My first beauty swap with Ana.

Hi everyone!

Today was a little bit like Christmas :) I received a package from Ana, full of amazing goodies.

Ana is one of my favourite bloggers and I was very happy when she offered to do a swap with me.

If you would like to check out her blog, here is a link www.withloveana.blogspot.co.uk.

Ana is such a lovely girl and her blog is very addictive!!! She has the most amazing nails :) and great taste for beauty products and fashion. The quality of her photos is simply AMAZING and I also adore the inspiration photos she includes in her posts. You should definitely check it out!

I absolutely love everything Ana got for me and I didn't expect to get so many products! :) 

I think that many British bloggers feel overwhelmed with the amount of products they receive in swaps, simply because UK prices are shocking compared to other countries.

The swap was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed it.  

It is a great way to get products from other countries and meet amazing people, so I would definitely recommend it!

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING ANA! xoxo

all the goodies, including some of my dream nail polishes from Essence :) !!!

Essence colour & go polishes! I can't describe my excitement!!!

more essence, catrice and she

how cute is that? mini Essence lipglosses, the packaging  reminds me of Benefit kits :)

gorgeous hand made headband by mimi

He-Shi Express Liquid Tan and Day To Day Gradual Tan review +before and after

Today I am reviewing two products from He-Shi: Express liquid Tan and Day To Day Gradual Tan. You already know that I love fake tan. It is the only way to get a tan in Scotland :) Sunbeds are big big NO NO!!! I don't want to get skin cancer or look like a leather couch when I turn 30 :) Fake tan is the only safe way to get a nice healthy glow and make you feel more confident!

I have never tried Liquid Tan before so I was very excited to give the He-Shi goodies a go. I already reviewed the bronzer, so if you want to have a look, here is  the link.

HE-SHI Express Liquid Tan 150ml* £20.00 link

I am very impressed with this tanning solution! I have never used liquid tan before and I just didn't realise how amazing and easy it is. It is literally EXPRESS TAN! One thing you need to remember is EXFOLIATION. It is a very important step, especially when you use liquid tan. Don't ever skip this step if you want your tan to look gorgeous. 

When I received  the package I ran to the bathroom to try the product on my legs and I was very happy with the colour, but I forgot to exfoliate and the tan ended up looking patchy. It was my own fault and I was very annoyed. I exfoliated my full body in the evening with exfoliating gloves and an oil free body scrub, moisturised dry areas of my body with an oil free moisturiser and applied the Liquid Tan with the He-Shi tanning mitt. The application is so easy, the liquid glides onto the skin leaving a gorgeous guide colour with no streaks or ugly patches. You can see the difference in the before and after pictures below. Amazing results in a couple of minutes! The fading process was very 'graceful' and I was using the Day To Day Gradual Tan all week to keep my skin soft ant top up the colour.

Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that as soon as you apply the tan you can put your clothes back on, as it dries instantly. Remember to avoid contact with water for 6-8 hours though. It didn't stain my bedding at night and a little goes a long way so it is worth the £20 price tag. You can also get 300ml (a lot of product) for £30, saving yourself £10.

before and after using He-Shi Express Liquid Tan (it's the guide colour). It is less orange after a shower.

HE-SHI Day to Day gradual tan 200ml* £14.50 link

This gradual tanner is perfect if you have fair complexion or if you want to maintain the Liquid Tan and keep your skin moisturised and silky soft. It absorbs very quickly and smells lovely. By using this product every day I managed to keep a lovely tan for over a week! It is very important to keep moisturising your skin if you use fake tan and a gradual tanner gives the best results.

HE-SHI tanning mitt* £4.50 link

I have tried many tanning mitts before, but this one is simply the best.  It makes the application easy, it doesn't tear and helps to get a nice even finish.

*PR samples

Beauty haul: TK Maxx, Boots and a great magazine freebie

I went to TK Maxx on Monday and I just couldn't resist picking up some goodies (c/o husband)
I got two sets of Stila makeup for £7.99 and £9.99. WHAT A BARGAIN! I will be doing a separate post about it.
I also got two Pixi nail polishes, as set of scented nail polishes and an eyeshadow palette.
From Boots I got Soap & Glory exfoliating gloves and Barry M magnetic nail polish.
The best find was the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish that was a freebie with RED magazine. I wanted to buy more to stock up on this amazing cleanser, but I only got one :)

Bourjois magic Nail Polish Remover review. 1 second per nail?

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover £4.99

I can't even describe how much I love this product. I am sure you've heard about it already, but... I really want to share my thoughts. I couldn't wait to get it from Boots and I kept checking my local store. I finally got my mitts on it on Monday - yay!

Does it work? Well... it doesn't remove the nail polish in 1 second as it claims, but I didn't expect that anyway :) 

It removes one coat in 5 seconds and 2-3 coats in 10-20 seconds. No scrubbing and no damage to the nail. Simply dip your finger inside the bottle and twist until the nail varnish is removed. MAGIC!!! One bad side of it is the smell. It is very strong when you open the bottle and it can give you a headache. But when you are done, your nails are clean, nourished and smell of sweet almond oil. The acetone-free formula is gentle on nails and cuticles. It is my favourite nail polish remover ever! It is simply amazing!

I wouldn't recommend it for removing glitter nail polish though, because it will damage the sponge.

DIY: How to make your own nail polish

I always wanted to make my own nail polish and I didn't realise how easy it was! You will need:
-clear nail polish
-eyeshadow pigment or any crushed eyeshadow in a powder form, glitter if you like it :)
-eyeshadow brush
-bottle cap/lid/container- anything you can find

Pour some clear nail polish into the container. Using an eyeshadow brush put some pigment into the container. You won't need a lot. Add some glitter if you want. Mix all the ingredients with your nail polish brush until you get a smooth mixture. Now you can paint your nails :) I used 2 coats.
I will be trying to make more colours later on this week.

HE-SHI Fusion Multi Bronze and kabuki brush review

He-Shi Fusion Multi Bronze 10g* £15.50 link

 I love bronzers and I use them on my face and body. They are the fastest and easiest way to get a lovely glow and a sun kissed look. This mosaic of colours is perfect  for every skin tone and looks very natural. It gives a matt finish, although I can see a little bit of shimmer in some colours, which doesn't really transfer onto the skin. You can also use it as an eyeshadow or use the lightest colour as a highlighter- it looks quite nice this way. The only bad thing about it is the fallout, if I use the He-Shi brush, but... I tried my Real Techniques blush brush to apply this bronzer to my cheeks and jawline and it works much better. 

He-Shi bronzing brush* £6.99 link

 This baby didn't really work on my face, but it is perfect for bronzing larger areas, like my neck and chest and it gives quite a nice finish. The size is perfect and it is well made. I will keep using it as a body brush.

First swatch shows all the colours mixed together, the rest are all the individual shades.

*PR SAMPLES

New in: Cutey Shamballa Bracelets and GIVEAWAY

I received these gorgeous shamballa bracelets* from Cutey and I love them.
I have got a big collection of shamballa bracelets and I also make them myself if I have got time :)
I got three lovely designs: pink, gold & white and white & blue.

CUTEY SHAMBALLA BRACELET GIVEAWAY! 

Thanks to lovely people from www.cutey.co.uk  two lucky readers can win a shamballa bracelet of their choice, click here to see nine gorgeous designs. The giveaway is international! I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway and that's the only way to enter it. Good luck everyone!

Denman D3 Pink Zebra Styling Brush review

Hi everyone.

I received this Denman D3 Pink Zebra Hairbrush last week and I need to admit I am quite impressed. 

Denman D3 Pink Zebra Brush* £8.68 link

INFO:The Denman D3 Zebra styling brush is a handbag essential. Ideal for any hair length or type, it includes the famous Denman half-round pad to give maximum grip and control, and seven rows of famous Denman nylon pins, making it the perfect partner for blow drying, smoothing, shaping and polishing the hair.

MY OPINION: I didn't expect to be so excited about hairbrushes, but I am loving this zebra print beauty! First of all, the design is very pretty. You can pick from 4 colours: Pink, Blue, Purple and White(all with black zebra print). 

The brush does a great job at styling and really helps to give my hair a nice shape and smooth finish when I am blow-drying it. It also helps to detangle my easily tangled hair :) I was so impressed with this little beauty, that as soon as I seen another Denman brush in Sainsbury's I just had to buy it. It was the amazing Grooming brush D81S and I will be reviewing it soon too. Both brushes glide through my hair and leave it perfectly smooth.

You can pick up Denman brushes from Boots, including their amazing fragranced range. The prices are very affordable, most brushes are under £10.00 and the quality is really good!

BM Beauty mineral foundations review

Bargain alert!
Just to let you know, you can buy samples of BM Beauty mineral foundations from www.cutecosmetics.co.uk link. They cost £1.25 with FREE delivery and it is a great way to see if you are a mineral foundation kinda girl :) I AM!
I am totally blown away with both samples! I picked two shades to try out: Naked and Honey Mist and I love both of them. I use Naked when I don't have fake tan on, and Honey mist when my face is tanned. The finish is gorgeous and very natural and if you want full coverage it is possible to build up layers quite easily. It lasts 8-10 hours without touching up and feels very lightweight. Actually I feel like I have nothing on my face when I use this foundation. I apply it with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and it gives a flawless finish and a long lasting result. I will be buying the full size product asap! It really is worth trying. I took a picture of the samples next to my RT Buffing Brush so you can see the size- one sample is enough for 3-4 applications, depending on the desirable coverage.

Barry M magnetic nail polish in shade 328 Magnetic Blue

I always wanted to try magnetic nail polish. The effects look great and I was tempted to buy one from Nails Inc, but I am glad I waited patiently for something cheaper.
Barry M realased a collection of Magnetic nail polishes and they cost £4.99! There is 4 shades available and if you go to Boots and buy 3 Barry M nail polishes you save £1 :)
Here is my first attempt :) hahaha. I surely need some practice... when I master the skill of using the magnet I will update you on my progress... Other girls did it... so I hope I can do it too :)
Have you ever tried magetic nail polish? How did it turn out for you?

My Forever 21 jewellery haul

This post is well overdue. I bought all the items in February!!! I love Forever 21 jewellery and my collection is quite big. I will probably do a post about my jewellery collection soon, as I got a few requests to do it. It is a huge collection so it will be a photo heavy post if I find time to do it :)
Here is my haul with links to the items that are still available or something similar that I managed to find.

PS. If I don't reply to messages, I am sorry... my baby boy is having an operation tomorrow and he will need as much attention and love as possible from me for the next couple of days.
I prepared posts for 5 days in advance to make sure I don't get distracted with my blog :)

Necklaces: left £5.65 available in Peach here , right: £7.40 link

Zig Zag Stack Neon Rings £4.90, similar here

This ring was £4.90 but it is sold out atm :(

Pyramid Treasure Ring £4.90 link

RING £4.90 link

from the left:

Large Rhinestone Pyramid Bracelet £8.90 link

Pyramid Stud bracelet £12.15 link

Neon Pyramid Bracelet £5.75- I think it's sold out

Glossybox April edition- Natural products for an Eco-warrior :)

After weeks of waiting, it finally arrived at my doorstep! It's the April edition Glossybox. Normally I would be very annoyed about the wait, but as soon as I seen that it is  biodegradable and contains natural and organic products, I was quite pleased. It is probably my favourite Glossybox so far. You know that I am obsessed with natural ingredients :)
The box includes five products and two of them are full size. There is only one product I won't use, the rest is perfect.

Glossybox, £10.00 +£2.95 P&P

1.Figs & Rouge Lip Balm-Peppermint and Tea Tree-I really like it, but I would prefer a fruity one

It is a multipurpose balm for lips, face and body, it can be used on your cuticles, elbows, knees...

Full size: £3.29/8ml

2.Caudalie Serum-I am happy that I can finally try something from Caudalie, as everybosy is raving about it at the moment. Full size: £29.00/30ml

3.Monu Professional Skincare Enriched Body Cream-it smells amazing! A rich, indulgent cream to comfort and nourish the skin. Full size: £23.00/200ml

4.Philip B Drop Dead Straightening Balm- MY HAIR IS STRAIGHT!!! I filled in my profile, so I don't understand why I got this... Full size: £17.00/178ml

5.Inika COsmetics Certified Organic Eyeliner- I am so happy with this product! The consisctency and color are truly amazing! Full size: £11.75 per liner