Thursday 29 July 2010

Eyelash growth...




Hey everyone,
In my last blog I tried an experiment. After hearing Vaseline could be used to condition lashes I tried it out. I applied a copious amount of Vaseline on my lashes before bed for 6 weeks and whilst I did notice a definite improvement in their condition I wanted to see how eyelash growth formulas would hold up against my trusty Vaseline.
*Enter L'oreal renewal lash serum* at just £10.99 I consider this baby to be relatively cheap and brilliant value for money if all the rave reviews are true (and if I can get Frieda Pinto lashes). You can see from the picture at the top that the wand is crescent shaped and you use the bend edge to apply the serum. Well, that's how I've been doing it anyway! They also have another version of it and I think it had mascara on the other end. I have only been using this for a couple of days now and the whole cycle is 6 weeks long. So I will update you on the length and quality of my lashes then. Fingers crossed that it will be amazing and I won't regret the £11.
Lots of love,
TheBeautyBlogger x

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Ins and Outs

Hey everybody
After a whole load of serious posts I just want to do one fun one for you all. This post is 'ins and outs' and a lot of my favourite bloggers do this so I just wanted to try it out. These are all just random things I have thought of, of the top of my head. If you have a blog please feel free to do this too!


IN-

Skirt Shorts

this is a cute new trend that I am in love with I have already bought several pairs and they're great. I love short skirts but I am terrified of accidentally flashing so these work great. I am not too sure about the pattern of these but they're not mine (pict taken from Google images). They look a lot like skirts but you get the security of wearing shorts. Score.




Twister ice cream-

I have a sudden craving for ice cream even though it isn't particularly hot over here in the UK. I am loving Twisters at the moment. Ummmmmmm...





OUT-




Having tons of work to do-

Obvious really. Too much work+too little fun= unhappy Beauty Blogger =(











MAC-

I am sick and tired of their high prices, over hyping and their under delivering. I am hereby on a MAC boycott.





Anyway, those are my ins and outs of this week.
Comment below and tell me yours!
Lots of love
TheBeautyBlogger x

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Mascaras I have tried or would like to try...

Hey guys,
In my post 'over hyped and underwhelmed' I mentioned Maybelline Colossal Lash Mascara as an item I felt didn't live up to it's hype and I got a response from someone thanking me for saving them from buying it. I love helping people save money by telling them what I feel is not worth it's price tag but I think that the whole fun of finding a holy grail product is the experimenting- buying and trying lots of crappy formulations before stumbling across an absolute gem- sticking to it for a few months before getting bored and repeating the whole process. Anyway the point of me saying this is that something that worked for me may not for you and vice versa so I never want any one of my subscribers to feel obliged to rush out and buy a product simply because I gave it a good review. Anyway that having been said my post today is four mascaras I have loved and one I would like to try. Just before I start I just want to say I like the natural look- not a big fan of spider lash for those of you who love that kind of thing
=( Sorry!


Trucco Double body mascara

I just want to say that this was one of my first ever mascaras! I am not really sure where you can get this from. I got it as a freebie with a Sebastian shampoo and conditioner (which, incidentally I hated but the mascara was a love <3)
Lookfantastic. com is where I got it from. I love this so much- it's creamy, dark, doesn't flake or clump and it lenghtens nicely. It lasted me AGES though so if you like to change mascaras all the time it's gonna be difficult.





CHANEL inimitable

I read so many good reviews about this and it was recommended it me a lot of times so I finally decided to get my mits on it. It was £21.50 *gulp* but I love it. It comes in the chic CHANEL packaging and lenghtens well. If you love 'Spider Lash' effect then I wouldn't recommend this because it lenghtens but the lashes look really natural- which is 1/2 the reason I love this.




Clinique high impact mascara

Ok, this is a tricky one. I know a lot of people who hate this but I love it. I personally though that it was great- smooth and the end effect was beautifully even BUT there were a few blobs initially which had to be corrected using my lash separator brush. Also I had to give this one the oxygen treatment to get it to behave but I really liked the end effect so I am willing to look past it's flaws.



Benefit Bad Gal lash mascara

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Benefit. I love their counters, I love their products and I love their packaging. This was another love of mine and it was my latest mascara and I have just finished it off. The brush is huge and has a really specific shape- something that MAC copied in their latest mascara ( I HATE all MAC mascaras). Anyway, there's not really much to say now, great product, I love it, I would definitely recommend this to anyone.



WHAT I WANT TO TRY NEXT....



Urban Decay Big Fatty Lash Mascara

I have had my eye on this beauty for quite a while now but I have never got round to actually getting it. Now that my Bad Gal is finished I might just grab this off the shelf. It has Castor oil in it- something that is rumored to improve the condition of lashes. I have read some reviews on it- so all that's left is to try it. Will be posting a review soon.




Until next time...
Lots of love
TheBeautyBlogger x

Monday 26 July 2010

Set for Polyvore COACH competition


COACH chic Hey everyone,
My favourite site Polyvore teamed up with COACH to hold a competition to celebrate the release of their new fragrance- poppy. For those of you who don't already know what Polyvore is- it's a site that lets users create outfits online and assemble them- and me- being a fashionista- I love it to bits. I'll post a couple of other sets I've made if you guys want. Anyway, the competition was to create a set using at least 3 items from Coach (one of which had to be the fragrance) and create a set. The prize is a $1,000 shopping spree at Coach.com and 3 runners up (I think?) get a $500 shopping spree which I think is still pretty generous. After I created my set I went to check out other items on the COACH page and I will insert some of my favourite pieces from the new Poppy collection later on in the post. Unfortunately the contest is now closed but there are lots of others to take part in. I am just going to run you quickly through the outfit-

Inker Sheath Dress- GBP 115- Coast
Alex Blazer GBP 260- Coach
Brigett Heel-GBP 130-Coach
Poppy pop C Applique Groovy bag- GBP 150-Coach
Poppy Cupchain multi earrings- GBP 90-Coach
Poppy pin- GBP 51- Coach
Poppy Cupchain three strand flower necklace- GBP 280-Coach
You rebel tinted moisturiser- Benefit
Red Lipstick
Shanghai Nights fascinator- GBP 5- Oasis



My favourite items from the new collection are...








These are my two favourite pieces and I must say that they are pretty plain when compared to the whole collection. The poppy range is really colourful (which means plain understated outfit)and I mostly stick to non offensive colours but I must say all the bags are beautiful =)
Will you be checking out the new collection anytime soon?
Lots of love,
TheBeautyBlogger x

Sunday 25 July 2010

Things that you'll always find in my bathroom

Hey everyone,
My post today is 'products that you can always find in my bathroom'. =) It's a simple one but it's often missed and I feel it's quite important that I cover it AND you have exclusive access to a piece of my bathroom. BTW- I tag you all! Anyone who reads this blog and has one of their own- RESPOND!! I love responses and please please please post a picture??

I'm gonna start at the front (sorry but it didn't photograph very well but I hope you can see it).

1) LUSH- Ocean Salt Scrub and Karma Cream.
This is my latest skin care routine. I bought the Sea Scrub whilst on holiday in Sri Lanka I wasn't expecting too much of it. I have always adored LUSH because all their products smell amazing and because of their 'green image' but there's no denying that their scrubs and lotions aren't comparable to specially formulated brands- LUSH is like an ornate candle- it smells and looks great but doesn't really have any practical use. I was pleasantly surprised though when I tried this. I got a new toothbrush and dunked it in before exfoliation my face. The toothbrush combine with the salt crystals in the scrub left my face soft and smooth. The Lotion wasn't quite a love of mine though- the scent was really exotic and exceedingly strong (well, for me anyway) and gave me a head ache. I felt it was too thick to be used during the day so one day before bed I slathered a thick layer on and went to sleep. What did I wake up to?? Soft, glowing skin... The point of putting these two products in the shot was to show you all that there is ALWAYS a LUSH product to be found in my bathroom. There is also my LUSH Whip stick lip balm in the shot but you can't really see it. You can, however, see the comforter bubble bar... it's literally amazingness in a bar.

2)The orangey box behind the ocean sea scrub is a mango body set from the Body Shop another one of my loves. It smells incredible and mango is my favourite fruit- I buy this time and time again.

3) Little pink tube of Rose scented talcum powder because I am a little old lady at heart and it smells nice.

4)Vaseline moisturising body gel oil. Lollipop26 blogged about it and I rushed out to get it. I initially thought that this was a moisturiser in gel form- a new and interesting concept but it's actually an oil. I find it too oily to use on my face but it's great for applying to freshly shaved legs for a light shine.

5) Body Shop hemp oil hand cream. This doesn't smell great but my hands get really dry and this is a great hand lotion and it was 1/2 price so I had to get it, didn't I? I do find that I can't do anything for about 20 minutes later until the cream sinks in because it's too slippery ;-)

6) The yellow bottle with the orange lid is suncream/sunscreen because it was really hot in the UK a few weeks ago.

7)You can't see this in the pic but behind the sunscreen is my Aussie shampoo and conditioner which I love at the moment because it smells good, does it's job and doesn't burn holes in my purse.

8) Eau De Cologne. I have used this since I was born. Seriously. My hair is really thick so when I wash it, it takes ages to dry- rub a bit of this in and it drys quicker. It's also really cooling so when I'm not feeling too great I dab a bit on my forehead and it cools me down. I also use it as a perfume too because I love the smell though I know a lot of people who don't.

9)Charlie deodorant. Wide range with lots of choice, funky packaging and nice scents. What's not to love.

10)Vaseline is a no brainer. It can be used as a makeup remover, a moisturiser, a lip balm... the list goes on.

11)Tigi BedHead split ends mender. I love the BedHead range but it can only be bought in salons and has a salon price tag to match. But I think they're worth it as they look good, smell nice and I am virtually split end free!

So that's what you'll always find in my bathroom. If you do a response post link it below!
Lots of Love
TheBeautyBlogger x

Saturday 24 July 2010

Overhyped and Underwhelmed. Read the original here.

I am doing this post in response to one that the lovely Laura (Lollipop26) did a while ago that I quite liked. It was 'Over hyped and Underwhelmed'. As well as letting you know what I have loved it's also important that you all know what I didn't like so that you don't fall into the trap too. I'm gonna get started...


Diorshow Mascara

I paid £17 for this after countless rave reviews. I believed them. Wrong. For £17 I would expect an amazing result- this was drugstore level. So, whilst I don't hate it- I do feel it's over hyped and overpriced. It was also very flaky.






Maybelline Matte Mousse
My god, was this over hyped or not? I read numerous hyped up review about this-it gives that airbrushed look' blah, blah, blah. So ever the naive little girl I rushed out to the store to get my own. OMG. I couldn't find a good match in colour so I picked up the closest one but when I tried it, it was patchy, streaky, it faded and broke me out in spots. Maybelline, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Not impressed. At all.


Maybelline Colossal Lash Mascara

Another Maybelline product to complain about- The Colossal lash mascara. I read tonnes of good reviews about this so I went to get it. It wasn't too expensive - I can't remember the actual price but I still felt that it was a waste of my money. It was clumpy, flaky and completely and utterly gross. Sorry Maybelline- it's just not a good day for you today =)


MAC Dazzleglasses

I do think that MAC in general is hugely over hyped but I think that it is 1/2 of their marketing strategy. (And did you know that MAC was owned by ESTEE LAUDER??). Anyway, I ordered my Dazzleglass and when I got it I was really excited to try it. It was bad. It was sticky, way too shiny and I hated the brush. I was really shocked by this because literally every beauty guru on YT swears by this and for the enormous price tag (£14.50 for a lip gloss? I don't think so) I was massively let down. I have had £5 glosses that were better than these. Anyway, I could complain all day so I think we need to move on.

So those are my Over hyped and Underwhelmed products. What are yours? Comment below!

Lots of love,

TheBeautyBlogger x

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Summer Outfit

Hey Guys,
Here is a quick, cute, casual but quirky summer outfit for all of you lucky enough to have nice, hot weather! I try as hard as I can to pick items that are not totally, completely and utterly unique just because then you won't be able to dupe them and the whole purpose of me doing this is defeated. Anyway, enough chatter.I will run through it as quickly as I can =)

Heavy Stitch Shorts- Wet Seal- 13 GBP
These can be found anywhere- just hunt round for short, denim shorts. Any good shop should have them in stock- hunt around in Primark and you are sure to find them for less than £13.

Ray Ban Sunglasses-ASOS.com-240 GBP
WOAH! £240 is not something I am willing to pay for a pair of ray ban sunglasses. Luckily these can be easily duped as it's a popular style. I only picked these out because I felt the shape matched well with the overall outfit. Any pair should do though!

Diego Bucket Bag- Alexander Wang
The idea of this was just a brown, small purse with a strap that can go across the body- because I think that's really summery.

KALLA gladiator sandals-Kurt Geiger- 45 GBP
These are cute but I am sure you can get gladiators like these for less than that. In fact I bought a pair from Apple Snow the other day for £15 in their 'closing down sale' *liars* (the sign has been up for months now) but none the less I was sucked into buying them... I also picked up a few items in the Next Sale....I feel a haul coming up... watch this space....

Petite Lace Button Cami-Topshop-25 GBP
This is a really cute piece- hunt around- I'm sure you'll find a dupe.

You rebel tinted moisturiser- Benefit
It's too hot for foundation, it'll just sweat off your face but tinted moisturiser is a nice, light alternative if you still want some coverage. You can make your own by adding a blob of your usual foundation to moisturiser.

Red lipstick
I know you all have this at home. =)

Anyway, that's it,
I hope you liked the outfit- if you did, comment below =)

Lots of Love,
TheBeautyBlogger

Monday 19 July 2010

A beauty product I am loving at the moment...

(pointless DIY photograph. This was shot taped to a piece of paper because my room was hideously messy =P)
The other day I popped into LUSH. I came out with practically the whole store in tow. I am loving one item in particular though. It's the Whip Stick Lip balm which cost £5 for 8g (I think?)
Anyways, I opened the tin and took a huge whiff and I must say I have fallen in love with the smell of it- it smells and tastes just like chocolate- without all the extra calories. Yay!
I put this on and it gave my lips a slight brown tint so if you have dark skin this could work out as a kind of nude lip balm... It was just so...moisturising and leaves lips nice and smooth, soft and kissable! Just one bad thing though- when the stuff has dried up I find flakes of dead skin on my lips which I then have to exfoliate off with my old tooth brush to keep my lips smooth. Overall, I would give it four stars out of five because I have tried better things out there. I am going to try Burt's Bees lip balm next- just because the lip product fanatic in me can't stick to one product and finish it off. My drawers are OVERFLOWING with lip products...hmmmm I smell a project 10 pan not too far off in the distance...
Bye for now =)
TheBeautyBlogger x

Friday 16 July 2010

Outfit for Preps


Hey guys,
Sorry for this but I have now decided to mash my two blogs together just simply because I can't be bothered to keep posting on different sites and it became confusing for my fashion accustomed brain. So, as of today http://thebeautybloggerspeaks.blogspot.com will be a beauty/fashion site- alternating- ex. one day will be a fashion post and the next day beauty and so on and so forth...

Today is a fashion post and this is an outfit I made for all those who describe their style as 'preppy'. So I created this outfit on polyvore which is a great site to play around with if you love creating outfits and slinging bits and pieces together. Anyway, to the point. The screen print is a little blurry so I'll run through the whole outfit- none of the pieces are too hard to dupe and you can get them quite cheap and in most stores.

The jeans came from Forever21-very easy to find similars- they're just browny red skinny jeans and can be bought from most stores for a good price. My advice is to just look around- what a great piece of advice *scoffs*

The blazer came from Oli- which I admit I have never heard of before. Blazers are in right now so this was a cute little addition to bring the outfit bang up to date it's also vital to stop the outfit from being boring. It's black and white so it can be worn with anything and everything so I would say it's a pretty good investment. I have seen blazers in H&M and in GAP too- so, again, hunt around.

The grey top is pretty much what you can see- a high neck, short sleeved top that should be tucked into the skinny jeans before dressing it up with a blazer. It can be found anywhere-it's a grey top for goodness sake-if you're going really cheap go to Primark as they're sure to have it.

The bag is from BabyPhat- it's a wood red shoulder bag- for dupes try Primark, H&M etc.

The wooden cuff with the gold work is from ASOS (FACT-ASOS actually stands for as seen on screen because many of their pieces are celebrity inspired) and I can't imagine that it cost too much. But again, it's easy to find similars- a plain wooden cuff bracelet will be fine =)
The necklace is from Clares which I have no doubt that all of you have visited once in your life. You may not be able to find the exact one I've used but a long, gold chain will dress up the outfit fine. This could cost anything between £1-£5. Again, if you have a low budget- try Primark.
The ring is from Alex Monroe @ Net-a-porter.com BUT it is hideously expensive. I thought it was cute but I think that the quality of the outfit won't be affected if you go without. The idea was just a small, gold ring- again- can be found anywhere.
So that's my outfit for the Preppy girls- I hope you like it and if you enjoyed this post- FOLLOW!
Lots of Love,
TheBeautyBlogger x

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Beauty Tricks

1) If your lips become chapped in cold weather, try this- use an old toothbrush to get rid of the dry, rough, flaky skin and then slather on some Vaseline. If you like a bit of colour mix some of your lipstick or gloss with Vaseline to turn it into a tinted lip conditioner. I do this all the time- especially with cheap waxy lipglosses- I scoop them out of the palettes they usually come in with a lip brush- mix it with a dollop of vaseline (into an old lip balm tin) and then microwave it (make sure the container isn't made of metal though otherwise it will create sparks) leave it in the fridge for an hour and you have your very own tinted lip conditioner.
2) On the contrary to what has always been preached to us- you can actually curl your lashes after applying mascara. And in fact it makes the curl lash longer. Just make sure that you wait until the mascara is completely dry.
3) Picture this- you come home after a long day from work/school and you are about to get ready for a big night out. There's just one problem- your hair is greasy and you don't have enough time to wash it. It's a dilema that we've all faced but try this next time- massage a little talc into your the roots(don't go overboard though otherwise your hair will look white) then blow dry it. This will absorb all the grease, et voila you are ready for your big night out... grease free...
4) Apply foundation with a face brush- this makes the overall look more even and you get that amazing 'airbrushed' finish that everyone loves.
5) Mix different lipstick colours together to create new shades!
6) Dab some Vaseline onto your lids instead of shade to get a subtle shine... this is a good one if your school/place of work has a no makeup policy but you still want to look good.
7)Mix a blob of gold eyeshadow to your foundation to give you a nice overall glow- not too much though or you know what will happen...
8)Try lash primers- yes they actually have lash primers- they just help the mascara to go on better and not clump.

Tuesday 13 July 2010

First Post EVER! Hi Everyone....

Hi potential subscriber(s),

As you are here I thought I would take the time to introduce myself. As you have guessed from the title of this blog I am a beauty blogger (one in a million). I am totally new to this and so just bear with me :) Anyway, experimenting with makeup and beauty products is just something that I enjoy and I love discussing makeup, fashion, hair and anything else shallow. If you love this too- subscribe! It only takes a minute, requires a Yahoo, Google or Twitter account and it makes me incredibly happy (double smile!) :):)

What I love- All things shallow never fail to excite me- materialism runs in my veins, Taylor Lautner esp. when he is topless for obvious reasons, Benefit makeup, Music and beauty vids on YouTube and Blogging- of course.

What I hate- When Blogger refuses to do what I tell it to, Spinach (shudder), Maths which I can not do to save my life and unstylish people...

Okay, Enough rambling, I'll see you soon with a very exciting post (pinkie promise)
Mwah,