A Year of Nail Polish - April

Barry M Gelly Shine - Papaya

Rare Nails - Iced Latte

Barry M Gelly Shine - Greenberry

Avon Nailwear Pro+ - Honeydew Dazzle

Review - Avon Glimmerstick Brow Definer

My brows are often neglected, I mean I pluck them but apart from that nothing else.

Occasionally, mainly when I go out, I will use a brow product on them and my favourite is Avon Glimmerstick Brow Definer.

I have this in dark brown which isn't too dark so perfect for my brows. I think it is really easy to buy the darkest colour possible which makes your brows look big and a bit fake, yes I'm taking about a scouse brow here.

The stick itself is a twist pencil so no sharpening is required. The product is really soft and goes onto the skin easy, no nasty dragging. It also lasts all day so any touch ups are rare which is great if you're busy.

The Glimmersticks are also available in eyeliners and lipliners but the brow definers are available in three shades and are £6.00 available only from Avon.

Book Review - Christmas At The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

The blurb....

Join Issy, Austin, Pearl and Caroline as they prepare for a very special Christmas...

Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Cafe, is in love and couldn't be happier. Her new business is thriving and she is surrounded by close friends, even if her cupcake colleagues Pearl and Caroline don't seem quite as upbeat about the upcoming season of snow and merriment. But when her boyfriend Austin is scouted for a possible move to New York, Issy is forces to face up to the prospect of a long-distance romance. And when the Christmas rush at the cafe - with its increase demand for her delectable creations - begins to take it's toll, Issy has to decide what she hold most dear.

The December, Issy will have to rely on all her reserves of courage, good nature and cinnamon, to make sure everyone has a merry Christmas, one way or another.

What I thought....

Pretty soon after starting reading this I discovered that there is a book which comes before (Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe) so I was a little lost with the characters but I caught up really quickly. I found it a little hard to get into the story and as I started this was back in November and finished it in March proves it. Once I started reading it on my holiday I found the story really engaging and when it finished I was a little disappointed as I wanted to keep on reading! If like me you haven't read the first book, it's not a massive problem as you quickly get to know the characters.

Pages....

400

Available on...

iPad, Kindle and paper!

Review - MUA Matte Perfect Foundation

Remember when MUA had their half price sale on? Well this was one of my purchases. I have trouble finding foundations which give a matte finish so for a whole pound I thought I'd try this one.

It comes in three shades: fair, natural and almond and I got natural.

The shade is a really good match for me and the product itself I really like. It is quite a light coverage so is good for summer time daytime wear. I found that after wearing it all day my face did look a little shiny towards then end of the day so powder applications is essential but overall for the money you can't go wrong.

This is £2 and available from Superdrug or MUA Online.

Wednesday Wishlist - 32

Next

Red patent court shoes - £30

Navy glam bag - £24

New Look

Blue heart skater skirt - £12.99

Cream mesh panel bow top - £12.99

River Island

Wedge boat shoes - £30.00

Blue stud slip on pumps - £12.00

Black studded knee high boots - £100.00

White chain peep toe wedges - £28.00

Lush Superbalm Scalp Treatment

This is a new product from Lush and I was really excited to try it out on my scalp which can erupt in horrible flaky eczema.

Superbalm is really easy to use, you simply massage it onto your scalp before washing your hair and then wash it as normal.

As it's name suggests it is a balm and this little 45g tin will last ages as you need very little as you only use it on the bits of your scalp which need it.

It also removes product build up so if you've washed your hair in a rush and maybe haven't rinsed as well as you should have this will sort it out in no time.

Since buying this my scalp has, typically, been ok. I've used this two or three times and each time it has sorted my scalp out.

I think this is a good product to have in your cupboard as a back up just in case.

This 45g tin is priced at £12.00 and is only available from Lush.

Face Wipes: The best and the worst

Previously I have done two of these posts (here and here) and as I hadn't done one in a while I thought I'd get back on the face wipes testing wagon.

St Ives Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes - £3.05 for 35 wipes (Superdrug)

These wipes were a little thin but the did remove well. For the money they are ok but I don't think I would buy again. I'd rather spend a little bit more for thicker wipes.

My overall impression: 5/10

Olay Essentials Wet Cleansing Wipes - £2.49 for 20 wipes (Boots)

These smelt really fresh and removed well. They even took off my mascara when I was too lazy to remove it properly! I quite liked these but I've used other which I would buy before I considered to buy these again.

My overall impression: 6/10

Superdrug Camomile Facial Cleaning Wipes - 99p for around 30 wipes (Superdrug)

Hated these. They made my skin sting so bad it felt like my face was expanding. Ended up using these instead of baby wipes to clean my hands when doing my make up. Would never buy again

My overall impression: 0/10

Nivea Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes - £3.05 for 25 wipes (Superdrug)

These wipes were soft, moist and thick. I could remove all my facial make up with one wipe without feeling like it was falling apart. My make up removed well and they had a nice scent.

My overall impression: 8/10

It seems like I saved the best until last with these wipes as Nivea Pure & Natural wipes were the best. I have started trying out other wipes so my next post should be too far away. Let me know which wipes you would recommend I they might feature in my next face wipes post.

Blog Sale!

I sorted out some of my make up drawers in my unit and found some products that I don't think I'll be using anytime soon as I have that much stuff so cue blog sale.

Conditions

1. UK only

2. No returns

3. Payment is by Paypal only

4. Leave a comment if you want to buy with your email add

5. Postage is £2.60 regardless of how much you buy

1. Witch tinted moisturiser in medium 50% left - £1.50

2. 17 Miracle Matte foundation in fair 75% left - £1.50

3. L'Oreal True Match minerals in M3 Creamy Beige 80% left - £3.00 

4. Lily Lolo mineral foundation n In The Buff 60% left - £3.00

5. Wet n Wild Ultimate Minerals foundation in fair 60% left - £1.50

6. Everyday Minerals matte base in light medium 80% left - £3.00

7. No 7 highlighter - £2.00

8. Benefit Hervana used about 3 times (no brush) - £10.00 SOLD

9. Barry M dazzle dusts (only swatched) - £1.50 each

Shades 23 (navy), 82 (turquoise), 44 (copper/gold) and 9 (silver)

10. Everyday Minerals brow powder in dark brown (swatched) - £3.00

11. 17 Wild Metallic Eyes in Wild Silver (swatched) - £1.50

12. Nails Inc 4ml polish in mulled wine (brand new) - £2.00

13. Nails Inc 4ml polish in oxford circus (brand new) - £2.00

14. New CID i-gloss light up lip gloss in Baby Doll (swatched) - £2.00

15. Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in Soft Beige 75% left - £1.50

16. Maybelline Fit Me concealer in shade 10 90% left - £2.00

17. Too Faced Lemon Drop Shadow Insurance 90% left - £5.00 SOLD

18. Barry M Glitter crayons (swatched) - £2.00 each

Black or silver

Project Diet Update - 1

So I have been on my diet and healthy eating plan for two weeks now and so far so good!

In fact it has gone so well I have lost 7 pounds! As I originally wanted to lose a stone by the end of June I am half way there! I have added a weight loss button on the side there >>>> so you can keep track of how I'm doing. This will be updated every two weeks when I get weighed. Also you may notice it says I've lost 10 pounds but that's how much I've lost since I first started using My Fitness Pal a few years ago.

I have had a few days where I've gone over my 1500 calories allowance but I've been extra good the next so it's not too bad.

On my 500 days (Fast Diet or the 5:2 Diet) I have found it quite easy to stick to a low calorie diet. I have only had four 500 calorie days so far and I've been over my calories on two of these but not by many. As long as I have under 600 calories then I'm counting these as a success. I'm finding if I plan my days food out before it's alot easier to stick too.

I try to stick to under 100 calories for breakfast (Weight Watchers yogurt or cookies), around 200 calories for lunch (chicken noodles or tuna and cucumber or a salad with a tiny amount of dressing) and  then 200 calories for tea. I normally have a salad with half a chicken breast or half a tin of tuna.

Everyday I am also drinking at least 750ml of water at work and only having 2 cups of tea instead of about 5. Currently I am also having a can of Diet Coke with my lunch (1 calorie) but when my multipacks have been used up then I'm not going to buy anymore and I'll drink more water. Also when I get home I refill my 750ml water bottle and drink that too. I put some high juice in it, no added sugar, which is 39 calories but makes water a lot more appealing.

Last Saturday I completely blew my calorie allowance as I went to McDonalds for lunch and then was going to have a salad for tea but my friend unexpectedly asked me to go out for tea so I had over 2000 calories but I only drank Diet Coke so didn't waste any calories on alcohol.

As for exercise I have been going for walks in the village and going on my exercise bike. For walks I generally burn 104 calories and I always do at least 5k on my bike which is 160 calories. I am trying to build up my stamina on my bike so I'll be able to do 10k again, yesterday I managed 7k so I'm on my way! Last week I didn't do much exercise but I'm going to be back on it again this next week as I'm determined to get the other half of that stone off.

If you have any weight loss tips or healthy recipes let me know!

Schwarzkopf Live Color XXL hair dye

I normally use semi permanent hair dye but after dip dying my hair I needed a permanent dye to cover the ginger/blonde left behind.

On offer in Boots was this Schwarzkopf Live Color XXL dye which seemed to offer everything I was after: extra intense, long lasting and vibrant colour.

I bought two boxes of dye to make sure all my hair got covered as it's have quite long and thick.

When I started using the dye I was overwhelmed by the smell of ammonia, it was very strong and gave me a headache.

Two boxes was plenty for my hair and it covered really well. It took ages to wash out but after my hair was well coloured and the dip dye had been completely covered.

After a few weeks though the colour had faded quite a lot and the dip dye had started to come through. I don't think I would use this again as the colour really dulled and I had to re-dye my hair sooner than I normally would.

If you want to give this a go it's £5.49 and available from Boots.

Buying with Achica

Achica is a members only luxury lifestyle website. It sounds alot more exclusive than it really is. Basically it is a website where you have to join, no fee, and they have different promotions each day which last for a couple of days or until they sell out, where you can buy products at a discounted price.

I joined a couple of months ago and have bought several things from them including stationary, food, a beaver doorstop (for my mum for mothers day), a feather bed and these cute Moomin items.

I bought a tea light holder and a mug and the quality is really good.

The only downsides to Achica is that you sometimes have to wait several weeks for delivery of items but it does let you know of the estimated delivery dates on the product page and you pay delivery based  on the weight of your parcel. On everything so far I've paid £4.95 except for my feather bed which cost me £9.95 for delivery.

Everything has been delivered within the time stated and currently if you recommend a friend they get £10 off their first order and you receive a £10 voucher too!

I'd definitely recommend you joining as they do have lots of different products and brands on there. You can join Achica here or if you want £10 off your first order let me know your email address and I'll send you an invite!

Review - Lush Ocean Salt facial scrub

I bought this as I thought it would help my scalp when it flares up with eczema, I didn't really have much intention of using it on my face.

The scrub is very coarse, it is like rock salt and gives an amazing exfoliation. It is also scented with coconut, grapefruit and limes which have been soaked in vodka, who wouldn't love a product that contains vodka?!?

The product is also a little creamy as just having the salt itself would be way too harsh for your skin, I use such a little amount this 250g pot will last me absolutely ages.

It worked on my scalp but as I also bought a product specifically for my scalp at the same time (review to come) I haven't needed to use this on my scalp since. As for using it on m face, as I've already mentioned I use a very small amount, probably the size of a 10p piece and just rub it on my face using my fingers.

After my face is left feeling smooth, fresh and clean. Even though it is quite a coarse scrub I would be happy to use this 3-4 times a week.

This is available in two sizes, 100ml for £6.95 and 250g for £12.50 and is only available from Lush.

Book Review - Life & Laughing: My Story by Michael McIntyre

The blurb....

Michael McIntyre has become Britain's biggest comedy star. His debut stand-up DVD was the fastest selling of all time, only to be eclipsed by his second that sold over 1.4 million copies and was the 2009 Christmas number one. He hosts his own BAFTA nominated BBC 1 series, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, and won the British Comedy Award for Best Live Stand- up in 2009 following his record breaking fifty-four date Arena tour.

But how did he get there?

Michael reveals all in his remarkable honest and hilarious autobiography Life and Laughing. His showbiz roots, his appalling attempts to attract the opposite sex, his fish-out-of-water move from public to state school an his astonishing journey from selling just one ticket at the Edinburgh Festival to selling half a million tickets on his last tour. Michael's story is riveting, poignant, romantic and above all very very funny.

What I thought....

I read this when I was on holiday, I had had it on my iPad for quite a while but hadn't quite got round to reading. I'm not really into autobiographies but after reading the first chapter I was hooked! It's very funny but also really honest, I found it very easy to read and hard to put down once I'd started.

Pages....

384

Available on....

Kindle, iPad and paper!

Save vs Splurge - Lime Shower Gels

It's been a long time since I last did a Save Vs Splurge post, it was June 2011 to be precise. 

I am aware that I have already review Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush body wash but when I started Philosophy's Luscious Lime shower gel I thought I would do a comparison post due to the significant difference in price.

Left to Right:

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush body wash - £6.50 for 500ml

Philosophy Luscious Lime shower gel - £14.00 for 480ml

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush is a lovely sweet lime scent and is more of a cream than a gel. It is great in the morning to wake you up as the scent immediately hits you, you just have to be careful you don't get slap happy with it! I normally use 3-4 pumps.

Philosophy Luscious Lime shower gel is a gel in consistency. It is quite thick which makes getting it out a little hard at times as the bottle is chunky. The lime scent is amazing! It is proper juicy lime but it doesn't fill the bathroom with an amazing scent.

As the Philosophy shower gel is over twice as much as the Soap & Glory one I would go for Soap & Glory every time. Luckily I got the Philosophy shower gel after christmas in the sales for £7.00 but no way would I spend £14.00 on it.

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think?

Review - Nair Brazilian Spa Clay hair removal cream

Just before I went on holiday this popped through my letter box: Nair Brazilian Spa Clay hair removal cream.

It was perfect timing as I hadn't defluffed and with this product you can use in the shower so it was great for saving some time when I had so much to do.

You can use the cream pretty much anywhere and all you have to do is wait for 1-2 minutes before getting in the shower where you leave it for at least another 3 minutes before removing. It recommends that you don't leave it on for more than 10 minutes otherwise you could end up with sore bits!

When I used this the first thing I noticed was the lack of that typical hair removal cream smell. It actually smelt quite nice. I found that it removed my hair well but I should have left it on for a little longer to get a more thorough removal but I lost track of how long I'd had it on for!

This is £6.99 for a 200ml tube and when this tube runs out I will buy another as I think it is so much better than my usual hair removal cream (Veet).

Oh it's available from Boots!

Wednesday Wishlist - 31

Dorothy Perkins

Black Patent Low Wedges - £28.00

Silver Glitter Platform Courts - £32.00

Rose Print Frill Hem Top - £28.00

ASOS

River Island Owl Sweat Top - £20.00

New Look

Pink Flopsy Rabbit T-Shirt - £9.99

White Dinosaur T-Shirt - £9.99 

Mel by Melissa Black Pilly Bow Flip Flops - £19.99

Babycham Black Eisha Bow Peep Toe Heels - £59.99