Haul - Nasty Gal, Nike, YSL Make Up...

I made a NastyGal.com order about a week ago and although estimated delivery time was 2-3 weeks, I got it in 1, which immediately made me impressed as I have always loved the clothes on NastyGal.com but never taken the plunge. I always think that buying clothes internationally will cost too much money or be too complicated but I am very pleased with the way this worked out.

Overall, including postage and my two sale items, my order came to about £25/$40- which is crazy cheap, especially considering the items were both about $50 each to begin with.

First off I got this Button Up Bustier for $15 in a size M. I think this will look really nice with high waisted trousers or a simple skirt- it is such a bright colour that really it should be doing all the talking. Considering I have never ordered from NastyGal.com before I didn't know how the sizing worked and I would say that the sizes run slightly bigger than UK sizes, and I would have probably gotten this in a size S. However, I do really like it and the fact that it is slightly loose isn't really a problem for me. (This is still in stock on the website 28/7/12)

The next thing I got from NastyGal.com is this Zipped Scuba Skirt (Coral) for $10. The material is literally like scuba diving clothes which is odd but I love it because it's a bit different from anything you get in Topshop or any of the other boring chain stores we get in the UK. Usually I find tight skirts like these ones a little bit too short whereas this one comes to just above the knees which is a bit more flattering and means you don't have to pull it down every 5 seconds.

I got the YSL Touche Eclat foundation! My shade is BD40 which I based on Iben's (check her YouTube channel out!) skin tone because I figured my skin tone is pretty much the same as hers (stupid way of choosing a shade I know) and I asked my mum to get it for me so I kind of had to just assume that would be my shade. It is actually a perfect colour match for me and has quickly become my favourite foundation and the only one I am using at the moment. It just really adds a lovely glow to your complexion and it is really light on the skin. I don't usually need much coverage so this is great for everyday use and you don't really need to use a highlighter with this because it adds so much light to your face.

The last thing I bought recently are these Nike shoes I got from Barcelona. They were the last in my size and were €60 down from about €85. I absolutely love them!

I hope you are all having a great summer :)

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Fake Tan For The Girl Who Hates Fake Tan!

I have only really had awkward experiences with fake tan, as I end up either orange or streaky. Although I quite enjoy being a bit pale, sometimes when I am baring a bit more flesh than I am comfortable with, it makes me feel a bit more at ease to have a little bit of a glow going.

This Xen-Tan Premium Sunless Tan is a daily self tan which is gradual, so it is pretty light as the tube suggests. This is perfect for me as a pale girl because it looks really natural and as Xen-Tan has green undertones, it doesn't go orange like most self tanners do.

I have not tried the well-loved proper fake tan from Xen-Tan but because I love this one so much I am almost considering giving that one a go in order to top up my 'tan' at the end of the Summer months.

What I really like about this is that it basically just goes on like a moisturiser, which I use on body and face, which develops into a lovely golden tan after a few hours. I find that this looks incredibly natural and because it is pretty light, no one questions it! I would not recommend this for anyone who is any darker than PALE, it really is just for pally-wally girls (or guys) like myself. I use this with a Xen-Tan mit to avoid any streaking and put a little dollop on a cotton pad for my face. Once my tube has run out,  I will definitely be buying a new one.

This smells like lovely and fruity too! It gets a big thumbs up from me.

I bought mine from FeelUnique.com

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Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche Review!

If you have been reading any of my recent posts you will know that I am currently at my home in Biarritz, and my boyfriend has come to visit me here and as a gift he brought over a Chanel lipstick. Yeah, I know, keeper - say what?

I have never owned a Chanel lipstick before and do not know that much about them or the colour range. He just chose this one because he liked the name.

This is one of the Shine ones so the formula is quite glossy and feels amazing on the lips but it does mean that it doesn't stay on for very long. When I wore this yesterday I had to reapply quite a few times throughout the day but I didn't need a mirror because it is pretty sheer and the small size of the actual lipstick makes it super easy to apply. It does feel really hydrating too which is a bonus for me because I have super dry lips.

On to the colour! Fetiche is a pinkish/mauve colour that is pretty much the same colour as my natural lips just slightly more purple. It is almost a kind of nude colour on my skin tone so it goes really well with any other make up I am wearing. It has some soft shimmer in it but that doesn't really translate onto the lips apart from adding a tiny sheen.

Overall I love this lipstick, I love the simple packaging and I love the lipstick itself because of the soft texture/formula and the beautiful wearable colour.

 

What are your favourite Chanel lipsticks?

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Products I Have Been Getting Great Use Out Of!

Left to right: NARS Deep Throat, YSL Glossy Stain in 11 and Revlon Lip Butter in Crême Brulée.

The first product I have been using a lot and really enjoying is the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in 100 ivory. I find that this gives pretty good coverage but not too heavy, it smells really fresh (cucumbers?!) and it leaves the skin looking healthy and dewy which is exactly what I want from a foundation so I am really impressed by this.

Next are two Real Techniques brushes and predictably they are the Buffing Brush and the Stippling Brush. I use the first one for any foundation, whether powder or liquid, and I use the stippling brush for cream blush, powder blush, bronzer, highlighter, YOU NAME IT! I find Real Techniques brushes to be really soft, easy to clean and give really great, even application.

NEXT! I have been really enjoying my NARS Blush in Deep Throat (ahem!) because first of all the texture/formula of NARS blushers is just spot on and I love how peachy pink this colour is, so not only is it flattering but it goes with pretty much any make up. The fact that it has the typical NARS iridescent gold quality to it also means I don't need to bother with highlighter.

For my eyebrows, I was using a GOSH felt tip pen but now that I have gone back to blonde it is just way too dark for me. I also found that it made my eyebrows green! I gave it to my mum but it did exactly the same thing on her, but I am not sure why... Anyway NOW I am using the Eyelure Eyebrow Pencil in Medium to Light Blonde 3. I love this because you get the little tamer brush on one end and the colour is really great because it is ash toned rather than red/warm brown so it really works next to my blonde LOCKS.

I have two favourite lip products at the moment and the first is the Revlon Lip Butter in Crême Brulée, which is a lovely nude/brown colour. I love the texture of the lip butters because I find them to really soften my lips and they are so easy to wear. The second one is my YSL Glossy Stain in 11, which I love because you can wear it as just a kind of muted berry stain or as a proper gloss which stays on your lips for ages. The fact that it is glossy means it doesn't dry out my lips and I don't have to keep reapplying it. I love the berry/cherry colour too, it is really flattering.  

Before applying my foundation I have been applying The Body Shop's Limited Edition Radiance Primer. It is kind of weird to apply because it initially goes on quite lumpy but once it is blended out onto the skin it just leaves a really nice subtle glow and a smooth base for applying foundation onto.

The LAST product I wanted to mention is the Garnier Roll-On Anti-Dark Circles concealer which I have been absolutely ADORING at the moment. I love how light it feels yet it gives a really awakening, natural coverage for the horrible BLUE (?!) tones under my eyes. Yucky.

I really want to try the new Revlon Kissable Lip Stains that everyone is on about! I don't think I can get them in France but when I go back to the UK I will jump on that bandwagon...

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Summer Haircare Essentials

In the Summer I find my dry hair becomes exponentially more dry due to all the sun exposure so I do things a bit differently come summertime.
My hair is dyed blonde and because I use hair straighteners to either straighten or curl my hair (it's naturally a frizzy mess) I need to be careful in the summer so it doesn't just die on me altogether.

The first product that I love and consider to be 'essential' (first world problems huh) is my tangle teezer. I actually only got this a few months ago which I don't understand because it makes my hair so much more manageable- I don't know what I used before. I find it so great because it doesn't give me split ends like other brushes do and as I am trying to improve the condition of my hair and grow it out a bit, that's kind of important. I use this after I have washed my hair and also before I go to bed.

I really love a good hair mask and my favourite is the Garnier Ultra Doux Hair Mask with olive oil and shea butter in it. It's just one of those ones you can get at the supermarket in France (not sure about the UK and other places) and I just find it really helps soften my hair. The fact that it is avocado and shea really makes me feel like it is hydrating my hair too!

Recently I have become kind of addicted to hair oils in all different shapes/sizes/textures/colours/flavours/fish/lemon/cat/WHAT. I use The Body Shop's Coconut Oil Hair Shine that comes in a little tin when I am styling my hair and a bit on the ends before I go to bed. It is one of those solid oils rather than liquidy ones which is practical for just putting on in the day or before bed- it doesn't go all over your pillow or anything. It makes my hair feel really soft & it smells divine too!

The next product I love is the Tommy Gunns Climate Control Shine Spray. OH MY WORD this smells like heaven (aka jojoba oil?). It really is just a fixing hair spray that helps add a bit of shine and texture to the hairs on one's head whilst smelling incred.

Last but definitely NAT least is the Lovea Shea Oil which I bought intending to use in the same way that I use my Macadamia Hair Oil (on damp hair before drying) but found that it made my hair far to greasy. SO I now slather this all over my hair, put a shower cap on (sexy, mine looks like a watermelon, and what) and then leave it on for about 5 minutes while I'm washing my armpits or something and then rinse it out. Honestly, this stuff totally makes my hair so much softer and more shiny. It is really great when used as a sort of pre-hair-wash hair mask.

Also to try and make my hair a bit less damaged and horrible I am trying to refrain from drying/straightening it as much as I can!

I hope this wasn't too long and boring :)

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Smoothie Queen

Hi everyone, so I basically have not even unpacked my suitcase yet which is why my posts are kind of random and irrelevant to what I usually write about because I basically have not gotten my poop together yet.

This post is kind of a health related one because I have been struggling with my weight for a year or so now since I put on weight in my first year of university and I have not managed to shift it yet. I am by no means overweight or anything like that but I am about 5-10lbs heavier than what I feel comfortable with. 

At the moment I am doing a bit of a detox thingy which kind of just involves smoothies and fruit. It IS really boring but I will just do this for a few days and hopefully notice a tiny difference and THEN go on to just eat healthily.

This is my favourite one that I have been making and I have them as meal replacements. As I said I am only doing this for a few days and then I will just go back to my wheat-free, pescatarian, normal diet.

What I use:

A smoothie blender.

2 cups of vanilla soya milk.

1 banana.

1/2 a frozen mango.

1 cup of pineapple juice.

It is incredibly easy to make and tastes delicious.

All you need to do is just wack it all together into the blender and you get a delicious/nutritious drink.

I will be back with some more relevant posts soon!

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Zara/Mango/Essie Haul

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An Update

Hi everyone, I am currently at home in France and have not found time to write anything for a while so apologies for my laziness! But also I use my MacBook Air to write these posts and theres no... thingy to put my memory stick into so I can't connect my camera to the laptop to put any pictures up.... so my phone will have to do.

Right now I am in Biarritz at our family home which is on the french/spanish border so I will be off to San Sebastian in Spain tomorrow to get some Zara bargains.

I just thought I would give you all a quick update on why I have been so crap at this at the moment and post some pictures.

Before coming home to France for the summer, I moved into a new student flat in England so there will be a couple of photos from there.

My new make up storage system! I have two drawers like this with different compartments.  

I just thought I would upload some pictures of my new make-up/beauty/vanity desk area because that is vaguely relevant.

The next ones are just some randoms from since I have arrived in France.

 

 

 

Mama treated me to lots of new things for my new flat!

 

Musee d'Orsay

Some cuties at the end of my road 

I will try to be a bit better at posting from now on!

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My Summer

I am off to France tomorrow and I won't be back in England until September probably but I will keep up with my blogging as best as I can and as much as I can while I'm at home or away on holiday :)

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