Review: Dylash 45 day mascara

I wear mascara EVERY day without fail and it is the 1 piece of makeup I could not go without. I'm going on holiday soon so I thought I would give this kit a go which I bought months ago and see what its like as I wont be wearing mascara for the beach everyday! I've had my eyelashes tinted professionally but thought I might as well try this out myself and see how it goes before I make an appointment.

So above is what the kit contained: instructions, activating solution, black cream colour, mascara wand, dappens dish, protection pads and mixing stick.

Basically what you do is..

1. cleanse and dry the eyelash to remove any mascara or natural oils

2. apply a barrier cream such as vaseline around the eye and along the eye lid but NOT on the eyelash

3. dampen the protection pads and place on top of the barrier cream under the lower lashes

4. mix the activator solution and cream thoroughly so it it thick and does not drip

5. apply thinly and evenly to the lashes with the mascara wand and keep eyes closed

6. leave 5-10mins then wipe of in a downwards stroke with a damp cotton wool pad and then rinse thoroughly.

You can reapply if the lashes arent dark enough and the kit contains enough products for 6 applications.

Here are some before, during and after photos (sorry about my horrible naked eye lol now you see why I always wear mascara!)

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

You can see from the before and after pictures that my lashes went quite dark after the application of the 45 day mascara. They were glossy and dark and looked really natural. I really liked the product and thought it worked well.. however I wouldnt go as far as to say that I would not wear this in place of a mascara.. but it will definatley do for during the day at the beach to avoid pander eyes!

Overall I would reccommend the product and will definitley use it again. It is sold in Superdrug at £7.39.



NOTW - Berry Shimmer

So i've decided to do another Avon new collection shade for my post this week and this shade is called 'Berry Shimmer' which is a pinky purpley colour with slight shimmer. Its really summery and looks beautiful when it catches the light. Depending on how many coats are applied depends on the tone you will get which is fab cos it means you can create more than one look from it.

The amount of layers you apply depends on the shade you will get, one light coat gives a slight pale purple colour and another coat gives a more bold appearance.

As with my last NOTW post, this was bought as part of an Avon 4 for £10 deal for the new collection and retails at £3.50 individually.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar

So I just wanted to do a quick post on this Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. I havent used much of the Bobbi Brown makeup and this was my first ever purchase and its something that I will buy again and again. The shimmer brick comes in different shades and the one I have is Nectar. It has different panels of colour and is sparkly and shimmery on the skin. Ive used this product in many different ways - using the lightest panel as a highlighter, the peachy/golden panel as an eyeshadow and all together as a blush..so its like a 3in1 compact! All 5 panels can be used as eyeshadows and look great in the sun!



 

This shimmer brick was the 2011 She Beauty Awards winner for the best bronzer. It is £32 on the website and can also be found in house of fraser and fenwicks.

Click Here for the item on the Bobbi Brown Website

Positives

• Luminous glow
• Shimmering
• Multi functional - Eyeshadows, Highlighter or Blusher
• Sleek packaging with internal mirror for on the go application
• Smooth texture
• Long lasting

Negatives

• Doesnt stay put in the packaging and powder leaks onto the mirror
• Needs to have a few layers applied when using as an eyeshadow

My favourite smells...

I wear perfume everyday and go through tons of bottles every year. I get about 8 bottles of perfume every year for xmas from different people so never run short on the stuff.. but I do have my favourites which I buy again and again. I usually go for fruity smells as I find them really uplifting and they remind me of being on holiday which always puts a smile on my face! However, I do have a variety of different types of perfumes so I thought I would share with you my selection of favourites.

Escada Taj Sunset - Escada is my all time fav brand for perfume, as I said previously I love fruity sumer scents and pretty much all of the Escada range is this type of smell, even the bottle looks delicious! This perfume is one that I got in the duty free on holiday last year. I have the tiniest bit left and cant bare the thought of there being none left as it reminds me of my holiday everytime I wear it.. but I am going on holiday again soon so I will definatley be picking up another Escada perfume in the airport!

Kate Moss Velvet Hour - Now I've never been a fan of Kate Moss - not for any reason in particular shes just not someone who I always have to read about and know things about.. BUT I do love this perfume! Its not like any other perfume I've smelt before so I really cant describe the smell! I got this perfume as a gift for xmas and so glad I did cos I dont think I would have picked it up myself if I was looking for a perfume as it wouldnt have crossed my mind to give it a smell.

Versace Bright Crystal - I bought this perfume as a gift for my mum after we both loved it after smelling a sample when it first came out in fenwicks a few years ago. I had totally forgotton about the perfume until I got it as a gift for xmas and it reminded me just why I loved it in the first place. Its a very strong smelling perfume but its not too over the top.

Jimmy Choo - As soon as I opened the box I could smell the perfume and loved it from that moment on.. Its fruity and sweet and girly and everything I like in a perfume! I always get scompliments about this perfume and its a smell that is easy to pick out on people walking past if they are wearing it. It does come with a bit of a price tag but its well worth it and a perfume that I will definatley be buying again once ive used it all.

Vera Wang Lovestruck - I have only just got this perfume but I really like it. It has a slight fruity smell and I find it very summery and perfect for hot sunny days. Its a really long lasting scent too and lasts for hours.

Jennifer Lopez Deseo - My mum bought this perfume for herself and after I used most of it on myself she bought me a bottle of my own. I love this perfume so much its a strange smell but a one that is unforgettable. I always wear it when I go for meals or quiet nights out and I have also had a few compliments about it too. I would definatley reccommend going and getting a sample of this perfume and Im sure you will love it as much as I do.

NOTW - Naked Truth

I am a big fan of the avon nail polishes as I find them really easy to apply with just one coat, quick drying and long lasting! I have almost every Avon nail colour from their catalogue and have just purchased another 4 shades from their new collection so I thought I would do my nails of the week post about one of them.

The shade I have gone for is called 'Naked Truth' which is a natural, nude colour. I think it is a lovely colour and is great to wear all year round, especially for the upcoming autumn and winter seasons.

This is one of the new shades in the new collection and I got an absolute bargain.. I got 4 of the new shades for only £10!! Im not sure if the offer is on the website or not.. but for anyone who doesn't get a regular Avon catalogue posted through their door they also have a website where you can order products which is HERE. The usual cost of this polish is £3.50.

I've had the polish on for a week now and it has only just slightly chipped at the ends and considering I am constantly catching my nails in draws and washing my hands and using alot of things which would chip my nails, I think they have lasted pretty well! The colour is still shiny and with a touch up on the tips would make them look brand new again.

July Empties - DITCH or DOUBLE UP

I can't believe we are working our way through August already!... This year is going so so fast.

I tend to use the same products over and over again buy do have the odd spell of using something completely different, and I will admit I'm a complete hoarder and have tons upon tons of products that just sit collecting dust. So I've decided to give them a go as I obviously bought them for a reason.. And seen a few people doing these empties posts so thought i would join in as I've got plenty of things to empty!

So here are my empties for July..



Top left-right: Tresemme hair spray, GOSH x-ceptional wear foundation, Soap & Glory body butter, Solait body bronzer
Bottom left-right: Garnier Pure 3in1, Escada taj sunset perfume, Dior Diorshow Iconic mascara, St Moriz tanning mousse

 I'm going to tell you a bit about each and what I thought of them and also choose to Ditch or Double.. (basically if I will or wont buy the product again).

Tresemme extra-hold salon finish hairspray
Positives - fast drying, smells delicious, 24 hour climate control and humidity resistant, natural looking and strong hold.
Negatives - brushes out easily so needs to be applied right at the end of styling and then left well alone
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

GOSH x-ceptional wear foundation
Positives - perfume free, soft and creamy texture, easy to apply, full coverage.
Negatives - needs to be touched up throughout the day, looks patchy if not applied evenly.
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Soap&Glory 'butter up' deluxe body smoothing cream
Positives - lovely smell, lots of natural ingredients (aloe vera, shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, crushed grape and citrus), leaves skin soft
Negatives - leaves the skin quite greasy and takes a while to rub in (probably because its a thick butter type cream, but not ideal if you dont have all day to get ready as takes a while to apply)
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Solait body bronzer
Positives - matte finish so looks very natural, can be used all over the body, different shades available
Negatives - no negatives about the product itself just that the powder smashes easily when dropped (but thats totally my fault for being clumsy lol)
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Garnier pure 3-in-1 wash, scrub and mask
Positives - versatile and has more than one use, good for imprefection prone skin, leaves skin feeling smooth, can be used as a mask or as a face wash.
Negatives - states it cleans out pores but it seemed to clog mine up instead, was better to use as a mask rather than a face wash as everyday use left my skin feeling a bit dry.
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Escada taj sunset perfume
Positives - gorgeous summer holiday smell, sleek bottle, fruity fresh smell, long lasting.
Negatives - NONE! I love this perfume so much!
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Fake Bake beyond bronze instant tan
Positives - good to apply to the face as its quite a light thin coverage
Negatives - only 1 or 2 full body applications,
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Diorshow iconic mascara
Positives - good wand making it easy to apply, lengthens and thickens the lashes
Negatives - dries out quickly so not very long lasting which isnt too good for me as I use mascara everyday and its not the cheapest!
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

St Moriz instant tanning mousse
Positives - buildable colour, tans instantly to avoid missing any areas, long lasting, no streaks, different shades available, cheap at £2.99 and I prefer it to fake bake which is 10x the price!
Negatives - smells like cornflakes, rubs off onto bed sheets even when dry
DITCH/DOUBLE UP

Tuesdays Top 5 - Topshop

I've been a bit naughty and havent done this post for the last few weeks as I've been a bit too busy to blog.. but I'm back on track so have chosen Topshop for this weeks top 5. I love topshop its my fav shop as it has so much choice and has many different clothes styles to choose from. So here are the 5 items I liked best from the New In section of the topshop website.

Peplum Skirt £34

Large Gold Cross Earrings £10

Dip Hem Maxi Skirt £40

Nail Polish in Sea Mist £6.50

Gold Spike Bangle £8.50

Glossybox: July

I've been subscribed to Glossybox for a while now but since I've not long started my blog I haven't really mentioned any of the products I've reviewed so thought I could start a regular post giving reviews on them.

For those of you who haven't heard of Glossybox it's basically a box full of goodies that you get sent each month to try out! Its £12.95 a month inc postage and contains 5-6 highend beauty product samples for you to try and you can choose the type of products you want receieve or you can just have a lucky dip and choose to receive any. Each month you get different samples and don't find out what you had until you get them in the post.

The packaging is really cute as you can see you don't just receive a padded envelope

of products lol. The boxes always come in handy and I've used mine to store my makeup and nail polishes etc.

So this is what I got in this months box..



Kryolan Satin Powder Sparkling Eye Dust
Shade SP 333

Collin Resultime Regenerating Collagen Gel - can be used as a daily serum in a fine layer or a sleep mask in a thick layer.

Awapuhi Wild Ginger Texturizing Sea Spray -  texture and body adding spray for hair for a surf-inspired look. wild ginger scent perfect for tousled beach style hair.

Monu Calming Cream - a green tinted thick calming cream which neutralises redness on the face, usually on cheeks and chin.

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting - 2 in 1 cream gloss for use on lips for a tint of colour or for a lumious glow on the cheeks. Irish cream pavlova flavour.

Kryolan Satin Powder - micro fine sparkling eye dust in shade SP 333.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Diference - skin balancing exfoliating cleanser, optimizing skin cleanser and skin balancing lotion.

Random interior design post...

Ive always wanted to be an interior designer (weird) and I'm constantly looking through the next home catalogue picking out everything I want.. Unfortunately I don't have my own home and my only space to decorate is my bedroom!

Anyway.. I thought I would share some of my favourite things that I have found that I absolutely love! The style is a sort of chic girly type and stuff that i would definatley have in my own home if I had one and also had endless amounts of money..

Chinoise Chest £495, Metal Heart Light £12, Collage Photoframe £40, Heart Wall Mirror £99, Scented Candles £9, Large Candlestick Holder £25, Eiffel Tower Canvas £18 NEXT

Gold and Cream Wallpaper £40.50 BARNCRAFT

Cream and Pink Rug £54 RUGSCENTRE

Duvet set £22 AMAZON

Gold and Cream Chandellier Light £235 CHANDELLIERS AND MIRRRORS

Aussie Hair Products Review

I've used the Aussie hair products for years now and I really can't see me using anything else as I love their range so much. They have something for everybody and every hair type and I have worked my way through many of their products.

Left to right: Colour Mate Shampoo and Conditioner, Miricale Hair Insurance Leave-in Conditioner, Dual Personality Heat Protection Leave-in spray, Take The Heat Shampoo and Conditioner.

I have blonde highlighted hair so I rely o. n colour protection products to keep my colour vibrant. I only use this shampoo and conditioner every now and again and use it alongside a toning shampoo which takes the brassiness out of my hair. The toning shampoo only needs to be used once every so often so I tend to stick to the 'Take the heat' shampoo and conditioner for daily use.

With having my hair dyed quite often I can sometimes find it gets dry so the leave in conditioning spray is ideal for me. It smells delicious and really does make a difference. I use it every day after towel drying my hair and then I brush it through so that it gets to all of my hair. My hair rarely seems to dry out now and this is a product that I will be buying forever more as I love it!

I never used to use any heat protection products on my hair and suffered the effects of this which resulted in dry frizzy hair after years of straightening and blow drying on a daily basis! My hairdresser reccommended using a heat protection spray so before looking at any other brands I went straight to superdrug and had a look to see if there was anything in the Aussie range. It is sprayed onto damp hair before drying and smells similar to the leave in conditioner (I think all of the products smell the same?). My hair does definatley feel healthier and now I dont feel as bad for straightening it everyday as I think my poor air can cope with it a bit better now it has heat protection :)

Finally is 'Take the heat' shampoo and conditioner. I have used these products for a while and my hair is in the best condition it has been in for years. Maybe it is because of all of the products I now use.. but I would definatley reccomend this shampoo and conditioner to anyone who uses alot of heat when styling their hair. I only use the conditioner on the ends of my hair as I find my hair goes greasy and limp if I condition the roots, but this is the case with all conditioners not just the Aussie one.

I have used other products including the 3minute frizz rememdy treatment and the 3 minute miracle reconstructor deep conditioner. I liked both products and will more than likely use them again at some point! I'm sure I will purchase a few more of the Aussie hair products at some point so I will keep you posted with their reviews.

NOTW: Primark bargain nails!

I haven't posted for about 2 weeks as I've been so so busy.. But on one of my many shopping trips I've came across a new favourite!! Primark false nails!!!! I used to get my nails done all of the time but i'm not really supposed to wear them in my job so have to stick to falsies that I can just pull off. I went into primark for some of their false eyelashes (which are also an absolute bargain!) and came across these nails when I was standing in the que to pay so I picked up a few sets cos I thought you cant go wrong for £1!

Now arent they great! They look so real when they are on and look just the same as when you pay £30 odd to get the acrylic ones done in a salon.. the glue you get with them isnt great but that might just be because ive used the same make of glue for years and refuse o use any other lol. I didnt need to file them down as they were a good length and I've had them on over a week now and they still look as good as the first day I put them on.

Not bad for £1.. I will definatley be going back for more of these!!!