Onyx

He Shi Gradual Self Tanner Review

2011-09-16T12:06:00.001+01:00

This is a review I have been meaning to do for a while now. Since summer is over now :( and we are done with our mini Hawaiian heat wave, it seems an appropriate time to be writing about a product which potentially helps to hold on to summer skin for a little longer.
The product in question is He Shi's Gradual Self Tanner, which is from a brand that has been circulating the blogosphere for some time now. I was rather intrigued about this brand and was happy to try out the self-tanner. Ordinarily, I am not one for tanning, naturally or otherwise. I can't spend hours basking in the sun without thinking of those staying safe in the sun adverts and honestly do not want to damage my skin for the sake of a bit of colour. Don't get me wrong, I love laying on a beach as much as the next person, but believe in doing it safely. That's why I'm not opposed to fake tanners, if it's done tastefully, in other words you haven't made yourself orange. Personally I don't have the time or patience for fake tan, but I was curious to try a gradual tanner as they work slightly differently to your standard fake tan.

The sciencey bit: basically, the active ingredient that makes any self tanner work is dihydroxyacetone or DHA for short. It's essentially a type of sugar and when applied to your skin, reacts with the top layer to brown it in a similar way that food browns when it's left exposed to air. Since it is just the top layer of skin that the DHA reacts with, it lasts for just a couple of days until that layer of skin has been washed away. Gradual tanners have a much lower concentration of this ingredient than regular fake-tan which makes the effect more subtle and allows you to build up the tan gradually.

I tried the product over a few days to see how well the colour built up and was really pleased with the result. Day one, the tanner did not immediately seem to make much of a change to my skin tone. I would say it took a few hours before I noticed any change.

Day two, after being on my skin for a few hours now, I could definitely see a difference. The result was a very evenly distributed amount of colour over my skin, the only giveaway was my back area which I had not managed to apply very successfully! I would recommend getting someone to help you so you don't end up with a streaky back like I did. Applying the product anywhere else wasn't a problem, I found it rubbed quite easily into the skin, pretty much as simple as applying a moisturiser. Excuse the bra flash, apologies.

The picture below is day 3 which is when I think I had reached as brown as this would make me, or at least as brown as I was willing to go. I like a sun kissed glow, rather than an obvious tan. As far as self tanners go, and I don't have a lot to compare it to as I don't ordinarily buy this type of product, but I believe this to be good quality, reasonably priced for the size as you would get a few applications from the bottle (£14.50 for 200ml). It has quite a thick consistency but a little amount does stretch quite far. Comparing this to another gradual tanner I used (Johnsons I believe) where the consistency was very runny and I needed to use quite a lot to achieve any sort of results this is miles better.

If you're a little scared or completely uninterested with using fake tan but wouldn't mind giving your skin a bit of a boost now that summer's over then I would recommend this for that. I'm a bit indifferent to skin tone myself, so would not be too fussed about buying any more, but I did enjoy trying this out and can see that this would appeal to tan lovers.

The product was sent to me to try but as usual this does not affect my opinion in any way.

A little update...

2011-09-11T17:24:00.002+01:00

So this is not a particularly pleasant or easy update to be making, but nevertheless, I think I should make it. I've been quiet in the blogging world lately, and it has been for good reason, so let me explain...

As of a few weeks ago I ended my five year relationship. This was not a very easy decision to make, nor was it one I did hastily. Things were not right for a while and it became a case of breezing on, pretending everything was OK. We had tried long distance, it never worked, we tried living together and it seems that didn't work either. As hard as I tried, it just seems the relationship has had its day. Whoever ends it, it's always a difficult thing to go through, but I am coming round to it now, and being more optimistic about the future. I am about to go through a lot of changes, starting a new job, moving into a house share and facing city life as a singleton. It's daunting but it feels right at the same time. Currently I'm spending a lot of time looking for a house to move in to, I'm not sure exactly where, but definitely closer to the centre, as close as my budget will get me! Times like this I tend to find myself searching for inspirational quotes. I really liked this plaque thing that I found at Camden market. I think this may become my new motto.

Birthday OOTD

2011-08-23T18:04:00.000+01:00

Quick little OOTD post. I'm wearing my favourite pair of black Topshop jeans, these are the high waisted Kristen jeans, sorry if you've seen these in a tonne of my other posts, but I love them!
I love this cobalt blue top. This was a gift from my Mum. I love the gold buttons and when this isn't tucked in, it has a nice flattering shape to it. This blouse is also available in a bright red and white version, the latter I am tempted to buy with my Topshop gift card!Shoes are from ages ago, but I barely wear them because they're mega uncomfortable. I'm not going anywhere tonight though because I've done too much before my birthday and have plans for later in the week so need to save some pennies!
Tomorrow I'm off to Bath to visit a friend and will be back on Thursday so I will show you lots of pics from my trip. I'm quite excited to go somewhere new!

Be Happy

2011-08-23T17:11:00.001+01:00

I saw this tag on one of my favourite blogs Superficial Girls and decided to do it as I think it would be great if lots of bloggers did this to spread the joy. It is the "Be Happy" tag where basically you post 5 things that make you happy, as simple and sweet as that!
I'm not sure if she SG started this herself, but she says "Do a blog post about 5 things that make you happy and include a picture of yourself smiling or something that makes you happy! I tag everyone!!"

1. Music
I put this as my number one because I literally couldn't live without it. Music is incorporated into every aspect of my life, in the words of Eric Olson "Music is what life sounds like." Too true.

2. Friends & Family
I hold dear everyone who's a part of my life.

3. Blogging
Of course! I love having this little outlet to share with you all. Reading your comments and your own blogs is a little source of happiness for me.

4. London
I find plenty to moan about living here, but when it really boils down to it, this is one of the finest cities and I love my London.

5. Outdoors
Nothing beats being outdoors in the sunshine, but I love and appreciate nature and a bit of fresh air any time of the year. I love to walk, it really clears my head, I could walk for miles somedays.

So there's my five things that make me happy. Today is also my birthday!! So that's another thing to be happy for I guess. Let me know what yours are!

Lush Cosmetic Warrior Face Mask Review

2011-08-22T20:07:00.000+01:00

I recently traded in 5 black pots at Lush to receive a free face mask. I have used a couple of Lush masks before and always like to try something new so this time I chose Cosmetic Warrior. I'm surprised I hadn't tried this one before. It contains tea tree oil, which is pretty much the dominant smell when you open the lid, and also happens to be one of my favourite ingredients of skin care. It has natural anti-bacterial properties so is great at combatting spots.

Lush masks feel like a real treat, even though they're quite inexpensive compared to some brands, and in this case, completely free! I think they're great for prepping yourself for a night out, but I would suggest possibly doing the face mask a few nights before you go out as it brings spots to the surface the next day. This does not mean the mask causes spots, but it draws all your impurities out.

This mask has a nice feel to it as it dries. It contains eggs which you can feel give the tightening effect on your skin, but it also contains honey, so when washed off, you're left feeling nice and moisturised. Definite thumbs up from me.

I feel I've been missing from the blogging sphere for a while. I've been back at my parents house in the Midlands for a few days and didn't take my laptop. Sometimes I think it's nice to have a little break, though I have missed it. Whilst up there my brother turned 30, so I went out for a surprise meal for him to celebrate. It was a lovely evening, in one of my favourite restaurants in the town I was born in. It's a little family run Italian restaurant and the food there is absolutely amazing, as is the service.

I also finally got to meet my best friend's little baby boy called Harry, who at 11 months, is surprisingly not so little anymore! I'd only seen him in photographs before and was expecting the same tiny little man, but he's grown so much.

I've had a lovely few days up there, but I'm back home now with lots of posts lined up. Now to sit and catch up with your lovely blogs!

Weekend Overview 6th/7th August

2011-08-08T20:11:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend I went to check out Mevali in Greenwich which is a hookah bar and restaurant. I have to say it wasn't quite what I had in mind having been to a few hookah lounges in the past. When you walk through the door you feel like you've stepped into a cafe with lots of tea making paraphernalia on view. It's only when you walk right through and step into the back yard of the restaurant that it becomes more like a hookah lounge with lots of benches and heated umbrellas above. I found this layout, although it made hookah seem more of a daytime affair than an evening one, is very homely and welcoming. We ordered watermelon flavour hookah and I love the way they look, I want one of these in my home. I realise it's not the healthiest of past-times, but it's nowhere near as bad as regular smoking as it doesn't contain all the carcinogens of cigarettes and there is something very relaxing about hookah and it's a nice way to spend an evening chilling out with friends. We ordered a large plate of mezze too which was full of delicious little bites.On Sunday, I dodged the showers and managed to hire a rowing boat out on the lake without getting rained on. We went to Danson park, because sometimes it's lovely driving out, in the opposite direction to the city. Much quieter and peaceful.

Hope you had a lovely weekend too, I will be posting a few reviews this week including the MAC and Lush products I bought, aswell as some He-Shi and Purity products so watch out for those.

In and Out Part Deux

2011-08-03T20:52:00.000+01:00

These were meant to be a regular post of mine, but they never really took off. Oh well, here's part two of things I am currently loving and not-so-much loving.

In:

Drinking ice-cold coke from a glass bottle, it tastes a million times better in glass in my opinion.

Having more than one "good" piece of mail, i.e. things I have ordered, arrive in one day.

Discovering that I can successfully paint the tips of my nails without it looking a complete mess. I decided to jazz up GOSH Light Rose with some Barry M Shocking Pink tips.

Charlie Simpson and his solo career. Busted was a minor glitch for Charlie, but since he's departed he's done some pretty good songs, check them out.

Out:

Magazines being a month ahead, and seeing the word "September" on the front of one, reminds me that it's nearly Autumn which I find a mildy depressing thought.

Lack of inbetween weather, it's all or nothing with our summers.
My messy hair. If I was a celebrity, my hair would almost certainly be in the "out" column of any magazine, it's wild and unruly. I'm sorting it out on Monday.

Cher Lloyd. I actually liked her first audition, but I went more and more off her as the show went on, and now she's released Swagger Jagger, I have no more love left.

NOTD Oh My good GOSH!

2011-08-03T19:42:00.000+01:00

GOSH nail polishes never used to have me reaching toward them, I always thought they looked a bit nasty, I don't know, like they'd been manhandled by hundreds of people and sat there for years, and I found this in every Superdrug that stocked them. Lately though, they've booked up their ideas and have released some attractive shades and seem to be taking better care of stock replenishment. The latest addition to the GOSH collection is these little darlings that like a slogan t-shirt read "OH MY GOSH". They remind me of Collection 2000's hot shots nail polishes which were basically smaller, cheaper versions of their original collection in a wider mix of colours. This is good because a) you probably won't use all of it up anyway, and b) you are paying less for it. The colours in the range are all very different and eye-catching, this one: 023 Light Rose particularly caught my eye. It's basically a very very pale pink verging on white. I was sort of hoping it would be a little creamier in colour, I'm searching for that perfect "wedding" shade. I'm not getting married any time soon but ever since I heard about Catherine Middleton supposedly wearing Bourjois' Rose Lounge, I wanted to find a similar alternative. This is a gorgeous shade in it's own right but I don't think this is it. Although very pretty and dainty looking compared to some shades I normally wear, it's still quite obvious and I think "wedding nails" are all about looking as natural as possible. I'm sure I have a long time to keep up the search though...

Recent Jewellery Finds

2011-08-02T20:42:00.000+01:00

Close to where I live there is a large store which is made up of a few different high street shops such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse etc...kind of like a mini-department store. Recently they had a very generous sale on where many items were half price. I rather hastily removed all of the packaging and price tags but I know that nothing I bought from them cost over £3. The alphabet earrings in the above photo were from Miss Selfridge, around £2 and I thought they were a bit novel and cute and very me. I like wearing a mismatching colour combo.This ring I had spotted a long time ago in Miss Selfridge and always thought it was very pretty but held off buying it because there was always something else that would catch my eye more than this. It's very pretty and sparkly but I can only wear it for going out as it's a bit too much for day time I feel. This was £3 down from £10. I recently lost my silver leaf earrings from Accessorize, well more to the point I lost one of them which still means I can't wear them unless I want to start a trend of wearing completely mismatched earrings, which I don't. These weren't an exact replacement but I like them just as much. They look kind of old and rustic which I like. They were £2 instead of £4 from Topshop.
The earrings above were not one of my sale finds but from one of my favourite jewellery shops which can be found in Greenwich market. The shop is called Autumn and May, (and you can click here to find out more about them) and they do some wonderful pieces of jewellery. Occasionally I like to buy something from there because I know it's highly unlikely I'll see someone else wearing it and the quality is far better than high street clothes shop jewellery! I bought these little orange triangle studs as I found them quite cute and needed just a basic stud that I can rely on for wearing to work and such like. They remind me of pizza slices oddly.

Weekend Overview 30th/31st July

2011-08-01T21:37:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone. Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend. I headed into town on Saturday with the boy, the weather was glorious and our aim of the afternoon was to find a nice pub to have a drink. Apparently everyone else had that same idea, and every outdoor seat seemed to be occupied. We went over to Soho and found a nice little Moroccan/Turkish restaurant which was also a hookah lounge. We both had a Casablanca which is a Moroccan beer and it tasted nicer than I expected, I think beer is pretty much beer in every corner of the world, which is not spoken like the Burtonian that I am (I was born in Burton in the Midlands, which literally comes from "Beer-town", as it was once the brewing capital of Europe).
After our beer, and some Fatayer (gorgeous little spinach and onion mezze dish) we went round to the M&M factory which was nearby. Spread over four floors, this was what I imagine Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to be like, only this was all M&M's. I have never seen so many pieces of merchandise dedicated to one sweet in one place before, nor did I expect so many people to be in there! I wanted to experience this for myself after seeing it in photographs, but I'm not sure I will be setting foot in this crazy place again. I thought the little stuffed toys that were shaped like M&M's were cute and not too pricey at £12, but a little case of one colour M&M's cost £5 which is quite frankly a complete rip off.

I've been meaning to take this photo for a while, every time we drive home from central London. I'm sure I could get a better shot if I wasn't in a moving vehicle but I love this view of a church in front of the yet to be finished Shard building.Sunday was spent getting well out of the city and soaking up some country air. We drove an hour to a place called Bewl Water, quite close to Tunbridge Wells, it feels a million miles away from a city, and it the perfect little getaway spot. We've enjoyed cycling here a couple of times, but this weekend was too hot for that so we parked up near the lake and had a little walk, some lunch and an ice-cream and basked in the sunshine. I didn't realise, but there was lots of lavendar or heather near the lake and hundreds of honey bees. It kind of ruined the moment when I had to run through it as I'm terrified of bees and wasps.I've had a bit of an obsession with camper vans for about a decade now, which is long enough to justify buying one. This one caught my eye whilst we were out walking. I don't know what it is about them, they conjure up images of road trips to far away places. I snapped a couple of photos of these pigs, I'm sure they don't mind! I used to love pigs so much as a child, I went so far as having a pig stencil around my bedroom, and a shelf full of pig ornaments. I'm sure that's not information I should be proud of, but surely you can see the cuteness in these creatures?!

Une Radiance Refresh Night & Day 3 in 1 Micellar Cleansing Water for Face and Eyes

2011-07-30T09:00:00.003+01:00

Firstly, what an extremely long title this product has. I shall just refer to it as Radiance Refresh. I had never heard of the word "Micellar" before and thought perhaps this was a made up thing. It turns out however, it's not, it actually means something. Basically, what I understand from "Micellar" is that it is a solution consisting of a solvent and water, the solvent obviously being the thing that breaks down your make-up. This is a 3 in 1 product so if you are someone who doesn't like shortcuts and will habitually do the 3 part process of Cleansing, toning, moisturising, you may not like this. I cleanse, tone, and I moisturise, but cannot honestly say I do this every day, morning and night without fail. Sometimes I just like to spray a load of my toner (Lush's Tea Tree Water) onto a cotton ball and swipe all over my face, job done. It's not really though, and it doesn't get every trace of my eye make-up off because it is just too gentle.

I was a bit surprised that an organic product could cleanse so well and effectively break down my make-up. For the past couple of years, I've been really against using anything harsh and too chemically to take my make-up off, even if it does the job really well. I had to read through the ingredients because I felt a little like I had been conned by the actual organic content of this product, but sure enough 99.3% are of natural origin. There was a certain sting factor when I accidently got some in my eye which made me question what was in it, and this I think is perhaps the alcohol content even though it's very low down on the list. I suppose also, natural doesn't always mean its going to be very gentle, and since this is "Micellar" it is designed as a solvent to break down your make-up so it needs to be a little rough. I do love that tingly clean feeling it leaves on my face.

I didn't realise it at the time, but this is a product I really needed and had a gap for amongst the rest of my products (we always find a way to justify our purchases don't we?!). This is just the perfect product to pack if you're going away somewhere, no need to bother with decanting all your make-up removers, cleansers and toners into mini bottles, this does the job well enough and comes in a not too bulky 150ml bottle.

There is absolutely no moisturising properties to this product which is hardly a surprise because its purpose is cleansing. The "3 in 1" refers to: 1. Gently cleanses. 2. Purifies. 3. Tones. It also says that "skin is hydrated and instantly rid of impurities". Hydrated or not, I still feel the need to use a moisturiser after this.

At £8.99 for a 150ml bottle, this does seem a little pricey. However, I don't need to drench the cotton wool, a few drops really is all you need, so I see this bottle lasting a while. I think you need to be prepared to pay a little extra for a natural product as well because rarely do they come cheap. As a multi-use product, I think this happens to be good value for money. It is highly effective and I can't think of another single product that has made my face feel this clean without feeling like I have burnt myself a little bit!

Une Skin Matt Foundation Review

2011-07-26T20:58:00.002+01:00

Here is one of my reviews I have been meaning to do. I don't know when Une brought out this foundation or why nobody told me about it!...but I was rather delighted all the same.

I have been using Une Skin Glow foundation for a few months, repurchasing it a couple of times as I have been so impressed with it. If you've not read the review I did of that foundation, I said something along the lines of it is similar to a tinted moisturiser but with slightly more coverage. It doesn't break me out, it isn't heavy or cakey on your skin, and it is long lasting. Perhaps my only "issue" was that sometimes, after wearing it a while I can get a little shiny in my T-zone. This would happen if I were to wear no foundation, and is easily solved with a little translucent powder. I would also add that this is only really applicable in the hot summer months and after wearing it for the whole day.

Anyway, this is supposed to be a review about the Skin Matt foundation, so let's have a look at it.

(Scroll to the bottom for pros and cons if you don't want to read my waffling.) Packaging wise it's identical, and there was nothing that drew my eyes to it being any different to the Skin-Glow foundation, in fact, I thought that's what I had picked up until I used my brain and actually read it. I know matte foundations don't float everyone's boats and aren't anything to get excited about, but for me, a self-confessed oily girl, I need matte in my life. Now my skin is not as bad as I think it is, it is only really my t-zone that gets it's shine on, and even then, mostly in summer and it's probably not that noticeable to other people. I've never really looked at anyone myself and thought "you have a shiny face" so it's unlikely people are thinking that about me! But, as a result of my teenage years when it was more of an issue, I have been left thinking of myself as a dewy faced person and don't reach for products that promise me a dewy look. Maybe in 10 years this will be a different story.

Seeing that Une now did a matte foundation, and the previous positive experience I had had with the Skin-Glow made this an instant must-have product for me and am I happy I bought it? Well, yes.

First of all, it was super easy to find my shade as the numbers translate across the brand so I just had to find my number which is currently number 05. The consistency of the foundation comes a little thicker than the Glow foundation, it definitely has a more "foundationness" about it than a tinted moisturiser. This gives the advantage of offering slightly more coverage and consequently controls your shine for hours to come. It also comes with a disadvantage - it is slightly more difficult to work this into your skin. I find I need to work quite quickly or it has a tendency to turn a little cakey. I guess this is because being matte means it is drier and must be less oil based.

Overall, it isn't hugely different to the Skin Glow foundation and I feel like I don't prefer one over the other. I will continue using this one over the summer to keep my shine at bay, but I would consider going back to the Glow as the weather gets cooler, just for ease of use.

Une Skin Matt foundation is available in Superdrug and Boots priced at £11.99.

Skin Glow on the right, Skin Matt on the left.

Below: both swatches rubbed in a little more to the skin.

Pros:

Colour match is identical, consistency runs across the brand so it's easy to find your shade if you've used it before. Also, in larger Boots stores, there is quite a wide range of shades to choose from.

Very long lasting, keeps you shine free for hours.

Price - excellent value for an organic make-up product.

Cons:

Little more difficult to work with than the Skin-Glow, doesn't glide on as easily. You need to be quick or it will cake.

Shape of the bottle is not very user-friendly when you are near the bottom it gets quite difficult to squeeze it out, so you may find yourself wasting a lot of product.

MAC and Lush goodies

2011-07-24T21:44:00.000+01:00

Here's a few things I treated myself to this weekend. I stopped by MAC and my favourite Lush store on S.Molten Street (less crowded and more friendly).

I traded in five black pots for a face mask and also picked up these toothy tabs which I've been meaning to try for a while. Quite excited about these!
A new found love in MAC was Arena eyeshadow, a gorgeous shade for all you neutral lovers out there.And a total impulse buy, I knew nothing of this lipstick, nor the current collections, I'm completely out of the loop on current MAC collections these days, but this is from the Fashion Flower collection. I will post a full review of these items next week, but for now I can say, Growing Trend, an amazingly gorgeous nude, was love at first swatch.

I hope everyone's had a fabulous weekend!

NOTD Barry M Raspberry

2011-07-22T11:02:00.000+01:00

The latest addition to my Barry M nail paint family is the overlooked and undersung hero that is Raspberry. There's so many brighter, more stand out colours in the collection that I never really pick up the "normal" safe shades.
Raspberry is a deep, rich red colour which I have included a couple of pictures in different lighting. It reminds me a lot of Piccadilly Circus by Nails Inc except it is a truer red shade and doesn't look brown in some lights like Piccadilly Circus does. It is almost in that red wine colour family, but again a little more red than wine. It's a classic shade and one that I think everyone needs some equivalent of in their nail polish collection.
I think as this is an older colour, the formulation is not as great as newer shades, this did start to chip on day 2 which is unusual, definitely calls for a topcoat to fix this.

UNE Cosmetics Tote and Makeup Pouch Deal

2011-07-21T16:07:00.001+01:00

Une Cosmetics currently have a deal on in Superdrug where you buy any two products and you get a free Une goody bag which consists of a make-up bag and a tote bag. Both the tote and the pouch are made from 100% naural and organic certified cotton, in keeping with their brand ethos. I will store a few make-up items in the pouch and the tote is ideal for shopping or carrying books. I'd be lying if I said I didn't just buy two Une products purely to get hold of these bags. Of course I love Une, but I really didn't go in looking to buy anything from them. You know how easily this is done.
I picked up my two items which once I started pondering over which things to buy became more of a challenge than I thought. Oh I really want to try their creamy blushers...oh but the lipsticks/lipglosses, surely they're the best make-up product to have that is all natural since essentially you end up eating it anyway...ooh but I haven't seen this cleanser before...

In the end I went for the Radiance Refresh Night & Day "Micellar Cleansing Water for Face & Eyes" and a Skin-Matt Foundation in M05. Now I have been using both of these products for a few days now so I shall write separate reviews once I have a full opinion about them. So far I am happy with both products and I am glad to see the Une range branching out. Using organic and natural origin products are increasingly important to people so I was glad to see a make-up remover designed by a brand that specialise in natural make-up. The way I see it, if they know how to put make-up on, they know how to get it off again.

I previously wrote about the Skin glow foundation and how I was wary with my oily skin, I was pleased to see that Une have now released a matt foundation for us oily girls and I feel that I may get along even better with this foundation. It's easy to find your shade if you've used Une before as the number corresponds, so I was a G05 in the Skin-glow which makes me a M05 in the Skin-matt, easy.

Here's a little blob swatch and then rubbed into the skin next to it, left a little thickly applied so you can see what it looks like.

Weekend Overview

2011-07-18T19:00:00.000+01:00

This weekend was spent wandering around the Shoreditch area of London. Shoreditch is in east London and is one of my favourite areas although I haven't been that many times. The night life is great, and there is a real mix of people and buzz about the area.

I wanted to go to Flowers gallery on Kingsland Road after Derren Brown posted on Twitter that an artist friend of his had an exhibition there. Patrick Hughed does a lot of optical illusion pictures, a lot of which were unlike anything I'd seen. There were inverted masks, and these scenery paintings that appeared like hollograms, it wasn't until you came up close to them that you could see how it was done. Located on Kingsland Road, the exhibition is definitely worth a look.
Further on up Kingsland Road, there is Geffryes Museum which was a little gem of a find. Both pictures are the exterior of the building, unfortunately I couldn't take any pictures indoors. Note the gloomy lighting, the heavens opened shortly after this picture was taken.

The museum is based in an old Almshome, homes that were paid for by a charity and set up to house the elderly poor. You can still find a lot of these homes dotted around England, but this one has been converted into a museum which shows how English homes have been decorated over the years. It starts with the 1600s and goes right up to a middle class home today. It might not sound like the most thrilling of ways to spend an afternoon, but I happen to really like interior design and that was what this museum is all about. It's like a walk through interior design through time.

OOTD 13.07

2011-07-13T20:48:00.000+01:00

Tube top: H&M - £3.99
Harem pants: New Look - £9.99
Flip Flops: Havaianas
Bag: Primark - £6

I found this top in H&M priced at a bargainous £3.99. I don't have too many of this style of top and I quite like a bare shoulder in the summer time, it tends to be the only time of year you get away with it.

Not sure how everyone feels about harem trousers, I wasn't a huge fan admittedly, but I tried on this pair from New Look and they were so comfortable, they are my equivalent of a lounging around trouser. I quite like the colour of these too, it makes them a bit different.

Primark have some amazing bags in store at the moment, very comparable to the uber stylish ones you see in Topshop but for a snippet of the price. This bag I bought for £6, but it has since been reduced to £3. I love that it's a sturdy little wicker basket bag, very unique looking.

OOTD 12.07

2011-07-12T21:58:00.000+01:00

Here is another outfit post, (let me know if you would rather me stick to makeup) showing the rather simple, yet ready for whatever this unpredictable British summer should throw at me.
T-shirt: New Look - £8
Jeans: Primark - £6.50
Flip flops: Havaianas (from Office) around £18
Bag - Luca Bocelli - £29

T-shirt is from New Look, priced around £8. New Look are great for basics like vests and t-shirts as they are inexpensive and wash well (it's important ya know, there's nothing worse than washing something once then it drops to pieces!). I particularly like the little knot tie at the bottom.

The jeans are another pair of Primark's finest, the amazingly comfortable and well fitted skinny jean I have ever come across. Even more amazingly, they were in the sale this time around, £6.50 instead of £8. I bought these in a very pale wash the first time and these are just a darker version, I did however find that there's not much uniformity among sizes, and had to size up in this colour.
The bag was a present from my lovely Mum as she said I needed a bag to start my new work with. I really love satchel bags, but she wanted to get me a briefcase type one, we looked around and I think this is a happy medium. I saw a bag by the same brand that was a hot pink brief case which was tempting, but perhaps a little too legally blonde?! This is fantastic quality soft leather, and was priced at a discount of £29 down from £80. Although I haven't heard of the brand, I trust this Nappa leather to be good quality. I think it's all in the feel and the smell!Looking rather foolish in the above photos, I'm not a comfortable poser, I wore over my t-shirt my Kimono style top from Peacocks. It's a bit too warm for a jacket, but you never know if it's going to suddenly rain or turn to winter here.I have practically lived in my Havaianas since I bought them a few months back. I went for the slim fit ones in metallic blue. Quite expensive for a flip flop at £18 but these are a flip flop like no other, they don't drop apart like others or wear down. I might aswell throw in some make-up shots here. I went for a bright red lip (Sleek OMG, I will post a separate review on the Too True lipsticks) and neutral eyes using the Sleek Oh So Special palette. Bronzer is by MAC, Refined Golden which I bought ages ago and still use religiously.
This is probably one of my favourite make-up looks, it's pretty effortless really but without looking like I made no effort. I like that the red lip does the talking for this look.

I think this photo might be a little deceiving because I don't feel that in person my hair is that shiny! It's not in bad condition for blonde hair, I haven't used any heat, or at least minimal, say a blowdry every 3-4 days or so, but it is still due for a cut and colour. I haven't decided where I'm going to go yet so I'm going to have a browse online and see what I find.

OOTD 11.07

2011-07-11T21:52:00.000+01:00

I don't do these posts as often as I would like. I enjoy seeing other people's OOTD so I'm going to try and make sure to include more of my own. This is what I wore today, a pretty simple ensemble today.Top: Primark - £8
Jeans: Kristen by Topshop - £40
Shoes: New Look - £24.99
Earrings: Autumn and May - £15
Bangle: Peacocks - £4

I love these blouses from Primark, they have a few different styles and colours in at the moment and I particularly love these brightly coloured ones with gold buttons. It's a viscose mix so the bottom part of it is kind of crinkly. It's very light weight and so perfect for summer time. I am tempted to go back and buy this in the bright blue and purple.

Shoes from New Look, these are very almost a wedge but have a small triangle cut out which makes them a high heel but with still with the support of a wedge. They are available in this taupe colour and black.

Eye makeup using Sleek Oh So Special.

Sleek Oh So Special and Curacao Palettes

2011-07-09T00:00:00.000+01:00

I bought these palettes together so I might as well write a joint post about them. Sleek you've done it again. Just when I thought there were no more colour combinations that I needed, you brought these two into my collection. I don't really think I needed these, but I am a make-up addict, I am weak, and I caved.

This is Oh So Special, the palette I have been waiting for. A gorgeous collection of neutrals. There is not a skin tone, eye colour, age range etc etc that could not find a colour combination in this palette. It's suitable for day or night although I have only ventured towards the left hand side of the palette rather than the right as I've only used this for day time. My favourite lid colours are the second from the left, top and bottom colours, they're called Organza and Gateau, both quite similar rose gold shades.

I think out of all the palettes I own, this will become my most used as it is so versatile. I suppose I do still have a criticism of this as a neutrals palette however. For me there's a couple of shades that are just a bit out of place in this palette, Ribbon and Pamper. Ribbon is a gorgeous colour but not entirely in keeping with the rest of the palette, it does work well but I think I would have replaced it with a colour more like MAC's Retrospeck. Pamper is a pretty colour too but it's just neither here nor there as a lid, crease or brow bone colour, and I think I will wear it the least. What would have made this palette perfect is another shade or two for the crease (Boxed is perfect for this) and another lid colour. The four shades on the right side are all suitable as outer corner colours, when a couple would have been enough. This is of course me being fussy and dreaming up my perfect Sleek palette, one day I'm sure they'll nail it and bring out a palette that has it all.

I also happened to find the Curacao palette, which I really hadn't seen anything of beforehand. This is from the Caribbean collection and prior to this I had only seen the blusher and pout polish from this same collection. This reminds me a lot of the Circus palette which was also limited edition, the colours are very bright and because they are so pigmented, are true to the colour you see in the palette.

This is a good palette to buy if you're a green eyeshadow lover, there's 5 shades in there that are in green or aqua family. Apart from those, it might be difficult to pick out a few shades to wear together but it's a nice palette to have to choose one colour and make that your focus, mixing it with more wearable shades from elsewhere.

MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot and meeting an old friend

2011-07-08T19:38:00.000+01:00

Last week I headed into town to see a friend I had not seen since our school days. Despite the realisation that it was so many years ago, and coming to terms with the fact that I am now OLD, I had a lovely time catching up with her. If you've been in a similar situation, there is that moment beforehand where you wonder how much they've changed, what if they're no longer a nice person! I can honestly say that besides growing up, my friend hadn't really changed, and I mean that in a good way. Just an older, wiser version! And this, despite being very successful at what she does for a living.
Harry is a makeup artist, and does a lot of fashion and editorial work. This was her dream all those years ago and how good it is to see those dreams become real. For the record, mine was to become a writer, which I suppose you could say I do here, but it's not my job. As I got older my dreams changed, I still maintained wanting to write but alongside this I found a new dream and chased that instead. I'm glad I'm doing the job I love (which I don't mention on here because it's worlds apart from my beauty blog!) but there is something to be said for people who never give up that one thing they want to be. Persistence is the key I think.

I would really love it if you went on over to: http://harrymakesitup.tumblr.com/ and http://harriethadfield.com/ to find out more about her and the work she's done, you can tell her I said "Hi". I think you'll agree it's pretty darn good.

That day we mosied around the make-up shops near Covent Garden and of course, whenever I am there, a MAC visit is a must.
I was after a paint pot to use as an eyeshadow base. I have not been too impressed with my UDPP, it does not live up to Too Faced Shadow Insurance in my opinion, so I decided to give these a go. Originally I thought I would but Painterly, it's the one that always springs to mind. However, looking at them and comparing Painterly to Soft Ochre, the latter was the obvious choice for me. I'm really quite yellow tinged, or golden as I prefer to say and this was a better match for my skin tone, not to mention how much better this shade is for the natural colour of most people's eyelids. The problem I believe a lot of people find with Soft Ochre is the dryness of this particular shade. I can see where there is coming from, Soft Ochre applies smoothly and creamily, but is quick to dry. You could get around this by applying it to one eyelid and then putting on your eyeshadow before moving onto the next. The most important thing is the staying power that this paint pot has. In my experience, it is still not as good or long lasting as TFSI, but perhaps slightly better than UDPP in longevity, not only in making my eyeshadow last a little longer, but the sheer amount of product you get in one of these little pots. If I use this every day, I can see it lasting me at least a year, now that's value for money. For some people I can see a hygiene issue around this as it is not in a contained tube, but a pot that you swipe your finger in. My answer is use a brush, or more simply, just wash your hands before you use! Not too difficult.

Overall, I rate this product quite highly. I would probably not repurchase, purely because I don't think I will ever get through an entire jar of this, but I may try different shades.

Sleek Monaco Palette

2011-06-20T19:51:00.000+01:00

I can't seem to resist buying a new Sleek palette. As if I need any more of them really. I think the brand is bang on by releasing a new collection so frequently, it keeps the brand fresh and up to date. Each palette is always so different from the last too. This one features some very bright pastel shades as well as a few lighter shades that are more suitable for me as lid colours. I tend to use the bright shades just as a pop of colour in the crease or line the bottom lid with them. My particular favourites in this palette are the four colours you see in the bottom. They work really well together and with a summer tan, turquoise is a great colour to wear, you still need to be a bit brave about it though!
I checked out the pout polish that was released the same time as this but is part of the Caribbean collection. It isn't really me, it's very orange and whilst I am actually on the hunt for an orangey lip gloss/lipstick of some description, this just isn't it. The blusher is part of the Monaco collection, but again I skipped it. I don't know what I can do with neon pink!

This eyeshadow palette is definetely the highlight of the latest products released from Sleek. On another note, I saw a couple of tester palettes whilst I was browsing the Monaco collection. I saw a neutral palette and a smokey eye palette. There were none available to buy however. If anyone is able to fill me on this would be great as they both looked pretty amazing and I would happily have snapped them up, have I missed these two palettes or are they not released yet??

Simples

2011-06-01T21:42:00.000+01:00

Simple is a brand that never fails me. If I need to buy something I've ran out of and haven't done my research to find out which products are creating a buzz, I can always rely on this brand to have something that will do the job and do it well.
One of their most recently released products is this eye make-up corrector pen which I was kindly sent to try since I am a member of Simple's VIP which you can join on their website. This is one of those products that you wouldn't think to buy, (I haven't seen other brand alternatives on the market) but now I've tried it, it's one of those things you wonder how you got on without it. It's great for those days you're in a rush and then you make a mistake with your eyeliner. It's a lot quicker and more efficient than using a cotton bud. You just swipe at the smudge and it's gone, simple as that! I also recently needed to buy a new facewash, and again it was Simple that I looked to. I liked the appeal of using a foaming facewash so picked this one out. It's very easy to use and mess free. I like the fact that one pump gives me the right amount of product and it foams itself up for me! Very lazy I know, but sometimes that's what you need.

Simple is a brand that keep ingredients to a minimum, they are non-perfumed and so are often very suitable for sensitive skin.

New Barry M Nail Paints - Nail Effects and pastels

2011-04-26T21:01:00.000+01:00

I really liked my black crackled nail effect polish when I first got it. I soon got bored that I only had it in black however. It made it a bit limiting on which colour I could wear it with. I'm so glad Barry M have brought out new shades of the crackle effect nail paint and I took advantage of the 2 for £5 in Superdrug. I picked up a pink and a white although there was also a blue-ish lavendar colour available, very similar to GOSH Lavendar Love. I noticed some new pastel shades lurking about too which I wasn't expecting. There's Blue Moon, which reminds me of Button Moon by Collection 2000 except this is a better formulation and not as bright. Possibly my favourite polish of the bunch was Peach Melba on the left. Gorgeous shade that I have been after for the longest time. I wanted the peach colour by Model's Own after seeing it on a colleague but have not been able to find it annoyingly! Peach Melba is not as bright as I would like it to be, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the colour for summer.

The white crackle is my favourite of the two. I find it a bit less 80s throwback than the black, and love wearing it over darker shades that wouldn't look as good with the black crackle over. I have it on over Revlon's Tropical Temptation here, a combination I love and will go back to. This is the pink crackle over GOSH Groovy Grey, which looked better in person. I think black might be the better option as a basecoat.

Will you be picking up any more crackle polishes or have you seen enough of this trend!

Summer's Coming - New Clothes and Green Monsters!

2011-04-24T19:07:00.001+01:00

The glorious weather we are having right now in the UK really makes it feel like Summer is well and truly on the way. It's hard to believe it's only April and we have temperatures in the mid 20s, love it! New weather usually means new clothing as my wardrobe needs a little bit of updating which includes selling some of the old on ebay. I really hate throwing clothes out, I'd rather wear something until it's falling to pieces or sell it on ebay or give to charity before it gets to that state. Top is from La Redoute, courtesy of my lovely Mum who bought one for herself and thought that I would like it too. It's available in pink, blue and grey and priced around the £10 mark.
Jeans are from Topshop and are the Kristen fit, they're highwaisted and have three buttons on the waist. I liked the black with the gold buttons best as I needed new black jeans and thought these looked a little different. They look good with tops tucked in but they are a skinny fit jean as well so you can wear them without tucking things in if you want them to look like your standard skinny black jean. They're priced at £40.Next are the top I found in New Look for (I think) the £20 mark. It's a very sheer material so you need very nude underwear, otherwise you can wear a vest top underneath. It's available in various different prints, I had a choice of three but this was my favourite. I've paired it with new jeans from Primark which I am amazed by! They are skinny fit and are soft, stretchy and very comfortable. I might say they are one of my favourite pairs of jeans as they fit so well and for £8 are an absolute bargain. I will be wearing these to death, and although I'm not expecting them to last as long as Topshop ones I've also been pleasantly surprised by how well these wash. Many things I've previously bought from Primark have fallen apart after a few washes which to me is a complete waste of money. I wear these so much though and have already washed them a number of times and they're showing no signs of wear yet so I may get more life out of them than I expected. I love the bow detail at the bottom of the New Look top, it's a pretty detail, as is the exposed zip on the top of the back of the top which is black.Another Primark find is this very loose cable knit jumper. I got this around early March time and it's great for Spring because it doesn't offer an awful lot of heat as you can imagine by the big holes in it. I haven't needed to wear a jumper at all these last few days, but no doubt the weather will turn soon and I'll dig this out for the evenings. It's nice and figure hugging, is available in stone, and navy and priced at £12.I found this blouse type top in Peacocks priced at £20 (roughy) which I hate to admit but I thought was a bit too much for Peacocks! it has quite an oriental feel to it and I like to wear it in the evenings, it goes nicely over a nice top and jeans, or a dress. I also wear it to smarten up a day time look. It is button-less but it reminds me of a blouse or makes a good substitute for a blazer. This lovely weather also inspires me to stay motivated in keeping healthy. I'm definitely a lot more active and optimistic lately, it's amazing what a positive effect the sunshine has on me. I first heard about The Green Monster Movement from Lily Loves Lola's blog so went over to Angela's site to find out how to make one. At first I was not convinced, spinach in a drink sounds really quite disgusting to me even if it is mixed with fruit and milk. I love spinach, I eat it raw in a salad, or cooked with a meal, on pizzas, you name it, it's a great food and helps that I know it's good for me, but drinking it is another thing. Anyway, I kept an open mind and made one of the most basic recipes for a Green Monster - Spinach, blueberries, soya milk and bananas. The verdict....

It tastes freakin good! The fruit completely overpowers the spinach, luckily you can't taste it too much, it doesn't overpower the other ingredients which is great because I don't think I would enjoy it if it were overly spinachy. I've since made one with oat milk aswell, just to try oatmilk really, and it tasted pretty much the same. I did feel very energised after drinking this for two days but I need to keep it up regularly to notice any difference to my skin and condition of my hair and nails. If you've not joined the Green Monster Movement yet, give it a go, it's tasty and very healthy!