American Apparel 'Meteor Shower' x Accerssorize 'Pillar Box' -NOTD

xxx

Nouveau Lashes Noir Mascara.

Nouveau Noir Mascara - £14.99

I received the Nouveau mascara as part of the December GlossyBox and I have been using it for about a month now to see how it works!

Nouveau Lashes are a lash extension company who provide eyelash extension services as well as selling false lashes; they have recently branched out into the cosmetic line, starting first with a line of mascaras. The first being '...Noir'. 

It claims to be a waterproof, fast-drying formula which can last all day.

I can definitely vouch for the quick-drying of the formula! I find that mascaras with bristles dry faster than the comb variety, although i'm not sure why that is. However with this mascara, I find that it dries a bit too quickly- too quick to even apply a second coat by which time my lashes are too stiff to drag the wand though.

The mascara does not have a scent, which i appreciate as i'm not fond of scented mascaras! My (naturally short and stubby) lashes do not flake and rub off and I do find that I can apply it all day.

The wand head is extremely slender and small as to pick up every lash for maximum length.

I will say however, that it does not really give me the volume I need. It provides length which is fine however because I do not wear false lashes, I always love my mascaras to have a thickening quality to them. 

I will say, this is the perfect mascara to wear in the day for work or as a bit of an eye-opener if you don't want people to know you're knackered, LOL!

Apologies for the blurriness - I switched to my point-and-shoot!

Question time:

1) Have you tried Nouveau Lashes? If so, what did you think?

2) What are your favourite volume & length mascaras?

I'm Such a Scrubber...!

I think that I am addicted to body and face scrubs. 

The above is only a quarter of my collection; I love the creamy/gritty feeling of them against my skin and i'll leave it at that as it may start to sound a bit weird :S lmao!

Last week, I added a new scrub to my collection:

Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Scrub 

200ml.

Key Ingredients: Shea & Jojoba butter, ground loofah, soy milk and honey.

What with my obsession with all things natural, I snapped up the chance to purchase this scrub as recommended by my Mum (we share the same skin type). 

Claims:

"Creme de Corps Body Polish has a luxurious creamy formula, combining shea & jojoba butters with ground loofah. It leaves skin feeling comfortably soft, smooth, hydrated and gently scented by the popular Soy Milk & Honey fragrance."

I already had high expectations for the body polish when I bought it as I am a big fan of the ingredients, however when I started using it, I was amazed to find out how luxurious it really is! Yes, the price-tag is a little hefty but the scrub does an amazing job of exfoliating my skin and leaving it silky smooth.

Creme de Corps appeases the senses with its delicate coconut scent and creamy, thick butter. The scrub has the consistency of heavily whipped cream mixed with brown sugar (if that makes sense). It almost feels like a moisturizer. It only takes a little dot to cover a large area of the body (I mostly use mine on my arms/shoulders, legs and tummy) and the granules are not too harsh, but big enough to have a significant effect on the scrubbage.

My skin feels ultra soft and does not leave it feeling dry at all after using. I love the thick consistency and the fact that it leaves a slightly 'glowy' sheen after use. The jojoba and shea butters keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day as well as smelling really good. The scent isn't overpowering, but just enough for you to take notice. I'm so happy that I purchased this; it's already one of my favorites of 2012 and although I can be a bit frugal (LOL) I will definitively repurchase this; I see it as an investment!

Have you used this or anything from the Creme de Corps collection before?

Models Own to open 'Bottleshop'!

As i'm sure most of you guys have already seen today, word on the street is that Models Own are launching a Bottleshop (which is in the shape of a bottle of course..LOVE IT!) at the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush this April.

I for one am excited about this, I've only just started growing my nails so I feel like Charlie about to walk into some amazing factory lol! 

Can't wait for the launch.

Touch of Pink...

I received Lacoste Touch of Pink as a prize from the awesome Kaushal from Beauty Fulfilled and I must say that I love it already. Touch of Pink comes in sizes of 30ml, 50ml and 90ml at Boots and Superdrug and can be bought alone with in a gift set.

Re-reading Harry Potter like a BOSS.

I'm a big fan of perfume bottles and although not the most exciting packaging, I can see its pink ombre design being a bit hit with teenagers/young women.

When you first spray the perfume on, it has a strong fruity and sweet scent of blood orange with a hint of cardamom, which gives the fragrance a slight spiciness that compliments the orange note very well. The top notes, however, soon disappear and are replaced by a flower blend.

Despite the middle notes, jasmine and violet, being floral, the scent is not  too floral and sweet, which is something that really puts me off in a perfume. The drydown is musky and sweet: the vanilla note is very prominent and complimented by just a hint of musk.

The perfume is light which makes it suitable for daytime and perfect to wear in the summer. It’s not the most original fragrance on the market, but still it’s nice and would suit women of all ages.

Touch of Pink is an Eau De Toilette and that’s why the staying power isn’t very good. It only last 3-4 hours on me and I constantly need to reapply it throughout the day.


Have you used Touch of Pink?
Thoughts?

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer Review.

As some of you may know, I have a dry skin and thus bit of a criteria when it comes to facial moisturizers;

• Must use natural/organic ingredients
• Must have some sort of moisturizing agent including but not limited to: cocoa butter, coconut butter/oil, shea butter/oil, almond oil, argan oil, honey and avacado oil/butter. 

Being the awesome and adventurous woman that I am (heh!), I thought i'd branch out and try something new and so I came across Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer while at Space: NK in Kingston a few weeks ago.

After testing a bit in the store, I opted for the 17ml version (as it was the cheapest..something i'll touch on later) and have been using it for the last two weeks.

Thoughts

It was only after I purchased the moisturizer that I saw all of the negative reviews on this product. Yikes!

However I noticed that the majority of reviews belonged to users with combination/oil skin. Mine is dry so I thought i'd give it a bit of a chance. I use the cream twice a day and after the third day I noticed that my skin felt a lot softer in the morning, which was a lovely surprise! 

As a very light product, I expected the moisturizer to stay on top of my skin however it actually absorbs pretty well and is light enough for use in the day. It's also scent free which is great as I hate the smell of non-natural cosmetics. A little goes more than a long way so it is good value for money.

After the 10th day I noticed that my skin felt a LOT more hydrated and supple; it contains Antarcticine (a glycoprotein) and imperata cylindrica (desert plant) extract, which both add moisture while helping skin retain water. For someone like me who's stuck to certain ingredients for years; this is both a surprising and exciting change! I find it the perfect way to sooth and protect dehydrated, winter-abused skin. 

Cons

• Cost -  I think the £17 price tag for 75ml is a little hefty! I understand that Kiehl's is a high-end price and all but they could have included a couple (read: 10) more mgs for that price! That's just my opinion though. The quality of the moisturizer is excellent though.  
• Target Audience -  While I personally think that the moisturizer is amazing, I don't think that it should be aimed for "all skin types"; I've read no less than 30 reviews of this product on various blogs and nearly all of them do not recommend it for combination or oily skin. I think it should be aimed towards those with dry skin (especially as a night-cream...it's amazing!)

In conclusion; outside of my normal creams, I LOVE this and now use it everyday. It's definitely something I would purchase again ( bank account permitting!) and I think it's perfect for the transitioning months ahead.

Have you used this or any product from Kiehl's before?

Dupes: Panda Lips!

As seen in this month's Company magazine. Saw this page and fell in love! My version below:

^_^
all you need is black eyeliner and white eyeshadow cream/sleek pout paint in white. It could be great for a fancy dress party/halloween!

What do we think??

Photo of the Day: Snap, Crackle & Top.

Crackle and Top trio nail polishes, Primark £3.00

*That gold colour looks absolutely gorgeous!*

What a Wonderful World...

The last time I went on vacation was in 2009 for two weeks in Ghana.

I really wish I could travel more. If I had the means to, I would pack up and just leave. I'm so tired of London. I don't want to be here, full of regrets and watching life pass me by. 

*gasp!* My Very First NOTW...or is it NOTD??

Hi!
*Waves frantically*

I know, I know, I've been MIA for a couple weeks. I've had a pretty rough few days to be honest, especially work-related so I thought i'd take a bit of a breather for a while, but now I'm back from Iraq selling crack (one of the nurses at work always says this whenever I i come back from lunch. It's dumb but catchy. LOL) so it's all good!

Anyhoo, I'm doing something that i've never done before; an ACTUAL nail post.

O_o I know!

Let me explain:

I had no nails. I'm a nervous biter, so I literally bit my way through my childhood and teens. Never wore nail polish, no nothing! I hate my hands so I never really bothered with them, until about......19 days ago when i vowed never to bite them again. I've been doing pretty well so far! They are still a bit uneven and brittle but i'm treating them everyday. :D

I've always loved red nails so I thought i'd get OPI's polish in Big Apple Red. It's a vibrant orangey-red that applies extremely easily and dries exceptionally fast. However, it isn't really that opaque; I had to apply the polish 3 times for full coverage. Now it may ONLY be the fact that my nails are super duper short, I'll revisit this when they are a bit longer.

You can purchase Big Apple Red here.

I would also love some tips on how to make my nails grow longer and stronger too! At the moment, I am taking Biotin tablets which i purchased on Amazon and I am currently using the following products:

* Conditioning Almond Oil Pen - Superdrug

* Sally Hensen No More Breaks - Amazon

What are you tips for strong, healthy nails?

Just Give Me A Little More Space!

I  have the smallest room in the world.

Like literally, my room is so small that I have to go outside to change my mind.

Obviously having a small room comes with many disadvantages; the main one being storage! I have makeup and toiletries scattered all over the house due to this, so I finally decided that enough was enough and bought some storage drawers et al. So let me introduce you all to my new "vanity corner", lol!

The only space I had to store the drawers were on top of my chest of drawers; it's still pretty cramped but its better than nothing!

I ordered the Perspex drawers from MUJI. In the States, I know you can get them in sets of 3 and 5, however over here, they only come in sets of 1 and 2. I bought two sets and stacked them on top of each other. I'll buy one more set to put my eye liners/mascaras in, but in the mean time i've put them in the wire holders.

1st Draw - Eye makeup

2nd Draw- Face

3rd Draw- Lipgloss and balms

4th Draw- Lipstick

Perspex drawers - MUJI

Wire Brush Holders - IKEA

Patterned Candle & Candle Bowl - IKEA

Set of 3 pebbles - Oxfam @ Wimbledon Villiage

Tea Lights - IKEA

Jewellery Rack - Forever 21

How do you store your makeup and toiletries? 

African Queen...[FOTD for Hooded Lids]

I thought i'd name this FOTD after these gorgeous earrings that I recently purchased from  Meen Market. I absolutely adore them! The earrings come in loads of different fabrics but because i'm in a plummy sort of mood this month, I opted for the earrings above. 

This may also serve as a mini tutorial for those of us with hooded eyelids. Steps below!

Christmas Haulage!

Happy New Year guys! I hope everybody has had an awesome holiday and have filled yourselves to the brim with food and drink! I hope 2012 brings loads of happiness and new inspiration for everyone.

On Boxing day I went shopping for a few bits and pieces for the New Year:

1. Queen Helene's Cocoa Butter Face Scrub.

(I will be doing a review on this within he next 2 weeks!)

2. MUA Pro Palette 

(Using this palette in the meantime while I save up for Naked 2!)

3. MAC eyeshadows in Plum Dressing and Carbon. 

(I saw Plum Dressing in the MAC store and knew I HAD to have it; it's so gorgeous and highly pigmented. FOTD coming soon!)

4. MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. I've heard such great things about this product so I thought i'd try it for a bit as an eyeshadow base.

5. MAC Brow Pencil in Stig.

6. MAC Lipstick in Spice as Nice

MAC Lustreglass in Beaux. (I love the name so much lol!)

Swatches:

And there we have it!

I know i've been posting a lot of hauls lately; In the future I plan to post a lot more FOTDs and hopefully tutorials. What do you guys think? What would you like to see more of on here? All thoughts taken into account!

Did you have a good holiday?