10 Beauty Blogs Worth Bookmarking

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 When not blogging I spend most of my time on the internet reading blogs and as I haven't recommended any in such a long time I thought I would dedicate a post to 10 wonderful beauty blogs.

With blogs so well execution as the ones below it really is no wonder magazine circulation figures have been taking a nose dive this year. Enjoy!

Jemima & Ted 
Beautiful photography, makeup artist knowledge and a whole load of lifestyle posts to browse through. Jemima & Ted wrote by Kat is an easy enjoyable read that I thoroughly enjoy catching up on at the weekend. 

Luxe Life Aspirations
A high end beauty focused blog that makes me add to my splurge wish list quite often even though I'm a scrooge at heart. This blog features some really well put together posts with lovely clear images. 
 
Nothin' Fancy Really
 Far from nothin' fancy, this is a beauty blog that is just lovely to read. I find myself clicking the achieves to read more from Ziva who is a Slovenia based blogger (which also means European product reviews as well!).

Sandra Holmbom
 If you want to feel inspired and in awe then head over to Sandra's blog. Every post/makeup look just blows me away. Just serious skill and creativity.

The Choi-ful Nail Diary
An amazing nail/nail art blog here. Choi is a fellow Essie, Barry M, Color Club and China Glaze lover meaning I 'ooo' and 'ahh' at most of her nail swatches and then add them to my to-buy list. If you enjoy nail art you need to be following this blog.

Zoe Newlove
 It literally makes my day when I come across a makeup artist that also writes a beauty blog and when I discovered Zoe's blog only a few weeks ago I actually spent a good few hours reading through it. Along with amazing makup and skincare knowledge the blog also features great photography making this a must read for any beauty lover. 

Talking about M
 Another amazing blog and recent discovery. I feel Megan has such similar taste in makeup as me meaning I'm constantly waiting for another blog post to read from her. Just go read and you see what I mean!

Beautiful Solutions
Ahhh how I love a well wrote beauty blog on high street brands! I don't actually go shopping that often so this blog keeps me up to date with brands such as MUA, N-Spa and Rimmel. Stacey is also a fellow Fragrance Direct and eBay lover which makes me very happy!

Bow Tied Beauty
A simplistic beauty blog with easy to read reviews. This also includes lots of organic product reviews and DIY recipes which is a bonus for me. 
 
Jenny Purr
Oh, how I love this blog. From the set layout of each post to how beautifully wrote this blog is, I just can't get enough of it. Another blog that adds to my to-buy on a constant basis. Love, love, love.
 
Really hope I have given you quite a few new blogs to read! Just make you don't forget Makeup Savvy now ;) 

Fee xo. 

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Top 5 Body Butters To Try

Top_5_Body_Butters 

After a nice relaxng shower this is nothing more I enjoy than slathering on a thick and heavenly scented body butter. Actually I tell a lie, I do love my body oils as well. So it would only be right that I had a sizable collection of body butters. 

Showing you them all would be boring so I thought I would share with you my top 5 which I just can't get enough of.

When it comes to body butters I enjoy yummy scents and something thick but not greasy. I have however included two summery scented body butter as I occasionally like a fruity scent in summer and on holiday and the options below actually comes in travel size as well! 
 
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Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Buttercream 300ml
£10.50 - Boots here

For me the Soap & Glory body range is split up into two scents - floral & fruity and gourmand & yummy. I personally love the latter scent as I'm not so keen on something such as The Righteous Butter personally, so if you are picking up something from S&G you should be aware at the huge difference in scents and have a cheeky sniff. Rambling aside the Soap & Glory Smoothie Star ticks all the right boxes for me, the whipped texture is perfect, the scent makes me want to eat it, it soaks into the skin quickly and it does actually make my skin softer. 

You can read my full review of the Body Buttercream here so I won't go on too much. But if you like really yummy foodie scented products... I'm talking cake/vanilla/popcorn/pistachio then you will absolutely love this!

Nip_Fab_Pistachio_Sundae_Body_Butter

Nip + Fab Pistachio Sundae Body Butter 50ml (£2.49)
Full size 200ml £8.49 - Boots here

A slightly lighter body butter here but just as yummy! If you have never experienced pistachio scented body products before you may not be expecting such a cakey/foodie scent as it is a nut after all. However pistachio scented products really are to die for if you like anything yummy smelling. Though I should warn you this is quite heavily scented so again having a smell of the tester or a cheeky sniff of the tub would be a good idea as this scent does linger on the skin, which I personally love but some may not like. 

For quite a light and smooth body butter this really does hydrate the skin well and it a good one if you want to apply something quickly after a shower/bath. The Nip + Fab Body Butters also come in - Mango Smoothie, Coconut Latte and Cherry Tarte.

Korres_Fig_Body_Butter

Garnier Intensive Nourishing Lotion for Dry/Rough Skin 250ml
£3.14 - Boots here

After seeing so many great reviews of the Garnier Intensive 7 Days range I decided to pick up the Softening Cocoa Butter Nourishing Lotion for Dry/Rough Skin (they do so many different types) and I have been nothing but impressed by it! This technically isn't a body butter but as it's so moisturising and amazing I had to include it. For me this is light but highly nourishing lotion that quickly absorbs into the skin and gets to work. Unlike a lot of cheaper creams that work on a superficial level this really does soften the skin and keeps it that way. A great one for after shaving or on dry areas of the body such as the feet and knees. I also love the cocoa butter scent of this lotion as it gives that yummy comforting chocolate smell that is quite subtle. For the price this is just an amazing product!

Korres Fig Body Butter 150ml 
£12.50 - Look Fantastic here

A slightly higher end body butter here but if you love the scent of figs or like slightly unusual scents then this is one for you. Korres are also a great no 'nasties' brand with lovely products that just work. The scent of this is what I love about it most as it makes me think of a warm mediterranean holiday... though for some it may make you think of Christmas! Either way it is just a very different scent for a body lotion/butter which is very easy on the nose. As it is in a tube I would say it is more of a body lotion than a body butter though it is slightly thicker than a lotion and does soften dry skin well.

Champneys_Distant_Shores_Body_Butter 

Champneys Distant Shores Body Butter 300ml 
 £10.00 - Boots here

Last but not least a very summery body butter which is ideal for taking on holiday as it comes in a 50ml  mini travel size for £2.50 here or in-store. As you can see I do have the large tub size of this which is going to take me forever and a day to use up as such a little amount goes a long way. The reason for this is the consistency, it's much more of a jelly feeling body butter that you may be able to see from the inside of the tub image above. This makes it light feeling on the skin but still has the moisturising level of a body butter. The scent of this is quite tropical, my nose picks up grapefruit, lemon and mango the most. A great one to try as a mini first!

Would love to know your favourites! 

Fee xo.


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Are You Ready for Autumn?

makeup_autumn_2013 

Berry toned lips, nights in with better TV (X Factor!), walking though crisp leaves, burnt orange glitter nails, snuggles with a blanket whilst reading a new book, snoods & scarves, glowy fresh skin, fresh early mornings, tights with ankle boots, new makeup launches, Halloween, yummy rice pudding in my slow cooker, new ideas for blogging, soft shimmer smokey eyes, look forward to Christmas. 

Yes, I know it's still summer and we are due another heat wave, but my mind keeps thinking of the change of season and what it will bring. Other than Christmas and snow I am not a fan on winter at all. But Autumn is a whole different story! I love the colours and the change of fashioon/style which means more layers and tights. But I also enjoy staying in and watching good TV and I'm a huge fan of Halloween!

As for makeup my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette always comes out and gets a lot more love as I really like a soft neutral smokey eye come Autumn. For dewy skin I will be using Dr Jart Premium Beauty Balm as this is the one BB cream that I have found to give such radiant skin. As for lips this doesn't really change, I stick to my usual nudes - Vivo Barely There Lipstick and Barry M Lip Gloss in Toffee, but as the weather does get more crisp I start to wear more berry shades with Maybelline Colour Elixir Mulberry and Rimmel Moisture Renew Berry Queen. On my nails I will be wearing a few of the shades from the fairly new Model Own Elements Artstix collection and Velvet Goth collection. But my favourite all time shade is a glitter nail polish from China Glaze - Electify (seen above).

I would love to hear what you are looking forward to come Autumn/Fall! 

Fee xo.
 
 
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Soap & Glory Sit Tight Intense XS Review

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It's been a whole 3 years since I first reviewed the Soap & Glory Sit Tight Serum and was fairly impressed with it. So I as the packaging has been totally transformed with an interesting roller ball feature I thought I would review it again! 

I have to admit I did have my reservations with the 'new & improved' Sit Tight (Boots - £16.50 here) as compared to the older style packaging it contains 75ml products less product and is also £2.50 more than it use to be! This is clearly due to the added roller ball head but I'm still not sure if I like that it contains less product - sneaky, sneaky S&G!

Now I won't go in to an in-depth review as I feel the effects of the serum are pretty much the same as they where when I first reviewed the product (review post here). The cream does give noticeable results with continuous use and compare to other slimming/toning cream this really is good value for money. I also think S&G are missing a trick slightly as this also works well on stretch marks which isn't mentioned on the packaging, but again I have seen noticeable results which have impressed me!

S&G_Sit_Tight_Intense_Review 

However I want to focus more on how the new(ish) packaging affects the product and if it aids results!

As you can see the end of the tube features 3 metal roller balls that are designed to massage the skin as the products is dispensed, as well as an on/off function so that you can carry on massaging the skin without any more product being dispensed. If I'm honest I am on the fence with this as it does have equal pros and cons. Pros - I do actually think it gives a much better application, the roller balls really massage the skin well. The other benefit is you don't get any of the cream on your hands (which is quite strong smelling and not something you'd want in your eyes or mouth). So I have been appreciating I can apply this before bed without needing to wash my hands after use.

Cons - But the downside is that is roller balls can be slightly uncomfortable on certain parts of the body which you definitely wouldn't have got if applying it by hand. Also I can imagine using up all the product inside the tube to be quite difficult as the product needs to be pushed past the metal balls and the tube does bend quite easily. So I'm just not too sure if the packaging change is a good thing or not! 

Either way if you are wanting a cream like this that will firm the skin and improve its appearance then this is the cheapest product you are going to get!

For best results especially if you are using the product for an upcoming event/holiday I would also recommend drinking enough water and of course a healthy diet. 

Fee xo.


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Oh My Haul - Fragrance Direct Order #2

Fragrance_Direct_Haul

As most of you will know I am a huge fan of the Fragrance Direct website and I have another haul to share with you today. I actually try to not look on the site too often as I'm sure to place an order if I do! So now every few months I will go on the site and place a nice sized order and treat myself a bit. 

What I love about Fragrance Direct is the range of products, from cheap nail polishes to brands and products that aren't easily available on the high street. Plus of course the low prices -but that's a given!  

Here is my recent order that consists of mostly impulse buys which I would never do when out shopping but as the prices are so low I make an allowance. I also picked up 6 new nail polishes, all of which I am really pleased with.
 
Fragrance_Direct_Buys

Makeup bits...

Now I did say most of my buys were impulse ones but I did have my on the Une Healthy Sun BB Cream Bronzer (£3.99 here) so that went straight into my basket and so far I'm really liking. I was also on the hunt for a waterproof mascara, just in case we have another heat wave before summer is out... unlikely I know, so I decided to try out the Astor Volume Artist Waterproof Mascara (£2.49 here) which if I'm honest I went for because of the silver packaging and low price, but hopefully it will be a nice mascara! I also picked up another Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Pink Chic (99p here) as I can't get enough of the formula and I can't say no at a mere 99p (these are £6.49 in Boots)! I may have to do a collection of all my Rimmel lipsticks at some point as they are my high street favourites. 

Impulses purchases came in the form of an interesting foundation that I hadn't come across before - L'Oreal White Perfect Pearl Foundation (£3.99 here) which I'm really liking so far, amazing for oily skin types. Also the Manhattan Japanese Ink in Brown (99p here) as eyeliner pens in brown are hard to find and I love my winged eyeliner!

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Nail Polish picks...

Oh how nail polish on Fragrance Direct are my weakness! I don't think I have ever placed an order from the site without including a few nail polishes, I really cannot resist the £1.99 Essie polishes and 99p Revlon shades. 

The nail polishes I went for from left to right were - Essie Hip Anema (£1.99), Essie Avenue Maintain (£1.99), Revlon Minted (99p), Revlon Popular (99p), Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Chocolate Nut (99p), Maybelline Forever Pro Ceramic Blue (99p).

I'm so pleased with all the shades but my favourites have to be Sally Hansen Chocolate Nut as it will be perfect for Autumn/Winter and Maybelline Ceramic Blue for being such a perfect smooth looking shade. I'm also really loving Essie Avenue Maintain as I don't have any bright blues in my collection!

Tigi_Shampoo_Bar

Haircare buys...

I actually have more than enough hair products at the moment but I couldn't resist the look of the Osmo Intensive Deep Repair Mask 250ml (£2.95 here) and it wasn't a let down! The tube is actually iridescent which is oh so pretty and the mask is vanilla scented mmm. 

I also decided to try out the Tigi Rockaholic Shampoo Bar (£2.50 here) as I have been curious about this product for such a long time now and it's SLS-free. I thought it would be worth trying out before my holiday in November because it would be very handy to take with me instead of quite a large amount of shampoo. Plus it also doubles up as a body wash bar! I'm sure to do a review on this once I have tried it out fully. 

My whole order came to just over £25 which is pretty impressive considering how much I bought. But I also worked out I saved £55 - Amazing!

I love you Fragrance Direct! 

Fee xo. 

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Top 5 Makeup Brushes

Top_5_Must_Have_Makeup_Brushes

When I first discovered how makeup brushes could transform makeup application, especially eyes and foundation I went slightly crazy buying brushes. Meaning I now own a ridiculous amount of brushes (I'm talking 50+)!

The down side is I use a lot of them and they do require washing but the up side is I have discovered some amazing brushes which I thought were share-worthy enough for this post. 

Here I am talking about my individual favourite brushes but if you are fairly new to makeup then a few brands that offer great quality brush sets are :- Real Techniques and Eco Tools for on the high street and Sigma & e.l.f brushes online. My most treasured brush sets are a Sigma Travel Set (costing around £35 for 7 brushes at the time) and the Real Techniques Core Collection Kit (4 brushes for £16.49 here).

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Real Techniques Contour Brush & Buffing Brush (part of the 4 piece Core Collection Kit)
 £16.49 - Amazon here
I thought I would pair these two brushes together as they can only be purchased in the Core Collection Kit and I really believe the set is worth it for these 2 brushes alone, though the other brushes aren't bad either. Starting with the Buffing Brush, this is now the only brush I use for foundation, gone are the days when I use to apply my foundation with a foundation brush and felt like I was literally painting my face with brush strokes and all. This literally buffs foundation into the skin to a flawless finish. Without may I add, micro exfoliating and creating flaky looking skin, an important factor if you have dry/combination skin! As for the Contour Brush, this is on the small side compared to others however I find this means you can be precise with your contouring, get right in under the cheekbone and up onto the temples. The brush is also incredible soft and blends well.  

Royal & Langnickel [R]evolution BX-10: SM Powder
£31.99 - R&L online here 
Well isn't this an expensive powder brush! I will admit this came as part of a brush set so it was only when I came to writing this post that I discovered the price tag... and to be totally honest, yes I love it, but no it isn't worth the price, unless you're a makeup artist maybe. If you are interested in this brush then I will say it made my top 5 as it just hold the right amount of powder and never makes the skin look cakey or heavy. Another much cheaper favourite powder brush of mine would be the e.l.f Studio Complexion Brush which is only £3.75 here!

Model Own Angled Brush 
£5.00 - ASOS here or Boots 
As a lover of eye liner (both gel & powder) I will always pick up an angled eyeliner brush when I see one as 1) I can never have enough as they require washing so often when used with gel liner 2) getting the right softness can be tricky, you don't want anything too soft but you don't want anything stiff either. So when I spotted this in Boots I had to have it to see if it could be good for gel or powder eyeliner and thankfully it was. Amazing in fact! I actually solely use this with powder eyeshadow on my top and bottom lash lines. If you have short lashes this brush is great to apply right against the top lash line with a dark brown/black eyeshadow to give the appearance of a fuller lashes. Or this can be used to smudge eyeshadow on the bottom lash line to pull your eye look together or give a more smokey look. I use this brush daily under my eyes and sometimes for powder winged eyeliner when I don't want to look like I'm wearing that much makeup. I really need to purchase another ASAP!

Sigma Tapered Blending Brush - E40
£13.49 - Amazon here
This is actually an eyeshadow blending brush for the crease/socket of the eye however I personally feel it is way too large for that and also over blends quite easily. So I use this as a concealer blending brush. I simply dab my concealer of choice (normally the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer) everywhere I require it, under the eyes and on spots. Then I blend out the concealer with this to give a flawless finish. Unlike a lot of concealer brushes this is super light so it doesn't remover any concealer off the skin but blends the edges. I really couldn't be without this brush.

Kiko_Dark_Heroine_Face_Brush 

I also thought I would include a sneaky extra as I received the above brush only last week and I'm already impressed with it. This is the Kiko Dark Heroine Face Brush Duo - £15.90 here from the new KIKO limited edition collection, meaning this will only be available for 3 months maximum! 

The end I have been most impressed by is the smaller more densely packed, slanted end, which at first I wasn't sure how I would use, but after trying it out in a few ways I discovered it was amazing for cream blush but also for concealer so I'm on the fence which to use it for. Though I'm thinking I may opt to use it with cream blushers as I've never found the right brush up until now. The other side is for powders so I am thinking I will be using this for either bronzer or blush. I thought I'd mention it in this post as I am genuinely impressed so far.

Even though I do have an inordinate amount of brushes I  do continue to pick them up and feel I may need to try out Crown brushes very soon. So I'd love your thoughts if you own any brushes by Crown.

Let me know if you love any of the brushes mentioned and your own personal favourites! 

Fee xo. 

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Savvy Sunday Skincare - Night Skin Care Routine

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Last Sunday I wrote about my morning skin care routine (here) so it felt only right to show my night routine this week. 

Though just as simple as my morning skin care routine my night time skin routine has more options. I like to have a range of cream cleansers to pick from depending on how much makeup I have been wearing that day and I also like a selection of products that I can use to remove my makeup in bed - yes, naughty but sometimes doing a thorough cleanse before bed just isn't going to happen! 

Being able to compare my morning routine with my night skincare routine I can instantly see that I use slightly less natural products and more pricey ones, especially when it comes to cleansing. But like my previous routine post I will give suggestions of high street alternatives as I have tried quite a lot.

Quick_Cleansing

Quick cleansing in bed... 

I'm sure any skin care expert reading this will be shaking their head right about now and probably wanting to shake me saying 'Miceller Water isn't a proper cleanser' and I would agree! But when it comes to nights when you just want to get in bed it's either this way or I sleep in my makeup... so based on that, Micellar water is good enough. 

I have already wrote about my lazy cleansing routine here so I won't ramble on too much but I will say that the L'Oreal Micellar Solution 200ml (Boots - £4.99 here) is a great product for removing all makeup without moving it all around the face, even heavy eye makeup. Though I do still use a separate eye makeup remover with Clarins Eye Makeup Remover Lotion for Sensitive Eyes 125ml (Escentual - £13.60 here) as I find I can get puffy eyes on waking from over using eye makeup remover.

To finish my quick routine I wipe over my face with some Lush Tea Tree Toner Water 100ml (Lush - £3.95 here) on a cotton pad to remove any residue. Then depending on how tired I am I will add a tiny bit of moisture (below) to my face then sleep! 

Cream_Cleansers

Thorough cleanse...

When it comes to cleansing properly I like to using a cream cleanser but if I am wearing more makeup then usual, I've worn SPF that day or my skin isn't as clear as it normally is I like to do a double cleanse.

My first step to double cleanse is with the Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil 100ml (Space NK - £28.00 here) which I absolutely love, I simply apply two pumps into the hands and massage it into my face and eyes to dissolve all the makeup on my skin. This does make you look like a panda but is easily removed with a warm wet flannel.  This really does remove all my makeup without leavving my skin feeling stripped at all so I can then do a second cleanse to make sure I have really got everything and to give my skin a deep cleanse. A possible alternative to this is the L'Oreal 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil for face & eyes 150ml (Boots - £7.99 here).

 Next I smooth on a cream cleanser (avoiding my eyes as these will be free of makeup) and massage it around my face a little. Then using the other side of the warm wet flannel I remove the cleanser by wiping it off using different clean sections of the flannel. For a normal cleanse I would of course apply the cleanser over my eyelids as well and softly rub my eyelashes to remove all mascara and eyeliner. As you can see I do have a few cream cleansers of rotation. My everyday one is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 100ml (John Lewis - £13.25 here), for when my skin is feeling a bit dehydrated and lack luster or I'm wanting to spend more time cleansing my skin I opt for the Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser 200ml. As for the Aromatherapy Associates Renewing Rose Cleanser (£24.00 - here) this is a new addition to my skincare that I have yet to test out fully but I can say it is very gentle on the skin and full of great ingredients.
 
 Cheaper alternatives would be the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser 200ml (Superdrug - £5.99 here) or the Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm 70ml (Boots - £8.99 here).

Skincare_Routine 

Moisturising and extras...

Once done cleansing I moisturise with Clarins HydraQuench Cream 50ml (Escentual - £27.20 here) which is my favourite moisturiser as my skin just drinks it up as I do suffer from dehydrated skin. A very similar cheaper alternative that is also light if you have oily/combination skin is No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream 50ml (Boots - £12.50 here).

I also use the wonderful Balance Me Radiance Face Oil 10ml (£15.00 - here) dabbed on spots, which I have raved about here so I won't ramble on about it. For another natural cheaper alternative I would recommend Amie Instant Action Spot Clearing Gel 15ml (£4.95 - here). I also use the Snowberry Facial Massage Oil on my neck and chest occasionally as a nice treatment however sadly it is quite hard to get hold of in the UK. 

As you can see I do use quite a lot of higher end products for my night skin care routine however the cheaper high street alternatives I have mentioned are also great! 

You can view all over Sunday Skincare posts here

Fee xo.

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Models Own Velvet Goth Collection + Swatches

Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Collection

Yet another new launch from Models Own - the Velvet Goth collection! 

These beauties are matte yet sparkly glitter nail polishes in 5  jewel toned shades. The bottles also come with limited edition velvet tops that give them an extra luxe feel for only £5 each. 
  
This new range is definitely one for Autumn/Winter and also textured nail polish fan. The collection launches tomorrow at the MO Bottleshop, online from 2nd September and Boots stores nationwide from 4th September.

As not such a huge fan of textured nail polishes I'm thankful to say these matte glitters aren't overly textured meaning these aren't gritty feeling on the nails and can be turned into glossy glitters with the use of a clear top coat! Below are the five nail polishes swatches* with the bottom swatch being a single coat, the middle swatch 2 coats and the top swatch 3 coats with a glossy top coat.
*Please note the shades will appear darker on the nails

 Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Absinthe

Absinthe
I thought I would start with my favourite shade from the collection. This Emerald green is wonderful with two coats but comes to life with 3 coats and a top coat to give it a glossy finish. In fact it instantly reminded me of this dress from Motel which is equally amazing. An amazing deep emerald green that will look great come autumn and also at Christmas!

Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Amethyst

Amethyst
This has to be my least favourite shade from the new collection as it just isn't as impressive as it looks in the bottle sadly. If this was to be worn alone then 3 coats would be needed or else it just wouldn't be that deep or rich looking. However there is the option of applying a dark purple base coat to the nails and then applying a single coat of Amethyst to give a look more similar to the bottle. Not awful by any means but just not as grabbing or rich as the other 4 shades.

Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Obsidian

Obsidian
Oh my, what a pretty one Obsidian is! This is the one that I love the matte finish with - especially with two coats. The reason for this is the large multi-faceted sequin glitter that really stands out in the polish. I also like that it isn't just another black polish with glitter in it, but a more charcoal shade. I really feel this look more like a high end nail polish and is the most unique of the collection. This will be one I will be wearing from autumn through to winter.

Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Sardonyx

Sardonyx
Is it possible to have another favourite? I'm loving Saradonyx as it looks great with a single coat, two coats and then 3 coats with a glossy top coat. I feel I could wear this with a pink base coat for girly raspberry nails, 2 coats with a matte finish for an interesting chic look in autumn and then glossy and glittery come Christmas (could this be better than China Glaze Ruby Slippers?!). I can't decide which swatch I like the most here in fact! 

Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Valerian

Valerian
This shade reminds me of a night's sky reflecting on a deep blue sea - just so pretty. This deep rich effect can be achieved by applying a top coat to create a glossy finish that really highlights the lighter glitter particles. You can also see below how this looks on the nails with 3 coats with and without a top coat. I also don't mind this with 2 coats for a brighter finish.

Models_Own_Velvet_Goth_Swatches 

My thoughts of the Velvet Goth Collection...

Without applying a glossy top coat I think I would have found this a bit of a hit and miss collection, but with the use of a top coat this really brings some of the shades to life especially Absinthe and Valerian.

This is a great collection for Winter and the added velvet tops really add something extra to the polishes, though I don't think you could get away with throwing these in your makeup bag and them staying nice for very long. Favourites from this collection - Absinthe and Sardonyx, but I do also love the glitter and finish of Obsidian.


What do you think of the Velvet Goth Collection? Would you keep the semi matte finish or wear them glossy with a top coat? 

Fee xo. 

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Bargain Beauty Wish List


Bargain_Beaity_Wish_List

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque 100ml
£6.77 - Beauty Bay here
 When I first fell in love with the Macadamia hair mask I bought a huge 250ml pot which I discovered was very easy to over use (having to scoop it out by hand) and also not easy to use/handle in the shower. Since then I have found that the 100ml size is a lot more practical as it's a tube and also cheaper... in fact this is currently on sale down from £9.95. This really is the best hair mask I have ever tried with such impressive results so I make sure I always have a tube of it in my shower now.
 
Lanolips Lip Ointment in 3 shades
£4.20 - eBay here
I have been eager to try out the Lanolips Lip Ointment due to the rave reviews on blogs and in magazines but never committed to buying a tube. However at this price it's hard to not resist.

Holika Holika Luminous Silk Brightening Finish Pact SPF 30
£11.05 - eBay here
Oh how pretty is this! If only we had such pretty products like this in the UK! I am of course lured in by the wonderful design of the powder and the packaging however I love that this is a powder and higlighter in one (the bow is the highlighter part to the compact) whilst also being SPF 30. I really think this would be a product I'd get a lot of use from!

Revlon Nail Polish in Girly 
£2.99 - eBay here 
I recently spotted this fairly new shade in Tesco and it was one of those 'ooo' moments at the prettiness of the shade and glitter. But at £6.49 I decided to do a quick eBay search on my phone and found it for less than half price - much better! 

Tony Moly Color Fix Lip Crayon in 5 shades
£5.73 - eBay here
Lip Crayons are currently my favourite makeup product and my collection is quickly expanding (post to come soon on my favourites). I also love the Korean beauty brand Tony Moly so I'm really wanting this lip crayon and from the swatches I have seen online they really are super glossy and juicy looking. I'm also tempted with the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm in Charm which is only £3.50 here.

Ted Baker French Bulldog Makeup Bag 
£15.00 - ASOS here 
  Another reduced item (by £7.00!) that is oh so lovely. Ted Baker really do such high quality products and much like their plastic tote bags this makeup bag is hard wearing and strong so worth every penny as it will last. This would make for a lovely gift or an even more lovely treat to yourself.

It's Skin Macaron Lip Balm in Strawberry
£4.46 - eBay here 
Another Korean beauty product I spotted on eBay this week. The image above isn't the best (better images on the actually listing) but this is a lip balm that looks exactly like a macaron! From reviews I have read it's also not a cheap gimmicky lip balm and comes in quite a few different flavours.
 
Hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

Fee xo.

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Paco Rabanne Lady Million Perfume Review

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As my brain has been in an autumnal mood for the past week I thought I would share with you a recently acquired fragrance that is ideal for less warmer months or as an evening scent. 

Paco Rabanne has long been a fragrance range I purchase from, mainly for my love of Ultraviolet Woman (it's now quite an affordable fragrance due to how old it is but still amazing) and then 1 Million which is actually a male scent and also the most popular from the brand. However due to the mass popularity of 1 Million, Lady Million was born and is just as wonderful and luxurious as it's male counterpart. 
 
Firstly on to the gold diamond shaped bottle - I personally love it, from the square spray top to the weighy feel and the light reflecting top. However from the images alone I can see how this could look like a tacky bottle for the price. So definitely a perfume that will have divided opinions - I'd love to know what you think of the bottle?

Lady_Million_Perfume_Review 

As for the most important aspect of the fragrance - the scent, this is a really well blended grown up scent that smells rich and sophicated. As this is so well blended it is hard to pick out any notes but I will say that it's a slightly spicy honey perfume that is warm yet strong. But as I say this is more of a combined blended scent that just smells sophicated and well made. 

I personally can imagine wearing this spritzed onto a scarf or snood come Autumn as the scent really does last... I'm talking a good 6 hours or more here. Or when going out at night as this is glam enough to work at an evening scent. 

Of course all perfumes smell different to each nose and skin but if you do like your more grown up perfumes that aren't overly heady or have liked 1 Million in the past then this is one to definitely try a tester of. 

You can find Lady Million at Essential Fragrances for £36.50 for 30ml here or £49.50 for 50ml here

What is your go-to  scent for autumn/fall?

Fee xo.

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Mid-Month Cheap Treats

Poundland_Makeup_Haul

 A mini mid-month haul for you today full of cheap products that have really impressed me.

All the products above came in at under £8, saving around £13... which is pretty damn good if you ask me!

    Now I'm not necessarily on a budget however I love saving money on products that I would have been tempted to buy at full price in Boots or Superdrug... I always think I'd be one of those people that still love a bargain even after winning the lottery! Also this month I decided to try out two pound shop own branded products and was pleasantly surprised.

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Maybelline Color Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate 
eBay - £3.84 free p&p here (normally £4.99)
This is my first eyeshadow purchase in maybe over a year! I had far too many neutral smokey eyeshadow shades so I placed myself on a bit of a ban... until I spotted this amazing shade last week. The swatch above really doesn't do it enough justice, but as you can see from the pot it's an absolutely amazing colour and so rich. I've never tried any of the Maybelline Color Tattoos before but if this is anything to go by I will be getting a few more. Cannot wait to wear this come Autumn now!

Rimmel Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch in Radiant Rose 
Poundland - £1 (normally £4.99) 
I was quite surprised when I spotted this in Poundland last week as these were only brought out by Rimmel last year as part of their Wake Me Up line. I had been tempted to try one of these in the past but the frugal side of me decided against it due to the dinky 14ml tube... but now I can see that the reason for this is that is it more of a cream blush/highlighter and will last absolutely ages! This is well worth popping into your local Poundland to see if they have any as for £1 it is a complete steal. This is another product that I think will be perfect for autumn as it's such a radiance boosting cream blush that will look so natural and glowy.
 
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Argan Oil Hydrating Hair Mask 225ml
Pound World - £1
This was a purchase on recommendation from Maxi of The Lipstick Blog as she had been raving about the Argan Oil range that can be found in Poundland (also hear some of the range is in B&M Bargains and Tesco stores). For a mere £1 this really is a good hair mask and rivals branded hair masks found in Boots/Superdrug! It's lovely and thick and leaves the hair feeling so soft after use. Very impressed with this. 
 
Chit Chat Juicy Lipstick in Coral
Poundland - £1 
A random lip crayon purchase whilst I was in Poundland last week. This was the only one left so it wouldn't have been my first choice but I thought I'd get it to see how it compared to other lip crayons and also to see the texture and wear of it. I have only swatched it so far so I can't say much, other than it looks like a nice fairly sheer, glossy lip crayon. It also comes out a lovely coral shade that does look quite juicy. I'm sure I will end up picking a few more of these up for £1.

Sally_Hansen_Xtreme_Wear 

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in Just For Fun Fuchsia & Wet Cement 
Poundland - £1 for both!
Last but not least I picked up two Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polishes for 50p each as they came in a pack of two! I have only just discovered the Xtreme Wear range and actually had my eye on Wet Cement which I was going to purchase from eBay, so this was a very lucky find! Just For Fun Fuchsia is a little on the watery side but I love the pearl blue tone to it so will definitely be applying it over other pink shades I own. As for Wet Cement I really love it and again it will be one to wear as we move in to autumn, maybe paired with a gold glitter top coat.

Pound World and Poundland are both excellent stores to pick up branded high street makeup such as Rimmel and Revlon and you can always find some great nail polishes as well. Great if you're on a budget or just want to be savvy!

Fee xo.


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Disliked Beauty Products #3

Disliked_Beauty_Products

Today I thought it was about time for another Disliked Products post. 

Since starting these posts I really have got more use to 'dissing' products and not feeling bad. Yes, of course brands may read my blog and spot me slating their product but nine times out of ten I will like other products by them and they can hopefully take on board my criticisms. Also I feel it's realistic that I talk about the products I dislike as I talk about the products I love so often.

Below are a few products I've rounded up that I have been thoroughly disappointed with this time, for all different reasons...

1

Decorware Inc. Milk Bath Remedy in Sugared Hibiscus Candle
This was a TK Maxx/Homesense purchase that I randomly picked it up for the lovely packaging and the 'Sugared Hibiscus' scent. But sadly it was a huge let down when I burnt it as it just didn't smell of anything. Don't you just hate that? When you buy a candle and you can't even smell it or it just gives you a headache! The only redeeming thing about this is that I plan to stick the candle in the fridge and remove the wax and the sticker on the front so that I can re-use it as a cute storage jar.

Organic Surge Citrus Mint Shower Gel 
Now this may seem like an odd one to include as I usually love Organic Surge and I always go for SLS-free products... which this is. Well here is the thing... I normally go for products that state No SLS/SLS-free on the front and then also check the ingredients list on the back, but I couldn't spot any ingredients on this product so I just went on with using it and enjoying it (I later realised they put their ingredients list down the side of the tube - hard to spot). However when I came to review it I went to the product page on the Organic Surge website to only discover it contains Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate! Now for me this is under the Sulfate/Sulphates umbrella and I would never buy anything containing this specific ingredient. So I'm annoyed that I have been using the Organic Surge Shower Gels all this time and didn't realise and now can't continue to use them. However if you don't care about SLS's then I do recommend this, as it's a lovely shower gel.

2

Nip + Fab Lip & Nip Fix
This came with a Nip + Fab gift set I purchased many months ago but you can actually purchase this alone for around £8-9 so I was expecting a fairly nice product. Now firstly I don't get why you would want a product for both your lips and nipples but I can cast that aside. My dislike for this product, and it is a big dislike, is the actual balm. It is made from 100% Lanolin which is also known as 'wool wax' or 'wool grease' which is basically what is secreted from the glands of wool bearing animals.... lovely I know.

 Now that is verging on enough to put me off however it gets worse as the balm is actually yellow, thick and waxy! So thick that I had a job getting it out of the tube... so you can imagine the feel of this over your lips - very waxy and heavy, not nice at all. The last thing I hate about this balm is the scent, now if I hadn't of smelt this smell before I think I'd be okay with it as it's quite subtle but as I know what the scent is, it really turns me off the product. You see back in my school days I went on one of the most boring trips to a mill to learn all about the industrial revolution *yawn* and we got to make our own wool from greasy sheeps wool... which smelt exactly like this product! So as you can expect linking that previous smell to a beauty product is pretty damn awful!

The Body Shop Adzuki Bean & Rice Washing Grains
This was a sale purchase from a few months ago and oh, how I have tried to like this product. I had my eye on it for awhile in TBS but at £8 I couldn't justify it but when it was reduced to £3.60 online and I snapped it up. The idea is the washing grains can be used dry as a harsh exfoliator or wet in the shower or even mixed with shower gel, it can also be mixed in with a cleanser for a face scrub. Sounds like a great multi-use product right? Well sadly I found the texture of the product to be similar to a grainy washing powder and also smelling like it too. I was expecting something that was virtually fragrance-free but this is so scented that I didn't want to use it on my face at all. As for using it as a body scrub it was just too weak and dissolved into the shower gels I mixed it with. Also the jar is so impractical even though it looks nice.

3 

 Mirenesse Secret Weapon 24hr Mascara 
I received this little mascara sample with a Latest in Beauty box and was quite eager to try it as mascara minis are always great for taking on holiday or just trying out before any possible purchases - especially the case with this mascara as it retails for £20+. But sadly I was pretty disappointed to discover that the mascara sample was pretty much empty/dry! To the point I struggled to even coat my lashes fully with it! Maybe I got a duff sample but for some reason I feel like all the samples would have been like that, just a hunch. 

You can find my previous disliked product posts here.  

Fee xo.

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