Nail Polish collection-collective review...

Today I thought I would post a collective review on my nail polish collection.I don`t know how my collection compares to other people but I think I own a decent amount,probably too much but I have to admit nail polish is a bit of a weakness of mine.From left to right starting on the top row we have some Mac in blissed out and baby goth girl,YSL in pink gold,various OPI,Essie,a ton of Barry M,some Models Own,Boots no7,a few Rimmel and Boots 17,several china glaze,Nails Inc,Revlon and then finally a few randoms from brands such as Ciate and Colour Club.

My favourite brand is probably OPI,I think overall they average out as having the best colours and application.I really love the colours by Essie but their formula takes alot more work.My favourites by OPI are Mod about you,My private Jet and Done out in deco.My favourite from Essie is Van d'go which is perfect on both hands and toes-its rare when I like a nail polish on both my hands and feet.I only own 2 at the moment but I absolutely love Deborah Lippmann nail poishes,I would go as far as to say If I owned more they would take over from OPI as my favoruite brand.The application is AMAZING and the colour range is beautiful.I only wish they were cheaper,I will however be picking up more when I can.As you can see I also own a YSL nail polish,now this was actually bought due to the beauty youtuber/guru/blogger Lorraine or TheCurrentCustom,she mentioned how this polish was the exact same colour as the Michael Kors rose gold watch which I happen to own and love.I went to check this out for myself and they are a pretty good match and really compliment each other.The application of this is a little tricky and it can easily look streaky as it is a metalic finish but its such a pretty and unique colour its worth the extra hassle.

When it comes to Mac even though I only own 2 polishes I am a big fan,I`ve heard some people say negative things about mac nail polish but I personally find the application to be fine,The brush is a little thin but its no big deal to me,my favourite is Blissed out,its from the warm and cozy collection and is the perfect nude for my skin tone.If you ever see it at a CCO or blog sale I highly reccomend you try it.

A brand I am very familiar with is Barry M,I own alot of nail paints,I actually have more but my mam has them in her room somewhere at the moment.I think for the cheap price,easy availability,unique colours and decent forumla you can`t go wrong.My particular favourite is Pink Flamingo,I also like Mushroom and Raspberry.

Another favourite of mine is China Glaze,I am not keen on their brush as it doesn`t hold as much polish as the OPI brush and therefore isn`t as easily to apply but the finish is great and they have so many colours you can`t not try at least one.If you like OPI`s Mod about you I suggest you check out Something Sweet by China Glaze,its not a total dupe,Mod about you is still nicer and more unique but its a gorgeous colour in itself and pretty similar.Mod about you is a little more in your face.

I own 4 polishes from the brand Models Own,in particular I like Purple Mystique,its one of the few colours I like for both hands and feet,I particularly like it on the toes.Models Own have a brilliant formula and a brilliant range of colours.I think they are about £5 which isn`t bad at all.I always find there are too many colours that stand out to me when I look at their stand in Boots which can`t be a bad thing!

Some other drugstore brands I have experience with are Revlon,Collection 200,Rimmel and two Boots brands,17 and no7.Revlon are the best of the bunch although I don`t find them amazing.I don`t tend to buy them often as the colours don`t scream wow to me and I find them over priced,I can get Essie or OPI at the same price if I buy on Ebay so I don`t like spending too much on a drugstore nail polish.The aplication is ok,and the colours are ok but thats it.I think I have tried two colours from the Collection 2000 range (I only have one pictured as I gave the other one away),I really hate these nail polishes!They are actually probably the worst fomula I ahve ever come across,yes there cheap but really whats the point paying anything for something so rubbish?I`d say pay another 50p or so and buy a Barry M nail paint.Revlon is another brand I`m not overy impressed with,I only own 2 nail polishes and one applies better than the other but once again unless you see a colour you really love,go with a Barry M nail paint if you want an affordable nail polish.From Boots I own some of their no 7 and 17 polishes,I don`t have a great deal to say about these other than 17 applies streaky but has some lovely shades available and no7 is a tad better in application but I find there colour range so boring.

If you have any questions about any of the nail polishes feel free to ask away,I would love to know what everyones favourite polish is as I`m always on the look out for new ones.Also I am desperate for new storage for my collection,I`m thinking or purchasing an acrylic rack from ebay-how do you store your collection?

My favourite nail polish ever...

Mod about you by OPI!

As I had applied this colour to my nails on Friday night I thought why not share with my readers my absolute all time favourite nail polish ever.It is of course OPI's Mod about you,its a bright version of a baby pink,very creamy with a slight lilac undertone.It looks great with a tan and is fab on both hands and toes.This is the only nail polish I have ever repurchased which in my opinion speaks for its self.I purchase all of my OPI either from work or from ebay as it works out a little cheaper and this is actually my third bottle.I`ve heard that some people find this shade hard to work with but I don`t think its too hard at all,it deffinetly needs to coats but after that its perfectly opaque,I find that it does tend to chip quite easily-even with a good top coat but I don`t mind so much as the colour is so worth it.This is hands down my favourite shade ever and I always get questions or compliments from people when I wear it.If you are a fan of pastel nail polish,like the 60`s look or are a pink nail polish fan then you must try it for yourself!

Granny chic shoes...

I thought I would share these moccasin flats I purchased from Topshop this week,there not something I would typically wear but I love them!I`m very picky when it comes to shoes,I`m not a fan of brogues or any shoe that resembles something a man or an old lady would wear,although these are a little 'granny chic' I actually thought they looked pretty cute.

I love the soft grey suedec and they are perfect for spring now that its getting a little warm for boots but not hot enough for sandals.I think I will be wearing these with skinny jeans and might wear them on my long flight next month as I can pop them on and off easily and they wont restrict my feet too much,there really comfy!I`ve never actually seen these in store but you can pick them up on the Topshop website for £32 if anyones interested :)

My Makeup Story...

I saw this post recently on Rachael at allthingsbloggedandbeautiful.blogspot.com blog and thought It looked like a fun tag .Seeing as I haven`t done many tags in the past thought I`d give it a go.Basically its 11 questions designed to give your readers an insight into your makeup past so here goes,I hope you enjoy reading...

♥ How old were you when you started wearing makeup? ♥
When I was little I danced alot and for shows we would have to wear a little lipstick and blusher,maybe an eyeshadow.I was never too interested at the time but I always remember my mam buying me a big silver vanity case full of hair products and accessories and makeup.Like I said at the time I wasn`t exactly into makeup but I do remember this one lipstick I loved,it was by the Boots brand 17,it was a shimmery very light pink and was named Shell.I remember putting it on when I was about 9 and thinking I looked totally brilliant and grown up haha

When I was 13 I began wearing eyeshadow,mascara and lipgloss to school then at 14 I wore foundation and perhaps blusher.It wasn`t until I was about 16 I started to get really into it and added eyeliner and bronzer to my routine.

♥ How did you get into makeup? ♥

I think I was just a normal teenage girl,I would see pictures of celebs in magazines,products advertised on the tv and at first I was more interested in hair than makeup.I ALWAYS wanted to be blonde so when I was 13 I dyed my hair and then a little later I got into makeup.I started getting into high end makeup when I was about 16 and then at 18 I found youtube gurus and beauty bloggers.Now I`m addicted lol!

♥ What are some of your favorite brands?

Mac is probably my favourite ,I don`t think there is an area they fail to deliver on,I love their lipsticks,blushes,eyshadows,foundations and powders.Maybe their skin care could use some work fro what I`ve heard but I`m not very experienced with mac skincare.I really love Urban Decay for eyeshadows,possibly even more than mac,I`m a big fan of their primer potion too.Another favourite brand of mine is YSL,I love their lipsticks and lipglosses and I`m a fan of their foundations too.

♥ What does makeup mean to you? ♥
I diddn`t really know how to answer this one,I guess makeup to me means the opportunity to have fun,be creative and have a little more confidence.


♥ If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be? ♥

Foundation for sure,bronzer,mascara and a lip product-I`d feel very bare with nothing on my lids though.

♥ What is your favorite thing about makeup? ♥

The confidence it gives me and the ejoyment of researching it,buying it and finding something you love and that makes a difference to you.

♥ What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup? ♥

I have to admit I`m more of a high end girl,I do like drug store makeup but I just don`t purchase it as much as I do high end.I wish I could find a drugstore foundation I really liked but I always have difficulty finding a colour match. (I`m an nc35 if anyone has any recs)

♥ What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner? ♥
Get your base right!Theres no point owning a million lipsticks or eyeshadows if your foundation is terrible.I`d also reccomend trying out new products on a day you don`t intend to do alot.If I buy a new product I`ll wear it on a day I`m not leaving the house if I can to see how it works out,theres nothing worse than putting on a new foundation,leaving the house then realising its oxidised to a lovely shade of orange and is sliding off your face.


♥ What is one makeup trend you never understood? ♥

lilac lipstick!
I`m really sorry if you wear liliac lipstick or think it looks good but I`ve never seen it look good on a person yet lol


♥ What do you think of the Beauty Community on Youtube/Blogger? ♥
I really enjoy it and have found it so helpful,I`d miss both if they no longer existed.


♥ Who is your style icon? ♥
The Kardashians

NOTD:China Glaze-Pelican Gray...

Hi everyone!

This lovely nail polish by China Glaze arrived in the post for me yesterday from Ebay and I couldn`t wait to try it out.Its called Pelican Gray and is from the new spring 2011 collection called Anchors Away.

At first I thought it may be similar to my previously blogged about Deborah Lippmann,Waking up in Vegas polish but when I applied it I realised its pretty different.Pelican Gray has more of a blue undertone to it and is brighter.Aplication was ok,I`m not crazy on the China Glaze brush as they don`t seem to be able to hold alot of product but its nothing too major,I applied 3 coats,this definetly is not a one coat nail polish but then again there aren`t many that are.I reccoment you check it out while you can as its the perfect grey for Spring.

Liebster Blog Award...

I`ve been given my very first blog award-yay!

The lovely Amy at http://amazaballs.blogspot.com/ nominated me for this award that is designed to recognise bloggers with less than 300 followers.Obviously I am new to blogging and I just want to say a huge thankyou to Amy for thinking of my blog,its really nice to know that some enjoys what you write.

In return I would like to nominate the following bloggers all of which I thoroughly enjoy reading their posts and think they deserve credit for their work...

1.Jane at http://strange-andbeautiful.blogspot.com/

2.Abby at http://sunseastyle.blogspot.com/

3.Rachael at http://allthingsbloggedandbeautiful.blogspot.com/

I really love reading these girls blogs,I suggest you check them out if you haven`t already and once again a huge thankyou to Amy!

Topshop,Mac,Fake Bake and Charles Worthington...

This Saturday I did a little shopping and stopped by mac to purchase a few must haves and a couple of extras.First of all we have my all time favourite concealer,studio finish in nc30 and a new bottle of studio fix in nc35.I used to wear this all the time and I don`t know why but I keep going through phases of loving and hating it.Anyway its back for now!

I finally got my hands on tan pigment and I am far from dissapointed,its got more pink in than I expected and less,well tan.Its a beautiful bronzey brown shade,right up my alley.I wore it today alone just to see what it was like (I haven`t been anywhere important today)and I really like it.I`m looking forward to trying it with different eyeshadows.One thing I will say though and this is the reason I only own 2 pigments-they are so messy!I am quite clumsy and have managed to spill some already.

Mac`s Costa Chic is not a lipstick I ever saw myself purchasing,I`m very much a pale pink,nude,beige girl and I usually feel like a clown wearing anything bright.However I decided it was about time I expanded my collection and after seeing many bloggers pulling of this lipstick beautifully I decided to purchase.I hope I can pull it off,im unsure at the minute.
Other purchases included Charles Worthingtons mineral hair mask,I`ve heard alot of good reviews and plan on doing a review myself in the next few weeks.I`m a big fan of hair masks but I don`t like to spend a fortune on hair care,my favourite to date is Aussie 3 minute miracle.I also bought some more Ardell lashes(,I loved my first pair and think I have been converted from Eyelure) and I stocked up on fake tan,after Xen Tan dark lotion Fake Bake is my personal favourite.

I purchased alot of clothes yesterday and in the past few weeks as I`m trying to put together a holiday wardrobe at the minute.I`m thinking of doing a 'my week in photo's ' post when I get back so I`ve decided not to blog about them as I`ll be wearing them in holiday pics.I did however buy this cute little bag from Topshop,its tan suede and cost £25,its perfect for holiday as I probably wont want to cart my big handbag around everywhere.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend whatever you were up too!

NOTD:Deborah Lippmann-Waking up in Vegas...

(2 coats-no top coat!)
A few posts ago I mentioned how Deborah Lippmann nail polishes were my new love and in particular this shade,Waking up in Vegas.This is the shade that Lady Gaga wore on her Vanity Fair cover last year (below)
Before I had even tried out this polish I was sold on this alone,not to mention the name (I`m visiting Vegas in 4 weeks time!)

I did however do the sensible thing and viewed a few swatches online before taking the plunge and parting with my £14.Lippmann polishes are available exculsively to House of Fraser in the UK but I`m sure they are widely available in the US.I was thoroughly impressed with the application and drying time,this is honestly the quickest drying nail polish I have ever tried which is a great thing for me as I hate waiting for nail polish to dry.I found that they applied very smoothly and this colour was opaque after just one coat,although I did go on to apply another.I really love the names of all the Lippmann polishes,I don`t know if all of them are named after songs but pretty much every one I looked at in House of Fraser was named after a famous song,I think thats a really unique thing to do and also a good marketing technique.The packaging of the polish is very nice,as you can see it is a square shaped bottle,quite unique and the polish itself comes in a clear plastic box which is a nice touch-I like to get my moneys worth,even if it is through extra packaging.The brush is slightly smaller than that of OPI but it is by no means thin,I actually prefer it to the OPI brush and find it easier to work with.I can not reccomend this nail polish enough,I also went back and bought Bad Romance (yes another reference to Gaga!) which is a beautiful dark purple glitter polish.The glitter polishes are a little harder to work with but thats glitter nail polish for you,I find no matter what brand you apply a little extra work is involved.The only downside to this brand is the price and the finish.£14 is quite steep but if you find a shade you love and you love the formula which I do then I think its totally worth it.The finish to this polish isn`t as shiny as some other brands I own but to be honest is doesn`t bother me at all,I apply a top coat and that sorts that issue out.

There is currently a 10% off deal on House of Fraser website on Deborah Lippman so if your interested now is the time to buy.If you are a big nail polish lover then there is no question about it you must try at least one shade!

Pretty Pictures (2)...Plus an update :)

Hey everyone,

So It actually only dawned on me today that its been a whole week since I last did a blog post :( Unfortunatly I`ve been extremely busy at work and preparing for my driving test which I am absolutly going out of my mind with anxiety over lol!Anyone have any tips on how I can calm myself down?I am the worlds biggest worrier and have been for as long as I can remember.In happier news its only one month until my birthday and holiday!Its come around so quick,I can`t believe it.

I`ve had little time to do any shopping so far this week,which is probably a good thing however I did receive my my coco beau 'big,fat,firm foundation brush' today and it is beautiful-I can`t wait to try it out!

Anyway its almost the weekend so hopefully I will be able to knock up a few posts a little more exciting but until then here is my second installment of pretty pictures...

This weeks purchases...

Over the past week I have picked up a few items from both the drugstore and House of Fraser,on Saturday I did some shopping in Newcastle and stopped at Mac to pick up Warm soul blush,Indian wood paint pot and Satin Taupe eyeshadow.I was hoping to buy tan pigment but unfortunatly they were out of stock.I was especially excited to get my hands on warm soul blush as I had been looking for a natural looking blush and after seeing pixi2woo rave about this particular blush in her February favourites I knew I had to try it.I`ve been wearing it every day since I got it and I love it,I can tell its quickly going to become one of my most worn blushes.

Satin taupe is a shadow I hear a lot of good things about so I felt that it needed to be added to my collection however I haven`t had chance to try it out.

.Indian wood paint pot,when swatched is what I would call my perfect colour when it comes to the colours I like to wear on my eyes.Its a coppery,bronze,brown shade,a perfect base for some of my most worn shadows.Unfortunatly this diddn`t quite apply how I thought it was going to.It had less gold tones to it and appeared more brown.I still like it but the swatch does not apply to the application.

I also purchased Cliniques gel eyeliner,can you beleive I haven`t worn a gel eyeliner since I was about 16.I used to think liner on the eyelid diddn`t suit me but I thought,its been 4 years I should probabaly give it another go.I did my research before hand and the Clinique liner has some great feedback.I`m still on the hunt for the perfect brush,any reccomendations?

The rest of my haul are all items I found in Boots,we have Palmers dark chocolate and mint lip butter which is amazing!I have used this before and its my favourite drugstore lipbalm,I highly

reccomend.It smells and tastes of chocolate and mint,it soothes and softens my lips,lasts for ages and is pretty cheap!

Whilst browsing the sheleves of Boots I discovered these lashes by Ardell,I have heard many American beauty youtubers and bloggers mention this brand but I diddn`t know they were available in the UK.These were about £6 and I can`t wait to try them out.

My other purchases included a lipgloss from the brand Prestige,I am not hugely familiar with the brand but I do own their Mac msf rip off type product in the shade glam tan which I love and I used to use their bronzer back in day!I am very picky lipgloss person,I don`t like it when they are too sticky or opaqu,this one however is lovely.Its a 'Skin loving minerals' gloss in the shade 'Soft peach' it was £6.99.I would compare this lipgloss to the Revlon glosses,very smooth and non-sticky,fab!

Finally I picked up a bubble bath by the brand Sanctuary.I am slowly but surely getting over my Lush obsession,I do love their products but there is something refreshing about using a bubble bath that comes in liquid form and in a bottle after years of crumbling up bubble bars.

I also purchased some heated rollers and nail polish earlier in the week but I`m planning seperate posts and reviews for those so look out for those coming soon :)

Current wishlist..

A few things I am currently lusting after...

Deborah Lippmann nail polish-I`m not innocent

I am obsessed with Deborah Lippmann nail polish at the moment (blog post to come!) and the swatches of this particular polish,I`m not innocent are beautiful.I need this polish in my life!




Coco beau-The big,fat,firm foundation brush

I have been debating purchasing a new foundation brush for a while now,usually I use my mac 187 or my beauty blender sponge but I`m looking for something that will make application quicker and I think this could be it.Its about £30 which to me is pricey :(however if it is something special I don`t mind paying the price.




Guerlain-Parure extreme foundation
After reading hundreds (literally) of foundation reviews on makeupalley and beauty blogs I decided that my next foundation purchase will be this.I actually tried to purchase this on Monday but the rather rude sales assistant told me they diddn`t have my shade so I will have to look elsewhere.
Mac-tan pigment
Another product I tried to purchase recently but was told it was out of stock.This pigment is just my kind of colour,I don`t know why I don`t own it already.
All Saints-Aztec dress
I love this new dress from All saints,Its so different than anything I own and its also the dress that Madonna's daughter Lourdes chose to wear at the Oscars recently.Shame about the price tag however,£295!

What's in my bag...

Seeing as I finally have the use of my camera back I decided to do the popular 'what's in my bag' post today.Personally I love seeing what other people carry in their bags,I`m not sure why,maybe I`m just nosey!I don`t carry too much myself as I don`t like my bag to be to heavy,everything pictured came straight from my bag before I took the photo so this really is what was inside my bag this morning with the exception of my keys which were in my front door and my camera which I tend to carry around with me sometimes.

The bag I`m using at the moment is a Topshop number I purchased in January I think it was about £38 and comes in lots of different colours,I also own the navy version.I really want a new bag for my birthday-either a Louis Vuitton or Mulberry but perhaps that is wishful thinking haha.

Inside we have some soap and glory hand food which is essential for me as I have really dry hands,I also have some hand hygeine gel as I find this useful at work-I have to touch peoples skin alot and if I diddn`t use this I would be forever washing my hands!

My phone is the Iphone 4 which I absolutely love,I would be lost without it and much prefer it over my old Blackberry.

My purse was a christmas present,its from Topshop and I love the colour,my photograph does not do it justice.The umbrella is also a Topshop purchase,I love mint green but I`m finding that its getting dirty very quickly.

My hairbrush is a denman which I purchased from Boots,I really like the leopard print design and its just the right size for a handbag.I think it was around £6.Makeup wise I don`t carry alot,usually just my blot powder and various lip products.I only have 3 in my bag at the moment , mac viva glam 2,prestige lipgloss in soft peach and Ysl rouge volupte in no.2

The cd you can see is actually my Lady Gaga remix cd,the only reason this is in my bag is because I made my boyfriend play it in his car last night on the way to the cinema :)

Update and FOTD...

Unfortunatly I haven`t been able to do as much blogging as I would have liked this past week as I have managed to loose my memory card and therefore have been left with only my iphone to take photographs. I have been doing alot of shopping as always so expect a large haul post once I`ve got myself a new memory card (hopefully tomorrow) and In the mean time here is todays FOTD,(apologies for the crappy quality)
Also,Im so excited to share a new nail polish discovery I made on Monday so expect to see a NOTD post soon!

Products used:

Studio finish concealer

1/2 Estee Lauder double wear,1/2 Lancome teint miracle foundation

Mac blot powder

Mac warm soul blush

Mac stereo rose msf

Rimmel brow pencil

Mac indian wood paint pot

Mac woodwinked eyeshadow

Mac sable eyeshadow

Mac brule eyeshadow

Estee Lauder double wear eyeliner

Estee Lauder double wear mascara

Mac viva glam Gaga 2 lipstick

I also used my new Umberto Gianni glam hair heated rollers today.I only used 4 however and placed them at the crown only.I plan on testing them out for a little longer before I do a proper review,so far I`m undecided.

Pretty pictures...

Recently I have come to realise that I`m hoarding rather a lot of photographs on my computer.Whenever I come across a pretty picture I instantly hit save so understandably my pictures folder is becoming rather full.I thought I would share some of my favourite ones with my readers and have decided to start a sort of series in which I will post 6 inspirational pictures,here is your first instalment,enjoy!

Mac Viva Glam Gaga 2 , Wonder Woman collection and FOTD...

Ok so as I think I mentioned before I am a huge Gaga fan and have been waiting patiently for the release of her new viva glam collection.I was especialy excited to hear that it featured a nude lipstick and gloss as I am a big lover of nudes and I really wanted to get my hands on them.A few days ago I was browsing the mac website and noticed that along with the wonder woman collection they were now online.I ordered imediately and they arrived yesterday.From the wonderwoman collection I chose emancipation lipgloss and mighty aphrodite.Pictures to come...

(I just want to add how much I adore this promo pic,I would love to know what eye products she is wearing.)

I absolutely LOVE this lipstick,I was a little worried but that it was going to be too brown but it certainly isn`t,its the perfect nude for my skintone.Some nudes can make me look totally concealer lipped so I have to be carefull but this is fantastic -its right in the middle,not too light and not too dark.

Although you can`t really tell I am actually wearing the lipstick alone in the top picture and I paired it with the lipglass in the second.I really like both products although the lipglass is definetly daker than what I`m used too.If you only want to purchase one product I would say go for the lipstick as I think thats what I will get most use out of.

I also wore my new foundation today-Lancome's Teint Miracle.I will probably do a review on this once I`ve had time to give it a better test run but so far I think its going to be a hit.On my eyes I am wearing bare study paint pot with toasted on the lid and smog in the crease,both from the Urban Decay naked palette.I`m wearing Estee Lauder double wear eyeliner and L'oreal volume million mascara.I used Rimmel brow pencil to fill in my brows.For concealer I am wearing studio finish and Ysl touche eclat.

I only picked up two things from the wonder woman collection,mainly because these are the only two things that stood out to me.I have spent some time researching the collection online but I hadn't actually seen anything in person.Luckily I love both my purchases!

Firstly is mighty aphrodite blush which I think is going to be the must have from the collection.I am wearing it in my photographs and as you can tell from the pan it is 3 quaters a light pink with the other quater being a bright more raspberry pink.Swirl them together and you get a subtle yet pretty pink with a tiny hint of peach blush.Im really glad I managed to get this as I most of my blushes are very bright and easy to over do,this however gives a nice,natural looking flush of colour.I like.

Next up is emancipation lipglass,just look at the size of this baby!It is double the size of the regular lipglasses and the apilcator is huge!I haven`t had chance to apply this yet but I have swatched it and it looks beautiful.Its definetly more peach than it appears here but unfortunatly I was unable to get a decent swatch of it. As for the packaging of the collection I personally quite like it!I`ve heard that some people aren`t a fan but to be honest this is a wonder woman collection and the packaging represents that!Red,blue and yellow packaging may not be to some peoples taste and they are not my favourite colours but this is a wonder woman collection and in respect of that I feel mac did a good job!

Overall I am pleased with my purchases so far,will you be purchasing anything from these collections?