Thursday 31 October 2013

Guinea boy update

Hi Beauts.

Just over 4 months ago I introduced two little fluff balls to you all:


Everyone, meet Fudge and Badger.

I've now named Fudge 'Fluffy' because well, he just looks like a big ball of fluff! Although both get called many names 'cutie pie' 'little prince' 'mammy's little munchkin'...........too much?! 

Anyway, when we first got them they were so timid and stayed in their little house huddled together and wouldn't come out. Now however, is a whole different story. 

We had to separate them as Fluffy decided to be a bit grumpy and hate on Badger, so for Badgers safety we got a second cage. Both cages are right next to each other so they can see each other and they still bicker like little old women, Badger is now the grouchy one. To be honest, I think we would have had to separate them anyway because there's no way that the cage we bought would be big enough for both of them.

Anywhooo, I just wanted to do a quick little post about my boyos and let y'all know they're doing great, and are right little characters now <3




Stacey x

Wednesday 30 October 2013

All used up in October

Hi Beauts.

Well it would appear October has been and gone and we only have two months of 2013 left. Although it's scary that this year has gone so fast, I'm excited to see what 2014 brings. Anywhoo, on with my October empties:



* Smashbox Photo ready oil free primer - I got this in a try it kit a few months back and have really enjoyed it. Only a small amount is needed and I found this definitely helped my foundation stay put. REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* Rimmel Lasting finish foundation - I used this years ago and really liked it. It was on offer a while ago and I decided to try it again. Although I prefer matte foundation I enjoyed this again. It gave a fresh glowy look to my skin. The only thing I really didn't like was the shade, this was the lightest and it was definitely too dark REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* NYC All day long foundation - Again another foundation that was on offer and it had the word matte in the name. This did last on my skin throughout the day and did keep me matte. I'd say the coverage was medium but could be built to full. I found this shade a little too light for me, so I started mixing it with the Rimmel and really enjoyed using the two together. REPURCHASE? Maybe RECOMMEND? Maybe

* NYC Smooth skin powder - This was sat in my collection for ages and only started using it when my every day powder ran out. I have to say, I was really impressed with this. It was translucent but I did find that it lightened my foundation shade a tiny bit. However this wasn't a problem when using the Rimmel foundation. This kept me shine free all day and I didn't find myself needing to re powder REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes


* Smashbox 'Lid primer' eye primer - Another product that came with the try it kit another that I enjoyed using. This was a skin tone primer and a little thicker than the likes of Urban Decay and MUA. The thing I liked about this most was that it also added a little coverage. I have slight discolouration to my lids so using this helped mask that. It did make the shadows stand out, last longer and stopped any creasing. REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* Smashbox Full exposure mascara - The final empty from the try it kit, this time the mascara. I actually really liked this! It added volume, separated lashes and made my lashes look longer. It was waterproof (as far as I could tell) but wasn't too difficult to remove. REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* Benefit They're real - I got this sample size with a magazine a while back and if I'm honest,  I'm on the fence about it. It did make my lashes look longer and added volume but I don't understand what all of the fuss is about.  I've used mascaras from the high street that I find worked better for cheaper. And it was a bugger to remove. REPURCHASE? No RECOMMEND? Maybe


* Boots Vitamin E eye cream - I don't really have mahoosive bags under my eyes, black rings or wrinkles however I think everyone should wear an eye cream.  (Prevention is better than cure) So to be honest I couldn't say if this is working wonders, but I like to use vitamin E on my skin. I found this soaked into the skin fairly easily and a little goes a long way REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* Superdrug cucumber facial wipes - I love these, mainly for the scent. I use these to remove the majority of my make up then I use a face wash, I like to be thorough :P These also work great around the eye area. REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* Avon Mystique (Rose, Jasmine, Peach and Vanilla) shower gel - I've had this before and was unsure of it then so I'm not sure why I repurchased. I love the scent, it lathered well and left my skin feeling soft. However the thing I didn't like was the consistency - It's similar to that of jelly! I just found it really strange to use REPURCHASE? No RECOMMEND?  Maybe

* L'occtaine shower gel - I absolutely loved using this. It smelt amazing, it left my skin so soft and I could still smell it on my skin hours later. However, I think it's over priced for what it is. REPURCHASE? Want to say yes, but the price makes it a no RECOMMEND? Yes

* Moroccan Argan reviving dry oil - My sister gave me this as she didn't like it. I, however, loved it. I sprayed it on the ends and it left my hair feeling so silky and smooth, not to mention smelling amazing too REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

Well that was a lot!! How'd you do with empties this month?

Stacey x

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Oatmeal raisin cookies

Hi Beauts.

A few days ago I blogged about some breakfast muffins I made. I've really fancied making some oatmeal raisin cookies for ages and finally decided to make some. I was so impressed (if I may say so myself) with how they turned out, so thought I'd be ever so kind and share them with you :) Enjoy!

What you'll need:


 85g Softened butter
115g Muscavado sugar
1 egg, beaten
115g Self raising flour
55g Oats
170g Raisins

Lets bake:

First mix together the butter and sugar until they form a cream like consistency, then gradually add the beaten egg.


Next up sieve in the flour, then add the oats and raisins.


Line a baking tray with grease proof paper, making sure to leave a gap in between each 'dollop'


Finally, place in the oven gas mark 5 for 10-15 minutes (I left mine for 13 and they were soft not crunchy...mmmmm)


What's your favourite thing to bake?

Stacey x

Monday 28 October 2013

31 blushes of October.....final week

Hi Beauts.

This week is the final week of my 31 blushes of October! I'm not even going to utter the words 'How fast did this month go?!'......OK I guess I just did.

Anyway, this week I wanted to use the blushes that are my most recent purchases. Because I've been using blushes this whole month that  have been neglected, it means that my newest buys have been left unused!

SO here are the final four blushes for this month:


Monday: Nars blush in Amour


Tuesday: NYX blush in Pinched


Wednesday: Tarte amazonian clay blush in Flush


Thursday: Wet and Wild blush in Heather Silk


Previous reviews:

Nars Blush- Here

I hope you all had a fab October!

Stacey x

Sunday 27 October 2013

Sleek blush in Antiqued

Hi Beauts.

As you may know, I'm a huge fan of Sleek blushes. Not too long ago I was kindly sent the new Sleek Vintage Romance collection from Tesco Beauty, which contained the blush in the shade Antiqued



When I first opened this up I didn't really think I'd use it much as it's kind of a taupe shade, and I usually go for pinks, berries or mauves. However, upon swatching this I knew I'd get lots of use out of it. It is, to me, a cool toned taupe shade which I've found works great when I don't want to contour. Because of the shade it works as a contour and blush in one. In the pan it does look a little shimmery but that shimmer doesn't transfer onto the cheeks.


As with all seek blushes this is extremely pigmented and blendable. I have been a little heavy handed with this, however that was soon rectified with a clean powder brush. I'm quite pale and this worked great on my skin, if you're pale too just make sure to apply a small amount and use a light hand. I think if you're a little darker you could try this as a contour shade.

What's your favourite blush from Sleek?

Where to buy:

Sleek website - Here
Tesco stores - (Kingston park, Newcastle andGateshead city centre)

Stacey x

Saturday 26 October 2013

OOTD

Hi Beauts.

Sooooo today I'm off for a spot of shopping, a coffee and a natter and A LOT of job hunting. I've started to add little lifestyle posts in to my blog, and figured why not slap a few fashion/OOTD posts in there too.

Here's today's (casual) outfit and make up :)

Make up:


Vivo cosmetics eyeshadow trio in Sugar Plum. I have the pink shade all over my lower lid, and the middle Sade on the outer corner and lower lash line

Maybelline Babylips in Pink Punch on the old pout

Outfit:


Long sleeve BrrokHaven top from JD sports
Navy cardie from Primark
Blue jens from H&M 
White converse from Schuh 


Have a great Saturday!!

Stacey x

Friday 25 October 2013

Barry M Gelly-Hi shine in Greenberry

Hi Beauts. 

Lets talk nail polish today shall we? One of my favourite highstreet brands has to be Barry M. I find their nail polish to be great quality, easy and smooth to apply, they have a wide range of shades and finishes (matte, glitter Etc) and best of all they're only £2.99.

A recent polish added to my collection is the Gelly - Hi shine in Greenberry :




I added sinful colors nail junkie to my middle and ring fingers

This shade is a stunning bright aqua and I absolutely love it. It would have been perfect for the summer, but as usual I was late to the party and only bought it recently. Although, to be honest like I've mentioned before, I'm not one for 'brights for summer, darks for winter' Rock that bright aqua in the middle of winter gurlllll ;)

The Gelly-Hi shine polishes claim to give a high shine finish, and well they do just that. I never wear a base or top coat when I paint my nails unless I want added gloss, however there's no need with these bad boys. They're super glossy from the minute you apply to the day you remove.

As with all of Barry M nail products I've tired, this stayed on chip free from Saturday afternoon to Thursday evening. And it only chipped because I bashed my hand off a door whilst walking past - yup I'm accident prone.

The application was smooth and easy, I found they dried relatively quickly and I only needed two coats. I love the formula and finish of these so I shall definitely be adding more to my collection.....I also have my little eye on the matte polishes too!

These retail at £3.99 for 10ml of product

What's your favourite shade of these? 

Where to buy:

Barry M website - here
Boots - here
Superdrug - here

Stacey x

Thursday 24 October 2013

Breakfast 'muffins'

Hi Beauts.

I'm a little addicted to Pinterest and am constantly looking for inspiration in the kitchen. I shall be completely honest and tell you, I can't cook for toffee!! One thing that always catches my eye are 'Breakfast Muffin' pins. Basically they're just eggs with added ingredients that are quick and easy to make, and are great for breakfast.

So today I thought I'd play chef and share with you so,e that I made.

What you need:


(Please ignore the dates on the food, I made these ages ago and forgot to post)

* Spinach
* Ham (Cooked meat of your choice)
* Cheese (of your choice)
* 2 Eggs
* You could also add onion, spring onion, peppers etc

Lets cook:


* First tear the spinach and place in the bottom of cup/muffin cases, then repeat with the ham

* Next grate a little cheese and add on top of the spinach and ham

* Beat the eggs (season with salt and pepper) and add a little to the case, then top off with grated cheese

* Now place the 'muffins' into the oven gas mark 5 for 25 minutes


Tadaaaa all done. See easy peasy :)

Do you like to cook?

Stacey x

Wednesday 23 October 2013

NYC Metro quartet in Riverside Park

Hi Beauts.

I recently posted a haul of some products that I'd been buying and one of those was a the NYC Metro quartet in 'Riverside Park'


I spotted this on the Fragrance Direct website and after looking up swatches, I had to have it. The first time I used it I did as the plastic casing instructed 'lid colour, contour shade, highlight and crease colour' and absolutely fell in love


The colours go amazingly well together, and if like me you have brown/hazel eyes (they tend to look different all the time) then this is perfect for you. I'd read a few reviews saying the pigmentation wasn't very good, but I have to strongly disagree. Even just the swatches were highly pigmented, although the highlight shade doesn't looks so strong it does have great payoff on the lid.


I think that the packaging has changed so if you're looking in Superdrug  it's a quad like palette now.

I got this for 99p on Fragrance Direct which is a complete bargain! They are currently £2.99 in Superdrug

Have you tried any NYC products? What are your faves?

Stacey x

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Sunday Funday

Hi Beauts.

There's nothing worse than it being the weekend and being skint. All I wanted to do was shop, but alas I couldn't. So instead, me and my cousin decided to go to Tynemouth market for a little spy about and then headed into Cullercoats for some chips :)



I did manage to shop on a budget, I got a book I've wanted for a while and a can of Mountain Dew......yeehaaaaaaaa!!

Make up:


Naked Basics palette: W.O.S all over lid, Naked2 in crease, Venus as highlight
Elf waterproof liner
Smashbox full exposure mascara and Benefit 'They're real'
Collection Perrie lipstick 

Outfit:




White vest - £2.50 (I think) from Primark
Grey and white jumper - £6.00 from Primark
Shorts (with tights) - £5.00 Primark
White converse - £45.00 Office

What I bought:


Someone posted a picture of Dean Koontz 'Velocity' on Instagram, so I googled it and it sounded interesting so I decided to hunt it down. I found this one at Tynemouth market for £1.00 - SCORE.

Whilst in NYC I got addicted to Mountain Dew and haven't been able to find it in the UK. Again I potted it at Tynemouth market so had to have it

You don't always need a lot of money to have fun :D

What did you get up to?

Stacey x

Monday 21 October 2013

31 blushes of October.....week Four

Hi Beauts.

Well it appears we're nearing the end of October already! This has been a funny old month for me for some odd reason, I think I need to go into hibernation until spring :P 

Today I bring to you my fourth week of blushes:



Monday:

Sleek lace palette - Crochet

Tuesday:

Sleek lace palette - Guipure

Wednesday:

Sleek lace palette - Chantilly


Thursday:

Rimmel - Berry

Friday:

Rimmel - Pink Rose


Saturday:

MUA cream blush - Yummy

Sunday:

MUA cream blush - Blossom


Well, that's it for this week. Only one week left then maybe I'll start on the lipsticks.......

Previous weekly blush posts:

Week one - here
Week two - here
Week three - here

Have a great week Beauts!

Stacey x

Sunday 20 October 2013

Nars blush in Amour

Hi Beauts.

Today I bring to you a review of my very first Nars product, their blush in Amour. Ohhhh yes, I popped that cherry in NYC. I've wanted a Nars blush for so long but could never decide on which shade I wanted so I bit the bullet in Sephora and just went with my gut. I'm so happy with the choice I made, I now have a list as long as my arm of the other shades I want ;)



Amour is, in my opinion, a bright mauve kind of shade which is right up my street. I always seem to go for similar shades, does anyone else do that? It's also a matte blush which I love, I don't want to be looking like a disco ball cracked me over the head!



The pigmentation is just as phenomenal as everyone says, I literally only dabbed the blush in store and I had amazing colour payoff on my finger. Needless to say a little goes a long way with this beauty and depending on the shade you buy, you do need to be pretty light handed with it. Although if you're like me and get over excited with the blush brush when you buy a new blush (woah hello tongue twister) it's easily blended in with a clean blush/powder/stippling brush. As with most blush I use, this lasted all day without any fading!

Although the packaging does get a little grubby, especially if you have foundation all over your hands, I really like it. It's sleek, compact and sturdy, what more could you ask for? 

Over all, would I recommend Nars blush? Hell to the yes! I can't wait to buy my next one. I just have to decided which shade to get :P

These blushes retail at £21.50 for 4.8g of product

Have you added any Nars to your collection? What's your favourite product?

Where to buy: 

Nars website - here
Space NK - here

Stacey x

Saturday 19 October 2013

Sunshine Award


Hi Beauts.

The lovely Jess from dungarees and donuts has nominated me for the Sunshine award (Thanks Jess!) If you're unsure what the Sunshine award is, it is an award where you nominate 11 bloggers who are positive, creative and who inspire others in the blogging world.

The rules:
Post the picture of the Sunshine award in your blog post
Post 11 random facts about yourself
Answer the 11 questions given by the blogger who nominated you
Write 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate
Let the bloggers know that you nominated them

Random facts:

1 - I'm addicted to ice cream 
2 - I cry at everything - Happy films, sad films..........otters holding hands *grabs a tissue*
3 - I'm 27 but look 15
4 - I'm a list freak. I have lists of lists of lists
5 - I take a 3.5 shoe (I have to be awkward)
6 - I hate anything Chocolate flavoured (other than chocolate)
7 - I'm quite eclectic when it comes to music - Pop, rock, RnB.....country
8 - I hate scary masks, especially Michael Myers 
9 - I could eat my body weight in wotsits
10 - I have one tattoo
11 - I want to travel the world

Questions from Jess:

1 - Favourite beauty product of the year so far?
I have SO many. I think I might say Rimmel stay matte foundation - Love that stuff

2 - What programme is your guilty pleasure?
I don't actually watch much TV if I'm honest. Love a bit of Dancing On Ice when it's on though - Hello sparkles

3 - What's the most courageous thing you've done to your appearance? (Bright hair, weird piercing) 
Probably getting my tattoo. I really want to dye my hair a wild colour but I don't have the guts, I got as far as ombre at the ends but that's it :P

4 - What on a blog makes you follow?
I think layout. If it's all over the place I usually don't read it (sorry, I'm lazy and love a simple life :P)

5 - How did you think of your blog name?
It just kind of came to me,it's the first name I thought of so stuck with it

6 - How did you meet your best friend?
We went to primary school together until year 3, then I moved and a year or so later she moved to the same school and we became BFF's. 20+ years - I feel so old!!

7 - One thing you want to do before your next birthday?
It was to get my tattoo but that already happened. Maybe I should dye my hair purple.......

8 - Favourite highstreet store?
Probably Superdrug for make up and H&M for clothes

9 - Something you cannot leave your favourite store without?
Any lip product - I have an addiction

10 - How many blog followers do you have?
93 GFC and 69 Bloglovin'- THANK YOU!!!!

11 - Three things you cannot leave the house without?
My phone, hand cream and my iPod


My questions: 

1 - What is your favourite thing about blogging?
2 - What is one staple product in your hair care routine?
3 - What is your most worn lipstick?
4 - Who inspires you the most?
5 - Which brand has stood out to you the most this year?
6 - Where would be your dream holiday?
7 - What quote do you live by?
8 - What is your favourite online make up/beauty shop?
9 - Is there one book that you could read over and over?
10 - What one product is top of your wishlist?
11 - What's been the best dupe you've come across?

My nominees:

Alice
Freya
Katie
Hannah
Ellis
Gemma
Lydia
Fisi
Antonia
Kate
Shannon

Thanks again Jess!! Have a lovely weekend Beauts!

Stacey x

Sleek vintage romance palette

Hi Beauts.

So, a little while back I tweeted 'Beauty at Tesco' and asked if they stocked the new Sleek vintage romance palette because I couldn't find it ANYWHERE and needed to get my little mitts on it. I thought that they'd get back to me and say either yes they did have it, or no they didn't.
However they were super nice and asked if I'd like them to send it out to me! How nice was that?!! Obviously I ever so gratefully said yes please (I may have squealed a little, but shhhh) 



This is perfect for the Autumn and winter with those berry and burgundy shades. I love that there's a variety of colours too which allows you to create a nice subtle day look, or a dark intense evening look.

There are colours to suit everyone in this palette, and the thing I love is, the berry shades are pretty neutral. So if you're cool toned like I am you can still pull off the colours :)



There's one matte shade 'propose in Prague' which can be used as a transition shade, 3 glitter shadows 'Honeymoon in Hollywood' (the least glittery) 'Forever in Florence' and 'Love in London' Even though these shades are glittery in the pan, I don't find that the glitter transfers to my lid.

Each shadow is extremely pigmented and blendable, what you get in the pan is exactly what transfers to the lid. I've use these with and without a primer and found they worked great- pigmented and didn't crease at all.

Here are some looks I've worn using the palette:


* Meet in Madrid all over the lid
* Sleek contour kit in Light in crease as a transition shade
* A Vow in Venice in outer V and into crease


Same as above, but I added Forever in Florence in the outer V and crease to darken the look


* Meet in Venice all over lid
* Propose in Prague in the crease 
* Romance in Rome in the outer third and into crease

I've used the eyeshadow palette every day since I received it and I'm in complete love with it! It's my first Sleek eyeshadow palette and I shall definitely be buying more, the quality is amazing!

(*Sent for review)

Where to buy:

Tesco stores

Previous Sleek blush post - Here

What are your favourite palettes? Any recommendations?

Stacey x