Mani Monday

Hey guys

Seems like forever since I've done a mani monday post! I've been writing up some different type of posts, trying to mix it up a bit and also I've been super busy with uni revision so any spare time I do have I tend to use to sleep.

I still have been painting my nails though because (as I've mentioned a few times), doing my nails is a way I like to chill and relax and keep just about sane in what can be an insane period.

This latest design reflects my love for stripes. This design was done without striping tape, all done free hand and I'm actually surprised at how neat it turned out, even on my right hand!!

 I used one of Barry M's Gelly Hi-shine polishes in the shade 'Guava'. Such a cool name. Makes me feel like going on a tropical holiday on a beach sipping cocktails... ( I digress)

What do you guys think?

Thanks for reading!

Soap & Glory- No Clogs Allowed

Hey guys

As you may or may not know, my stand out product of 2013 was Soap & Glory's 2-in-1 facial peel. Ashamedly, this was the only Soap & Glory product I had tried but I said to myself I would try more in 2014.

Boots sent me a voucher for extra points when buying a Soap and Glory product. It's like they read my blog and wanted to help me out! So of course I took this opportunity and after much pondering on which ONE item to select I finally decided on 'No Clogs Allowed'. This product is for oily/combination skin and as a girl who is constantly battling with oily skin it sounded exactly like what I needed.

 

Soap & Glory describe it as a super self heating deep pore detox mask and I would have to agree with them. It contains 1-MINUTE HOT PORECLEAR™ TECHNOLOGY which is a fast-acting, smoothing and polishing blend of micropumice, salicylic acid and hot clay, which activates with water contact. As this is the first self heating mask I've tried that worked, I found it such a a weird sensation. You put the product on and then wet your hands and scrub it until you feel it get hot and turn blue. After 5 minutes, remove it with a wet cloth. I use this once a week, normally on a Sunday night, so that I'm starting the week with a well cleansed face.

I really feel that my face is well cleansed after using this product especially as when I use my toner afterwards it slightly stings (I like to take it as the mask doing it's job properly, giving the deep cleanse that I need). When I wake up, my face still feels greatly cleansed and grease free. it has definitely helped prevent breakouts and blemishes. RRP is £11.50 from Boots but at the time I bought this, Boots were offering 1/3 off any Soap and Glory product as they tend to always be when I buy their products.  I would highly recommend this for those with oilier skin as those with dry skin may find it dries out their face.

Have you tried this product? What did you think of it? Any other Soap & Glory recommendations? Do comment below and let me know! 

Thanks for reading!

Shoes I bought in the sales (part 1)

Hey guys

It's time for a fashion post.

I love wearing boots. It almost makes winter bearable (I said almost). In the sales I actually ended up buying 6.

I think I've established I have a major weakness when it comes to shoes as that's what majority of my money went on in the sales.

So I thought I'd share some of what I bought.

The first two I bought from New Look. I love New Look for their shoes.

I had been looking for ankle boots with block heels for a while and I finally found some. I had to restrict myself to 2 pairs: one black and one tan.

These were originally £27.99 but I had a 25% discount code so I ended up paying just about £21.
These are the kind of shoes I had been looking for, for ages!!! The heel isn't too high and it's a block heel so much more comfortable and easier to walk in.
I can wear it to spice up an everyday outfit.

These I got for £16. I can't remember how much they were before.
If I'm being honest, I probably didn't need to buy these. But I justified it as they were black, so can be worn with anything.
It's a bit different to what I usually wear because of the square front. I usually only like shoes with round fronts, I tend to find square shoes weird but I liked these. I didn't own anything like it before, so I didn't feel too bad.

This last pair was not planned at all. I had said no more shoes but I was in Debenhams and these shoes caught my eyes. I made the mistake of trying them on which resulted in me not being able to say no. They used to be £95 but because of the 70% off Debenhams were offering, I got them for £28.50! That's what I call a bargain! On the plus side my old military boots were destroyed so I basically replaced them. That's what I call an investment...

So this concludes shoes part 1 of the shoes I bought in the sales. I didn't want to put them all into one post as I thought it would get long and boring.

What did you get in the sale? I'd love to know as I love a good sale!

Thanks for reading!!

#theskinproject- face masks and treatments

Hey guys

This week's topic is all about face masks and treatments!

I think face masks are one of the best things we can use to help our skin. A lot of them provide deep cleansing and when used regularly can help to prevent breakouts.

Before using any face mask it's important to know what type of skin you have be it oily, combination, sensitive or dry. Each face mask won't suit everybody so it's important to know so you avoid over hydrating your skin, or drying it out.

I like to use face masks as a way of relaxing. I also run to them when I've been a bit slack and my face is beginning to suffer...

I recently talked about my favourite face mask of all time. It actually was my stand out product of 2013.

 

This is a face mask by Soap and Glory. Ashamedly, this is the only Soap and Glory product I've used but I plan to change that this year. Hopefully they won't disappoint as they've set some high standards now.

Anyway, I definitely recommend this for people with oily skin like me. it doesn't cost much either. It costs £10 but is always on offer in boots so might as well stock up on it while you can!

It contains everything a girl needs to help keep the face healthy and shiny! It also contains anti-aging features which is great news for some of you but if I'm totally honest it isn't something big on my list right now but I've heard it's good to start young so maybe I should look into it... But that's for another post.

As I have recently, written about this, I don't want to go on too much as I'll be repeating myself but if you want to find out more you can can read all about it here.

Other face masks I have used and also would recommend include 

Image from thebodyshop.co.uk

and 

Image from boots.com

Masks with superfruit extracts and tea tree oil are very good for blemish prone/oily skin.

Which face masks do you use? Can any of them beat my favourite? Do let me know!

If you would like to know more about face masks, I've included some links at the bottom that explain more and give some recommendations.

http://shine.yahoo.com/fashion/types-and-uses-of-facial-masks-159655.html

http://www.beautylish.com/a/vcyis/the-truth-about-face-masks

Thanks for reading!!

Sally Hansen Stash

Hey guys 

I've heard a lot about Sally Hansen nail polishes but as I'm trying to save money I wasn't keen on buying them from Superdrug or Boots as it's a bit more than I wanted to spend.

So I went to eBay and found a UK seller who was selling a few Sally Hansen polishes for £2. Of course it wasn't the full range Boots and Superdrug offer but they had a few and for £2 and £2.50 so I can't really complain.

I bought 6...

Four of them are the sugar coat effect (at £2.49) which is different to any kind of nail polishes I own which is why I felt the need to buy 4...

I'm not sure if you can truly see the effect from the picture and I'm not quite sure how to describe what it looks like. It's a bit like pavement and it does look a bit sugary; hence its name.

The salon manicure polishes (at £2) aren't textured or have any special effects but they're good quality and don't require many coats. 

So far I'm impressed with these polishes. They last and haven't chipped or peeled and the bottle is a decent size so I'm happy to say it was a great purchase. To be totally honest they probably are worth the money drugstores sell them but I like to save money where I can (whilst still spending money... I have a problem I know and I'm working on it...)

Have any of you tried these polishes?

What do you think of them?

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin!

x x

Boots haul

Hey guys

After what seemed like a lifetime spending ban I finally went shopping!!! I went a bit crazy so I'll spread my purchases over a few blogs.

This first one is on what I recently bought from Boots.

My first item is a face mask from 'Good things'. I was actually looking for another mask but this one caught my eye because of the shine control and blemish control it claimed to have. These are 2 of my main issues as I have super oily skin. I've only used the mask a few times so far and at the moment I'm liking it. It has quite a bit of menthol so when it's first out on it can be quite uncomfortable but when it's washed off it leaves my skin feeling smooth, soft and grease free. I'll see how it goes. I've got quite a high bar set, thanks to soap any glory's facial peel.

Boots had buy one get one half price so I thought I'd find 2 items I really liked. I bought four... *facepalm*.

I decided my lips were in need of a treat so I bought 2 lipglosses and 2 lip butters.

I had forgotten how much I loved lipglosses. I used to associate them with when I was younger and now that I'm older (uni student) I should be wearing lipsticks. But if I'm totally honest, I'm not the biggest lipstick fan. Don't get me wrong, I think lipsticks are great but I feel that I tend to find lipglosses that suit me more easily than I do lipsticks. (Maybe it's  just all in my head). They also keep the lips well moisturised and barely need topping up.

Well I got a L'oreal shine lipgloss and a revlon lipgloss.

The L'oreal lipgloss is in a purple shade and the Revlon is a dark red shade. I love these shades as I feel they're quite appropriate for the autumn season were in. Not too bright but still enough colour especially with the darker clothes worn in this season.

I also got 2 of the Revlon lip butters. I bought a red colour and a pink colour. I can definitely see myself going to get a few more. They keep the lips well hydrated (important as it starts to get colder) whilst giving the lips great colour. I was impressed at how long the colour remained. I'm more inclined to use these on nights out or dinners rather than everyday use as the shades I bought are quite bright (for me personally) to use everyday. Maybe if I get some darker shades they'll be used for everyday use.

All in all a pleasant (not to my bank account) trip to boots.

Unlike my trip to Clinique but that's another topic for another post.

Apologies for the picture quality. I don't have the best camera and it doesn't bring out how great the shades are but I hope you've enjoyed this post.

Thanks for reading and leave your comments below- I love to read and reply them and follow me on bloglovin', twitter and add me on google+!

Have a great day!

x x