NOTD| Barry M Gelly High Shine polishes

Recently I have been getting into painting my nails colours other than red or pink...Out of my comfort zone with blues and greens...I am so totally hardcore!! Right??

I picked up these beautiful shades today and applied them immediately...

Thumb: Berry Ice Cream 

Fingers: Blueberry High Shine 

Ring finger: Greenberry High Shine

The formula of the Gelly High shine is amazing. Its glossy and goes on smoothly. Very pigmented and dries super fast. I love these polishes. 

The regular formula isn't quite as nice but still good for a budget brand. Its slightly sheerer and takes a little bit longer to dry, it also isn't quite as glossy and luxe looking. 

I want more of these gorgeous Gelly high shine beauties!!

Can you recommend a shade? 

Review | Bourjois Ultra Black VolumizerMascara.

My all time favourite mascara is YSL Shocking Faux Clis mascara, it gives the effect of fake lashes but its over £23 and dries out pretty fast, Sometimes i cannot justify the price so I'm always looking for alternatives. Any mascara i try i compare to this queen of all mascaras. Some have come close but nothing has outshone until now...
(Warning Photo Heavy!)

YSL VS Bourjois.


The Volumizer has a two step system. Step one removes a lot of mascara from the wand meaning you can get a thin coating of mascara on lashes for a natural look. Step two leaves a lot of mascara on the wand and applies a lot of mascara to the lash. This means you can get heavy flash looking lashes without them sticking together and making you look like you have three single lashes! 

One coat of Step one Bourjois VS Bare Lashes. 

One Coat of Each step one and two on top and bottom lashes VS bare Lashes. 

Bourjois Two coats VS One coat of YSL.

Bourjois Volumizer VS YSL Faux Clis. 

The brush off.
Both quite similar, thick and fairly clumpy natural bristles. 

I have tried the Bourjois mascara before and cannot believe i forgot how good this stuff is! If you like a heavy thick coating of mascara you will love this stuff! you can make it more natural and apply less. I love both these mascaras and will use the YSL forever, but when you're a bit cash strapped the bourjois one comes in very handy! Its a tough choice every morning choosing between these two beauts!

Have you tried these mascaras? Whats your holy grail for your lashes?

FOTD| Casual Base

Now spring is almost here my foundation routine always changes, instead of heavy coverage to hide those rosy red cheeks and pale skin, I want natural coverage and a light layer over my sun-kissed skin.

I dabbled with BB creams and tinted moisturiser but find i always need a powder over the top and bare Minerals is fab for this.

So this Photo is Revlon BB cream quick review...I'm not a fan. It has hardly any coverage, I know this is the case with BB creams but this is practically none at all. Without a powder foundation over the top you need to have perfect skin to pull this off, and if you have perfect skin why wear this? well because this has an SPF of 30!! Which is amazing. So i think i will be using this more as a sun screen than for coverage. This is so sheer and blend-able you could easily wear a liquid foundation or a powder foundation as i have. I was slightly disappointed with the coverage so the saving factor of SPF has stopped this being a hated product!
If your after a sun screen get this if your after a BB cream with a slight coverage don't get this!

Base:
Bare Minerals Prime Time
Revlon BB cream (light)
Bare Mineral ready foundation (R230)

Bare Faced! Sorry!!

After! (most of the coverage is from Bare Minerals)

Have you tried any BB creams? Would you buy this purely for the SPF?

Rapid Review | Revlon Lip Butter Wild Watermelon.

This is a review on Wild Watermelon a new to the UK shade from the now famous Revlon lip butters.

Pros

• Good colour payoff. 
• moisturising (like the rest of the lip butters!) 
• neutral, so it could go with heavy smokey eyes or a softer more natural look. 
• Great if you're looking at getting into colour but Dont want anything too 'in your face'. 
• easy to apply without a mirror/on the go. 

Cons 

• Not the most long lasting of lippie. 

Rating 4/5 

Great for girls who want a quick and effortless lippie, and don't mind re applying a bit more often. Awesome for when its a bit chilly and your lips might be chapped as this is a lipstick and balm in one. 

Have you tired this? 

FOTD | Sick Day

I have a horrible cold. I cannot move from the sofa and feel so bleughhhh! So to make myself feel a little better I dragged myself up and washed and attempted to put on some make up!
Here it is:

Trying to hide the Sickness!

Skin; 

YSL Youth Code Serum

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation B50 

bareMinerals ready foundation

bareMinerals The high dive bronzer

Dainty Doll Powder Blusher 001 Hippy shake 

Collection Lasting perfection concealer 002

Rimmel Wake me up concealer 

Eyes;

Rimmel eyebrow pencil Hazel

Lips; 

Revlon Lip Butter Juicy papaya 

I choose not to wear mascara because my eyes are so puffy and itchy It would be a waste. 

So this is my first time using YSL foundation I was recently given a sample...first impressions are great more detailed review to come!

What do you wear on your face when your ill? Any make up tips? Have you tried YSL foundation?

Challenge | Whiter Teeth In Seven Days?

Who doesn't want whiter teeth? I bet even Simon Cowel wishes his teeth were whiter (Got to Dream BIG!) I have already used a tube of this stuff and ran out and switched back to basics cheap toothpaste and i can see the difference.
I have taken some rather attractive *cough* close ups of my Teeth so we can do before and afters!

It claims to whiten teeth a shade in 7 days...does it also make you as gorgeous as Holly Willoughby?

So lets see how this stuff does...update in seven days :)

Have you tired this stuff? How white are your teeth?

Rach xx

How to | Make your own tinted moisturizer!

There are so many tinted moisturizer to choose from...from low end to high end. And really what they are is a foundation mixed with moisturizer...why not use what you already have and make your own!
this way you can customize it for your personal skincare and life style needs. (woohoo!)

What you will need: 

a foundation 

a moisturiser

a liquid or mineral highlighter (optional)

a mixing bowl or old foundation bottle 

I chose Estee Lauder double wear...mostly because I have just re-purchased and had a bit left in the old bottle and also because it is so thick you can use less of the foundation to make a tinted moisturiser. (more value for money!)

So i had just less than a quarter of a bottle of double wear left so decided to mix the TM in the old bottle. I wanted a more luminess finish so i used MAC strobe liquid...roughly 10-15 squirts to make up around 30ml of  total product. (full foundation bottle). 

And then i topped it up, until i got the desired thickness, with moisturiser. (This took a lot of moisturiser to make it as sheer as I wanted, other foundations will take less!)

This foundation works well because it is so full coverage and thick it takes a lot of moisturiser to get a more sheer base. I think it would be best to use a more matte-semi matte foundation as anything too dewy may look a tad greasy and shiny! 

You can also mix a bit of moisturiser and foundation on the back of your hand if you want to try this out before you fully commit. 

You also want to use a more liquid moisturiser and not a thick heavy one. I think to get value for money it would be best to use a cheaper one, I used clean and clear which is about £3 for 100 ml. It's also oil free which will mean a better and more long lasting  finish. 

I think now spring has arrived...wait did you not get the memo?? *cough cough* I prefer a less full coverage face, i love using bare minerals but find i would like a bit more coverage and also not have to use a moisturiser then a primer then a sheer foundation then bare minerals...wow a lot of products! You could always turn this into a BB cream and add in some primer and even an SPF! 

Cost of this product breakdown 

- total Foundation used = £6.75

- total Moisturiser used =  45p 

-total strobe liquid used = £1.25 

(You could definitely use a cheaper liquid highlighter this was just something I don't use and needed a use for!)

Total cost £8.45!!

 BARGAIN! 

Or you could spend £36.00 on Estee Lauder's branded TM...? 

I love DIY/creative products and can't believe I didn't do this sooner! 

I have also been brought a NARS TM to try out so will be pitting these against each other! 

FOTD 's coming soon...

Have you tried DIY makeup? whats your favorite TM?

Rach xx 

how to| Get good skin...

My skin has been problematic since i started getting into makeup, its oily yet dry. (I have since found it to be dehydrated rather than dry.) As a teenager i didn't suffer from spots and only now have i linked my breakouts to the fact i use products on my skin. when i was a teen i rarely wore face makeup or fancy scrubs and cleansers but here i am now spending a fortune on skincare to achieve amazing skin and finding my poor skin suffering from more and more breakouts.

I recently went on holiday and could only take a few products, considering my normal skincare routine consists of using a different cleanser every night, a scrub twice a week and a couple of different masks, now i was having to pick only a few products to take with me...nightmare!! I settled on taking a few samples as i could try out something new and also not take up a lot of room in the case.

While away in the sunshine my skin looked glowing and flawless. Looking back on photos i had barely any makeup on yet my skin looking amazing after only a couple of days of giving up my many skincare products  I got back home and started using different cleansers again, big mistake!! i had several breakouts, my skin looked red and dull.

Then it hit me...here i am using a balm, a gel, a micellular etc etc cleanser. when while away i stuck to the same cleanser  it was a Murad cleanser, but i have now stuck to one oil of olay cleanser and my skin has cleared up amazingly  I did use a couple of different moisturizer but they both broke me out so here are my tips on solving your skin issues:

• Stop using products! stick to one cleanser at a time. this way you can see what is breaking you out and stop using that one product. 

• Once you have found the cleanser that doesn't break you out start using other skincare products, IE one scrub (if your skin still doesn't break out after a couple of uses your safe, try another!)

• Use products specific to your skin type. If you have dry skin use products for dry skin! make sure you know your skin type, i always thought mine was oily and dry but its actually just dehydrated and only oily in one place.

• If you want to use a new product use it on only one part of you face, perhaps your cheek as its easier to hide breakouts. 

• Try using natural products, make a face mask at home or try one from lush that doesn't contain chemicals. 

• once you have your skin routine sorted don't forget and start using new products even if they are the new bloggers favorite!

• drink water, i am forever saying i need to drink more water but always forget, but when i do you can see the difference. 

• Take off your makeup before bed, how many times have we all heard this? just do it :) 

so those are my tips for achieving good skin, any products you think help blemish prone skin?

Rach xx

Sally Hansen No chip Acrylic Top Coat| Product Put Down.

I love Sally Hansen products. I don't think i have come across something I haven't liked before.. until now.
This is probably the worst nail product, maybe even the worst product full stop, ever!

I saw this in Superdrug and my usual top coat (Rimmel 60 second) was almost out and loving all other Sally Hansen nail products thought this would be great. 

They should instead call this...extra chips, ruin any nail polish you have, shiny nails that last 2 hours( if you're lucky). 

Take a look at this picture...

There is huge chunks of polish missing...where did it go? how can a top coat do this?

This photo shows the weird lines that happen just before your beautifully applied nail varnish chips off. Its almost like this a top coat with a crackle effect..with an added instant chip off!

I didn't do anything strenuous that would make my nail varnish chip off, I didn't stick my hands in polish remover. I used OPI nail envy, Essie Fiji and this awful product. 

I read a few reviews to see if i some how used this wrong but every review i have read has said the same thing. Do not buy this product!!!!! This has got to be the worst product i have spent my hard earned money on! 

Have you got any tips on how to use this polish? Has it worked for you? 

Rach x

Review | NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Amsterdam

So I put an NYX order in last week and have had a chance to play with some of the goodies...I was most excited about trying the Matte lip creams as from the reviews they sounded amazing. Plus i think the fact we can't get it over here makes you want it more!

Now you can get similar products from collection in the form of there cream puff lip stick formula but the colours are very nuteral and I prefer a bright lip.

So here is Amsterdam...

It is a beautiful pure red. The texture is lovely, it goes on with a slight gloss but dries to a matte finish.

My lips are the driest they have ever been right now and this stuff didn't dry them out. I found applying a lip balm (i used Elizabeth Arden eight hour balm) first them this over it made it perfect for the harsh winter weather.

It lasted a lot better than I thought it would, around 5-6 hours. But lip colours wear off me really fast.

I love this, its pigmented, long wearing and cheap!

I paid £5.00 which is a bargain for such a great lip stick. I also picked up a pink colour which i am trialing now!

Have you tried any of the colours?

Rach xx

Skincare | La Roche Posay

Just a quick post that I will do a follow up on when ever it works...if it works!

I have managed to stalk some Effeclar Duo to test out on my blemish prone skin.

Effeclar astringent micro exfoliant lotion and Effeclar Duo. 

I have breakouts and also scaring from past break outs. 

Let see how this goes...fingers crossed the next picture I post will show clear none scared skin!! haha...

Rach xx

London calling to the faraway town | Rimmel apocalips

Drugstore lip products in 2012 were some of the best we have seen...2013 looks to be another amazing year if the new Rimmel Apocalips are to go by.

Galaxy, Nova, Stella, Big Bang, Apocalips.

They are beautifully packaged and its great you can see the product  and see the actual colour.

These are a mixture of lip cream, lip stick and a gloss. They are SO highly pigmented it is Crazy!!

apocolips, nova, galaxy, stella, big bang.
on the bottom is YSL glossy stain in 13.

You can see the Rimmel are much more pigmented than YSL glossy stains! also the colour of 13 and Apocolips are so similar! 

I have only swatched them on my lips so far and not worn them for a long period of time but they feel  none drying and like they would last a good 6 hours on lips. 

They are currently 3 for 2 in boots...I wasn't planning on buying all of these shades but i could not resist!! 

These are the pink/red/coral shades there are also some nudes which were sold out! 

Have you tried these yet?? what do you think?

Rach xx

Purchase | NYX

Just a quick one but I have totally gone n brought some NYX products... Why did no one tell me they had a UK site now! Picked out some Lil gems... Hopefully! It should arrive in the next couple of days... So excited! Hoping the snow stops so our postman comes!!

Rach xx

That happiness I seek When we're out together Swinging cheek to cheek | MAC pure sculpture

I could simply do this review in one sentence....How did I live without this???
But i shall elaborate...

I cannot imagine what my life was like before this product! Its A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

It is a creamy brown shade for using as a contour, I usually use a powder but i found this product makes the job 10 times easier and more natural. So if your no pro and new to contouring i think this will work so well for you.

It blends incredibly, you can make is super super natural or add a bit more for Kim k cheeks! You can add it more as a bronzer to warm up your face too.

I have not loved a MAC product like this for a long time and am so pleased I picked this Gem up!

Go now and run to your nearest store, i promise this will make contouring a breeze!

Swatch and then blended. 

Weird facial expression wearing the wonder product. 

Rach xx 

On my bedside table | Night time routine

I am so nosy...I would love to wonder around someones house and snoop in drawer's so these posts appeal to me!

You can be the nosy one and see what I am currently using.

My skin is a bit sickly looking at this current time. I have a few breakouts, a cold sore and some weird spots that I'm not sure what they are yet but they are big lumps that may be an allergic reaction to something I am using. So I have really broken down my skincare to basic products made for break out prone skin.

• La Roche Posay eye make up remover. I have very sensitive eye area but this eye make up remover is gentle and gets every bit of make up off. 

I have already cleansed when I get into bed to do this bit of my routine. 

i can never get all my eye makeup off with just cleanser so this is to get the last bit of eye make up off. 

• La Roche Posay Effeclar K. This is a serum for breakout prone skin. I can't say it works miracles but I don't want to irritate my skin further with products that are not for breakouts. I really want the Effeclar duo as it sounds amazing! My nearest boots never has it in stock though.

• Alpha H eye complex. This is a gel based eye cream/gel. It feels really refreshing on my eyes and is great to use in the morning. typically I don't use an eye cream on days i am at work as i just don't have the time so i use this at night and find i wake up looking refreshed and bright eyed. 

• Blistex Relief Cream. This is a cream that is for use on very dry lips. I find it keeps lips moisturized and in the morning they feel plump and ready for the harsh winter weather. 

• Boots own cold-sore treatment. This is obviously not glamorous or fun to use but I unfortunately suffer with cold-sores. I get them when I am run down or have a cold. And find they usually go away by using a treatment cream like this. They sell them in pound-land but I didn't have chance to grab one so had to pay £5.00 for this one! 

• Pearl Drops over night Beauty Serum. This is something new to me, its a serum you rub onto your teeth after you have brushed them and you leave it on over night. It is supposed to whiten your teeth while you sleep. You can't feel it and it just tastes minty and fresh. I can't comment if its made my teeth whiter as i am currently using a couple of whitening 'treatments' but its half price at boots so around £1.50 I would say it was worth a go for that!  

So that is what I am currently using. I change up my routine depending on how my skin is acting at the time. 

Rach xx

fingernails are pretty fingernails are good seems that all they ever wanted was a marking | my 'manicure' routine

I am no nail expert so forgive me if im not doing this right...but this is how i do my nails...when i can be bothered! haha!

Sally Hansen nail polish remover, Body shop cuticle oil, sally Hansen Nail Growth, OPI Nail Envy, Nail Buffer. 

I use any old nail varnish remover usually but the last one i brought was from super-drug's own brand and it was awful...i Don't know how you get a nail varnish remover wrong...it has one use...but they did so i got a sally Hansen one and its amazing, it removes the hardest to remove polish and even manages to get glitter varnish off!!

So i remove any old polish i have on my nails, and then use a buffer to smooth my nails. I don't use this all the time just when my nails look as though they need a good buff.
I have brought ones that are more expensive than this (these were 3 for £1 from good ol' pound-land ) and found they are no different.

I like to use a nail strengthener or something along those lines...my favorite is the sally Hansen nail growth miracle which is just a clear polish which i find makes my nails grow long and strong.

I also use OPI nail envy which I haven't noticed this does a lot but I am giving it another go and applied it today.

I use any old nail file to file my nails as long as its thick and durable.

My hands at the moment are dry and look horrible but I am taking more care of them getting ready for spring!!

Before bare naked nails. 

After shiny shiny nails. 

EDIT: Nail Envy is working well. Will do update in couple weeks...as i can feel my nails improving. 

Rach xx

please ignore my blushing cheeks | Nars mati hari blush

I have never brought anything from Nars before...not sure why...I think its quite expensive and it seems a sophisticated brand that i do not belong to...haha.

The Nars lady was lovely not at all what i was expecting, as they look so beautiful, tall and glamorous you think they won't talk to you but i must praise her great customer service!

I wanted a pinky blue blush and this seemed like the most wearable blush that suited me.
The Nars blushes i have heard a lot about are orgasm, deep throat, sin, luster etc but not so much this shade.

Its a beautiful texture, very creamy and very easy to blend. I don't think I have used such a pigmented and long wearing blush. but for £21 I would expect nothing less.

I have worn it every day since I got it which is high praise indeed. It still looks as though i haven't touched it as you need the tiniest bit on your brush!

I used a Real Techniques stippling brush to apply this, if i have applied too much i used my foundation Brush to buff out and blend it into my skin.

swatched and swatch blended. 

wearing the blush...excuse top malfunction and crazy hair!

You will love this if:

• you want something that last all day
• you love highly pigmented blush
• you want a natural matte cheek
• you don't mind spending £££ on one product

you won't like this:

• you like a sheer build-able blush
• you prefer to spend less money on cosmetics
• you like a multi-purpose highlighting blush

Rach xx

nothing looks as good without lipstick | Kate Moss matte Lipstick 110

I am obsessed with these lipsticks, i stalk boots daily to see if they have any other shades in stock. As the other red shade i want is always out of stock in my local boots! #firstworldproblems!

This shade is a coral red shade, its quite bright and will look fab in summer when you can get away with brighter shades.
Its smooth, pigmented and last for ages on my lips. It isn't drying like some matte lipsticks and if you did a blind test i don't think you would guess this was from Rimmel and only £5.49!! I'm waiting for boots to have a 3 for 2 on Rimmel and will be stocking up on every shade as these are beautiful!

go swatch these now!!

Rach xx

Take me Conceal me where you like | Mua pro base conceal and brighten kit

I have not heard any bloggers talking about this so either its really crap or a well kept secret...!
It was £2.50 on offer at Superdrug so i picked one up in the lightest shade 'porcelain' with bated breath i took it home and swatched away.

There is a peachy 'corrective' shade which is great for using under the eyes. 

Then a yellow shade which can be used on the face or mixed with the peachy shade under eyes. 

Then there is a highlighter...which is a pinky brown kind of shade i think it would be awesome if they could have put a contour shade in, a matt brown would be great as i have a million highlighters and not so many contour shades. That is just my own selfish views though...

Here is it guess which eye is conceled...if you cannot guess you may have a problem with your eyesight!! 

How amazing is the difference, this photo was taken in natural light which was balanced on both sides. 

I havn't worn it all day to test the lasting power yet but i will certainly do an update because if we can cover those bags for £2.50 that means so much more money for lipsticks <3 

Rach xx

She wore Blue Velvet Bluer than velvet was the night | mua 'fur effects' nail fur

I have seen this a few times in Superdrug and a few bloggers have posted pictures but i did not think I would like it as it looks a bit...odd...who wants furry velvet nails???

ME!! these are so beautiful...photos do not do this manicure justice it looks so elegant and different and takes hardly any time to do. its fuss free, mess free and looks sophisticated and eye catching. 

again photos do not do this justice...it looks so pretty and i urge you to go out and buy this now...they have some lovely colours and they are £1.50 off in Superdrug now!!

Rach xx

Listen to papa's translations Of the stories across the sky We drew our own constellations | mua Nail constilations

I am some one who loves being different and these little beads are just what i need for my nails...they have been around for a while and lucky for us girls who want it all we can now buy it for a fraction of the price!

It is a little bit messy to apply but i make a mess doing anything...haha.

heres how they look...

they have a few different shades to choose from this is going to be so pretty in spring!

Rach x