Latest Product//Review - Sinful Colors Nail Polish

Okay so pay day is only a few days away, so naturally I am skint. However, on Bank Holiday Monday, I braced Sheffield city centre ready to find some bargains.

Those who know me will know this is no mean feet. I am notoriously impulsive when shopping - how I ended up an accountant I will never know. Despite this though, I did well, picking up a good set of bargains - Thank the Lord for TK Maxx!
Among my purchases were three nail polishes from a new collection, Sinful Colors released in Boots.

My favourite of the three being Shade 003 - Easy Going. A pretty Ballerina pink.
I had seen a few other bloggers review these & was really excited to try them out :)

Okay, so first impressions. I really liked the brush, it is small enough to be precise and large enough to cover a descent area in one stroke. As I am not the neatest nail-painter, I find a good brush really helps.

I also found it gave really neat, straight lines and did not smudge the     

polish into my cuticle at all - Big thumbs up!

One Coat - Streaky & Semi Opaque 

Two Coats - Opaque and Shiny

I have really mixed feelings about this products so, to avoid any more rambling, I am going to do a 'Pros & Cons':

PROS 

1) The price. At £1.99 it is seriously cheap & you do get a lot of polish and a good brush for your £££.

2) The finish. The final result is pretty and professional, you are left with an opaque, streak free, super shiny polish.

CONS

1) The drying time! Oh god, this took so long to dry. Like a whole episode of Scott & Bailey long time ( an hour!).

2) Definitely one that needs a topcoat . However I always use a top coat so I didn't mind this, but this would probably be a 'night out' fix if you choose not to apply one.

Overall

Overall, I did really enjoy wearing this and I do think that it good value for money and the colour and texture selection in the range is just super amazing. However the drying time did really put me off.

I will be using this again & trying out the other colours but maybe after investing in a good rapid dry top coat - but maybe that defeats the object of them being cheap if you have to buy a good top coat too?

Available in Boots - £1.99

Have you tried Sinful Colors? 

How did you find them? 

Let me know & thanks for reading dolls! 

Love Em xx

TAG//Seven Deadly Sins Of Make-up

I was tagged by the splendid Nika M to do this. You should check out her Blog, it's super lovely!

The rules of the seven deadly sins of beauty tag

1) Follow and link up the person who tagged you

2) Answer the questions on greed, wrath, gluttony, sloth, pride, lust and envy.

3) Tag as many people as you wish! Be sure to let them know!

4) Let the person who tagged you know that you did the tag by linking up in the comments!

Greed- what is your most expensive beauty item?

Umm, I'm not too sure really. I would say my latest splurge of a Michael Todd Discovery Kit was quite pricey at £36. But in general I don't have any super outrageously expensive pieces. 

Wrath- which item do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Illamasqua Skin base foundation. some days I love love love this and others I find it Oxidises on my skin and can also end up looking too oily. I have repurchases this twice now, so I must love it.. But I definitely have a love hate relationship with it. 

Gluttony- what brand makes up most of your make-up collection?

Hmm.. tricky. I would have to say my beloved Revlon has started to take up a lot of room in my make up collection over the last year. Also, I didn't realised until I did this question, but I also own a lot of Benefit.. Who knew.?!

Sloth- which product do you neglect the most due to laziness?

Haha I thought about this long and hard and came to the conclusion that I don't actually get lazy on anything. I really enjoy applying my make up and, in general, always wear the whole sha-bang. I hasten to add, I don't wear loads everyday, but I do always have a full face.

Pride- which product gives you the most confidence?

LIP! Reds. Bright Fuchsias. Berry tones. You name it, I probably wear it. I just love lipsticks and I always feel my outfit in not complete if I haven't got a perfectly pretty lip applied. It doesn't have to be bright, I do love a nude too :) 

Lust- which item is at the top of your beauty wish list?

YSL Mascara Volume EffectFaux Cils Babydoll - Shade 04. Ooo this looks so super pretty and amazing. I adore the YSL Shocking, so I know this will be amazing.. plus it is such a beautiful Plum shade - which looks so pretty with Green eyes like mine.

Envy- which make up product/look is great on others but not yourself?

The one look I want to love is definitely the 'barely there' just mascara look. I just can;t do it. I just find my face looks too dull and my eyes don't pop unless I have  some shadow or eye-liner applied. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my attempt at the Seven Deadly Sins of Make-up!

I Tag...

1) Perfectly Petite

2) Little Tori Carr

3)Bits and Beautys

4) In one ear and out the other

5) The Powder Room

6) Tiffany's Beauty Box

Post your responses below & even if I haven't tagged you i would love to read them :)

Love Em, xx

Review// Illamasqua - Hydra Veil

Ahh I am so excited to be reviewing this little beauty! I have been using it for about 2 weeks so as I can give a well balanced review as I was rather unsure as to what to expect from this skin 'Veil'

I'll start by explaining what exactly it is.

Well, it is a Primer/Skin perfecter/Moisturiser all rolled into one lovely little product.

It does not claim to have any long term skin benefits, it is to be used before foundation and after or instead of ,depending on your skin type, moisturiser.

The great thing about the Hydra Veil is that it is actually suitable for both dry and oily skin as it is designed to hydrate any dry patches and balance out any oiliness that your skin may have. Magic? Yes, I think it must be cause it truly does work.

Another unique thing about the Hydra Veil is the packaging. 

Not only is the outside expensive looking ( more pricey looking than the £27.00 price tag) and chic - the inside is super amazing.

There is an air-tight lid under the outer screw lid with a super cute little spoon attached to the top.

You may be wondering why on earth you would need a spoon?!.. Well. is it because this product's texture is sooo amazing/awesome/weird that you really would struggle to get the tiny amount needed out, with your hands.

Essentially.. it is a jelly.

A clear , pleasant smelling jelly.  the great thing about it too is that is stays looking new...

 Make it messy...

Within seconds it is back to normal :)

Okay, so about what is actually did to my skin.

I apply this after my normal morning skin care routine and actually instead of a morning moisturiser (as I only ever moisturised my dry patched on my cheek bones anyways).

I use the spoon to apply a small amount which I gently work between my fingers and smooth over my face.

The result.

My foundation glides onto my skin to effortlessly and looks so airbrushed and smooth - it really is amazing.

My foundation and concealer also do not budge! From half 7 in the morning to 6 PM at night when I finish work, I have to powder once to set my base and that it is :)

Amazing.

I really would recommend this lovely product to everyone, it's so good and quickly became a staple in my make up routine :)

Have you tried this? What are your favourite Illamasqua products ?

Love Em xx

Skin Care Routine// Night Time

I am a creature of habit and find it hard to break out of my old routines when it comes to skin care.
It used to be Simple Face Wipe, Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, whatever Moisturiser was hand & then bed.

However as I have got older I've learnt that in order to keep my skin from being too oil & dry (bad combo) I do need to put a little work in. These products have really helped my skin and made a noticeable difference although I am prone to switching up cleansers - this is the one I am really enjoying at the momento.

Step One - Sanctuary Spa Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser

I was pleasently suprised by this cleasner as at £10.50 it is cheaper than the Liz Earle Cleanser I always revert back to.
It removes make up really well (I remove any heavy duty eye make up separately) and leaves my skin looking refreshed, clean and illuminated.

A little goes a long way with this little Cleanser as it is really thorough, I tend to use it twice, once before my Mask and once after to make sure my skin is extra clean :)
The scent is this products one downfall, in my opinion. I personally don't mind it but it is rather strong. I would recommend smelling it before you buy it to make sure it's for you.
I use this products with the Muslin cloth that comes with it which is okay, but not as good quality as the Liz Earle one. :)
At £10.50, this is a good middle-of the road products. It does the job it says it will and won't empty your bank while it's at it.

PS. if you have dry skin this may not be one for you as it left my Mum's face feeling rather tight a stripped :(

Step 2 - No.7 Beautiful Skin Purifying Mask

Although I am a big mask lover, I have never been one to routinely apply them. Maybe once a week if I have the time but in general, they rarely crept into my Nightly routine.
That is, until this little gem came into my life :)

Honestly, I only brought this to get rid of one the the thousands of No.7 vouchers I had in my Purse, but since using it.. I am hooked.

It is a 2 Minute mask designed to deep cleanse the face using heat and tiny exfoliating beads. 

When you apply this (to damp skin) it feels rather like a dry exfoliator, but once it hits the skin it get, oddly, rather warm. You massage it on like you would an exfoliator and leave it for two minutes to work it's magic.

If you're one for pampering, luxurious mask, this won't be the one for you. But, if you like a little bit of pamper but on the quick then you should definitely try this out :)

Also, sorry about the Oily skin based products - but once again I would steer clear if you suffer from dryness.

Step Three - Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

Not a great deal to say about this Toner apart from that it does the job. And it does it really well :)

After rising my Mask , I Cleanse and Polish again. I then use a generous helping of this toner and sweep it across my face with an exfoliating cotton pad.

Personally, I always use a Toner as I feel that it closes the pores and locks in the nourishment from your Mask and Cleanser :)

Step Four - Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisture

This Moisturiser is super super lovely & feels so creamy and luxurious when applied to the skin. It also come in two variations Dry/Sensitive and Normal/Combination. Although I would say I have Normal/Combination skin, I actually use to Dry/Sensitive version of this product and I find it gives my face a nice hit of moisture overnight with out leaving it greasy in the morning. And, with all the cleansing and toning, I think my skin does need a bit of a boost overnight to keep it supple and smooth.

Tools of the Trade

What are you favourite Night time Treats?

Have you tried and of these and if so, what did you think?

Love Em xx

fanstasy friday #1

Bioderma - Sensibo H20 200ml - £9.99

I have herd so much amazing talk about this little Cleanser & I am dying to try it. However it is not yet available in the UK ( although it is due to launch soon). I'm so tempted to order this off the Internet but I just have to many cleansers to finish off/start using, to justify buying this... at the moment :(

Prada PR21NS Sunglasses - £180.00

Oh how a Girl can dream. I can just see myself strolling round the South of France this Summer wearing these - However at 180 smackaroonies I doubt that will happen any time soon. Whilst browsing the web today though, I did notice that ASOS have some great Cat Eye Glasses for a fraction of the price :)

MAC Strobe Liquid - 22.50

This is a lovely little product. It can be applied under the foundation or even mixed in with it to create gorgeous, glowing, Summer-ready skin.

YSL Stay Glossy Lip Stain No.6  £23.50

I tried this on in John Lewis last week thinking that the bright purple shade would be too vampish/Gaga for me. However it was a lovely bright way of wearing a more night time shade in the Summer. Love love love this - especially for girls with Green eyes like myself, it really makes them pop!

Mulberry Medium Cicly - Mint - £1,250

Try as I might, I just can't seem to persuade my dear Father into buying my this super amazing wonderful lovely Cicly bag by Mulberry. I adore the unique Mint Green colour and the girly gold hardware :)

Maybe if I wish hard enough I will magic some money into my little old purse... maybe..

What are you fantasy buys at the moment?

Are you lucky enough to have any of these products :)?

Love Em x

BARRY M LIP PAINT // REVIEW

Today I took my self on a much love jaunt to the Boots near to my place of work and found a couple of '£2.00 off any Lipstick or Mascara in store' vouchers Today is a good day!

I browsed round for a while and purchased 2 Barry M Lip Paints, as I have not bought one in what seems the longest time!

The 2 shades I purchased are Peachy Pink and TMLP (Turn my Lips Pink).

Turn my Lips Pink 

Well... I feel the obvious place to start with this Lip Product is .. well the fact that it is Green. 

Don't worry Blogger Dolls, I have not lost my mind, this products uses the natural balance of Alkali in your Lips to produce a Pink shade that is tailored especially to you.

 Yeeep.. That's right, the minging Green bullet transferred onto the lips into (on my lips) a really lovely Fuchsia  colour :) Although I actually really do love this products, I gave it to my Mother-Darling as it went suuuuch a beautiful bright berry colour on her..

The Formula of this is a lot more Balmy than 'normal' Barry M Lip Paint and glides on nicely :)

Definitely one for the Make-up experimenters like myself!

£4.49 - Boots ( I got mine for £2.49 with the Voucher)

Peachy Pink - 147

So back to normal Make-Up Land :) 

This colour , unlike the other, does exactly what it looks like it will in the tube. It is unsurprisingly a Peach toned Pink, which i personally am loving for Spring/Summer.

It makes such a nice change to wear a more neutral lip, without it being insipid or tarty.

I did find this Lip Paint a little drying as it is a Matte effect, although after applying a little Lip Balm it was all good. I actually can look past the drying nature of this given that -

a) It is less than £5.00

b) The colour payoff is super excellent

c) It stains the lips for a really long while 

Have you tried the Turn my Lips Pink- if so what did you think?

What do you about Barry M & what other products have you tried as I haven't tried a lot :)

Love Em xx