Recent Purchase: Zara Wedges

Readers of my blog may have already seen these before as I featured them in a recent 'wish list' blog post which you can read  here. I have been wanting a pair of black wedges for what seems like forever so when I saw the Zara T-Bar Wedges on Anna's blog, I knew they were for me. 

I have yet to wear them out but from just walking around the house they are super comfy because of the platform and wedge. I am only around 5ft 5 so I feel I need the extra height when I am on a night out and that is what these wedges give without the pain factor as when you take away the platform, the heel is only around two or three inches. These shoes also come in bright orange and electric blue which I was so tempted to get but I stuck with black as they are so classic and will go with anything. 

So in a nutshell I absolutely love these shoes and the best thing about them is that they were only £29.99!! They are still available in most sizes if you want to check them out :)

Hayley xxx

Nails of the Day #3/ OPI Nail Envy Review

Today's NOTD post isn't too exciting colour wise however I haven't had anything else on my nails for the last week. Above is the infamous OPI Nail Envy and I wanted to try this as for the past six or so months I have had colour on my nails every single day which seemed to be taking it's toll. Before that, my nails were in perfect condition and I only painted them for special events however I have found that my nails and just not as strong and tend to flake now I paint them regularly. I am not saying my nails were ever in terrible condition but more like they needed a bit of TLC :) 

Following the instructions, I applied two coats on the first day then one more every second day for a week. After that I took the nail strengthener off with my normal nail varnish remover. Now, the results I got were down to either of three things. One, I left my nails free from colour for a week which improved the overall feel and look of them. Two, I managed to kid myself into seeing good results. Three, the product actually does what it says on the tin! I would like to think the latter as the Nail Envy is £18 for a 15ml bottle which I think is extortionate even for OPI! What I did notice was that my nails grew at an amazingly fast rate! After four days of it on my nails I felt like I needed to cut them so if you suffer from brittle nails that are hard to grow maybe give it a go?  

Overall I am impressed with the Nail Envy but I am not sure I would have purchased it if I didn't get it free as part of the Boots 3 for 2 deal. I will be using it as a base coat as the instructions suggest but not as a top coat because I want to make it last! I am really interested to hear your opinions?

Hayley xxx

Recent Purchases

I had been eyeing up the three items I recently bought for a long time and always put them on my wish list but never took the plunge because of the prices. However, it was the last day of the Boots 3 for 2 deal and of course I convinced myself that it would be cheaper in the long run to get them now... I ordered online and the Boots delivery was great, I have a blog post on it here.

Left to right: OPI Nail Envy, Real Techniques Starter Set,
Real Techniques Core Collection

If you have read my previous blog posts, you'll know that I have been wanting to try the Real Techniques blushes for a while. Straight away I put the core collection in my basket and was looking at the other brushes when I saw the starter kit. I had heard that the deluxe crease brush was really good for concealer and I thought that I may as well get the set so that I could then get rid of some of my other brushes that weren't as good quality. I am going to do a review of these brushes soon because at first I had no idea what I would use them all for but I have now used every single one and love them (except for the foundation brush which seems stupidly small?).  The core collection and starter set were £21.99 each which at first seems quite a bit for brushes but when broken down are only around £5 each. As I had my next item free (if it was under £20) I looked for something that I could treat myself to and something that I wouldn't normally buy because of the price. That's when I saw the OPI Nail Envy. Normally, I would never spend £18 (!!!) on a nail hardening base coat however as the product was essentially free I thought why not.

Unfortunately the 3 for 2 deal has now ended, however Boots are always doing similar deals. I hope you liked my mini haul, I should have a few other things to show you within the next week when they arrive along with a few reviews :)

Hayley xxx

Online Cosmetics Website Review: Boots

Before I buy from a website I always try and find reviews to make sure that:

1. I trust giving my money to them

2. They sell genuine products

3. Their delivery service is decent

4. They have a good returns policy

The above didn't really apply to Boots because it is an extremely well known store where most people in the UK venture to for high street makeup. This means I wouldn't typically buy online however it was the last day of the three for two offer and I didn't have time to go into town. Also, as my purchase was over £40 so I got free shipping which is never a bad thing!

If you are an advantage card holder then you will already have an account so it is really easy to buy online and even if you don't it only takes a few minutes to set one up. I'm not going to tell you what I bought just yet because the next post I plan put up is a mini haul :) My order was dispatched two days after I placed my order and came the next day which is pretty good seeing as they probably had a lot of last minute orders.

Website Positives:

A lot of products stocked

Free shipping when you spend over £40/ £2.95 for standard delivery

Normal delivery within 5 working days

You are able to track your order

You can order your purchases to your local store which I think is really useful if something is sold out in your Boots but not online 

There is a 28 day returns policy

Website Negatives:

Only delivers to the UK

My package was delivered to my porch because no one was in therefore it got soaked. Luckily the products weren't wet

I hope you find these kinds of post useful because I know I do :) There will be another one soon reviewing cheapsmells.com which is a discount cosmetics website.

Hayley xxx

Nails of the Day #2

This is just a quick post showing you guys what I have on my nails today. It's Berry from Barry M and I featured it a couple of posts back in my favourite spring nail polishes. It's such an easy colour to wear as I find that it is subtle and really feminine. It took me two coats to achieve the colour below and has lasted for five days which I think is pretty decent for such a cheap brand!

Hayley xxx

Products I Regret Buying

In the last two or three years I have really started to get into make up therefore have experimented with a lot of cheaper products to get a feel for which I like. This therefore means that you buy something, use it a few times, decide you don't like it and it then gets put into the back of your make up draw. In saying this, it could be said the same for higher end products as price does not always necessarily mean that you will love it.

First up is this Urban Decay eye shadow in the colour 'Midnight Cowboy Rides Again.' This is my biggest disappointment as when I swatched it years ago, it was such a beautiful colour. However, when I got it home and started to use it, it was almost like the top layer vanished to leave a really un-pigmented, chunky glitter. I then disregarded it as this made it so hard to work with because of all the fall out. I did see online that you can use them with a wet brush so I might try that to see if it makes the application easier. 

On the right is the Rimmel Exaggerate liquid eyeliner in black. When I bought this I had previously used the No7 liquid liner in black-brown and I wanted a black one for in the evenings. Firstly, the consistency of this is watery which reduces the pigmentation and means that it takes a while to dry. Also, the brush is really thick which means it's almost impossible to make a thin line. Because of this I have only used it a few times and am still looking for a good black liquid liner. Any suggestions?

Here is the Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser in the colour 'natural.' This must have been one of the first make up items I ever bought but I have only used it twice. The product itself is greasy and I found it looked patchy in some places on my skin in the dryer areas. The one positive point about this product is that it is only £1.99 however it only comes in three shades.

Next up is the e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in the shade 'Spotlight.' As soon as I opened the packaging I knew I wouldn't like it because the smell hits you. It's so sickly and sweet (not in a nice way!) and really puts you off applying it to your face. On the other hand, the colour is quite nice but doesn't stay very long on the skin and the writing on the packaging has come off. 

Another e.l.f. product here. This is their Total face Brush from their normal collection. I haven't got much to say about this apart from it's awful. Some would say that with the £1.50 price tag I should have expected it but I truly love some of my other e.l.f. brushes. The brush doesn't feel smooth at all and when you apply powder to your face with it, it feel like it's scratching my face which is never good! 

I have seen my last product in quite a few of these 'What I Regret Buying' posts and I really know why. I bought this Rimmel Stay Matte stick concealer because I  liked the idea that it claimed to not clog pores and had an inner core which was meant to treat blemishes. When I applied it on a blemish I found it was really dry and made it even more obvious. This therefore meant I have only used it once and have stayed clear of stick concealers in general.

I hope this post wasn't toooo negative and helps someone who is thinking of purchasing any of these products :) Next up is a NOTD and when the packages arrive, a mini haul! 

Hayley xxx

My Current Wishlist #1

Top Left: Zara T-Bar Wedge Top Centre: MAC Harmony Blush Far Right: Zara Leather-Look Trousers Bottom Left: MAC Soft and Gentle MSF Middle: Naked Palette Middle Bottom: Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes

My Current (and very simple) Hair Care Routine

As suggested by the title, this isn't going to be anything revolutionary . It' just what I do to my hair to keep it looking nice :) I should tell you a bit about my hair type; I have normal to thick hair which is naturally wavy. Because my scalp gets quite greasy, I used to wash my hair every day however I found this made then ends dryer and more damaged so now I wash it every second day. I also used to style my hair every day with straighteners but because it was so dry, my hair became a little frizzy in places. When I realised this, I stopped using heat on my hair except for the occasional blow dry in the winter months and straighten/curl for special occasions.  

First off, I'll get the boring bits out the way. I use both the Head and Shoulders shampoo and conditioner for oily hair. I don't have dandruff at all as the brand would suggest however I have been using it since I was a child and it just gives a good thorough clean which is what I look for. 

Above are the products and tools I then use in between washes. When I get out of the shower from washing my hair I brush it through with a wide toothed comb. Your hair is at its weakest whilst wet therefore you need to be gentle and use a comb like the one above to minimise breakage. I then spray the  Tresemme Heat Defence. As I said before, I don't use heat on my hair regularly but I never miss this step because it makes my hair feel softer and more manageable. It's also a really good habit to get into so that you don't forget when you go to put heat to your hair. I then brush it through again with the comb (mine was from Primark) to evenly distribute the product. Depending on the situation I either blow dry it or leave it to dry naturally. 

On the in-between-washes-day I use the Tresemme Dry Shampoo through the roots of my hair. This takes away any oil and increases volume. I have tried a few other dry shampoos and this one is by far my favourite because of the scent and the fact that it doesn't leave any unattractive white marks in my hair. 

Around twice a month I will make a hair mask and leave it in my hair for a good hour to re-hydrate my hair and make it feel super soft. For this I just use a pure oil (such as olive oil) and run it trough my hair concentrating on the ends. It really helps to strengthen your hair and not just make it shiny and smooth on the surface. After the hour, I wash my hair twice just to make sure all the oil is out.

I hope this wasn't too much of a boring post for you :) I just thought it would be nice to tell you what I do to my hair. I think my next purchase for hair care will be a leave in hair oil and a leave in conditioner so any suggestions will be welcome!

Top 5 Spring Nail Polishes

Those eagle- eyed of you would have seen the title and expected a picture of five nail polishes not four however my first spring favourite is one that I have ran out of recently. It was a limited edition No7 polish in the colour Top Toes and even though it was a tiny 4ml bottle, I am rather impressed that I have actually finished a nail polish! The colour is a very natural, light taupe shade with no shimmer to it and I can safely say it is my all time favourite colour. It's appropriate for all year round and looks sophisticated on the nails giving off slightly different hues in different lights. If anyone can recommend me a similar shade based on my limited description please do not hesitate to comment below!

Anyway, on with the first polish in the picture above.. This infamous Barry M nail paint is in the shade #317 Blue Moon and looks almost matte however does in fact have really tiny blue shimmer throughout which is hardly noticeable. This shade is perfect for the spring as it fits the trend of pastels and makes blue a very wearable colour to sport on your nails. For an opaque colour two coats is necessary and I find it lasts a good four to five days with a good top coat which I think is pretty decent. 

My next pick of the bunch is another Barry M nail paint in #308 Berry. It's not at all a berry shade but more of a lilac which also fits in the the pastels trend. I find Barry M has an amazing colour range at a great price, the consistency and longevity on your nails isn't too bad either. Downsides of this brand include that some are hit and miss in terms of opaqueness with some having to apply 3 coats to create the desired effect. Also, the brush isn't for me. As I said in my 'Nails of the Day' post a few days ago, I prefer larger, flat brushes to apply my polish however these are small and thin.

I'll not go on too long about my next polish as I featured it in my last 'Nails of the Day' post which you can read here. Mango Madness by e.l.f. is the only bright colour I have featured but makes me happy whenever I look down at my nails and excited for the summer. All e.l.f. nail polishes are only £1.50 and great value seeing as this colour stayed on my nails for 5 days before a tiny chip appeared!

My last spring nail polish is Pinky Pure by No7 and I picked this up recently with a £5 off voucher that Boots give out when you make a purchase of £5 or more. Like Mango Madness and Berry there is no shimmer to the polish and it's the prefect pink to wear for a bit of subtle colour. It's really fast drying however a massive con is that you have to apply three or four coats to achieve an opaque colour. This makes the whole process of application really long as you have to wait til each coat is perfectly dry before applying the next or else it gets ruined easily. In saying this, the colour is lovely and does stay on your nails without chipping for a good six days if you're careful.

So that's my roundup of my favourite spring polishes, do you have any you'd like to recommend for me to try?

March Favourites

I know this is a little late but I thought it might be nice to show you my March Favourites. The Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake is my most recent purchase and has managed to wriggle its way into my favourites. I'm not going to bang about it for too long as I recently wrote a blog post all about it so go and check that out if you are interested.

                                     

Below is the No7 Translucent Pressed Powder and due to the warmer weather at the beginning of the month I have used this every day since. I have normal to dry skin so in the colder months I don't feel the need to powder however as it gets warmer I like to take it just through my T zone to take away any shine. This compact is brilliant for that and as you can see from the picture I have severely hit pan. I will be repurchasing this once it runs out after I've tried the Rimmel Pressed Powder as I have heard many good things.

My last make-up item is the Sleek Storm eyeshadow palette. For my brows nearly every day I use a tiny bit of black mixed with the lightest matte shade on the top row to create the perfect ashy colour. I dont wear eyeshadow on my eye lids day to day however on a night out I always use the browns and champagne colour to create a smokey eye. They are so easy to blend and are so pigmented which is why I love them!

For my brows and to add definition to my eyes I always use the e.l.f. small angled brush. It distributes exactly the right amount of product and because its not still like a lot of angled brushes, you are able to smudge eyeshadow across the lash line really easily. 

I think dry shampoo is the products that almost everyone owns. I used to wash my hair every day but felt it was getting too damaged so I tried the Tresemme instant refresh dry shampoo and I have never looked back! It gives loads of volume to the roots, smells great and doesn't leave white patches in your hair (*cough* Batiste).

Lastly, as I said before I have quite dry skin and I keep this Avon hand and nail cream in my bag/ on my desk/ wherever I go. I really like the smell because it isn't too strong and it's really moisturising as it contains glycerine. It sinks into your skin really well and makes your hands feel baby soft :)

 That's it for my March favs, I'd love to know products you've been loving this month  :)

Nails of the Day #1

                                    

As I change my nail polish up fairly regularly I thought 'Nail of the Day' pics would be a nice and quick post that I could put up on weekends. Here I have on an e.l.f. nail polish in Mango Madness. By the swatches on the website I thought it would be more of a muted, coral colour but it is in fact a bright orange. This scared me for a while as I bought it a good 6 months ago and I felt it was more of a spring/summer colour. However, the other day I saw it in my collection and thought I would give it a go. The polish is really opaque and you could definitely get away with only one coat  but I always apply two just for good measure. All e.l.f. polishes are only £1.50 which is great value however as expected, they do not come without flaws. Personally I prefer thin, flat applicator brushes and these come with thin, circular ones (similar to Barry M) which is a bit of a downside. Also, they take fooooreveer to dry. I am not sure if it just this one because the two others that I own do not take as long which is a bit strange. If you can find a bit of time or a brilliant topcoat to seal the polish then I don't think you can beat the value for money.

My next post will be 'My Favourite Spring Nail Polishes' so keep your eyes peeled for that. Do you own any e.l.f. nail polishes? If so, which would you recommend?

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

So, with the newest Revlon lip product release being such a hit across the beauty community worldwide I thought I better have a go. I went out, cash in hand, on the release day a few weeks ago but my local Boots didn't have any of them stocked. However, a couple of days ago I was in another town and picked up the Revlon Lip Butter in the colour Strawberry Shortcake. I went for this colour as I thought that by picking a more everyday colour, I would have more chance to wear and test it out. Here are a few quick snaps.

Firstly I love the packaging. The see through quilted design is fun and you can clearly see which colour you have picked up as the colour of the packaging is coordinated with the lip butter colour. There are 14 shades to choose from which I think is pretty good and I love the formulations and the way it doesn't cling to dry patches (I have dry lips). The pigmentation is not the best but that's what the whole idea is about; a buttery, sheer, moisturising lip product. As you can see from my swatches below you can apply is very sheerly for just a tint on your lips or apply it more heavily for a bit more colour.

One downside which I have found is that the become a little 'squished' when you twist  the stick back down as the formulation is so soft so I wouldn't recommend taking them out into the sun or into a club :P

Overall I love these lip butters and I have my eye on a few of the other colours. Especially lollipop which is said to be a sheerer dupe of MAC's Girl About Town. They currently retail for £7.99 and are stocked in most Boots stores. Do you own any of the colours?