BaniSh those ZomBie eYes

The one thing i cannot live with out is concealor, the last 5/6 months ive been slowly wearing less foundation on work days which was scary at first but now im embracing the dewyness but I CANNOT leave the house with applying concealor, i look like a zombie without so not the best look.

Dark circles-not my eyes

Over the last few months ive been trying out new concealers, I've used MAC studio fix concealer for about 3 yrs, its got fantastic coverage, blends really well and lasts forever! ( I had one that lasted nearly 18 months, using it nearly every day).
But at the same time I  dont think it hurts to try new things, especially if they are a little more affordable. Initially i looked at the Bobbi Brown corrector/concealer duo for awhile, went and tested it but at £28 it was more than double MACs and I couldnt justify it.

So I tried the Sleek corrector/conceal and powder trio palette,I'm on my 2nd one.  I really like it it reminds me of the Bobbi Brown set but is three times less  ( Sleek is £7.99) .
Simple black packing like all their makeup, handy mirror inside and its its compact enough to take in your handbag for touchups throughout the day, it also has an SPF 15 which is an bonus.
I use Fair 02 which is the lightest shade, I have naturally dark circles and find the corrector is amazing it really covers my skin but because im rather pale I find the the concealor section abit too dark, that may also be because I don't tend to wear much foundation so I  go straight to powder to set.
The second concealor ive tried is the Vichy Dermablend stick corrector( its on offer in Boots at the moment). Its a stick formula which I don't find as creamy as Sleek or MAC.
I got the palest shade no 15 unfortunately it is a little too dark for my skin but find if I apply it with a brush I can really buff it into the skin, its just as long lasting as Sleek also its got an SPF 30. On the packaging it says its water resistant so perfect for holiday when you don't want to many products on the skin, especially if you are in the pool.
The packaging is ok, its recently changed from white to a more sleeker black form but I found the actual stick feels a bit wobbly.
I haven't tried it with foundation yet so we shall see, I've read so many good things about this concealer so I hope it lives up to them, the Vichy setting powder is one of my favourite new products I've bought in the last few months so fingers crossed.

Let me know what you like to use, what's good and not so good.
Laters :)

A fantastic nail varnish is an affordable way to complete any outfit, well thats what I think.
I recently purchased two varnishes from the new Maybelline ColourShow range, So So Fresh and Mauve Kiss.

So so Fresh is a beautiful pastel duck egg blue colour, a fantastic shade for the spring.
Mauve Kiss is a muted dark rose colour, it reminds me of the 90s Rimmel lipstick Coffee Shimmer ( remember that and Heather Shimmer ) Its a beautiful colour, makes me feel rather sophisticated when wearing it :-).
ColourShow is solid in colour with 2 coats and seems to be rather hard wearing, 2 days in and its beginning to chip a little (Saturday night was a bit gin filled though)
At £2.99 each I shall be purchasing more of these as they come in quite a few shades.

Eye Spy not Much Difference

Three weeks ago on the 4th April I posted a blog about Una Brennan eye brighten cream. On the back of the tube it said for best results use morning and night for 3 weeks, now I've been using it every morning but I use so many other products on my skin at night I sometimes forget the eye cream -oops.
In said blog I said I would let you guys know how I got on with it, well I cant see too much of a difference. The photo below is a before and after, both taken in the morning. The only real difference ive noticed is slightly less puffy under eyes but no major difference in dark circles :-(

To be honest I dont think the cure for under eye bags is in a bottle, if you are genetically depositioned to have dark under eyes then not much will change this apart from a good concealer.
I think I need to up my daily water intake and try to cut down on the salt I consume (sometimes difficult as 1- I love crisps and 2 - the boy is a chef and ♥ butter). Too much salt is not good for you though as it makes you puffy by retaining excess water, not gonna help my bags.
I shall finish this tube and now venture to find another eye cream to try, maybe I can be proved wrong and I will find the perfect eye cream.
Let me know what you guys use?
Have a fun weekend!!

WardRobE CleAr Out !!

Today was the day..the day I dread...wardrobe declutter :0
Every 6 months or so I have to sort out my clothes, my wardrobe gets progressively messy every month. For me buying new things and not bothering to hang clothes up and the wardrobe reaches the point that enough is enough, I have to tidy
Over the years of being with the boy my hoarding tendencies (we all have them in some way or shape its normal) have slowly been driven out of me, if left to my own devices you probably wouldn't see the bedroom floor for clothes.
 Piles would consist of things I regularly wear or those items that "I'm sure I will wear that again..one day ".

The beginning

To be honest this clear out didn't end up being as epic as last years, my shopping has been more skincare/makeup based in the last year(let's not even look at my dressing table).
I've managed to throw away quite a few old tops and shoes, I have pile ready for PACT charity shop and the eBay pile is awaiting photographing.
I will post a link to my eBay stuffs when ready, there are some TopShop and H &M treatles.
It took just over 2 hours but now my wardrobe is neat,tidy and kinda clutter free. There is also a box under the bed which is now full of more winter jumpers, hope im not being to hopeful with the weather :\
I feel that in our next house I need more room for my clothes..a walk in wardrobe is the dream but I feel it may stay a dream..oh to wish.

After, that rail is a little bendy

The piles of L to R - bin,charity,sell.

Actually folded :)

EasTer DayTrippin'

Happy Easter!!!

We decided to go on our first day trip of the year today so off we went to the Norfolk coastal town of Overstrand, we worked out a shortish route for a hike.
As you can see from the photo above it wasn't the warmest of days but we still had funtimes. We walked through a lot of lush countryside, saw some bluebells and walked under a disused railway bridge. We also bought our 1st fridge magnet of this yr (
 I will post a pic of our fridge which displays our mighty collection- so large its worth more than the fridge)

From here the boy drove us to Cromer for reckless gambling
( the 2p machines) and some overpriced doughnuts. He also managed to win FOUR! Keyrings from said 2p machines, we made a sharp exit before security thought he was being too lucky.
Now to carry on eating as much Easter chocolate before work tomorrow...

The haul of keyrings

WedDing FaiR

Me & my ladies sans Colin outside the fair.

Im getting married in September so today me and 3 of my bridesmaids(my fourth is in Australia at the moment,I know 4 it seems greedy but i got alot of fantastic friends I would have had more if we could have afforded it), along to Norwichs -A Most Curious Wedding Fair to see how much free cake we could consume(not so much of the free unfortunately).
It had many lovely stalls, for head pieces/dress/decoration/cake and table ideas. Me and the boy have many creative and fantastically talented friends  who are helping us in our wedding so most things are sorted for the day but there are decoration things that still need making.
It was a lovely day and I think ive found the perfect cake topper, a lady named poppyscaketoppers makes animal/personalised figures for cakes and they are sooo cute. I think I may ask the boy if we can have sloths just because :-)

They have the same fair plus many more stalls happening in London very soon and I would recommend going along for ideas and just a fun day with some cake.

DisNey tiMe

The marvellous makeup site pomltd.com are running a competition to make a look based on the best Disney evil queen Maleficent.

Im still in the first stages of practising makeup and face charts, and thought I'd give this look ago.

All in the Elizabeth Taylor inspired brow

Using a range of Smashbox and MAC to complete this look, I'm quite happy with the final look but know I need to practice my contour skill for a more defined cheek.

My face chart

Anastasia BeVerly Hills Brows

So today I tried out something new for my brows- A few products from the Anastasia Beverly Hills range (available from the superb Pomltd.com)
 - The Perfect brow pencil in Dark Brown,
- Brow powder duo in Medium brown
- Brow/eye liner brush
Both the pencil and brush came with a spooly on one end which was great because I dont have one, fantastic for brushing your brows into place.
The packaging is simple and sleek, in classic black and gold.

I usually use MACs eye crayon in spike for brows which is a waxy formula so using a pencil was a change, I wasnt sure it would go on as smooth as my usual pencil.
I drew my basic brow shape on with feathery strokes, the pencil is soft and easy to use and you build the colour.
My natural brows are unfortunately sparse and short, it was the 90s and we all wanted Drew Barrymore thin brows - a lesson to learn is never over pluck as they didn't grow back :'(
I then used the slanted brush with the darker shade powder to fill in the gaps, then the lighter powder all over to blend.
I really liked the final result, using the pencil gave me a more delicate, softer result than my usual brow.

My brows before and after


The fantastic thing I found was my brows stayed all day at work, I didnt even seal them. Using my usual wax pencil I find I need a brow gel/hairspray (more times than not I use hairspray) to keeps them on all day. I have combination skin which likes to get oily and by the afternoon if not set  I notice my brows slowly disappearing, never a good look.

Not today though, I put on my makeup at 8am and finished work at 5pm and my brows were still on - yeah.
Ive been reading about the Anastasia Brow wiz in quite a few beauty blogs recently and its definitely on my list of must buys after using these products.

One of my fav famous brows- the great Divine

Cats,cassEttes,Cake &cycling

We recently purchased a new car and it has a TAPE PLAYER! in it, its like being back in the 90s(I have many cassettes with my hand drawn artwork in my loft that I cany wait to listen to).Todays drive meant we could at last listen to the Throwing Stuff tape we got awhile ago. Went for a fun cycle in the countryside,had some yummy Birthday cake and I think Professor Perriwinkle may have slept all day,well it is a Sunday.

FemKe hiEmsTra

My new favourite artist is the AMAZING Femke Hiemstra, a fantastic painter originally from Amsterdam.
Makes me wish I could draw/paint like this sooo much. ♥ her imagery and colours and especially her use of cats !

suPer SofT liPs xx

If like me you constantly loose lip balms then will know that feeling when they all appear magically in one bag and u cant decide which to use. I then use all of them throughout one day, this happens to me on a regular basis :-)
The four above are my go to balms at the moment and my all time favourite.
Vaseline-  I know I shouldnt like it but its so reliable, I know it works, its cheap (from £1.50-£2.20) and comes in different flavours.  This one is the Aloe Vera balm, my fav is the rose one  (I had one and lost it probably in the votex of one of my bags). They all work in the same way, they can be a bit greasy but eventually sink in and they are multi purpose; remove eye makeup, relive dry elbows and knees.
Balance Me -rose otto intensive lip salve is a 100% natural product/petroleum free balm with a soft rose fragrance and taste, soaks into lips quickly with no stickiness. I like how my lips feels but the taste is abit strange, maybe abit too floral.
My fave is Camrmex always the Cherry one, I love the smell and taste (which I find a little mentholly-is that a word). It makes my lips sooo soft with a nice sheen and has an added SPF15 which is fantastic, this is my must buy.
Lastly my most recent purchase is Soap and Glorys A great kisser lip balm. I wished Id tried the tester as I do not like this balm, I thought id treat myself and spent abit more (its £5 from Boots, shouldnt have).
Ive tried some of the shower product by this company and loved them but this lipbalm is sticky, stays tacky on the lips and not a taste I like. I choose the Chocolate cherry (maybe should have gotten peach) and its really artificial tasting but for me its the texture that is most off putting. As I mentioned above its tacky, my fingers feel sticky after applying it and I dont feel it keeps my lips that soft. Bad choice :-(
Let me know what your favs are and if you agree/disagree with me.
Bye!!

nAIl DeCals

I love the idea of having a manicure but for many reasons I don't bother, firstly I'm rather messy it would get ruined straight away, secondly I work as a printer so my hands are constantly covered in ink and always near white spirit.
But I've recently discovered nail decals and they are so fun.
I purchased a set from Etsy from a lovely lady named Sara m. Lyons. It is a selections of cats and crosses,can't go wrong bwith that.
They are really easy to use and make my nails more fun! I have found so manynmire I want to buy.

Aswel as these nail delights my new mascara is a Boots no 17 one and I'm obsessed with it, I've just purchased my 2nd one,makes my lashes look so long and voluminous.

Its just replaced my Max Factor Masterpiece go to and that has been a long time favourite

some aRt

Here is a few pics of an ongoing college im doing and also a tiny bat sketch. Im going to do some more drawings hooefully to turn into paintings.
At the moment im abit obsessed with bats faces..

troUbleSome ScaLp

Dealing with a troublesome scalp is really upsetting, ive had eczema for a few months. It is itchy, dry and flaky and overall very annoying. I first started having problems last spring and tried every medicated shampoo under the sun from the two well known brands above T Gel and E45 to Lush Soak amd Float and Hair Doctor hair mask and nothing worked. I ended up seeing my doctor and getting a prescription bright liquid which worked but made my hair so dry and blah.
It returned just after xmas and ive been trying other solutions bicarbonate of soda to apple cyder vinegar which sounds crazy but is supposed to kill the fungal infection i.e eczema im not keen on the smell though.

Ive been thinking it could be something in my diet that is affecting my skin so am going to try cutting out dairy for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference.
 While also trying this I just bought a ginger shampoo from the Body Shop and am hoping it clears up the dryness.  Ive only used it twice so we shall see.
I will keep you updated on my progress.

RuPauls DraG RaCe

Tonight is all about RuPaul and her Queens..

Going to my friends house for an evening of drinking, some lasagna eating and watching the  best show on at the moment. I dont have netflix so am very behind with this show but the few episodes I have seen im OBSESSED! short but sweet today, sorry Im at work till 8pm so its busy busy. Will leave you with an image of my fav Sharon Needles

On the hunt For the pErfect eYe crEam

Im on a constant hunt to find the perfect eyecream (have been for the last 6 yrs) .
The cream that will diminish my ongoing dark circles, de-puff the bags and basically me look like I've slept more than 4hours ( I get at least 8 most nights, no fair)
At the moment im using Clinque Repair wear laser focus-wrinkle correcting eye cream and Superdrug B Flawless target wrinkle filler on rotation, I dont know if they are doing that much but I feel that I'm not  too wrinkly :-)
I had read about the new cream ive just starting  using on afew beauty blogs and as it is on offer in Boots at the moment I bought it .

Super Facialist by Una Brennan. Vitamin C, dark circles eye cream.

It claims to Hydrate, brightwn and revive the under eye area these things all sound fantastic. The skin under our eyes is very thin compared to the rest of our faces so needs special attention, ive noticed as I've aged the circles and puffiness under my eyes is gettig worse and dont really want to keep piling on loads of concealer if I dont have to.

Ive only been using this cream since Tuesday and it says it takes 3 weeks to notice a difference so we shall see. I will report in 3 weeks, with before and after photos :-) 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Unexpected sHoppiNg

Day off work with the boy so we ventured into Norwich town for lunch and I ended up purchasing some treats. I always find when im not searching for a particular item I find something nice. Found a super cute dungaree dress in the TopShop sale was £48 now £20 and it has POCKETS!  Also bought a new pleather jacket (a must for any wardrobe) from H&M for £29.99 of my english pounds. Alsi ate far too many nachos.  Now off to plant some wild flower seeds for our wedding decorations

kittens and flora

1st of April was a glorious sunny spring day. A new kitten for this month and hopefully more flowers and blossom.

Johns plum tree beginning to blossom