easy to use - it holds your lashes on really well, can also be used to apply glitter or crystals to the skin, and doesn't pull your lashes out when you remove your falsies at the end of the night! I bought this tube over a year ago and it's still going strong - definitely a worthwhile investment!

Step 1 - You will need - your lashes, a pair of tweezers, duo glue, a cotton bud/Q-tip, a cotton pad, and some scissors (I forgot to photograph these!).
Some styles of lashes are easier to use than others - for example if the band is thick you may find them more difficult to apply. Practice makes perfect! I first tried the Eye Candy lashes (£3.50 from Bodycare) but I didn't like the length - they were way too long for my eyes so I removed them and applied the Shu Uemura ones instead (£15.50 from Space NK - I don't recommend shopping online at Space NK, every time I've ordered lashes they've sent the wrong ones!).
I would recommend the Eye Candy 009 lashes instead of the 001 lashes - I blogged about the 009s here.

Step 2 - Apply your eye makeup and one coat of a decent separating mascara. Black eyeliner on the top lid will help to disguise the lash band - you can apply a really thin line or a thicker one, it's up to you! I apply my lashes after makeup because adding powder eyeshadow could result in fall out on top of the lashes which can make them look less black.

Step 3 - Cut the lashes to suit the shape of your eye. Always make sure you trim from the outer edge (i.e. the longest side). At this point you should also flex the band by holding each end and gently rolling it back and forth a few times - this helps straighter bands to fit to the shape of your eye.

Step 4 - Squeeze out a small blob of the duo glue on to the cotton pad. Pick up the lashes with the tweezers.

Step 5 - Use the cotton bud to pick up some glue, and run it along the band. You don't need a lot, just make sure a thin layer is covering the band and that the ends in particular have a blob to make sure they don't come loose. Remember that the duo glue dries clear, so don't worry if you accidentally do apply too much. If I do that I usually use the other end of the cotton bud to remove the excess glue!
Wait about 15-20 seconds for the glue to dry slightly - if you apply too soon you can end up with glue everywhere - possibly ruining your makeup!

Step 6 - Pick up the lashes with the tweezers and gently place them as close to the lash line as possible. I usually start at the outer corner, then I use the tweezers to place the inner corner. I then turn the tweezers around and I use the end to gently push the band as close to my lash line as possible.
You usually have about 1-2 minutes to mess around with the placement of the lashes before the glue starts to adhere. I open my eyes and make sure the false lashes aren't on an odd angle at this point. The glue will take about 5-10 minutes to dry fully.

Step 7 - Note: this is where I remove the Eye Candy lashes and swapped for the Shu Uemura ones! These are really easy to apply and I literally stuck them on in about 30 seconds! Two 'bunches' on each eye added natural volume to the corners of my eyes.
For this step I apply one coat of mascara to 'blend' the false lashes with my own. If you miss this part out it can sometimes look like you have two layers of lashes - not a good look! If you need to, you can add some more liquid eyeliner to disguise the false lash band, and you're done!

If you weren't sure about false lashes before, I really hope this guide has helped you, or if you're a pro perhaps you picked up a new tip? Let me know what you think about false lashes in the comments!

P.S. Don't forget to enter my NYX giveaway!
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NOTD: Mermaid

My most recent nail obsession has been experimenting to try and get the perfect 'mermaid nails'.
I came up with this look recently, and although it didn't last long because of the amount of layering involved, it was a very pretty look!

I think the way the glitter is kind of underneath makes it look a bit like scales! I loved all of the different blues, greens and purples going on in this look!

I used two coats of Max Factor Graffiti, a coat of Zoya Maisie (flaky), a coat of Technic Mermaid and finally a coat of Sally Hansen DVD to add a stunning blue/purple duochrome to the look! I liked that each time the light caught my nails, a different colour appeared!

The image below allows you to see the amazing flaky/glitter situation a bit clearer!

I used Max Factor Graffiti as a base because it is a lovely green with mermaid-esque blue shimmers (£3.99 at Boots).

Zoya Maisie is a fantastic green/blue flaky - you can get it from eBay here (£9.25).

Technic Mermaid was 99p in Bodycare. I love that it has lots of different sized blue and green glitters, but I wish it didn't have so much clear base polish. It goes on very thick and could do with more glitter in each coat. Can't really complain for 99p though!

I bought Sally Hansen DVD when I was in New York last year. It's an amazing blue/purple duochrome glitter polish, I should really buy some backups whilst it's still available! Available from eBay (~£6.16 seller is away / ~£7.10 seller is active).

I hope you like this look! Have you experimented with the mermaid nails look? I saw this blog post today which has inspired me to have another go! Time to dig out the Konad plates...
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NYX product reviews and swatches - free shipping at NYX UK! (plus giveaway!)

To celebrate reaching 5,500 'likes' on Facebook, NYX UK are offering free shipping on orders over £15 for one day only! They are on 5,479 likes right now, so definitely head over to Facebook and like their page if you don't already!
EDIT: The NYX free delivery day starts at 00:00 and ends at 23:59 on Sunday 29th April.

Outside of the blogosphere NYX aren't really a well known brand in the UK, but they are well loved in the US for offering great products for a bargain price. The UK prices are slightly inflated compared to the US prices, but I don't mind paying a little extra for some of the products as they're really good - the free delivery kind of makes up for it! Also, all NYX products are cruelty free!

I first bought some NYX products from the UK site back in 2010. I've also bought NYX products from Cherry Culture, and more recently I picked up a few products at IMATS! I didn't actually realise how many NYX products I have until I pulled the all together for this post... it's fair to say I'm a fan!

I will separate this post up into face products, eye products and lip products:

Face products:

Powder Blush - Dusty Rose - This is a really nice 'grown up' natural flush sort of blush shade. The product itself is a lovely texture and blends really easily on the skin. I really recommend these blushes, there is a huge range of colours and they only cost £5.50 each. You might have noticed that my powder is a little smashed up, but that's only because it was being rattled around in my makeup bag! I have saved the crumbs and dust in a separate pot because I love it so much!

Cream Blush - Rose Petal, Glow and Boho Chic - These are fantastic alternatives to MAC's Cremeblend blushes. I like using them under a similar toned powder blush to make my makeup last a bit longer. Rose Petal is a nice neutral shade, Glow is more pink toned, and it really does brighten your face up! Boho Chic is a sheerer baby pink shade. These retail for £5.50 each, I'll be ordering 'Hot Pink' with the free delivery code!

Eye products:

Powder Eyeshadow - Fantasy and Irises - I only have these two NYX eyeshadows, just because I like to see swatches of a product before I buy it and there aren't many 'swatch galleries' with NYX products, like there is with MAC products for example. Fantasy is a lovely old gold/bronze shade with subtle gold shimmers. Irises is a bright blue with a hint of turquoise about it and silver shimmers (I actually bought this for a Nicki Minaj makeup look!). Both of the eyeshadows have good pigmentation and are easy to work with. These are £4.50 each, which is a bargain compared to MAC eyeshadows!

Loose Glitter Powder - Hot Gold and Disco Ball - These are gorgeous holographic glitters. I don't think all of the colours in the range are holographic, but these two are a good alternative to the MAC Pro holographic glitters. The NYX glitters are slightly finer, which makes them good for nail art, makeup and body art. The glitters are only small (it says 5ml, but it's not a liquid, not sure how that works... it should be in grams but my scales aren't good enough to weigh that small an amount!), but they only cost £2.50 each - I'll definitely be picking up a few more of these!

Lip products:

Black Label Lipstick - Dusty Rose - This is a beautiful deep rose pink shade. I cannot express how creamy and pigmented this lipstick is, it feels much more expensive than the £8 it retails for.

Round Lipstick - Paris - A staple in anyone's makeup collection! A gorgeous mid pink that is super creamy and pigmented. The round lipsticks are only £3.50 each (!!!) and there is a huge selection!

Soft Matte Lip Cream - Tokyo, Istanbul and Amsterdam - I love these products because they're so easy to wear - you can pat them down for a stain, or build them up for an intensely pigmented lipstick look. I think they're similar to the Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Creams, except in a wider range of colours. Tokyo is a light yellow toned pink, Istanbul is a suits all mid toned pink, and Amsterdam is a classic blue toned red. These are only £5 each. I think I will order 'Addis Ababa', which is a hot pink!

Mega Shine Lip Gloss - Smokey Look and Beige - These are £7 each, which seems like a lot, but when you realise that you're getting twice as much product as in a MAC lipglass (which are £13.00) it seems fair! These NYX glosses are 11ml, MAC tinted lipglasses are 4.8ml. I use these shades a lot - Smokey Look is a great neutral with subtle shimmers that goes with almost any makeup, and Beige (what a crap name!) is a lovely pink that brightens up my everyday makeup.

Round Girls Gloss - Doll Pink and Queen of Africa - These are smaller than the Mega Shine glosses at 2.5ml, but I think they're handy for sticking in your bag on a night out. Doll Pink is a great fuchsia pink shade (think MAC Girl About Town). I can see some really tiny blue shimmers in the tube, but they can't be seen on the lips. Queen of Africa is a stunning fuchsia/berry shade with almost undetectable blue shimmers. Very dramatic! I think it'd look fantastic against darker skins. These are only £3 each!

Slim Lip Pencil - Dolly Pink and Rose - Two great pencils that go on smoothly and increase the wear time of my lipstick. Dolly Pink is a light, slightly mauvey pink (more purple toned than MAC Snob). Rose is a yellow toned neutral pink (identical to MAC Please Me lipstick).

I picked up two products to giveaway to two of my blog followers at IMATS in February! You can enter via the widget below. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


I hope this post has been helpful! Remember the NYX free delivery day starts at 00:00 and ends at 23:59 on Sunday 29th April. Let me know if you order any NYX goodies!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I am not affiliated with NYX and I bought all products with my own money! I just wanted to share the love :)

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Top Secret!

If you haven't heard of BuyaPowa before, let me introduce it to you! BuyaPowa is a group buying website, kind of like those naff shopping channels but with loads of amazing beauty products instead of 'All Time Reggae Classics' box sets.

I've participated in a few CoBuys, including an Urban Decay Primer Potion duo for £18.50, Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray for £13.49, Liz Earle Botanical shampoo and conditioner duo for £14 and Shu Uemura false lashes for £11 (all prices including delivery).

A few weeks ago BuyaPowa polled some bloggers (including me!) on their favourite perfumes in preparation for another amazing CoBuy - a £50 The Fragrance Shop voucher for as low as £35! If you're looking for a new summer perfume, or maybe you want to splash out on a big bottle of perfume for someone this is perfect for you! The gift card is valid for 6 months, so you could use it up until mid October!

The best part of all is that there are 200 available (although they are being snapped up!) and the CoBuy isn't published on BuyaPowa's site - it's being spread through word of mouth (or word of tweet/blog??).





If you want to find out which perfume I chose, visit the CoBuy now and click on the 'More Details' tab!

I'll probably come back to talk about BuyaPowa in the future, there are all sorts of interesting details I want to tell you about, but I want to get this blog post published quickly so you don't miss out on the voucher!
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Lip balms, butters and creams - thoughts and comparisons

I recently realised that I have either a lip balm, butters or cream within arms reach at all times. There are usually 2-3 floating in my handbag, a few on my bedside table, some on my dresser where I do my makeup and several dotted around my flat!
I have small, thin lips, so in my opinion, the least I can do to improve them is make sure that they are always kept moisturised and in good condition. I usually wear lighter lip colours and glosses to draw light to them and create the illusion of bigger lips, but if I want to wear a red lip or another darker colour, my lips really need to be in perfect condition for me to feel confident!

I have tried lots and lots of lip products, and a few of them are HG (Holy Grail!), and there are a few that I wouldn't really recommend. Read on to see what I think of the products I have collected:

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Lip Balm: I really like this balm for day-to-day use. It does contain mineral oil (one of the cheapest bulking ingredients available), but it also contains some cocoa butter, vitamin E and SPF15 which kind of redeems it. I usually wear it as a protective, waxy layer against wind (of which there is a lot where I live!). I know it won't do much for my lips in the long-term as it doesn't penetrate to the deeper layers, but it is a cheap temporary solution. Available from Boots (£1.83). Rating: 3/5.

Cath Kidston Wild Rose Lip Balm: I received this in a gift set. It has a floral smell (read: old lady), and contains beeswax, vitamin E and shea butter. It feels a little oily on the lips and the perfume tends to catch on the back of my throat and make me cough. Not a fan of this one really, especially for the price. The packaging is cute though! Available from Cath Kidston (£5). Rating: 1/5.

Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast: I won this balm in a Blistex Facebook competition. I really love the taste of this balm! It contains SPF15, vitamin C, vitamin E, beeswax and coconut oil to soften your lips. It's another decent every-day balm that protects your lips from the sun and wind whilst adding a little bit of shine. Available from most chemists, and online from Asda (£1.74) and eBay (£3.49). Rating: 3/5.

Cherry Culture Bubble Gum Lip Balm: I got this free with a Cherry Culture order. The first two ingredients are petrolatum and mineral oil, so it's clear from the outset that this is a cheap and cheerful balm. The scent is barely detectable and the balm itself is thick and oily. It gives your lips some shine and is just about passes as an emergency balm for your handbag - it's not really going to give your lips any deep hydration but it will help to protect them from wind-burn. Available from Cherry Culture for $1.99, or free with any order of $20 or more. Rating: 2/5.

Blistex Lip Brilliance: This lip balm adds a hint of shimmery pink to your lips. It contains SPF15, vitamin E and Grape Seed Oil to lightly moisturise, although this is really a short-term fix. I like it because I can use it to add a bit of 'polish' to my look on the go, without using a mirror. The colour is very sheer and only lasts for an hour or two, but it's so cheap that I forgive it! Some of the reviews on the Boots website have mentioned the artificial strawberry scent, but I have to say that I actually quite like it! Available from Boots (£2.49). Rating 3/5. 

Blistex Intensive Moisturiser: This thick, white cream is designed to really moisturise your lips deep down. It doesn't stay white on your lips as long as you only use a small amount. I love the subtle minty tingle that lets you know that the ingredients are working! It contains SPF10 as well various moisturisers which really sink in and soften your lips. I actually have two of these - one in my handbag and one on my dresser. Available from Boots (£2.59), and Superdrug (£2.59). Rating: 4/5. 

Blistex Relief Cream: Now this is amazing. I have been through several tubes of this in the past, and I love it so much that I recently bulk bought six tubes at once from eBay(!). It's designed to relieve chapped lips and treat cold sores. I don't suffer from cold sores, but I still use this product. It contains active ingredients that tingle and really work to soften and relieve your chapped, sore lips. I whack on a fair amount each night and hardly ever suffer from chapped lips any more!
The only problem with this problem is the packaging. A slight amount of pressure on the metal tube can result in way too much product coming out, so you have to be extremely careful with it. For this reason I can't take it with me in my handbag, which is a bit annoying! Blistex Relief Cream is available from most chemists, and online from Superdrug (£2.24) and eBay (£13 for 6 tubes). Rating: 4.9/5! (0.1 points taken away for the packaging, but the actual product is 100% perfect!).

Carmex Cherry Moisturising Lip Balm: I bought this after reading so many rave reviews from other bloggers, but honestly, I'm not that impressed. I don't really like the tingly menthol sensation, and the artificial smell doesn't float my boat. It does contain SPF15, cocoa butter, lanolin and beeswax to care for your lips, but it isn't something I'd use for deep-down moisturisation. Available from Boots (£2.69), and Superdrug (£2.69). Rating: 2/5.

The Body Shop Mango Lip Butter: Another disappointment! This is a thick cream that melts into more of an oil on touch. It does contain some natural ingredients - shea butter, mango seed oil and beeswax - but the scent seems artificial and catches the back of my throat and makes me cough! It feels a little greasy on lips, and doesn't seem to particularly give any long term moisture to my lips. Available from The Body Shop (£4). Rating: 1/5.

Vaseline Lip Therapy: The most basic of basic lip products, old fashioned petroleum jelly. This does absolutely nothing for me. It can be used as a barrier against wind-burn, but personally I don't bother - I use this to protect my forehead and ears when I'm dying my hair. This product stops moisture from escaping the skin, but it doesn't put any in to the skin either. Available from almost everywhere, and online from Boots (£1.80), and Superdrug (£1.25). Rating: 1/5.

Neutrogena Immediate Repair Lip Balm: I cannot find this product to buy online, and there is no mention of it on the Neutrogena website, so I can only assume it has been discontinued. I think it has been replaced with the Intense Repair Lip Balm (£3.99). The Immediate Repair Lip Balm is a really good product, it moisturises your lips as well as providing a barrier and if you can find it in store I really recommend it. I use it on top of the Blistex Relief Cream to really lock in the moisture. The only problem is the hygiene aspect of the tub - the product lasts for absolutely ages and dipping your finger in that many times is asking for trouble, which is probably why the new version is a tube! I will definitely be trying the new Intense Repair Lip Balm in the future. Rating: 4.5/5.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Lip Butter: This is a glossy product that gives your lips a little tingle. The smell is pleasant and it contains cocoa butter and vitamin E to moisturise your lips. It also contains a hefty amount of petrolatum, so it is kind of a jazzed up version of Vaseline. Too much can feel a little greasy, so you only need to use a small amount. I do recommend it as a handbag product, not an essential but a nice one to use - I'd buy it if it was on offer. Available from Boots (£2.75), and Superdrug (£2.75). Rating: 3/5.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Dark Chocolate and Cherry Lip Butter: A cherry version of the above product. The cherry scent isn't as nice as the peppermint, and it doesn't tingle. I prefer the Dark Chocolate and Peppermint version! Available from chemists, and online from eBay (£2.95). Rating: 1/5.

And that's all of them! In summary, my favourites are Blistex Relief Cream, Blistex Intensive Moisturiser, and the Neutrogena balm - the new version is the Intense Repair Lip Balm.
I hope this post was useful! What is your favourite lip balm?
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Review: Beauxoxo hair accessories!

I think it was Florrie's blog post that first alerted me to Beauxoxo - a collection of cute hair accessories, which are all handmade by Georgie. I immediately put in an order for two of the gorgeous glitter hair bows, and was so impressed by the service and quality I ordered two more in February, and another five(!) yesterday!

I actually met Georgie at IMATS in London at the beginning of February, and I was blown away by how down to earth and generally lovely she is! Georgie is passionate about crafts and loves spending time in her studio producing beautiful accessories. This review is completely unbiased however, as I'd already bought some glitter hair bows before I knew Georgie, although the fact that she is a really sweet girl is just a cherry on top of the Beauxoxo (cup)cake! Georgie doesn't actually know I'm writing this review; I think she deserves all the success she has achieved so far, and much more so I'm only too happy to share her wonderful products with you all!

Georgie recently moved Beauxoxo from etsy to her own brand new website: www.beauxoxo.com! The new site also has some pretty new accessories and there is a wonderful 20% off discount code valid until 16th April 2012 - 'NEWHOME'. Georgie produces a wide range of hair accessories and is very happy to take custom orders, so I urge you to take a look now!

Today I'd like to share the glitter hair bows in Black, Gold, Purple and Emerald Green with you. In the photos below, you can see the sweet pink glitter tissue paper that each bow comes carefully wrapped in! I have also shown one of the Beauxoxo business cards, although I'm sure Georgie will be updating these in the future with her fab new domain name!

Beauxoxo glitter hair bows in Purple, Emerald Green, Gold and Black

The glitter hair bows are a great way of adding a bit of sparkle and glamour to your look, with a cute girly edge! They're also very versatile - I have worn these on nights out, to a meal in a restaurant, for cocktails and even during the day time! I love Michelle and Aisling's take on the glitter bow - wearing it as a bow-tie adds a whole new dimension to your outfit!

The glitter hair bows are really comfortable to wear, they just clip in to your hair. The glitter fabric doesn't shed glitter and my bows are just as sparkly as when I first bought them! The quality of the product is great, and they are so unique, I have never seen anyone else wearing one of these bows (except Perrie of Little Mix that is...!).
The Gold and Black bows are classic hair-drobe (hair-wardrobe... geddit?) staples in my opinion!

 

The Emerald Green and Purple bows are stunning, and I think these would look amazing against blonde hair! In the past, I have matched my glitter hair bow to my nail polish, to my eyeshadow and just used it to jazz up an LBD. The amazing thing is, these bows come in a huge range of colours, so you're bound to fall in love with a few!

I recently ordered the Ruby Red Slippers, Royal Blue, Navy, Pastel Pink Candyfloss and Pastel Lilac glitter hair bows, and I can't wait for them to arrive!

Beauxoxo glitter hair bows are £5 each (bargain!), and are available from www.beauxoxo.com. The code 'NEWHOME' will give you a 20% discount until 16th April 2012 (that's this Monday coming!). Delivery is only £2 for UK customers, £2.50 in the EU and £3 worldwide, which I think is fairer than fair!

Links:
Georgie's blog: www.dreamsthatglitterxoxo.com
Georgie's Twitter: @dreamsglitterxo
Georgie's YouTube channel: DreamsThatGlitterxo1
Beauxoxo etsy: http://beauxoxo.etsy.com
Beauxoxo Twitter: @beauxoxo
Beauxoxo Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauxoxoAccessories
Beauxoxo Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/beauxoxo


P.S. Thanks to my sister for doing my hair and taking the photos for this post, my arms aren't long or flexible enough to do it myself so I'm very grateful!

Disclosure: I paid for these glitter hair bows with my own money, I just really, really love them a lot!
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Flakie polish comparison swatches!

Flakie polishes are my new obsession. There aren't many available in the UK, although I think their popularity is rising - if 2011 was the year of crackle topcoats, and 2012 is the year of magnetic polishes, I think 2013 definitely needs to be the year of lots and lots of flakie polishes!

I bought a few of these polishes from the UK, but was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to swap with two lovely US based polish loving ladies. So thank you to Stephanie and Kimber who wanted to get hold of Max Factor Fantasy Fire and kindly agreed to send me some polishes I wanted in exchange!

I have sever different colours to show you: Orly Fowl Play, China Glaze Luxe and Lush, Finger Paints Twisted, Finger Paints Flecked, Zoya Maisie, Look Beauty Pearl Effect and Andrea Fulerton Gemstone Overcoat.

Fowl Play was released as part of Orly's AW11 'Birds of a Feather' collection. It's a purple jelly with various sized red/green duochrome flakes, blue glitter and tiny silver glitter pieces. It is a really pretty mish mash and can be layered up alone or worn over other polishes to boost the purple. You can see an amazing macro of it over on this blog (I need a better camera! I love that I've waited for ages for the sun to come out, and when it finally has, I'm totally thrown on taking blog pictures with so much light haha!).
The bottle is huge (18ml!) and is available from this UK eBay seller (£5.95). It is also available in a trio set at lookfantastic (£21.50).

Luxe and Lush is part of China Glaze's Hunger Games inspired collection - 'Colors From The Capitol'. It contains larger/rougher foil-type flakes in a clear base, which shift from orange to gold to green. It's really beautiful and it really comes alive over a base. You can see macros on this blog.
China Glaze polishes are available from Sally's (£6.59) in the UK. I'd recommend buying via US eBay though, as it's much cheaper! My favourite sellers are beautyzone2007 (~£5.36) and enchantedbeautyspot (~£4.89) but make sure you read my eBay tips blog post first!

Twisted was part of a limited edition 'Special Effects' collection by Finger Paints - you can see Twisted's brothers and sisters on this blog post! Twisted is a mixture of various sized different coloured flakes in a clear base - this is my absolute favourite flakie because it's just so cool!
Finger Paints polishes are sold exclusively in Sally's in the US. I originally saw Cult Nails Clairvoyant/Unicorn Puke, but they have stopped making it. Some bloggers mentioned that Twisted was a good dupe so I began hunting it down! Luckily for me, I was able to swap for it. It occasionally comes up on eBay from US sellers, but the last one that sold went for £24. If you really want to get your hands on this polish I'd advise contacting US bloggers to see if they are willing to swap, although they may find it difficult to get hold of as it was limited edition!

One coat swatches of Fowl Play, Luxe and Lush and Twisted

One coat of Fowl Play, Luxe and Lush and Twisted over three coats of OPI Lady In Black

Flecked was also part of Finger Paints' limited edition 'Special Effects' collection. Flecked contains duo-chrome blue/green flakes in a clear base. The colour shift is just so pretty and I'm excited to try it out over different colour polishes!

Maisie is similar to Flecked - it contains duo-chrome blue/green flakes but in a sheer blue base. The flakes are a little smaller and it gives better coverage in one coat than Flecked. I was tweeting Livia this morning about mermaid nails, and this polish arrived in Kimber's package in the post a few hours later! It definitely has something mermaid-y about it and I can't wait to try it out!
Zoya polishes are available from Nail Care Club in the UK (£9.98) or from US eBay (~£8.62). If you know of any other cheap UK stockists of Zoya please share them in the comments!

Pearl Effect contains duo-chrome blue/purple flakes in a clear base. I love this colour combination and I am pleased to say this is much easier to get hold of than some of the other colours!
Look Beauty is stocked in some Superdrug stores, and they have also recently launched their own website - Nail Pops are £5 each. They also sell 'Sequin Effect', which is a gold/green duo-chrome flakie polish.

One coat swatches of Flecked, Maisie and Pearl Effect

One coat of Flecked, Maisie and Pearl Effect over three coats of OPI Lady In Black

 Some pretty outtakes:

I had completely forgotten about this Andrea Fulerton polish, which is why it's all alone!
Gemstone Overcoat is a dupe of the now discontinued GOSH Rainbow polish. It is a mixture of orange, green and yellow duo-chrome flakes in a clear base, the effect is stunning!
Gemstone and other Andrea Fulerton products are available at Superdrug (Gemstone isn't online, so look for a yellow box on the Andrea Fulerton Stand in your local Superdrug!).

One coat of Gemstone, and one coat of Gemstone over three coats of OPI Lady In Black

So that's all the flakies I have! I really want to try Nfu-Oh's flakie polishes but they're so expensive in the UK! Do you own any flakie polishes? Which one is your favourite?

Thanks for reading!
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Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows

Maybelline's newest UK release is a range of' 'cream gel' eyeshadows that 'have up to 24 hours staying power'. There are seven shades available in the range (although the US have 10, including a lovely looking emerald green, boo!). The Color Tattoo eyeshadows are £4.99 each, which is a lot cheaper than other cream eyeshadows including MAC Paint Pots which are £13.50 each.

I won On and On Bronze in a competition on the Maybelline UK Facebook page, and I bought Permanent Taupe and Turquoise Fever from Boots (all cosmetics are on 3 for 2 at the moment!).

On and On Bronze is a shimmery gold/bronze, Permanent Taupe is a flat, cool brown with grey tones, and Turquoise Fever is a turquoise with silver shimmers.
These shades are known as 'Bad to the Bronze', 'Tough as Taupe', and 'Tenacious Teal' in the US. I find it strange that Maybelline felt they needed to change the names of the colours for the UK market, yes the US names are a little cheesy but otherwise I can't think of a reason why they'd do that? If they were going to make a name change it could have at least been to change the word 'color' to the correct English spelling(!).

The packaging is good, it's a heavy jar which is a similar size to the MAC Paint Pots, but is actually nicer because the lid is flat so they can be stacked. I like the detail on the bottom of the jars too.

I didn't buy 'Eternal Gold' as it was too yellow-y for me, but here is On and On Bronze compared to MAC's Indianwood Paint Pot - I thought this might be helpful to people who already own Indianwood. You can see that On and On Bronze is much more brown/bronze in tone. They have a similar metallic, shimmery finish.
I really like On and On Bronze - it's a great easy, everyday colour that you can apply without too much thought. It looks nice alone or as a base for similar toned eyeshadows.

Permanent Taupe and Painterly look nothing alike, but again, I thought that it might be useful to see it against a MAC colour lots of people already own. They have a similar matte finish.
I'm not a huge fan of Permanent Taupe, it's quite bland and kinda ugly on me. My favourite taupes have a touch of purple, but this is a very basic grey-brown. It does shift shades very slightly on my eyes, I picked up more grey-ish blue tones when I wore it as an eyeliner (see FOTD below). I think this could be a nice neutral base on darker skins, but I worry that it's too cool toned for a lot of people.

 I don't have a green/blue toned MAC Paint Pot, so here is Turquoise Fever compared to MAC Shimmermoss eyeshadow. Shimmermoss is slightly greener than Turquoise Fever, and Turquoise Fever is much more pigmented.
I like Turquoise Fever a lot. It's not a colour I think I'll wear loads, but it will give me the option of a bright, summery eye look when the weather perks up, plus it's nicely pigmented.

All of the colours are easy to work with. I find it easiest to use a flat, synthetic brush to apply them (No7 do a good one, cheap with the £5 vouchers!), and then I use a MAC 217 to blend out the edges before the cream eyeshadow sets.
I have slightly oily skin, and I found that these eyeshadows didn't last that well without a primer. After about four hours they had slipped and creased. They lasted a few hours longer with a base of Urban Decay Primer Potion, but they're supposed to be long lasting and crease proof by themselves. I still think they're worth £4.99, as it's much cheaper than MAC's Paint Pots which are £13.50, but only if you are prepared to layer them with a primer and perhaps a powder eyeshadow to 'set' them.


Here is the look I wore today including two of the Color Tattoo eyeshadows worn without primer (to test the wear!):

  Face:

Estee Lauder Doublewear Light in 1.0 mixed with Diorskin Forever in 010

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair (under eyes, around nose, chin)

NARS Amour blusher

MAC MSF Natural in Light Plus

 

Eyes:

 MAC Espresso eyeshadow to fill eyebrows

No7 clear Brow Gel

Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze (lid)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe (liner)

'Rimmel Day 2 Night' and 'L'Oreal Voluminous  x5 Carbon Black' mascaras

Lips:

MAC Lovelorn lipstick (Recent Back2MAC discovery! Perfect slightly warm toned alternative to Creme Cup!)

The Color Tattoos just after they were first applied

The Color Tattoos after four hours. You can see some creasing and gathering of product going on...

The Color Tattoos after five hours. You can see deeper creasing and transfer of the liner on to the lid.

 

In summary, I'd recommend On and On Bronze and Turquoise Fever as a cheaper alternatives to MAC Paint Pots, but I'd also like to warn you that you need to be prepared to use a primer and set it with a powder eyeshadow as otherwise they will crease and move around a little. I'm not sure why Maybelline have claimed 24 hours wear anyway, that's just ridiculous because everyone knows it's naughty to leave your makeup on that long - your eyelids need to breathe!

Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows retail at £4.99 each. They are available from Boots (where they are 3 for 2 at the moment!) and Superdrug (also 3 for 2 at the moment!).

Have you bought any of the Tattoo eyeshadows? What do you think?
Sorry for the lengthy review, there was a lot to say about these eyeshadows!
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FOTD feat. MAC Extra Dimension

Last Thursday saw the release of two new colour collections from MAC: In Extra Dimension and Tres Cheek. I had a little swatch at the Liverpool freestanding store and picked up the Skinfinish Highlighter in 'Superb' and Extra Dimension eyeshadow in 'Sweet Heat'. I was intending to pick up two blushes from Tres Chic but they didn't seem particularly pigmented so I left them.

I'll start off by making this clear: Superb and Sweet Heat are pretty much exactly the same shade. They're both sheen-y rose gold/champagne/warm pinks, which are similar to MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow. The ingredients are almost exactly the same, but the Highlighter has 3 more ingredients that the eye shadow doesn't. I don't really mind because I do love this colour and I'll get a lot of use from both products, but you might want to just buy one of them.

This type of shade is one that tends to turn orange-y on pale skin, so I use the Highlighter sparingly with a Crown C427 brush, and apply the eye shadow over a nude base.

I wore both products today:

 Face:

Estee Lauder Doublewear Light in 1.0 mixed with Diorskin Forever in 010

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair (under eyes, around nose, chin)

MUFE HD Blush in #5

MAC Dollymix blush

MAC MSF Natural in Light/Medium

MAC Extra Dimension Highlighter in Superb

 

Eyes:

 MAC Espresso eyeshadow to fill eyebrows

No7 clear Brow Gel

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadow in Sweet Heat

'Rimmel Day 2 Night' and 'L'Oreal Voluminous  x5 Carbon Black' mascaras

Lips:

MAC Chatterbox lipstick

I'd recommend visiting a MAC counter and testing the texture of the Extra Dimension products as they're really lovely - they're sort of creamy and blendable powders.
The Extra Dimension eyeshadows are £16.50, and the Extra Dimension Highlighters are £21.50.
MAC products are available online via MAC, Debenhams, Selfridges and House of Fraser.

Thanks for reading!
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My Dorothy Perkins VIP Week picks

For one week from today (Sunday 8th April) Dorothy Perkins are offering 25% off everything with the code DPVIPE!

I've had a little look over the site and picked out a few things I love. I have to say, Dorothy Perkins usually has some nice jewellery, bags and other accessories but I couldn't find much right now, so it's all about the pretty dresses and these cute shoes for me!

My top picks are:

 1. Black scallop trim cotton cardi - £18.00, VIP price £13.50

(Essential basics at a fair price!)

2. Cream scallop trim cotton cardi - £18.00, VIP price £13.50
(Another must-have for the summer!)

3. Blue spot tea dress - £39.50, VIP price £29.63
(A lovely fun yet sophisticated work dress)

4. Blue spot tie back dress - £36.00, VIP price £27.00
(I've tried this dress on and it's a lovely fit, but I think I'm a bit too pale for that particular shade right now!)

5. Blue damask prom dress - £39.50, VIP price £29.63
(A gorgeous light summer dress that's not too revealing. Perfect for work or a family BBQ!)

 6. Navy platform sandals - £40.00, VIP price £30.00
(In case you can't tell, polka dots are my thing!)

7. Red platform sandals - £40.00, VIP price £30.00
(It'd be rude not to get both colours!)

8. Navy Bird tea dress - £32, VIP price £24.00
(The detail on the bust emphasised my chest a little too much. This would really flatter smaller-chested ladies!)

9. Ink and blush spot midi dress - £32, VIP price £24.00
(This is a really lovely light and silky fabric. I'll be hemming it to knee length as I can't pull off midi length!)

10. Lilac spot midi dress - £32, VIP price £24.00
(I love the colour and the fit - can see myself picking up the coral version too! Bargain beautiful dress!)

Savvy alert!
To save even more money I recommend using Top CashBack - by simply clicking through to DP's via Top CashBack, you can be paid 5.05% of your purchase. It doesn't seem like much but I use this site for Boots, eBay, Superdrug and pretty much almost any online shopping site! I think the only sites that aren't on there are Topshop and Net-A-Porter!
It takes a few months for the money to come through but when it does you can either have it paid straight to your bank, or you can claim Amazon vouchers!

You can also combine the VIP discount with Student discount.
Remember to use the VIP code DPVIPE!
You need to spend over £75 for free delivery, I tend to buy stuff I know I will return just to avoid paying the delivery charge!






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Purple nail polish comparison swatches

I have collected quite a few nail polishes in the past few years, but I seem to have more purples than any other colour! Ever since I first sampled the dusky beauty of OPI's Done Out In Deco, purple has been my preferred polish colour. My favourite colour in general is green, but it isn't really as pretty on the nails as lilacs, heathers, plums and violets!

I went on a bit of a spree trying to find the perfect Cadbury's purple last year, and my collection of purple tones currently stands at 22! For some this number might seem outrageous, others might think it fair. I am tempted to sell some in a blog sale, but I'm one of those people who likes to hold on to stuff 'just in case' (aka a hoarder!).

The colours I have are: Revlon Lilac Pastelle, Essie Lady Like, Essie Lilacism, OPI Done Out In Deco, Milani 3D Holographic Hi-Res, OPI Parlez vous OPI?, China Glaze Spontaneous, OPI Funky Dunkey, Sephora by OPI Just a Little Dangerous, Barry M Dusky Mauve, Models Own Purple Grey, Sephora by OPI Metro Chic, Nicole by OPI The Grape Debate, Max Factor Fantasy Fire, Models Own Purple Haze, Models Own Purple Passion, OPI Pamplona Purple, Milani Purple Gleam, OPI Lucky Lucky Lavender, and Barry M Berry Ice Cream.

No flash, natural light

Flash

Here's a closer look at those vampy shades:

Flash

Most of these were fine with two coats, the only exceptions were Max Factor Fantasy Fire which is very sheer and needs 4-5 coats to become opaque, Sephora by OPI Metro Chic needed three coats for complete coverage, and Revlon Lilac Pastelle also needed three coats.
Revlon Lilac Pastelle and Essie Lady Like were an afterthought, they're both very pink but have a teeny tiny hint of purple so I thought I had better include them!

My favourites are: OPI Done Out In Deco, China Glaze Spontaneous, Max Factor Fantasy Fire, Models Own Purple Haze and Barry M Berry Ice Cream.
I generally buy all of my OPI, China Glaze and Essie polishes from eBay. See my blog post here for more information and tips!
I hope this has been useful. What is your favourite polish colour? Is there another gorgeous purple I need to add to my collection?

P.S. Sorry if blogger has made these pics look a bit crappy, if you right click and open them in a new tab hopefully the quality will be a bit better!
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