Tuesday 30 April 2013

Babyliss Boutique curling wand



I purchased this curling wand around a month ago via Very.co.uk, but I know not everyone wants a catalogue so I linked you lovies to Boots whom I know sells it. I purchased my wand for £29.99, which is the same as boots. 

I didn't really do any research on the wand, although usually I do with anything I purchase, it was bought on a bit of a whim. All I knew was that I really wanted a curler on a budget, where I could create curls and most importantly for me, some lovely summery waves. I tend to find that waves suit me better, because not only do I keep my length with my hair (I hate when curls make my hair shrink!) but it suits my roundish face. I think I look rather horrendous with really curly hair, I can only have loose curls at a push, but I always try and opt for a nice soft wave... which is exactly what it says on the box... so I had to buy! 

I haven't got much experience with curling tongs or wands or anything other than a hairdryer or GHD's. I was scared! Thankfully, it came with a nifty little glove which protects the hand you're using to hold the hair against the wand and a mat which you lay the wand on when you're waiting for it to heat up, whilst you're curling your hair and when it's cooling down. I have however managed to drop the wand on my bare leg on top of a bruise - Ouch! So be wary if you haven't tried anything like this as it's a bit fiddly! It takes a few goes to get it right, I find it hard to do the right hand side of my hair... still learning ^_^!

I do though love the outcome from using this wand. Not only do I magic up amazing waves and loose curls but it gives the most amazing shine to my hair and makes it feel amazing which are ultimate bonuses! 
I'm absolutely in love with this wand, and it's now become my go to hair tool for day to day hairstyles and evening styles too! 

Have you tried the BaByliss Boutique Curling wand? Or do you use another?

Lauren xo

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Rimmel Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara Review


So I recently purchased this mascara whilst on a shopping binge at Boots, and since I was on the hunt for a new mascara anyway since my Benefit they're real mascara is starting to dry out slightly (le sigh), and decided to pick this up (without any thought as to what it was like) and it luckily resembles Benefit's they're real pretty well! It cost £6.99 which is the usual for a drugstore mascara, and I bought it in Black. 


The packaging is nice, nothing too out there for Rimmel, just a pink tube. It's shaped like a bullet.... not much else I can say about the packaging really!


The brush is AMAZING. It really does look like the Benefit They're real wand (read my review here), with the big plastic bristles at the base and the round pointy load of bristles at the top to target those pesky little lashes that an ordinary wand could never coat. I really like how it gets every little lash, and coats them a lovely deep black. The only thing that I wasn't happy with (which probably has nothing to do with the mascara itself) was that it was drying out already when I bought it, but was packaged when I bought it... hoping it's just a one off! I think this mascara also works well lapplied on top of the Benefit mascara since they're the same brush design, although I think this Rimmel one is slightly larger. 


(Apologies for the naff eye shot!)

This is the result,  Long flirty lashes! I'd give it a 4/5, only because I'm devoted to the Benefit mascara already... I feel like I'm cheating! I would purchase again though if I couldn't afford the other mascara or even just to apply on top.

Have you tried any Scandaleyes products from Rimmel?

Lauren xo

Thursday 18 April 2013

My favourite Nail Polishes for S/S


So we're practically at the end of April already and well into spring, before we know it we'll be in summer and will be baring our tootsies. I thought I would post my favourite nail colours for Spring/Summer and maybe give you all a bit of inspiration if you're struck on colours to introduce the warmer weather into your life...beauty style ;-)!

Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours Quick Dry in Coral & Mint

I bought these colours last summer, and used them a lot. Now the sun is peeking through, I've pulled these out of the depths of my varnish box into the light to be used. For some reason they don't have a name or number, so I can't be exact with what colour it's supposed to be. Obviously one is coral but the other is a mint crossed with a blue hue. Both colours compliment my pale complexion, which is nice since I don't usually get along with coral or mint without it washing me out even more.



 Barry M Nail Paint in Acid Yellow , Berry Ice Cream  & Rose Quartz

Just like any nail polish addict, I'm a massive fan of Barry M Nail Paints. They have such a huge selection of colours and effects, you're never short of a new look, I probably have around 20 of the nail paints already! First up is Acid Yellow, one of my more louder colours in my S/S picks. It's not for the faint hearted and looks better on longer nails, for best results coat your nails 2-3 times. This colour looks amazing against a more neutral outfit or with corals. The next is Berry Ice Cream, the best mauve polish I own! It's very pastel and girly and looks good on short or long nails. Lastly in the Barry M selection is Rose Quartz, an amazing mix of large, medium and small flects of glitter. It looks amazing on its own as seen above or over any colour. Again this paint looks good with short or long nails. 

Max factor Glossfinity nail polish in Hot CoCo

This polish is my absolute favourite that I've found this year so far. It's an amazing mix of polish and small glitter particles which give off the most amazing sheen. I love wearing this for an everyday or evening nail looks, it suits all clothing looks and suits even the most palest skin tones.



I got this polish on a bit of a whim because not is there a massive hype around Essie Polishes but I found Essie on Fragrance Direct for £1.99!! Can't pass that up! It's a beautiful pale pink but can be built up to a barbie pink colour. It has a lovely iridescent purple glitter that can only been seen in the light. Very summery and girly!

NYC Expert Last Nail Enamel in Faithful Fuchsia 

I've had this colour for forever and it's still going strong! I love wearing this if I'm opting for a tough Barbie nail look, and it does the job perfectly. Looks better on longer nails, unless you have slim hands/fingers. Absolute favourite.

Leighton Denny Nail Colour in Brief Encounter 

I received Brief Encounter in a GlossyBox last year sometime and I only started using it a few months ago. It's one of those nude/taupes that can be used anytime of year and still look insync with the season. I use this when I want a more toned down nail, especially if I have a lot of work coming up as if it's chipped you can't really notice! One of my safe colours for S/S.


What colours are your S/S staples? 

Lauren xo

Tuesday 16 April 2013

Apocalips lip lacquers review



Hi all!

I thought I'd do a quick review on the Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquers. I know there are a ton of reviews floating around online, and I was meant to get a review out when they first were released but it seemed like everyone and their mum were posting reviews about these beauties. So I thought I'd wait and put my two cents in when the hype had calmed down a bit! 

At the time boots were doing a 3 for 2 on all Rimmel Products and I believe they're still doing that offer online and instore, so take advantage! I purchased Celestial, Big Bang and Apocoliptic. 

The packaging is actually pretty cute! I love the diamond effect lid, and the fact the outside is black from the top down to the hint of colour from your lip lacquer peeking through at the bottom. The formula itself is AMAZING. It lasts all day and once you pop a bit over your lips to touch up, can last all night. The gloss does eventually disappear, but you're still left with a colour on your lips, almost a stained effect left by the lacquer. The only downside is they do smudge easily, and should be worn with caution on a drunken night out haha! You can easily be left looking a hot mess with colour all over your chin after drinking from a cup! For extra precaution, try and blot your lips after application... it saves a lot of mess and embarrassment  But over time the lacquer dries a bit and isn't so slippy. 


Apocoliptic is a beautiful bright fuschia colour, and is my go to spring/summer party lip colour. I haven't worn it as much as the other two colours, but I hope now it's getting warmer here in the UK, I'll be wearing this a lot more! I can't seem to make it work with all my dark pieces of clothing haha!


Celestial is my absolute favourite of all three, and probably my most favourite lip product of 2013. It's the perfect 'your lips but better' colour. It's a dream to maintain colour as even when it fades, your lips still look just as good. Also because the shade isn't so crazy, if you do end up getting it anywhere else apart from your lips.... it's easily erased ;)!

 (Apologies for the really bad/messy photo!)

Big Bang is the perfect red lip colour. I have used this colour on nights out and although is a beautiful colour, the formula is a bit too slippy and after a few drinks can end up all over your face and because it's red it ends up looking horrendous.... blot blot blot if you use this colour in the evening! It is nonetheless a fantastic red shade and I think any skin tone could get away with this shade! Overall I'd say Rimmel got it spot on with this product. It offers a lot  and even though it can be messy, it's worth it! I think I'll be getting all shades!

What are your thoughts on these lip lacquers? What's your favourite shade? 

Lauren xo

Monday 15 April 2013

My girl







I bought this blusher a long time ago now on a bit of a whim whilst browsing Fragrance Direct online. At the time, Dainty Doll had just been put on the site, and I felt a bit of a buzz to try Nicole Roberts' line out finally, and seeing as the majority of the products were being sold at £1.99....you can't really go wrong can you!
I wanted a pink/rose colour for spring, and opted for My Girl 002. Online it looks like a deep rose colour, but when you've got the product in your hand, in the pan it looks more like a florescent pink... but transfers onto the skin as a dusky rose. When it's blended, it becomes more sheer but you have to be pretty careful not to just whack it onto your face or you could end up looking a bit more bozo the clown and less woman with a natural healthy flush. I found myself having to wipe it all off with a baby wipe and re doing my makeup when I first used it because it transfers on SO pigmented. Nonetheless, it just backs the product up as a pretty well made blush that gives you a lot of colour to work with, and once you get to grips with how to apply it properly, it's a beautiful powder blush. I now use it everyday, and never feel the need to reapply after a few hours, it lasts pretty much all day.

There are a few things I don't like about the product, though...

Firstly, right off the bat I hated the packaging. I mean it looks nice and sleek but it's that crappy matte plastic stuff that gets grubby really easily and ends up looking like it's been living at the bottom of a makeup bag for the past 15 years after the first use. Secondly, the product itself can be a little bit powdery, and can latch on to dry patches of skin so if you do use it, try to exfoliate and prep the skin thoroughly before you apply.

Over all I really like the finish My Girl gives and it's one of my favourite blushes at the moment. I'd give it a 4/5!

Have you tried any blushers from the Dainty Doll range?

Lauren xo

Thursday 11 April 2013

M.I.A


Hi guys,


I've been M.I.A for awhile now, and was sorely missing the blogging world....I feel like I kind of need to explain myself to those (very few) of you that take the time to read my blog.

In all honesty, apart from having college and work and trying to make sense of the world...I have/had kind of lost all motivation for my blog. I lost all inspiration and said to myself that there was no point in wasting my time on something that nobody really reads....

Since then I've missed blogging so much, and I've realised that, it's not about how many people read my blog, or even if nobody reads my blog...I mean hell I could be writing this post to myself...!!...but I realised that blogging gives me something to do that I enjoy. It's somewhere to express and lose myself and to talk/rant about products that I've come across or caved in to buy. Even though I didn't intend for people to really see this blog, somehow people have, and even though it's very few, I'm grateful for anyone who bothers to waste minutes reading my silly little posts which aren't very well put together. I appreciate those of you who have encouraged me, and commented on how much they enjoy my little blog. It means alot to me..

So I've decided that, I'm going to spur on! I'm not going to worry about the small things, I'm just going to set out the way I intended to. I hope that through time I'll come to grips with all the snazzy things like photography and how to write good reviews with practice. I hope that if you're taking the time to read this now, and those that enjoy my blog...will be down for the ride? I haven't much confidence in my 'artistry' when it comes to my blog, and god knows I haven't the money for blog layouts specially made for me, or amazing cameras etc...but I know that just because it doesn't have all of the expensive and cool sort of things...doesn't mean it's a waste of time or not a special little blog for myself and those that enjoy what I do here :-)!

Thanks again to those that have supported me.


Lauren xo

p.s I don't know why I included a picture of myself but hey, wouldn't be a blog post without a picture right!?!