Haul - some things purchased over the last three months

Hi everyone, sorry it's been long time no post! I've moved to Uni and spent the last three months or so settling in, working and of course living a student life to the max! This does mean I'm on a student budget, however i am still working and guess what gets sensibly prioritised!

So here goes...

After watching a you tube video I decided to try the 17 Natural Radiance foundation (£5.67). I don't like wearing a lot of makeup in the day time so i thought this might be a lighter option to balance the tone of my skin, to brighten and cover redness. This foundation has a brush but i tend to just put a blob on the back of my hand and use my fingers or a sponge. I use the shade 'soft ivory'. Personally i don't really like this foundation. I find it too runny to blend, it tends to oxidise, and it looks a little cakey with powder to set it.

Similarly, i bought the L'oreal Double Extension Renewal Serum Mascara based on a you tube recommendation. This contains two tubes of 6ml, one side is a white primer with a mascara like texture, the other is black macara. Again, I wouln't recommend this, but then i don't really like two step mascaras because they clump terribly on my lashes. The mascara on its own is quite good but i wouldn't buy it again because over £10 for 6ml is too expensive for me. I'd probably re-buy rimmel sexy curves or l'oreal lash architect.

Whilst i was there i bought the Prestige Skin Loving Minerals in Rich Bronze. I think it was about £8 for 8g. I use all my bronzers as blushers because i have a lot of redness over my nose and cheeks and pink blushers tend to just emphasize this. If you don't like shimmer on your face, don't be put off by the initial look of these. Even swirling my brush right into the shimmer on the product, it tends to blend out on my cheeks just leaving a radiant, glowing colour. I really love this product, and whilst it was an indulgent splurge, i think it was really worth it!

In superdrug i picked up the superdrug Vitamin E Illuminating Moisure Cream. Again, this was an impulse buy, but i think it was reduced to about £1, so it was worth a shot. I was so surprised with how much i like this product. It moisturises my dry skin nicely under my foundation, and adds a glow which brightens my face really well. I think because it is cheaper there is less reflective particles in it, which i think is a good thing, because it doesn't leave you too shiny or sparkly.

I also finally got my hands on GOSH velvet touch foundation primer. Whilst this is a little pricey, i think this too is worth its price. It is essentially this same as the body shop mattifying primer, but mayb with a little less of the mattifying element. It is 30ml so double the body shop one making it better value for money. I use this primer everyday and i'm not sure how i managed without it!!

that's all for now

xoxo anna

B-U-T beauty's blog giveaway

Another beauty blogger in Canada is doing a giveaway to celebrate 20+ subscribers! It's a really exciting giveaway and she has a really interesting blog - i suggest you all check it out!!
link:
http://nikisbeautypage.blogspot.com/2009/09/free-stuff-delicious-delicious-giveaway.html

good luck everyone who enters!
that's all for now
xoxoanna

No7 Shine Free Make-up Base Review

I bought this when my Body Shop Matte it face and Lips ran out. It contains 40ml and costs £10.25. I used my £5 off No7 voucher so it was only £5.25. This is how much is left after about 2 weeks, although i think it probably wasn't full to the top initially.

This product claims to 'keep shiny skin under control all day long...light reflecting particles help disguise fine lines and flaws'.

The product is very thick compared to others, and goes on white, although it does disappear with enough blending,, but this does take a while due to it viscocity. It does matte this skin, but i feel that it make me more pale as well. I also notice that it has a sort of crumbley texture when i put foundation on over it, where both the base and foundation start to almost peel off in blobs.

You don't need to use very much when you apply it so i assume it will last a long time. In comparison to other bases, this one is relatively well priced, which is a surprise for No7. (The body shop one costs £10 for just 15ml).

Overall i won't re-purchase this, and am intending to buy the GOSH primer soon. I will use this up, but i think maybe more for days when i'm not wearing foundation, but still want a matte finish.

that's all for now

xoxoanna

Collective fashion haul and styling

I've finally borrowed my mum's camera back so i can show you some of the things i have bought. These clothes were purchased over two and a half months, before and after i went on holiday.The first item is a hoodie dress - it's sooo warm! It's from TK Maxx (Tommy Hilfiger) for £20, but should have been £85 (very satisfying!). It has a belt round the middle, pockets in the sides and is elasticated at the bottom. I am wearing a vest top from primak underneath and my topshop leggings. This would look great with uggs.

The second item is a dress i bought before my holiday. It's strapless with sequins over the elasticated part and a silky material to the skirt. It has a great shape and suh a pretty pattern! It was from asda in the G21(??is that right?) section of asda. I can't remember how much it was but i think about £16.

To dress this up i would wear these two necklaces, or to dress it down i would put a simple white t-shirt underneath. The first necklace is from primark and the second from either asda or matalan.

Last weeked i went into nottingham, so inevitably i visited H&M. The first thing i bought was a body con style skirt in black, which my friend has too. It was only £9.99! I was so happy, what a bargin!

I had to get a size 10, i'm not sure if this is because it's so tight or because my refusal to diet has left me being a size bigger!

I absolutely adore this skirt and can't wait to wear it out!

Then finally i got a tight body con/t-shirt dress,which i bought in a 10, but i'm going to return it for an 8, because it isn't fitted enough around the sides for me and it's too think to wear with a belt. I really love the graphic pattern and it was only £9.99 as well!

that's all for now

xoxoanna

Outfit of the Day

Today the weather looked like it was going to keep changing - (kind of cloudy/windy/sunny) so i thought i'd do leggings and layers! I'm only in the house all day, maybe with supermarket trip later! What an exciting life i lead :)

The dress is from H&M, i think i was £9.99, and i got it before i went on holiday. I think it's supposed to be a beach dress, and i did use it as one in Ibiza. It's got peacocks on and flowers, and is perfect for the summer - autumn transition. The leggings are from topshop, i think they're about £18 and you can tell they are better quality than my primark or new look ones! The t-shirt is just plain black 3/4 sleeve v-neck from M&S. The belt was in ADSA sale in january, and has three dark gold leaves on

These are the shoes i would pair with it. They are leather gladiator sandals from new look, and were £15, in the wide fit section.

haha lol you can see how my big toe doesn't want to be friends with my other toes :)

that's all for now

xoxoanna

Superdrug Vitamin E Facial Scrub Review

This product is described as 'gentle exfoliation to reveal deeply cleansed, radiant skin'. It costs £1.95 in Superdrug for 100ml so it's very inexpensive. It comes in a pale pink tube (sorry i couldn't find a picture). I probably use this product about once every three days.

1) i have quite sensitive skin and i found the st ives apricot scrub too rough for me. This product uses oatmeal as the exfoliator so it's quite gentle.

2) it's cheap!

3) it contains vitamin E - a good antioxidant apparently, and my skin doesn't feel tight after i use it.

4) it's suitable for vegitarians - because obviously lots of scrubs contain meat nowadays :)

5) it smells like sun cream and coconut.

6) 'superdrug is against animal testing' (if that's an issue for you)


however...

1) it is very runny, i would prefer it to be a bit thicker.

2) you could probably make it ith oatmeal, but i'm too lazy and it would probably cost the same either way.

3) it contains talc, which is an issue for some people.

I would definately buy this product again because of the price. I'd expected to pay a lot more to find a scrub gentle enough, and i really needed one because just using my l'oreal cleansing foam was still leaving dead skin cells.

thats all for now
xoxoanna

August Favourites

Surprisingly most of this is hair stuff this month. Since i've been at home i haven't bothered with a lot of make-up everyday, and have tried to stop wearing full concealer/primer/foundation. As a result of this, i've found that i needed something else to obsess about, since my last obsession was foundation. I did do mascara for a while but there is really no point buying too many mascaras as they'll dry up. Instead i highlighted my hair with a garnier highlighter, and then re-surfaced all my old hair products :) fun!

1) GHD straightener - what would i do without it! makes the best waves, curles and straight styles.

2) Aussie Real Volume Leave-In Volumizer - borrowed this for the first time off my mum about 4 years ago and addicted ever since. I spray it over my hair when it's wet and blow dry upside down.

3) Lee Stafford Poker Straight Dry Shampoo (mini) - perfect for those lazy days or sleepovers.

4) Lee Stafford Poker Straight Spray Shine - makes your hair really shiny!

5) Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - hate it as a foundation, love it as an eye primer.

6) Johnson's Baby Oil - used as the easiest eye make upremover ever

7) Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume

8) FCUK Polished Whipped Bodycream

that's all for now
xoxoanna

What I am using right now tag

I thought i'd have a go at the tag posts! Just read Lollipop26's and a few others and they are really interesting to see if anyone uses the same products as you. It's not like you'regoing to ask what deodorant someone is wearing :)

Shampoo: L'oreal Elvive (the pink one)

Conditioner: as above - combined they leave me with really silky hair, but i wish my mum would stop using it up!

Styling products: Toni & Guy Firm Hold Hairspray, Umberto Giannini Sleek & Chic Blow Dry Spray and Lee Stafford Shine Head Spray Shine

Shower gel: a m&s one

Body moisturiser: Lovely by sarah jessica parker - this smells amazing for summer!

Deodorant: Dove invisible dry anti white marks

Fake Tan: Clarins liquid bronze - check out my review :)

Cleanser: Nivea gentle cleansing lotion for dry skin

Exfoliator: Superdrug vitamin E oatmeal gentle scrub, upcoming review!

Primer: Body shop matte it face and lips

Foundation Brush: a sponge

Concealer: Max factor pan stick foundation and concealer 2in1

Powder: Urban Decay de-slick on my t-zone

Blusher: BarryM no 147 lipstick as a cream blusher

Bronzer: n/a

Highlighter: n/a

Eyeshadow Base: Urban Decay primer potion

Eyeshadows: Urban Decay Sin and Last Call, No7 Tender

Eyeliner: Sleek eyeshadow from the storm palette

Curler: Shu Uemura

Mascara: No7 Lash 360

Lipstick: Barry M no 147

Lipgloss: H&M Sweet Chutney - quite sheer but not sticky

Nail colour: n/a - i'm on a break at the moment!

that's all!
xoxoanna

Haul

I was recently given a £30 gift card for new look as a leaving present from my dancing group, so i thought i would have a look on saturday to see if they had anything new instore.

I really wanted to get some going out style clothes because i've got to that point where i'm sick of wearing the same two skirts and the same two dresses on repeat. Don't get me wrong, i don't mind being seen in the same outfit twice, just wearing black all the time is really boring, and i'm not really as inventive as i could be with accessories or shoes (and i only own one pair of heels so...). In the end i bought two 'dresses' (listed on the website as tops, but i class them as dresses - although not to be worn without leggings!).

I think it looks much better in real life, because this picture would not have convinced me to buy it! It cost £12 and just covers my bum! The skirt part isn't as see through as it looks here, and the top part has more defined pin stripes. The material is quite thin but i like it because it is quite clingy, but not in a bad lycra-showing-all-your-bumps kind of way. It is quite casual but i though it could be quite versatile, paired with leggings and flat black shoes with lots of accessories for a night out, or with a black t-shirt and jeans for daytime.

This one cost £18, and i think i'm going to return it. It's the two layer style dress with an elasticated 'bubble' hem and a string tie around the middle. This one is a little shorter, and i feel the length and style combine to make an unflattering finish for me, because it puffs out on my bum making it look bigger, and i already have a pear shaped figure (very small chest, bigger bum and thighs grr). Also, whilst i like the pattern close up, from a distance i think it looks like velvety material, and it looks really cheap.

I think i only bought it because i had ten minutes to find something to wear to a friends birthday party and night out, and i was a bit panicked! In the end i wore the other top, but i felt really underdressed!

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to dress it up a little?

that's all for now
xoxoanna

Skincare Routine and skincare info!!

I have two different skincare routines - the lazy one and the full one! These apply to both morning and night. I do usually try to do the full one but if it's late or i'm really tired i'll just use the lazy one! I am quite particular about taking my makeup off though, and my friends think it's really amusing because i will still attempt to remove it even if i'm drunk after a night out, at about four in the morning hehe.

The Full Routine:

Morning:
L'oreal Mousse Cleanser - to wash off any oilyness/anything missed by nightime routine (see review)
No7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum
No7 Protect and Perfect Day Cream

Night:
Johnson's Baby Oil - for eye make-up and waterproof mascara
Nivea Visage Gentle Cleansing Lotion for Dry and Sensitive Skin
(Once a week - Botanics Skin Brightening Toner [this contains alcohol which i read if you use on dry skin it becomes drier and if you use on oily skin it becomes oilier as it stimulates the cells too much)
Virgin Vie Stay Calm Night Cream

The Lazy Routine!

Morning:
L'oreal Cleansing Mousse
Pond's Dy Skin Cream or my favourite moisturiser ever which i have to buy off ebay - Neutrogena Ultimate Moisture Night Cream with Active Soy for Dry Skin (This is the best moisturiser i have EVER used!)

Night:
L'oreal Re-Nourish Anti-Dryness Cleansing Wipes - well worth any extra money for people with dry skin
Pond's Dry Skin Cream - this is more oily to make up for the moisture lost by using a wipe rather than a cleanser

However, to maintain good healthy looking skin, it is still important as we all know to drink lots of water and eat our 5 a day! For the under 30's, our skin 'turns over' roughly every 15-18 days, and for 30+ this slow to around a month, so any new product used will not take immediate effect, and if your skin starts to look good all of a sudden for no reason, you may remember drinking more water or taking more vitamins a while ago, and this is now taking effect. Alcohol also dehydrates your body so i find that i always have much drier skin if i have been drinking.

Below are some recommendations i found online

Cleanser Recommendations:
Normal Skin: A water soluble cleanser or a milder cleansing milk.
Combination Skin: A foaming cleanser proves to be beneficial for this skin type. A cleansing lotion containing a salicylic acid works rather well for this skin type, especially to help melt away those impurities and bacteria that cause breakouts. You should focus scrubbing your T-zone gently with this skin type.

Oily/Acne-prone Skin: Gels and lotions containing salicylic acid are good for Oily skins. Using a salicylic cleanser cuts through the bacteria and sebum build up

Dry Skin: Milk cleansers and gentle, water soluble cleansers are ideal for this skin type. If you find your cleanser is leaving your skin tight and flaky, you may be using a product that is just too harsh for your skin type.

Sensitive Skin: The same goes for sensitive skin. Gentle milk cleansers or water soluble cleanser work best for this skin type. Pay attention to key ingredients that may irritate YOUR skin!

Chronic Problem Skin: It is advised that you visit a Dermatologist to determine the correct product that is problem-specific. You may have acne or eczema, maybe psoriasis. A dermatologist can give you prescription cleansers, toners and moisturizers to help with a specific problem or condition.

That's all for now
xoxoanna

July favourites

So i thought i'd jump on this bandwagon even if it is a bit late! In july i didn't buy very much because i went on holiday so i had to save all my precious pennies!! So the things that i did like tended to be either holiday related or things that i rediscovered that i had already (that's the great thing about having no money for beauty products - as i'm sure you all know:)

1) Gillette Venue Embrace Razor - This is the best razor i have ever used, even better than a wax! However, whilst the razor itself i currently half price for about £4, the blades cost about £7 for three, which i so expensive, especially since i go through then faster as they pick up much more hair. grr. However, for a girl who always cuts her knees every time, this razor really i curve hugging and you don't even need to use foam or shower gel!

2) Dove Hair Minimising Deodorant in Nature Fresh - if i stay realistic and go with the fact that nothing is actually going to stop me sweating because that would be really unhealthy, i really like this purely for the fact that i smells great. I can't say i have noticed any hair minimising results, but i shave so often that i wouldn't really notice if it did lol

3) Toni and Guy Firm Hold Hairspray - you can get this in boots, and i usually get the mini one for £1.50, because it's portable and easier to hold. It contains 50ml which i find is enough because i usually only use it on my fringe or when i have urled my hair. You don't need too much either, because it can go a bit hard if you use too much. This is one of the few hairsprays i have found which actually holds my fringe back, and i also use a spray on my fingers to hold back my baby hair.

4) Gosh Darlig Lipstick - I know this is an obvious choice but it's something which i've had a while after watching lollipop26 rave about it, and i have fallen back in love! it's so creamy but i'm sure you've all read enough about it or already have it so i'm just going to stop there!

5) Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning - I have a sample of this which i took on holiday. I use it on my face because whilst my body tans really well i never tan on my face and end up looking really mis- matched! This product gives a really good but subtle colour. It's stronger than my johnsons face gradual tanner, but it doesn't peel like that one does. I just apply it with cotton wool ater removing my makeup before a shower and let it soak in a bit - don't forget to wash your hands though!

6) L'oreal Paris Visible Results Cleasing Mousse - just read my review.

7) Collection 2000 Dazzle Me! in no.14 Lustrous - This is an olive green pigment with gold sparkles. It's such a great colour with green or brown eyes, and looks great wet to wear out at night, and it's really inexpensive - another old favourite!

8) Bright blue eyeliner - i really like the 2true in no.15, only £1.95 in superdrug!! It's really bright, really smooth and really cheap, great to try a coloured eyeliner for hte first time.

9) Urban Decay Stray Dog Eyeshadow - the perfect brown gold. i wear it on it's ow or with a gold base, my friends think i'm wearing loads of different colours!

I could go on but i will restain myself lol
thats all
xoxo anna

Excitement! - New Barry M Products

Barry M recently released new colours in their range in the UK and surprise surprise i had to get some!. They are all mainly pink colours and are very summery.

I picked up one of the new lipglosses and lip paints in superdrug on saturday, so here's what i think...

I got a new lip paint in 147. I think it's the peachy one featured on the right hand side of the pic, but in real life it's more of a coral baby pink. It's a matte lipstick, and it is very matte, but i like that because you can put a gloss over the top to make it more shiny or opt for a more subtle look. I really love the colour of this one - it's exactly what i wanted from the no53 from barry m. It costs £4.16 in superdrug and looks great with pinky coral, light cheeks, natural looking eyes and lots of mascara!

The second item i picked up was from the new range of lipglosses. I got the one in no4 i think. It's a really baby pink, which is very cool toned with an almost purple tinge. It does contain quite a lost of sparkles which are quite small. The gloss itself has a doe foot applicater which tends to bring out too much product, which i then have to wipe off on the tube.

Each of the glosses has a scent, i think this one is a strawberry one, but it smells kind of like that sickly sugary fake strawberry smell, but it isn't strong enough for that to be an issue for me. The colour is very pigmented - too pigmented to just apply straight on the lips and leave, in my opinion. I have to put two dabs in the middle of my lips and smooth out with my fingers. Unfortunately this means that a lost of the colour is lost, but the paleness and glitter still remains. One of the main problems i have with this is the texture - don't get me wrong it is very creamy, it's just when i apply it to my lips it sits in all the lines (and i'm only 18 so it's not like i have very lined lips).

This lipgloss costs £4.16, and i don't think i would re-purchase it because i think it takes too much effort to look nice. True, there aren't many other drugstore glosses of this shade available, but i'd rather wear a pale pink or purple lipstick with a clear gloss.

That's all for now

xoxo anna

L'oreal Paris Visible Results Cleansing Mousse

I just bought this new face wash in superdrug because my nivea (the pink one) ran out. It was a great deal because l'oreal sin products are currently on 2 for £4.99, where as they normally cost between £4 and £6 each so it's a great deal!

I normally buy skin products designed for dry skin, where as this one seems to be targeted at anti-ageing. However, it is very creamy and is just as, if not more moisturising than my old nivea one.

It comes with 125ml and you literally only need smaller than a pea sized amount beause it lathers up so much, so i would say i will definately buy it again, but it doesn't seem like it will ever run out! lol

However if it does, i will definately spend the few pounds more for a better product. My skin looks fresher, cleaner and brighter in the morning, and it even makes me excited to wash my face in the morning!! (yes very sad, but i did even wash my face three times the first day i bought it). My skin looks so fresh that i haven't even worn make up for the past three days hehe. And it smells AMAZING too! (and i'm not normally the kind of person who uses capitals but in this case it is necessary!)

that's all for now
xoxo anna

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Mascara Mini in Purple Review

Wow what a name lol. I won't retype that one again!

Ok so the first picture is the one i have, and the second picture is to show the brush.

I got this mascara because i wanted to try a new colour, not spend to much, but not get one that didn't work very well.

The mascara itself works ok, which is better than i expected. It does give volume but not much length (although it never siad that it would do). It doesn't clump my lashes but it does give that 'crispy' feel. It also flakes after few hours. (And you get 5ml)

Onto the colour! It does give a purple colour to the lashes. Some coloured mascaras i've tried give very little colour but with one or two coats this one has a strong purple colour.

However - don't be afraid! My mum only noticed a difference after staring at me for ages so it's not vivid purple, it's quite dark. However i sometimes find that because my skin can be quite red, as can my eyes, the purple an highlight this more, because it too is more red based than a normal black or brown mascara.

The unusual thing about this product range is that all of the items have phone charms, which is quite cute for finding your mini lipgloss easily, but i can't see why i would want a mascara on my phone?!

I use this mascara when i'm feeling a bit more colourful, but not everyday. This doesn't bother me thought because it wasn't very expensive. I definately don't regret buying this one!!

That's all for now!

xoxo anna

Revlon Fabulash Waterproof Mascara

Hi! Sorry about the no posts - i've been in Ibiza for a week and then had a week of recovery!!hehe

Anyway, I got this mascara free when i bought my revlon colourstay foundation. I mistakenly bought the waterproof one but i only use it for the gym and swimming now so it's less of an issue.

Firstly... the packaging. This mascara has one of the most classy packaging out of all drugstore mascaras in my opinion. If i use it near friends they think it's a Dior or higher brand mascara. However, after a while of being stored in a drawer with other mascaras and eyeliners, the gold band around the top chips around the edges maing it look scruffy. (Although obviously this wouldn't happen if i stroed it more carefully!)

Then the brush is one of those with different length bristles. When you pull it out you do often get excess product on the tip of the brush, although not enought to have to wipe it somewhere (if you've ever had one like that i'm sure you know how annoying it is!). I find that the brush reaches all of my lashes and separates well. It does give me some volume and length in equal measure which is why i like it. It's not too dramatic so perfect for sport or even everyday, but i wouln't say it was a 'going out' mascara.

I also hoped that the waterproof formula would hold a curl better in my lashes but i find it a bit too thick and heavy so instead it just weights down my lashes. It does crumble on me as well after a few hours, but that could just be because it needs replacing!!

I've seen this mascara for £5.99 on ebay, and it's £8.31 in Boots. I would recommend this mascara if you can get it free with your foudation, or if you an find it a bit cheaper than the RRP, because eight pounds for a gym mascara is a bit pricy for me. I don't think i will replace this mascara when it has run out as i think there are many drugstore products which are cheaper and would give similar results.

That's all for now - sorry i can't include a photo, my mum's gone on holiday with my camera!

xoxo anna

Recent Purchases

It was one of my friend's birthdays recently so i went shopping to get her a present, and also i have a little look for myself after my exams finished!

So i hit miss selfridge as they had a huge sale on, and i managed to pick up a few things.

I bought these shoes for my friend. They are darkish blue patent pumps with a cream bow. They were reduced to £12 which i thought was really good and are a size 7.

I also bought her this ring (it is still on the packaging!) It was half price and was reduced to £3. Its a gold and peach butterfly, and is a size medium. I just thought it was nice and summery, and i know she really likes big 'statement' type rings.

I bought myself this belt for £5. It's a purple and black snakeskin skinny waistbelt with a gold tip and buckle. I've seen these kind of belts everywhere so they are quite in fashion right now. I do know that primark also do a cheaper alternative for about £1.50. Personally i don't think they look as classy but they are a fairly close match. I bought a size meduim cream snakeskin one to wear round my jeans.

This top i got in primark for £5. It's black on cream,a nd the sleeves are those 'slit' type sleeves, which are really wide. The back is open to about a quarter of the way with a string tie across. I bough this to wear with black leggings but when i tried it on i thought it looked strange as the neckline is quite high. However i saw a girl in a club wearing it off one shoulder with wet look leggings and it looked really good.

That's all for now

xoxo anna

Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation Review

This is the Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation. It contains the standard 30ml (1.04oz) and costs £21.53 on the clarins uk website, although i bought mine in boots. I also saw some on ebay when i was buying mine, but i would say only to buy it online i you know what shade you are.

The shades are 00, 01, 1.5, 02, 03, 04, 05 and 06. The shade i use is 1.5 which looks really orange in the pot, but is much lighter when it is rubbed in. This is why i would recommend getting matched instore because i was intending on buying the lightest one - 00 - which would have been too light. The only issue i have is that sometimes i feel as though it has too much of a pink undertone for my skin. (Also the MA in the store had really pale skin and said she uses 00, so i think this is better for paler skin tones.)

The packaging has a very classy feel, in my opinion, but the mirrored lid always shows fingerprints.

This foundation has the most amazing texture of any i have ever used!! It is so smooth (I can't stress this enough!) and when i first bought it i just wanted to keep putting more on. However, the MA said that if you have any flakey ptches of skin - don't use mousse foudations as they will stick to it and highlight your dry sin.

Recently i have also bought maybelline dream matte mousse to see if it was a cheap alternative - it's not. Clearly the higher price of Clarins is shown in its ingredients because it is so much better. The texture of dream matte mousse was so much drier in comparison to the creamy clarins one, and it didn't apply well. I don't think i will ever use this foundation, as i tried it with a brush, a wet sponge, a dry sponge and my fingers. The damp sponge worked the best but it still took a lot of effort for not great results.

As this is a matte finish it takes away the shine brilliantly when first applied. However, after around 6 hours of stressful work i found that my skin was quite oily. The trouble with mousse foundations i find, is that when they become oily they have a tendancy to 'slide' off if you touch them because they are much creamier than liquid. Despite this i personally would prefer to use a blotting powder throughout the day than to use a foundation which is too drying, and this foundation lets you apply setting poder, blush and bronzer on top without 'caking'.

The coverage of Instant Smooth is light to medium, but don't be put off if you like a heavier coverage. Most of my other foundations have medium to full coverage but this one works well with a concealer and looks visibly less heavy. It gives much more natural looking results which can also work in winter because off the matte finish.

Overall i really like this foundation. I use it as more of an 'in the house' foundation or for when i'm in a rush because you only need to use a tiny bit (so it lasts really long and doesn't dry up) applied with fingers and it looks great. I even managed to 'do my make-up' in my friends car in a petrol station the other day, after a long night out, which just consisted of this foundation, my eyelash curler and some maybelline colossal mascara. My dad then described my face as looking 'fresh' a couple of hours later, despite the blatent hangover plus two hour sleep - i was impressed!

Clarins lists the following as the active ingredients:
- Soft Focus pigments: light-diffusing.

- Acacia Micro-Pearls: line-plumping and smoothing.

- Acacia Micro-Pearls: behave like moisturising micro-patches.

- Vitamin E and Rose essential wax: protect and comfort.

That's all for now

xoxo anna

Shoe Dilema!!

I got these shoes about two years ago in Zara in Spain, and they are so pretty!! However, they are a little bit hard at hte back, and because i have odd shaped feet they do really hurt, so i didn't wear them for ages. Then i started using a compeed wax stick thing and some of those little gel pads and they were much easier to wear...

only now i realise i don't have anything to wear them with!!

They have a very small heel at the back, so they don't really go with jeans because they look too smart. Also, as most of my clothes are grey and black, i'm finding brown and orange a struggle.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what i can wear these with? Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! lol. i really want to start wearing them now it's summer.

that's all for now

xoxo anna

Barry M Nail Paint Review

I thought i'd review these since i'm getting back into wearing nail varnish again! I took a break for a while because my nails were terrible but i can't resist the lure of pretty colours!!

My nails are really short (usually quite a bit shorter than my actual finger). I don't bite my nails but i hate the feeling that they are dirty lol. i know - weird, and it isn't helped by those new hand sanitizer gels, which i use every five minutes at work. Combined i'm starting to feel a bit like a germ freak but oh well.

So... back to the nail varnish!

I have quite a few of these barry m nail paints (more than any other brand). They cost £2.95, which i think is a bargin, because many other drugstore varnishes are much more expensive and not as good quality.

One thing i really like about these is that often they only need one coat, and aren't very streaky. I hate wearing more than one coat of a nail varnish because on my little nails it won't dry. And i don't mean it won't dry in a few minutes, i mean it won't dry EVER!! So usually for those kind of varnished they just smudge until i take them off. Also they dry really quicky, but also come off without much effort from nail varnish remover (not scrubbing involved :)

However whilst this is true for most of them, i do find that the darker colours, such as the black and the rasberry, do streak a bit more, and may take more than one coat. (although this isn't true for the grey.) Another point which could be considered negative, is than i would say that you have to wear a base and top coat with these. Asides from making it much brighter, it will prevent then polish from staining your nails, particularly the yellow. The top coat should stop it wearing off so easily, although this may just be because my nails are too short. If you look at the picture below you should be able to see that this nail varnish has a strange habit of 'chipping' at the top and not anywhere else. Although it doesnt really seem like chipping because it is very ... smooth? but it just leaves a fine white line of your nail around the rims - something which i don't particulary mind.

(sorry i know this isnt in focus but my camera is useless)

This was taken without a base or top coat. It only normally chips as much as this finger on the left. The one on the right is just because i didn't have a top coat on, and after about four days (including exams - if that makes a difference!)

So overall i would really recommend these, particularly the bright shades. I think they're great for people like me - on a budget with short nails but don't want to forfit pretty summery colours!!

that's all for now

xoxo anna

Barry M Lip Paint Review

So I have three of the Barry M lip paints in :Green - A Touch Of Magic, and numbers 53 and 129. They cost £4.25 each and can be purchased online at barrym.com or at superdrug. They come in a smart, matte black packaging which is square shaped rather than the normal round bullet, and are very 'handbag' friendly because the cap won't come off accidently in your bag and they won't highlight fingerprints like the shiny ones do. However i would suggest you try these in a store first because some are better than others.

One tip i would give is to apply them to your lip and then just rub them in a little with your ring finger to give a smoother finish.

Top to bottom (and left to right) i have:
53 - coral

129 - palest lavender

Green - A touch of magic

Please excuse how wonky my lips look in the following photos!! They don't look like this normally, just on these pictures!

To start off with i may as well say that i have extremely dry lips. I always use a lip balm throughout the day and even though i didn't apply any directly before taking these pictures i have been using it during hte course of the day.

This is number 53. Quite honestly it is my least favourite out of the three. I bought it because i wanted a bright coral lipstick and couldn't afford a rimmel one at the time. (I know it's not showing up very bright but it is quite a strong colour in real life). This lipsticl however is very dry and doesn't apply well. I have tried it with both lip balm underneath and on top but i can't quite make it work. This lip paint is more shimmery as well, something which i don't really like.

This one is the number 129. I really like this lip paint because the colour pay off is amazing!! (Again the picture doesn't really do it justice - my camera doesn't like natural lighting.) My only fault with it would b e than it can be a little too creamy, as i experienced when i almost snapped it in half. It's still a bit lopsided but it'll do!!. This one really is very moisturising though and well worth the money if you like lavender colours.

This one is my favourite. The green lip paint. Most people say it comes out the same colour on everyone when it is supposed to be different, but i tried it on all of my friends and had different results. It also depends on how much you apply - the more you put on the hotter pink it gets. The texture is good - almost halfway between the other too, but it does leave almost a stain on your lips afterwards. However, I do quite like this as it means that it lasts a long time.

So overall i would really recommend these lip paints. I think they're good value if you get the right ones. I would also suggest that you don't take the pictures on the barry m website at face value because a lot of the colours look different in real life.

The next one on my list is currently number 100. It's a really pale but bright pink and is really creamy in texture.

that's all for now

xoxo anna

Trip to Superdrug :)

omgosh.

Youtube is such a revision distraction.

Supposedly 'revising' for my A2 Geography hazards exam tomorrow, then I watched some videos, and suddenly got that craving to buy something.Grr. Why now.

So i went to Superdrug and ended up buying:

1) Softlips lip balm in vanilla

2) Me Me Me concealer

3) Revlon matte eyeshadow in Riviera Blue

4) a galaxy (ok so i had chocolate cravings too)

5) Carmex

6) Nivea Lip Balm Original

hmm. are we seeing a theme here?

So i've always used the nivea balm (i've tried them all but this is the best, even better than the repair one) and i thought i'd better get anew one since my fourth stick ran out today and my lips just die without it. It is really creamy though, after you've let it warm up a little, so it runs out quite fast (if you're using it about five times a day that is).

However, i've been hearing great reviews on the softlips so i thought i'd better try it. It's a little smaller than i'd imagined (only 2grams compared to Nivea's 4.8grams) but this does allow for more precise application, if you want that. I also didn't realise that it was minty too! I really like minty things on my lips, even though i find mints too strong to eat (i know, really weird), mainly because they give a really fresh feel - kind of like cleaning your teeth without actually doing it. It does glide on really easily and i can see why people like it, but it doesn't beat my nivea!

Then i saw the carmex, and again, i've heard really great things on you tube. This one was a bit more expensive (only three or four pounds but still...) but i thought it would be really moisturising. Don't get me wrong, i do really like it, but like the softlips - it won't beat my nivea!! I got the one in the yellow tube rather than the pot. It comes with 10grams so maybe that explains the price, and it comes out really thick, again with that minty flavour only much stronger than softlips. I can't really say i found it moisturising if i am being honest. However. it does look like a really nice clear lipgloss when it's on, and i really like the mint so i will use it but i don't think i'd buy it again. I wouldn't use the tube formula under a lipstick because it is too thick.

I haven't tried the me me me concealer yet, but i have had a go with the revlon matte eyeshadow. I bought it because i was looking for a darkish colour to create that 'smokey' look, and everyone on youtube was talking about finding alternatives for black and dark grey to use i n the summer to make it look a little warmer. So i got this blue, for about £5 i think, and despite the fact that i have green eyes i quite like it. I put it in the crease tomake my pink eyeshadow (barry m's dazzle dust in 32) look a little more adult! i realy like hte effect it gives. It looks almost greyish but a bit warmer. I think if i'd put more on you would be able to see the blue but i prefer a lighter wash. The texture of the eyeshadow is really nice, very velvety for a matte. There was a cream one as well which looked and swatched really nicely but i couldn't afford two :( They are reduced in boots at the moment, for two pounds off i think so if you are like me and don't like too much shimmer in an eyeshadow but don't want to compromise on texture i'd go and try one at least. (I didn't get mine in boots only because my store only carries two shades :(

that's all from me

xoxo anna