Sunday, August 31, 2014

August favourites.




August has been a no spend month so all of these products have been dug out and rediscovered or are favourites from the very end of July. So onto this months short but sweet favourites. 

The Collection Shimmer shades in Blushalicious was a spur of the moment purchase. I saw it in store and I honestly don't think I even swatched it. When I got home I was a little disappointed as  when I swatched it, but once on the cheeks every ounce of disappointment completely vanished. It leaves the most beautiful glowy pink on the cheeks which is so natural it just makes you look lit from within. 

If your a regular you will know about my huge love for the Body shop Body butters the one I have been loving recently is the strawberry scent. This one isn't to sweet so it's perfect for summer. This is one of the thicker butters from the body shop so it really is moisturizing it sinks in super quickly and the smell doesn't linger which is even more of a bonus! 

Another Collection product is the Lip butter in Vintage rose. I love a good chubby lip pencil as the next blogger and these ones have really impressed me. Super glossy and incredibly hydrating they are the perfect chuck on at any time of the day lip product. 

I love everything I've tried so far from the Topshop makeup range and the Eyeshadow trio in Nebula is no exception. Buttery and soft pigmented shadows that blend like a dream in really beautiful packaging what more can a gal ask for. 

My final favourite this month is the Barry M Gelly hi shine polish in Greenberry. I actually bought a bottle of this when they were first released and didn't like it so I gave it to my friend, then my mum got me a new bottle for my birthday and I love it. The colour is gorgeous for the summer and it looks amazing with a tan. 




Friday, August 29, 2014

The £1.99 Nail Polishes


Miss sporty Nail polishes* were something I remember loving when I was about 10 and I started to buy my own nail polishes. There not something that I have used that much since then, when I received these in a package I was super excited to try them out again and I am amazed for £1.99 they are really brilliant polishes. The glitter ones are opaque in one thick or two thin coats and even the baby pink only needs two coats. These last really well and I get a good 3 days out of the baby pink and 6 days out of the glitters. I really like the brushes on these polishes as they are really thick so if you like a little more control then I would say stay away from these but if your a one brush stroke should do all of my nail kind of gal like me then these are the ones to go for. 

For £1.99 you can't really go wrong with these, the colour selection isn't the best but there is a nice amount of shades to pick from. 

I'd love to know if you have tried these. Let me know what your favourite budget nail polishes are? 

Buy Miss sporty //Here//
* These products were sent to me but all opinions are my own! 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Apple and peanut butter breakfast muffins.


This has fast become one of my favourite breakfasts, it's super easy, quick, healthy and keeps me full till lunch time. The recipe can use any fruit and the peanut butter can be taken out and doesn't need to be replaced with anything I just love me some peanut butter! It also makes it a little stickier, If you wanted a little bit more moisture in the muffin you can add a teaspoon or two of milk. 

You will need.. 
3 Tbsp Oats 
1 Egg 
1 Tbsp Brown sugar 
1 Tbsp Peanut butter 
1/2 an apple 

Throw all the ingredients into a mug and make sure they are all mixed evenly and there are no lumps of egg or peanut butter. The mug then needs to go into the microwave for a minute. To check that it is done tip the cup and if any liquid can be seen pop back into the microwave for 10 seconds at a time. Once it's done tip the muffin onto a plate. I like to pop the other half of the apple and some more peanut butter onto my plate.


Monday, August 25, 2014

The Sparkly Palm Tree Mani.




I'm really happy with how this turned out. Please excuse the messy edges I forgot to clean them up before I took the pictures. I did this to match my new F&F palm tree print shirt which I'm sure will pop up in an OOTD sooner than later. The base is Barry M Greenberry gelly nail paint, on my ring finger I used Barry M Blue glitter and the little palm tree was done with a black Rio nail art pen. I think my palm trees need a little work but for a first attempt I don't think it's to shabby! 


Sunday, August 24, 2014

5 Products, 5 minutes - Natural







 Those mornings when an extra 15 minutes in bed seem like such a good idea call for super quick and easy makeup that can be chucked on in just a couple of minutes. 

First of I started with the Bourjois healthy mix serum as it doesn't need much work, a 30 second blend and it sinks into the skin and looks beautiful. Concealer is a must and the Seventeen stay time has been the one I have been reaching for lately. It has a nice amount of coverage whilst still looking natural and not cakey at all (I'm looking at you collection). 

Next up was brows and eyeshadow, the Urban decay Naked basics is such a handy product as it has my perfect brow shade in it which I have now hit pan on which makes me feel very sad! Then for my eyes I popped a mix of venus and w.o.s all over the lid and blended naked 2 into the crease. To fonish of my eyes I curled my lashes and used the Miss sporty Fabulous lash Xtra black* which is really natural and leaves the lashes defined but not hugely lengthened and voluminous. 

Finally for the lips I popped on Seventeen Mirror shine in Beehive, which is one of my favourite lipsticks. It looks so glossy and beautiful while being so low maintenance. You can also apply it without a mirror which is such a godsend! 



Friday, August 22, 2014

Revlon Colorstay Shadow links




I really don't know how I feel about these, don't get me wrong they aren't a bad product they're  just not a great one either. I expected more because they were from Revlon. They aren't the worse shadows by far but when they are compared to the likes of MUA which are a third of the price and double the size, they just don't deliver. The pigmented isn't completely horrendous but they do have to be built up. I also found that not even my urban decay primer potion intensified the colours at all.

 They do blend really nicely and last a good amount of time. I won't completely neglect these but they aren't something I'm going to reach for often. The shade I have used the most is sand as it looks really pretty in the middle of the lid to add an extra sparkle. Taupe is the least pigmented and the one I am only going to use once in a blue moon. The colour in the pan is a beautiful shimmery taupe but on the lid it is a weak pale brown which is just such a waste of time. Cocoa is the best in terms of pigment and works as a nice crease shade but the fact that it has to be built up so much means I don't tend to have time in the morning to mess about with it when I have other shadows that I can just sweep on and go! 

From left to right - Sand - Taupe - Cocoa 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

#BodyUNashamed


Penny is much much braver than me I adore the idea of this project, here's what penny had to say 

Everywhere I look these days there seems to be public slating of others' appearances.  Open the newspapers or magazines on any given day and you will see negative comments on the bodies of celebrities, log on to social media and you’ll see people making derogatory remarks or bullying others because they don’t fit in to the idea of “perfection” that we have drummed in to us on a daily basis.
And I’ve had enough.
While I’m under no illusions that this little project might change the way of the world, I do hope that by being part of this you will begin to look at yourself in a more positive way and that this mindset may well rub off on others you speak with.  If we can do even a little something and stop a handful of people feeling like they’re not good enough, then we have won.


I got the lovely India from Touchscreens and beauty queens  The idea is that we write about 3 things we love about the person and then three things we love about ourselves. 

1. Can we first just focus on India's brows that girl has some serious brow game going on and I have some serious brow envy! 

2.Here Photography and writing are both flawless and again she leaves me feeling very envious. Her blog is a brillaint mix of topics and I could (and have but not in a crazy stalker way) sit and read it for hours. 

3. I also really love her fashion sense, it's fairly similar to mine and I love how she always manages to look so put together in the simplest of outfits. 


And for my three things...

1. I really like my eyes, they are by far my favourite feature. I really love the colour of them but I also love them as they are exactly the same as my dad's and grandad's. 

2. I really like my hair as it is now. I wasn't sure if a full fringe was a good idea but I really love it. I think it just suits my face better than the sweep-y side fringe and the no fringe at all. 

3. I also quite like my sense of humor a lot of people don't really get it. But I think i'm funny. 

Monday, August 18, 2014

Meet The Mattes





I have been a little obsessed with matte lips recently, if you would have told me a year ago I would be reaching for matte lips regularly I'd have looked at you like you'd grown two heads.

 The Collection Cream puffs £2.99 were the product that started the obsession. These are beautiful creamy lip colours that dry down to a semi matte finish. These are the most moisturizing. The lips don't need to be prepared before applying these which makes them fabulous for on the go. The only problem I have with these is the tiny shade range. 

The Rimmel Lasting finish by Kate Lipsticks £5.49 are really brilliant, I love all the shades in the collection. These are a little more drying than the collection ones but the matte finish is a little more matte. These glide onto the lips and don't tend to cling to dry patches unless the lips are in really bad shape. I'm not a big fan of the scent of these but I can deal with it. 

The Sleek true colour lipstick £4.99 aren't all matte. The formula of the matte ones are the most drying out of the four I'm talking about today. These have to be applied to un-chapped baby smooth lips or else they end up looking messy and a little gross if I'm honest. Although this can happen if the lips aren't prepared properly they can look amazing and they last for such a long time. 

The Final product are the Revlon Colorburst matte balms. I think these may be my favourite just pipping Rimmel to the post. For a start they smell minty which some people hate but I love. These feel so smooth on the lips and you don't get that awful chalky feeling on the lips. The shade range of these is ridiculously huge and I think there is pretty much a shade for everyone. 

Sleek Papaya Punch - Rimmel 110 - Rimmel 107 - Collection Fairy Cake - Revlon Elusive - Revlon Unapologetic.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Sweet treats - Lemon and Ginger Cheesecake






I love me some cheesecake! This is one of my grandparents favourite things I bake so I thought I'd share it with you! 

You Will Need 

For the base 
450 G Ginger Nuts
150 G Unsalted butter 
3 Tbsp Golden Syrup 

For the topping
300 G Full fat cream cheese
300 Ml Double cream
3 Lemons 
2 Tsp Vanilla essence 
150 G Icing sugar

1. Start off with the base, crush the biscuits with a rolling pin until the pieces of biscuits are the desired size. Then pop the butter and golden syrup into a pan and melt. 

2. Pop the butter and syrup into the biscuit mixture and mix together and press the mixture into a tin. 

3. Put the base into the fridge and move on to the topping. Start of by putting the cream into a bowl and whisking with an electric whisk (You can do it by hand but i'd suggest you use a electric whisk).

4. Once the cream is forming soft peaks put in the zest of the lemons, the cream cheese, vanilla essence and the icing sugar and fold in with a spatula or a metal spoon. 

5. Pop the filling onto the base and put back into the fridge for at least 4 hours preferably overnight but if your anything like my family it never makes it! 



Friday, August 15, 2014

Another Chubby stick - Collection Lip butters.


Left - Popping pink - Right - Vintage rose 

I am really impressed with these, I seem to have gone crazy with chubby sticks and I have found myself with a growing collection. These have a really lovely formula they are really moisturizing and glide onto the lips no matter how dry they are. Out of all of the chubby sticks I own these are definitely the most moisturizing. I really love the colours and I have been reaching for the shade Vintage rose a lot. These are very glossy but still pigmented. The wear time on these is around 3 hours but they are so glossy nothing more can be expected. 

I really fancy picking up some more shades, I really love these but once again collection have bought out an amazing lip product in a really limited shade selection. It's like the cream puffs all over again! 

Have you tried these? What do you think about them? 

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The cream of the crop



I love cream products, I find them so much easier and quicker to work with than powders. Today I thought I'd show you some of my favourites.

So I'm going to kick it off with the Topshop eye crayon in mystical which I think may be discontinued (Which makes me very sad) I won't talk to much about this, but it is a really beautiful colour and lasts for such a long time. If topshop ever re-promote these I highly suggest you give them a go.  

You are probably all so bored of me talking about this product but I just had to include the Maybelline On and on bronze. This is my favourite cream eyeshadow I own. It lasts for a really long time, the colour is beautiful and the pigmentation is amazing. I find this one to be the creamiest of the four shades I own, which I would usually put that down to age but this was the first on I bought. The only thing I dislike about these is the limiting shade range. We need some more neutrals over in the UK! 

The Gosh Forever eyeshadow in Grey* Was something I received in my gosh festival kit and I really like it. It can be really smoked out or used really lightly for a silvery sparkly wash of colour. This doesn't last as long as the Topshop or the Maybelline but when worn with a primer I have no issues with creasing. 

Rimmel Stay blushed liquid cheek tint in Pop of Pink was something I wasn't sure of at first but now I love it. The consistency is very strange, it goes on beautifully over un-powdered foundation but tends to go a little patchy on powdered skin so it's definitely not designed for an oily girl. The colour is very beautiful and blends out to leave a very subtle dewy flush. 

MAC's Bare study paint pot is my favourite eye base at the moment as the colour is so sheer it goes under all my shadows completely undetectable. This one is also really pretty just swept across the lid on a minimal makeup day. 

If you are a regular over here you will know I have a small (Read that as very large!) obsession with the Topshop cream blushes. These are so easy to work with and blend into the skin so seamlessly. The shade selection isn't the largest but I think they pretty much have everyone covered. These are well worth a try especially for the bargain price of £7.00. 




From left to right - Topshop Mystical - Maybelline On and on bronze - Gosh Grey - Rimmel Pop of pink - Mac Bare study - Topshop Morning Dew and Flush.

Monday, August 11, 2014

The Drugstore Bronzer Edit.





If you'd have told me a year ago that I had to wear bronzer or else my face didn't feel done I would have looked at you completely gone out. Over the Past couple of months I've picked up four of the most hyped drugstore bronzers in the blogosphere and today I decided I'd compare then for you. So without further ado let's get on. 

MUA Bronzer - Shade 3 £1.0

This is the darkest and most muddy of the four but used with a light hand and the right brush it can leave you with the most gorgeous colour to your face whilst looking really natural . This is the only one of MUA's bronzers that isn't packed with shimmer, which is a little annoying as they wish they did a lighter shade for really pale guys and gals. 

NYC Smooth skin bronzing face powder - Sunny £1.99

I just don't get the hype for this one, as you can see in the swatches below it lacks in pigment and I find it just doesn't blend well. I was really looking forward to trying this and I was thoroughly disappointed. If you are Casper the ghost pale you may be able to use this as it is very light, I may have to try it again in the winter. 

Sleek Face contour kit - Light £6.49 

This is the most grey toned and the best for contouring out if the three, I love the way this one blends into the skin and can be built up from a really subtle contour to a Kim Kardashian face lift contour! Even though it's not a bronzer I thought I'd give a quick shoutout to the highlighter in this kit as it is really pretty. 

L'oreal Glam bronze - Golden Bronze £7.99

I think this one is my favourite, although the sleek comes in at a very close second. I'm not 100% sure if this product is completely matte or it had a gold over spray on the top. Even if it is shimmery it doesn't show on the skin. It leaves the skin looking so healthy and naturally sun kissed. This one is well worth a look! 



From top to bottom - MUA Shade 3 - NYC Sunny - Sleek Contour Kit - L'oreal Golden bronze 

Sunday, August 10, 2014

NOTD - In the Nude




I wasn't overly impressed by the Barry M gelly polishes when they were first released but I've really enjoyed using them since my mum bought me a couple of bottles for my birthday. I actually borrowed this one of my mum, but I will definitely be picking it up once my spending ban is over. I'm usually not a big fan of the nude nail but I find this one really matches well with my skin tone. I find I can get a good 4 days wear out of this one before it begins to obviously chip. I really can't believe I didn't like these when they were released. 

What's your favourite shades from the Gelly Hi shine range?  

Friday, August 08, 2014

Link Love #1




Are these not just the best looking brownies you've ever seen, I also love the fact it isn't going to cost the price of a small house to make (I'm looking at you Green and Blacks) I'm a big fan of Rosie's blog and it's well worth a follow. 




I love Laura's blog and thought this post was a really brilliant idea and made me look through my blog. It also contains her very pretty looking Mac palette *Sighhh*




I have fallen head over heels in love with this skirt Motel rocks, as usual Em looks fabulous and the pictures are amazing. I'm also very jealous she got to go to Jamaica! 




There seems to be so much pressure in the blogging world recently and I think a lot of people will have needed this post (I know I did) I think we end up forgetting what we are blogging for sometimes because there is so much pressure for us to churn out posts full of outstanding content and professional level photography. When we sometimes want to have a rant and use Iphone photos! If you haven't read this post I highly recommend you do! 




To end on a more light hearted note, I laughed rather a lot as it is so true. I bet a good 70% of us can say we've hid in a corner to try and take pictures of our coffee/preferred beverage of choice before. If your looking for an easy post to read this is the one! 




I hope you enjoyed this post, leave me some links and I will check them out and they might even make it onto the next link love! 

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

Sweet treats - Gingerbread stars







I feel like I haven't put up a baking post in forever, but I have promised myself I will try and bake at least once a month. Today I have a super simple recipe from my Be.Ro book. These are really delicious and so easy. 

You will need...

300g Self raising flour
A pinch of salt
3 Tsp Ground ginger 
100g Caster sugar
50g Margarine 
3 Tbsp Golden syrup
4 Tbsp Milk

1. Preheat the Oven to 160C, 325F or Gas mark 3 and grease and line a baking tray (You might need 2) 
2. Put the flour, ginger and salt into a bowl and mix together.
3. Heat the margarine, sugar and syrup in a pan over a medium heat. Once all the margarine is melted add into the dry ingredients and mix. 
4. Once the Margarine mixture is fully combined with the dry ingredients add the milk and use your hands to bring the mix into a ball of dough. Once you have a dough knead it for 1-2 minutes. 
5. On a floured surface roll out the dough and cut into desired shape. 
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes. 
7. Once they are a gorgeous golden brown colour remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. 
8. Once cooled you can either add icing or just dig straight in! 

So that's it! It's really that simple. I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Monday, August 04, 2014

#MCRBloggersMeet




If you follow me on twitter you may have seen me tweet a few *Read that as a lot* times about the Manchester Bloggers meet on Saturday the 26th of July. A big thank you to the lovely Lucy  for hosting the event it was brilliant. 

So I headed into Manchester with Alice and Emily  on the train and we had a cheeky starbucks while we were waiting for Kariss . We actually found the Milton Club fairly easily and as we were stood outside, we met Jess . When we went in we couldn't quite believe how fancy it was, It even smelt fancy! It was the post beautiful place but unfortunately they had very yellow lighting so all my photo's were awful. We then met Jen and Anita . We did a round of Blogger bingo and then went on to design a T shirt for rock and ruby above you can see our ummmm... Masterpiece? 

We all had an amazing time and once again a big thank you to Lucy and all the brands that put into the goodie bags. I just hope I can get onto the October list now! 











TEMPLATE DESIGNED BY PRETTYWILDTHINGS