Trip to London x

So, I know I haven’t blogged in a while, and I want to explain myself. I’m currently in my final year at Uni, so things are getting quite stressful at the minute. There is so much work to do, and it’s hard to keep on top of everything. BUT, I’ve got a lot of work done over the past few weeks, so I’ve now got some time to get back to my blogging!

For a new post, I thought I would tell you all about my weekend away in London. Me and 3 other girls went on Saturday morning for a weekend away for my friend’s upcoming 21^st birthday and we had a brilliant time
(even though the hotel we stayed in was a bit of a disaster).


So on the first day we went to Madame Tussauds and had to queue for about an hour to get in! It did go quite quickly though, and it was worth it in the end. We did have a bit of an embarrassing moment though when we were all stood bitching at we thought was a real person taking a picture of one of the waxworks. They seemed to be taking forever to finish taking a picture, and we all got impatient and started ducking under the flash of the camera, only to discover, the ‘person’ was a waxwork when some girls walked passed laughing at us. Bit awkward to say the least. Anyway, here are some pictures of a few of the waxworks.

On the Sunday we got up early and went to the London Dungeons which was brilliant, but really scary at times. Anyone going to London for a sight-seeing trip, I would recommend you visit the dungeons, it’s well worth the money, and you can usually get 2 for 1 vouchers if you visit a Harvester restaurant.

We later went to Oxford Street to do a bit of shopping and we went to a shop I’ve wanted to visit ever since it landed in London a few months ago, Victoria’s Secret.  I absolutely adore their ‘PINK’ range and got myself a gorgeous hoody. My mums going to London at the weekend and I’ve already put my order in for some more stuff I’ve seen online.

I love London, and I always get a bit miffed when I arrive back in Leeds. Leeds it’s a decent city but, the shopping in London is like nothing else. I can’t wait for my next trip. So anyways that’s what I’ve been up to, I’ve also got some new products to review for you all, including Soap & Glory’s ‘No Clogs Allowed’ blackhead scrub that I will be writing up later in the week.

Thanks for reading, and look out for my next post. Xoxo

All About BB Creams

For a while now, I’ve been seeing BB creams everywhere, and most recently noticed Maybelline’s new BB cream advertised on TV. I had no idea what is actually was, and if it was even different to foundation, so I thought I would do a bit of investigating.
 
Combining primer, sunscreen, tinted moisturiser and skincare properties, BB cream is a day to day product that will leave you with beautiful looking skin. Whether you have dry or troublesome skin, it’s perfect for everyone and gives your skin gentle, even coverage, without the heaviness of foundation. I change my foundation from summer to winter months, but BB creams are light and make your skin look gorgeous all year round.

It’s easy to apply and gives your skin a real lift. Throughout the day you don’t need to apply any foundation on top but for an evening look you can put on a layer of BB cream, followed by your usual foundation and you'll have flawless looking skin.

After trying L’Oreal Magique BB cream, I am a BB cream addict and I’m really eager to try other brands, the ones on the market at the moment are.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, £7.99

L’Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream, £9.99.

Garnier BB Miracle Cream - Oil Free, £9.99

Body Shop All-In-One Cream, £12

17 BB Blemish Balm, £6.99

MAC Prep and Prime BB Cream - £22

If you haven’t tried out BB creams yet then I would really recommend them, they leave your skin looking so much more natural than just using a heavy foundation does, and most of the ones on the market come at a pretty reasonable price.

Thanks for reading.
xo

The Kardashian Kollection hits Dorothy Perkins.

The Kardashian Kollection is here. The line, designed by Kardashian sisters, Kim, Kourtney and Khloe, hit Dorothy Perkins stores in the UK last Wednesday. I love all things Kardashian, so when I heard that they were bringing their line to the UK I was sooo excited. At first I was a little shocked that their range was going to be in Dorothy Perkins, I have never shopped there before, but I guess that’s the whole point, to attract new customers that adore the Kardashians like me.

When I looked online at the range, I was pleasantly surprised by the price of everything, I expected it to be quite overpriced, but it’s really good quality, affordable stuff.  I do have one problem though…all the dresses seem to be tailored towards girls with amazing figures. Kim has been spotted out wearing dresses from the line, and obviously she looks stunning in them, but for the average girl, I think they would be quite hard to pull off. The majority of the dresses are ‘bodycon’ style, which is extremely hard to look good in, unless your tiny..like the Kardahians sisters. Other than that criticism, I think the rest of the line is great, there’s a lot of stuff I’ve got my eye on, and I particularly like the handbags and clutch bags they do and they do a gorgeous range of blouses that would be perfect for an evening out.

The line in the UK is not as large as the one in America, so I’m hoping that once it’s more established over here, they will introduce more stock. If you haven’t already had a look at what’s on offer, then you should, I’ve already got a few things added to my ever growing Christmas list. If you have a Dorothy Perkins gift card, you can use for money off  any of the 'Kollection', and even better, you can now use gift cards on line at www.dorothyperkins.co.uk

What do you think of the Kardashian Kollection, were you impressed or not?

Thanks for reading.


xo

Stay tanned throughout winter: The best fake tans.

So I don’t know about the rest of you, but I simply refuse to be pale just because it’s the winter. I always like to have a bit of colour and I fake tan probably twice a week. I have recently become a bit bored of the fake tan I’m using, I’ve been using it for a while now, (mainly because it’s cheap) so I feel like it’s time to explore more tanning products. So what’s on the market?


Fake Bake.
I have used Fake Bake products before, mainly the sprays and they do send you a really nice colour, but sometimes I used to go way too dark and I would end up looking a bit daft. I would however, like to try their newest product which is a 60 Minutes Self Tan Liquid. Its £24.50 and they said it’s a ‘revolutionary, express, self-tan liquid which develops into a beautiful, natural looking tan in 60 minutes’. You can keep it on for an extra hour if you want an even darker tan, but I think just 60 minutes would be better for a more natural looking tan.


St Tropez.
I have never used St Tropez before but my mum’s friend uses it all the time, and she has such a good a colour. It gives her a really natural glow so that you wouldn’t know she was wearing fake tan. It also smells quite good compared to some fake tans. St Tropez now have a wash off range which I think is great for if you’re going to an event or party but you don’t want a long lasting tan. You can currently get the full wash off range set for £32 on the St Tropez website.




Xen Tan.
I NEED TO TRY THIS! Everyone is always raving about Xen Tan, and I always say I’m going to buy it, but just haven’t got round to it yet. One thing that does put me off using Xen tan is that it looks really dark and I’m slightly worried I would end up looking like an idiot. Theres some great offers online at the moment for Xen Tan. You can get the gradual/light set for £29, it includes the tanning lotion, along with a mitt and body scrub.





Moisturising tans.
The idea is great…but I am yet to find one that works for me, and gives me a decent colour. The first tanning product I ever used was Johnsons moisturising tan, and it literally made me yellow. I was really disappointed in it, and I haven’t bought it since.
Dove is slightly better, but not much, I like to be able to see a real difference when I apply my fake tan, and with tan moisturisers you can’t.

The fake tan I’m most excited about getting my hands on is Laurens Way. Over the past days I have been reading up on it, and no-one seems to have a bad word to say about it. So this is going to be my next fake tan purchase.  You can either by the moose, the spray bottle, or the gradual tanning lotion. I think I’m going to go for the moose and it’s probably the most easy to apply. You can also buy a body polish that prepares your skin for tanning. I can’t wait to order it all!!

Thanks for reading
What's your favorite fake tan?
xo

This year’s hottest Christmas gifts…for girls.

I know this might sound scary, but Christmas is a mere 8 weeks away! Christmas will be here in no time, so it’s time to start thinking about what you want this year.  I’m not going to lie I already have a Christmas list as long as my arm, not that I will be getting most of it (a girl can dream though). But if you haven’t thought of what you would like yet, here are some of the most wanted Xmas gifts for girls this year.

 
iPhone 5
Okay so, pretty much everyone I know wants the iPhone 5 this year. I literally can’t wait for my Blackberry contract to run out so I can convert to the iPhone side of life.  Visit http://www.babysitters.net/blog/10-iphone-apps-to-use-for-christmas-shopping/ for all the latest iphone apps for Christmas.

Nikon Camera - £599
What girl doesn’t like taking pictures? Let’s be honest, we all love a girly day/night out full of picture taking, and having a sleek and stylish camera like this Nikon can only make it all the more enjoyable.







Satchel, Cambridge Satchel
Company - £105
We have all seen the advert right?  The company was founded in 2008 by Julie Deane and her mother Freda Thomas as a way to pay private school fees for Deane's children. Her colourful handmade leather satchels are all based on an original Oxford and Cambridge satchel design and aimed at school children, but met unexpectedly high demand as a fashion accessory. Now they are everywhere, you can get them from Harvey Nichols and Selfridges and they come in some amazing bold colours. I would love one myself for Christmas.






Gucci Premiere Fragrance - £64 for 50ml.
This is the new fragrance from Gucci, fronted by the gorgeous Blake Lively who just makes this perfume even more desirable. It smells divine and the bottle is really stylish. Need I say anymore?










GHD’s New Mettalic Collection - £135
I REALLY WANT THESE.  GHD have brought out a limited edition metallic range just in time for Christmas. They come in Gold, Silver or Red, along with a case that cleverly incorporates a handy heat-resistant mat.

New Kindle Fire - £129
The new Kindle Fire comes with an all new powerful processor, extra-long battery life, a huge amount of storage.  It has a "stunning HD display, and it’s been referred to as a better version of the iPad Mini.







Clinique 2012 chubby stick set - £30
I saw this gift set in Boots today and I think it’s great. It’s the perfect gift for a girly girl. You get five shades of Clinique's best-selling Chubby Sticks and they come in a beautifully designed pink box.

Nivea's Express Hydration Primer

 I had seen this product advertised quite a few times on TV and I really rate Nivea products, so I knew I had to buy it and see what it was like. The best thing about it was that, it was on half price at Superdrug, and then I had points on my beauty card, so it only cost me 99p instead of £7.99.

So, I’ve been using this product for just over a week now, and I’ve got to say, I think it’s fantastic. Never mind all these daft overpriced primer’s from MAC and other expensive brands. I’m sure they are great, but so is this Nivea Express Hydration primer, and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper.

The product is described ‘an exciting innovation that brings moisture and priming benefits together. The Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer has a double action formula which can be used to provide a smooth base for make-up application, or can simply be used as a hard working moisturiser for long-lasting hydration.’ 

There are two times, one for Normal to Combination skin and a Dry to sensitive one. I bought the Normal to Combination and I’ve got to say, I think this is going to be something I regularly buy.  It comes in a 50ml pot, and it will last for ages, you only need to use a tiny amount for each application and it leaves your skin feeling super soft.  It absorbs beautifully into your skin, and it smells good too. It has a real fresh scent to it. 

 A lot of products never really fulfil what they say they are going to, but believe me this product does. My make-up still looks freshly done, even towards the end of the day.  Nivea’s experts say that it can also be used on its own to give ‘smooth glowy base’. Now I’m not usually the type to leave the house without any make-up on and I probably still wouldn’t, but it really does make my skin look really good on its own, without applying any make-up at all

If you’re like me and you don’t have a load of cash to spend on expensive primers and make-up products, then I urge you to buy this product! It’s still half price at Superdrug so don’t waste any time, and go out and get it.

Has anyone else tried out this product? What did you think of it?

Birthday Treats - What I got for my Birthday!

Hi everyone! I feel like I have completely neglected my blog over the last few days, but I have a good enough reason…It was my BIRTHDAY on Thursday!! So as you can imagine, I’ve been out and about, celebrating…or rather drowning my sorrows over the fact I’m now 22! Arghh.

So anyways, I thought I would share with you all the cool stuff I got for my birthday.

Firstly, my parents got me THE most AMAZING Juicy Couture bag from Harrods. I absolutely adore it, I like the fact that it’s not in your face like some Juicy bags are. I think it’s one of their more ‘classy’ bags, and it looks good with everything. I loveeee it.

I got some gorgeous stuff from my brothers too. My eldest brother got me this dark purple studded biker jacket from River Island. I’d actually been eyeing up this jacket for a while but didn’t have the money to buy it, so I was so excited when I got it.

My other brother Daniel got me a Hollister Jumper. I love all things Hollister, but the closest store it’s about an hour’s drive away so I never get the opportunity to shop there. 

My brother’s girlfriends always get me amazing gifts.  This year I got some Shu Uemura Make-up which is fantastic. I will have to review it at some point for you all. I also got a cute little top from Topshop, along with a necklace.

All my friends got me some lovely stuff as well. I got a Mac Giftcard, which is perfect as I’m in great need of some new Studio Fix Foundation. I also got a Topshop giftcard, which I can’t wait to spend. They have recently opened a huge Topshop in Leeds, it is massive, and there is literally so much stuff I want. 






And finally, my lovely friend Naomi, knows how obsessed I am with bright nail polishes, and got me some lovely Barry M, colours that are so yummy, I almost want to eat them. Can’t wait to try them.


So as you can see, I did really well. I got some lovely stuff and I had an amazing birthday.
Sorry for not posting anything new for a while,  But I will be writing a review on Nivea’s Hydrating Primer later on in the week,  so look out for that.

Thanks xo

What's Inside My Make-up Bag?

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation. £6.99 I usually like to get MAC foundation, however I seem to go through foundation like there’s no tomorrow, so for a cheap alternative I go for Rimmel Lasting finish foundation in ivory, as I’m naturally really fair skinned. I like it because it’s nice and thick and gives you really good coverage when you’re having a bad skin day. I apply it with my MAC foundation brush which helps give an even application. I always find that if you apply foundation with your hands, you tend to waste a lot and you don’t get it so even, so it’s always best to use a foundation brush.

 

L'oreal Lumi Pen. £8.49
I adore the Lumi pen, if you have read my blog before; you will have seen the post I did about it a few weeks ago along with how to get the best results and where to apply it. It’s so easy to use and really does make your skin look amazing.

L’oreal The touché Magique pen. £7.19 This is a Highlighting concealer pen much like the Lumi pen, except in my opinion, it’s not as good.  I bought it simply because highlighting pens tend to run out really quickly, they didn’t have the Lumi pen in the colour I wanted at the time, so I decided to try this out instead and soon realised it’s not half as good as the trusted Lumi Pen.

MAC Mineralize bronzer.  £19.95
I bought this recently and I love it, it’s the best bronzer I have ever bought. I got quite a dark shade, so I have to be careful when I’m applying it, but it looks amazing on. 

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil. £2.99
I only started to pencil my eyebrows on about 5 or 6 months ago, and now I can’t get out of the habit. I got it in Hazel as I didn’t want ridiculously dark eyebrows that stand out a mile. I pencil it on lightly, and it just finishes my make-up off nicely, giving my eyebrows a fuller shape to them.

Rimmel Spicy Bronze Eye Shadow. £4.49I have literally been using this eye shadow for years. I, just can’t get enough of it. I have dark green/brown eyes, and it compliments them so well. I also apply it underneath my eyes instead of using eyeliner and it gives you a really nice smokey looking eye.

Rimmel Exaggerate liquid eyeliner in black. £4.49
I love this eyeliner, I have tried so many other liquid eyeliners and they have never been as good. I apply it on the top of my eyes rather than the bottom and the brush is the perfect size to work with. People often compliment me on how well I do my eyeliner, and it’s really because the brush is designed to the perfect size and isn’t too thick. It’s only a small product, but it lasts absolutely ages. If you use liquid eyeliner, but haven’t tried Rimmel, I strongly recommend you try it.

Max Factor False Lash Effect 24 Hour Mascara. £11.99.
This mascara really does give you a false lash effect. I am lucky enough to have quite long eyelashes anyway, but this mascara really does make them look amazing. Its Smudge and water resistant as well, perfect.


MAC lipstick in Crème D’ Nude. £14
I bought this at the same time as I bought my bronzer, I usually wear a quite a bright shade of pink on my lips, but fancied a change and wanted to go for a more neutral colour.
 The women behind the counter recommended Crème D Nude;
it’s a neutral colour that still gives a glossy finish. It’s really nice to have a change from the usual pink lipstick I wear, and it’s a colour I will definitely buy again.

How To Repair Damaged Nails.

I love having my nails done, and almost always have acrylic nails, but after a while of having them on, my nails always feel really badly damaged. As a way of trying to keep my nails in better condition I researched ways to repair damaged nails and here are some of the top tips I found. 
 

Firstly, if you are like me, and have acrylic nails, remove them the right way. Soak them in acetone nail polish to soften them and remove using clippers. Better yet, have them professionally removed, but whatever you do don't crack them or peel them off. I have been guilty of not removing my acrylics properly before, and caused my nails a lot of damage, so always remove them properly.

 

Once you have removed your acrylics, start with the basics; file your nails back into a normal shape using an emery board.

Next, improve the surface of your nails by buffing them. You can do this using a 4-sided buffer. Your buffer will have numbers on each side, telling you the order in which to use each side.

Apply a drop of cuticle oil to each nail. Use the thumb of your opposite hand, and a circular motion to massage the oil into nails and cuticles. If you have had acrylics on, it is not recommended to push down your cuticles, as your nails will be too fragile, wait at least a week for your nails to recover before you do this.

Wipe your nails dry and then you can paint your nails with a clear or tinted polish with a nail strengthener. Leave your nails at least a few weeks if you are thinking about getting acrylics done again, otherwise your nails don’t have time to recover and they will just get weaker and become even more damaged.

If you are sick of the damage acrylics do to your nails, try Gellish or Shellac, they are much less harsh on your own nails, but still leave your nails looking gorgeous.

Recommended Products.

1. Stylfile by Tom Pellereau.
2. Opi Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Replenishing Oil.
3) Opi Natural Nail Strengthener

Essie Nail Polish.

I recently came across Essie Nail Polish whilst having a browse around boots a few weeks ago. I heard two girls about the same age as me talking about how fantastic it was and as I LOVE to try out different nail polishes; I thought I would give Essie a shot.

They have some gorgeous colours, and they all look so thick and creamy, and although the design on the bottle is quite simple, I like that about it, it looks simple and elegant. Each colour has also been given a really fun playful name, I really like that about Essie, I feel like it adds something extra to the brand and gives it a unique quality.

They aren’t cheap at £7.95 a bottle, but neither are all the other high end quality brands like O.P.I and Rococo. The Essie brand has over 200 different shades, but thankfully boots onlly had about 50. It took me ages to decide which to buy, but I eventually decided on two. 'Sand Tropez' and 'Pink a boo'.

 

The first colour I decided to use was 'Sand Tropez' as I was going for classy look. Although the colour looked gorgeous in the bottle, I did have to use more than one coat to get my nails looking the colour in the bottle. However, after the second coat, my nails looked fantastic and even though I had applied two coats, my nails didn’t seem to take too long to dry, which is always good for when you’re in a rush.

Once dry my nails looked super glossy and I was really pleased, I kept the colour on for about 4 days, and thoughout this period I never had to re-apply the colour. It didn't chip or scratch, and my nails stayed looking glossy.

If you’re like me and you already have a huge collection of Nail apparel, then you should definitely give Essie a try, their collection of colours is huge, and if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle for autumn and winter, they have just launched a collection especially for this season.

Even the stars have been talking about Essie, Rochelle Humes (The Saturdays) recently tweeted a picture of her nails with a bright yellow Essie shade on.  

Rochelle Humes‏@RochelleTheSats  ‘My new fav nail colour. Inspired by @millybymichelle show yesterday #nyfw love the lime xxx’

Thanks for reading. Hope you like my blog. xo

The Perfect Pampering Products

We all have days where we are completely stressed out and in need of some pampering time to ourselves. These products are perfect for helping us girls unwind and relax after a hard day.


1. Brazened Honey Fresh Face mask – Lush £5.95.
Every girl loves face masks, and this mask is perfect if you are over-worked and stressed out. This is a detox mask for when you have slightly overdone things and haven’t been taking much care of your skin. It will get tired and dull skin back to being radiant and glowing and will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth.


2. Dirty Works Buttery Salt Scrub. £4.99
I absolutely love the Dirty Works range, I came across it a few weeks ago and I’ve bought several of their products now, but my favourite has to be the buttery salt scrub. Massage it into damp skin in circular motions and then rinse thoroughly off and pat dry. It exfoliates your skin and literally leaves it feeling so soft and silky. It comes in a big tub and will last you ages. I think it’s a brilliant product for pampering your skin, and it’s something I will definitely be buying again once I run out.  As far as I’m aware, you can only get the Dirty Works range in Sainsbury’s, and if you haven’t already checked them out, you have too.They have some truly amazing products on offer.


3. The Righteous Butter - Soap & Glory £10.50.
This body butter was voted best in beauty 2012 by Woman & Home and I’m not surprised, it’s gorgeous. It’s made with softening shea butter and aloe vera and is perfect for getting soft velvety skin. Use it after you’ve been in the shower or bath, and massage it lightly into your skin. This product not only leaves your skin feeling super soft, it also smells amazing too!

4. Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter – The Body Shop. £8.00 (200ml)
As well as our skin, our hair sometimes need a bit of pampering too, especially as most of us use a lot of heat on our hair every day. This Luxuriously rich and intensive deep-conditioning treatment will leave you with soft, glossy and tangle-free hair. It’s specifically designed for dry or damaged hair and works best when it’s left on for around 30 minutes.  

40 and Fabulous.

Cameron Diaz is 40!

Can you believe it? She looks amazing, and according to an interview she did with Esquire Magazine, she feels it too.

She told the mag that she ‘feels better at 40 than she did at 25’ and that she believes life starts at 40.
So this got me thinking, what other celebs are looking fabulous at 40.


Jennifer Anniston - 43.
I still can't believe shes in her forties, she looks way too good for her age, AND, she just got engaged and seems to be the happiest she has been in a long time.

Mariah Carey - 42.
She had her gorgeous twins at 40, and shes just bagged an amazing new TV role. She got paid an estimated $15million to be one of the judges on this seasons American Idol.

JLO - 43
She's drop dead gorgeous, recently started a new relationship with a guy almost half her age and to top it all of, shes about to embark on a world tour. She literally has it all.

Sarah Jessica Parker is one of my favorite fashion icons. She has so much style and I refuse to believe she's 47!

Courtney Cox - 48
It doesn't seem like two minutes ago since she was on all our TV screens playing Monica Geller.
She was gorgeous then, but I think she's got even better with age and her figure is better than most 20 year olds!

These lot literally make forty look like thirty, and they dont even look fake or plastic. I don't know how they are doing it but, they should keep up the good work. They look amazing.

Thanks for reading, feel free to comment if you can think of anymore celebs that look great at 40+

xo

Zara Winter Collection.

 In the past I haven’t been a huge fan of Zara, and I very rarely used to shop in there, but recently, there stuff is amazing!

I went in the other day and they have so much gorgeous stuff for winter. They have a fabulous range of knitwear and cardigans, and a huge range of coats and jackets.

I’ve found it hard in the past to find a coat that’s both warm, and fashionable. I used to spend the winter months freezing my butt off because I didn’t want a big unflattering coat spoiling the rest of my outfit (sounds stupid, I know!) Anyways…I went into Zara, and I was spoilt for choice. I must have tried on about four or five coats that I absolutely loved and I spent ages in there mulling over which one to buy, before I eventually picked one.

I think that unlike a lot of high street stores, you do get very good quality clothes at Zara, all their coats and jackets look expensive, and most of them come in at around £60 - £70 which I don’t think is bad at all, especially when you will probably get so much wear out of it.


So I thought I would share my findings, heres some of the great fashion on offer there at the moment.

If you don't have a Zara store near you, you can shop online at www.zara.com and orders over £50 come with free delivery.


xo