Purple smokey eye

I love the  smokey eye look and I think I have tried all the colour combinations you can think of.

I will be experimenting with colours on the blog and every week I will try to create different looks.

I usually go for natural looks or don't wear make-up at all, but I am sure I can make an exception once a week :) Today I decided to reach for my favourite Urban Decay Book of Shadows vol II and Naked2. I used three shades for this look: Ecstasy, AC/DC and Blackout.

PRODUCTS I USED: Urban Decay Book of Shadows vol II(shades Ecstasy and AC/DC), Urban Decay Naked2(shade Blackout), He-Shi bronzer for blending, body shop eye pencil in black, Blink&Go mascara, UD lipgloss and INIKA mineral foundation for my face

No more mess- how to store your mineral foundations and pigments

I mentioned in my Inika review that I found a solution to prevent all mineral powders and pigments from making a mess. Here is a quick and simple thing you can do.
It is a 1 minute job and you will only need foam/sponge (about 2cm thick) and scissors.
1.Cut a circle out of foam to match the shape of your container.
2.Place the foam circle on the sieve and screw the lid back on.
That's it! I have been carrying my pigments and powders in my handbag and they are clean and I don't need to worry about them making a mess anymore :)

INIKA Cosmetics- Mineral foundation powder and and mineral eyeshadows

I love mineral makeup and I fell in love with INIKA when I got their eyeliner in  my April Glossybox.
The consistency, the colour and the amazing ingredients stole my heart.
Today I am reviewing more INIKA products including a mineral foundation powder in shade nurture and four highly pigmented  mineral eye shadows.
All INIKA products are certified organic or vegan, certified Halal 
and cruelty free.

 

INIKA Mineral Foundation Powder*, shade: nurture 8g £25.55  link

I started using mineral foundations a couple of months ago and I loved the finish, so I was very excited to try one from INIKA. I am not disappointed. The shade I got is called Nurture and it suits most average white skin tones. There is a selection of 9 shades so I am sure you will find a match for your skin. I was unsure what shade I should get , so I picked the safe option :) Nurture is perfect  for me and looks very natural. The coverage is great. I recently burnt my face with a curling wand and I am left with a scar (3x1cm) so i had to start using a concealer and foundation to cover it. (I was using tinted moisturisers before) This mineral foundation is a 3 in 1 product and works as a concealer, foundation and powder. I didn't expect it to camouflage my scar, but it did! I didn't need extra concealer! I used my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply it and the finish is very natural and flawless. It doesn't look cakey and it feels very light. I use a setting spray to finish it off and it stays on all day, looking lovely and fresh. (the spray I use is L'occitane Angelica Hydration Face Mist). If pores around your nose are very visible I would recommend using a primer like Porefessional to minimize the appearance of them.

Inika foundations are made with natural ingredients and offer natural sun protection with SPF15.

The only bad thing I can point out is the packaging. Like most mineral products, powders and pigments it comes with a sieve, but nothing to cover it and the powder goes absolutely everywhere, unless you find something to sort out this problem. I did :) and I will be adding a post about it tomorrow. No more mess for me and I can finally carry my mineral foundations and eye shadows in my handbag.

shade: Nurture

 INIKA foundation in shade Nurture (no primer or concealer) + ELF blusher

 

INIKA MINERAL EYESHADOWS* 1.2g £11.75 link 

Inika eye shadows are very pigmented and stay on my eye lids all day without a primer. The colours are beautiful and vibrant and perfect for everyday wear or a fun nigh time look. They are very versatile and can be used wet or dry, as a shadow or eyeliner. They are made with natural ingredients and suitable for sensitive eyes. You can see on the swatches, how beautifully pigmented they are. I love all the shades I received and to be honest, I haven't touched other eye shadows since I got these :)

I like using shades Mango and Gold Dust allover the lid for a simple look, or combine two colours together to create something a little bit more fun. 

The application is very simple. Pick up a little powder, press the product into the brush, tap off the excess and apply as desired. I used my finger a couple of times and it worked to.

Kingfisher must  be my favourite shade, it is a gorgeous bright green and it looks beautiful on tanned skin. I use it allover the lid, in the outer corners or as a liner and I love it! It looks amazing! (see below) I will be trying Mango as a liner next. I think I won't be using a black liner for a while :)

SHADES:

KINGFISHER: bold and bright shimmering green

GOLD DUST:  light shimmering gold colour

LIGHTENING: pure and flashy neon white

MANGO:  a fun and flirty shade of orange

Mango, Lightening, Gold dust, Kingfisher

in shade Kingfisher

L-R: Kingfisher, Mango, Lightening, Gold Dust (all without a primer)

Lightening in the inner corners, Kingfisher in outer corners (applied lightly without a primer)

Gold dust allover the lid (I applied it lightly with my finger , no primer)

Mango allover the lid, applied lightly with an eyeshadow brush, no primer

Famous Dave's Tanning Mousse review- gold edition

I have tried so many self tanning products in the past couple of months that I think I need to stop getting new ones for a while :) I love fake tan and I have got a weekly tanning routine that I will be writing about very soon. I was kindly sent Famous Dave's tanning mousse to try out and I was very surprised to find out that it is a perfect match for my skin tone!

 

FAMOUS DAVE'S TANNING MOUSSE* gold edition 200ml, £24.95 link 

When it comes to fake tan I always like using a mousse. It absorbs instantly and is usually streak free. Famous Dave's Gold Edition Tanning Mousse is exactly what I expect from a good quality tanning mousse. It is paraben-free and has no added fragrance. It is a blend of natural ingredients, antioxidants and EHA (a natural agent that tans a deeper layer of the skin for a more realistic and longer-lasting tan that fades evenly).

I received a tanning mitt as well and that's what I used to apply this mousse. It glides on beautifully and sinks into the skin right away, leaving it totally dry to the touch. I was expecting it to be darker to be honest, but the colour looked very natural on my skin. In fact it is the exact colour of my natural tan. I was very surprised with the outcome, pleasantly surprised :)

The consistency of the mousse is very light and it is an olive green colour, but don't be put off by that, you won't turn into a green monster :) It is totally fragrance free and there is no smell when the tan develops either. Amazing! You don't need to worry about staining your bedding or clothes and you are ready to go as soon as it dries (instantly).

After showering in the morning I noticed that the colour looks more golden than immediately after application and I was left with a gorgeous sunkissed glow. There is no orange undertone to the tan, it is a gorgeous olive colour perfect for anybody who is scared of looking like a TOWIE girl :) haha

It fades gracefully and evenly. The glow lasted for a full week, before I had repeat my routine. Obviously it wasn't a deep bronze colour at the end of the week, but I still looked tanned before I decided to apply self-tan again.

You can get Famous Dave's products online or in your local Boots. I actually seen a big selection in my local Boots and I was tempted to try more :) But I need to use up everything I have got before I buy a new bottle :)

Immediately after application, you can see the difference in colour :) That's how my tan would look naturally!

*PR sample

Give your nails a break. They deserve some TLC.

Strong nails are something I have always dreamed of... I don't know why, but no matter what I do my nails are always very weak.
Because of the condition of my nails, I try to give them a break once a month for a full week.
I stop using nail polish and false nails, I use a nail treatment, more cuticle oils and hand creams.
I also wear gloves when I wash the dishes. That one week a month is enough to give my nails a break and make them look more healthy.
How often do you use nail polish? Does it damage your nails? Do you ever give your nails a break?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE ANGEL!

Hi everyone! :)

I mentioned my sons 1st birthday in my last post and I promised to add some pictures :) I can't believe he is one already! I made a cake for him and if you follow me on instagram you might have seen a very colorful one :) It didn't look very appetizing  so I took the icing off and covered it with a creamy frosting. Yummy!

I also made some cute cupcakes and some finger food. We had a lovely day and Zachary enjoyed himself. We got nearly a hundred balloons for him and he absolutely loved it. 

Liz Earle fragrance/aromatherapy: Botanical Essence No1 EDP and Vital oils Bliss candle

Hello everyone. I am still exploring the beautiful world of Liz Earle products. This time I have the pleasure to introduce you to the fragrance and aromatherapy range. There is one EDP available at the moment and it's called Botanical Essence No1.  The Vital Oils aromatherapy collection consists of three different candles: Bliss, Harmony and Comfort.

 

Botanical Essence No1 EDP 50ml* £45 link

Swatching my nail polish collection

Hi everyone.

I confessed before that I have got far too many beauty products and I am sure you can relate to that :)
I own over 150 nail polishes and I decided to swatch all the colours a couple of weeks ago to see what they actually look like. Since then I got even more new colours and I can't stop buying! HELP!
I found many colours that looked very similar and I have never used them. It is a waste of money.
Today I am showing you a sneak peek of my nail polish collection and some swatches.
Would you like me to do a post about the full collection in the future?

NEW Handmade ARM CANDY in my ETSY STORE

Hello everyone!

I added the neon rainbow bracelets to my etsy store.There is 4 of them available here.

I will be making the skull bracelets as well very soon. I am waiting for a delivery with all the bits and bobs I need  :)

 

OPI Nail Envy nail strengthener and Avoplex nail and cuticle replenishing oil

My nails are very weak and I struggle to grow them and my cuticles are extremely dry and horrible looking  :( I have tried many treatments for my nails and oils for my cuticles, but I keep forgetting to actually use them on a regular basis. I decided to get this OPI duo, when I seen it on buyapowa. I have got many other treatments and they help to improve the condition of my nails but I wanted to try something new. I think I paid £11 for this set. Bargain!

 

OPI Avoplex nail & cuticle replenishing oil 15ml £16.30 link

OPI Avoplex Nail And Cuticle Replenishing Oil is a hydrating and replenishing oil that restores moisture and lipids with antioxidant vitamin E, avocado, sunflower, sesame and kukui nut oils.

I  try to use this oil as often as I can, ate least once a day. It really works and makes my cuticles and nails look much nicer and healthy. I promise you, there will be no more "excuse my cuticles" statement in my NOTD posts :) You need the tiniest amount for each application so the 15ml bottle will last for quite a long time. The normal price it far too high for my budget, but if you manage to get it on buyapowa or ebay for a more reasonable price, I can highly recommend it.

 

OPI Original Nail Envy Nail Strengthener 15ml £18.55 link 

Nail Envy is a well know product and if it wasn't raved about in the blogosphere I would have never bought it. Like I mentioned before, my nails are very weak, break easily, peel and split... Just imagine the weakest, paper thin nails and you will know what I am talking about. I wish I could swap nails with my husband :) His nails are rock hard! Constant use of nail polish doesn't help and I end up with pains in my nails. That's how bad it gets- I actually get stabbing pains in my nails sometimes when they are very weak. It all started when I got acrylic nails done for my sisters wedding. I had it done once in my life and got them removed a couple of days later and was left with the weakest nails ever. 

I do not want long nails, I look after a very active baby boy so it wouldn't be a good idea

I just want my nails to be stronger. Since I started using Nail Envy I noticed that my nails became much more stronger, the surface is more even and they look more healthy in general. I don't use it every day, but I try to use it a couple of times a week. The directions are to apply 2 coats of Nail Envy the first time and then one coat every day for a week. I need to admit I haven't done it this way, but it still worked and helped my nails. Have you tried Nail Envy or Avoplex? What are your thoughts?

A Bit Of Rough- Japanese style wash cloth

Hi everyone!

I thought I will write a quick post about the Giveaway prize I won from a fellow beauty blogger Pampered Prince.  I really enjoy reading his blog, it is nice to hear from a male blogger for a change :) Check out his blog here.

 

A BIT OF ROUGH Japanese style wash cloth £8.00 link

I normally use Soap & Glory exfoliating gloves for my weekly exfoliation and I have never heard of ABOR wash cloths until I entered Andy's giveaway. I was lucky enough to win 3 of them :) 

A Bit Of Rough is a Japanese style wash cloth made up of a mix of fibres that are gentle enough to use on your face and robust enough to exfoliate your body. 

The size of the wash cloth is 100x30cm so you can easily reach your back and exfoliate your full body. There is no need to use a scrub, you can use a normal shower gel with it and the effects are amazing. It leaves my skin felling really soft and smooth and ready for my weekly fake tan routine :) It is also great to remove traces of old fake tan when it happens to go patchy. I am a convert :) Since I got the wash cloths, I forgot about my exfoliating gloves :)

Do you ever use products after their expiry date?

Hi everyone!

Hoarding makeup, skincare, jewellery and clothes is my biggest problem. I hate it and the situation is getting out of control. I decided to start with something easy and binned all skincare products that were no longer safe to use. Don't think I was using them after the expiry date. I wasn't. They were collecting dust in the bathroom or taking up space in my drawers.

I read a lot about skin care expiry dates and I am shocked with the fact that most of my skincare and makeup will have to be binned very soon :(
I always thought that it is safe to use beauty products until the expiry date printed on the packaging.
I was wrong. Once you open a product, the countdown starts and you have only got a couple of months to use it up. You can find this information on the packaging. Some creams are safe to use for 3 months, some will be ok to use for  6, 12 or 18 months.

Here is all the skincare I had to bin recently: