wishlist #1

i've been meaning to do a wishlist for about a month now and have only just gotten round to it! who knows why because i always want something or other, but anyway, here are my current wants/needs/must-have-almost-immediately! so, clockwise from the bottom left:


dressing table - i've recently re-painted my room and am slowly but surely in the process of doing my bi-annual clear out! i no longer need a desk so have decided to replace it with a pretty dressing table instead. some people say it's twee but i'm in love with anything that could be considered shabby chic so something like this would be ideal. originally i wanted mine to be more ornate and cream but actually as my room is completely white and quite small i'm not sure if this is the best idea. any thoughts?! as soon as i make up my mind and get it delivered i'll put up some pictures too!


tan and gold shoes - these are from new look and i think they're pretty perfect for this weird summer/winter weather we're having (although the suede may not appreciate the rain...) i wear my only pair of gold heels constantly so maybe these will shake up my usual footwear selection?!


mac mineralise skinfinish natural powder - i currently use an e.l.f cosmetics powder and although i think it does the job i know it'll be too warm toned for the winter months. plus i'd like to experiment with a higher end pressed powder as i think the increased quality is likely to show when using a product like this.


mac 217 blending brush - i don't have this blending brush and i don't know why. everytime i watch a tutorial on pixiwoo (if you haven't watched any yourself then you really need to check them out, they're amazing!) i want one more and more. it'll be my next 'investment' purchase!


real techniques stippling brush - and talking of pixiwoo, for those of you that don't already know, the real techniques brushes were developed by samantha chapman (a make up artist who makes up half of pixiwoo) and are discussed and praised constantly by beauty bloggers. again, why have i not already invested in one of these?!

nivea essential care lip balm

 

this has got to be one of my all time favourite lip balms. i started using it last winter as i suffer from really dry, chapped lips. i didn't read any reviews on it before i bought it, i just liked that it didn't mention any kind of scent. i do like carmex/lypsil/chapstick etc etc, but sometimes i feel that the added fruity scents can actually aggravate my lips and make them worse. as i hoped, this essential care lip balm is pretty much scent free so removes that source of aggravation.

the packaging isn't particularly luxurious looking but the blue makes it easy to find in a bag and i like that you don't have to apply it with your fingers as most of the time i find that too messy and impractical! 

the best bit about it though is the creamy formula. it really is soothing and isn't too sticky or too hard (sometimes i find that brands such as lypsil can be so hard that they're actually really difficult to apply). i have to say i get through them quite quickly though although this is entirely my fault as i probably apply it over 10 times a day! however, considering that it's only £1.65 in boots i don't see this as being much of a problem!

beauty forever - rose gold nail varnish

 

 

just a little post about a new nail colour i picked up the other day. it's called rose gold which i thought could be interesting as although lots of jewellery is rose gold nowadays, i personally haven't seen any nail varnish that looks particularly rose gold. it does look a little more bronze than i had hoped but it's still a pretty metallic shade that would go with a lot of other colours/outfits and best of all cost 99p! it's by a brand called beauty forever which unfortunately i can't seem to find online, but for any londoners, i got mine from pak cosmetics store which has stores all over the city.

NYC nail varnish - bubblegum pink

 

 

 

i'm really starting to become quite a fan of NYC nail varnishes. they're really cheap (around £2, and superdrug usually have a 2 for £2.99 offer on too) and there are quite a lot of colours which are bright and fun :) i'm sure i've got plenty of colours just like bubblegum pink (i know i do but i feel bad saying it) but this was too cute to resist!

the wear is quite good - i got a few days out of mine - and coverage is good too. in the pictures i'm wearing two coats. i like the bottles too, similar to M.A.C, no? definitely one of my new favourite cheap treats!

avene skin recovery cream - calming formula

 

 

this is one of my favourite moisturisers because of the amazing effect it has on my skin. it feels quite light and has no strong smell like the rest of the avene brand i've tried (it's aimed at sensitive and irritated skin which is probably why.)

i use about a pea-sized amount morning and evening and it doesn't leave a greasy residue as some moisturisers do. it also absorbs quickly and feels very soothing. in terms of how it makes my skin look, i'd say it was just a lot clearer and fresher than usual. in the winter i need something heavier (i usually use olay double action day cream) but this winter i'm considering just getting this moisturiser in the 'riche' version. howver, when it's not freezing cold, this works really well and as an occasional sufferer of dry skin i haven't seen any dry patches since i started using this moisturiser again!

you can purchase avene products from boots and this moisturiser costs £12.50 - well worth the money in my opinion!

comme des garcons leather purse

 

 

 

i thought i'd show you all my new little purse given to me by my boyfriend. i love the dark grey and the gold details... even the zip pull is pretty! i haven't decided quite what to use it for yet though. originally i was thinking oyster card/other daytime essentials but really i don't want to associate this beauty with spending a fortune to sit on a smelly tube. 

i've already got a large wallet but regularly take everything out of it and put it directly in my bag when going out (why are bags so small nowadays? or is my wallet too big?) so maybe this should be used as an evening change purse? hmm... i'll have to think about it! and ooh the leather is sooo soft too... <3

models own ultra-waterproof mascara

 

 

of the five different models own mascaras, this is the second one i have tried. the first was the grow fast mascara which i reviewed here and love love LOVE. i have to say, unfortunately i don't love this mascara as much. personally, i like my lashes to look thick and very black. this waterproof mascara leaves a lot less impact and creates almost wispy lashes.

having said that, it is nice to have a mascara to hand that creates more of a lighter daytime look and i have also started using it over my grow fast mascara as a sort of waterproof top coat. sadly, my reason for doing this isn't because i'm repeatedly jumping in the sea somewhere in the mediterranean, but it does give a bit of extra staying power to the grow fast mascara - much needed in this endless rain the U.K is getting!

the mascara is as waterproof as i'd hope it to be, it can deal with a few splashes so should be fine to swim in but excessive eye rubbing is likely to result in an under eye shadow. i have found it as easy as a non-waterproof mascara to remove with make up remover though which makes life a lot easier.

i think i'd be unlikely to repurchase this mascara as i'm sure there are other options out there that are waterproof and provide the look that i like, but also because i'm such a massive fan of the models own grow fast mascara that i'd be inclined to go for that one instead!

garnier intensive seven day challenge - update

 

a couple of weeks a go i took on the garnier intensive seven day challenge which involved using a sachet of their shea butter moisturiser on one area of the body (i chose my legs) every day for a week. before and after the week i used the enclosed 'skin reader' to measure the amount of dry skin on my legs. as promised, here's my (very late - oops!) update on how it went and some before and after shots of the skin reader provided. sorry if this grosses anyone out and if so look away now because here they are!

before - top; after - bottom

as you can see from the 'before' skin reader, my legs were a sorry state of affairs. i have to admit i hadn't been keeping up on the moisturising routine i had forced myself into and i'd run out of exfoliator - double whammy! i can at least say it was an incentive to carry out the challenge for the full seven days.

       

 i also have to admit that my 'after' skin reader wasn't actually used as directed - two hours after the final application. this was mainly down to me choosing to apply the moisturiser at night and although i carried the full challenge out, there was no way i was sitting up waiting for two hours just to do a skin 'reading'!

instead, i did it the next day after my shower and was pleasantly surprised when in fact the moisturiser appeared to have made a difference. i'm sure this could have happened with any moituriser and for anyone wondering, i'm well aware that this test isn't a scientific skin-softness phenomenon! but either way, any kind of visual evidence that my skin is less dry is encouraging.

overall, i did like using the shea butter moisturiser and it made my skin feel softer too. plus it's really cheap (around £2.99) and there are loads of varieties if you don't like the smell of shea butter. i will be purchasing a full sized bottle soon!

avène extremely gentle cleanser

  

 

i blogged about avene skincare a while ago (which you can read here) having received a couple of freebies after filling out their online skin diagnosis form. using the samples reminded me how much i loved everything i had tried from the brand so i went out a few days ago and repurchased the 'extremely gentle cleanser'. why i ever stopped buying it i do not know - at £8 it isn't exactly dirt cheap but it lasts for months and does wonders for my skin. after using a few cleansers that really didn't do me any favours the £8 seems a small price to pay!

the consistency of the extremely gentle cleanser is a sort of milky gel, but more creamy than a gel if that makes sense?! (probably not). i apply it using a cotton pad and tend to then use another wet cotton pad to wipe it off. the directions state that this isn't necessary and sometimes i wonder if i'm doing myself a disservice by washing it off but generally i don't feel i have properly cleansed without a splash of water!

i think this is my third or fourth bottle of this cleanser and for me it really does keep my skin clear and bright - well worth a go, particularly for those with sensitive or problem skin as it feels so gentle. i plan on making this a staple in my beauty cupboard from now on!

superdrug dry shampoo - buy one get two free!

 

any dry shampoo fans out there? if you are then have a look at this... superdrug currently have a buy one get two free offer on selected dry shampoos here and as they're only £1.99 each i found it hard to say no! that works out as about 65p each which is a bargain and they all smell different or are coloured to match your hair as well as being covered in different cute summery festival designs.

i thought i'd do a mini review of each of the three dry shampoos i picked up but i seem to have developed a summer cold in the past couple of days (i say summer cold... here in england it may aswell be november considering the rain and current temperatures!) so my description of how they smell may not be as accurate as i would've liked so i apologise in advance - feeling sorry for myself right now, boo!

 

anyway... 'heart on your sleeve' is a classic sweet floral smell and although it's quite strong it personally wouldn't prevent me from wearing it. i'd probably avoid wearing perfume on the day though just in case it clashed and you had to let out your dry shampoo secret as a result!

also, most importantly i have found that all of the dry shampoos provide good coverage and do their job effectively. i've only ever been able to wear it for a day as an i-woke-up-too-late-to-wash-my-hair pick me up and it lasted the full day so served me well. for those of you that use dry shampoo to cover up growing out roots (see chocolate brownie mini review!) or for styling purposes then i'm not sure that this would work as well as something like batiste as to me it feels a bit stickier than usual, but do let me know if this isn't the case!

 

chocolate brownie is a coloured dry shampoo and prevents the ashy look that can come from using dry shampoo (which is generally some form of white) on brunette hair. this was something i only recently discovered having been blonde and then dying my hair brown so wasn't something i was aware of but is in fact an issue! i'd say that in terms of colour chocolate brownie is a bit darker than my hair (i'd say it was light brown) but isn't unwearable by any means. 

the only thing you need to remember to do with coloured dry shampoo that doesn't necessarily apply to regular dry shampoo is that you need to take a bit more care with application and remember to check your neck, face and hands afterwards for any excess colour that may have found itself onto somewhere unwanted!

scent wise i'd say chocolate brownie was similarly floral to heart on your sleeve but not as strong.

 

away with the fairies is probably my favourite bottle of the three - i like the butterflies and the flowers! packaging aside, i assume that as this isn't coloured it is the same formula as heart on your sleeve and it has exactly the same coverage and effect on my hair.

although the scent is also floral i think it's a bit more subtle than heart on your sleeve - less roses, more other types of flower that i can't think of right now... oops! overall, i'd probably be most likely to repurchase away with the fairies or chocolate brownie but i'm glad superdrug's deal allowed me to test all three. for those of you who haven't yet used dry shampoo either, here's your bargain opportunity to find out what you're missing!