Get MUA for your money...

MUA Nail Varnish Shade 19

        Being a student an' all, it's all about borrowing off your friends. So, this weekend, when I needed a new nail colour (I am still in serious need of a manicure), I asked my housemate for a nude polish. She handed me this, MUA in shade 19.
        She told me it was a £1, so at first I was a bit skeptical, thinking it would probably chip off in a few minutes! Recommending me to use a top coat, I applied the polish.
        Surprisingly, it only took two coats to cover my nail, and once I'd applied the top coat, it looks fabulous! I get really bored of nail polish really quickly, so after two days I fancied a change. But, when I removed it, it was still perfect!
       I REALLY recommend this product! You can even purchase from Superdrug; so it's super easy to get hold of!
       I scanned through the website just now, and the 'Nail Constellation' products look AMAZING! This is definitely something I am going to have to try so sit tight for a blog!

Please note: image taken from Google!

       ENJOY! (www.muastore.co.uk) (www.superdrug.com)

MUA Constellation Polish: Gemini £3.00

Requested Post: Benefit Brow zing!

     

BrowZing! by Benefit RRP £22.50

 (Please ignore the awful image quality in this Blog- my camera is out of battery!)    

       This post is like marmite; you either love it or you hate it. I've had people commenting on my eyebrows, many saying they love them, others describing them as 'slugs' and stating that they are (in my aunties words), 'very square.' But hey ho, I love them.. and if you do too then here is how I do it! 

        I chose to use the product BrowZing! by Benefit. At £22.50 however, it really isn't that great for our student budgets; but sit tight, at the end I will give you some great alternatives!
        Having said this, I've had my pallet around six months- and as you can see- it looks just as new! It really depends whether you're prepared to make an investment, but I don't doubt other products work and last just as well!

After 6 months! (maybe more!)

         I decided on this product after watching various youtube videos on how to get the perfect eyebrows. As you can see from the initial picture, my right eyebrow is limp, lifeless and undefined. I hated this! In the current fashion of 'scouse brows' and defined arches, I really did need a brow makeover!
         So, with all the inspiration I needed, I popped into Benefit and bought my pallet in colour brown. Although I bought this when my hair was a dark brown colour, it actually still looks great as a blondie! (It's more important to match the colour of your brow than anything else). I personally love the look of light hair and dark eyebrows, but obviously, this is purely a personal choice!
        I hope you enjoy the post!

(To shape the brow prior to styling I use EcoTools Bamboo Lash and Brow Groomer RRP £4.99)

Step by Step: 

This is my original brow!

Not sure you should really follow my advice and I'm sure mostly all beauticians would not recommend doing this, but I usually first shape my eyebrow using the comb, then trim along the top of the first half of my eyebrow to create a styled edge. (I only do this because I can't afford threading) TIP: always make sure your eyebrows are plucked! 

Although the set comes with two brushes, I only tend to use the hard angle brush. It's the perfect length for the width of my brow, but also gives a lot better definition and is a lot easier to use! Most eyebrow kits will give you an option of two brushes.

I also only use the powder in the pallet. I find that the gel is too harsh, and the colour is far too dark for me even in the lighter pallets. The powder gives a more natural finish. I start at the end of my brow, using delicate strokes to define the side of my brow into a point. 

Once I am happy with this, I use the product left on the brush to lightly stroke the remaining powder across the top of my brow to achieve more definition. Obviously, the darker or more defined you want your brow, the more powder you should use! But remember, less is more! 

I think sketch lightly down the edge of the brow to achieve the point/square at the edge. It is really important at this point to only have a small amount of product on the brush, as it may end up being far too dark the most concentrated section of your brow. 

Just to finish off, I lightly fill in the bottom  and the inside of the brow (as also seen below).

I often use a concealer pen around three times lighter than my skin tone to define the brow bone.  Although you can buy specific pencils for this; it's a lot cheaper to grab a cheapy concealer! 

VOILA!

Alternatives:

GOSH (available at Superdrug) RRP £8.49

FashionistA (available at Superdrug) RRP £7

ELF Cosmetics UK (www.eyeslipsface.co.uk) RRP £3.50

The Body Shop RRP £10

Sleek (www.sleekmakeup.com or Superdrug) RRP £8.50

Requested Post: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation

Shade 303: True Nude RRP £6.99

           As most of you who know me personally will know, I am constantly raving about Rimmer 25 Hour Last Finish Foundation! Having previously blogged about Benefit products, I have officially found something even better!
          Quite a few of my friends have used this product for a long time, but I have always been very skeptical about it, regarding my attitude towards the relation between a decent foundation and price. I used to be addicted to MAC, but eventually realised it was continually causing me to break out and the smell began to make me feel sick!
           However, I have found a solution! I now use MAC for nights out (as I love the more tanned colour), and from day to day, stick to my Rimmel!
          Working in the Healthy and Beauty industry, I am constantly looking at the products customers purchase and asking how to achieved such a perfect complexion- but I have never come to the perfect answer. I conclude that there is no magic solution, products works differently for different people, as, of course, we all have different skin types and skin tones.

Without (Please ignore my awful skin!)

           Bearing this in mind, I feel like I have finally found one which is right for me! I use colour 303 (True Nude), which is actually a great match for a more tanned look and an early morning pale complexion! And surprisingly, this is the colour which everyone I know uses (maybe it is perfectly versatile), but I have never known anyone disappointed with this product!

With Rimmel 25 Hour

          One day I was given a piece of advice from a customer, who I'm sure, at the time had no clue she would have such a big impact on my makeup routine. She told me the perfect way to get a great complexion was to use Simple moisturiser before bed and immediately before applying my foundation.. and do you know what, it really does work (this may not be suitable for oily complexions).
           I apply my foundation with EcoTools Bamboo foundation brush, RRP £7.99, this has lasted me a year even with washing weekly!
           Take my advice with this product and I promise you won't be disappointed; but remember, less is always more!

I'm back.... I promise!

              So, I guess you could say I told a teeny little fib in my last post and didn't keep my promise. What I thought might be a summer which enabled me to become a crazy blogger, actually ended up being four months full of full time employment; garnished with a few holidays! That's not to say I didn't have a great time as it was lovely to be with all my family and home comforts.
              Now however, I am typing away from our new home, which is absolutely gorgeous, living with three of my best friends and getting back into studying and of course, blogging!
              I did mean to continue my blog a lot earlier, but a few obstacles (......freshers week), may have temporarily got in my way! With this in mind, I can officially say I am now back to being a typical student with a ridiculous budget to survive on after sprinkling my pounds away on alcohol and the all important hangover cure... dominoes!
              It's been a pretty stressful week, organising reading.... actually reading it, finding rooms, organising parking permits, moving in, meeting new people, but I finally feel as though I am slowly settling back into life here in Essex!
              Anyway, I really hope I haven't lost all your interest, and really hope you enjoy reading my blog once again!

All my love
X

I'm back..

No excuses now; I am officially free for four months.. no assignments, no lectures, no exams, no seminars. Reflecting on my first year studying at the University of Essex, it has revealed a new me. Although my gap year contributed the majority of the work, a fresh, more confident and independent version of myself has evolved. With gazillions of photos to reflect every memory, it will certainly be a period I will never forget.. but at the same time, I am excited at the prospect of the following two years- where it all really begins to count!

With holidays, day trips and weekends away to look forward to this Summer, I will undoubtably have a lot to blog about! But I'm hoping to lead you into a more personal direction and write about my experiences over the next months (as well as beauty tips and reviews). I have my Summerball coming up this weekend, which I have FINALLY found an outfit for; but after that University is officially over until October when me and three friends move into our new home- can't wait!

So, I hope I can receive as much inspiration for this blog as before, and interest you all in what I have to say! But apart from that, thank you for reading!

My former lover..

           It has been far too long since I last blogged, juggling so much uni work at the moment is making me absolutely miserable! But hey, such as life!
           So, I've been back at work for a few days during my Easter break trying to raise funds to afford an addiction to.. well.. anything and everything! Among many positives and negatives of this situation I found myself in.. I became reunited with a former lover!
           I've been using Superdrug's own brand of hairspray for a few months now, and to be honest, have always just used it for the sake of it. It's a kinda habit, like the final spritz of perfume, for me.. it's hairspray. But, I began to come to the realisation that, actually, the cheap crap was making no difference at all!
          Although I describe their product in this way, actually, my love of Wella Silvikrin suprisingly costs me roughly the same dollar. I wasn't even running out of hairspray, but as soon as I saw it I couldn't believe I'd forgotten about it.
         It's amazing, holds my hair all day long, making it shiny, glossy and manageable. At £2.89, you really don't need to spend big bucks to get a product which really works! Most importantly (as my mum would want to know).. it doesn't smell cheap! And, to prove it, plenty of my friends use it.
          I will never neglect you again Silvikrin!
       

   

They're real, I promise!

              At this rate, anyone would think I'm being paid to promote Benefit cosmetics..
              Today, in the spirit of Easter, my mum treated me to the mascara, 'They're Real!' At £18.50, I've been wanting this for ages but as you all know it's hardly suitable for a student budget. This is the perfect substitute to a chocolate egg, adding inches to my lashes instead of my waist! So, I'm sorry Hannah but this is yet another Blog about a product none of us can afford!

               My mum has been using this product since it was released in August 2011 and hasn't swayed from it since.. I can definitely see why. Two tubes of this fabulous mascara have lasted her over five long months, so I was already convinced I'd already love it as I can easily power through a tube of a cheapy every month! 

              Branded the U.K's number one mascara, it not only lengthens, but also, curls, volumises, lifts and separates. What more could you ask for? As you can see from the image, the innovative, unique style brush enables you to hold the wand vertically and gently tease the lashes upwards to create ultimate and unbelievable length. Although I always chose to use Black mascara, the only downside I can see is that those of you who enjoy more subtle tones of Brown will be slightly disappointed. 

             But don't take my word for it, persuade someone you know that it's the perfect, waistline friendly Easter gift! Or.. any excuse to treat yourself..