ELF Haul + An Update

Ok I was a bad LouLou yet again - you must be sick of hearing this but I have no willpower lol Last weekend ELF issued another one of their Facebook discount codes so I took advantage :)
The first thing I got was one of their new cream eyeliners - I love cream / gel liners I find them so much easier to apply then liquids - the colour I ordered was Ivory



I thought this would be a great eye brightener - the texture feels super creamy and it would even be great as an eye base - I need the brown one now :)

I also picked up another one of the studio single eyeshadows in Wild Wheat - this is a gorgeous soft golden brown :)



Another thing I got was one of the studio lipstains - these are a double ended component with a stain at one end and a clear gloss - The colour I went for was Birthday Suit - although it this was the colour of my birthday suit I would have a severe case of sunburn lol - It looks quite scary in the tube but it goes on a nice blue /cool toned baby pink



Finally I got one of the duo shadow creams in the shade Eggplant - a nice eggplant purple colour, and a sort of dirty khaki shade - I love these when your in a hurry just smear a bit on your lids and your good to go :)



So there you go another haul post ;) I have been a teensy bit stressed because of my mum so I have gone a bit of over my spending diet this month but it can't be helped and I'm not going to beat myself up over it - I am not going to just let go completely I am still going to try my best but we'll see
Oh as to my mum she had her operation on Saturday morning and was in theatre for about 3 hours she is still on a lot of painkillers etc. but she is starting to use her zimmer frame and move about a bit - she was supposed to be coming home tomorrow but as like the last time she has a little bit of inflammation and swelling so she may be in for a bit longer - we'll have to wait and see hopefully I'll know more tonight - I'd just like to thank you all for your support over the last few days both on here, twitter and on Facebook it's been greatly appreciated xxx

Gifts From A Lovely Lady ;)

After a few twitter conversations the lovely Karleigh at Nooberella mentioned that she had the ELF Studio Blush in Peachykeen which was on my wishlist and she didn't like it so did I want it - yes please was of course the answer, so I was ultra surprised when this little parcel came for me this morning.

This lovely lady had not only sent me Peachykeen but also Tickled Pink blush

I already have Tickled Pink but I am so happy to have a back up - these colours aren't the most pigmented but they are fab on my skin because I am so pale and terrified of blusher lol

Not only that but she also sent me another two items :) a W7 Glamour Dust in Mink - a gorgeous bronze and a Beauty UK Retro Lips lipgloss in Beige





The eye dust looks gorgeous and the lipgloss actually looks less silvery on the lips and gives a gorgeous slightly shimmery pouty look even if it does taste like soap - still where there is a will there is a way - it's a lovely colour and it really seems to make my lips look plump so I'll find some minty clear lipgloss to put on top to take the taste away :)
Thank you so much Karleigh - it was soooo sweet of you and if ever there is anything I can ever do for you or get you, you know where I am xx

Operation Nail Growth One Month On

Well if you look at these pictures compared to the ones I did a month ago (click here)you can clearly see that nothing has really changed and if anything my nails look slight worse -especially my thumb nail which now has a chunk missing :(
I am not writing the months trial off entirely because after two weeks my nails did look remarkably better - they just seem to have gone downhill since then. Despite more applications of nail oil, cuticle butter and hand cream - my hands and cuticles are insanely dry and I think that's what has lead to the breakages - OPI Nail Envy certainly helps but maybe it's time for something new. Last month during my spending diet disaster I picked up a Pro Strong Nail Kit from QVC (and the OPI Alice Minis but that's another story ;)) I must admit I have used Pro Strong before with pretty decent results - the only reasons I stopped were that I find it a hard system when your wear nail polish and I felt I used the product up too quickly but never mind I am going to persevere with it for this months nail growth challenge.


I'll explain about the system in more detail in a future post but this is the basic kit I got with the fluoride and calcium treatments, two cuticle products and a hand cream - I also have a few other Pro Strong products at home including a top and base coat, some colours, and some BioFusion serum. So this is what I am going to be using in March I might use some Jessica nail oil and some other hand creams alongside it but this is going to be my basic nail care regime for the next month. Instead of doing a monthly round up I think I might do one in two weeks time particularly comparing my worst nail - my left thumb just to see if there is any change even in that short time - get on :) x If that treatment regime fails after a month my next stop is Mavala (some of which I bought and some of which I was sent), and then something I saw in a recent All That Glitters21 February Favourites video - there are so many nail care products out there it's a bit confusing. So wish me luck - it's going to be a tough month for my little fingers in and out of water but we'll see how I get on :) x

FOTD and Collection 2000 Collagen Curl Mascara Review

I was originally just going to do this as a FOTD post but I thought why not kill 2 birds with the one stone (what an awful expression!) and combine my face of the day with a review of one of the products I used :) (you can see my eyes more clearly in the mascara review)

FOTD
This was just a quickie face for hospital visiting tonight (my mums had her op and it seems to have gone well :))
Sorry the lighting is so bad - London has had sunshine today what the heck is that drizzle, mist and fog all day yuck!





Today I Wore

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - No 52 - Vanille
Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer - No 52 Medium Radiance
MAC Prep + Prime Eye - Light
Models Prefer Loose Yellow Neutralizing Powder
MAC Powder Blush - Well Dressed
MAC Mineralize Blush - Moon River (Highlighter Side Only)
MAC Eyeshadow - Idol Eyes
MAC Eyeshadow - Smoke and Diamonds (in crease)
Avon Daring Definition Cream Eyeliner - Black
Collection 2000 Collagen Curl Mascara 17 Ultra Black
Mac Lipstick - Fabby
Boots No7 High Shine SPF15 Lipgloss - Smile


Collection 2000 Collagen Curl Mascara Review

In quite a few FOTD posts lately I have used the Collection 2000 Collagen Curl Mascara in No17 Ultra Black - I bought this in Superdrug a few months ago when it was on offer. The first thing In noticed was the packaging it comes in a bright pink / purple and yellow which I love - there is nothing worse than boring black packaging

In the tube you get 9ml which is about average I have noticed everything from 7ml - 12ml in mascaras lately. One of the first things apart from the colour that you notice is the thickness of the tube - this is quite a chunky mascara and this is reflected in the brush

I must admit this is where this mascara starts going wrong for me - I found it quite difficult to use - as you can see the brush is quite thick and curved - I found it difficult to actually apply it, particularly to the bottom lashes and the inner corners where there is less space, because of the lack of space I found as you will see later I experienced a lot of smudging and fallout. I also found that the neck of the tube tended to get quite dirty and smudged with product.

The colour itself is good a nice black - I am not sure if I would describe as ultra black but its a good basic black colour - I didn't find the consistency too bad but as you can see it did clump a little bit. Collection 2000 make big claims about this mascara - their website screams 7 x the volume and the tube itself says "Beautifully curled, lifted lashes extra volume for wide-eyed impact" Well what do you think?

Before



1 Coat


2 Coats


I am sorry Collection 2000 but I don't agree - maybe its my issues with application but this isn't doing it for me yes on coat 2 you can see a bit of a difference but I'm not seeing that much increase in curl or volume - don't get my wrong it looks OK bar the fallout and the odd clump (these pics are lash comb free) but it's not really what I was promised :( Will buy this again - no as I say the wand and the component are way too bulky and awkward for me personally to use - as I keep saying this is only my opinion yours may be different some people like big wands I personally don't ;) If you want to see for yourself you can get buy this product from all Collection 2000 stockists including Boots and Superdrug for around £4.99 for more details and to see the other colours check out their website

Lacura Face Care Balancing Day Cream Review

One of the most difficult areas for me and my skincare routine has always been moisturiser - I've found my holy grail cleansers and toners but the search for a holy grail moisturiser has been harder. My skin is typically classed as combination with more oily tendencies than dry ones - I've large, open pores and even at the age of 31 I am still probe to breakouts - as a result I have always had problems finding a moisturiser I truly love. I find the majority of facial moisturisers I've tried too heavy, too oily, or too sticky. Worse than that though if they are oil free ones or are made specifically for oily skin I often find they don't give me the amount of moisture that I need (there is a difference between oil and moisture - skins with oily tendencies still need moisture. SO my search has gone on - up until the middle of last year I used the Liz Earle Skin Repair - Light or Normal / Combination - I liked it - my skin felt soft, it didn't break me out but I don't know what it was, it just still wasn't the one. Then last year I got a kit from Elemis containing their Pro Collagen Marine Cream - to be honest this is the closest I have ever found to my holy grail. Billed as an anti- ageing product - this has the most gorgeous cream gel texture that sinks in quickly and leaves your skin super soft, moisturised and matte - the only problem is its upwards of £40 - I don't have a problem with spending money on skincare of it works and find the cheapest way of buying it is via special offer kits on QVC but I still fancied a cheaper option especially since I've been using the Pro Collagen for a day and night cream. So when I popped into Aldi last month I picked up one of their moisturisers to try. I have heard so many good things about their anti-ageing creams but the one I picked up was the Lacura Face Care Balancing Day Cream.

Specifically for oily combination skin this product contains a specially derived extract from the avocado plant which helps to balance combination and oily skin. Like the Elemis Pro Collagen this product has a lovely light but moisturising cream gel texture, which feels refreshing and cooling on the skin, but absorbs easily and leaves skin soft but not sticky, and with a matte, non greasy finish.

So huge thumbs up so far - so what else do I like about it - well the smell is amazing - think a combination of The Body Shop Fuzzy Peach, and Dewberry and your about there - it has a gorgeous fresh fruity scent, that lingers for a little while on your skin.
I also love the packaging it comes in a 50ml airtight, pump action dispenser, my only complaint is that you don't need a full pump - a full pump actually dispenses way more product that you need (a little seems to go a long way)and it's actually quite tricky just to get half a pump.
It also doesn't contain an SPF but the majority of make up I wear does so it's not real problem especially when you consider the price £1.99 for 50ml you really can't argue with that - would I repurchase - yes I've already got a back up as I know I won't get to Aldi for a while - Don't get me wrong I still love my Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream but this is a really good option if your on a budget. You can buy this in any Aldi store for more information check out their website
If you have any questions on either this product or any of the other two moisturisers I've mentioned please leave a comment or contact me via the e-mail address in my side bar x
(Just to add I bought, or my mum bought me all the products mentioned in this post, this review is purely my own opinion as per usual yours may be different x)

Advanced Warning

Hiya everyone just to let you that my mum is going into hospital for an operation tomorrow. This can mean one of two things for my blog - first of all a lack of posts due to general stress, and dragging my ME ridden carcass around doing housework, and cat care, or millions of new posts due to stress induced mania lol I am hoping it will be somewhere in between lol - I have a few planned posts for the next weeks including a little ELF haul (within my spending diet I assure you;)), a couple of reviews and an update on operation nail growth so hopefully I'll be around but if I'm not I will be back soon and in the mean time you can catch up with my whinging on twitter :) Thanks again for all you support and I'll see you soon xx

MAC and Benefit Discount Haul

OK I said on Sunday that I had placed the last order of my February spending disaster with a website cosmetics-skincare. After I'd placed the order I received a few messages telling me the site had to be selling fake products for the prices they were charging - well I got my order this morning
I ordered 3 MAC items and a Benefit item and I have to say I believe that the products are genuine .
I got a MAC eyeshadow, a pigment and a lipglass and not only did I compare them to my own existing items but I also read thorough the Specktra posts on fake MAC items (Specktra is a great authority on MAC and they have a specific forum for queries about genuine products where you can compare pictures, understand batch codes and so on well worth a look if you haven't already). So what i thought I'd do is show you a few pics :)
First of all I got an eyeshadow in Cork - eyeshadows are one of the most copied items but on this one everything seemed to be A OK - the hinges are the same, the boxing and packaging was the same, the batch codes made sense and matched and the labels were as they should be (comparison with Lucky Green)




Secondly I got a pigment in Rose Gold- again pigments are a widely copied MAC item - having had a few fakes in the past I was super careful to check this out properly - again the boxing, and batch codes were correct right down the pigment safety leaflet -


the tubs are exactly the same as my existing pigments right down to the insert and it's embossing - the base sticker was also the same being clear for a Pro Color -
another winner (comparison pic is white a pro color)

I also got a MAC lipglass in Florabundance - again the packaging was spot on barcodes batch numbers matching, base labels matching and so on


(tube used for comparison - She's A Star

I've tried everything and it all looks and is as pigmented as it should be too oh and all packaging is labelled Back2MAC :)
So so far so good on the MAC products what about the Benefit - well I had wanted the Creaseless Cream Shadow/ Liner in Skinny Jeans for ages but none of my local Benefit counters ever had it in stock so when I saw it here for a substantially reduced price I went for it and what can I say it certainly looks like the genuine article to me - the packaging again is spot on with the cute little quote cards and leaflets you get in Benefit packaging



So what can I say I was sceptical but I am happy with everything I've got - this is only my experience yours may be different but from what I can compare it too I have no problems with my purchases - it all appears to be as it should be and I for one can't argue with that

(ETA - I've just depotted the Nanogold I got from MAC and Cork from this order and they look exactly the same )

Mini Asos Haul

I said I'd placed a little order with ASOS towards the end of last month well it came :) I got a pair of nude ballet flats last year for my birthday and ever since then I've want a nude handbag to go with them (I do try try to match shoes with bags saddo that I am)So with last month InStyle discount I picked up this one - it's a little smaller than I expected but I love the Chanel rip off style :)

New Hair

Spot the difference between todays and yesterdays posts - yesterday wavy today poker straight and with bangs (I love that word) :) what a difference a hairdresser makes x Apologies for the crappy pics - I washed my make up off to take all the bits of stray fringe hair off lol

Good and Bads

Thought I'd start a new week and a new month by doing a good and bad post :)

Goods

* My mum - I love my mum so much - she popped to Aldi today and bought me some Lacura skincare backups which was so sweet of her and she ordered me some bits from the MAC Spring Color Forecast collection including one of the pigment stacks which I hinted about but didn't ask for - I don't know what I would do without her
* I purchased quite a few bits last week and three in particular are really standing out and I'm really loving - reviews to come
* February is over so I can hopefully get back on track with my spending diet feeling positive that I can stay wrong
* You lovely people - huge thanks to my followers new and old - I really appreciate your support and nice comments - I was really nervous about posting FOTD's - having being bullied and teased all my life for my facial palsy but you lovely girls have been so nice -It's made me finally feel comfortable with myself - thank you cx

Bads

* The heating has gone off again argh - it isn't clicking in for some reason and the house is freezing - someone from the insurance is supposed to ring us back later - fingers crossed they hurry up
* My mums operation is hopefully on Saturday - she has had most for her pre-op tests and just has to have some bloods taken in Thursday - she is understandably a bit stressed and as a result so am I :(
* Probably because of the above I have put a pound back on - I am disappointed but not surprised but I am not going to beat myself up over it and I'm going to try harder this week