Today's Outfit and Makeup

Today's look

Hello, I hope you have had a good day! I decided this morning that I would post what I wore and my makeup to college because on Wednesdays I go to college for my apprenticeship so that means I can wear comfy clothes (YAY).

 My outfit was pretty simple: a grey cardigan, a lovely peachy lace top and black/grey look soft trousers. I am also wearing "invisible" socks that I would 100% recommend to anyone who wears pumps or dolly shoes.

The makeup I wore today was pretty simple but some days that's all you need! I also needed to make sure i wore foundation to match my face with my tan (I didn't want to apply the fake tan to my face, but I'm tempted to next time).

 The foundation I wore was Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. This is a foundation that I have a love/hate relationship with like many other people, but after accidentally buying a darker shade this is perfect for my tan! i might have to go into Mac or find another foundation that will suit me for when I am darker. This did last quite a long time and I feel did the job quite well although I don't at all think it "wakes me up - my skin obviously).

 The concealer I used today was the Rimmel Wake Me Up, I used this only because it matches the foundation. In all honestly this concealer is a bit meh, it isn't as good as my Laura Mercier secret concealer or my erase concealer from Maybelline but anything that will help cover my dark circles! (suggestions please)

The mascara I used today was the Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara. Again, this is definitely a non repurchase, the brush is awful and makes my lashes clump up on times! I used it this morning to see if my opinion had changed and unfortunately it had not. Next time i think i am going to invest in Benefits They're Real or something similar.

Ah my beloved Mac, this has got to be in my top 5 Mac purchases. In case you didn't know what it was its the Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skin finish/ Highlighter. I love the product for its texture, the way you hardly need nothing at all but can achieve a highlighted look extremely easy. Also, you do get a lot of product for your money and that's what they great thing I and definitely worth investing in.

I used this all over my face to achieve a bronzed look to match my tan and its Mac's Mineralize Skin finish Natural in Medium Dark. Again, you can see how much I use this product from the product missing in the middle. I can truthfully say this is worth every penny because I have had it a lot longer than I probably should, but as long as it doesn't go green or start to smell I will use it until it has all gone! this is also perfecting for contouring as its easily blendable

For my eye shadow I used the Loreal Colour Riche Eyeshadow quad, I really like this because it has everything you need to achieve an easy smoky eyed look. The eye shadows are easily blendable and are quite pigmented considering the price. This will definitely be a repurchase and i might even look at what other colours they have available.

The final thing I wore today was my Evas Nude Lipstick by Loreal, I really like this lipstick because it suits me when I have a tan and when I am pale. Also, its really easy to put with any make up look because it will go with almost everything. Although it does need to be reapplied throughout the day its worth it for the colour you achieve.





Please comment below if you use any of the products, or if you have any recommendations for me

Cocoa Brown 1 hour tan review

Cocoa Brown 1 hour tan review 

So when I was on holiday I just couldn't resist the offer of the Cocoa Brown tan from Marissa Carter for only £7.00, it was a complete bargain price for such an amazing product that will now be added to my beauty regime. Now let me tell you, I am pale (NW15, Ivory ect ect)! so when ive looked at tan in the past ive been super scared that it'll just end up horribly wrong and that ill end up orange. However, from the photos below you can see that in fact I am NOT orange but have a light/medium brown tan. 

The appearance of the bottle seems pretty minimalistic, but easily recognisable in the bright pink bottle. The product comes out in a mousse, which when put on the mitt looks quite pale however the product continues to darken on your skin for three hours. In case you didn't know on the bottle it recommends that once you apply it all over you then leave it for one hour (I left it for two) and then you get into the shower and lightly rinse it off. You can then fully see how the product has fake tanned your skin.

Prep work

As you can imagine, your skin needs to be in the proper condition before you apply fake tan to insure it looks its best. 

              There are a number of products/things you can use to achieve this and I have included                 a photograph below:

- A Tanning Mitt to help you apply the mousse to your skin evenly and to prevent the awful looking orange palms.

-A Body scrub (mines soap and glory)to buff away all the dry skin especially around your elbows and ankles as dry skin seems to pick up more fake tan than regular skin casing an uneven application.

- A body moisturiser/butter (mines the daily smooth- Soap and Glory) to smooth out your skin. Make sure that it has fully sunk in before applying the tan.

- A nail varnish (mines Barry M Gelly in Lychee)  to apply to your nails on your hands and feet to prevent the tan from going on your nail bed.

-  Some cotton wool to apply the fake tan to your face, hands and feet as these places require less tan.

- Finally something I forgot to add into the photograph (slaps hand) is Vaseline to apply to your eyebrows and hairline to prevent discolouration.  

Application

So the application is extremely easy, you add the mousse onto the tanning mitt and apply it in a circular motion until the right amount is even all over your body. I also got my mum to add the tan onto my back because I cannot reach to do it myself. The bottle says "1 hour tan", but I left mine on for two hours (the maximum is three) before rinsing it off in the shower without using shower gel or body scrub. You can then get on with your day without worrying about the tan!

The Results!!

I really cant get over how happy I am with the results considering the price tag (so much cheaper than St Tropez) and i will DEFINITELY be repurchasing in the future. So without further or do, here are the results: 

voilà! ps. sorry for my cats tail in the right photo, she likes to get in on the action.

Superdrug Haul

Superdrug Haul

So when i went to Torquay on my holiday i stopped in the local Superdrug to see what i could find and i wasn't disappointed with the bargains that i found! I purchased 3 for 2 on L'Oreal Products: Colour Riche les ombres eye shadow quad, Colour Riche Collection Privee in Evas Nude and the Infallible 24 hour foundation.



   Firstly the Colour Riche eye shadow quad in beloved nude (The sticker came off but ive searched online):

                                                 This eye shadow palette really appealed to me because i really like neutral colours and creating the smokey eye look which i can create from this. it has a creamy base, a sliver for the outer c or v and a bronze which you can blend into the crease. It retails for £7.99 which is inexpensive considering that you get four eye shadows that are quite pigmented. 

Next is the Colour Riche Collection Evas Nude lipstick:  

 This lipstick is a lovely pinky nude colour that i think will suit most skin tones. Also, it is a true to colour shade with some shimmer but not overpowering which is what I look for most. The packaging is quite nice apart from the lid which has to have the block clicked into it. I am yet to try out the other colours in this range but from using this one i think I might pick some up soon. It  also retails at £8.19 which isn't going to break the bank for such a lovely colour!

Finally the last thing I purchased was the fallible 24 hour foundation in the shade 120 Vanilla. 

This foundation "fights the makeup meltdown" meaning that your makeup wont be going south by evening. However, that seems a pretty strong statement to me and although it does last a long time I wouldn't say that it would last you all night. This foundation was extremely easy to apply and was high coverage which is perfect when you want to hide any imperfections. I would recommend this as it seems a good all round foundation and they seem to have a good colour range. It was also £9.99 in Superdrug.

That's all i bought, but if you have tried any of these leave your thoughts below :)

Holly 

shopping haul

Hello, so I accidentally went shopping and this is what happened!

This is a big photo of everything I bought:

Here is the list of things (i will post individual)

• 
  
•  Boots from New Look- £29.99
• Cameo Rose Daisy Top from New Look- £12.99
• Chunky Chain necklace from New Look- £6.99
• Tartan Pyjama Shorts from Primark- £4.00
• Wine ankle slipper boots from Primark- £4.00
• Black floaty shirt with a gold detail - Primark £5.00
• 2x pack of shoe liner Socks £3.00
• Tartan Skirt from Select- £8.00
• Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss from Superdrug-£2.99
• Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me from Superdrug- £2.99
• Rimmel As You Want Victoria Lipstick from Superdrug- £6.49
• B. Naked Light Hydrating Foundation in shade: 030 beige- £8.99 from Superdrug
• Barry M Gelly nail varnish in shade: Watermelon- £3.99 from Superdrug
• Essie Silver topcoat in shade: Set In stones- £7.99 from Superdrug
• Essie nail varnish in shade: Good As Gold- £7.99 from Superdrug 

So ill start off from the list, my naughty purchase (slaps wrist), but I just had to. It was the winter boots from New Look they are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I just know I will get so much wear out of them. I walked past them in the shop and it was a magpie moment I just had to have them. However, I usually am a UK size 5, but these were only in a 6, however with a pair of fluffy socks these should be fine. they were £29.99 from New look:

http://www.newlook.com/shop/shoe-gallery/boots/brown-faux-shearling-cuff-lace-up-boots_294006918

Next up is the Cameo Rose Daisy Top from New Look- £12.99 I love floral print and especially in T-shirts. I thought I could wear this casually with a pair of jeans or leggings or dress it up and add it to a skater/maxi skirt. I also thought for the price you couldn't really go wrong! http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/tops/cameo-rose-cream-and-black-daisy-print-vest-_290959467 it is a black background with cream and red daisy flowers on. Also, there is pretty buttons all the way down the back.

My next purchase was: the Chunky Chain necklace from New Look- £6.99. I bought this because  love statement necklaces and thought this would look nice over jumpers or in between collars. It also wasn't badly priced for the quality and let me tell you it is mega heavy. http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jewellery-and-hair-accessories/gold-twist-chain-necklace_281970993

Moving on, this is the item I know I'm super excited to wear to bed, because I just love tartan and when I saw this I just fell in love. To be fair Primark do pretty good sleepwear and it is so inexpensive you can't really say no. This is the: Tartan Pyjama Shorts from Primark- £4.00. They're super duper comfy and great to wear to bed if you feel like pyjama bottoms are just too heavy. You can also see the Pyjama slippers that I bought in Primark too. They are super fluffy and were a complete bargain at £4.00

 Next, is an item that ive been looking at similar in Top Shop, But when I went in store I just couldn't find it so I thought id have a change and try this. It's no the best quality, but what can you expect for £5? It goes perfectly with the Tartan skirt from Select for £8.00. I bought these two as an outfit so i will post the pictures below. The skirt feels really nice and I know it's probably going to be outside the wardrobe more than in!

http://www.selectfashion.co.uk/clothing/s038-0901-124_red.html

Now this next item seems like an odd thing to blog about, but its one of my must haves. The 2x pack of shoe liner Socks £3.00 are amazing, if like me you wear shoes where the top of your foot is going to be exposed and don't like the thought of not wearing any socks these are for you. They come in a pack of two for £1.50 each and they are a complete bargain.

So that's it for the clothes side of the haul, im saving the make up to do a everyday make up routine and also an autumn/winter nail selection. So with that in mind, please stick around for more!

Holly x

21 questions

Hey guys, so i've been looking at other peoples blogs and I saw the 21 questions and thought why not give it a go! I hope it lets you get to know me seeing as I'm new.

Okay so here it is:

1. Are you named after anyone? I would love to give you all one great big story, but sadly not no.

2. When was the last time you cried? I cried at the cinema when I watched The Call, my heart when out for the girl when she said what she thought was goodbye to her parents.

3. Do you have kids? Nope.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? I would hope so! I'd like to think I'm a good friend.

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? yes. I use it like a second language and that's probably really bad.

6. Will you ever bungee-jump? Unless I get a large sum of money or had to do it for a really good charity, no.

7. What’s your favourite cereal? Cookie Crisp!

8. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Their smile or the eyes (the window to the soul).

9. What is your eye colour? Blue. I love blue eyes.

10. Scary movie or happy endings? Happy endings definitely.

11. Favorite smells? Probably: perfumes, petrol and fresh bread.

12. Summer or winter? Summer.

13. Computer or television? computer, because you can watch TV! Is that cheating? ha-ha.

14. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home? in Lancashire (5 hours from me).

15. Do you have any special talents? No :( im so sad by this.

16. Where were you born? Bristol

17. What are your hobbies? i love make up and shopping and I also go rock climbing

18. Do you have any pets? yes, a kitten called Amber

19. Favorite movie? Taken 1&2, Harry Potter, Wild Child, Pitch Perfect and The Parent Trap.

20. Do you have any siblings? no. I am an only child.

21. What do you want to be when you grow up? (cheesy) I want to be: successful, happy and healthy.

I hope you guys have learned something about me here! I would love to hear about you

Cheers guys,
Holly Lowe x

How to do Ombre nails (dip dye with nail varnish)

Ombre nails

Here I will show you how to do Ombre nails of any colour (I used white and grey).

What you will need:
-  A varied choice of colours that are either different shades of the same colour or be daring and go wild!
- A sponge (a bathroom one is fine or one from the kitchen)
- Sellotape if you wish to tape round your nails
- Nail varnish remover

Step one: paint your nails the lightest of the colours you are going to use (mines white).












Step two: cut and shape the sponge to the size of your nails and then apply the nail varnish to the sponge in the order that you want it to turn out.











 Step three: press the sponge against your nail and move it forwards and backwards until you get the desired look. You can add more nail varnish if you need to.

After doing all of my nails this is what mine looked like (it gets very messy):

Step Four: Remove the excess nail varnish with remover and a cotton bud. Next, add a top coat to make it last and look shiny.


I hope you enjoyed this quick DIY, I really think it makes nails look fab with the right colours and looks unique! I'd love you to share with me your designs as id love some inspiration


Cheers guys,
Holly Lowe x

Glossy Box June edition 2013. My first box!

Hello and welcome to my first blog about Glossy Box, in this blog i will be showing the products I received as well as my opinions and where you can buy the products.

I was debating for ages on whether I wanted to purchase a Glossy Box (I am currently still subscribed and loving it). So, when i finally decided to buy one i was quite pessimistic on how it may turn out. However, to my surprise I was greeted one morning with a lovely box and a cheery postie (yay). and let me tell you it was like Christmas had come early! It's the feeling of not knowing what you're going to get that month and being able to look forward to it.

So without further or do I will do a little unboxing of it for you all:

This is the design on the normal Glossy Box for if they haven't came up with a themed idea. As soon as I saw this box I knew it was going to be good. The box isn't just made from cardboard it has a luxurious feel to it and the box feels silky smooth in a light pink colour. This box was in July and it was technically "summer" they did a summer looks magazine which explains what the products are, how much they are and also where to buy them from.

I will now get to the exciting Christmas part and show you what was inside my box. the items are covered by the black tissue paper so you can't see what's inside, but obviously i have pulled it back so you can!

The contents inside the box were:

Helen E Cosmetics lip liner 1.3g for £8

Figs and Rouge Coco rose lip balm 12.5ml for £8

Organic Surge Super Intensive Daily Moisturiser 50ml for £8.99

Paul Mitchell curls leave in treatment 200ml for £14.95 (I have the full size)

Nails Inc Portobello nail varnish 10ml for £11 (and again i received sample size)

Helen E cosmetics lip liner:

This Lip liner is from a beauty range that I have never heard of before receiving this product, but I will be interested in finding out more after having this. I have swatched the colour so you guys can have a look yourself. The colour is like a dark pink with shades of brown, but it looks really nice on the lips i can assure you. For the price and the fact that i don't usually wear lip liners it's quite expensive at £8 from www.helen-
e.com
Figs and Rouge Coco rose lip balm:

Okay, so this probably had to be my second faviourte thing in this box, here we have the Figs and Rouge Coco rose lip balm. First of all the packaging means quite a lot to me and this is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous, also not only that but the way you apply it and the applicator is useful if you worry about germs because you wont be able to get any around the rim! next, moving on the smell of this product is amazing, but if you aren't a fan of roses you may not like the smell (sad face). this product left my lips feeling really soft and also made them look so pretty by adding a pink shimmer to them. You can pick this up at: www.feelunique.com for £5 what a bargain, amazing.

Organic Surge Super Intensive Daily Moisturiser:

This was by far my faviourte product, and is still my faviourte moisturiser of all time. Okay so, this is by the brand Organic surge and is made with all natural things to make your skin feel amazing and not dehydrating (wow). I have also been using this as a primer and applying foundation over the top and it glides over this. Another amazing thing is that the price is so INexpensive retailing in at £8.99 for 50ml from www.organicsurge.com. So, if you're looking for a new moisturiser and your skin feels dry or if you want to try something new I would definitely recommend this.

 Paul Mitchell curls leave in treatment:

This is a leave in treatment from Paul Mitchell curls range. I have not used this one because I used the wave treatment (I have dead straight hair), but me being me thought that it would give me curls. Apparently not what was left was a sticky mess so bad i had to wash my hair twice and it still made my hair feel super heavy and horrible. Although, I'm sure if you have curly hair this would work wonders and make them look beautiful. Also, the price is quite expensive retailing at £14.95 for 200ml ouch. 

Nails Inc Portobello nail varnish 10ml

This is a nail varnish from Nails Inc and I have never bought a nail varnish from that brand before, but I have to say I am quite impressed as you can see the colour is true, it doesn't chip, it lasts for quite a while and was a good summery colour. Although you only get a sample size it has lasted me quite a while and I think that I would like to see more colours from Nails inc. you can buy the full size product for £11 and you get 10ml www.nailsinc.com

That's it from my first ever blog, so I hope it was okay and if you would like to see more please email me suggestions at: hollsbloggingthing@gmail.com. I have also had Glossy Boxes up until the month we are in so i could easily carry on doing more or make up/ beauty related things!

Cheers guys, 

Holly Lowe x