Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lasting Finish Lip Stain Review

Rimmel 1000 Kisses lip stain and balm in 600 Cherry on Cherry, RRP £4.99

After the success of the 24 hour colour stay by maybeline, I have got quite addicted to lip stains, trying to recreate the amazing power it has. The Rimmel comes in a long tube, the pen on the one and a balm on the other, my balm is actually broken, it snapped in half. It may have been damaged before being bought, I can still use it, but I have to hold it in my fingers and that is quite a messy affair.

It's a very easy product to use, and the swatch is almost identical to finished product. Without the balm, its a nice velvet looking matte, and with the balm it's a semi-sheer. For £5 its a good little product, however it's downfall is the lasting time. There is no way it would last 1000 kisses, maybe 50. It just seems to wear off with no real transfer, which is another good aspect, I got about 4 hours of wear with some eating and drinking.

All in all, its not the best lasting, but its a lovely colour and overall look and for only £5, it's not going to break the bank.

Friday Flowers

With some bad news this week and a health scare with my very first Asthma attack, I felt that I needed some cheering up. I don't have enough money to get myself a bunch of flowers so I resorted to looking at some pictures on the internet. I find that flowers have a great ability to cheer most me up so I have also decided to share them to cheer anyone else up that may need to look at some pretty pieces of nature.

I love daisy's there is just something about them that makes me think of summer and freshness. Tulips have always been my favorite flowers, I love the shape, the range of colors, sitting in the middle of a tulip field would be my ideal relaxation location. I also like roses and this purple one just seemed extra pretty and bright and finally some lilies, with such a variety in of lilies, I settled on the plain and simple white easter lily.

If anyone else has had a bad week I hope that these few pictures will make you smile, even if its just for a moment.

Thursdays Choice: Shoes.

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Shoes have always been a very deep obsession for myself, I love the look the colours and styles. My husband hates that I have so many, but I always want more.

Browsing websites and I found a few new shoes that I would like to own. From New Look a pair of lace side bow pumps, They are a great simple pair of flats, for pretty much any occasion. Also from New Look some Black Aztec Wedge Sandals, these would be great for hot days and thanks to the colours they would go well with anything. From New look a pair of Nude Ankle Strap Court Shoes, these seem to appeal to my sexy side. From F&F a Limited Edition Stud Back Peep Toe Court Shoes in salmon, which would go well with any summer outfit.

I then moved on to the M&S website where I found some Jewel Embellished Bow Pumps, plain but pretty. On M&S there was also these Front Bow Espadrille Wedge Shoes, that with the patent look and navy colours were very simple and yet sexy. From George a pair of Floral Canvas Shoe/trainers, perfect for days you want to lounge around. Also from George, Patent Bow Shoes in Coral, the spring tones and bow would be a great add to any collection. Finally from Asos this pair of Tone Peep Toe Platform Shoes, these are my more unique choice, black and white and a slightly geometric pattern, a stunning pair for showing off!

What shoes would you like to own?

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo by Eye Studio Review

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo by Eye Studio in 65 Pink-gold, PPR £5

What can I say? I love this product, It's just a beautiful rose gold, perfect on it's own or blended with other eyeshadows. It glides on like a cream, and once it's dry It does not go anywhere, it really does live up to its 24hr brag. Its more of a shimmer than very pigmented however it really stands out. For only £5 for a very large pot, this will last a long time and is definitely worth every penny.

Bare

Being comfortable in you own skin is something that is not always as simple as it sounds. Insecurities about a certain aspect, spots/blemishes or perhaps a scar that is the bane of you life, all make us unhappy about our looks. I have plenty of things that I would love to change, my nose is too round, my cheeks are too flat and my eyelashes are actually 5x longer than they look, its just the tips are clear and I need mascara to show them. I also have two scars on my face one under my eyebrow and one on my upper lip.

All of my dislikes can easily be hidden by make up, by contouring and concealing. I can't say I have bad skin or lots of spots, like a lot of people I do have some breakouts and when I get a bad spot it really can be the little zit that wouldn't go away. Finding things that you don't like or would change about yourself is a lot easier than finding things you like. I believe that we are all far too negative and being complimentary or positive is more difficult as 90% of what we see/read is negative and harsh.

Technically, even if you choose 5 things you like about yourself your letting up that there are negatives, your just not saying them, but it's a habit we should try and get out of. If I have to choose 5 things I like about my face these are them:

1. My Eyebrows are pretty natural and take very little upkeep or plucking
2. My skin is pretty clear and soft
3. My lips are big and a nice shape
4. My eyes (thought you can't really tell the colour) are very pretty and different depending on the light
5. My chin is small and well proportioned 

I am far from a beautiful and natural beauty and I'm not vain, but I have my good points and bad points like everyone. Finding 5 things was hard but I feel better for taking a long hard look at myself and picking out the good instead of the bad. It's not about changing how you feel overnight, it's about accepting that there are some parts of us that are unlikely to change and though we can cover them up, they are always under the surface and that won't change.

Posting pictures that are bare, that show the real you is never easy, I was scared to show myself without even the basics. I can go to work without make up, but I can not have a picture taken without me looking my best. My personal fears and niggles are my own making, and only I can help myself to change.

So... I ask anyone who reads this to pick up the courage and show that we are all beautiful, that we all have amazing features, that insecurities will not get the better of us, that negativity can be diffused and that we are strong and proud to be who we are, that flaws will not become us!

Monday Make up

With ever expanding brands and more and more on the market, choosing what you want to buy next is getting harder, the sheer volume of products makes it a hard decision. After about an hour of looking these are a few things that I would be happy to own. Revlon nail art Moon Candy, but only when I have got my nails back to a decent shape. Loriel glam shine stain spash, I have heard that its not as good as it looks, but I'm Still in love with watershine diamond and keep looking for a decent replacement. Barry M Lash Vegas,
as Mascara is one of the only things I can guarantee I use up lots and finding one that makes my natural lashes pop is always a chore. Clarins smooth crystal lip gel because the packaging is so pretty and Rimmel Wake me up shimmer touch.
 When I will be able to buy them is another matter but 9 times out of 10 knowing what you want is half the battle.

What do you want to buy next?

Sunday, The end of the Week.

Sunday is a day that is divided, the people who think the week starts with a Sunday and the people who believe that the week ends with a Sunday, I tend to go for the latter and I think its because of my school days.

So this is what I have done over the last two weeks, I have been out with Laura to a little hidden away cafe called 'the Secret Garden Cafe' it is a really cute little cafe with amazing fresh food, For the size of the cafe it has a great range of locally sourced produce and fresh veg, I now can not wait to go there again.

I also went to 'The Circus Mondao' which had a two week stay in Newport, It had animals in the Circus which is a rarity these days, it also had a acrobat that looked like the actor who played Richard in Lost and was pretty much the best asset the circus had. Being the giant 5 year old I am, I just had to own a spinning light which I will end up giving to my Nephew. It was enjoyable enough though I have been to better: 'Uncle Sams American Circus' is amazing.

I also cleaned out my cupboard in my hall, I keep forgetting to take my re-usable bags when I go shopping and having to buy more. (If you are not in Wales, we have to pay for all bags we buy including normal plastic carriers and all money goes to a charity of the businesses choice) In the cupboard I have a shelving unit and 2 of the shelves were filled with bags filled with more bags, must have had about 150. So I sorted through them and threw them away recycled them. I only done this because for the last 4 months my husband has been moaning about the amount of space they had taken up. Upon showing him the newly cleared area he then decided that I had thrown recycled away good money, bloody men!

I have been testing a few lips stains in the last two weeks and have also done a lot of shopping, however my bargain of the week is the ben and jerrys, which at £1.12 I just couldn't leave any on the shelf, Cherry Garcia is my new favourite and it has started to be like gold dust to find. My husband on seeing me writing this post stated that I must be out of things to say, and I told him that I could quite easily write a paragraph on the importance on Ben and Jerrys in my life and that it was a pure bargain at the price it was, so I have only said this much as this is now just to prove him wrong especially after the above tiff!

Saturday Summer Dresses

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We've had a few sunny days and semi nice weather and it has inspired me to have a look for dresses I would like to get for summer, all the dresses are £30 and under and 5 of them are under £20, so they are all really affordable. I wanted to get a nice cross section of dresses and for once I managed to stay away from blacks.

To start is a F&F limited edition crochet collar skater dress, which I felt would be nice to wear to a bbq, picnic, the beach or anywhere really. A F&F Wild rose poplin Prom Dress which would be nice for evening out or if you want to dress up at all. From F&F a Stella Morgan rose print maxi dress, a beautiful color and just a dress that would be a great addition to any wardrobe. A F&F Limited Edition prom dress in green, it just looked like a really summery dress, something bright to brighten up your day. From ASOS I found this Swing Dress with short sleeves, the color just makes me fall in love and the floaty material would look great on those days with little to no breeze. Also from ASOS A Jersey Skater dress with cold shoulder in aztec print. Aztec Print is a high trend but i loved this for the colors and the cut out shoulders, it makes the dress a little more unique and interesting to the eye. From George a Paisley print maxi dress, I loved the cut out pattern on the back to this dress, the darkest of my choices and in a way probably the most safe. Finally also from George a charlston dress, it's pretty yet retro, simple yet smart enough for many different occasions, I would love to own this dress.

I am a perpetual window shopper as I very rarely have the money to buy the dresses that I like but it does not stop me admiring all the dresses that I want. What dresses would you like to own this summer?

Spring Tag

I found this on the ever fabulous What Laura Dids blog and have decided to do this tag, as I haven't done a tag post for a long time.

❥ What’s your favourite Spring nail polish?
At the moment I don't really have one this is due to the fact that in a stressful week I bit of all my nails and are currently trying to re-grow them, I have a lovely nars blue and coral barry m, but until my nails are back i wont be using them.

❥ What is your must-have lip colour this Spring?
Coral, Coral, Coral, Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick in 110, Party Parrot, there are lots of similar choices.

❥ Show us your favourite Spring dress?
I love this vintage 50s style dress on Ebay, however it is not in my size currently and I don't really have the funding to purchase it, but when I do I need to but it.

 ❥ What’s your favourite flower?
I love Tulips, I love the colors, I love the look, I love that they can brighten up my day just by looking at them. Although as I am Welsh I am also quite partial to dafodils.

❥ What is your favourite Spring scarf/accessory?
I have a lovely scarf that is pink and slightly floral with humming birds on it, however I can not find it to take any pictures of it and I can't remember where i got it from

❥ What Spring trends are you most excited about this year (fashion, makeup or both)?
I'm looking forward to the floral and lace trends, I especially love lace on the shoulders.

❥ Favourite Spring candle?
Bahama breeze from yankee candle is a beautiful fruity smell and there is also beautiful citrus scented candle, but i only smelt it in work and I can not remember the make, other than that I just love normal scents, like berries and clean linen.

❥ Favourite body spray/perfume?
DKNY be delicious, its a fab scent for summer.

❥ What is Spring like where you live?
Spring in Newport can be lovely, depending on where you are, there are beautiful parks and gardens that when in bloom can spark you imagination and take your breath away, even the sun glistening off the normally muddy water in the river can capture you eye and make the water look almost green.

❥ What’s your favourite thing about Spring?
I love that the evening get lighter and the days get warmer (well normally), the heating slowly gets turned off and the sun wakes you up. The breeze can carry the scent of flowers and freshly cut grass and everyone seems to feel happier.

❥ Are you a Spring cleaner?
I do spring clean, But I generally do a 'spring' clean every few months anyway, but there is something about doing it in spring, getting rid of the old, cleaning out the cupboards, fresh carpets, fresh start.

❥ Any plans for a Spring break or upcoming vacation?
I have a wedding to go to in July and I'm going to try and save to go away for my 2nd year anniversary in September, but no real holidays, just time off work to sit at home and relax

  I tag you all to do this post and reveal more about yourself.

Thursdays Choice - Tops

 

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Today I have decided to start doing something different, I have made a choice of a selection of tops from the new look website that I would like to own for summer, I tend to focus too much on my life and have decided I need to start trying to add more about fashion to my blog.

All of the above tops are nice, plain and for everyday wear. I have tried to stick to floral and summer patterns but a little black snuck in... oops. I have chosen a green gypsy style top that reminded me of the gypsy phase about 10 years ago. The next top is a pink coral Peter pan collar, these are everywhere at the moment and I felt that this one combined summer with the craze in a simple way. The green tied shirt was again a slightly nostalgic pick as I used to wear a top like this when I was 12, its funny how fashions really do come back around. For reason unknown I just really liked this black chiffon crop top. The next two are both floral and girlish and pretty, just in different styles. I only like certain floral patterns and these are in the small pile I do like. Then is a nice sailor style crop top with a bow and finally a cardigan that will go with loads of styles and be nice for those odd chilly days and nights.

What tops have you fallen in love with for this summer?

Time

Its been over a week since my last post but it seems as if the time has flown by in a whirl, I can't believe its been over a week since I even looked at the internet.

Time is such an odd experience, when you want it to slow it seems to fly by and when you want it to go quickly it can be the slowest moving thing in the world. I have to say that as I get older it moves faster in general, as if your racing towards the day you will finally no longer be on this earth, and time does not want you to enjoy it as you get inevitably closer.

'Time Heals Everything' is a popular saying and one I can admit to using thought its not really true, Time can make things feel less painful, time can heal but only physically, time can tick on forever and some things are as painful as the day they happened. We forget more than we remember and time takes away our youth and innocence but it can never take away who you are!

philosophical I am not, but small things get me thinking about life and time is the main one, 'death and taxes' are the only thing in life that are certain, but time going on is another one, even if the human race died out tomorrow or our galaxy explodes into nothing, time as we know it will keep on going, though we wouldn't be around to measure it.

So i guess that we just need to know to take each day as it comes and try and enjoy the little things in life as nothing is certain.

!00th Post Giveaway

Today I am celebrating reaching 100 posts and over 1500 page views in just under 6 months of blogging. I wanted to take this post to thank you all for following me and for keeping me interested in blogging. I know that on occasions I have not logged on often enough and have had very weak things to post and say, but thank you for sticking with me this long, If you are new to my blog, Thank you for taking the time to have a look.

To celebrate this small but important milestone I am going to hold a small giveaway, for a vivo colour palette worth £5, The palette I have chosen has some lovely shades, would be good for a smokey eye or a more natural look and has two beautiful gold tones in it. I will let the giveaway run for one week and post the prize to the winner at the end of the time, this is my first giveaway and I will start to do more.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Revlon Coloursay Gel Liner review

Revlon Colorstay Gel eyeliner RRP £8.99

I have only every used the pencil eyeliner, I have tried liquid liners but I seem to get more on the rest of my face than the line i want on the eye.

This was recommended to me by a friend and so I picked it up, after more than a few shakey starts it took me a little while to draw a good line (the above picture is with illamasqua pure pigment added as i only really like a thin line). This stuff takes seconds to dry and once its on its a tough little bugger to remove, so I love it as you really can get all day wear from it. The pot and brush is inovative in the way it all clips in together and for such a low price its a top end product. As soon as I run out I am buying more!

My Week

What have I been doing this week? Mostly working, however I had a lovely Easter with plenty of junk to eat. My husband and I went to his parents for Easter dinner, which for me was ruined as they made lamb and I hate lamb, this wasn't really the problem as they cooked a piece of chicken for me,  the problem was that they made the gravy with the lamb juice and Me, not thinking, poured it all over the nice dinner and ruined it and made myself sick when I forced myself to eat it because I didn't want to complain.

On Wednesday I had went to the theatre with Laura to see Witches of Eastwick in Newport, It was a pretty funny play and I enjoyed it, my only criticism was that the harmonies were off, but it was opening night and its not the west end! It is something that we are craving to do again, maybe in Swansea and we both want to go and watch blood brothers!

Until yesterday I was running very low on funds so I didn't really go anywhere or do anything else, I have now picked up a few bits and pieces to try, and a dress for a wedding in July!

Films for the Year

I love watching  Films and as a chance to get to know my tastes I've decided to do a list of films I've watched this year and ones I'm looking forward too, with a little note as to why!

Seen Already:
Hansel and Gretal Which Hunters (cos it was good old fashioned rubbish but a good film)
Warm Bodies (cos It was a good twist on an increasingly boring genre, Oh and funny)
Croods (cos haha, it was funny cavemen on an adventure)
Oz the Great and Powerful (because because because becauuuuuuse, because fantasy is cool)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (cos its highly funny and interesting and somehow nostalgic)

Can't Wait For
Identity Thief (Cos it may be crap but looks good)
Side Effects (cos it may be relatively interesting)
Jurassic Park 3D (just because I want to see a 3D T-Rex, who wouldn't?)
Iron Man 3 (cos Robert Downey jr IS Tony Stark)
Star Trek Into Darkness (cos the first one was surprisingly fantastic)
The Hangover Part III (cos the other two were grrrreat - Get it - Tiger joke)
Man Of Steel (cos it looks good and superman is being played by Humphrey from stardust)
Monsters University (Cos I'm a big child and I can)
The Lone Ranger (cos it Johnny Depp - Need I say more)
Grown Ups 2 (cos I have no life and imagine this to be me on a midlife crisis)
RED 2 (cos its action with oldies)
Percy Jackson Sea Of Monsters (cos i love fantasy - did I mention that?)
Cloudy with a change of meatballs 2 (cos I love my food)
Carrie (cos I wanna see if they have ruined it like a nightmare on elm street)
Paranormal Activity 5 (cos I got this far with them and want to see a good one after 2 crap ones)
Thor - The Dark world (Cos Hemsworth is GOD, not just in this film but forever)
The Hunger Games Catching Fire (cos may the odd be ever in your favour)
and Finally
The Hobbit - the Desolation of smaug ( Cos the lord of the rings and the first hobbit film were EPIC and Benedict Cumberbatch, That is all)

Illamasqua Pure Pigment Review

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Incite PPR £15.50 bought in sale for £5

Me and Laura fell in love with this on a shopping tip just before Christmas. We had lots of fun playing with the pigments and swatching them before settling on this little baby. To be warned it does have a lot and I mean lot of fallout, the only way I have reduces this to to slowly build up the look to the desired coverage and only put the smallest amount on the brush that I can.

However even with a little fallout, it you lightly rub the fallout over the top of the cheeks you can get a nice highlight/sheen effect. The color is great of its own or to bring a more warm look to a darker make up. For me the gold really helps to bring out the color in my eyes. The pigment is super soft, not what you'd typically expect from colored glitter, but it is. It glides on, is ridiculously easy to blend and a little goes a long way. It's rare for me to find a high end product that I can not compare to a high street range, but this is just in a league of its own.

I will be purchasing more once I run out, but hopefully with the little amount you need to use that won't be for a long long time!

Pyjamas are a Girls Best Friend

F&F - Jersey Print Onesie £14
George - Bird print Pyjama set £8
Peacocks - Eeyore Pyjamas £16
H&M - Snoopy Pyjamas £14.99
Evans - Paisley Print Pyjamas £15
Next - Berry Pink Flower Lace Pyjamas £28

Diamonds are not a girls best friend, they are a girls most expensive friend. Can they keep you warm at night? Comfort you through a bad day? be perfect for doing nothing in? Make you instantly Relax?

I love Pj's, Nighties or even just an old top that is simply to worn and old to wear out anymore. What I love the most is that feeling when you finish your day and you get into your nightwear knowing that you don't have to do anything else and you can officially slob out!

It does not matter if you in a childish mood and wear a pair of disney brightly colored pj's or that you are feeling mature and just wearing plain pyjamas, whatever your mood there are choices to choose from. 

MUA Lip Stick/Boom Review

MUA LIP Sticks & Lip Boom From Superdrug RRP £1 & £3

MUA Lipsticks are cheap and do the job, they are not the longest wearing you will find, but for the money they do come in a good range of colors and each one has a little pot of colored gloss attached to the bottom, there are 16 shades to choose from, think about it, if you buy all you pay £16 and they are as good as any other lipstick out there and you may only get 3 for that price from any other brand.

The lip boom is the same as the lipstick, it comes with the pot as well, but it also has a lipgloss that is pure glitter, now personally I like the effect but I don't like the feel as it made my lips feel like sandpaper. But when you think of the effect which is more of a matte glitter than normal lipglosses would give you its worth the money to purchase. I would give them about 3 hours before you start to loose color but for £1 your not going to break the bank to replace it.