Thursday 4 October 2012

Pin Me Happy!

I've been a bit absent from the blogging world lately.  I've been a bit down in the dumps and not really in the mood for wiring a blog post.  It's nothing overly major, just a lot of little things that have been getting me down and have come to a head a little bit.  Work has been pretty rubbish, and I've also been missing my boyfriend lots; although he was home this weekend just gone and provided me with lots of cuddles and giggles which made me feel a lot better.  (He's in the Army incase you were wondering!)

Credit to Louise for this image :)
In a bid to get back into blogging, and hopefully take my mind off things, I thought I'd take part in the lovely Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter's latest blog post.  Something nice and simple, that doesn't require me to take and edit photos,  but is also actually quite fitting for how I've been feeling lately.   Louise's happy, positive attitude and outlook on life really comes through in her You Tube videos,  but even the happiest of folk feel a little blue now and again, and Louise is right, these little wordy creations (or whatever you want to call them!) really do lift you and get you smiling again.

So after reading Louise's lovely blog post, I blew the cobwebs off my Pinterst account and scoured various boards and pins for some words of wisdom of my own.










Honestly, I could have spent HOURS doing this.  Simply searching "words" and then selecting Boards, brought up loads of boards full of pins like these, some inspiring, some funny and some I could really relate to.  I never really 'got' Pinterest until now, and I now see why people love it so much!  Today was definitely a bit of a "meh" day, but after browsing Pinterest for the last hour or so, I'm feeling that little bit more cheery, and I'm off to Zumba shortly so that ought to make me cheerier still!

I'd like to finish this post by saying a big thank you to Louise for doing this post in the first place.  I really enjoyed doing it and you have certainly got me hooked on Pinterest!  
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Tuesday 4 September 2012

My Chamilia Bracelet


I know, I know, there's not much on it at the moment. But I thought I'd share my Chamilia bracelet with you, as it does seem to be a brand that often gets over looked thanks to the likes of Pandora.  I received this as a birthday gift this year from my parents, who also got me the 'daughter' charm, a pretty self-explanatory one really! My aunty bought my the little basket charm in the middle.  It reminds me of the sort of bag you take to the beach with you on holiday.  I bought the other charm myself with some birthday money.  It's not totally clear in the picture above but it's a little paw print made out of pink Swarovski... well, Swarovski Elements, whatever that means!

I'm not sure why I received a Chamilia one, as opposed to the very popular and more well-known Pandora variety, but I'm actually very happy about it.  There's so many beautiful charms on the website and I already have a huge wish list that I have e-mailed my boyfriend a couple of times. (He's not taken the hint though - sniff!). I think it's a bit more unique too as everybody seems to have Pandora bracelets and I actually quite like correcting people when they assume the same for mine!


I also love how it's a leather bracelet, as opposed to the silver ones.  Personally I think the silver bracelet, coupled with X amount of silver charms can look a little too flashy for my liking.  The leather style of mine is a lot more casual and goes a lot better with the kinds of clothes I wear on a day to day basis.  I'm not sure what length it is,  but it's long enough to wrap around my wrist three times.  I'm not sure if it's supposed to, it may just be my skinny wrists(!).


Like I said, there's loads of gorgeous charms available, and there's a lovely Disney collection available at the moment. I have my eye on a couple of those as you can see in the picture below! The first two are from this collection.  The first says "Dreams really do come true" on the back, and the second is obviously a lyric from the Cinderalla song! These are just a few that I like, and I keep adding to my wish list all the time! 

Images from http://uk.chamilia.com









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Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover.


You may recognise this from my recent Skincare Haul post. I was looking for an alternative to my Clinque 'Take The Day Off' eye make up remover, and after deciding against the No7 one, I went for the Botanics version. All three of these products are of the oil-based variety, where you have to shake the bottle before using, which I really like.  I find they do a better job, and always follow with a cleaner anyway so oily lids after using them doesn't bother me.

I have used the Botanics one in the past and have really liked it, and attracted to the pretty new packaging, I decided to buy it again.  Unfortunately, the packaging isn't all they've changed.  When I got it home I realised that it had more of a pinky hue to it than I remembered the older version having.   It turns out that they have reformulated the product and, sorry Boots, I'm not a fan! For a start, it isn't as effective as removing my eye make up than the older version.  Since I always cleanse afterwards anyway (or use a wipe if I'm lazy!) I could probably put up with this until I've used the product up, and make a mental note not to repurchase.  My main issue with this is that it makes my eyes feel sore and irritated.  They sting as soon as I apply the cotton wool pad to my eye, and also I've noticed my eyes sometimes feeling sore throughout the next day too.  This is the only new product I've used around my eyes too, so I can't see anything else being to blame.  The old formula was so gentle, and never made my eyes feel sore or irritated and I'm disappointed that this new formulation didn't live up to that. I'm gutted really, I didn't use Botanics religiously, but knew it was always there, and I'd often go back to the eye make up remover, as well as other products.  Sorry Botanics, I think our love affair is over. Sob!
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Friday 31 August 2012

Benefit Stay Don't Stray


Eyeshadow primer is a must for me, without it my eyeshadows apply very unevenly, fades quickly and basically do everything a primer stops it from doing. For years I've used the infamous Urban Decay Primer Potion, but when my last tube ran out, I decided to try the  Benefit for a change.

As you can see, Stay Don't Stray (right) is slightly darker and thicker than UDPP

Benefit describe this as having a universally flattering shade.  Unlike the likes of UDPP this doesn't dry translucent on the skin, it actually applies almost like a nude cream eyeshadow.  This isn't an issue for me, and I've even just put this on my eyelids with no shadow over it.  It does a great job of hiding the discolouration on my eyelids and just evens them out a bit.  This and a bit of liquid liner & mascara and I've got a quick and easy eye look. I'm unsure if those with darker skin tones would prefer a primer that does dry translucent, although if it's going to be covered over with eyeshadow, it won't matter too much maybe! It is also slightly thicker in texture, and I seem to need a smaller 'dollop' than I would with UDPP. With eye shadow, it worked really well for me too, possibly better than UDPP.  Eight hours later my eye makeup was still intact and hard barely creased. Result!

Stay Don't Stray is a "dual action" primer, as it can also be used to help your concealer stay put longer.  To be honest, I felt it made no difference to my concealer.  I wasn't too bothered about this as I bought it purely to use as an eyeshadow primer.  But obviously I gave it a go under my concealers, but felt they did just as good a job on their own.  My go-to concealer at the moment is the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection, a liquid concealer, so maybe it'd work better with a cream concealer. But like I say, this wouldn't put me off buying this again as I didn't buy it for this purpose.

The major downfall of this product for me is the packaging.  Remember the old UDPP packaging with the genie bottle? And the You Tube videos that showed us how cutting the bottle in half would unleash more product than the wand could reach?!  Well Benefit have made a similar boo boo here. While the pump dispenser is hygienic, unless you are extremely careful, it dispenses too much product. WAY too much product.  Over time I've learned that you only need to press gently on the pump, and not push it all the way down.  This is easier said than done, especially if you're in a rush to get ready like I usually am and even doing this often gives you too much product.  I've possibly wasted more product than I've actually used, which when a product costs almost £20, it's not something you want to do!


 

As much as I love Benefit, and how much this works well for me, I'm not sure I'd repurchase this again, unless they changed the packaging.  It's a shame really, as the primer itself works better for me than UDPP, but £19.50 is a lot of money for me if half the product is going to waste.
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Tuesday 28 August 2012

Instagram #1

I signed up to Instagram last week and, despite not having many followers so far, I'm finding it really addictive! I love taking random shots and adding different filters to create different effects to make the photos look all snazzy.  Here's a few of the snaps I've taken in the last week or so.



Dog walking at the park / Chilling on the field / Lemon Top / PartyLite candle / My Brother in The Guardian / Cocktails with my man / Getting my attention / Boots spree / Blogging / Cheers! / In my bed! / Chipshop supper.


Please follow me on Instagram! My username is 'cupcakesngloss'
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Sunday 26 August 2012

Sunday Spa



I do love a bit of pampering on a Sunday evening.  I think it stems from my childhood and the old Sunday night tradition of having a bath before school on Monday.  Even now my school days are a hazy memory, and Saturdays and Sunday's are just another two days at work (the joys of working in retail!) I still like a long soak in the bath and a bit of me time using some of my favourite products.  Here's what I used in my pamper session tonight.

I also used my No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, but forgot to photograph it - doh!

After removing my make up, I washed my hair using L'Oreal EverPure Colour Care shampoo and conditioner.  These are sulphate free, which is supposed to help your hair colour last longer.  I recently had my hair coloured red and, as red hair can fade quickly, I try and do as much as I can to avoid having to visit the salon too often!  This is why I also wash my hair first; I do it over the bath using luke-warm water.  Again, this is meant to help prevent fading.

My bubble bath of choice at the moment is Soap and Glory's Calm One Calm All. I've actually lost count of the bottles of this I've got through over the years! I just used my Pulp Friction scrub, which I talked about in more detail here as I exfoliated with my Soap and Glory Breakfast Scrub the other day.  I also used my Clinique 7 day facial scrub.  I only use this once a week at most as I feel my Hot Cloth Cleanser does enough to remove dead skin cells from my face.  I just use this scrub every so often for an extra bit of pampering.  After shaving my legs, I got out and applied the Righteous Butter all over by body, and my new no7 night cream to my face.

As I'm at work tomorrow (booo!) painting my finger nails is out of the question,  so I had to make do with just painting my toe nails instead.  Tonight I used Models Own Purple Pearl.  I then applied Lee Stafford's Miracle Oil (review here) to the lengths and ends of my hair, and am currently leaving it to dry naturally.


What are your products of choice for a bit of pampering?
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Friday 24 August 2012

Skincare Haul


My skin has been terrible lately, very dull and dry looking. I'll put my hands up now and admit it, its all my fault. I haven't been eating healthily at all and certainly haven't been drinking enough water. I'm also guilty of not taking my makeup off on a night, and when I have taken it off, I've used a wipe.

There's only so much makeup can do to make your skin look radient, perfect, flawless or however you want to describe it. The rest of it is down to use, eating healthily, drinking plenty of water and getting into a good skin care routine. Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on their skincare so today  I headed off to boots with my discount card (thanks, mam! She works in Boots!) to take advantage of it by buying some things from the new(ish) Beautiful Skin range and hopefully encourage myself to take better care of my skin.


The first thing I picked up was the Hot Cloth Cleaner, which I've bought several times before it became part of the new range... I'm hoping they haven't changed the formula of it because I really liked the "Radiance Boosting" Hot Cloth Cleanser as it was previously known.


I also picked up the night cream for normal/dry skin.  I already have the day cream which I'm enjoying using and it's a pretty good moisturiser, so it made sense to have the night cream too! I almost bought another day cream too as mine's just under half full now.  But I decided to wait for the time being (see below!) and hopefully when I'm ready to repurchase Boots will be giving away another No7 voucher!





I was then unsure what to get for my third item.  I was tempted to try the cleansing water as there's a lot of hype surrounding these at the moment and it is a product I do want to try. However I was put off by the fact that this particular one was targeted towards those with more oily skin.  I do get ever so slightly oily sometimes, but not enough for me to say I have oily, or even combination skin, so I decided to leave it for the time being.  A bit of a shame really as I wanted something that was a bit more gentle around the eyes, as the Hot Cloth Cleanser is not designed to use near them, and trust me, if you do get it in your eyes it hurts! I've never really liked the No7 eye make up remover, and while tempted to give it another chance, in the end I decided to try something new.  My product of choice was the Blemish Defence Serum. This is a product designed for all skin types to unblock pores, remove excess sebum to give smoother, blemish free skin. I'm hoping this will reduce the slight oiliness I do suffer from occasionally, and help keep my skin smooth and blemish free.  Instead of the water cleanser or the eye make up remover, I picked up the Botanics eye make up remover, which I have again used in the past but is now in pretty new packaging, and also had a third off!



Of course, it's going to take a lot more than this to improve my skin.  I'm going to do my best to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, and to drink more water a day.  There are some days at the moment where I don't do any of this, so it will be a big challenge to get into the habit of incorporating these into my day to day life.  The plan is to start small, and build up over the next few weeks,  and to basically not indulge in junk food and fizzy drinks quite so much!


I may do a post in a few weeks time to say how I'm getting on!
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Monday 20 August 2012

My Everyday Makeup Routine(s)


My basic everyday routine is pretty minimal really.  I work in a busy cafe in town, and while makeup is allowed, we're generally expected to keep it natural, and to a minimum. This suits me fine as I can't be bothered so sit and do a load of make up just to go to work when I'll end up sweating it off in the kitchen.  Ooohhh, sexy!
 

So on a work day  I'll apply Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation with my fingers and dab Collection 2000 concealer under my eyes; a must for those 7am starts my boss seems to keep giving me lately! I'll then sweep on a bit of blush.  This varies, and is usually whichever one I grab first, although I am quite liking Elf Studio's Candid Coral blush at the moment, which you can see I've now hit pan on... a sure sign of a well loved and used product!A quick coat of Max Factor mascara, and a bit of Boujoirs bronzer and I'm good to face all those pain the the backside lovely customers!


When I'm not at work, I'll put a bit more effort into my routine. I'll start with my newest purchase, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation.  After umming and ahhing for well over a year, I finally caved and bought it.  Because of the price, some might want to use it every day, to get their use out of it,  but for me I just can't bring myself to wear a £30+ foundation for work!  To be fair, I don't think it's light coverage would hold out too well where I work anyway so I'm saving it for my days off. I'm also currently trying out the Porfessional primer from Benefit, that came free with Glamour Magazine a while back. My concealer and bronzer remain the same, as does my mascara.  These are definitely my top three High Street products.  I'll then fill in my brows using Benefit's Brow Zings, which I stupidly left out of the photo... silly me!  My go-to eye make up look is Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in honey bunny.  It's very natural looking, with just a little bit of shimmer and opens my eyes a little.  I then put Urban Decay YDK in the crease, add a bit of liner (pencil or gel, depending on my mood) and thats the eyes done.  My current favourite blush is a Topshop cream blush in the shade Prime Time. It's very bright and scary looking, and needs to be applied very sparingly but it blends beautifully and gives a lovely pop of colour.  That said, if I was doing a bit more with my eye make up, I'd probably avoid this blush or it might look a bit OTT!  I then finish the look with whichever nude lipstick I grab first (again, not pictured, duh!) and I'm all done! 


Obviously this isn't set in stone.  Some days I may wear a different blush, or use different eye shadows, or whatever.  On a night out, I may do a bit more of a smokey eye, or a brighter lip.  My work 'look' doesn't change so much though, like I said there's not much point in doing much more than that, and to be honest,  if I have an early start I'd rather sleep longer than get up early yo put make up on!  Aside from that, I try and mix things up a bit from time to time and try not to get stuck in too much of a rut,  because that wouldn't be much fun, would it?!
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Cakespiration #2





Some good friends of mine are having a 'Naming Ceremony'  for their little boy next month and have asked me to make cupcakes for it... eek! As much as I enjoy making them, and as many as I've made, for the most part I've been the one deciding to make them, either just because I'm bored (in which case I'll take some to friends and family who live nearby) or because I've chose to make them for a girlie get together or something.  This is only the second time I've been asked to make them for something particularly important;  the last time was for another friends little boy's 5th birthday party, for which I made cookie monster cupcakes, my proudest creation to date!



I've had no real instruction from my friend as to what they want exactly,  just vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream, which is great for me as my chocolate buttercream never works out quite right!  I've spent the last hour or so Googling 'Christening Cupcakes', 'Naming Day Cupcakes' and 'New Baby Cupcakes' to get a bit of inspiration, and to be honest I'm no better off as there was that many pictures! Some of them (well, most of them!) are probably a bit beyond my limits,  I don't yet trust myself to make models out of sugarpaste, nor do I want to spends loads on different cutters and equipment when I don't know when I'd use them again.  That said, there was still plenty that seem perfectly doable, and I've posted a selection of those, and the more fancy ones, above.

If anyone else has any ideas, or if you've made some for a similar occasion yourself, or know someone who has, let me know!


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Sunday 19 August 2012

Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Varnish


I'm a bit of a nail varnish addict. I'd wear it every day if I could, but unfortunately I'm not allowed to wear it for work.  This hasn't stopped me building up a fairly decent collection with over 60 bottles at the last count.  (some are years old now, and I could do with sorting them out and getting rid of the ones that are past their best; it's on my list of things to do. Honest...) Anyway, one of my favourite brands of nail varnish is the Rimmel Lycra Pro range.  I first discovered these little beauties last summer and I'm slowly building up a little collection of them.

Rimmel say:
Take colour to a new level – promising fresh-out-of-the-bottle-look with long-lasting shine, it’s super durable, ultra-flexible giving you a chip-proof finish

I don't know how the Lycra technology works, but the finish is definitely different to any other nail polish I own. I'm not quite sure how to explain it to be honest.  It's shinier, and almost plastic/rubbery looking... in a good way! It reminds me of the 'gelish' polishes that have become popular recently.  They have a more professional finish than other brands, and it could quite easily pass for a salon manicure I reckon.


What I love about these polishes is the wand.  Rimmel claim the "Maxi Brush" promises a mistake-free application.  For someone like me who often struggles to get an even finish when applying nail polish, this brush is a God-send.  It's flatter and wider than the average wand, and I believe this is the only brand that has this.  It makes applying your nail polish a dream, the brush fans out and practically covers your entire nail.  It makes painting your nails SO much quicker,  which is fab when you're running late but still want to paint your nails! I can do two coats with this stuff faster than I can do one coat with other brands.

Rimmel also claim that it lasts up to 10 days without chipping, and the new 'anti-fade' colour system helps to keep the colour as fresh and as vibrant as when you first applied it.  I can't comment on this as due to work, I only wear nail polish for a day or two at a time.  And even if I have time off, I can't imagine wearing the same colour for 10 days straight - I get bored too easily!  So the long lasting-ness of the polish isn't a big selling point for me.  I'd be interested to know if it really does last for 10 days though, just out of curiosity!  ;)

I absolutely love these polishes.  They offer easy application,  gorgeous finish,  a fab range of colours and better still, they're under a fiver - bargain!

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Wednesday 25 July 2012

Repurchased Products #1



Its not very often I repurchase products, unless I really like something. I'm often too swayed by a new product, or something being on offer, or just wanting to try something different, to religiously buy the same stuff every time something runs out. However, there are certain things I always end up going back to. In some cases I may have tried other things in between, but these are the things I've used time and time again.

1. Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer.
I think everyone has used/blogged about this. And rightly so, its the best drugstore concealer I've ever used. I currently have 3 of these on the go (not entirely sure why?!) and would be lost without it. The only thing I don't like is the way the writing rubs off so quick.  I use shade 2, which is light.


2.No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser
I bought this with the intention of getting the Liz Earl Cleanse & Polish once it had ran out.  I'm on to my fourth tube of this now and I love it.  The muslin cloth that comes with it isn't the best, but I just bought a pack of 5 large muslin cloths and cut them up.  I use this a few times then just chuck them in the bin, instead of washing them.  No7 have changed their skincare recently and this is now known as the 'Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser'.  I'm hoping they've not changed it too much!

3. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation.
I was reluctant to try this after my previous dalliance with a Rimmel foundation (Match Perfection I believe) broke me out.  However, after hearing so many great reviews on this I decided to give it a go, and I'm really glad I did.  It's the perfect coverage for me and I'm happy to use it day or night.  It doesn't feel heavy or cakey and it really does wake my skin up.

4. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs.
Fake tan scares me.  I wish it didn't because I could do with the extra bit of colour, but I just can't get to grips with it.  This product has been my saviour on many an occasion.  It gives my legs just enough colour to bring them from their natural white, but without making them look way more tanned than the rest of my body.  It's so easy to apply and takes seconds. Love it.


5. Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara.
I like this even more than the original False Lash Effect.  It's a bit pricey, but I got it as part of a 3 for 2 deal so that makes it a bit better.  I'm always trying out different mascaras, but I always go back to this. I love the pretty purple tube too!


6. Soap and Glory Breakfast Scrub & Righteous Butter.
I'm a massive Soap and Glory fan, and have been since it first came out. I first got this body scrub in one of the massive Christmas gift sets, and since then I've bought another 3 tubs.  Out of all the Soap & Glory scrubs, this is my favourite.  It smells amazing and makes my skin super smooth.  I think everyone knows how fabulous Righteous Butter is. I've lost count of the number of tubs of this I've got through.  I currently have two on the go - I thought I'd lost one, so opened my back-up, then found it again! I think I'm going to try the lotion version when one of these runs out.  As much as I love it, I sometimes think it can be a bit too thick and heavy for day time, especially in warmer weather... is that just me? Let me know!


What are your most repurchased products?
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Sunday 22 July 2012

My First NOTD!


I've been off work this week which means I have been able to paint my nails!  I love nail varnish, and have a good 50+ bottles, but because of work, I hardly ever get to wear it.  I used to always wear it on my days off but half the time, I can't be bothered putting it on for a day, then having to take it straight off again that evening.  But as I had a whole week off, I really made a point of painting my nails.  If I'd been a good blogger, I'd have taken photos each time I painted them, but never mind, maybe next time I'm off I'll do that!

Anyway, this is how I did my nails for the weekend.  I had no major plans;  just a trip to Nandos and the cinema last night, then a bbq at a friends house today, but as it was the weekend I decided to jazz them up a bit and add a bit of glitter.  


First I used Amethyst by Accessorize.  I actually really like these nail polishes and keep meaning to buy more.  They're available in Superdrug and Accessorize stores and only cost £4.  They seem small, but are 10ml which is about average I think.  There's a pretty good range of colours too and the small brush & chunky lid make it really easy to apply.  



I then used a Nails Inc Special Effects varnish in Bloomsbury Square.  I bought this on a whim late last year,  along with Connaught Sqaure  (a blue with purple glitter) as I couldn't decide which I liked the most.  I've always worn these on their own, applying three coats to get a really opaque glitter effect.   This time I just applied the one coat over the Amethyst to give more of a shuttle shimmer, and the purple underneath still gives it that opaque look.  

I finished with a Bourjois topcoat that I got in a French manicure set for the simple reason that it's the only one I have!  I usually skip topcoats simply because I only really get to wear nail varnish for one or two days at the most, so it doesn't really get time to chip too badly.  I think I need to invest in a good topcoat though so if you have any recommendations feel free to let me know in the comments!
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Friday 20 July 2012

Review: Lee Stafford Nourishing Miracle Oil



With the hype surrounding Moroccan Oil, its hardly surprising that the high street are coming out with more affordable alternatives. At around £30 a pop, I've yet to try the 'proper' stuff, but I picked up this offering from Lee Stafford in Boots as part of a 3 for 2 deal and I'm pretty impressed!

I'm not gonna lie, one of the things that attracted to me to the product was the packaging! I'd already chose a shampoo and conditioner and was just looking for something to be my 3rd product to take advantage of the offer.  The pink and orange box caught my eye, and after hearing so much about Moroccan Oil, I decided to give it a go. 



Lee says
"my nourishing oil is a special blend of ingredients which help to create soft,shiny hair leaving it in superb condition. This miracle oil nurtures hair and helps enrich its natural shine, delivering a smooth, shiny, silky finish without any product build up!"
 
 
The consistency is (obviously) very oil like, almost like a slighty more runny hair serum.  You can apply it to wet hair to help seal in moisture before blow drying, and you can also use it on dry hair to add shine, and tame flyaways and frizz.  Obviously you need to apply less to dry hair, because as it says on the bottle, you can always add more, but you can't take away!


I really like this product, it leaves my hair soft, shiny and manageable.  I really like the smell too, it's not too overpowering.  Other reviews have described it as being very similar too other Lee Stafford products.  Having not used  any others for quite a while, I couldn't say. But nevertheless, I do like it.  Personally I think it does smell 'oily'....   not in a horrible greasy chip pan type of way (eeww!)  but more like a massage oil may smell like.  


Lee Stafford products are available in Boots, and this particular one was £11.99 for 50ml. Pretty pricey I think,  and I probably wouldn't have bought it if not for the 3 for 2 deal.  I do wonder how it compares to the "real" Moroccan Oil.  At around £30 for 100ml it works out at around £6 more than the Lee Stafford,  which when you think of it like that, it's not too bad a deal.  After liking this so much I am tempted to splash out once it's ran out!


Have you tired the Lee Stafford Nourishing Miracle Oil? Or the Moroccan Oil? How do they compare? Let me know!
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Tweet, Tweet!

I signed up to Twitter recently and am a bit lonely on there at the moment! Feel free to follow me, and hopefully we'll chat soon!


@lipglossandcake

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Tuesday 17 July 2012

Cakespiration

 
Just thought I'd share these pretty cupcake cases my Mam bought me on a trip to York yesterday.  I normally tend to go for basic, plain white cases but I actually really like these.  They've got a very vintage look to them,  and would be perfect for an afternoon tea party.  I can imagine them  on a china cake stand, with little finger sandwiches, and scones with clotted cream, with tea served from vintage china.... you get the idea!  I'm going to use these next time I bake (tomorrow hopefully!) and have spent this morning looking for ideas on how to decorate them, and I'll be sure to at least tweet the results. But for now, here's a few of the lovely pictures that I found.
 
 
Source: creative cake academy

Source: cupcakes 2 delight

Source: jotasteofhome

Source: vintageandcake


Source: vintageandcake

Not sure my finished cakes will be as good as these ones,  need a bit more practice!
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Friday 13 July 2012

Maxi Dress Hunt!

Despite being barely over 5ft tall, I've never had a problem with clothes I've bought from the 'regular' ranges in the high street. Yes, I'll try and go for the 'short' leg length in jeans, but apart from that everything else fits fine. I tend to steer clear of the petite ranges, I find them to be a bit 'skimped' all over, and my usual size 10 feels a bit snug and just doesn't look right.  The only real problem I've had is it when it comes to maxi dresses, which are always a good six inches too long.  I used to be a bit wary of them as I thought they would just make me look even shorter, but after trying one on from the petite range at Wallis last summer, I decided I could perhaps get away with one after all!  Unfortunately I didn't buy the dress; it would have been perfect for a wedding I was attending later in the year but I had already spent £200 on my outfit for that, and it just seemed a waste of money. I'm kicking myself now! I wish I'd had the spare cash to buy it, as I can now think of fair few occasions where it would have been perfect for it! 

My local high street didn't have much to offer, and to be honest there wasn't a great deal online either, but here's my favourites from a not-bad-but-not-great bunch!



1. Dorothy Perkins;  £39.50. Dorothy Perkins is one of my favourite shops. I think it's great for day to day, wear, or for a smart/casual look. I really like the halterneck style to this one, it has a bit more shape than the strapless ones which I think would be more flattering on someone like me. 
2. Topshop; £55. I'm more a fan of the print on this one than the style of the dress to be honest. I think it may be a bit too baggy on top for me. However the colours are gorgeous and it'd look great with a tan.
3. Miss Selfridge; £33.  Another beautiful print, I think this one would be perfect for a summer wedding.  It does seem as if it'd be a little baggy on the waist, so I'd perhaps team this one with a high-waisted belt to give it a bit of shape.
4. Miss Selfridge; £39. Would you believe me if I said I had a thing for flowery dresses?! Pretty much every dress I own has some sort of flower print going on! This is the perfect maxi dress to take on holiday, it'd look great on the beach, or doing some sight-seeing, and would just as good when hitting the bars!
5. Wallis; £48. I'd say this one is more suited to evening wear, than day-to-day, though I'm sure it can be accessorized to incorporate whatever occasion!  Again, I like the halter-neck style, and I think the 'panel' in the middle would give an illusion of length, a must have when you're a shorty like me!


Out of these, I'd probably go for 1 or 5.  I think these would be more flattering on my body type.  I'm not super-skinny, and I think that teamed with my height (or lack of!) would mean that the strapless ones wouldn't do a lot for me.  I'm a little disappointed with the lack of choice to be honest, although in general the petite ranges aren't all that great; another reason why I avoid them!  


Has any other shorties had any luck in finding a nice maxi dress? Let me know!
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