Do bloggers do hauls?

I popped into town today, primarily because i was super desperate for the barry m nail paint in mushroom and so i could pick up some bits before going back to uni. I didnt get too much, but i thought id share for you all to see :)

So just a quick overview. Scarf, nail varnish x3, sleek palette & ring.

  

for those of you that aren't aware, the sleek "circus" palette will stop being sold from today. (its limited edition) so throughout it being sold it was a "get it while you can" kind of thing. Anyway, im more about neutral colours, so added the sunset palette to my collection. I wanted the Circus one, but didnt think i would use it all that much. Im hoping the next one out is a wearable palette, as i wont be spending my money on the acid palette. I somehow also managed to talk my sister into getting the Storm palette. Not too sure how that happened, lol.

 

Double-fingered ring from Primark. Only £2, i've wanted one of these since i saw Lauren Conrad wear one. Ive got chubby fingers though, so getting one off the internet wasn't really an option :(. But i quite like its unusualness. 

  

I was super lucky to find the models own varnish. I was so close to ordering it off their website the other day, but resisted temptation, so when i was in boots today and found that they now sell models own varnish, i knew what one i had to get!

And of course i got Barry M in mushroom, and black. i have pale skin, so although it makes me look stupidly goth-like, its great for detailing, or if i decide to be daring. haha.

And here is what they look like on the nail. I didn't bother to paint a nail black because i didn't really see the point. It really is just a jet black.

Models Own - "Blue Moon"

Barry M - "Mushroom"

And lastly my scarf. One side if a creamy colour and the other the turquoise. Its still very creased so im just going to leave it for the time being so the creases can drop out of it. Super excited to wear this though! Again, bought from Primark for a mere £3!

Hope you have a great week guys & dolls. x

CHI's VS GHD's

(sorry for the not very good pic)

I've had both sets of straighteners for quite a while now, and ive noticed a lot of people (mainly in the US) bang on about their CHI's (its not a very popular brand over here)

Anyway, on the left is my limited edition purple GHD's. They came in a carry case with a hairdryer and some clips and whatnot. On the right is the CHI Turbo's.

The CHI's are a good set of straighteners if you solidly want them for straightening rather than curling or doing any kind of weird and wonderful tricks with your hair. The plates are ceramic, but the outer shell is covered with a red felt-type material (the only plausible reason i can imagine this for, is so you can hold it close to the plate rather than the normal hand bit? so it means you cant really curl your hair with them.  The highest temperature you can reach with them is 180 degrees C/356 degrees F, so although they dont get as hot as the GHD's, you can limit the amount of heat you want your hair to get, by moving the dial up and down (as seen in the picture)

The GHD's on the other hand, are obviously a more well known brand. Dont get me wrong, i love them, not just for straightening my hair, i can curl, flick and pretty much do anything with them, but the one thing i dont like about them is the fact they get SO hot you cant adjust it. It literally takes 1/2 swipes of my hair for it to be straight enough for me to not have to keep going over it, but by doing that (and using heat protectant) i know its still damaging my hair, and i feel my hair deflating as the days go on. Anyway, they are a really nifty pair for doing all different things and highly recommended - if you doing mind scorching your hair.

As much as i hate using all the heat on my hair, i do tend to use my GHDs on a more regular basis than the CHI's, just for the pure ease and more straight look it gives.

But if your not after lots of heat and just want your straighteners to be straighteners, then opt for the CHIs. Theyre still a very good investment!

Whats your favorite brand of straighteners? 

x

just in time for the weather change

I'm so excited to go and get this.

Barry M nail paint in "mushroom" its such a nice colour and so on trend for autumn. 

Hopefully going to pop into town tomorrow to pick up that and some new clothes as summer is well and truly over in the UK :(

(plus it'll be nice to go back to uni with some new clothes! - any excuse hey?!)

Until next time. x

Im just a designer

Im all about DIY!

Just because its cheap, do we assume it's rubbish?

I was just looking through some of my make up and found a few bits from Natural Collection, Collection 2000, Barry M and Sleek (to name a few) and thinking about the price tags, do people that will only shop in places that have extortionate price tags turn their noses up at the cheap stuff?
Take Sleek for example. In recent years Sleek have made such a name for themselves. Their very pigmented eyeshadows have gone down a storm, just take a look at some of the beauty guru's on youtube and you can see that spending a fiver on one of their palettes would be an absolute bargain! Barry M who is loved for their range of nail varnishes (amongst other things, of course) is again, dirt cheap, but then you come to brands who you don't necessarily spend much time looking at because their £1.99 mascara makes you doubtful. Okay, so i love brands like MAC just as much as the next person, but what i dont understand is why people dont jump at these cheap prices? In the past ive paid £2 for a mascara by natural collection, and if i were to compare it to Maybelline's XXL waterproof mascara (the white one end/black other end one) i know the cheap one would win hands down. Okay, so it might not be the best mascara, but why pay £12 when you dont need to? that money you saved could be spent getting something else?
when it comes to things like eyeshadow, i completely understand why people would go for products like MAC over something ridiculously cheap. Pigmentation is obviously really important for a good eyeshadow, and i'd admit that ive gone for both ends to try the difference.
Anyway, what i suppose im trying to say is, these brands, the smaller ones, are alot better than people imagine them to be, and to give that £2 price tag a go, would probably change their minds about some of their products.

Rant over.
Have a good bank holiday weekend guys and dolls. x

Lets Talk Heat

Im quite a freak when it comes to keeping my hair in as good condition as i can make it. When i was younger i had really lovely thick hair, and as ive grown up ive used heat on it without heat protection, so my hair has become alot thinner and has much less "oomph". When i hit the age of about 15 i worked in a hairdressers and learnt an awful lot about what heat can do to your hair. Anyway, ive tried quite alot of different heat protectors, but here are some of the ones i have floating around my room at the moment. Some are a hit, and some are a definite miss.
(all are reasonably priced "drugstore" brands)

L-R:

Andrew Bartons "The Straight Answer"

Wella Shockwaves "Tame It"

Schwarzkopf Pro Styling "Heat Protection"

Tresemme "Heat Defence"

L'Oreal Studio Line "Hot Straight" (old packaging) 

Obviously something that works for me, wont necessarily work for you, but my honest opinions are of that below:

Andrew Bartons "The Straight Answer"
I bought this for about £2 and have only ever seen it in Asda before, so i was quite skeptical about buying it, but i gave it ago. I think its better to spray in sections after you hair is dry as you can see visible results. It smells a lot like one of the TIGI shampoos, but i really dont remember what one. Maybe the damaged hair one? I don't know, anyway, my sister loves the smell, im not overly keen on it, but its not bad. Overall, the spray i feel works really well, especially for its cheap price tag. I will repurchase this when mine runs out.

Wella Shockwaves "Tame It"
I havn't really used much of this because im not overly keen on it. I really like the packaging and the smell, but if you use too much your hair goes greasy very easily. They recommend that you use it on wet hair before blow-drying, ive tried it on wet and dry and dont feel that its the best thing ive used. I like the idea its more of a cream than spray, but not one of their better products. It can work right, but it takes some getting used to and knowing how much to use. I just think it's much easier using a spray. (and far less sticky!)

Schwarzkopf Pro Styling "Heat Protection"
This one is a big fat no. I really dislike it and regret buying it. As you can see from the picture i've probably used it about 2 or 3 times, and each time it makes my hair look and feel disgusting. You know when you put hairspray or mousse in your hair and it like clumps you hair together? (for want of a better way to describe it) well thats what this does. Horrible horrible product. Definitely something i regret buying!

Tresemme "Heat Defence"
I love this product! when ive washed my hair i always spray it with this as i feel it works better in wet than dry hair. It smells lovely and although its probably the most expensive one (but still under a fiver) its quite often on offer in supermarkets. If your going to buy a cheap heat defence, get this one!

L'Oreal Studio Line "Hot Straight"
I've had this product for quite some time, and when i first got it i think i used it for the sake of needing heat defence, then i just used various other ones and one day found myself coming back for this one (hence the old packaging) After using the Tresemme one, i also run this one through my hair focusing mainly on the mid-lengths and ends to get any remaining un-touched ends. It smells amazing and even after blow-drying and straightening your hair the smell stays with you. (be warned, you might actually want to eat your own hair! :)) Again a very well worth product.

So overall, my recommendations are for the Andrew Barton one, the Tresemme one and the L'Oreal one.

What are your favorite heat defence's?

Steph x

E.L.F brush review.

Hey guys, so i recently bought some new E.L.F brushes. Heres just a quick overview of what i thought.

So before i start, The black ones are from the studio line, each priced at a very good £3.50, the bottom white one is from their normal line and is priced at £1.50.

Top: Powder Brush. Very Very soft! After putting on foundation, set it with powder. This can either be done in stippling motions on parts of your face that you feel maybe prone to shine or just swirl it on. Another use for the brush is to use blusher. Use it in the same way, but don't be too heavy with it.

Below: Eyeshadow "C" Brush. My favorite of the five. Extremely soft, lots of bristles, packs eyeshadow on very well. Highly recommended brush!!

Below: Contour Brush. Best for blending, and on the website they do advise this for blending rather than contouring. Amazing brush. Another one of my fav's!

Below: Small Smudge Brush. Good for smudging things like eyeliner, but it feels a bit scratchy. However for £3.50, its still a good brush.

Bottom: Professional Eye Shadow Brush. Im still trying to decide what i think about this brush. Considering its £1.50, i didn't expect much, and it's not really delivered much. As you can see from the picture, its not even straight! It doesn't compare to the "Eyeshadow C Brush"  and in all honesty, if i can get away with just using that brush for everything rather than using this one, i will. For £1.50 it's ok, but i couldnt repurchase it.

One thing that really bugs me

So im a fan of nail design, nail varnish, press ons, everything, but i never understand why acrylics have to be ugly when they grow out.
I always try to keep my nails healthy and strong, and occasionally i treat myself to getting a set of acrylics (at a bargain price of £20, its not something to be turning your nose up to!!) and i try and keep them doing well, but when one goes, thats it, they really all have to go.
So about 2 weeks ago, one came..unstuck (for anyone who hasn't had acrylics, when i say unstuck, i mean the top is all good, but the bottom is starting to lift. and be aware that when it caches on your hair/clothes etc, it can be painful!) while at work. From that point i've been trying to get them all off, but its not happening very much. I heard the best way to do it was to let them soak in Acetone, only thing is, i cant find any pure. My nails varnish has it though.
Anyway, before you ask about in-fills. Just no. I really hate the liney look they give. And thats the end of my treat. So i need to get these buggers off. Anyone with any advice on how to get them off without ripping them, i will be extremely grateful.

ps. heres how my right hand is looking as we speak. Ergh...

Steph x

Who the hell are you?!

Hi guys!

Im Steph, a twenty year old student from the south of england. 

I study graphic design and on a day-to-day basis, i love to spend time with my boyfriend, listen to music and see what's happening online.

Recently i've been getting more and more into hair and beauty products, and i wanted to share my thoughts and opinions on things i buy or really like. So here goes..

Enjoy x