My Birthday: Jan 2013

Hey Beautiful Beauty Addicts. This post is about my birthday which was yesterday. I love to see what other people are up to and what they like/dislike, but if this post is not for you I understand. 

I saw my Mum through the day which was lovely. We had lunch which included some chocolate cake she had bought me. Thanks Mum it was great :) We watched Magic Mike and had a giggle. If you haven't seen it damnnnnnnnn!

Later on in the evening I saw my fella's family. We had Chinese and birthday cake. It was a really good day. I felt relaxed and happy. I didn't need to go anywhere as I had great company which is better than any present. That being said I'm sure there are some of you that may want to see what I got so here it is.

My fabbo cards

The body puff has ears and a bow :)

These sets are different, but from the same collection

Ages ago I wanted the stud earrings that look like the bracelet, but I never picked them up. Wish I had now.

You probably can't tell from this photo, but Kitty has angel wings to match my halo. Stop laughing!

I have one more Hello Kitty item to show you, but I am saving that till last :)

Some really nice shades in this gift set

I do love a candle or two. These heart tea light holders are so cute.

I plan on putting the jewellery I am wearing most of the time on this stand. I use a side table at the moment as my dressing table because I don't have one so it will go there :)

For snuggling

Desk accessories to brighten up my working day. My poor friend also bought me a HMV voucher, but replaced it before my birthday with this one from Next. I also got money from a few people too.

Now onto the birthday cake my gorgeous fella had made for me by his brother's girlfriend.

To any Hello Kitty fan this is Kitty heaven. I was amazed and shocked when I saw this brought in to me. Excuse the holes and wax on Kitty's paw as this is where my 35 number candles were. I think @zeechik did an amazing job at creating this for my birthday. She creates wonderful cakes for all occasions and will give quotes if you contact her in the link shown.

So that was my birthday. It was a great day and one that I am very thankful for. I seriously want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, lovely gifts, yummy food and great company. You all truly made my day special.



Love to you all

March 2012 Empties

Hey Everyone. I have been collecting the products that I used up in March to let you know what I thought of them. Here are all of the products and my thoughts.

Face

Left To Right:

2 Packs Of 20 Simply Pure Make-up Remover Wipes ~ 99p For 2 Or 3 Packs

Previously reviewed here :)

Me To You 80 Handy Wipes Orange Scented ~ £1.00

These I use in the same way as the above wipes. They have a clean and fresh orange scent. You can pick these up in Poundland in the baby section. The packaging is so cute and great value as these are a fair size and you get 80 in a pack.

Johnson's Baby Cotton Pads ~ 99p

I love the size and shape of these cotton pads as they are big enough not to loose any products that are a bit runny and you use less pads. You can pick these up in 99p Stores.

Left To Right:

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser For Normal/Combination Skin ~ £20.00 For 125ml

Link :)

Link :) 

Link :)

Link :)

I received this ages ago for free with a magazine subscription before I began blogging. I used this in the shower every day to remove dirt and make-up before cleansing. This has a really soft and gentle scent to it. Quite refreshing. This tube is only 30ml and has lasted me a while so the 125ml is not a bad price.

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ~ £21.00 For 30ml

Link :)

I received this as part of a free gift set from Boots Pharmacy when I purchased other products. I have previously reviewed this here.

Lierac Comfort Peel ~ £22.10 For 40ml

Link :) 

Link :)

Link :)

I received this product in my January 2012 Feelunique Beauty Box. Please find that post here. This cream felt really nice to use on the skin. I applied it after cleansing and toning. I wish I could say more about it, but there wasn't enough product to review further.

Clarins Extra Firming Night Cream For All Skin Types ~ £38.40 For 50ml

Link :)

Link :)

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I received this in my January 2012 GlossyBox: Valentine's Day Edition. Please find that post here. This was a nice cream to use. This has a very soft and delicate scent. It's a little bit expensive for me though as I think I could get another night cream that does the same job a bit cheaper.

Erno Laszlo - The Hollywood Collection: 5 Piece Cream Gift Set ~ $125 For 2.5oz

Link :) 

Link :) 

Link :) 

I received this sample sized set in my March 2012 GlossyBox: The Harrods Edition. You can find that post here. Here is a breakdown on my thoughts of each product:

Velvet Night Cream

This had quite a thick consistency, not loose. This was unscented. It glided onto the skin like velvet as the name suggests.

Instant Eye Repair

This had a gel like consistency. There was no scent. This was not sticky at all.

Refresh Moisture Infusion

This is a lovely cream. It's very smooth yet thick, feeling like it leaves a slight barrier on the skin. Almost like a primer I would say.

Intensive Porcelain Veil

This is a smooth cream to apply. This leaves an even layer over the skin like a primer also. It doesn't feel heavy to wear. There is hardly any scent to this product.

Morning Beauty Rescue

This is a pink iridescent glitter gel. A very smooth and nice product to use, but it does leave glitter particles on your face which did show slightly after applying my make-up so be aware of this if you are not a fan of glitter on the face.

Although there are some nice products here I just couldn't afford to keep up with these prices. 

Body

Left To Right:

Boots Smooth Sensitive Care Shave Gel ~ £2.85 For 200ml

Link :)

I have previously reviewed this here.

Baylis & Harding England Skin Spa Steam Shower Body Cleanser ~ Various Prices

Link :)

In the above link there are various links to many products from the Baylis & Harding range as I could not find this product sold by itself. This has a pleasant scent. It would have been easier to use a tube or pump dispenser in the shower as I use more product when I have to pour it out, but that is my only fault with this product.

Baylis & Harding England Skin Spa Steam Cream Wash ~ Various Prices

Link :)

Again I have left this link to various other links as I could not find this as a solo product. This has the same scent as the above product of rose, ylang ylang & patchouli which is nice. My only negative is the same as the above product.

Hello Kitty Liberty Body Wash ~ £6.00

Link :)

I received this as part of a Xmas gift set. You can see that post here. I love the packaging of this. So cute! This was a little easier to use in the shower as it is a squeezy tube so less product comes out. This has a sweet, but not overpowering scent to it. This was available at Boots Pharmacy at Xmas time, but you can still find this product in the link above. Hello Kitty fans will love it.

Left To Right:

Superdrug Vitamin E Body Scrub For All Skin Types From The Essential Range ~ 99p (if the same product)

Link :)

Now I can't be sure that this is the exact same product as the link above as you can see that the packaging looks different, but if it is I would not recommend this product. This felt very uncomfortable to use as it's so rough on the skin. Even for 99p I wouldn't buy this again. However they may have improved this if the product has been revamped like the packaging so it's up to you if you want to try it as it is very cheap.

Baylis & Harding England Skin Spa Body Polish ~ £19.99 For Whole Gift Set

Link :)

The link above shows the whole gift set that I received for my birthday which is where this product came from. I could not find this for sale as a solo product. This was a nice body scrub with the same scent as the above Baylis & Harding products in this post.

Primark Grapefruit Body Scrub ~ £1.50 For 150ml

My mum gave me this as she doesn't really use body scrubs and thought it was a shower gel when she picked it up some time ago. I'm not sure if Primark still sell this. This is a yellow cream exfoliator. It was nice to use and has a very zesty scent.

Left To Right:

Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion ~ £20.00 For 300ml

Link :)

Link :)

Link :)

I received this in my February 2012 GlossyBox. You can see that post here. This has a very herbal and peppermint scent to it which I like. I was a bit peeved to receive this for the second time though from GlossyBox.

F.A.B. (First Aid Beauty) Body Moisturizer ~ $18.00/£13.00 For 8.0 oz

Link :)

Link :)

Link :)

Link :)

I received this in my January 2012 GlossyBox: Valentine's Day Edition. You can see that post here. It was a nice enough product to use, but it did not excite me. It's unscented because it's meant for sensitive skin. I found it a bit hard to squeeze out of the packaging when I had used about half of it. I would not pay this price for it.

Champneys Collection Citrus Glow Moisturising Body Butter ~ Various Prices

Link :)

My friend gave this to me. I found this in the Ebay link above, but I'm not sure that this range from Champneys is available anymore. This was a nice cream to use with a slightly looser consistency than other body butters. It didn't really get under my nails until I neared the bottom of the tub. This is slightly citrusy, but not too much. A nice spa scent.

Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion ~ £22.10 For 400ml

Link :)

Link :)

Link :)

Link :)

I received this in my January 2012 Feelunique Beauty Box. You can find that post here. This was a nice cream to use with a subtle scent.

Avon Hawaiian Shores Moisture Gel ~ Various Prices

Link :)

Link :)

You can find the haul post where I purchased this product here. Although I did like the gel consistency of this product I really don't like the scent. It's a little too chemically smelling for me. I think this would be a good product for cooling down after a hot day in the sun though. I can not find this on the Avon website, but you can still buy this from the links above.

Dental/Make-Up

Left To Right:

Hello Kitty Toothbrush ~ £1.00

Link :)

I actually got two of these for Xmas from different people. They know I love Hello Kitty. Here is the post for when I received this, Link :). I have see this in Poundland. I know it's meant for kids, but I love it. I like the hologram topper that opens or closes Kitty's eyes depending on how you tilt it.

E.L.F. Studio Flawless Finish Foundation SPF15 (Sand) ~ £6.50/$6.00 For 23g

Link :)

Link :)

I love this glass bottle and the pump dispenser. I bought this in a haul last November, Link :). I do really like this product and I think it's great value. It does give a semi-matte finish, but at times it can look a little bit shiny on my skin. I'm not sure how this would work for you if your skin is oily. I have heard that people compare this product to Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, but I haven't tried that product so I can't compare. You may want to try this though if you are a fan of that Nars foundation. I do get a lot of transfer onto my clothes around the neckline with this though as I apply my foundation to my face, neck and decolletage. A powder may resolve this for you, but I don't use a lot of powder as I have very dry skin. I would go back to this product if I could no longer buy my current favourite Max Factor Ageless Elixir 2 in 1 Foundation + Serum SPF15. Perhaps in a lighter shade though.

E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set ~ £3.50 For 59g/$3.00 For 2.02 oz

Link :)

Link :)

I am a big fan of this product and I need another one, but I am stopping myself from ordering from E.L.F. at the moment as I can never buy just the thing I need and I have too much to pay for this month, but I am sure I will pick this up again soon :( I previously reviewed this here.

Candles

Left To Right:

Coley & Gill Cranberry Scented Candle In A Tin ~ £1.00

Link :)

I bought the Coley & Gill candles shown in this post from Poundland. Although the link above shows a different scent it is from the same range. I originally bought all of these scented candles at Xmas time. You can see that post here. I still think these are a great gift, not just for Xmas. This candle has a warm, winter scent. I like that it comes in a tin so it can melt away safely.

Coley & Gill Orange Cinnamon Scented Candle In A Tin ~ £1.00

This is the same as the link above. You can really smell the cinnamon in this candle. It will get you in the mood for cooking.

M&M's Berry Blue Scented Candle ~ 99p/$4.99

Link :)

I bought this in 99p Stores. This is a really fun candle that an M&M lover would adore. It has a really candy scent.

Star Lytes Orange Spice Scented Candle ~ 99p

Link :) 

Link :) 

Link :) 

I bought this from 99p Stores also. Although similar to the Coley & Gill Orange Cinnamon Scented Candle In A Tin you can smell a bit more of the orange than the spice with this candle.

The products that I would buy in the future are:

20 Simply Pure Make-up Remover Wipes

 Me To You 80 Handy Wipes Orange Scented

 Johnson's Baby Cotton Pads

 Boots Smooth Sensitive Care Shave Gel

 Hello Kitty Liberty Body Wash

 Hello Kitty Toothbrush

 E.L.F. Studio Flawless Finish Foundation SPF15

 E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set

 Coley & Gill Cranberry Scented Candle In A Tin

 Coley & Gill Orange Cinnamon Scented Candle In A Tin

 M&M's Berry Blue Scented Candle

 Star Lytes Orange Spice Scented Candle

So that's finally it lovelies. Well done if you got through all of that. The prices I have shown are the best prices I could find, but there are various prices and places to buy from in the links added. 

Which products have you used up lately? Which products would you recommend or avoid in the future and why? Are you a fan of any of the products in this post?

Love to you all

 

My Make-up & Storage

Hello Darlings. It's Saturday and I'm up early because my boyfriend had to get up to go to work so I thought I'd write this post. I have been off work this week and have managed to get a few things done including writing some posts and sorting through my things at home. I do love a good clear out as it makes me feel refreshed. I have been wanting to purchase some storage for my make-up for some time from Muji. You know the acrylic storage that so many of you lovely gals have. It looks great, keeps everything neat and tidy and is so good because you can see where everything is easily. Because of Xmas and having so many birthdays to buy for lately I have been holding off, but for now I thought why not make use of what I have. This is what I came up with.

I have made good use of my beauty boxes that I purchased from GlossyBox, Feelunique and Boudoir Prive/JolieBox. I think they look cute. I had to label them as I can not see what products are inside. That's why I need the Muji storage. The heart gem stickers are from Poundland. I wanted to make the boxes look a bit more girly and to make the label stickers look less boring. I have used a couple of glasses that we had in the kitchen to store make-up brushes and tattoo pens. I have my E.L.F. Studio Daily Brush Cleaner next to my make-up brushes to encourage me to keep them clean. I used my E.L.F. Studio Brush Shampoo to clean my make-up brushes a couple of days ago. I keep that in my bathroom. I have made use of the the box that my Fearne Perfect Polish collection came in. Please see my post including that collection here :) I needed a separate storage for these pigments because some of the ones I have are a bit messy when you open them as they escape from the containers. It's handy that it's partly transparent on top so I can see the products more easily and it has a pull out drawer just like the feelunique beauty boxes. This Baylis & Harding storage is great. I included this in my My Birthday Gifts post. Please find that here :)

 

 

 

I ran out of beauty boxes so I used some containers that I bought from Poundland. I got 8 tubs in a pack for £1.00. These are great because they are so cheap, but when you keep opening and closing them they do have a tendency to crack. To write on the boxes and tubs I have used Sharpie pens. I bought these ages ago. I think they were from Poundland too. I used the same Poundland heart gems that I used to decorate my beauty boxes. My glitter body art kit is shown here. I have never used it since I picked it up last year at Olympia Beauty (shame on me). I will definitely use it in some fun make-up looks this year. The vanity case includes Strictly Come Dancing make-up. My Mum bought me this set for my birthday in 2011. I love the sparkle on it.

I am really bad at making use of all my make-up palettes as I had them in a Soap & Glory 'hat style' box. I like that they are out on display now. I have a small fridge in my bedroom that my boyfriend bought for me years ago one Xmas. I keep drinks in it. This is what my make-up palettes are on top of.

These are my make-up brush cases/rolls. They are very handy for me as I travel between my house, my boyfriend's house and work all the time. The one on the left was from Asda about a year ago and the one on the right is a Hello Kitty Liberty set that I received as a gift for Xmas. Please see that post here :)

This is my Asda roll. I have a mixture of make-up brushes here from E.L.F., a Strictly Come Dancing Set, JolieBox, Crown Brush, No7, Royal & Langnickel and the rest came with the make-up roll itself from Asda.

This is my Hello Kitty Liberty make-up brush set.

I have just thrown away my make-up bag as it was getting too dirty and I wanted a bigger bag as I use more make-up products daily now. My old make-up bag was really good as it was clear so when you wanted to grab for a product you could see where it was in the bag rather then scrambling through lots of products. It was just a bag that I received as part of a gift toiletry set for either a birthday or a Xmas? This Hello Kitty Liberty bag I received as part of a gift set this Xmas which is shown in the same link above as the Hello Kitty Liberty Make-up brushes. These are the make-up products that I have with me today. I do have some products which I use every day, but there are some that I change over a lot as I get bored so easily and I like to experiment with different looks.

This is the Primark make-up/toiletry bag that I picked up recently and posted about in my January 2012 Sales Haul here. To make my life easier to carry all of these bits around I have put everything shown above in this to keep it all together.

I was thinking of going to Imats London on Sunday 5th February and it's still playing on my mind, but with the amount of make-up that I have I am trying to be a good girl and not buy any more for now. Also the ticket is £45.00. By the time I pay for my train ticket and food/drink on the day it works out pretty expensive. Obviously it's great for discounts though. I went to Imats London in 2011 and I loved it. I would recommend going if you are a make-up lover. 

I hope this post has given you some ideas for storing your make-up and making use of things you may already have. If you would like a more in depth look at products and brushes that I have please let me know. Also if you would like to know my most used/favourite specific items let me know that as well. By this I mean foundation, bronzer, mascara, highlighter etc. If you have any storage ideas that you think are useful then let me know in the comments below.

Are any of you lovelies going to Imats this year? I am really trying to hold back and not buy a ticket :)

Love to you all

My Xmas Presents: Part 2

Hello my fabulous Darlings. I managed to take the rest of my Xmas presents back to my place today from my other half's. These presents are from my man and his family. I said I would show you these presents too so here they are.

I have some fabulous gifts here. The shades of the Fearne Cotton lip glosses and nail varnishes are lush and the false eyelashes are great too. I love all my Hello Kitty goodies. They are so cute. The make-up brushes actually feel quite nice, but I will have to try them to see what they are like to work with.

This DKNY perfume I received from my fella last Xmas, but his Dad actually got me this set this Xmas. It is a nice perfume which I have now run out of so it's nice to have. The Soap & Glory trolley case with toiletries and vouchers my man knew I liked so I knew I had this. I didn't care though as it's gorgeous and the perfect size to take some things round to his house.

I got some great basic toiletries here. My boyfriend's Mum always does a bag of things like this every Xmas. She knows I like these cotton buds, deodorant and face wipes, but it's cool as I will use it all. I have left a razor, pack of wipes and a toothpaste at my boyfriend's that I got with this lot too. love the wee desk calendar. I was hoping I would get one :)

I picked these tops out so I know how much these were. The Hollister vest on the left was £20.00 and the Vero Moda tops on the right were just the bargain price of £2.00 each. The one on top is long sleeve, but the ones underneath are all short sleeve.

I chose these two dresses from H&M as well. I already have this in Black which I bought for £10.00 at the time in the sale. I wore it to a Xmas night out with people from work. These two had been further reduced to just £7.00 each so I just had to have them.

I was eyeing these House Of Holland Pretty Polly suspender tights in lots of shops and my boyfriend gave me the money to go and get them as he didn't want to pick the wrong ones up. He saw these H&M knee high socks on a mannequin and liked the look so got these for me. These Primark slipper socks are leopard print so what's not to love?

I went on to lots of people about this Dorothy Perkins dressing gown as I do love leopard print and this feels all snugly and warm. I really like the hood on it too. I was well chuffed to get this.

My boyfriend hates buying me clothes as he never knows if he is buying the right size or if I will wear it so we went to Bluewater together and I picked out these jeans from Zara. I think these were about £30.00?

I chose these Hollister jeans also. The lower pair are more like jeggings really. I think these were about £40.00 each.

Apologies for the creasing of the clothes folks, but these clothes have been in bags since before Xmas. A massive thank you to my lovely boyfriend and his family for all these lush gifts. I do appreciate all of my gifts and I know I have been spoiled, but I spoiled others too so I don't feel too guilty ;)


For anyone interested here is part 1, Link :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! This is my first post of 2012 and it won't be my last :)

Love to you all