"I'll be back!!"

Hey girlies, just a quick post to say sorry that I’ve been M.I.A, my work has moved office so internet connection hasn’t been great and we’ve all had to help with the move! YAWN!

I'll be back soon reviewing MAC Face and Body, I picked it up on Friday and have been using it over the weekend, 2 words – LOVE IT!! Full review to come.

Photo pinched from Google Images

Oh and another thing – I HATE Rimmel Accelerator Mascara! The 15th October couldn’t come any quicker! I will continue to use it for the 30 day challenge but seriously its not hitting the spot for me girls. I am interested to see the before and after photos though.

Did we all have a nice weekend?

Stacey x x

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - 30 day Challenge

Hey girlies, I bought this mascara yesterday, I saw it in Closer magazine and thought I would review it. I don’t think I’ve bought a Rimmel mascara for aaaaages! I’m a fan of the big brush ie False Lash Effect by Max Factor, but for the next 30 days I will be using this everyday to see if it really does do what it says on the tin!

As the advert says the Accelerator mascara has grow-lash complex in it, with advanced ultra-lengthening formula, the lashes appear up to 80% longer instantly, lashes also appear up to 117% longer after 30 days. 117%??? WOW! Now I’m lucky that my eyelashes are quite long already, if this mascara makes them longer by 117% I might look a bit silly! We will have to wait 30 days for the results.

As I said above I am a fan of the big mascara brushes, I find these work best for my lashes, I used the Accelerator this morning and I have to say I’m not that impressed with it so far. It has separated my lashes nicely but as the morning has gone on it looks like I don’t have much on at all, luckily I have the mascara with me to add another coat.

Acceslerator on the left, Max Factor on the right

As you can see from the picture above the wand is a lot thinner than the False Lash Effect and feels a little ‘wobbly’. My first impressions I would say this mascara is ok if you’re after a more natural look. I, on the other hand, like my lashes to look full, thick and have loads of volume, I find this mascara slightly lacking in those important factors. I will carry on using for 30 days to see if they do look any longer. Keep your eyes peeled for the follow up post!

I bought the Accelerator from Boots for the introductory price of £6.99, this will be £8.99 after 6th October 2010.

Have a good weekend lovelies, I'm away this weekend with Darren ♥ but look forward to reading your comments/blogs on Monday

Stacey x x x

Barry M Nail Paint in Bright Pink

Afternoon girlies, I promised Gem that I would give this pink colour by Barry M a whirl. So here it is.

It applies the same as the purple one but the colour pay off is a little darker than what it looks like in the bottle. It's a very very bright pink! Not one that I would normally wear on my hands to be honest, probably more one for the toes, as I like to be a bit more adventurous on my feet.

I think it's ok and I would defiantely wear it on my feet but for my hands I think I'll stick with what I know works best for my skin tone etc.

Do any of you have any Barry M varnishes? I've seen a beautiful coral coloured one in Superdrug, I wish I had grabbed it then!

Stacey x x x

E.L.F Powder Brush

Afternoon girlies - typical, the day after I do a post showing you all what brushes I’ve got, my E.L.F brush turns up that I ordered last week! My fault really, I should have waited. I bought the brush from HERE and I blame Laura (lollipop26) again for this purchase! Lol. I watched her YT video on MAC Face and Body foundation and she used this brush to apply it. I just checked the website and it's currently out of stock, it's a popular brush! It’s a bargain really, it only cost £3.50 but with £2.95 delivery. I don’t have said foundation just yet but it’s getting closer! I can feel it!

My first thoughts on the brush are that it’s just ok, as you will see from the picture below, the bristles aren’t quite even enough for my liking. Am I on my own on that one? Is that a bit OCD of me? But for £3.50 or £6.45 if you’re including delivery I can’t really complain. I’m also a bit nifty with a pair of scissors. I will do another post when I get my little mitts on MAC Face and Body foundation showing you how it applied and my thoughts on the foundation and the brush.

Do any of you have this brush? Or MAC face and body foundation?

Let me know your thoughts girls

Stace x x x

My Brushes

Ello, ello!

My collection started with my first MAC brush a 217 (3rd and 4th brush in the pic) perfect for blending and fits nicely into the socket, I use it everyday. There are more MAC brushes I would like, roughly costly about £100 for 5!! They are expensive but I think worth it.

Then a trip to New York (concrete jungle where dreams are made of……lol) saw me buying the first 2 brushes in the picture, MAC 182 and a MAC 190. The 182 is perfect for my MSF in medium. I think a 190 should be a staple brush in anyone’s collection if you are a foundation fan!

I was at the Vitality Show in March and came across a Crown stand, now I nearly just walked straight past, lil Sis ♥ gave my arm a tug and said they do make-up brushes too. Of course they do, why would they be at the Vitality Show!! Doh. I got the pink brush, the 2 brushes to the right of that and the brush to the far right, that looks the same as the MAC 182 on the far left. For these 4 brushes I think it came to £11/12! They’re so cheap but top quality too.

The 5th brush is soooo old! My sister gave it to me when she was doing beauty therapy at college 10 years ago! I’ve probably had it 8 years and it has been washed so many times, the bristles aren’t as even as they used to be, but it’s great for packing on colour over a primer. The 9th brush I got from Superdrug, it’s the QVC range, a really lovely little brush, a good dupe for the MAC 242.

What brushes do you swear by? Does anyone have any Sigma brushes? I’d love to try one of those.

We’re getting there girlies! Monday is nearly over! ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

Stace x x x

My Favourite Perfumes

Morning ladies, this is just a quick post to show you the perfumes I'm loving right now. I counted 16 perfumes in total but some are old and need throwing out, but because there is a tiny bit left and I love the shape of the bottles (ie Jean Paul Gaultier!) I'm keeping them. ;o)

Left to right

Calvin Klein - Euphoria, Stella McCartney - In Two Peony, Victoria Beckham - Intimately Beckham

Left to right

Viktor and Rolf - Flowerbomb, Christian Dior - Dolce Vita, Thierry Mugler - Alien, Stella McCartney - Stella

Left to right

Narciso Rodriguez ♥, Thierry Mugler - Angel, Hugo Boss - Woman

I bought Narciso Rodriquez in June at Gatwick Airport, it was £55 instead of £74, I had never even heard of it until Lollipop26 mentioned it on one of her videos, I went to Debenhams shortly before going on hols, had a whiff and fell in love! That one and Angel by Theirry Mugler are my favs out of the lot. Angel is a bit common now but I stlll love it.

Do any of you have the same perfumes as me? What others can you recommend I add to my stash?

Have a good weekend my beauts

Stace x x x

My Skincare Products

Hey girls, did we all have a nice bank holiday weekend? Darren ♥ and I done some major relaxing! Trackie bottoms, sofa, Ultimate Big Brother, X factor, DVD’s and munchies. Our kinda weekend!

Back to the post. I’ve had a bit of bloggers block the last week or so. Over the weekend I had a look around the flat and found I had a good 4-5 posts to share with you, first up is my skincare products.

Left to right: Dream Cream, Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1, Bio Oil, Witch Face Scrub, Nivea Soft, Dermalogica Genlte Cream Exfoliant, Chanel Hydramax Cream for Dry Skin, Vaseline Light Refreshing Body Lotion and Nivea Q10 Anti-wrinkle Cream.

Left to right

Dream Cream

I have only just discovered this beauty through the blogging world and I have to say it is a really lovely cream. Read my full review on it HERE

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1

I bought this after watching one of Laura’s (lollipop26) videos on You Tube. I use it daily and my skin has never been better.

Wicth Exfoliating Face Wash

I was using this everyday before the above but found it is a little but too harsh for my skin. I have very dry skin on my face and this just didn’t help things at all. Darren ♥ however is fond of it!

Left to right

Nivea Soft

My good ol’ Mum ♥ got me onto this stuff, we used to use Nivea cream in a dark blue bottle with a white lid, it had a really strong smell about it and felt quite tacky on the skin. Mum ♥ changed to this, I tried it and have loved it ever since. It absorbs into the skin lovely and has a really fresh smell about it.

Vasline Light Refreshing Body Lotion
I have to moisturise after every bath or shower otherwise my skins goes a bit dry and flakey, it feels tight and just generally unhappy. This body lotion is light and fresh, non heavy/tacky and the big bottle lasts ages. A little goes a long way too.

Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant

After watching one of Lisa Eldridges YT videos about skincare products and her do's and dont's regarding your skin, I made some heavy hints to my sister for my birthday present in April and guess what I got it! I only use this once a week as a treat for my skin. Dermalogica products are quite pricey and I find this routine works well for me.

Left to right

Nivea Anti-wrinkle Cream Q10

I bought this to help fight the wrinkles! I’m getting on a bit now and I’ve noticed fine lines and blemishes appearing. I use it most days, it also has an SPF 15 in it which it vital these days for protection against the suns harmful rays. I wish I started using anti-wrinkle cream years ago! Every little helps so the advert says.

Bio Oil

This is another must have product, it really does do what it says on the tin. Before Darren ♥ and I went on holiday in June I applied this most nights to the ever growing scattering of stretch marks I have. Mainly on my breasticles and thighs, this stuff helps to reduce the scars so they don’t show up so much. I also use this as a cuticle oil at night.

Lastly

Chanel Hydramax Cream for Dry Skin

For my birthday in April, I went to Debenhams and bought Chanel foundation (review to follow). The Chanel assistant noticed I had dry skin on my face and gave me this little sample tube to try of an evening before going to bed and I have to say it really made a difference to my skin. It was quite oily so not a product for during the day. This was only a sample tube and as you can see from the picture I cut the top off it to get every last bit of the product out. I’ve checked on Debenhams website and the full pot of cream (50g) is £46. From just that little sample tube I got 8 uses out of it so I think £46 is quite reasonable. One day……………one day it will be mine!! Muuhahahahahahaaaaa! Lol

Do any of you beauties use the same products as me? Do any of you know a good night cream for dry skin for under a tenner?

Leave me a comment I’d love to know

Lots of love Stacey x x x

No Naked Palette

Hey girls, sorry for lack of posts, I haven’t bought anything recently as we’re on a saving mission at the minute. We’ve had a couple of big weekends so I said I would tighten the purse strings a bit this month *sad face*.

One thing I was dead certain I was going to get my hands on was the Naked Palette by Urban Decay. I searched for it on the World Wide Web and found that House of Fraser stocked it. I phoned HOF on Oxford Street and asked to be put through to the Urban Decay section, the UD assistant told me they had sold out. So I decided I would order online instead, I’ve also run out of my primer potion. I went through the order process adding the Naked palette to my basket and the primer potion, went to checkout and a message came up saying the Naked palette was out of stock and had been removed from my basket!! I was so annoyed. On the original page it gave me the option to put 10 palettes in my basket if I wanted to but when I went to checkout it said it was out of stock! It should of blooming well said that on the original page instead of getting ones hopes up! HOF have since taken the Naked palette off their website so it doesn’t look like I will be getting my hands on it. I’ve checked Ebay and the palettes are on there for ridiculous amounts of money that quite frankly I just won’t pay. I’m always late on these kind of things, I missed the Benefit offer with Glamour magazine that time too.

BIG SAD FACE

Oh and another thing, I wish someone would have a word with the boss, it’s August not blinking December! Where’s the sun?!?! Brrrrrr.

Ok that’s off my chest, normal posts will resume soon, I promise.

Did any of you manage to get your hands on the Naked palette?

Stace x x x

Another LUSH Haul

Hey girls, I’m getting addicted to LUSH! Me and lil Sis were wandering through Liverpool Street station on our way through to Boots when that LUSH smell woofted (yes it is a word lol) up my nostrils and pulled us in. Below is what I bought.

Sugar scrubs, I’ve blogged about these before you can read it HERE. I can’t live without these scrubs, they leave my skin feeling so silky smooth and I love the scent. Also great for cellulite! *happy dance*

Floating Island Bath Bomb, after reading Laura’s post over at BIG CITY DREAMS, she convinced me that I needed to try this, so popped this into my basket too. I told Darren ♥ that I had a lovely bath bomb to use for my bath that night, he said I never bought him any bath bombs, so I spilt my Floating Island in half so he could have a go too. He told me I was the “bestest” lol. This bath bomb was so nice, it had a lovely oily texture to it that left my skin really soft

You can't see much in this picture, I was trying to get the bomb fizzing and it was only half a bomb.

Dream Cream, I read various blogs about this miracle cream. Louise over at ***Sprinkle of Glitter*** blogged about it HERE. I love Louise, her blogs are funny and very interesting, hence me buying Dream Cream from her recommendation! Lil Sis suffers with eczema all over her body, she wasn’t convinced about Dream Cream when I told her about it, but a trip to LUSH and 2 sample pots later, she gave it a go. It left her skin feeling soft and if she got into a routine with it, using it every night then I think she would see more results. However she and her partner are night owls, having late nights all the time and she hasn’t quite got the benefits from Dream Cream just yet. I, on the other hand, have got the benefits. My Dad ♥ and my aunt both suffer from Psoriasis, mainly on the elbows and knees. Over the last few months I have noticed itchy patches appearing on my elbows, they’re no where near what my Dad ♥ and aunts are like. I apply Dream Cream every night to these patches and it really works. It calms the skin so it’s not so itchy and the next day it doesn’t affect me at all. I am making an appointment with the Doc to check it out anyway as it could be something I’m eating that is causing it to break out but for now this really is a Dream Cream and will certainly be in my life for good.

Have any of you tried Dream Cream or Floating Island Bath Melt? Let me know your thoughts

Stacey x x

My first KONAD Nail design

This is my first attempt at using my Konad nail plate, which I got from HERE. I don’t think I done too badly at all. I used plate M69 and got this idea from one of my favourite YT guru’s Imogen from FOXY LOCKS EXTENSIONS. You can watch her video HERE.

I used a base coat from Rimmel (not pictured) to prevent staining, then applied 2 coats of Walton Street by Nails Inc. Dabbed a couple of blobs of white Konad nail paint onto the plate then scraped off the excess. Next you get your Konad stamper, mine has 2 ends, 1 for larger nails and 1 for smaller nails. Press the stamper to the plate picking up the image then ‘roll’ (if you watch Imogens video you will see what I mean) the design onto your nail. I had to clean up a little using a cotton bud around my nails then painted with Sally Hansen Hard as Diamonds on top (not pictured).

My Kit

close up of the design I used

The white varnish, stamper, scraper and 1 plate cost me roughly £20. Konad advise using their nail varnish (they would!) and I did buy 1 white polish but I think any polish would work, maybe not the shimmery type. I will let you know as I experiment more.

This looks amazing on Imogen as she has long nails which are all her own, mine are a little stumpy in this picture but I just couldn’t wait to use it. I ordered another plate off Ebay, M21 which has stand alone flowers on which I thought would look nice with some diamantes. Look out for my next Konad design! I’m trying my hardest to grow my nails – just for you my beauts!

plate M21 below

close up of M21, I can't wait to use the paint splatter looking stamp!

Have any of you tried Konad nail paltes? Can you recommend any other plates?

Lots of love Stacey x x x