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April 28, 2011

liz earle botanical shine shampoo and conditioner

Lately I've been absolutely adoring these two wonderful haircare products by Liz Earle. In my time I've tried countless different shampoos and conditioners from budget to high end and I can honestly say that these two completely blow them out of the water for both value for money and quality. I've been using them both for about a month now and I have really noticed how much shinier my hair has been looking. The shampoo lathers up really well which is great considering it has no nasty sulphates, and the conditioner is lovely and creamy but is light-weight enough to wash out easily.  I love how they nourish my hair but don't weight it down and keep it feeling nice and fresh. I really like the the scent of them both too, they both have different smells and I have absolutely no idea how to describe them properly but freshly cut grass is probably the nearest I can get. I could more than happily repurchase these time after time as they simply do exactly what my hair needs. When we've had family over they've all loved trying them out too and without me even asking them they said how much they loved our shampoo and conditioner, result!

Liz Earle also have a fab offer running at the moment for all you girls after a bargain. You can purchase any three full sized bottles from the botanical range, of any combination that you fancy for just £19.95 (£6.65 per bottle) including postage! I will be taking advantage of this offer too, but hurry as it ends on the 3rd May.




April 27, 2011

current make up routine video #2






Let me know if you like it! :)

April 26, 2011

no7 and poppy king lipstick

I'm sure that most of you have seen a few posts already about the new No7 & Poppy King lipsticks so I won't ramble on for too long. There are seven lipstick shades and seven lipglosses in the collection all priced at £12 each. I got sent the shade 'seduction' which I'm really pleased about as I love dark wine coloured lipsticks. Given my age most people might think that's quite odd but I'm always happy to take on any lip colour as a challenge no matter how bright, or in this case dark. Well I say dark but it's a rather deceiving lipstick and just comes off as an opaque wine colour on the lips. I also really like the sleek packaging, the lippie come in a violet toned metal tube and is really small and dainty in size. It has a great moisturising consistency which stops your lips drying out in this hot weather. Pair the lipstick with sun bleached hair and you have the perfect day time slightly grunge inspired look.


''Lip colour has a seductive mystique that is as inviting as it is mysterious. For this I designed a rich blackberry shade. This shade has enough depth to look great at night but is also appropriate for daytime wear - simply slick on the gloss to glam up your look for the evening.''
Available at Boots online here. 


Disclosure: Sponsored post. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

April 25, 2011

current make up routine video #1

The day has arrived, I've finally made my first youtube video! It's nothing amazing but hopefully you guys will enjoy it and look forward to seeing more videos from me soon. The thumbnail is so attractive I know haha!




April 23, 2011

fish pedicure treatment at aqua sheko


The other day I decided that it was about time that I had a go at a 'fish pedicure'; the new trend that is currently taking over the beauty world. I know that most people are already clued up on what the treatment consists of but for the few of you that are thinking 'what the heck is a fish pedicure' I will explain. Basically the little fellas like to snack on the dead skin cells on peoples skin (yum) which means that we end up with beautiful soft skin and in turn they get their dinner. I know it sounds slightly gross but let me reassure you all with the fact that this tradition has actually been used in Turkey for hundreds of years and has only recently been discovered by Japan five years ago followed by England roughly one year ago with Aqua Sheko being the first fish spa in London! The little guys get to work by gently sucking the dead skin off the outer layer of your feet whilst producing an enzyme that has a vitalizing effect on the skin to further the treatment.


I was warmly welcomed into the SoHo venue by a member of staff and after a long day wandering around London after spending all day on my feet and travelling from one tube to another my feet were definitely in need of a pamper. Once we were led down to the basement lined with small tanks of fish placed in front of comfy leather chairs our feet were washed thoroughly and checked for any cuts. This process means that everything is kept ultra sanitized. After that we put on the spa-like slippers provided and headed over to the tanks.


As I am not the greatest fan of fish I was slightly hesitant to plunge my feet into a tank full of the hungry little things wanting to munch on my feet. Coming from the girl who has been known to splash about in the sea like a loon if I saw a large one swimming by I was rather proud once I went for it. At first I giggled and pulled them straight back out of the tank again after the strange sensation. I tried again and after some time chatting with the other girls having the treatment done I almost forgot about the fish and just felt completely relaxed. The process feels like tiny little vacuums hoovering up all of your unwanted bits of dry skin, or in basic terms similar to a jacuzzi.


Then we were given a vast list of tea flavours and decided on cooled green tea which was perfect after the hot weather. After we said goodbye to the fishes we were lined up for a hot oil foot massage. It was the perfect moment to ask about the fish and I even found out that another one of their favourite snacks is cucumber! Along with the therapeutic music I very nearly dropped off to the land of nod for a split second. Once the massage had finished I would have been very happy to stay longer and avoid the buzzy crowds of London. However all good things must come to an end and it has to be said that I would love to pay the fish spa another visit once my feet need some help from our fishy friends.


The results were very pleasing and my feet definitely felt a whole lot softer. I also noticed that some hard skin that was developing around my toenails had been nibbled away which saves me a job with the pumice stone! And in the future I'd much rather have the more relaxing/gentler treatment with the fish than go to a salon or tackle my feet at home. I know a few people may be put off by the price but it really is a novelty experience and a great idea for parties or a Birthday present to someone. Considering the cheapest price is £17 for 15 minutes of fish therapy I reckon that's affordable to pretty much anyone. You can even have fish manicures done in these tanks below!


The Garra Rufa 'doctor fish' are a part of the Carp family, they are known to live up to seven years old and originally came from rivers in Turkey.


April 16, 2011

pre-release review: nars blush/bronzer trio

Hi dolls, just a quick post on the new 'Orgasm, Albatross, Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio' today. It will be available along with some other great limited edition pieces in May. I love the packaging, the design reminds me of a tiny clutch, has a zip to open and a large mirror inside. It's perfect for when you are on the go as you get blush, bronzer and highlighter in one handy compact. All of the shades included happen to be my three favourite cheek products by Nars so I definitely recommend getting hold of one. I reckon it will be a really popular product and as it's limited edition start saving your pennies now. It also makes a great purchase if you have yet to try the three shades. The compact costs £39 but it's a unique item by Nars and as you get 15g of product that compares almost the same as gram per pound as a Mac blusher!

''Three iconic NARS products, one portable zip-around compact. With Orgasm Blush, Albatross Highlighting Powder and Laguna Bronzing Powder, this limited-edition trio makes a flawless complexion more attainable than ever.''



April 13, 2011

xen-tan reviews

With the weather warming up my need to be tanned is becoming more and more apparent. Compared to most people I'm not quite as obsessive to be labelled a 'tanaholic' but nothing beats the feeling of being bronzed!


Scent Secure -
Personally the 'fake tan smell' doesn't bother me too much, obviously I'd prefer that it wasn't there but it's nothing that really irritates me. However I did find that it completely covered up any trace of 'fake tan smell' and left my skin smelling just like watermelon, so it's worth having a look at for people that hate the smell of fake tan. Just remember to apply it one hour after your fake tan and you will be smelling as fresh as a daisy in no time. The body lotion costs £24.99 and to be honest personally I'd rather just put up with the smell.


Dark lotion absolute luxe -
Without a doubt this is the darkest fake tan that I've tried yet I find the colour looks perfectly natural. The application does take a little while as the lotion is quite thick and you have to be careful to rub it in properly and to not miss areas. The effort is really worth it though as you will wake up with a tan looking like you've spent two weeks in Mexico. It smells really yummy too, like a mix between vanilla and chocolate, they've also added scent secure into the formula which is great. I like to use it just on my legs and arms as I don't want to waste product on areas that don't need such a heavy tan. Unfortunately the price really puts me off and at £39.99 I won't be repurchasing it any time soon, I really don't know who Xen Tan expect to pay that kind of money on fake tan that will only last you about four full body applications. That being said the results do last about a week on average so you get a months supply per tube but I'd still rather stick to my St Moriz!

April 12, 2011

nars laguna illuminator


Lately I've been loving the fake tanned and beautifully bronzed look. With summer around the corner I figured it was time to ditch the pale foundation and go for a sun kissed complexion. I know that a lot of people avoid highlighters or any cheek products with shimmer in fear of looking like a disco ball or don't like the look of a silver/cool toned highlight, which is why this warm toned bronzer is the perfect option. I still like to use a powder bronzer underneath as a contour but this adds just the right amount of shimmer to make my skin look beautifully dewy as if I have caught the sun. The great thing about the product is that you only need a tiny amount so I'm hopeful that the tube will last quite a while. There is no doubt that it's a pricey purchase but I reckon it's a must for summer.


Price: £21.50 available on the Nars website

April 08, 2011

the nars press event

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the Nars press event to preview some of the latest collections. It was a great event where you could have a play with the make up, chat with the make up artists and there was even a blogging station with iPads one of which I sent a tweet from last night. The compact in the picture below and the liquid illuminators are definitely my favourites from Nars at the moment; I really need to get my hands on them! Thankfully I was given an illuminator in 'Laguna' which I will be reviewing soon. I really love Nars as a make up brand and in terms of price I do believe that you get what you pay for! I pretty much spent the whole time whizzing around the venue taking pictures with Katie and snacking on the yummy nibbles.


After the event I clearly decided I wanted to pretend I was Japanese and bought a load of dumplings and noodles. I swear the dumplings are one of the nicest things I've ever eaten and then I had this strange bubble tea with green tea, lychee juice and tapioca bubbles which I couldn't work out if I liked or not. Deffinitely pop in to 'Now' Japanese fast food shop right next to Liverpool St station when you have a chance!


Thanks again to the lovely ladies at Beauty Seen PR for inviting me along!