London: A Little Haul.

This is part two of my little London series and I am going to be sharing the bits I bought whilst I was down there. 

I actually got a decent amount of things. I didn't think I'd end up coming home with a lot of stuff but it wasn't as expensive as I thought...which was kind of dangerous haha! 

At Camden I ended up getting a silver-ish skull, which I fell in love with. I got it from a little shop full of skulls and mythical creatures. The man who owned it said his friend hand makes everything. Knowing it was handmade made me love it even more.

On Friday we visited a lot of the charity shops which were ram packed with old records. I ended up leaving with a Lionel Richie vinyl because Lionel is life...and it was only £1, barg! I also nipped into the Lush, of course. I picked up a creamy candy bubble bar and a blackberry bath bomb. Finally I ordered my new granny glasses and picked them up later that evening. They are not everyone's cup of tea but I love em (plus they fit my massive head).

In London we stopped off at Liberty where I spotted this illustration book. I instantly fell in love with it. The woman who served us in there was soooo lovely too.

And finally, Brick Lane. I had to go to Rokit! I ended up getting a coat, I was pretty surprised actually because a lot of things in vintage shops are like a 90's oversized look and I don't really suit that type of fit (I like baggy clothes not oversized, there is a difference!). But the coat I dug out is a gem! 

The last purchase from my trip was a bunch of chocolate. How can you leave a trip away without picking up some chocolate?! Dark Sugars on Brick Lane is the liveliest, modern chocolate shop I have ever seen! Old school Justin Timberlake was blasting out of the doors, you could literally hear it from down the street (I wasn't complaining though). The staff were so friendly, dancing around, taking pictures with people all whilst shoving chocolates into everyone's mouth who entered the door. I must have consumed about 10 chocolates whilst I was in there. We ended up spending £12 on different chocolates, it was deffo worth it though!

So that's everything I got. I have probably forgotten about a lot of the things that I bought but these were definitely the best of the bunch. 

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Blue Grape.

You know when you see an item of clothing, make up or something you reallllly like but for some reason you don't end up buying it and then you regret it? Well, this is how I felt about this nail polish. So what did I end up doing? I went out and got it didn't I (I am weak when it comes to pretty nail polish colours). I got it with my Boots points too may I add!

Anyway, I had to share this colour as it is super pretty and it is quite a unique choice for me (I tend to stick to nude shades or the occasional orange). It is the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in the shade Blue Grape. Obviously, I was drawn to the colour. It reminded me of my old primary school uniform, a dark-ish rich blue. It looks so good on my pale skin but it is one of those colours that would look amazing on any skin tone. 

Barry M will always be my go to brand for nail polishes. They have loads of colour and they are really affordable. This is possibly my favourite colour in my collection so far!

What is your fave nail polish brand/shade?

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5 Disappointing Products.

I am always talking about how much i like all of the products i use so i thought i would have a little moan (haha!) about some products that i didn't really get along with.

Rimmel Scandaleyes 

I bought this Rimmel liner because of the felt tip concept... I thought it might have made my eyeliner look neater but i was sooo wrong. When i applied the product it dragged along my eye lid. Once i did manage to add the product it was grey and not the jet black i wanted. I left it for a few weeks and went back to it again, trying to find a way to work with it. When i went to use it again it had pretty much dried up. I don't know if i had picked up a faulty one (if that is possible?) but this product didn't work for me at all.

Revlon Colourburst
This product was a massive disappointment for me! As you will have seen in my lipstick favorites (here) the Revlon colourburst crayon (in striking spectaculaire) is my favorite red, so when i saw this i fell in love with the colour and i thought the formula would have been the same. When i applied this on my lips it was just moving around and caking up, it felt horrible! It's such a shame because i really love the colour.

Bonjour Nail Enamel
Again, like the lippy above, i had used this product in different colours before and loved the result. When i went to apply this polish it was almost clear. I applied around 4-5 coats of it, making sure each coat was dry before i added the next layer, but for some reason it went very tacky. When it did finally dry i went to bed thinking i would have woken up with fresh nails. Instead i woke up with hair imprints and chips on every nail.

Lipcote
I actually bought this product around the time i got the Revlon crayon, thinking that some how this would help application. When i painted a coat of this onto my lips it was pretty painful. It really tingled. Not the kind of lip plumping tingle but a sharp prickling kind. I tried using this a few more times (with different lipsticks) but not only was the prickling uncomfortable, it didn't keep my lipstick any longer.

MUA Luxe London
This is probably the biggest disappointment of all, the MUA matte lip thingy...whatever it is meant to be. I thought this was going to be like the lip lacquers you see beauty gurus applying on Instagram and YouTube! It was a lot cheaper too so i thought i was onto a winner. I went to use it and it was cloggy and sticky! There's not much more to say about it. Maybe it was the colour that affected the formula i am not too sure.

Even though these products didn't work for me they might work for other people. This is just my opinions on them!

Do you own any products that you found disappointing?

Summer Essentials 2015.

Spring is in full force now, even though we still have many days of wind and rain (that's the UK for ya!). So, i thought i would would show you the things i reach for in spring and (mainly) summer.

(This picture was taken last year and the sandals look just as new now!)

FASHION

At this time of the year i like to wear sandal which are a bit more covered up, simply because it isn't extremely warm yet. The ones above were from primark last year, they are still going strong! Next is a good pair of sunnies. I usually just get a cheap pair but this year i wanted something a bit more expensive looking so i went for some Asos ones, i look a bit like John Lennon in them but i like them so who cares!

ENTERTAINMENT
In spring and summer i always find the time to read. Relaxing in the garden with a book in one hand a cold drink in the other is one of the things i love to do. Currently i am reading paper towns By John Green (Just to see what all the hype is about).

BEAUTY
 Moisturizing is a big thing for me in the warmer months. My skin tends to get a bit sun burnt leading to flaky skin, usually on my nose (It looks nasty!). For this i use the Garnier matte moisture. I also reach for a tinted moisturizer for if the tan isn't doing so well. I have a post on it here. I also like to carry a lip balm around with me for if my lips get dry, i am using the Maybelline baby lips one at the moment in pink punch.

As for scents, Marc Jacobs have the best floral fragrances. I am loving the honey perfume, it is floral with a honey tone to it but it does smell very sophisticated. 

And as for nails the only colour i will reach for is Barry M's bright orange! I think it complements a tan and is one of my fave colours.

Finally, i always have a fat cat near by who loves posing and sunbathing!

Jungle Green Queen.

So a week ago or so i did a post on my 4 fave nude nail polishes (here). When i had finished this post and started to tidy away i had a quick look through my collection and realized the only colour i had, other than nudes, was a bright orange by Barry M. So i got stuck into the Avon magazine (yes, again i know!) and ordered a few shades, this khaki green being my favorite.

This nail polish is by 'Avon Color Trend' in the shade 'Jungle Green Queen' and was surprisingly only £1! Not having very high hopes, because of the price tag, i painted my nails and was extremely happy with the coverage and colour. It glided on evenly with just one coat! It also dried super quickly! I then came across my matte top coat from Barry M and once i added this on top i fell in love with the combination.

This is what my nails turned out like and although it isn't a massive pop of colour its deffo different to my usual nude polishes i reach for on a daily basis. Having this on for a few days now i do have to say it hasn't got the best staying power as it has started to chip...but it was only £1 so i can not complain!

4 Nude (-ish) Nail Polishes.

For a while now the only nail polishes i have been wearing are the 'barely there' kind. I don't know what it is but these shades make my outfit feel more polished (no pun intended!).

Sally Hansen - Bare Dare

The Sally Hansen polish has amazing staying power! Usually my nail polish chips with in the first day but this didn't chip at all for at least 5/6 days. Even when it did begin to chip away it was because of me unconsciously picking at my nails. As for the colour, it is the perfect traditional nude.

Barry M Hi Shine Jelly - Lychee

The Barry M colour is very similar to the Sally Hansen one above. I'd say the Sally Hansen shade has a slightly more yellow tone to it and the Barry M lychee is more browny but, apart from that they are very similar. The staying power from lychee is not the best but the colour makes up for it.

Barry M Matte - Vanilla

Although the name of this shade is vanilla it couldn't be further from it! I'd describe this shade as a really pale lilac, which i love. It is also matte which is another big plus as i am all about the matte nails at the minute. The coverage on this polish is so good. You only need one coat, plus it dries super quick!

Avon - Maudified

Maudified is the newest polish to my collection and the one i am wearing at the moment. I have had it on for around 3 days now and it hasn't chipped yet! This is amazing saying it was only £1.75. The colour of this one isn't exactly nude but it is a lovely light shade. The only way i can describe it is as a dirty, dusky pink, which doesn't make it sound very appealing...

Out off all of these i do think the Sally Hansen nude is my favorite but the Avon one is a close second!