Now the hangover has subsided

You might have seen my previous post about planning what to wear for a night out : 


Well I went on the night out for my friend Danielle's Birthday do and here is  what I wore.

I kept laughing, I had only been there about an hour I promise I wasn't drunk!

White Blazer - Zara

Gold Bag - River Island

Bracelets - Tresor Paris and GoGo Phillip

Dress - Celeb Boutique

Earrings - Orelia

Matt, Me and Birthday Girl Danielle

I did buy the beautiful Zara louboutin lookalike shoes to wear but the stupid slingback strap was so big I had to have it fixed, and the cobbler won't give them to me until Tuesday! So I had to dash out and buy some gold shoes from River Island below. Not quite the same but they are ok. At least they match the handbag!

For makeup I wore Liz Earle tinted moisturiser, Dior nude concealer, Ben Nye translucent powder, Stila convertible colour (the bright orange one) as blush, Dior amber diamond highlighter, NYX Smokey lipgloss, Chanel Bronze Universale bronzer. Mac eyeshadows in vanilla, warm and cozy and brown down with the black from the HD eyebrows palette to smoke it out then liner was Mac Boot Black and the mascara was Benefit's 'They're Real'. I also used Red Cherry human hair lashes from Buy Eyelashes and the duo dark glue.  The lashes are amazing and the ones that Kim Kardashian uses.

Did you get up to anything for Halloween weekend?

Afternoon Tea OOTD

After work I met up with my mum and auntie Jill and we went to the Savoy hotel for afternoon tea.  The tea was lovely, not as good as the Lanesborough but very nice all the same.  I did find it odd that the woman expected us to wait for her to top up the tea, but kept disappearing for ages? If you want to do it then flipping do it!

So since I never do outfit of the day posts....here is a picture of me finally!

Dress - H&M

Tights - Asda (haha)

Shoes - LK Bennet at Bicester Outlet Village

Miu Miu Vitello Lux in Black

Mum has on a dress from M&S and shoes from Next and lots of bling

Mum is embracing the magnetic polish trend, unfortunately I have been a bad

daughter and not redone her shellac underneath yet that's why there's a funny ridge!

My Mum and Auntie Jill  

We've decided next time we are going to go to Langhan's rather than afternoon tea, we have been ladies who lunch for too long!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Spa Breaks instead of Weeks Away

Poor economic times have had an effect on all of us sadly. Even if you have a good job and a steady income stream, everyone is still being extra careful with money and cutting out all those little extras. This has definitely changed the way we live our lives, normally for the worse. Yet it is possible to still pamper and enjoy yourself, even if you are on a tight budget – recently many people have been replacing their trips away with spa breaks, which provide tons of relaxation at a minimum of expense.

Spa breaks are an amazing way to relax: generally they consist of a night or a weekend away at a lovely hotel and spa. You can combine nice meals, gentle exercise and invigorating treatments into 48 hours of pure heaven. Generally, people will have at least one massage, a mani-pedi and a facial on their well-earned spa breaks. One of the best things about these trips is that they take you away from everyday stress in a short period of time. So you don’t need to worry about missing too much work, or getting behind on household chores.

The major reason behind this trend is financial. Spending a few grand on a holiday can be quite hard to justify, especially if you are behind on bills or just generally worried about the future. Going on a spa break is a fraction of this price, yet it can be just as relaxing, especially as you get to avoid all the hassle of going through the airport.

Even in tough economic times it is important to look after yourself – you can’t just go to work week after week with no end in sight. Instead you need to build in rewards and periods of relaxation which you can look forward to and use to regain some serenity and catch up on sleep. If you are feeling the pinch then look to do relaxing things close to home. Spa breaks are a great way to do this, yet you can also go for a weekend’s worth of hiking, visit some friends, or just have a truly amazing dinner out. There are plenty of ways to spoil yourself, you just have to find ways that are convenient and affordable. Holidays certainly play a role here, but you may want to cut down on them – at least until the economy brightens up.

Post supplied by Wahanda

Nicki Minaj for OPI

Fabulous picture courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/user/TheUrbanSweetheart

Nicki Minaj is the new celeb to be partnering with OPI to launch her own nail polish collection!

The Nicki Minaj by OPI collection will be released January 2012.  The range has 6 limited edition shades showcasing her favourite bright colours and a bright pink called Pink Friday after her album.

Nicki always wears elaborate and fashion forward outfits but unlike lady gaga's brand of crazyness tends to keep things more cute and wearable, and nothing made out of meat so far either.

Did it on em - neon green, Save me - holo multicolour silver based glitter, Super bass shatter - purple, Pink Friday - Barbie pink, Metallic for life - silvery metallic sparkle and Fly - acqua blue.

Will you be buying any of Nicki Minaj's polishes?

Lily Flame Candles

When I was waiting for my car to be serviced I went an had a look around BHS as it was either that or Comet and there's only so many washing machines you can look at.  I was pleasantly surprised with the homeware section of BHS, the towels were really good quality as were the other homewares like duvet covers but I was distracted by a big display of Lily Flame candles.  


Lily Flame candles are handmade in the UK, in the heart of the Somerset countryside.  They sell candles, scented room sprays, reed diffusers and scented glassware and the prices are all really reasonable - you can check them out here www.lily-flame.co.uk

I bought Chocolate Truffle and I am chuffed as it smells a-ma-zing! Just like chocolate.  The scent is much stronger than a yankee candle and the tins are really cute.  I am so in love with this candle it's nearly run out and I only took the picture above last week!  I am seriously lemming Christmas Spice and crushed almonds for Winter, I think a purchase will have to be made soon.

Have you tried these candles? Any recommendations?

John Frieda Luxurious Volume

Discover noticeably thicker, more full-bodied hair. The new Luxurious Volume line claims to instantly boost all three dimensions of volume, for up to:

• 110% more fullness*
• 90% more lift*
• 50% more thickness* 

Visit www.johnfrieda.co.uk to learn more about Luxurious Volume.

They say that the shampoo and conditioner have strengthening technology to create fullness from the inside, while ultralight stylers build thickness and lift on the outside. 

*Luxurious Volume system usage vs. normal shampoo and conditioner.

Now as per the * above, yes I do agree that this range, instead of using a regular non volumising range, does give a lot more volume.  I have to be honest though and say that if you were to compare the range to other volumising ranges it would fall quite flat (pun intended).

Luxurious Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

The shampoo and conditioner are similar in consistency to all other John Frieda products that I have used. The shampoo is a clear liquid which foams easily and the conditioner is a thicker white cream.  They both have a rather chemically scent which did put me of somewhat however they seem to do the job well and left my hair clean, fresh and shiny.  I didn't notice any difference in volume just from using the shampoo and conditioner alone with none of the styling products.

Blow Dry Lotion

• This is definitely one of my preferred products from the range.  You spritz this clear lotion onto damp hair before blow drying for lots of lovely volume.  It leaves hair smooth and shiny and it feels a bit like it has been backcombed.  It doesn't feel sticky and it also contains a heat protectant. Unlike other volumizing sprays, it doesn’t contain alcohol so hair stays soft.

Luxurious Volume Anytime Refresher

This claims to recreate volume at the roots when fine hair begins to fall flat. Refreshes style by absorbing oils for a fresh, full look. Unfortunately it didn't do any of those for me.  I use batiste or one of the volumising hair powders by Label M or similar every day because my hair is so flat.  I used this just as I would on a normal day and there was no different at all. Such a shame as it smelled lovely.


Luxurious Volume Thickening Hairspray


Hands down the best item in the range.  Does what it says on the tin!  This does work very quickly so if you have backcombed your hair then blast it with this it will stay for hours.  Fabulous stuff and prefer it much better than my usual Elnett which I have been repurchsing for years. A bit ten out of ten for this hairspray.


Overall I would bag the hairspray and the blow dry lotion and pass by the shampoo and conditioner


Hope the overview of the range is helpful!


Disclaimer: The products were sent for consideration for review, I was not paid for this post and I am not affiliated with them. 

Updated DIY Removal for Shellac, Gelish, Geleration etc.

I have had so many hits on my first DIY Shellac and Gelish removal post, plus so many Beauty Retreat clients wanting me to tell them how to remove it rather than buying the Shellac wraps that I sell (which I will admit does annoy me) that I thought I would update the instructions to include a few little extras which should speed up the process.

For the removal process you will need: 
Some tin foil - hairdressers highlighting foil is the best one to use as it's thicker
Cotton wool balls or pads
A wooden hoof stick (orange wood stick)
Some acetone or gel remover, polish remover will work if it contains acetone but will take much longer
A hot water bottle or wheat bag
Cuticle oil - preferably solar oil
Hand cream
A nail buffer (one of those 4 sided things).

How to remove the product: 

1. Heat up your wheat bag or hot water bottle and wrap in a towel
2. Cut or tear your tinfoil into 10 squares
3. Cut your cotton pads so you have ten small sections, enough to cover each nail, or just use 10 cotton balls
4. For any gel polish - Geleration, Gelish, ACG etc. lightly buff the surface of the polish to 'break the seal' of the gel. Do not do this for Shellac it isn't necessary
5. Saturate the cotton with acetone, place it directly onto the nail and wrap the whole lot in the foil
6. You should now have ten fingers with tin-foil 'hats' on each one.
7. Place your hands under or on the towel covered wheat bag or hot water bottle, the acetone will work quicker if it's warm. Obviously do not have these so hot they burn your hands, warm is fine
8. Sit for 10 minutes for Shellac, 10-15 for Gelish and other Gel based products (this also works for glittery nail varnish like OPI's burlesque collection)
9. Twist, squeeze and pull off each foil wrap
10. Use the orange stick to push off any remaining product, re-wrap if it hasn't all been removed.
11. Apply cuticle oil to the whole surface of the nail, underneath the free edge and rub in
12. If necessary lightly buff the nails with your buffer. Do not do this vigorously
13. Make sure you use your hand cream and nail oil daily 

I think personally you're going to get a better result if your nail tech does this as when I do it myself the angle is a right pain.  If you can afford to get it done professionally please do so however if you can't afford it or can't get an appointment I would rather you do it properly. Don't pick or peel it off your nail, promise?! 

Dress like Kim, Cheryl or TOWIE girls for less

Trying to find an outfit for a night out is often a complete nightmare if you are not one of those people who seems to be effortlessly stylish. 

A few days ago I realised that I have a technique I normally do, which could be quite helpful if you are (like me) a bit rubbish about finding outfits to suit you and then bags/shoes/makeup to go with it.  I look at lots of different pictures of celebrities for inspiration and try and find a look I like and then take inspiration from it.  Obviously NOT if they were at the bottom of a worst dressed list lol!

Here is some of my inspiration for my upcoming night out look.  I decided to go for a coral body con dress so found lots of pics of celebs so I could see what hair, make-up and accessories they went for.

Fergie in coral fringed Herve Leger

Kim Kardashian in Herve Leger and Louboutins

Cheryl Cole

Heidi Montag (what shoes NOT to wear)

Amanda Bynes (so cute)!

So, apart from the fact that this look clearly works better with long hair (damn) I took from these pictures that golden glowing skin, gold or nude shoes or sandals and minimal accessories are the best way to go with a dress like this.

Everyone seems to have gone for a variation of a gold, brown or bronze soft smoky eye, peach lips and cheeks and bronzer.  Since I haven't got the long hair I will just try and give it some volume and make sure it's shiny.

Anyway I hope this helps! It also helps if you are particularly short or tall to google and find a celebrity who is the same height as you, then you can see the best way they are dressed for their shape and see what works or what works silly.  They mostly all use stylists who have lots of tricks up their sleeve so I say, pinch the tips!

Want to dress like a celeb without the costs?

I have two tips for girls that love celebrity dresses but can't afford the price tag.  The first is called Celeb Boutique link here > http://celebboutique.com  The cream and black dress that Lauren Pope is wearing above is a dress inspired by Herve Leger but without the Herve price tag - it costs £99.99 which, although still expensive, is the cost of about 2 dresses that I would normally buy from say Topshop or River Island but is such better quality, I would say these really are very similar quality to the real Herve dresses.  Not 100% but definitely worth the £99.99.  This is where I bought my dress for my night out, it is a copy of a Kim Kardashian dress and I feel amazing in it!  The other good thing about this website is that the shipping is  amazingly quick and dress comes packaged beautifully.  I will definitely purchase from them again.

Another option, if you really want to wear the actual designer dress, is to rent it for a couple of days! And I will give you a secret bit of info, this is what a lot of the girls either on TOWIE or their friends do!  You might have wondered how they afford all of the stunning outfits and this is how, I am sure now they are famous that they get sent many things for free, but I know for a fact this is what a lot of them do/did.  And all I can say is what a FAB idea! Why waste loads of money, you won't want to be seen in the same dress a lot if you are out clubbing every week, so this is a great idea. Essex girls are smarter than you think!

The website that is very popular is http://www.mycelebritydress.com/ and you can see there are pictures of some of the TOWIE girls on the website wearing the dresses

So I hope this helps you get your glam on!

Nails of the day- leopard

I am so late to the party with Konad nail art stamps but I wanted to try them with Shellac too see if the nail art could last 2 weeks.




I used one coat of Shellac shade Cocoa, one coat of Shellac shade Iced Cappuccino and then, after curing and while the inhibition layer was still there I stamped in black with Konad special polish and plate M57

Then I used the Shellac topcoat and cured as usual. Konad can be quite messy but I found when you wipe the inhibition layer off of the topcoat the d'sperse removes most of it and you can then use a bit if acetone on a cotton bud to tidy up.

Do you like leopard print?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brows and shoes, the important things in life!

Sleek Makeup's  neutral eye palettes and  lip conditioner pots are a staple in my makeup bag but what they really were lacking in their range was some sort of eyebrow product.  Enter the eyebrow kit in shade light and hallelujah! All of your brow woes are over.
The kit contains:

1. Brow Wax
2. Brow Powder
3. Mini Tweezers
4. Angled Brush
5. Powder Brush

In fact everything for your brows that you could need barring a brow brush or a mascara wand (you can buy disposable ones which are great to comb through brows and can also be used if you also tint your own eyebrows).


The brow gel/wax is quite a sticky consistency and lasts a good long time, if you dust the powder on afterwards lightly this will 'set' it in place and ensure that it lasts longer.  Using this double pronged approach does mean that your brows are more block coloured, more along the lines of a HD Brow, if you use a pencil you can create tiny little lines which look a bit more natural and like hairs, so if you want a super natural look either use the powder alone or invest in a separate pencil. 


I tweezed my brows and applied both products and here are my results.  I did find it quite difficult without my large magnifying mirror but I lent it to a friend so had to make do with a tiny mirror!

Overall I think this is a great product to buy if you like the HD Brows look but can't afford the HD Brow Palette.  The set will launch on 26th October at www.sleekmakeup.com and the RRP is £7.99 which is a total bargain 

Talking of brows, I get mine threaded every 2 months at either Malika at Bluewater or Blink in London's Selfridges.  Then usually use Space NK or Tweezerman Tweezers to keep them in shape.  Recently I have been using a gorgeous pair of heart shaped Shavata tweezers which are pictured above.  They grip brilliantly and are so tiny and handy.  They cost £21.99 and you can buy them on QVC or on her website Shavata


I first heard about Shavata from the amazing book about shopping by India Knight The Shops by India Knight I love this book! I have read it so many times and still find it funny and interesting. I also learnt from this how beauty writers in magazines used to just make up whatever cosmetics was used on the cover girl and use whatever products they needed to advertise and write that the artist had used that, I never realised magazines were so sneaky before! Obviously they might not do that now, but it means I take all things in magazines written about beauty with a pinch of salt.


I definitely recommend getting a better pair of tweezers to do your brows even if you get them waxed or shaped or threaded at a salon, as you can maintain them at home for longer.  If you haven't bought a pair before definitely get the Shavata ones, they make a lovely present too as they are housed inside a compact with a mirror and the size of the palm of your hand so they can live happily in your handbag without taking up much room and they come in lots of pretty colours.

New Shoes??

Now I really need your help girls. I have a strapless coral dress and want some nude shoes to go with it, and can't choose from all of the above (all from Zara). I find Zara shoes are really to my taste as I love Louboutin style shoes and the shapes are often similar so if you can recommend another shop or online store that sells something similar you think is better then by all means please let me know!  I would love the middle pair above in gold, but can't find a pair like that anywhere!

Disclaimer: Brow kit sent for consideration for review, I was not paid to write this post and I am not affiliated with the brand. 

Aromatherapy associates skincare - I heart it!

I have been using the above pictured Aromatherapy Associates Renewing Rose Cleanser and Nourishing Face Oil for the last couple of months.  Certainly long enough to know that they are both absolutely TO DIE FOR and amazing, and that I love them both!  Skincare takes a good few weeks to properly test out and improve (or not) your skin, you can of course have an initial thought or feeling but you can't see the results of skincare without using it for a while.  I am really impressed with both Aromatherapy Associates and their pr company for not pestering me for a review and letting me test out the product as I wished for a good long time. 

Rather than waste time copying what is available freely from their website I suggest you take a look here to learn about the aromatherapy and the philosophy of the brand http://www.aromatherapyassociates.com/philosophy.html

Nails by Sarah Bacchus of SLB Style Winchester

Nourishing Facial Oil, 15ml £37 (rrp)

The nourishing facial oil has a very soothing formulation and is perfect for dry skin, skin that has been over exposed to the elements for example in the sun or if you have been in a very dry environment or somewhere very cold and windy. It is also suitable if your skin is very delicate or you get red easily.

The key ingredients in the facial oil are rose, saldalwood and evening primrose oil which means that this smells absolutely gorgeous, it's like a posh spa smell - but then many spas use Aromatherapy Associates products so that could be why.

It is a very economical product as you simply press 5 or so drops over the face and neck after cleansing and before moisturising.  

After using this for a few weeks I started to get even more comments than normal about my skin (smug grin) which is always a bonus. It makes you look radiant.

Renewing Rose Cleanser, 200ml £22 (rrp)

I adore this cleanser, the consistency is like whipped cream and the scent is absolutely freaking amazing, like the most goooorgeous roses, I am not sure if I like this better than the oil but it's a close call. You like roses and you will love this.

I rub this into dry skin and massage in.  Things to remember when massaging your face are - to always pull upwards - don't drag your face down, to always make little circles on the chin and around the nose to lift off the makeup and dirt, and to make sure that you include your neck too!

I use either a warm clean flannel or sponges with hot water to remove the cleanser and it really does remove all makeup including eye makeup. I love it.

Overall both products get and I Heart 10/10 

Disclaimer: These were sent for consideration for review, I was not paid to write this post and I am not affiliated with the brand. I truly truly LOVE these and will repurchase.

Eviction Blogsale!

In case you haven't heard me crying a river recently (get the teeny tiny violin out now) we are being evicted from our house by the landlord...I use the word landlord as a euphemism....

This means that don't have very long to move out, and we will be moving from a 2 bedroom house to a very small and already full of stuff maisonette (thanks mum xx) so all of my stuff is never going to fit. Hence this blogsale and probably another one before we leave after I have tidied up my stuff more.

How to buy

1) If you want an item, say so in the comments along with your Paypal email address and you country. I will then send you an invoice

2) Paypal is the only method of payment accepted or bank transfer - if  I know you (like we chat on twitter or something)

3) Please ensure you pay for the item immediately or at least some time within the next 24 hours; otherwise the item will be reposted and will not be reserved for you.

4) Prices are in £

5) I will ship to UK for a flat fee of £2 for 1-3 items and £4 for 4+ items

6) Rest of the world shipping is £3.50 for one item: for each additional add 50p.

7) No returns

Yogi hair wand - used twice - £20

ALL NEW UNUSED FROM THE ART DECO KIT MUA I BOUGHT 

£5 each 

Art Deco mineral fluid concealer #15

Art Deco mineral fluid concealer #09

Mineral lip liner #38

Mineral lip liner #10

Mineral kajal liner #56

Mineral kajal liner #50

BRAND NEW UNUSED - PERFECT FOR MAKEUP ARTIST KIT BAG

ART DECO MINERAL FLUID FOUNDATION SHADES AS LISTED ABOVE

each one is 15ml £4 each or £15 for the lot

BRAND NEW - MASCARAS

Art Deco Mineral Lash

Art Deco Mineral Volume

£7 each

Art Deco Eyeshadows used 2x each £4 each or £15 for them all

Chanel Mimosa used once

Gelish Sheek White, Gelish Simply Sheer, 

Gelish Vegas Nights (used around 10 or less)

£9 each

Brand New Hair Extension Storage Case - for Clip Ins or to 

Put you wefts or Bonds in to protect them £13

Coral leopard dress Unworn but no tags size 10

As worn by Chloe Simms from Towie

£15

Trendy Nail Wraps for use on nails as french tips £6

YSL - EYESHADOW PALETTE - YSL Pure Chromatics #6

4 Wet and Dry Eyeshadows

Gold Used 3x all other colours swatched once

£10

Rouge Volupte #16 used 4x £10

Rouge Volupte '#26 used 5x £10

Rouge Pur #148 Tea Rose used 6x £9

That'll do for now, more to come soon!

  

TOWIE Favourite of the Week

Joey Essex and his family (sister Frankie and cousin Chloe) are my absolute favourite people on TOWIE at the moment...well apart from super hunky Mario and his six pack - phwoar (superphwoar) but for pure comic gold omg Joey comes out with the best stuff.

My favourite Joey moment:

Who is your fave TOWIE star?

Some Shellac Swatches

Since I had taken the pictures anyway for Beauty Retreat's facbook page and website I thought they might help people who want to see what the Shellac colours look like.  There are other colours, but the pics didn't come out that great and weren't really true to life. So scroll below for some Shellac Nail swatches.

L

Left to Right - Blackpool, Rock Royalty, Rock Royalty layered with Tutti Frutti, Gotcha layered with Strawberry Smoothie, Wildfire layered with Iced Coral, Tropix layered with Hot Chillis

From Left to Right - Hollywood, Hot Chilli's, Red Baroness, Wildfire, Masquerade, Fedora

From Left to Right - Negligee, Strawberry Smoothie, Rosebud, Gotcha, Hot Pop Pink, Tutti Frutti

From Left to Right - Purple Purple Layered with Moonlight and Roses, Asphalt layered with Moonlight and Roses, Rock Royalty layered with Purple Purple, Tutti Frutti layered with Zillionaire, Strawberry Smoothie layered with Moonlight and Roses, Blackpool layered with Zillionaire

Left to Right, Zillionaire, Moonlight and Roses, Asphalt, Hotski, Purple Purple

I hope this was helpful.