Happy Birthday to my boyfriend!

Just a short post to say it's my boyfriend, Sam's, birthday today and I have been so excited for weeks for his birthday as I love buying other people gifts and I had put a lot of thought into what I purchased. 

I apologize this maybe a boring post but these are little things that my boyfriend loves.

• Airfix Freedom Fighter model plane
• House Season 7 & 8
• Diesel 'Only the Brave Tattoo'

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of model planes but this gift wasn't for me so I bought something that would be a nice surprise.

House was a gift he knew he was getting. This is because I had already purchased it and then he expressed he was going to buy it so I had to tell him not to unfortunately. It's just one of those things.

Diesel 'Only the Brave Tattoo' was the most expensive gift out of them all. Yes, I love fragrances but ironically, my boyfriend is mad on them too. He currently has two in his collection (Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb 90ml & Calvin Klein Man 100ml) which he got both for Christmas last year. They are already half gone and it is only nearly August! So I thought he should have a bit more variety and it would give him a choice to pick from and mean he won't get through them all so quickly I hope.

Later we are hoping to go to TGI's which I am really looking forward to and I am hoping he has a lovely remaining day :)

Vera Wang 'Be Jeweled' EDP Review

Hello lovelies,

Another little fragrance post from the few fragrances I picked up the other day. This time it's a fragrance I feel has been under-advertised and I have heard very little about it. This is Be Jewled by Vera Wang. This is an Eau de Parfum so I expected this to last quite a long while. I really had no idea what to expect otherwise apart from a 'fruity floral' fragrance.


The card describes the fragrance as 'Sparkling. Glamorous. Spirited. A radiant fruity floral that sparkles inside and out.' 

I won't beat around the bush, this is not my kind of fragrance. Fruity floral's give me a bit of a headache for some reason so I find this hard to like. The most prominent scents coming through to me are passion fruit, red current, pink peony, musk and sandalwood.   This is all a bit much for me as the fruit is over-powering with hints of peony and musk supporting the fruity scent. For some reason, this scent overwhelmingly reminds me of a fragrance I used to own called 'Live Luxe' by Jennifer Lopez. Again, it was an over-powering scent that gave me a headache and I ended up giving the bottle to my Mum who would get more use out of it than I would.

One thing I have noticed about Vera Wang fragrances is their bottles. Considering Vera Wang is a designer, her perfume bottles verge on being quite young. With the ' Pink Princess' fragrance having glitter laden bottle which looks like it would be desired by children, 'Be Jeweled' looks slightly more up-market with its angled-cut glass and jeweled neck. However, this Vera Wang bottle still does not ooze as much class as I had hoped and looks more like something Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez would release their fragrances in.

Would I purchase this scent? Quite simply, no. This fragrance is too much for me and the fact it gives me a bit of a headache wearing it means I could not purchase this. This is not to say it is not a great fragrance on others. My Grandma also received a sample of this and it smelled much more subtle on her than me and quite acceptable. So it is a matter of trying these fragrances out.

If you do like this, possibly try out Jennifer Lopez's 'Live Luxe'. To me, it smells similar and is far cheaper (if it's still available). However, I cannot stress enough, different notes are more prominent on different people.

Have you tried 'Be Jeweled'? Do you love it or hate it?

Accessorize Baked Duo Eye Shadow in Thalia (13)

Hello you lovely lot,

I feel like I have been a bit mad with the sales recently. Everywhere I look there seems to be some kind of sale on and after my driving theory test (which I passed by the way, yay!) I nipped into Accessorize after being lured in by their '50% off' signs. Usually, I don't expect much as the small print usually says 'up to *50% off*' and all I tend to find are things with a pound or two knocked off but this was really a sale!

On my first trip I bought a Pashmina (RRP £19, Sale £13) and a Baked Eye Shadow Trio (RRP £6, Sale £1.80). One my next trip though to Kings Lynn, I couldn't resist buying an eye shadow called 'Thalia'. I had not yet tried Accessorize's eye shadows (as I picked up the last one by mistake thinking it was a blusher) but as these were the kind of 'safe' earth tones I like for day-to-day wear, I purchased this for £2. I also love shimmery eyeshadows so this was right up my street.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get very good pictures of the swatches but hopefully you can see what they look like. The accurate representation of colouring is shown in the middle picture.

This eye shadow far exceeded my expectations.The dark brown in particular is highly pigmented and just the shade I wanted. The 'marbled' side of the eye shadow is a little less daring and great for a subtle look. This is less pigmented but still has a lot of shimmer! Neither of these shadows budge during the hoot weather either which is a bonus.

Another great thing about this eye shadow is the packaging! Yes, I know you shouldn't pick a product for the packaging but I cannot help but adore the little butterflies on the lid. This compact seals up tightly so there is a smaller chance of it opening in your handbag.

One of the disadvantages of this is probably its tendency to break. Mine has not broken, but when I had a look around Nottingham's sale make-up section a couple had broken a little inside. This was probably from careless customers dropping them but it is still an indication that unless you care careful, this product can be easily damaged.

Overall, I am very happy with this product. For the price, the pigmentation is fantastic. My only regret is not purchasing some other colours!

Have you tried Accessorize cosmetics? Do you think they're good?

Honey by Marc Jacobs EDP Review

Hello lovelies,

For some reason, I cannot seem to curb my perfume sample habit and recently picked up a sample of a brand new fragrance that I have only seen on the market for a couple of weeks. Honey by Marc Jacobs intrigued me as soon as I saw it in The Fragrance Shop. Most Marc Jacobs fragrances are overwhelmingly floral (excluding Dot) and with a name like 'Honey' I expected a new edition that was sweet and smelled like summer.

I was offered this sample by a lady in Debenhams in Kings Lynn this weekend. I was thrilled ad I was excited by this fragrance. The bottle is similar to 'Dot' but yellow. I prefer the bottle for 'Dot' because it reminded me of ladybirds and the colour of yellow and black reminds me of road signs. Although I can see why they went for this look as to remind one of bees.

The sampler describes the scent as ' Energetic and alluring, a sunny delicious floral with sparkling notes of orange blossom and a hint of honey.' So the sweet scent I was hoping for is not entirely catered for.

Top Notes:

Pear, Juicy Mandarin

-

Heart Notes:

Orange Blossom, Peach Nectar, Apricot, Honeysuckle

-

Base Note:

Honey, Golden Vanilla, Smooth Woods

This is a very pleasant fragrance. Any fans of the existing Marc Jacobs perfumes would love this scent. I own both 'Daisy' and 'Daisy Eau So Fresh' and this does remind me of these scents. Although being in similar packaging to 'Dot', this is far more floral than its red predecessor.

The notes most prominent to me were the mandarin, orange blossom and honeysuckle. I think I must be a huge fan of orange blossom scents because I own two that list it as one of its scents (Elie Saab and Armani Code Pour Femme). I love the scent of honeysuckle in this as it is one of my favourite flowers - it reminds me of my childhood!

Despite this being called honey - I could not detect a honey of sweet scent. Maybe it is my nose as my Grandma told me that it smelled on the sweeter side on me.

Would I purchase this? Not yet. I love the fragrance but as I already own two Marc Jacobs fragrances that remind me of it, I cannot justify spending my money on this just yet. Although others have to remember that each fragrance smells differently depending on the individual so I would recommend trying this for yourself to see if the honey notes are more prominent.

Have you smelled 'Honey'? Do you think you may pick it up?

Rimmel Metal Rush in 'Royal Blue'

Hello lovelies,

As you may have seen, I have had a small haul from ASOS of some Rimmel goods. So I am excited to try out one of the polishes I received!

Since the world rejoiced the news of the Royal Prince of Cambridge being born yesterday, in his honour I thought I would wear one of these 'royal' colours. Since it was a little boy that was born, I chose to wear first 'Royal Blue'.

As with all the Rimmel 'Metal Rush' polishes, this is a duo-chrome. This has a base colour of blue which flips to look purple. There are also hints of green to this polish but only in certain angles. This polish in particular reminds me of peacocks and petroleum.

The biggest plus of this polish is the colour. That sounds silly, I know but the colour is absolutely fascinating. Each angle gives a different shade and each colour is equally as gorgeous. I can understand why these polishes have not been discontinued yet and I've not owned duo-chromes like it.

This has a couple of downsides. One of which is because it is very sheer. These pictures took three coats and there is still a bit of visible nail line. However, that is if you look as closely as I do. You could turn this negative into a positive though as you can layer this on top of other polishes to create entirely different looks.

This polish also takes a long time to dry. As you can see from the photos, I knicked my middle fingernail which was a bit annoying. I do prefer a polish that dries quickly but I now know that I will need spare time if I want this finish to be perfect.

Overall, I would recommend these polishes to anyone as the colours are so lovely. This is the perfect peacock blue and ideal for Autumn/Winter.

Do you like these polishes? Would you purchase this?

ASOS Rimmel Mini Haul!

Hello lovelies,

Just a small post about my small haul from ASOS. As I posted a few days ago, ASOS had Rimmel products for 30% off. This is such a steal since most of these are not going to be discontinued any time soon. Here is what I got:

Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Pink Blossom - £2.50 each

Glam Eyes Eyeliner - £3.50 each

Metal Rush Nail Polishes in 'Royal Blue' and 'Purple Reign' - £2.50 each

In a way, I regret not buying more Rimmel products as I love there products and these eyeliners do not tend to be cheapest on the market (£5.29 in Superdrug!). These eyeliners also tend to be highly recommended in magazine (such as The Sunday Times Style Magazine).

I also wanted to complete my collection the the 'Metal Rush' polishes as I love duo-chrome! I have owned 'Purple Reign' before and it was gloopy but I'm hoping for better this time as it has come from a warehouse where it will less likely have been tampered with.

I am also a huge fan of Rimmel's 'Stay Matte' pressed powder! It is the only one I have found on the market that suits my skin tone perfectly. I highly recommend it.

Have you shopped on ASOS for some Rimmel bargains?

Rimmel Bargains: ASOS 30% off

Hello all,

I just thought I would alert you all to a little bargain I have spotted online on the ASOS website.

They currently have up to 30% off Rimmel products and it is an absolute steal for some of the products reductions. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Stay Matte Pressed Powder -  RRP £3.99, Now £2.50
• Precious Stones Nail Polish - RRP £3.99, Now from £2.00
• Glam Eyes Professional Liquid Liner - RRP £5.29,  Now £3.50
• Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer - RRP £4.99, Now £3.00

• Match Perfection Foundation BB Cream SPF 25 - RRP £6.99, Now £4.50

Most of these deals are actually much better than the 3 for 2 or buy one get one half price offers in Boots or Superdrug. ASOS also ships INTERNATIONALLY. I am definitely going to make an order as this deal is hard to resist.

Hope I've helped some of you seeking a bargain :)

xxxx

OPI I'm All Ears

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are all having a lovely summer! The weather is very hot here in Britain to a point where I have the fan on almost constantly :P

So recently, I have been wearing an OPI shade they released last summer as part of the Vintage Minnie Mouse collection (as opposed to the 'chic' collection they have released this summer). It is a gorgeous shade called I'm All Ears and is easily my favourite out of the collection.

I'm All Ears is the hot pink of the collection. It has a jelly-like finish with flecks of pink and blue glitter. This can be quite underwhelming when you first put it on as it is a jelly finish and the nail line can sometimes be visible. However, this polish comes to life in the sunlight where the glitter flecks absolutely dazzle you. I first noticed how gorgeous it was while walking around in the sunshine and I could not help but notice how interesting this was.

This nail polish wears pretty well. This usually lasts me about five days before I take it off. This is the same quality as most OPI polishes. As this is a jelly, this polish is slightly on the thinner side but still manageable.

As I have said, this polish really is the best of OPI's Minnie Mouse 2012 collection. It is unusual, not a pain and can be used on its own (unlike 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It). This is a must have for anyone who loves pink polishes or like girly make-up.

This is currently sold by Fragrance Direct for £3.99.

What do you think to this pink polish? It is too bright for you or do you love how girly it is?

I Own It! : Prada Candy L'Eau

Hello Lovelies,

I apologise if this seems a somewhat repeated post but I just wanted to share that I have actually purchased a perfume after adoring one of my samples! Prada Candy L'eau is relatively new to the market being released in Spring this year to follow up its Eau de Parfum Prada Candy.

Since I am with the O2 network, I felt I should take advantage of the 'Priority Moments' they had on offer. Currently, there is an offer for £10 off any fragrance at The Fragrance Shop if you have Priority Moments. This really tempted me to purchase a perfume I had been desiring for a while. I settled on this as I enjoy sweet scents and the fact it is 'L'Eau' (which the woman in the shop told me basically means 'light'), I felt this was a great daytime summer fragrance. I did debate on whether to get the original 'Prada Candy' but after testing it on my skin, I could not have it. It smelled of lipstick rather than the delicious caramel that was supposed to be relayed.

On Fragrantica, it lists these as the smells for this scent:
Top Notes - Citruses
Heart Notes - Sweet Pea
Base Notes - White Musk, Benzoin, Caramel

This fragrance is certainly sweet but light enough so that it is not overpowering for those around you. For some reason, I can smell a 'coconutty' scent while wearing this yet it still does not smell tropical. I really do not regret buying this as the smell is very feminine. 

I love the bottle for this. To me, the design is very 'Prada' (as it should be!). The pattern inside the box was very art deco and leads to a spectacular bottle. The bottle is simple, yet modern with the spray nozzle being in the shape of a flying saucer. The spray also give a good coverage which is ideal for those that like to spray and walk into the mist of the scent.

I picked this up for £39.50 with my £10 off discount for 50 ml. I felt this was a bargain as I have never seen it that cheap anywhere else. To my surprise, I also received a Prada Candy make-up bag! I will definitely be using this as it is very chic.

Do you like this scent? Or is it to sweet for your liking?

O2 customers can get £10 any scent from The Fragrance Shop until the 23rd July.

You can look at my other post here.

Oldie but a Goldie: Lancome Color Focus Palette in 311 Parure d'Etoiles

Hello lovlies!

I thought I would do a new kind of post because I have loads (maybe an exaggeration) of stuff in my make-up bag that I would love to share with you! Many of my Golden Oldies are higher end brands and this is one of them: my Lancome Color Focus Palette in 311.

I got this a few Christmas' ago when my Grandma was struggling to think of anything for my Christmas present. As she knew I liked higher end brands, she asked me if I wanted a new eye shadow set. Of course I jumped at the chance and settled on Lancome. Although I had always received Dior gifts from my stepmother and loved the products, I had also heard great things about Lancome and assumed it would be just as great (if not better!).

When I was picking this, I was in love with dark eye shadows. I loved the Goth look but was also taken with white eyelids too. This palette satisfied these needs. It was a range of 'blues'. The colours were white, a silvery blue, a shimmery gunmetal blue and a navy. This palette was actually specifically designed for creating something special (like make-up artists would do) but as I am not creative, I just use these as block colours.

This palette came with a handy little mirror inside which is ideal for travel. It also cames with two regular sponge applicators and a thinner one which is handy for when one wants to create an eyeliner effect.

These eye shadows have great staying power and usually last all day. They do have a good pigmentation, even the white which on this swatch looks quite weak. However, these Lancome eye shadows are not as soft as I like my eye shadows to be. Because of the hardness of the powder, it takes a while for my brush to pick up the colour.

Overall, I love my Lancome Color Focus Palette  and the shades it has are wonderful. My only disappointment is that it is a highly dense pressed eye shadow which makes it hard to get a lot on the brush.

Have you tried Lancome eye shadows? Do you like them?

Essie 'Bikini So Teeny'

Hello all,


I'm sorry I have not posted for such a long time, I have been a very busy lady! I have been revising for my driving theory tomorrow (eek!) so I have not had a lot of time to put any posts up, unfortunately.

So this week, I have been mostly wearing: Essie 'Bikini So Teeny'. I fancied a really different summery change this week and decided to wear this blue I was gifted this Christmas (thank you lovely boyfriend!).When I asked for this from my boyfriend, I was absolutely desperate for it. I had seen this bottle in the shops but it was far too pricey for my budget range. So when I saw it on Fragrance Direct, I knew I had to have it! I loved the shimmer it had in the bottle and hoped this would be relayed when applying the polish.

When I tried this in the winter, I was disappointed. There were bald spots, no shimmer and it wasn't an appropriate shade for the winter. Afraid I would never wear this polish again, I promised myself I would wear this when the good whether came as it would match shorts and light colours.

Essie 'Bikini So Teeny': Freshly applied

Essie 'Bikini So Teeny': 6 days old, no topcoat

So I decided to take the plunge and wear it this week. Since Christmas, I have learned how to properly prep my nails (buffing, basecoat etc) and so my experience of this polish is been far more positive than before.

The consistency of this polish is thin, but not runny. This makes it ideal to apply and each coat dries really quickly. This time, there were no bald spots. In fact, one coat of this polish was opaque and there was no need for more but I decided to paint three coats as I wanted longevity. As usual, this bottle came with Essie's classic wide brush which made application as easy as usual.

I was very impressed with how long this lasted. Yes, I am guilty of being a bit lazy this week and forgot to put a topcoat on which did cause a little bit of fading with the colour. Despite that though, this polish lasted 6 days! I had taken it off today and there was still no chips. It even withstood my nail breaking as it did not look messy after it broke.

(Note: I did use OPI Chip Skip and OPI Nail Envy as my basecoat)

The one this that was the same though was the lack of shimmer relayed on the nail. I have noticed this complaint with a few other Essie polishes (e.g. 'To Buy Or Not To Buy) and it is cheeky to be that misleading. However, the colour is still beautiful and wonderful for the summer.

Would I recommend this? Yes, for £1.99 from Fragrance Direct you can not go wrong. Essie is a fantastic brand with some amazing colours on the market.

Do you like Bikini So Teeny? What are your other favourite Essie colours?

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in No 15

Hello all!

I hope you are all having a lovely summer. Here in the UK, the weather has been temperamental but it has been a nice day today :) So I am wanting to wear some summery colours for my nails. So I picked Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in No. 15. I received this from my boyfriend at Christmas time after I had picked out a load of nail varnishes I wanted from Fragrance Direct. Unfortunately for me, when I researched swatches of the colours for these, the wrong shades were being shown as Bourjois have released a newer 'gel' line of these products. Fortunately, the colours were nice that arrived and this was one of my favourites.

This polish is a 'Barbie' pink full of silver mirco glitter. This combination looks very pretty on the nails and is perfect for a summer time look for the beach. The only downside to this polish is that it can be a pain to take off because of all the little glitter particles. 

One of the best things about this polish is the brush. They claim it is an 'innovation' because of its wide brush and this is what the '1 Second' is referring to: one second to apply. I love wider brushes as application is easier which is why I don't own many Barry M.

The claims on the back of the polish say that it takes 50 seconds to dry. This is about right but this does mean touch dry rather than fully dry. Nevertheless, this polish has a quick 'fully dry' time than some other polishes.

Overall, I like this polish. Application is easy and the colour is pretty. Would I have paid full price for this? No. But for £1.50 from Fragrance Direct it was definitely worth it.

Do you like Bourjois polishes?