YBF Neutralising Creme..

I'm sorry for the long introduction but when I was younger me and my Mam used to watch QVC together, and in particular I loved it when the cosmetics brand 'Models Prefer' was on. (I've included links to a video from the American version of QVC at the bottom of the post) It was a company founded by Stacey Schieffelin and each hour she would come on with no make-up and her hair wasn't done and she would transform throughout the hour using the Models Prefer cosmetics. As an extension of this she now does a line called YBF (Your Best Friend) which includes products similar to those in the Models Prefer collection.


So after reliving these memories with my Mam in the last few days, I thought I would look into perhaps buying one of the products, in particular I always wanted to try the Neutralizing Creme..

At only £5.47, it's incredibly affordable so I thought I may as well treat myself for finishing my exams for the summer. It;s only a small compact cream, yet it seems to work wonders on my patchy (and freckly) skin. It goes on a slightly yellowy colour like most concealers but it is amazingly light and a little goes a long way.

I would definitely recommend this over a normal liquid or even stick concealer as it is a lot creamier so doesn't seem to hold in the fine lines as much. Definitely a 5* product!!


Have you guys tried using Models Prefer/YBF products before? Let me know :)


Also don't forget about my giveaway.. a box of secret treasures worth over £15 to giveaway HERE

YBF on HSN

Summer Giveaway..

Okay, so with my university year coming to an end and it coming into summer, I'm in a great and giving mood!! Therefore thought I would partake in a little giveaway for my lovely followers!! Now to add an edge, I'm not going to announce what the contents will be but will confirm that the goodies will be worth over £15 and will include travel size skin/body care products and cosmetics and maybe a few suprises :)

The giveaway has started and will run for two weeks until the 8th June 2012. All you need to do is fill in your details below and I'll contact the lucky winner on the 8th June :)


GOOD LUCK!!!

Mwah xx


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Topshop Hidden Treasure polish...

I'm not a big lover of Topshop if I'm honest *shock horror*. Just their size 16 clothing doesn't even get round my leg let alone over my ass, which is a bit of a joke.. But after seeing so many nice reviews about their cosmetics I thought I'd pop in and have a gander when I discovered this beauty....

The colour is Hidden Treasure and I just thought it was gorgeous!! At first I thought it was just going on gold, however after the second coat you could see the green tinges. Yes, it is still more gold than green but I love it..and for only £6 it really is treasure!!

I shall definitely be checking out Topshop cosmetics more in the future. I love the high street price as well as the cute packaging, I love polka dots :)


Mwah xx

Losing my MAC virginity...

Okay, so I've got a couple of MAC brushes, yet never actually bought any MAC products as the price has always managed to put me off.. However after seeing blog after blog raving about MAC cosmetics, I thought I'd bite the bullet and treat myself. However, I came across a MAC lipstick on ebay for the bargain price of £6.99. It was the Viva Glam Gaga II lipstick, which is perfect for me as I love more nudey, understated colours.... A lipgloss was also launched at the same time..

So the moment I even did the swatch on my hand (which appears pinkier than the actual lipstick) I fell in love. I've never been a lipstick wearer but my these are soft and make your lips feel so good!!!

Quite a deep swatch..

Sorry for the awful photo, just my normal camera is broken so having to use my back up!! As you can see it's more natural on my lips than my hand (probably more pigmented due to my lips) but I absolutely love it. Not only am I now a lipstick convert, I am a MAC convert!! I'll apologise to my bank balance now shall I???

Does anyone else have any favourite MAC shades or products they wish to recommend me????

Mwah xx

Model's Own Tropical Sun Dupe

Okay, so I absolutely love a couple of Model's Own nail polishes, however at £5 a piece (or 2 for £8 as Boots currently have it) I was unsure whether to pay it the price. In particular I have been loving their Tropical Sun nail polish.

So I was more than excited when I discovered a dupe for it from Tesco at the bargain price of 99p! I've never tried any of Tesco's own brand cosmetics but for the price I thought I couldn't miss out, even if it was  a bit pants. However, it went on BEAUTIFULLY...

It does take at least 3 or 4 coats to get a decent coverage but can't complain due to the cost!! However, just goes to show that waiting can really save you money. Now to find a dupe for their Indian Ocean and Copper Pot colours and I'll be a happy girl!!! Any ideas ladies?????

Mwah xx

Blog Hopping..

Today, I decided to take part in this week's Blog Hop ran by BlogLoveTherapy .. A blog hop is basically a chain where you can hop from one blog to another to see blogs you might of normally missed!!


If you want to take part please click here Please note there are a few rules so make sure you follow them so everyone has fun :)


If anyone found my blog via the hop let me know and I'll hop right over to yours!!


Mwah!

Primark, Next, New Look, etc haul...

Okay, this is my first haul post so it's quite exciting really!! I'm going on holiday to Tunisia in exactly 4 weeks today, therefore went shopping for some evening outfits and other little bits and bobs. So here goes...




First stop was good old Primark..

A floral dip-hem dress at £17. I know it's a bit pricey for Primark but it's really good quality and the colours are so bright I think this is a perfect dress for holidays, summer barbecues and summer weddings!!

Another dip-hem item with this pink skirt at £10. I'm really loving this dip hem trend at the moment, however I'm not tallest person so it can be difficult to find pieces that aren't basically to the floor at the back and makes me look short. These two things however are perfect for shorter people as well as taller people!!

I then got these cute pinky/coral denim shorts. At only £5 I was tempted to pick up a few different colours as bright colours are going to be big over summer, but restrained myself due to my budget!!

Up until last year, I could never wear shoes with toe-posts but with so many of the nicest sandals and flip flops with them, I just grinned and beared it last year!! Now I'm immune to toe posts and I lived in Primark's flip flops last year, I picked up this pair for only £2.50.. They can be worn in two different ways, which makes them versatile and mega comfy!!

Next stop was Miss Selfridge, now I don't normally shop here but I was walking through here due to the rain and these shorts caught my eye! Reduced from £30 to £15, they were a steal and I love the colour. I also think they can be dressed down with tights over winter too.


I then popped into New Look...

I picked up this fab symmetrical dress, reduced from £24.99 to just £10!! I wasn't too sure on the hanger but it was beautiful on and I know these prints are very 'in' at the moment, so this dress is perfect for day to night events!!

I wanted some plain tan wedges, and had searched all over for some that would be suitable for a lounging holiday with my Mam. So when I spotted these and tried them on, I fell in love. The colour means that they will go with a lot of things and without a strap across the front they make my legs look longer! Plus a steal at £19.99. (I also got 20% student discount off these too, double score!!)

Then I got this gorgeous maxi dress from Next. I don't normally shop in Next, but had a giftcard for £10 so thought I would have a look in when I saw this beauty. Reduced from £32 to £14 and with my giftcard ended up being only £4, total bargain!! I also love the plaiting along the halter neckline. 

 

I picked these two pieces of jewellery up at Evans. The owl necklace was reduced from £8.50 to £2 and the earrings reduced from £3.50 to £1.

Last but not least I picked up these travel size goodies from Soap and Glory from Boots. They were all only £2.50 and they were on 3 for 2 so got all three for £5!! Going to be perfect for while I'm away!!




Have you guys been on any hauls recently????

Primark Beauty Bargains..

I would never think to buy make-up from Primark, but having picked up a blusher brush from them the other day I've kept my eyes open when walking to the tills for any other bargains I may discover and discover I did!!!

First of all, I picked up this small domed highlighter. It was originally £2.50, reduced to 50p! I have quite dull skin, so it is always beneficial to find something that can lighten it up. When applied, it does become very powdery which I didn't expect but for 50p, I didn't expect wonders. Will definitely be using it throughout the summer though!

Next, I got a Montagne Jeunesse mud pack. With having extremely oily skin, mud packs are the perfect equivalent to a face park for me. So when I saw this one for only 90p I really could not resist! It is also supposed to be an anti-stress mud pack, which is great as I have been very stressed lately over all of my university deadlines!!

Saving the best til last, I picked up an eye shadow palette. It is in this beautiful floral box, and has 10 different shades in it. It includes a few pastel colours, as well as some classic neutral colours, with an applicator brush. All of the various eye shadows have also given cute names, which reminds me of the Urban Decay colours. They are not the thickest of shadows, so would definitely suggest using a primer, personally I like using Urban Decay's primer potion. However, they do blend really well so would be great for creating a new shade or maybe a pastel smoky eye!! Best of all, it was only £2!!! Couldn't believe my eyes!!

Have you guys found any beauty bargains in Primark that I need to look out for?? Let me know!!

Water Marbling..

So, my boyfriend saw a couple of YouTube videos for water marbling and wanted me to give it a go. If you don't know what water marbling is, it's kind of like a tie dye effect!!! So he kindly offered me his assistance and I've included pictures in a step by step guide :)


The colours I chose to use were both Barry M Nail Paints, in Raspberry 273 and Navy 292 (both only £2.99). 

Firstly I put my basecoat on, I used Barry M's again (my favourite nail polish makers!!!). Then I put a white coat on, I don't use white nail polish a lot so I just used Nailene's White French Tip Pen (usually about £5.25, I got it in the clearance for about £2.50). 

Next, you need to prepare your workstation. You need a cup or container you don't mind getting dirty, filled with lukewarm water. You'll also need something sharp to cut through the nail paints on the water. I would definitely recommend covering your fingers up and around the nail with tape, masking or sello, just so its easier to get off!

You then slowly put a drop into the water with your first nail polish, then put the next colour in the middle of that and so on, until you have reached the amount of rings you would like.. Like this....

You then use your sharp stick, such as a toothpick or even the end of a birthday candle, and start to make patterns in this! Unfortunately was too busy with my hands taped up to be able to take a picture of the next step, sorry!! Then, you choose an area of the pattern you like, and pop your nail on top of it. Then collect the spare nail polish up using a cotton bud or tooth pick. This is what it looks like when it's first taken out of the water..

Then wait until the polish is completely dry and remove the tape. Clean up the off smudges and mess with a cotton bud, and voila! Beautiful water marbled nails :)

If a video tutorial may be better, this is a one that I would definitely recommend!! 

Extreme Green Water Marble Nail Art 

Her blog is at.. 

My Simple Pleasures

April Favourites :)

As if it's May already?? Cannot believe it!! So thought I would share with you some of the things I have been loving this last month. The majority are classics but having rediscovered them is making me a happy girlie at the moment!!!

So lets start off with....

Soap and Glory Hand food.. I've never really been a fan of moisturisers as I naturally have quite oily skin and therefore have never really needed much more than a light layer on my face. However, having worked in the stockroom at work recently, handling so much cardboard can make my hands dry and flaky. So when my friend said she couldn't use this due to having a nut allergy, I snapped up the chance of having this for free!! It's incredibly light but spreads well so you only need a little, thus it lasts for ages!!!

Next...

N-spa Vanilla Creme Brulee body scrub.. Since I love always having a tan (real or fake), exfoliating is always a big part of my beauty routine! So when I needed a new scrub and couldn't afford my old faithful Soap and Glory, I managed to snap this up for just £1 from my local Asda!! It smells divine and it is the perfect balance of not too big but not too small crystals to achieve a good scrub!! There are a few other flavours as well that I'm dying to try out when I run out!!

As you saw in my last post, I love having different shades of nail polish on, as without it I feel naked!! Mid-April I went to Sheffield to see some of my best friends and have a night out and needed a polish to match my dress!! I LOVE BARRY M NAIL POLISHES!! So was a perfect excuse to purchase another one, I absolutely love this colour as it looks so shiny and neat on my nails. It also goes on perfectly, needing only one coat for a perfect finish and only £2.99 too :)

Onto beauty products now..

Now, I have seen every blogger and their dog brag about this foundation, and with my trusty Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse having ran out, thought it would be worth a try as it was on the Boots 3 for 2 offer. Now I have not usually been a fan of liquid foundations due to my oily complexion but may I say this product is flawless. I used the Light Beige colour and it gives perfect coverage, as well as making your skin look more illuminated. Always what you need when it's cold and wintery outside still!!

Since I have quite pale skin (or porcelain as I like to see it) it's hard to find a good blusher that doesn't make you look like a china doll with rosey cheeks. So, with it not being summer just yet and not needing to apply a bronzer to my full face, I thought I could try using it as a blusher and my days does it work!! It is the perfect colour to achieve a natural look, and if your skin type is darker or lighter all you need to do is blend in a bit more of each shade. I got this with a £5 No7 voucher I had saved for a rainy day and the packing alone is quite sleek and compact!

Definitely a trusty old faithful next..

For years, I always refused to cave in to the pressures to buy Ugg boots, always opting for cheaper versions from Primark (only £5) or Next (£10). However, since my parents couldn't think of what else to buy me for Christmas, I finally caved and let them buy me some. Now I've never been a shoe person but my days these are like walking on clouds!! They don't misshapen like cheaper versions and are so toasty. So why include them in this months favourites? With the dull weather coming back, I've had to abandon my dolly shoes and come back to these beauties. BEST SHOES EVER!!!

Last but not least...



I know it doesn't really come under the umbrella of my topics for this blog but I must rave about this. It's an instant tea from Whittard of Chelsea and it is blooming marvellous!! It is made from Green Tea with Ginseng Extract, meaning it helps boost weight loss, but doesn't taste yacky like normal green teas. You can have it hot or cold, which is a bonus that if you forget it's there (like I always do) it still tastes good cold. It does come in at a pricey £5.50 per tub, but since I work there I get a tub free once every other week! So if anyone wants a tastey alternative to green tea, I would definitely recommend this!!

Anyone tried any of these? and what are your favourites for this month? I'd love to hear them :)