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Product Review: No7 Lipstick

When I went to Boots the other day they had a nice little discounted makeup box waiting for me ;)

I found this beautiful lipstick in there for £2.00 and used my Boots advantage card points to buy it!
The shade is called Brigette and is a gorgeous pink- it's not actually as bright as it looks once its on but that suits me fine as it means I can wear it just about anywhere.
I'm in love with the packaging...it says its limited edition so I think I definitely found a bargain :)

Let me know what you think below!

May Beauty Haul

The new thing on ebay seems to be selling bundles of branded makeup.
The items are either new or tested and you can get some real bargains!

Last week I was having a browse and found this bargain bundle which I won for £8.

It included:
Elizabeth Arden perfume (5th Avenue)
3 Jelly Pong Pong brushes
Benefit 'That Girl' primer
1 Rimmel eyeshadow duo and 2 Clinique palettes
Rimmel 'exaggerate' eye primer
Avon mascara
Benefit sample of  their oxygen foundation
Garnier BB cream
Benefit face emulsion
Aloe Vera Vaseline
Avon black shimmer eyeliner
Sally Hansen nail polish

Most of these products I've never tried before so I'm looking forward to testing them out...I'll keep you posted :)

VASELINE...MY BEAUTY MUST-HAVE

Nowadays beauty products can be so expensive, but sticking to a couple of essentials can make your beauty routine so much easier.
Vaseline is one of those products...its uses are endless:

Use it for treating dry/chapped lips...buff in to your lips with a toothbrush to help exfoliate

Smooth eyebrows before plucking
Apply a thin layer on your eyelashes overnight to help them grow (many swear by this but I've never tried it!)
Use it on your heels and elbows to make them super soft
Apply a little before you spray your perfume to make it last longer
Use it on dry cuticles before a manicure
Mix it with a little seasalt to make a bodyscrub
Warm it up slightly in the microwave and apply it as a nightcream
Or alternatively, heat it up and apply it to achy muscles
Help to ease of rings from your fingers!
Use as a mask around the hairline when dying to prevent staining of the skin
Use a little on the ends of your hair to smooth split ends
Remove false lash glue from your lash line
Apply to areas such as knees and elbows before fake tanning to avoid build-up

Make your week-old nail polish look new again – rub a small amount over the polish to freshen it up

Helps heal and protect new tattoos

Mix a small amount with a lipstick to create a cream blush

Use it to remove a tic from the skin...this applie to tics on both humans and animals!

Use to smooth and soothe skin after shaving
If you have allergies, apply a little inside your nostrils to prevent spores from entering
Apply to cuts and grazes to create a protective seal across the affected area...this will prevent dirt from getting in them
Remove chewing gum from hair by rubbing it in to the area
Apply to heels and the backs of shoes to prevent blisters

Bring the shine back to leather shoes

These are just some of the uses of this brilliant product... let me know if you can think of any more :)

Boyfriend Jeans...Not just for the boys...

 

This year I'm going to be living in boyfriend jeans...they're so comfy and very in this season.

I had my eye on a pair in River Island for £45...however the pair on the right were bought from eBay for 99p...they're by Crafted at Republic and look exactly the same. Absolute bargain!

I rolled them up and wore them with flip flops for a casual day out at the park :)

Product Review: No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser

When I bought some makeup in Boots the other day I was given a No7 voucher...I often get these vouchers as Boots give them out regularly but I rarely use them!

I did a bit of research as I haven't had much experience with No7 products and decided to try their Hot Cloth Cleanser.

Below I've done a quick review on it...I hope you guys find it useful :)

Appearance-
The box is simple yet stylish. The actual container of product itself is in a clear tube with a pump. This is useful for seeing how much product is left. The muslin cloth is folded down the side.
All in all, very simple yet attractive and would make me want to buy the product had I not seen it before.

Quality-
The product has a nice silky consistency to it and feels really expensive when applied. However the muslin cloth is a little scratchy and I've since bought my own cloth which locks in heat better in order for the product to work as intended.

Value-
The product is £9.95 full price which is a little more than what I'd normally pay for a cleanser.
However with the money off voucher I got it for £4.95 which is definitely worth it.
You get 200ml of product for this price which is really good value.

My Verdict? I'll definitely be buying this product again, particularly as I have two more No7 vouchers to use! :)

April Beauty Haul

Hi guys...I just thought I'd show you what I've been buying this month :)

So, Boots had an offer whereby if you spent more than £10 on Rimmel cosmetics you bagged yourself a free Scandal Eyes mascara.
Not one to miss out on good deal I purchased 2 other items to get my freebie :)

1) Rimmel Vinyl Gloss
I prefer nude or pinky tones and so decided on the Rimmel 'Vinyl Gloss' in the shade 'Snog'
It has a nice consistency to it and goes on really well by itself or over the top of a lipstick.

2) Rimmel BB Cream (Shade: Light)
I've heard so much hype over BB creams and have been stalling on trying one out...I just don't believe they do what they say they do!
The Rimmel one claims to be 9 products in 1....its pretty decent if you want light coverage but I found I had to touch it up throughout the day and by the end of a 12 hour shift I was pretty much makeup free :(

3) Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara in Black
Great mascara, no clumps as it says. Love the packaging.
The fact that I got it free makes it even better! Definitely recommend it and I regret not trying it out sooner!

I've bought so many bits online this month I've lost track and keep getting little packages every day...it's like Christmas every time I open one!
I've just picked out my favourite ones to tell you about...

Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer
This product was discontinued a while ago...and it's getting harder and harder to get hold of it.
However, I've managed to find a couple of stockists on Ebay and luckily I can use a couple of shades so I'm not limited to which one I buy!
It's my all-time favourite concealer and I wouldn't be without it. It blends brilliantly on top or underneath foundation and hides any type of spot or blemish.

'Beauty Blender' sponge
I've heard a lot about these and was dying to try one.
They're ideal for liquid foundation and are designed for different parts of your face. One end is wider for areas like your cheeks and the opposite end is more pointed for areas such as your nose and eye creases.
I find that wetting the sponge before you use it stops it from absorbing your foundation before you use it.
I still prefer brushes, but I vary these with the sponge now depending on the finish that I'm after.

I've also bought a couple of new brushes this month.
A stipple brush (which I use to blend my highlighting and contouring)
Kabuki powder brush

I hope you've enjoyed a little insight in to my spending this month...If you have any recommendations for me then please do contact me, I love trying out new products! :)

Dry Shampoo...MY SAVIOUR

I've recently had my extensions put back in and find that I can't be bothered to wash my hair as often. It takes too long to dry and I don't wanna cause any unnecessary damage to the hair.

So instead of doing a full hair wash I use dry shampoo.

But there are so many out there nowadays and it's difficult to know which one to choose.

As far as dry shampoo goes you want 3 main things:

-Brushes out easily and doesn't leave any powdery residue

-Affordable/Good value for money

-Any added extras such as shine or volume

Below I have given a run down of my favourite dry shampoos and their pros and cons as a hair product.

Batiste Dry Shampoo
Pros:
Long lasting
Cheap (£2.99 for 200ml)
Comes in a variety of scents and sizes

Cons:
Leaves a very powdery residue if you apply it too close to the roots. This can be difficult to brush out, particularly on dark hair.
Doesn't last all that long...hair begins to get greasy again quite quickly




Lee Stafford Original Dry Shampoo
Pros:
Smells nice
Adds shine and volume to flat hair

Cons:
Only lasts a few hours on hair
Can is finished fairly quickly...and at £5-£6 a go its quite pricey!






Schwarzkopf  'Encore Fresh' Dry Shampoo
Pros:
Brushes out completely.
Attractive packaging...looks more expensive than it its! (Around £4)
Adds volume particularly on the crown area.
Decent sized can...more for your money!

Cons:
The scent is passable but can smell a little acidic if you apply too much
The spray nozzle has a tendency to clog every now and again but it says on the back to run it under hot water to unblock it if it does



Overall the Schwarzkopf one is my favourite, particularly now that I'm dark again... Grey roots are never a good look!
I highly recommend this dry shampoo and will continue to be lazy and not wash my hair :)

Bleaching on a Budget

A couple of months back I had a half head of highlights done at Sellys salon in Southampton.

I paid £55 for these. As they started to grow out they looked awful against my dark roots however I didn't want to keep forking out for sets every couple of months so I decided to try some home bleaching.

I watched hundreds of videos on Youtube to start....I saw so many go wrong and I was apprehensive. 

I decided to dip dye my ends first to see how my hair took to the bleach. At least I could cut it off if it went wrong.

I bleached it twice within a week and then again about a month later.

I have also been using the John Frieda Tone Correction Shampoo and Conditoner (2 for £7 in Superdrug) to take out any brassy tones.

On Tuesday I took the plunge and tried my first cap of highlights. 

The cap was brought from Ebay for  £2.39

The bleach powder is by Jerome Russell and is about £3.99

The peroxide was 40 vol (the highest lift you can buy) and was also by Jerome Russell costing £1.69 for a small bottle.

The comb is from Sally's and cost £2. This also doubled as the hook to pull the hair through the cap.

In total I spent just over 10 quid on my highlights...and they turned out great!

I've also bought a small pot of white toner by La Riche to bring the blonde back when it starts to fade and go yellow. This was £3 from Ebay.

Salons will rip you off! Good research and a bit of DIY go along way :)

Eyebrow Stencils

I often get asked how I do my eyebrows...I thought about having them tattooed on but I'm so worried they'd go wrong.

I currently use a brown Rimmel pencil which costs me £2.99...and then spend ages trying to make them even.

 

However, while browsing Ebay the other day I found these stencils...they cost me £1.25 and there are a couple of packs to choose from.

 Remember people- Eyebrows are sisters, not twins...sometimes they look different to each other

But at least with these stencils you can tell they're related :)

Mascara Reviews

I recently had a request to do a post on my favourite mascaras. With so many brands out there now its difficult to know where to begin in finding the right one for you.

As you probably know I wear false lashes 90% of the time but I do wear mascara with these to help them blend better. My favourite mascaras are Great Lash Mascara by Maybelline or Scandaleyes also by Maybelline. I find that they don't clump or smudge at all and separate my lashes ready to put my falsies on top. 

I find that most Maybelline Mascaras do what they say they do. They are also reasonably priced, even the top end ones and are readily available in most cosmetic stores.

The Colossal Volume Express mascara is one of their more pricey ones (£9) but its good for building volume and filling in gaps

If you're looking for a cheap mascara which still does the job then the Natural Collection at Boots do a really good mascara for people on a budget. It comes in black or brown and is great if you want a casual day look.

Mascaras to avoid...

In general I'm not a fan of MAC mascaras. They tend to be quite thin and runny and give little volume. However they are always dark which is great for a heavy smoky eye.

Try to stay away from plastic bristles and stick to a more hair like feel where the bristles are close together and resemble small brushes. These glide through your lashes easier and separate them better.

I really like the Superdrug brand MUA and they do some great cosmetics at low prices. However their mascaras aren't great as they use plastic brushes.

At £16.50 rrp the Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara is pretty pricey so you'd expect to get a great mascara right? Wrong. It smudges easily when it's wet and then flakes when it dries. Benefit cosmetics are usually really good but for some reason this mascara just doesn't do it for me.

However another of their mascaras, Beyond Real, has got great reviews and my sister is a big fan of it (although I haven't yet used it myself)

So what have we learnt today kids?
Maybelline do the best mascaras and the more expensive brands tend not to do what they claim.
Whether you like the tranny look or a more natural eye then there's a mascara for everyone, its just a case of finding it!

Please let me know what you think of this post below and feel free to add any more mascaras to this list :)

Lets talk about hair....

Micro-bonded weave

Clip in Extensions

Weave dyed using Garnier Nutrisse box dye

I'm always getting asked about my hair...I get bored easily so I'm constantly changing it.

Firstly- I'm naturally a mousy brown colour...I think...

 I started out with clip in extensions at the age of 14- I purchased my first weft of hair from the brand Dreamgirl Hair Extensions and they cost me £28 for 16" length. I then sewed the clips on myself as this was cheaper than buying a ready-made pack!

Sewn-in weave

Dip-Dye

I switched to pre-bonded extensions in 2008. These were fitted by a lady in Bishopstoke, Eastleigh... check out her website www.dawns-hairextensions.co.uk/
They lasted 2-3 months at a time and I had them constantly for 3 years. They cost me £1 a strand and you need between 120-150 for a full head.
These were brill as you could add highlights in to the mix of hair for no extra cost, completely changing your look.

I then switched to a weave- I tried a plaited one which involves the hair being sewn in and then a micro-bead one which bonded the hair to my own using adjustable beads.
Mariea is based near Southampton and is absolutely fab at what she does- check out her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/designerstyleshairextensions?ref=ts&fref=ts

I decided to remove my weave at the end of last year as I decided my hair is now long enough to go natural-
I currently have a blonde dip dye with blonde highlights. I'm working my way back to being an 'all over' blonde :)

I will be adding my 'Bleaching on a Budget' tips in the near future so stay posted :)

False Lashes...my beauty essential.

I very rarely leave the house without my strip lashes! I've worn them for about 5 years now and I wouldn't be without them.
I always get asked where I buy them from and how I manage to keep them on all day.

Firstly, you need to make sure the glue you're using is decent stuff. The one that comes with a set of lashes is rubbish and I don't recommend it at all unless you like the half stuck on look!
Eyelure do a brilliant glue especially for strip lashes and this 6ml bottle lasts for weeks.
Just be aware that they do a very similar bottle of glue for lash extensions...don't make the mistake I made a few years back and pick up the wrong one. The lash extension glue will rip out your own lashes when you try and remove the falsies. It is not designed for daily use!

My actual lashes themselves are bought from stockists in China or Japan, via Ebay.
I buy 10 pairs for less than £1.50.
Just type 'false eyelashes' in to the search box and choose the option 'Price and P&P cheapest first' This will bring up stockists, some of which are located in the UK for slightly more if you do not want to wait the 2 week delivery time.
I refuse to spend 7 quid on a pair of lashes from somewhere like Boots when I can get them alot cheaper and at the same quality.
Each pair lasts me roughly 2 weeks depending on how I treat them. I prefer thicker lashes and I may even double up on a night out but generally I just wear one pair!

To apply them:
I always put a layer of mascara to help them blend with my own lashes
I then draw a line of liquid eyeliner in line with my own top lashes- this stops the falsies looking out of place on my eyelid.
I apply the glue on to the false lash and blow on them before carefully placing them on my eyelid. Allow to sit for a minute or so and then carefully push down each side, either with your index finger or a cotton bud.

And voila :) budget lashes that will last you all day but certainly won't break the bank :)

Let me introduce myself...

So I've been thinking about starting a fashion and beauty blog for a while now...firstly let me introduce myself and then I'll talk about the actual blog itself :)

My name is Katy, I'm 21 and I live in Hampshire.
I love fashion, hair and makeup. I'm always being asked where I buy things and people are often shocked by how little I spend on my look.

Throughout my teenage years my look has been constantly changing and evolving. I've learnt how to work my look around a budget and I'm keen to share this with others to help them do the same.

Through this blog I hope to include tips on:
-Hair care and products
-Makeup and beauty items
-Clothes and accessories
I will also be including links to where you can find any products/items I use and their price tag.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts. Please leave me comments and follow me :)