October Favourites

Evenin'

I gave my nails a break and kept on my blue mani for an extra day, so today I have my October favourites for you. I didn't buy an awful lot this month, due to being penniless! So there are just a few bits that I've picked up or rediscovered that I'm loving.

Polish first, of course!

2true Fast Dry Colour Quick Shade 10, 17 Magnetised Green, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Accessorize Baby Blue

My favourite mani this month (although I didn't like the formula of the base colour)

17 Fast Dry Fury, Stamped with 2True Fast Dry Colour Quick Shade 8, Maybelline Orange Couture and  BM04. Full post here.

Brunette eyebrow pencil by Vital Radiance, Beauty UK Pearl Eyeliner in Eclipse, Garnier BB Cream in Light, Rose and Co Apothecary Rose Petal Salve

I always used to use a matte eyeshadow to fill my eyebrows when I needed it - which wasn't very often - but I saw this eyebrow pencil in Poundland and thought I'd try it. Now I know what a difference it can make to "do" your eyebrows. It makes my whole face look more defined and really frames my eyes.I don't do it everyday, but when I'm doing my "full face" or a strong eye it completes the look.

I now have 5 of Beauty UK's pearl eyeliners and can't recommend them enough. I got Eclipse as an "extra" from a blog sale and love it. It's a very dark slate grey and is great for lining a smokey eye.

I wasn't sure about buying a BB cream from Garnier - at £9.99 it's a lot more than I'd usually pay for foundation or tinted moisturiser, so I sent off for a sample to try it. The first time I used it I used way too much and ended up super shiny and felt like my make-up was sliding around my face all day. The next time I made sure I used it over primer and didn't use as much and it was much better. Somewhere in between a foundation and tinted moisturiser is perfect coverage for me as I have good skin and barely ever get spots, but have a few uneven patches of colouration and freckles. I'm still not sure if I would buy this for a tenner, but it's on offer in Tesco at the moment for £8, or I might try 17's one for £5.99 next time I'm in Boots.

I got the Rose and Co Apothecary Rose Petal Salve in my October Boudoir Prive box and it is fast replacing my Lemony Flutter as my favourite cuticle treatment. It doesn't have the grainy texture of lemony flutter and turns into more of an oil on the skin. I even use this on my lips (I do this with Lemony Flutter too). I wasn't sure if the scent would put me off but it just reminds me of Turkish Delight. I'm not a great fan of Turkish Delight, but it's bearable! And makes my lips feel great. I want to try their Cherry Salve too, but I will wait until I've finished this one and the Lemony Flutter (which I feel is never gonna happen since it's HUGE!)

L'Occitiane Shea Hand Cream Hibiscus Flower, Original Shea, Desert Rose, Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes

Last month in Marie Claire they were giving away a L'Occitiane Shea Hand Cream in four different "flavours" (am I the only one who calls scents and varieties of beauty products "flavours"? You wouldn't eat it...). I picked up the original shea butter first, and when I used it almost all up within 2 weeks I picked up two more! Yes, I bought 3 copies of the same magazine...and still haven't read it! I can honestly say that it's the best hand cream I've ever used and my hands and nails have felt so much better, especially now the weather is getting cold - which is tough on my hands. If I don't get a huge bucket of this stuff under the Chrimbo tree I will be buying one in the new year!

I am a facial wipe fan, and these ones from Kleenex are really good. Apparently Kleenex as a company started as a way for women to remove make-up, so their new range is going back to their roots. These wipes are soft and quilted, so they're strong and don't make my skin feel dry and I don't feel like I have to scrub at my eyes to get my mascara off!

So, there are my faves of the month. I am on a self imposed spending ban so Novembers favourites will be things I'm rediscovering and digging out from the stash! The spending ban wont be too hard I think, there are only 2 polishes that I think I want (Barry M's Croc Effect crackle and the green/gold one from the Models Own Beetlejuice collection) but I can hold off on those since I don't have a place for them in my 31 day challenge! And then December will be all about Christmas, so maybe my faves for that month will come from Mr Claus!

What have you been loving this month? I tell you I'm not loving this cold weather! Am avoiding putting the heating on for as long as possible...it's chilly in here I tell you!

Hx

PS This post meant to go up last night, but it seems I neglected to hit "publish". Ooopsie! The 31 day challenge will resume this evening!

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September favourites!

Helloo!

I missed out on doing an August favourites post because of my computer issues, so I'm catching up! First up, the nail polishes that have been part of my favourite manicures this month.

 Clockwise from top: Miss Sporty Electric Beige, (my go-to goldy-y stamping colour), Boots 17 Magentised Polish in Green, Revlon Facets of Fuchsia, OPI Nail Envy, Revlon Galaxy, Models Own Grace Green, Collection 2000 Hot Looks Milkshake, No7 Milan, OPI I Lily Love You

Click the links to the posts to see the manicure's I've done with these polishes!

As part of Operation Fit and Fabulous I've been trialling these supplements which contain Biotin for hair and nails. My nails peel like crazy, so I'm trying to keep them pretty short and square to try and combat them, and trying a supplement can't hurt. I've heard reviews saying Biotin gives people spots, and I have got one at the moment. I NEVER ever get spots on my face - I could probably count on my fingers the amount I've had in my entire life, so I hope this is just a coincidence and I'll stick with them. I have 2 months supply so you'll get a proper review once the two months is up!

Vivo cosmetics eye monos in Dusky Pink, Pale Gold and Mink, and Primer 25ml.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these products. The eye shadows are soft and well pigmented and I've worn at least one of them most days since I got them. great for an everyday eye as they're shimmery but not full on glitterball, which I like. And the primer is the first face primer I've used (after swatching lots and putting them back because they're too expensive, I still want Benefits Porefessional though...) It just evens out my skintone, so I can slap it on with some concealer and be out the door for the school run, or use it under foundation to make it glide on and last longer. I really love how it feels on my skin, silky and soft. My only negative is that there's only 25ml in the bottle, and it's quite a big bottle so after a few uses it feels a bit empty and is hard to get out. But that could be solved by depotting it if I can get some wee jars or something.

ELF Srudio Stipple Brush and Avon Angled Blush Brush

I'd only ever used a flat foundation brush before, but found myself always needing to blend with my fingers afterwards. As I said I've got good skin so when I wear foundation I only need a light touch and the ELF Stipple Brush is great for that. I've read some bad reviews on it, but figured if it was no good it's only £3.50 and I could use it for powder, but for me it's perfect for foundation and it washes well without shedding or bleading. And the Avon brush is a good multi-purpose blush brush, and I use it for blush, contouring and highlighting. And it's super soft!

Sleek Santorino Blush and Sunset palette

I had been looking for a super-bright pink blush for a while when the lovely Liloo held a wee giveaway for this blush - and I was lucky enough to win! It's mega bright and very pigmented, so the lightest touch is needed, but now the summer is over and my tan is fading it's a perfect colour for wind-chilled cheeks! I picked up the sunset palette from a blogsale and love it. Its the first Sleek palette I own, and it's a very considered purchase - I couldn't decide which palette I would get the most use from as I already have a lot of neutrals and better suit warm tones. The golden shimmer in this palette makes the colours really warm and I've even managed to use the blue, which is quite frankly amazing because despite having very blue eyes blue eyeshadow usually makes me look like a drag queen. I shit you not.

And finally my nail wheels! I got these from ebay for a few pounds and have had great fun playing with them (despite getting a headache from the stench of polish everytime I do...) There is a little poll in the sidebar asking which you'd like to see first - if you wouldn't mind voting I'd be ever so grateful!

Things I've not been loving this month:

• Frogs. My cat has become an expert frog hunter and every morning for the last few weeks I've had to rescue at least one frog from the confines of my conservatory...
• My nails. They split, they break, they're stained. Ah the life of a nail blogger...
• Dieting. 3 months or so in and I'm starting to hate it. I've lost 26 pounds, which is great, but I just want biscuits for breakfast, bread for lunch and chips for tea. Porridge, soup and salad is wearing a bit thin.
• Spiders. Seriously, what is it with all the Arnold Schwarzespiders at the moment? I saw one run across the floor from the corner of my eye and thought it was the cat!

What have you been loving (and hating) this month? If you've done a favourites post, send me your links!

Hx

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July Favourites!

Hello lovelies,

So, it's August already! Summer is nearly over, and I never thought I would say this but September can't come quick enough! My little boy has only been off school just short of 2 weeks and already he's driving me bonkers. I lost count of the number of times he got sent to his room or put on the naughty step today, once for messing with a load of my makeup and spilling a load of glitter I was saving for a franken on the stair carpet. Little monkey had dragged the coffee table across the room to stand on to reach it while I was getting the baby to sleep. Argh! It's been one of those days...

Anyway, onto products I've loved this month.

First, of course, the polishes and nail products. I reviewed my current favorite polish remover here, so here are the rest of my current loves.

L-R: Color Club Ulterior Motive, Beauty UK Smoky Lilac, Rimmel 60 Seconds Hard Edged, China Glaze Lubu Heels, W7 Earthquake Red, Beauty UK Night Fever, Barry M Berry Ice Cream

Bottom: Original Bundle Monster plates

Now, some make-up. Everyone's been talking about the MUA Pro Heaven and Earth palette, and I can see why. So versatile, from quick go-to everyday looks to a glam smokey eye, you can use this palette for everything! Next is another W7 product, their Africa Bronzer. I love the design of this bronzer (notice the not-so-subtle Benefit inspiration?), but it is rather shimmery so works best as a highlight or used sparingly! Bronzer is my number 2 desert island product, after mascara, so I had to try 17 Falsifeye and love it too. My lashes are short and thin, so anything that promises length and volume and does what it says on the tin is good in my book. And also this month, I searched for a corla lipglass, and found two I love. Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in 290 Be Famous and Beauty UK Lip Lust in No. 9 Cocktail

L-R: W7 Africa Bronzer, MUA Pro Heaven and Earth Palette, Rimmel Vinyl Glass Be Famous, Beauty UK Lip Lust Cocktail, 17 Falsifeye Black

L-R: Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser, Witch Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash, Lush Shower Jelly Sweetie Pie, Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

Finally, some bath/body products. I've not been using the hot cloth cleanser from Superdrug for long but I already love it. It removes make-up easily and is gentle on the eye area, smells good and makes my skin feel great. I use it in conjunction with this Witch exfoliating face wash, which leaves my skin smooth and soft and isn't drying. I love Lush products but usually go for the bath bombs for a treat. I decided to get this shower jelly because I can never find a shower gel that I love the smell of - I prefer fruity to floral or aromatic - and this Sweetie Pie shower jelly smells of blackberries and cassis and I could literally eat it! You only need a really small amount too. And finally, my shampoo of the moment - Aussie Aussome Volume. I'm never usually loyal to haircare products, buying whatever's on offer or what takes my fancy. I find that shampoos that work great to start with soon lose their powers, but this one hasn't and I'll definitely be repurchasing when I run out.

So, that's it! My favorites of July. What have been your most loved products this months? Link me to your posts in the comments if you have one!

Hx

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