Avon Nailwear Pro+ Nail Polish.

HI guys this is just a quick review of two new nail polishes that I purchased from Avon. These are Lemon Sugar and Pastel Pink. I have been looking for some pastel colours for a while now and was having trouble finding any I liked that didn’t have any shimmer. So when these came in to the Avon brochure at the bargain price of £2.50 I thought I would give them a go.

Now I have been buying Avon products for a long time now and my rep always reminds me that I can send products back if I don’t like them, which I have never done - until now.



It upsets me very much to say this but I hate these nails polishes! I’m sorry Avon.


The colour of these polishes are actually amazing. Sweet, light and sugary, just what I believe to be the perfect tone for pastels. Also the fact that these are mat, as opposed to shimmery are a godsend! However this cannot make up for the fact that I hate the application of these polishes. I found that they streaked. They went on and partially came off with the same swipe of the brush, making the polished area pitted instead of smooth. Also when you open the polishes they are a lovely consistency in the beginning but i would only get through one nail before they started going gloopy.Unfortunately these just did not cut the mustard, not even for £2.50.


In this picture I have had to apply 3 coats (which is a deal breaker for me!). And even after 3 coats the polish still was not smooth. 
 

You can’t imagine how upset it makes me to write this review especially when the colours are so amazing. But what can I do, I only tell you guys the truth.......... and sometimes the truth hurts. *sad face*



Stacey x x

Glossybox May 2012 – The Anniversary Box.

Hi guys sorry this has taken an absolute age to come to you. I have literally had this box for so long that I have received June’s Glossybox as well. Oh the shame.

But on the bright side I can give you a full and hearty review on the products, as I have used all but one that was in my box. 

 
As this was Glossybox's 1st  year anniversary, as well as the normal 5 products that you receive for your testing pleasure there was also some birthday surprises as well. This was so all Glossybox customers could share in the birthday celebrations, and because I am so thoughtful I thought I would start with these so you can share in the fun as well. 

 
The first of my gifts (which I actually didn't pay for this time) is what every girl needs in their hand bag and that's a mirror. I carry a mirror pretty much everywhere with me, now this is not because I love my self or anything, it's simply because sometimes you need to check that you haven't got a bogie hanging out of your nose. And maybe to check your lipstick and hair as well.
The other gift is something that every birthday, or in fact every celebration needs, and that is a balloon. It's quite surprising that something this inexpensive and small could make me grin from ear to ear. For me it's the thoughtful things that mean the most, not how much they cost.
With that in mind lets begin the proper review.

OSMO Berber Oil Hair Treatment.
Today I wanted to start the review with my favourite product from this month's box. This is a treatment oil that can be used on wet or dry hair to nourish, decrease drying time and to protect colour from UV rays. I have been using this on my hair before blow drying and it is amazing! It leaves my hair silky soft, but not oily (unless I have used too much, which I have been known to do but only once), and it still leaves it light weight and volumised. I haven't noticed a difference in drying time however, but my hair is so fine it does not take long to dry normally any way. As for repurchase? I will definitely be buying this again when mine runs out (which wont be for a long time because a little goes a very long way). 

 
Lolita Lempicka and Si Lolita.

These are 2 mini vials of fragrance from Lolita Lempicka Paris. I duly tried both of these fragrances and although I was tempted by the pictures of the beautiful perfume bottles, both the fragrances were unfortunately not for me. I wouldn't say I really have a type when it comes to perfumes but I definitely know straight away if I don't like one and that was these. This does not mean that I was upset to find these in my Glossybox because I much prefer to try before I buy. Saves me money in the long run. 

Apivita Express Beauty Mask – with orange.

This mask came in a pack of two and suggested benefits of skin rejuvenation and invigoration, leaving skin moisturised with a natural glow. On opening, the mask was white in colour and creamy in consistency with small beads suspended in the product. I used both of these masks for approximately 10 mins each time and then I washed them off with cold water. I have to admit that although these masks were ok I would not buy them again. This is because I already have some firm favourites when it comes to masks, and these didn't really come close to them.

 

Noble Isle – Summer Rising Bath and Shower Gel.

As always with a good bath and shower gel there is nothing negative to say about this product. The smell is beautiful and fresh. It lathers well and feels smooth and luxurious on the skin. Would I buy this again? If it was readily available and cheap enough, yeh why not. 

Eldora False Eyelashes.

Last but not least we come to the one product from this Glossybox that I have not tried yet. This is simply because I have had no place to wear these eyelashes to, and I don't want to waste them on just any old occasion. However this does not mean that I don't have an opinion on this product. I have had a look at the quality and style of these lashes and compared them to other lashes of a similar calibre. And they shape up pretty well. I wouldn't say these are my favourite eyelashes in the world (those would be Ardell's), but they are not bad at all. 

 

So this is my second ever Glossybox and I am still as in love with the concept as ever. I hope you are all enjoying these posts because there will be plenty more where these came from.

If anyone would like to sign up to Glossybox then click on the link below.

http://www.glossybox.co.uk/invitation/NzI1MjA=?utm_s 

 

Stacey x x

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter Vs L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick.

Hi guys welcome to another battle of the brands! Fighting it out for supremacy today are two well known, drug store big guns, that have both been supplying cosmetics to the masses since early 1900’s. Cosmetics being the colossal industry that it is, it comes at no surprise that both these brands have brought out a similar product at the same time. Recently both have launched a moisturising, light weight lip colour, which I assumed to be a lip stick/lip balm.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter and L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick.

Let the battle commence.


L’Oreal states “Don't just stroke your lips, Caresse them. Lips say yes to this Caresse. A flutter of kissably soft light-weight feeling colour. Its delicate texture glides onto lips creating a veil of colour with a luminous shine”.


Revlon states “Buttery Balm + Shiny Colour - Buttery balm with beautiful shiny colour to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips 94% of women felt lips were softer, smoother, and instantly hydrated”.


Sounds lovely! But do they deliver?


First off - colour selection. L’Oreal have 13 shades of Rouge Caresse on Boots website ranging from quite deeps reds and purples to light pinks, where as Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters have 14 shades on Boots website but don’t really cover the deeper shades (but they have an orange). So I went for 07 Cheeky Magenta from L’Oreal which is an amazing shock of bright pink. I absolutely love this colour, it’s so bright (hitting the neon trend this season). However for Revlon I went for something completely different, 015 Tutti Frutti which is orange. I was very happy to find this colour in their collection, I know orange isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and but I am pleasantly surprised that they took the plunge and went for something a little different. Both of these colours are also shimmer free which is a preference for me. 

 


Packaging. Revlon Lip Butter’s come in a plastic ridged case with a clear square at the top so you can see the product inside. The tube is secured with quite a strong clasp and the bottom of the case pulls out to reveal the product. The L'Oreal Rouge Caresse packaging is completely different in style. Instead of opening at the bottom it opens in the middle but still uses a strong clasp (neither of these should be opening in you bag). Also L’Oreal uses a clear case with the colour of the product depicted in plastic on the top of the lid. Both products have the colour and code on the bottom of the case to help with repurchase and bloggining alike. Even though the Revlon packaging does not offend me in the slightest, the L’Oreal packaging does win out for me. Its chic and classy and generally looks more expensive than the other. Also I like the centre opening better because the other is a bit of a faff on (anything for an easier life lol).

Statement Accuracy and general usage. As cosmetics statements go I found L’Oreal’s to be surprisingly accurate, as this product glided on to my lips and is not heavy at all! How ever Revlon’s statement is maybe not as accurate. The product is a “buttery balm with beautiful colour” but it did not make my lips feel any softer. It does need to be noted that with both products I do use a lip balm underneath for added moisture, and now I think about it neither product could be classed as a lip balm because after use neither left my lips feeling hydrated.


Over all I am very happy with both products. I think both are good value for money (£7.99 each) and very good quality. However I do have a favourite and it is L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick. Even though this is not the best for funky, obscure colours I did find it the best for statement accuracy, packaging and general feel on my lips. This does not mean that I wont be using my Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter because I love to rock the funky lip colours, it just means that I would be checking out the L'Oreal counter first when I fancy another.


Oh just before I go, I would say that both products would be great for brides who want a touch of colour on their big day because they could reapplied all day without using a lip brush, and they would not be too much hassle (just remember to bring lip balm as well).



Stacey x x

NeverSeconds.

Today I am not going to talk about my blog or anything beauty related apart from a really beautiful person. Today I want to tell you about Veritas Ex Gustu or Veg as you might know her. Veg is a 9 year old girl living in the UK who writes what can only be described as a food blog. She is in fact a connoisseur of school dinners! And I would like to share her blog with you all today. 

http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/ 

So the idea of her blog is to show the world, or who ever wants to know, what she has had for dinner at school that day and I have to say I can not stop reading it! However it is not just me that this unassuming, simple blog has had an effect on, this little lady has gone viral – meaning: massive on the web. And as with most things that have a massive following this has not been without criticism. The Local Authority/Council actually banned Veg from taking photos of her school dinners. But in true internet form (and honestly Argyll and Bute Council do you live in a cupboard and not understand the internet at all!) the peoples of the internet answered! They answered with a petition, emails, liking/favoriting/sharing etc, in their droves and guess what happened? BAN REVOKED!

Now I have to apologise for the small rant that is ensues below.

Argyll and Bute Council and in fact councils in general let this be a lesson to you. You try to sensor a 9 year old girl, a 9 year old girl are you kidding me!. That btw does not say her school dinners are poop. From taking some pics of her dinners and making a blog, which by the way you have just helped publicise to Viral status. REALLY? You would really do this? I wonder why? Is it because you secretly know your school dinners are inadequate? If so why not do something about that instead?. Wow as you can see this has really had an effect on me, maybe I need a little rest!

End of rant.

So back to what I really want to say about this blog. It is truly amazing! I read this blog and think this how amazing the internet is that is can allow a 9 year old girl to express her view to the world, that truly astounds me. And Veg even though I have already commented on your blog posts I wanted you, and the people that read my little blog, to know that I think you are amazing! You have the drive, passion and sheer talent at such a young age to produce a blog that is so well written and well produced. I honestly love it. I love reading what you have had for dinner (and maybe making a judgement or two on it lol) and I love seeing the school dinners from all around the world. I want to say thank you so much for creating your blog, it has given me many hours of reading pleasure and I hope you continue (for ever for me) or for as long as it makes you happy.

And guys I am not going to say “if you want to check out Veg's blog” because I know you will want to! Instead I am going to say click the link below to be amazed and delighted by the pure genius of this amazing girl. 

http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Stacey x x

Accessorize make-up bags and new tattoo.

Just a quick hello to say that I am still getting in over time where I can at work and my house is still nowhere near completion. However on the upside I spotted these make-up bags in Accessorize and thought I need a little treat!

Both were £8 and I had to buy both because I couldn't decide which colour I liked best. I love that they are see though, so handy when you want to find something without digging around blind, and plastic fantastic is bang on trend for this summer. As are your staple summer brights, killing 2 birds with 1 stone (or so the saying goes).

As these are now going to be my hand bag, make-up bags of choice you may well be seeing them around from time to time with an array of goodies in them. Keep your eyes peeled.

Before I go I wanted to show you a quick pic of my new tattoo. Another I hear you cry! Yep and I have to say, it's a big one.

This beauty was done by the AMAZING Jen Maw at Nemesis Tattoo Studio in Seaham Co. Durham. As you can see Jen is truly an amazing artist! I am blown away every time I see my new tattoo, I love every thing about it. I could gush and gush for ever about Jen and her talent but instead I'm going to put a link to Nemesis' website below and say “check this lady out!” And Jen I'll see you soon to finish this off :0)

Nemesis Tattoo Studio - http://www.nemesistattoo.co.uk/home.html

Stacey x x

I Heart Lip Balms.

Hi guys today I want to share with you a few of my favourite lip balms. As you all know by now I am a lip product girl and if there was one thing I could not live without it would be lip balm!

Because this obsession has been going on since as long as I can remember I have tried, erm …... lets just say 'a very lot' of different lip balms and in my mind these three are some of the best in the business.

I am always on the look out for new lip balms but I have to say I am quite picky and have a few requirements that any new lip balm has to meet. First of all I do not use a white lip balm. You know the type, they usually come as a twist up stick and look like they are from the 90s (dare I say Chapstick). These lip balms are normally rock hard and leave a white film across your lips that gathers in the corners of your mouth *yuck. I also don't normally go for an oil based lip balm, I'm talking lip balms with a roller ball top and liquid consistency. This is just because they do not moisturise my lips at all, they actually tend to make them dryer. As well as these I generally like my lip balms to do that little bit extra, be it sun protection, plumping, smoothing etc, something that makes them special.

 

So the first lip balm in my trio of favourites is Figs and Rouge Balm in Cherry and Vanilla. This is a newbie and was first discovered in My first ever Glossybox. Now this is not something I would normally have tried and I would have missed out on if not for the utter geniusness of Glossybox! Figs and Rouge pride themselves on making this 100% organic, natural skin care product. They state that this balm is not just for lips, it can be used on any dry skin; cuticles, heels, elbows, hands, even in your hair to tame flyaways and create texture and shine (I have not tried it like this as my hair is prone to oiliness resembling a chip pan). The balm's consistency is quite soft in the pot and once on the lips does sway a little towards the oily side as opposed to creamy, which as you know is normally a no, no in my book, but it is in fact really hydrating. I was really surprised by this product and the more I use it the more I love it. It feels amazing on the lips (the cherry and vanilla one tingles). I love the fact that it is multi-use (less things to carry around). The packaging is adorable (it's all about the presentation for me). It's affordable and readily available (about £5 from Boots, ASOS, Urban Outfitters etc). It smells divine and it comes in lots of different flavours (and I want them all!).

Next on the list is Lush Lip Balm in Whipstick. This lip balm was delivered to me by way of the M-I-L in the form of a birthday present. I know this will surprise you, because it even surprises me, but I hadn't tried any lip balms from Lush before this, I was a Lush lip balm virgin! As you know Lush try to use as many fresh and organic ingredients as possible, as well as being environmentally aware and massively customer focused. As you can see their lip balms also come in a pot but unlike the Figs and Rouge balm this is quite hard in the pot and more of a creamy consistency on the lips. Whipstick is brown in colour and does tint my pale lips slightly, however this is not an issue for me because this is my bed time lip balm (I slap it on at night and wake up in the morning with beautifully moisturised kissers). Lush also do a number of flavours to choose from in their lip balm range, as well as lip scrubs and lip tints and prices are around £5-£6, so there is a little something for everyone.

Last but by no means least is my all time favourite lip balm. I use this every single day ( I misplaced it the other week and hubby had to embark on a full scale man hunt to find it while I curled up on the sofa and contemplated suicide, it had been lost for 2 days!). This is Avon's Anew Beauty Lip Plumping Lip Conditioner. You may be feeling a bit of deja vu right now and you would be correct, I have indeed mentioned this little beauty before in my Anew Lips by Avon post. This product is so good that I have written about it twice (like New York, New York. So good they named it twice. No?). This product is 'totes amaze', 'amazeballs', 'OMG this product is defo totes amazeballs' psml. Check me out! This sentence has made me totally 10 years younger, and then I realise the word 'totally' was probably last deemed cool in the film Clueless thus adding my 10 years back on ;0) Anywho this product is honestly amazing. It looks just like a lipstick in the quite chic packaging, but with all the benefits of a lip balm. It's hydrating, plumping and I would say anti-ageing (due to the Collagen renewing Retinol). It has SPF15 hurrah! And most importantly for me, it really, really works! You can buy this online from the Avon website or from one of their representatives. This product is slightly more expensive than the others at £9 if you buy it at full price, but as anyone who is anyone knows, everything comes on offer at some stage at Avon and I wait until it's half price and buy a few.

Well guys I hope you have enjoyed this post and if anyone has any recommendations for lip balms I would love to hear them, I am always on the look out for new favourites.

Stacey x x

Vogue Covers – British and Beauty.

And I'm back! I know, I know I have been away again and I am truly sorry for this, but it is just what happens when I have a tattoo. And that was my subtle way of telling you guys that I have had another tattoo, hint hint ;0)

So for the last 3 weeks I have been getting tattooed for 6hrs straight, recovering from this ordeal, making hubby clean and moisturise said tattoo (because I cant possible do this my self because I am delicate and somewhat like a child). But this is not the only thing I have been doing on my 3 weeks of blogging leave, I have also bought a house, engaged in some over time and generally kept my normal life going. Yep it's been busy!

However I am now back with a vengeance and I have lots to show you. Today I am going to start with the other two photo shoots that I did with the lovely Gemma McAuley.

The first is very apt for this memorable Diamond Jubilee (for those that may not be aware The Queen, Queenie, Betty, Madge, HRH has been on the throne for 60 years! Wowsers is all I can say!). So with a nod to the monarchy we took a very stylised Vogue cover and put a quintessentially British spin on it.

The Vogue cover we took our inspiration from was the August 1939 Autumn Forecast. This was chosen for it's strong colours and, in my mind, it is the epitome of vintage styling!

Image source

http://weheartvintage.co/2012/03/12/vogue-august-1939/

And here is our version. We went with the same colour palette and we kept the pose as close as possible but we included the addition of some iconic British symbolism. Well who doesn't love some tea and cake, and an excuse to wear your finest jewels?

So on to the make up. As this was already a classic vintage look I didn't want to stray away from this too far, so I went with a simplistic red lip and black flicks. Gemma actually loved this make up so much that the next day she went out and bought some red lipstick and liquid eye liner so she could recreate it at home (which to me is the ultimate complement).

Product List

Smashbox Photo Finish light primerGraftobian HD foundation in Enchantress + Temptress mixed
Carmex lip balm
E.L.F Hi Definition powder
NYX – light pink and red shimmer blusher (no names)
NYX medium/dark contour powder (no name)
MAC Phloof – highlighter on cheeks
Avon Supershock Gel eyeliner – Black, tight line

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Clinique High Impact mascara – Black
OCC Lip Tars in Stalker

NYX Lipstick – orange/red (no name, in a palette)

Ardell eye lashes

The next and last Vogue cover we recreated was the February 1945 edition Beauty and Brides. 

Image source

http://goodmemory.tumblr.com/post/18946850254 

Every time I look at this cover The Wizard of Oz springs to mind for some reason. For this shoot even though i did the make up, I was not there when the photo was taken so it was a complete surprise for me when I received the picture, and I have to say it is lovely in it's weirdness. Now I know nothing about photography but I'm guessing that Gemma was lying down for this picture and as the whole theme of her project is self portraits then I'm guessing this picture was an utter nightmare to take! Hubby thinks our version looks like a Victorian death photo and i think I'm going to take that as a complement ;0)

 

On to the make up. I went for a wash of green all over the eye lid, from lash to brow and I have to admit I used loads of different products on the eyes until I was completely happy with the colour. However all this faffing is not needed if you already have a colour that you are happy with! The rest of the make up I left quite natural to give a fresh, clean look, as opposed to drag queen which it could have easily gone (disclaimer, I generally love a bit/ a lot of drag queen but just not for this shoot).

Product List

MAC Face and Body – Mix of C1 & C4
Carmex lip balm
E.L.F Hi Definition powder
NYX – Angel blusher
MAC Phloof – highlighter on cheeks
Yaby Eyeshadow – teal, light lime green, light grass green with sparkles (no names, in a palette)

Gosh Effect Powder in meringue

Bourjois loose eye shadow in white Clinique High Impact mascara – black
NYX Slim Lip Pencil – 839 dolly pink

Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in Rouse

So there you have it. I hope you have enjoyed our short delve in to the Vogue archives and our own 'Ode to Vogue'. If you have seen any looks you like here, past or present why not give them a go. And if you would like to see more of Gemma's work take a look below.

Portfolio: www.gemmamcauleyphotography.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gemmamcauleyphoto

See you VERY soon, promise.

Stacey x x