NOTD - Essie Island Hopping and new lipbalm

I couldn't wait to try this beauty out.  I love, love, love this...

This is two coats and fully opaque.  Very similar to Chinchilly and Sew Psyched in formulation, applied very easily and fabulously glossy - no topcoat in the picture!

It's a murky purple not so far removed from OPI Parlez Vous, OPI? however this definitely has a more mauve look to it. It's unique in my collection and fills a whole I didn't know I had.  I can see me wearing this lots!

In general, I'm finding Essie longevity to be very good, I can get a good 3 days without chipping or tipwear whereas my OPIs tend to average at 2 (though I do find the designer series last longer.)  It will be interesting to see if this continues as I collect more Essies, I only have 3 at the moment so perhaps I've been lucky with no duffs.

Onto something else... my lips are feeling the effects of the British winter already so I ordered the following from Dorothy Perkins for £3 each.

I was sucked in by the cupcake packaging and the scrummy sounding flavours.  I opened up Very Vanilla to find the lipbalm was bright red!  Not what I was expecting from something vanilla cupcake flavoured.  Thankfully the garish colour doesn't transfer onto the lip!  The scent is a bit artificial - I get hints of coconut and maybe strawberry but it's quite fake-smelling if that makes sense - not unpleasant, just not what I was expecting!  They are averagely moisturising, my lips feel smooth and soft after application but I doubt it would be effective on full on chapped lips.  I'll stick to Carmex on those occasions, I think.

So overall, not fantastic but not bad for the money and hey, you can never have too many lipbalms :)

Lush & MAC giveaway at Coffee & Roses

I just came across a great giveaway over at Coffee & Roses.  The blog looks fab, i can't wait to have a good read later.





Go check it out and enter!

Coffee & Roses

Thank you Mr Postman!

Ok so none of my ASOS orders have arrived yet but the postie did bring a few treats with him this morning!

Glamour magazine with  free Nails Inc polish in Saville Row which looks to be a rich, berry toned purple.  I don't normally get the Glamour free gifts with my subscription so I was pleasantly surprised and can't wait to give it a go.  This will be my first Nails Inc polish so I'll report back ASAP!

I'm sure this new cover for my Blackberry is an acquired taste but I love the OTT-ness of it.  I bought it from Ebay for a fiver.  I love the strange mix of graphics - abstract florals with the coloured balls.  It's really unusual.



These are the latest polishes I ordered from Ebay.  I opted for OPI Extra-Va-Vaganza and Essie Island Hopping.  I'm really looking forward to trying the Essie polish, hopefully it will be on a par with Chinchilly and Sew Psyched in terms of finish and application.  I imagine it will be a while before I try the glitter polish; my nails are a bit wrecked from wearing Mad as a Hatter and Absolutely Alice consecutively so will wait until nearer Christmas to road test it :)

What do you think of our pumpkin?

I'm quite impressed with our family effort!

Fin and I are making Wizard's Hats with the pumpkin flesh - yummy!

Happy Halloween everyone... I hope you enjoy your extra hour in bed tonight :)

Where has this week gone...?

Apologies for the lack of posts this week, I'm in shock that the weekend is once again upon us.

For those that don't know, I began a Business Studies degree in September and it's become very intense quite quickly.  It's one evening a week of formal lectures so I attend each Wednesday from 4.30pm - 9.00pm and then alongside that there are extra skills sessions for things like assignment writing and referencing, which I need!  Also, we have a group presentation to undertake as well as assignments due very shortly.

I had my first exam on Wednesday night just gone - the topic was elasticity of demand in the Contemporary Business Analysis module.  Quite mathematically challenging - lots of formulae and equations but I think I did ok.

I can wholeheartedly say that I love the course and I am excited about the opportunities that will present themselves as a result but it is hard going.  I work 25 hours a week minimum as well as having a 3 year old so I'm living a pretty full on life at the moment.

I've spent 6 hours in the library today working on a marketing assignment and I'm now 1300 words into the first draft, so I'll sleep well tonight now I've made a start.

Anyhow I've done quite a few beauty hauls lately thanks to an ASOS glitch so I'll be sure to post about them as soon as they arrive - I finally decided on which polishes I wanted from the OPI Burlesque collection so they will feature of course!

Multiple G&Ts and a Chinese takeaway with friends is the plan for tonight.  Have a good weekend everyone!

NOTD - OPI DS Coronation

Today I'm wearing another of my OPI Designer polishes - Coronation.

Outside

Inside



I'm not a fan of silver nail polish, in fact this is the only one I have in my vast collection.  To me, it's just a little bit... er... 1995.  Does that make sense to anyone?  Maybe because it was my colour of choice throughout school.  Grey polish? - most definitely... silver? - not sure.

As far as silvers go, this isn't a bad one.  It did take 3 coats and is still only about 90% opaque.  As with other Designer Series polishes, it is a holo however a very subtle one compared to the others I have.

What I love about the DS polishes is how easily they apply; it takes no skill whatsoever just to swipe on the colour and another positive is that the finish is completely smooth, even without a top coat unlike Mad as a Hatter and Absolutely Alice which have that gritty feel.

This is only the second time I've worn this polish and I've had it for ages.  I can't imagine me reaching for it again anytime soon.  I guess being pretty pale at the moment doesn't help - maybe it would look better with a tan?  But when I have a tan I want to wear bright and fun colours - corals, hot pinks, oranges and so on.

Am I alone in my apathy towards silver polish?  Would love to hear from you x

P.S. A few of us Mums are taking the kids to watch the Fireman Sam stage show today... wish us luck!

I need this in my life...

I've just come across this fab jewellery creator in Facebook and upon browsing, have found my dream ring!



How special is that?!

Are you there Santa, it's me Chicky (not sure why Judy Blume popped into my head)

Anything take your fancy from the page?

Miss Millie

REVIEW: Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends

What they say:

I'm your hair's passionate Protector and Defender.  I'll leave your hair strong to carry on... and on... and on... and on.

And keep it feeling voluptuously velvety.

What I say:

 I've been hammering my hair lately by curling it with GHDS and it's been starting to feel a little frazzled.  I've used GHDs for years and never had any issues with frying my hair and I always use a heat protection spray  but I think it's the dragging motion that is required to create the curls that is the issue as when straightening , it is just a quick sweep through my hair rather than any prolonged contact.

I bought the product from Tesco and paid £3.99 for it.  The tub recommends that you should use once a week however, I've tended to use it twice (so every other wash) and in 3 weeks I can feel a definite improvement in the condition of my hair.

It feels softer, silkier and more manageable.  A colleague actually commented that my hair looked healthy and shiny last week and this is the only new product I've been using!

I leave on for 5 minutes and by the time I come to wash it out, I can feel the difference straight away.

The product contains red raspberry and silk extracts and is candy pink in appearance.  It's quite a thick and gloopy consistency which means it's easy to be overly generous with the amount you apply.  The scent is lovely, I can definitely smell the raspberry extract, it reminds me of raspberry blancmange (anyone remember that? Yum) in both appearance and smell.  The scent is long lasting, I often get a whiff up to 24 hours after using it.

Would I re-purchase?

Hell yeah! A product that gives excellent results, smells fab and costs £3.99 - what more can you ask for :)

FOTD 22/10/10

Here's today's FOTD:

• Foundation Primer by Sephora
• No 7 Intelligent Colour foundation in Medium
• Dusting of Benefit Hoola bronzer
• ELF blush in Tickled Pink
• Nouba Dubble Bubble e/s in 23 (silver / blue shimmer duo)
• MAC e/s in Contrast on upper and lower lash line
• Nouba Rainbow eyeliner in 27
• YSL Faux Cils mascara in Noir
• MAC lipliner in Magenta
• MAC lipstick in Up The Amp

Hope everyone has exciting weekends planned?  We're not up to much, we're trying to save up for our Center Parcs holiday at the beginning of December however I do fancy getting all wrapped up and going for a walk around the local country park and then coming home for hot chocolate and marshmallows n Sunday :)

A very special NOTD - OPI Absolutely Alice

This polish was 'the one that got away' from the Alice in Wonderland collection; I only opted for Off With Her Red and Mad as a Hatter at the time but always lusted after the blue sparkles, so imagine my surprise when a little parcel arrived for me yesterday from the lovely Leanne OCD!  I had commented on her blog after she had asked about limited edition products we had missed and mentioned Absolutely Alice.  Leanne had this bottle in her collection and sent it to me with a beautiful card, explaining that she didn't use it any more and would I be able to give it a good home?  Err, let me think... of course ;)  How kind is that?!

Of course, I had to immediately remove ELF Mint Green (which had lasted a good 4 days with very little wear) and apply Absolutely Alice straight away!

Indoors

Outside - look at the sparkle!



Here is two coats and no visible nail which is great for a glitter polish.  I love the golden sparkle which contrasts really effectively against the aqua blue glitter.  I haven't applied a top coat so I do have that rough feel to my nails as often happens with dense glitter polishes.

I haven't stopped staring at my nails all day; they have attracted admiring glances and comments from various colleagues (even a couple of men!)  Such a striking colour!

So I would like to say a HUGE thank you once again to Leanne, and urge you go check out her blog if you haven't already :)

NOTD - E.L.F. Mint Green

Yet another venture away from OPI, I feel like such a traitor!

This time, thanks to Chrystal at Chrystal's Beauty Blog who provided me with a fab giveaway prize :)

This is the first lower priced nail polish I've tried in years.  I guess I've become a bit of nail polish snob since professional brands became more accessible, price-wise, on Ebay.  Retailing at £1.50 a bottle, the ELF polishes are still a third of the price we can get OPI for.

Considering the price of these, I didn't have high expectations for the quality however I was impressed.  This polish was opaque in 3 coats and slightly runny in texture.  I love the colour, it reminds me of another of my favourites, OPI Hey, Get in Lime but ELF's version has slightly bluer undertones which I like.  It reminds me of spearmint Softmints, haven't had those for ages!

One thing I did find about the finish of the polish is that a few dints have appeared.  OPI seems to have a much more solid finish, even with 3 coats whereas ELF Mint Green has proven to be less durable.  Not a huge problem for me as I tend to change my polish every other day.

I know this post may appear picky, but it's not meant to be.  I'm glad I've had the opportunity to try ELF nail polish and I will buy it again. All I have to compare it to is OPI (and some Essie) which I guess is the equivalent of comparing a Ford Escort to a Mercedes ;)  Nothing wrong with a Ford Escort of course but it's not a hugely fair comparison.

So thanks again to Chrystal for sending me a wonderful prize.  Look out for more posts reviewing the other ELF goodies I received.

Follow my Leed(s)

Ha ha I know, what a terrible pun.  Sorry :)

So I'm back from my night away with friends and had a fantastic time.  I had planned to take lots of interesting picture and do a really detailed blog post, but my camera died and left me with my Blackberry which I have to say, has a pretty rubbish camera so apologies in advance.

We booked about 6 weeks ago and got an excellent deal at Jury's Inn, Leeds via Late Rooms.  We paid £50 for a triple room, so £17 each - bargainous!  The rooms were nothing special but they were clean and modern and more than acceptable for what we paid.

We ate at Jamie's Italian.  YOU HAVE TO GO HERE IF YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY!  Wow!  It is situated in a beautiful old building with huge ceilings and an expanse of windows.  We sat upstairs, perfectly placed to see the chefs at work.  Huge hocks of ham hung down and the chefs selected their vegetables from market stall type baskets.  The restaurant has a cool, laid back feel; you can't book for Jamie's which I think adds to the accessibility and overall feel of the brand.  We arrived at 6.30pm and were seated immediately.  The napkins are fashioned to look like old tea towels, similar to the ones Jamie chucks over his shoulder in his shows.  Mid-tempo music played quietly in the background all evening.

The service was perfect.  Our waitress was very attentive and chatty, without imposing.  She was knowledgeable about the menu and helped me choose a cocktail (I went for a good old Cosmopolitan in the end, couldn't bring myself to try the chilli infused special offering!)

So here's what I ate:

• World's Best Olives on Ice - the biggest olives I've ever seen in my life!  Like mini plums!
• Selection of Italian Breads
• Smoky Mozarella Arancini - Crispy rice balls stuffed with smoked buffalo mozzarella and porcini mushrooms, served with a spicy arrabiata dressing
• Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli - Creamed ricotta with lemon, mint and Parmesan
• Polenta Chips
• Crunchy Salad - Shaved root veg with chilli, lemon and mint

I just opted for the small sized pasta dish as my meal was already quite carb heavy and I couldn't finish everything.  I only had one Cosmpolitan and then went on to Gin & Slims which I drank for the rest of the night.

Ok, so here's what nail polish I wore:

OPI - Mad as a Hatter.  After saying the other day that I hadn't worn it much, I decided to dig it out and I love it as much as ever!  So pretty and sparkly.  I'm trying not to think about removing it yet...

Here's me:

Wearing my favourite lip combo - MAC lipliner in Magenta and MAC lipstick in Up the Amp

The cream lace dress is the Next one I bought a few weeks ago.  The tights are Cette's Moscow120D which are the only ones I wear now, very black, black!  The shoes which you can't see well are my Next black suede tassle platform peep toe boots.

I couldn't tell you the names of the bars we went to.  I think I had 9 G&Ts after the cocktail so the latter part of the evening descends into a bit of a blur :)

The next day we went shopping!  Here's what I wore:

I know, I know... awful pic!  Jeans are skinnies from Gap, butterfly top from Next and Love Label clog boots which are very comfy and did me well for a days shopping.

I'd love to post a huge haul of exciting new purchases but as is always the case when you have money to spend, I couldn't find a thing I wanted :(  We did the usual high street shops, spent an hour in Harvey Nics and wandered around the beautiful Corn Exchange. 

I managed to spend a grand total of £8.40 in the Debenhams sale.  It was £8.40 spent very well though - look at these beauties!



So after coffee and cake in Starbucks, we headed back home.  I'm not as young as I used to be and I have to admit to being pretty shattered last night.  X Factor with the duvet was all I was fit for!

Hope you've all had good weekends... venturing out now to a kids party at the local soft play centre.  Wish me luck!

NOTD - OPI Japanese Rose Garden

I was in the mood for pink today :)  Pink nails always make me smile and Japanese Rose Garden is no exception.



JRG is a dusty, mid-tone candy pink creme which is 95% opaque in one coat!  I've done two here for full coverage.  I find this shade very girly, very pretty but with a slighty dusty undertone which makes it just that bit more interesting.

This colour came from the Far East Collection, although it doesn't feel very oriental?  However a quick search on the Internet told me that there is a variety for rose called the Japanese Rose and  the nail polish appears to be a good match for it!

As I said before, I love pink polishes and own lots however I'm always on the lookout for more.  What's your fave pink polish?  Tell me in the comments :) x

FAB OPI competition over at HQ Hair!

Wowee, what a prize!

Click here to enter and all you have to do is email them and tell them which is your most favourite nail polish.  Sounds easy, yes?  However, when I entered I was sat there for about 5 minutes umming and aahing :)

Quite predictable, but I went with OPI Mad as a Hatter though I've only worn it about 3 times as I can't often bring myself to go through the arduous removal process, haha!

Let me know if you enter and what shade you put as your fave.

Meanwhile, I'm still deciding which shades to order from the Burlesque collection - I know I'm going to stick to just 2 or 3 as I still want to branch out to other shades.  I'll let you know once I've decided!

A few MAC treats

We headed over to the Designer Outlet at York today as Fin desperately needed some new shoes and we fancied a Pizza Express lunch :)

For anyone who hasn't been here before, the York Designer Outlet is an indoor shopping centre where loads of brands sell off their end of line / over-produced / slight seconds goods.  Now the term designer is applied quite loosely here I would say, think more high-end high street with stores such as French Connections, Karen Millen, Coast and Ted Baker.

To put it bluntly, there's a lot of tat, however if you're prepared to search there are bargains to be had. We head on up there a few times a year and make a day of it as York is a lovely city and Fin manages to tolerate the shopping as long as it's broken up with Pizza Express and time in the covered play area outside!

As well as clothing and household goods, there is also a fab cosmetics outlet which is often my first port of call!  They stock Bobbi Brown, MAC, Prescriptives, Clinique and Estee Lauder all at about 30% off RRP on average.

Here's what I got today:

• MAC Slimshine Lipstick in Gentle Shimmer (about £8.50)
• MAC Magic, Mirth & Mischief Collection: 5 Frisky Business Lipglass / Lustreglass set (£16)

The top shade is the Slimshine - love this!  One of those perfect my lips but better shades.  Quite sheer, but buildable.

Then from left to right (the swatches are in the same order as the lip glosses in the pic above them)

• Totally It - Barbie pink with a fuchsia / blue toned shimmer
• Pinkarat - Natural pink with gold shimmer
• Wonderstruck - Candy pink with silver shimmer
• Beaute - Very pretty peachy coral shimmer
• Silly Girl - Sheer natural peach with gold shimmer

Above is a very quick example of Gentle Simmer topped with Silly Girl and I really like the combination.  Perfect for everyday wear.  I can't wait to have a play around with a few more combinations :)

Hope you've all had fab weekends!

And the winner is....

Can you see that?  No?

Well, the winner of my Nouba giveaway is Leanne OCD!  Well done Leanne and thank you all for your lovely feedback.  An email is winging its way to you now Leanne.

Hello to my new followers too!  I'll do another giveaway in the near future so stay tuned :)

Very generous giveaway over at Cheeky Beauty!

Look at this haul that Stina at Cheeky Beauty is offering out in her giveaway:



Wowee!

Stina has just reached 100 followers, so well done mate!  If you haven't checked out her blog yet, now is the perfect opportunity, as all followers can enter!

If money was no consideration...

...this is what I'd be buying this month:

(As it is, I'll be lucky to manage one nail polish - who knew uni books were so expensive?!  £130 on 3 books this week - eek!)

• MAC Venomous Villains lipstick in Innocence, Beware!

(sold out already online though!)

• Topshop hooded scarf

• Topshop Key Ring (hehehe!)

• Denman Coconut Hairbrush

• French Connection Jack Frost jersey dress

• Reiss lambskin jacket

And of course, most of the OPI Burlesque collection, but that goes without saying ;)

Well, that's enough dreaming for today!  I think I can stretch to the Topshop Key Ring but that might be about it for this month.  I have got a shopping trip to Leeds planned next week however it will be more perusing, less purchasing I fear.  Well... until I've had a couple of Harvey Nics cocktails anyway...

MY NOUBA GIVEAWAY ENDS TONIGHT!  Just over 12 hours to go so still time to enter.  SEE HERE!

NOTD - Essie Chinchilly. The love affair continues...

I've applied Essie Chinchilly for the first time today and WOW!  It goes straight into my 'top 5 polishes...ever!'

I'm sure you've seen swatches of these a hundred times over, but here are mine to add into the mix:


Taken indoors




Outside, in sunlight





One of the reasons Chinchilly has jumped straight into my favourites list is its wearability; I love these putty / murky / clay shades, they are, as our Cheryl (Cole) would say, 'right up my street'.  It's the kind of shade I can wear for work, wont clash with any outfit or accessory (not that this normally bothers me, mind) yet still offers a little bit of interest which I miss when I wear nudes.

Consistency-wise, I found this runnier than Sew Psyched, however this is how I prefer my polish to be so no complaints there.  I was expecting that at least 3 coats would be required because of this fact however 2 coats was easily sufficient.  I did find that I inadvertently over-loaded the brush a few times, it's not one of those polishes you can just dip in the brush and swipe over the nail (I'm thinking OPI Sheer Your Toys - so easy to apply.) 

So a big thumbs up for Essie Chinchilly!  I've been pondering over my next polish order and as much as I want to try more Essie in the very near future, the OPI Burlesque collection is now available to buy and, the magpie that I am, the glitter is drawing me in big time.  Hmmm, ponder, ponder...

P.S. HELLO to my new followers!  I'm finding the comments you have given regarding my blog very useful so thanks for those.  For any lurkers out there, there's still time to enter my Nouba giveaway!  Don't be shy :)

FOTD 03/10/10

Fin's had a good couple of days behaviour-wise so he and my Husband ventured off to see the Thomas movie this weekend, leaving me to have a couple of hours browsing the shops.  I didn 't buy much but did have my eyebrows threaded in Debenhams for the first time and the result is a much more defined shape than is usually achieved by wax at my local salon.  Threading is the way forward for me now!  Plus, as a bonus, my eyes didn't water half as much as they usually do with wax so I didn't have to face the Sunday shopping crowds with panda eyes post-treatment!

So, here's today's FOTD (prior to eyebrow tidy-up!)

• 
  
  Lioele BB cream as foundation
• 
  
  Couleur Caramel Rosy Beige Blush Powder dusted over as bronzer
• 
  
  MAC blush in Dame
• 
  
  MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot used all over eye as primer and high-light
• 
  
  MAC Idol Eyes e/s all over socket
• 
  
  MAC Contrast blended in from outer socket
• 
  
  Body Shop Kohl in Brilliant Blue on lashline
• 
  
  YSL Faux Cilis in Black
• 
  
  Nouba lipstick in 176
• 
  
  Couleur Caramel Pearly Pink Lip Gloss lightly swiped over the top
• Benefit Bluffdust to finish

Hope you're all having a good weekend!  Don't forget to enter my Nouba giveaway - ends on Saturday :)





I took a big step today...

... and ventured into the world in which nail polish brands aside from OPI exist!

So, this is what I got:

• Essie Matte About You top coat
• Essie 'Chinchilly'
• Essie 'Sew Psyched'

I couldn't wait to try Sew Psyched, and I must say - I'm impressed!

Inside

Outside

I'm impressed with the coverage - fully opaque in 2 coats.  It applied smoothly and I just love the khaki murkiness of the shade.  Very fitting with the current weather!

I think the brush will take some getting used to, this is the first time I've used a polish other than OPI for literally years!

Can't wait to try Chinchilly and also the matte top coat, so fingers cross for equally as impressive thoughts on those two.  I'm excited that a whole new world of nail polish has now opened up to me :)

I'd love to hear your 'must haves' from other brands; let's see if I can add some others into the mix.







October 'In and Out'

Quick post from me today as I am busy, busy, busy!  I've had some self-realisation this week and feel excited for the future, hopefully my In and Out list may give you a bit of an insight...

Ins

• Beginning my BA (HONS) in Business Studies.  I've wanted to do it for a while but finances have held me back.  At 1.30pm on Weds I received an email telling me that my employers would fund the course (which started 3 hours later!)

• A few social engagements this month; I am primarily excited about a night away in Leeds for cocktails, dancing and shopping with 2 friends.  2 weeks today, woo hoo!

• Clearing out my son's toys to make way for the influx of new ones in a couple of months time (birthday and Xmas within a few weeks of each other)  Very therapeutic!

• The realisation that I have reached my goal weight.  Not the numeric figure I originally planned (I'm  a few pounds heavier than that) but I'm at a weight which means I can buy size 12 clothes from any shop (yes, even Topshop!) and is maintainable without having to count every mouthful or calorie.

• Autumn TV - Gossip Girl, X Factor, ITV dramas, Katie Price ;-)

Outs

• The rain and wind, need I say more?

• My job :'(  I've realised this week that my career is being swayed in a direction that I'm not happy with.  The lure of extra money was strong but  I need to look at the bigger picture.  I want to stay in education but I'm pursuing other opportunities outside of my current area which is training and delivery of work based qualifications for adults. 

• My almost 4 year old and his bad attitude.  Don't get me wrong, I love him to bits but we are enduring a very testing phase currently.  He thinks nothing of telling me to 'shut up and go away'  or 'don't look at me'  It's getting my husband down now too as Fin seems worse with him.  We're going to sit down tonight and discuss the best way to deal with this as a unit.  Removal of treats will feature heavily, as in no Thomas the Tank Engine at the cinema this weekend, dear son!

GIVEAWAY REMINDER - so far there is one entrant!  NEW FOLLOWERS more than welcome!  Please enter the giveaway - it's open WORLDWIDE :)