MUA Professional Eye Primer

MUA Professional Eye Primer £2.50

This little product spurred my MUA haul a couple of months ago after seeing Kat's raving review about it. I didn't even know eye primers existed until this so that was a nice surprise and I thought, for the price, I couldn't not try it!

I'm actually a tad disappointed I have to say. It just didn't live up to expectations for me.

It was really easy to apply, you just pop it on your lids and blend over. It's applying products on top that I have a bit of a problem with. I just find that it's really hard to pop eyeshadow on top and really hard to blend it.

Otherwise, it's great. The colours of the eyeshadow seem more vibrant when (eventually) applied on top of the primer, and it does last longer then without it. But I just couldn't get along with putting eyeshadow on top of it, it just seemed like a battle I could do without.

Pop eyeliner over the top of it though and it's perfect - it's great for that and I have no trouble applying any type of eyeliner on top of this, so I've been using it for days where I feel eyeliner is enough and I don't feel like using eyeshadows.

For the price however, I do think it is great value for money. It's lasted for ages, and like I said, it does increase stay and vitality. It's just the eyeshadow bit. Sorry MUA!

What eye primers do you recommend? 

Wishlist | Skin Care

Alpha H Liquid Gold  |  Origins Spot Remover Pads  |  Caudalie Beauty Elixir  |  Origins Modern Friction  |  La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo  |  Origins VitaZing

I did a skin care wishlist not so long ago (here) and to be honest, there are a couple of the same products on here as there are on there. However, I'm still searching for the perfect product! This is my last wishlist for a while I promise... I know there has been a bit of an overload lately so I'm sorry!

Alpha H Liquid Gold £31
I think next time I get paid I'm just going to have to bit the bullet and get this. I keep hearing such incredible things about it and my skin has been awful recently. It may just have to be one of those investments that saves my skin and my self esteem!

Origins Spot Remover Pads £22 for 60 pads
I have the spot remover gel, which is okay - nothing special (for me anyway) so it would be interesting to try these out as these aren't for targeted areas, it's for the general expanse of your face - which is what I desperately need!

Caudalie Beauty Elixir £28.80 for 100ml
It's like the Mac Fix+... I'm not entierly sure what it does, I just know it's meant to be amazing! It's a large price tag for something you aren't sure you need, or you aren't even sure what it does though. This may have to go on the birthday list!

Origins Modern Friction £31 for 125ml
I've never really used an exfoliator on my face before, but this is meant to be amazing. It would have to be for the price to be fair... I've seen a couple of blogs that swear by this stuff so I would love to give it a go - maybe Origins do a gift set!

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo £13 for 40ml
I'm blaming Kat and her stella review for this one. My skin has been awful lately, and I know Kat was moaning hers was too and this really helped, and for quite a good price tag I'm ridiculously tempted to try it. You can get it in my Boots as well so. Off I go...

Origins VitaZing £27
I've been after a day time moisturiser as I find the ones I use a bit too heavy to wear under my foundation and it just adds to the oil. I've seen people rave about this as their day time moisturiser so I would love to try it out and it's definitely on my "to buy" list, as opposed to my "wishlist".

This is quite a pricey wishlist. Goodbye money - well, only if I purchase bits and bobs! I seem to find if something stays on your wishlist for a couple months, it should move over to your shopping list!

Do you love any of these? Fancy sending me your reviews?

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Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Craving Coral £12 via Asos

I got this after seeing Lily review it on her blog. You know me, I love my lip products at the moment and I'm loving the lip pen/crayon/pencil things as well so this really appealed to me.

I bought this is Craving Coral because I've been after a really nice, moisturising coral lip product for ages and  I hoped this was it.

Firstly, how CUTE is the packaging. It's absolutely adorable and I feel in love. The product itself is really good, I'm really pleased with it. It glides on and is really moisturising. I actually prefer the feel of this product to both the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains and the Clinique Chubby Sticks (shock!). It's such a nice product to wear and use, and the colour lasts for around three hours, which I think is amazing. The sheen disappears after about an hour, but the colour stays.

My only gripe is this - it is NOT coral. At all. It's a definite pink. I popped it on, all excited and then looked and got very confused. I checked the packaging about three, four times to double check I had ordered the right colour. This is definitely a pink, not a coral at all. In my opinion anyway. Don't get me wrong, the colour is gorgeous and goes perfectly with my skin tone so I'm happy as larry, but for me I was a tad disappointed that it wasn't the colour I was looking for. Bummer.

Otherwise, I can't fault this product at all. My understanding is that it's a US brand, so when I pop over in December I will definitely be looking to get some more of these and exploring the brand a little further.

Have you tried Pixi products before? Which would you recommend?

PS: Just to inform you, or warn you, I may be a tad quieter on Twitter then I have been! Basically, I've changed my life a bit and I have got a new job which I start today (wish me luck!) and it's in retail, so I won't be on a computer all day everyday. I will do what I can on my phone on breaks so I will definitely try my best and you'll still get your posts every day!!
So yeah, I hope to carry on as well as I can and I WILL keep up my blogging, I promise! I just might be a little quieter than I was before!

Video | Hair Care

I wouldn't have been able to do this video a couple of months ago, but recently I've really started to pay attention my hair and the products I use on it and I've pretty much settled down into a routine now which I find really works for my hair.
Take a peek at my video and all will be revealed!

Products mentioned:

Shampoos:
Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo  |  Bumble & Bumble BB Sunday Shampoo

Conditioners:
Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner  |  Aussie Dual Personality Anti Frizz Conditioning Milk

Styling:
Charles Worthington Front Row Rough and Tousled Salt Spray  |  Batiste Dry Shampoo  |

What's your hair care tips?

Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spa Range

Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spa Face Masks £1.49 each*

Another fab product I've had for a while but haven't gotten round to reviewing! Bad blogger. Montagne Jeunesse are one of my favourite budget beauty mask brands and they have very kindly sent me masses of masks recently to review for them. This set is part of their new Clay Spa range, which are a tad different to their other masks.

They infuse natural bamboo fabric with the clay, which creates a circular piece of cleansing material which you place over your face. This scared me a tad when I first saw this, however I needn't be afraid! It did feel a bit weird putting the fabric mask on, definitely a different experience from the usual masks and I'm pretty sure I looked like something out of a horror movie.

The two masks I tried were Dead Sea Mud and Glacial Clay. The Dead Sea Mud is full of dead sea minerals (as implied by the name) which makes it fab for deep cleansing and drawing out all the little impurities. Having used a dead sea mask before I had something to compare this two, and I did actually prefer this one. I felt it really did just cleanse my skin that little bit better; and Glacial Clay is really good for refreshing your skin.

Out of the two I would say that my skin looked and felt a lot cleaner after using the Dead Sea Mud mask, however it felt a lot more refreshed and calmed when using the Glacial Clay. I would definitely use that one for when my face just needs a bit of calming down and redness needs reducing.

My only teeny tiny gripe with this is the packaging. It looks lovely, however it just seems like a lot of packaging to give two masks and I was stuck with a mass amount of cardboard afterwards. It could make a really nice Christmas pressie though.

All Montagne Jeunesse products are vegetarian approved, made from natural ingredients and free from parabens. You can find their products in Boots and Asda, and you can also buy online at www.montagnejeunesse.com

What Montagne Jeunesse masks do you love?

LFW 2012

On Wednesday I got a very exciting email from Little Black Dress telling me I had won a competition for two tickets to London Fashion Weekend on Sunday! And who better to invite then my fashion loving friend Miss Hanah West!

The lovely Hanah traveled all the way from Cardiff to meet me in London for a day of accessories, fashion, gossip and above all, wine!

Apart from the rain, it was a really lovely day. We got to see loads of collections. I was very tempted by some gorgeous vintage sunnies but I made myself resist due to the £90 I didn't have to pay for them!

Instead, we got VERY excited about the Lola Rose stand, so many gorgeous pieces at reduced prices. I was a bit concerned that we would come away with the entire stand between us, however we were very reserved and only bought a couple of pieces each! I wonder what's wrong with us...

After some mooching about at pieces that were far too expensive, but far too gorgeous we left with a smile on our faces and headed to Pizza Express for some grub and a bottle of Rose, not forgetting a good old gossip and a catch up!

We had a really really fab day (despite the rain!) and I would like to say a BIG THANKS to Little Black Dress for sending us!!

Did you go to London Fashion Weekend? What was your favourite collection?

Wishlist | Make Up #2

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer  |  17 Mirror Shine on Lipstick in Beehive  |  Revlon Color Stay Foundation  |  MeMeMe Flawless Cream Foundation  |  Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm in Charm  |  Mac Fix +  |  Topshop Lips in Firecracker

So this is the second part of my make up wishlist, and unlike the last I'm going to try and make it through without actually buying anything. Wish me luck...

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser £33
I fully blame Kat for this one. I wasn't even aware of this until she purchased it and came in with gorgeous dewy skin. Jealous much?! Me. Yes. Very. We have similar skin type so knowing it's worked for her is another nod in the right direction for me. Shame about the price!

17 Mirror Shine on Lipstick in Beehive £4.59
I have this in Belle (here) and love this lipstick and I'm dying to try some other colours. However my local Boots is a bit crap and the 17 section has been a mess for months now. I've seen Beehive on Kat and Lily and would love this to be my next one! It's meant to be a great dupe for Mac Hue which is on my last wishlist.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation £12.50
I've been umming and aahing about this one. I saw it on Becky's blog as her holy grail foundation and it looks perfect for what I need and it's not too pricey. So why haven't I got it yet? There is no pump, its a pour one and that's really off-putting for me. However, I'm still to be swayed!

Mememe Flawless Cream Foundation £12.50
I saw this on Zoe's video and have been intrigued by it ever since. She put it as her top drugstore foundation along with Rimmel Wake Me Up (which I love) so I've wanted to give it a try every since. No idea if it'll work on my oily cheeks but hey!

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm Stain in Charm
This little beauty isn't available in the UK so I will be searching high and low for it when I hit NY. I saw this on Anna's blog and feel so in love with the colour, it's like the perfect coral lip colour and I love the product too so this will be a definite must in America for me.

Max Fix+ 30ml for £7.50 or 1100ml for £13.50
I think I'm more intrigued by this product then i actually want it. I just want to know what it actually does, what it is meant to do - just what is this thing?! I think you spray it on after make up for a dexy look and to also help your make up stay on. Sounds good to me!

Topshop Lips in Firecracker £8.00
This is described as a bright orange and it is so not me, however I fell in love with the colour when I saw it on Zoe. It's not overly red or red red - it's more of an orangy red so I think it'll suit me a bit more, I just want to give it a whirl really! Pay day treat I feel.

So, this is the last of my make up wishlist. There will prob be more coming up at some point. But this is it for the moment! Again, lemme know what you think of these products as I'm dying to know! And lemme know if you hate them too!

Do you love or hate any of these? Send me your reviews!

Wishlist | Make Up #1

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Craving Coral  |  Clinique Chubby Stick in Might Mimosa  |  Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Nectar  |  Origins Ginzing Mascara  |  Mac Lipstick in Hue  |  Dior Airflash Foundation

Yay another wishlist! This comes after my hair and nails one and is part of my £400 series of things I really want. Now remember - my birthday is soon (November 13th), so feel free to send anything my way :D

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Craving Coral £12.00
This is Lily's fault. Again. I hadn't even heard of Pixi until she blogged about them, and then I fell in love with this balm. The colour is gorgeous and is meant to last well, and the gel balm moisturises and protects your lips. And LOOK at the pretty packaging. So pretty.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa £16.00
Now, I already have one of these in Super Strawberry and I absolutely love it, so I've been pining for another one and this was the other one I ummed and aahed about. So now I feel I must have it. Unfortunately it wasn't in the duty free (cry) so Boots on payday here I come!

Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Nectar £16.50
Now, this is Laura's fault (another fave) as she looked so gorgeous with this on I have been coveting it since. Putting it in the shopping bag and then going "no don't need it" and clicking off the site. It's a gorgeous pinky shade, which I love on my cheeks. And I want it. Like, really want it.

Origins Ginzing Mascara £17
I'm not even really sure why I want this. I came back from Dublin and it just appeared in my life through Grazia and since then I've had it in my head that I must have it. I've seen a review by Milly and it looks fab and she raves about it so! Plus, it's Origins.

Mac Lipstick in Hue £14.00
Please don't tell anyone but I'm actually a MAC virgin. I think it's just cause I don't live near one and I hate buying lip colours online. However I've seen been tempted by this one a couple of times, it's just a nudey coral and could be a perfect choice!

Dior Airflash Foundation £33
Yes, this is a touch pricey - however, listen to this. It's a spray on foundation! Messy you'd think but apparently now! I've seen a few reviews where it makes you look perfectly airbrushed and everything has said it's easy as pie to use. If only I had £33 to spare...

This is only the first of my make up wishlist, and as I've been writing this I have actually purchased the Pixi brilliance balm. O bother, these wishlists are dangerous!

Have you tried any of the above? Please advice as to whether I should bite the bullet or not!

Chanel Intense Eye Pencil

Chanel Le Crayon Kohl Intense Eye Pencil in Noir £17.00

This is my little beauty secret. I say secret, and I say beauty, what I mean is it's my favourite product in the world and probably the one I have stayed true to for the longest - four years to be precise!

I picked this up coming back from Rome in a Duty Free and I have never looked back. It's the perfect shade of black and it's soft enough that it's not painful to apply or agitate my eye. It's waterproof (woohoo) and is really easy to blend.

I just find it really is the perfect eye pencil, if frames my eyes perfect. As with all Chanel products, the packaging is very chic and classic, and very handily comes with its own pencil sharpener. This is only my third pencil, in as many as four years so it lasts forever.

I got this one in a Duty Free as well so it was a little cheaper then £17, I think it was around 16 euros, so already cheaper. I do try and get these in a duty free if I can because of the price, it is quite pricey. But I'm more than happy to pay it.

I've still not found an eye pencil to match it. My Mum swears by Estee Lauder Double Wear, but I just couldn't get on with it as well as this one.

What's your beauty secret? Do you have a favourite eye liner?

The Body Shop All in One BB Cream

The Body Shop All in One BB Cream in Light £12

I've actually only had this a few days, so not long, and usually I do like to wait a little longer before I post a review on something, especially something that could impact on my skin. However, this I felt couldn't wait. This product jumped the queue of reviews!

I've never been overly excited about BB creams. I've tried a couple, my favourite so far being the Maybelline one, however this surpasses everything I have tried so far - including tinted moisturisers and most foundations. It's up there with my Collection Lasting Perfection foundation - and you know how much I love that.

Anywho, so The Body Shop BB cream is a brand new product for The Body Shop. It comes in three different shades, light, medium and dark (I have it in light) and is £12.00 - so a touch pricey for a high street BB cream I think. It comes out white and is filled with pigments that burst when applied and rubbed into the skin so that it adapts itself to your skin tone. Now I'm usually really wary of products that claim they adapt to your tone as I feel it's a bit of boohakey, but this suits my skin perfectly. The only colour match that beats it is my Clinique Stay Matte foundation (review to come).

Not only that, but the coverage on this product is so good. It's really light, however heavier then other BB creams I have tried. I apply this with my fingers as I feel my usual buffing brush struggles to apply it, and then I just buff it in after I've rubbed it in to give it a natural finish.

Now, I know I'm slightly biased in terms of the fact that I've recently become a Body Shop Consultant, so I have to tell you their products are amazing. But you know me, I won't rave about it unless I really love. And I REALLY love this. It lasts the majority of the day (although this is helped with a primer) and it doesn't make my skin oily at all - which is the first non oil free product I've used that actually does this. The colour is amazing and the coverage is perfect - not too heavy but it still makes your skin look lovely.

I know I said that £12 is a tad pricey, however I think it was £12 well spent and I'd much rather repurchase this then other, more pricey foundations I have used in the past or am currently trying. My only gripe with it, is that I don't think it contains SPF - which is a bit naughty seeing as BB creams are meant to contain this. That would have made it my perfect product.

I would definitely recommend this! I've heard some people say the medium is a bit orange for them, I use light and it's perfect for me. I would recommend going into The Body Shop and asking them for a colour match, but I think general rule of thumb is light for those like me, medium for more olivey, tanner people and dark for dark skin.

I've just realised how LONG this review is - but I really do love this product and I really would recommend it!

Have you tried this BB cream yet? What products do you love from The Body Shop?

A Paisley Tale

top: topshop (old)  |  jeans: lavish alice  |  sandals: faith (old)  |

These trousers have taken me one step closer to being Mollie King. O how I wish. I seem to be becoming her complete and utter style stalker. It's bad for my bank balance and it doesn't help with Lavish Alice tweeting her outfits - bad Lavish Alice!

So, yes, these are my FIRST EVER printed jeans. I took a leap of faith. It's an item of clothing I would never have bought before blogging, so I blame the blogging world. I was a bit dubious about them as I thought because they were light they might make my larger than normal thighs look even larger, however I've been pleasantly surprised. The cut is really flattering. They fit quite well, a little tight but what do you expect when you buys jeans online without trying them. And tbh, I'm trying to loose a bit of weight off the old thighs anywho so they will be a perfect fit soon.

I'm just in love with them. They are so different to everything I own, which seems to be happening more and more lately which I am excited about. They were a complete impulse buy and about an hour later I was wondering what the hell was going through my head. Well it all came good in the end!

I think this needs to be teamed with a simple tee or peplum top, my deep blue blazer and minimal accessories. The jeans are totally the focus so there is no need to overcomplicate them as it takesa way from their utter beauty.

I have to say, I am actually quite impressed with Lavish Alice. This is only the second piece I've bought from them, but it's delivered within 2 working days so there isn't too much waiting around which is nice, and the ladies on twitter are really lovely and helpful to!

So do I look like Mollie yet (ha!)? How would you style these jeans?

MUA Heaven & Earth Eyeshadow Palette

MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Heaven and Earth £4

I don't know why I haven't review this before now. I've had it since July-ish time, and I use it most days so I am very surprised and annoyed with myself!

Before this came into my life I was an eyeliner, mascara, go girl. Now I'm an eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara girl - sometimes not even eyeliner which is a MASSIVE thing for me.

This pallette was recommend by Kat and I'm very glad. It's just lots of neutral brown tones, which compliment my brown eyes perfectly and the shadows stay for hours. I've had so much fun mix and matching colours together as well!

For the price (£4) I could NOT be happier with this palette. Even if it was more expensive, it's still one of my best buys. I would definitely recommend picking up one of MUA's eyeshadow palettes next time you're near a Superdrug or hanging out online, you will not regret it I promise.

What MUA palettes do you recommend? What's your fave!

200 Follower GIVEAWAY!

Ok so, it's the moment you've all been waiting for - my giveaway! It's basically a haul of some of my favourite bits... I'm keeping some items a bit secret, so it'll be a bit like a surprise.. The idea is that it'll include some of my favourite products, so it'll be some bits and bobs reviewed on the blog! I can tell you it will contain some of the following brands:

The Body Shop

MUA

L'Oreal

Essie
Batiste

Raspberrygrape

Wonsuponatime

and much more...!

So - how do you win this amazing prize? Take a peek below and just fill in all the Rafflecopter bits and bobs!
Unfortunately, it's only open to UK entries (sorry international guys!)
You'll be informed when you've won, if you don't respond within 48 hours I will pick out a new name.
You must be a follower of the blog (GFC).

Otherwise, have fun and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Any Size: Bodycon

After an Any Size break last week (was in Dublin when it's usually organised so!) Any Size is back with a bang and includes one of my all time favourite fashion bloggers this week, Amy from Little Magpie who is up for a Cosmo Blog Award (excited!).

This week is bodycon. I really wanted to do this to show people that any size really can wear bodycon, it's a style that lots of larger sizes shy away from, however if you get the right dress with the right structuring it can really work to your advantage!

size 8: Amy from Little Magpie
One of my fave ever bloggers, and she looks gorgeous here. This black bodycon shows off her tiny, curvy figure to perfection and she has styled it with rocky accessories for a toughened up look! Total girl crush alert.

size 10: me
A bodycon skirt, styled for everyday wear. Just to show really that bodycon doesn't have to just be evening wear, if you style it right!

size 12: Missy from Never a Dull Moment
A gorgeous colour against Missy's skin and the perfect dress for her figure as well. It hugs her curves in all of the right places, and is a very classy, ladylike body con while still looking sexy.

Size 14: Gem from Gem Seren Beauty
Proving you don't have to be a size six to be sexy in a bodycon! She looks incredible in this dress, it shows off all her best bits and her long gorgeous legs!

A big thanks to all my bloggers this week - loving how they've styled their bodycons for them! I'm also loving the response I'm getting from doing Any Size, have had such amazing feedback and comments and I love you guys for providing it!

Let me know if you'd like to be involved in Any Size at all, it isn't restricted to the sizes above, so whatever size you are - get in contact!!

Life Through a Lens #6

wedding dress |  my ball  |  wine night  |  new primer  |  mum & dad with Arthur & Willow
new pixi products  |  my motto  |  butterbeer  |  family walk  |  dougal
new jeans  |  FOTD  |  new BB cream  |  wet puppy  |  fave scarf
essie nails  |  my gorgeous niece  |  one dad and his dog  |  work outfit  |  me and my pooch
sleepy puppy  |  red lips  |  yum  |  family pub trip  |  rupert

So, I haven't done one of these in forever - so this is like a mass instagram post so sorry for mass of photos!

So, my life lately has been a bit all over the place! I quit my job (but still have to be here until end of September boo!) so that I can go back to Staples as a Specialist and save up to go back to Uni next year and do a PGCE. I'm very excited to leave but very sad to be leaving the lovely Kat behind... Don't know what I'll do without my lil skype buddy.. Wish I could take her with me!

I also went to Dublin, you can see all the pics here, it was incredible and such a lovely time with Adam. We're in a really good place right now and have started look into buying our first home (hello First Buy scheme, goodbye shopping) which is really exciting. We both really want to start out lives together now.

So this week was lovely. I went out on Friday night with Amber, Bex and Beth who was done with Cheltenham for the weekend - was so lovely to see her and really made me realise how much I miss her - COME DOWN MORE MISS! My brother and Hanah were also down with their puppy Willow, so on Sunday we all went on a mass woody walk and to the pub. Was a really lovely day and was nice to have everyone together!

I've also started doing my Body Shop parties! They are going really well so far, I've had two and have another one this weekend and a couple in October and another in November, and will hopefully get a few more soon as well. Am really loving their BB cream at the moment, I would definitely recommend it!

Anywho, thanks for reading this MASS lifestyle post! Tomorrow Any Size will return with some lovely bloggers, including the incredibly GORGE Amy from Little Magpie, so keep an eye out for that!

How are you? Hope life is good with you!

Topshop Lips in Whimsical

Topshop Lips in Whimsical

O look. Here we go again. Another lipstick. Whoops. O well, all's well that ends well. And I ended up with a pretty lipstick. Yay!

After my love of Topshop's shade in Innocent, I thought I may as well treat myself to another shade, and Whimsical seemed to fit the coral lipstick wishlist number one. If that even made any sense at all.

This has the same consistency as Innocent, and yet it does still dry the lips a little if not teamed with balm or gloss. I found this lipstick tends to stick to all dryness of the lips and show every crack. However I do love the colour. It's such a summery colour - it's a shame our "summer" is coming to an end! What little summer we had...

I have been wearing this most days with a gloss first, and then adding the lipstick on top and I love the effect this has with the lipstick. It's just perfect for me and I've been rocking this continually for the past couple of weeks!

I do have another Topshop lipstick on my wishlist, it seems their drying properties haven't put me off! I would love to try Firecracker - so if you've tried it lemme know what you think!

What Topshop lipsticks would you recommend?