DIY dip-dye

     Let's face it, sometimes you get a little bored of your wardrobe & when your bank account looks like a trip to the high street might be fatal, a little DIY session is exactly what you need! A few weeks ago I posted an OOTD photo on my twitter of me wearing a dip-dye top & I'd taken a few photos whilst making it so I thought I'd do a cheeky blog post running through how we made it. It all started when my friend Vicky & I decided to give the world of DIY a go as we went on a dip-dyeing frenzy! We went for the easy option & used white t-shirts (Peacocks £5 on sale) & tank tops (H&M 3.99), & chose a gorgeous purple fabric dye. 

 

 

 We bought the dye from Hobbycraft & it was Burlesque Red by Dylon, which only set us back £3.29 & we've still got half of the pack left for our next dip-dying adventure! We didn't exactly follow the instructions on the back of the packet (naughty), instead we just poured 3 litres of water in to a bowl & tipped in half of the packet of dye & gave it a stir. Simples! We did the whole thing in the garden, because I wouldn't trust myself to not get dye all over the carpet, & we basically just dipped the tops in to the dye up to wherever we wanted our dip-dye effect to start. I decided to flick some of the dye on to the upper half of the vest top to create a sort of splatter effect, and we left them in the dye for about two minutes. We then simply took them out & laid them out on the grass to dry.

 

Once they were dry we hand-washed them to get rid of any excess dye & then once we'd dried them they were ready to wear! We were surprisingly happy with the way they turned out, especially because we'd never done it before & frankly I thought our first attempt would be a disaster. I still won't wash them with any other clothes for a while because I don't want to find out just how far this luck will stretch! Here's the photo of how I styled it in the OOTD, so that you can see what one of them looks like on & two photos of my finished tops.

We had loads of fun making them, & it's just a nice way of adding something unique to your wardrobe without the hefty price tag! Have you been doing any DIY with your clothes lately? 

Thanks,

My Holiday face

     Honey, I'm home! Yes, I'm back from my holiday to Egypt & like every make-up extremist I packed far too much make-up so I thought I'd do a post on what I actually ended up using. So here's my holiday face...

 

This is what I wore in the evenings only of course, I went completely natural in the day to avoid looking like my face was melting off. Still, I kept it very natural in the evenings too, so lets go through what products I used...

Clockwise from top left: Mac Melba Blush, The Body Shop baked bronzer in warm glow, YSL faux cils mascara, Jemma Kidd dewy glow all over radiance creme, The Body Shop vitamin E tinted moisture lotion, Clarins instant light natural lip perfector in 02, Sleek contour kit in light.

Seeing as I've now got a bit of a tan, I'll be using these products on effortless days at uni, 'cus they give such a natural sunkissed look.What are your favourite products to use with a tan?

Thanks, 

The cheaper options: Bourjois healthy mix & No7 hot cloth cleanser.

     I've decided that my spending is getting a little out of control, so I took a look at my 'want list' & decided to buy some cheaper dupes/alternatives instead. Who knows, some of the cheaper alternatives might surprise me & leave me converted!

    So everyone's in love with the Liz Earle cleanse & polish, and I am no exception. I've recently run out of mine, so of course a replacement went straight on my list. The Liz Earle c&p definitely isn't the most expensive cleanser, the starter kit is £13.25 (the 100ml cleanse & polish + 2 muslin cloths) & it's a little cheaper if you just buy the bottle on it's own. That may not seem like a ridiculous amount, and it's not, but No7 also does a 200ml hot cloth cleanser that comes with a muslin cloth for £9. With a £5 off no7 voucher that makes it an amazing £4, for double the amount of product as the Liz Earle, so I couldn't resist!

     The two cleansers are very different in consistency, and the no7 definitely doesn't act as a dupe. It doesn't have the herbal smell of the Liz Earle one & the texture is more similar to a light cream face wash than the thick texture of the Liz Earle.

    Despite their differences, the two are used in the exact same way & can both be used on the eye area. After you've applied the cleanser, you run the muslin cloth under warm water, ring out the excess and then place the cloth over your face to open up your pores. You then lightly polish off the cleanser and you're done. Though it may not be quite as good as the Liz Earle, the no7 one does its job amazingly, leaving my skin deeply cleansed and soft. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a creamy hot cloth cleanser, and for £4 you can't go wrong!

     The second thing on my want list was Nars sheer glow foundation which is a whopping £30. That'd definitely be something I'd have to save up for to justify, so when I heard that Bourjois does a foundation with a similar consistency, I had to check it out. The foundation many Youtubers & Bloggers have been going wild about is the Bourjois healthy mix foundation that costs around £10, & it really is a beauty! 

     Before I bang on about it, I thought I'd let you know that I have normal/dry skin, but I do sometimes get oily on my t-zone. I can't say how similar it is to the Nars foundation because I don't own it myself, but I am very impressed! The foundation claims to be 'radiance boosting' and give a 'perfectly glowing complexion' so it's right up my street! It has a semi-matte finish and it blends beautifully, giving a flawless yet natural finish. Also, it doesn't highlight any dry sections on my face (which I'm always worried about). It gives light/medium coverage, so it evens out your skin but you'll still need concealer for any blemishes. It has quite a runny consistency, and seems to take longer than normal to dry on the skin which can be a pain if you're in a rush. It has a lovely fruity scent, as it contains 'radiance boosting' fruits such as apricot, melon, apple and ginger, but we all know that scented foundations are renowned for their ability to make people break-out. I don't have sensitive skin & other scented foundations have been fine on me so I thought it was worth the risk. As of yet it has been perfect so no complaints from me. In case you were wondering, the scent doesn't hang around on your face, it lasts about 30 seconds and then it's gone. The foundation also claims to last 16 hours, but I rarely wear make-up for that long so haven't been able to test it out. I absolutely love the fact that it has a pump, which is a massive advantage for me because I find it more hygienic & it allows you to control the amount of product you release, meaning less waste. It also doesn't have any SPF in it so though this make seem like a disadvantage for some people, I prefer it because it means that I won't look like a ghost in photos! All in all, I'm loving this foundation so far & I definitely think it was worth the £10.

     Have you found any cheaper dupes/alternatives for high-end products lately? I'd love to know what your favourite drugstore products are because for now I'm avoiding high-end brands like the plague. Fingers crossed I stick to it!

Thanks, 

Urban Decay 15 year anniversary eyeshadow palette

     I have been so excited about this palette ever since I heard they were releasing it! Before I had seen it I thought it would be full of bright, daring colours, because Urban Decay do like their brights, but to my surprise most of the shades are very wearable & the palette would be perfect for all natural eye/smokey eye looks! There are a few more daring shades if you fancy a pop of colour, making the palette more versatile & enabling you the freedom to play around & create some adventurous looks! This palette is simply gorgeous! Each shade is brand new for this palette, offering a perfect mix of lights & darks, neutrals & brights, satisfying every possible eyeshadow need. 

 

All in all I am so impressed by this palette, it's so versatile & would be perfect for just about anyone! Every shadow is really pigmented, offering amazing colour pay-off. Some shadows are ridiculously shimmery, such as Midnight Rodeo, so you have to be really careful about fall-out, but that's no surprise when you're dealing with Urban Decay shadows. As long as you can handle the shimmery fall-out, you'll love this palette! The packing is simply sensational, it looks like every penny of the £39 went to good use! The velvet-lined compartment that holds the palette gives it that extra touch of glamour, & the shiny gun-metal box has beautiful detailing giving it an ornate look, making it a perfect dressing table feature!

 

Midnight rodeo, Midnight 15, Vanilla, Flow, Chase

                                         
                                            Tainted, Junkshow, Omen, Evidence, Deep End

                                         
                                                 Deeper, M.I.A, Ace, Blackout, Half Truth

    You can buy the palette from House of Fraser or Debenhams for £39 which seems steep but for 15 shadows that's only £2.60 per shadow, which is a dream compared to Mac's shadows that are a whopping £11.50 each! At least have a look in store & go see for yourself. If any of you have already picked up this palette, let me know what you think. Does it give the Naked palette a run for it's money? Any thoughts girls?

Thanks,

OOTD: polka dots & studded shorts

     Today I was messing about with my DSLR & I found my fisheye lens, so I thought I'd have a bit of fun & make an outfit of the day with it. Today I'm just off to the shops so I'm keeping it casual, & no surprise it's pouring here in London so I'll definitely be needing the leather jacket! I haven't posted one of these before, which is strange seeing as I have more clothes than sense, so this is the first of many!

Polka dot blouse: H&M

Studded denim shorts: Topshop

Leather Jacket: River Island

Necklace: H&M

Lipstick: Mac's Costa Chic

Thanks, 

What's inside my Glossybox: August 2011

    It's that time of month again! Yes, once again it's Glossybox time. I was so excited to open this one after how amazing last months one was, & to be perfectly honest I wasn't as impressed, but still pretty pleased with my goodies. Enough with the chit chat, let's take a look inside...

1) Murad time release blemish cleanser:
     Salicylic acid is the hero ingredient in this dual action, extra gentle cleanser. Clinically proven to increase cell turnover, it reduces blemishes while diminishing wrinkles and keeps your skin smooth and glowing!
     I'm almost out of my Liz Earle cleanse & polish so this was perfect for me! Plus my recent unexplained break-out needs sorting out so it looks like help is on its way! Maybe it'll give my c&p a run for it's money...

My deluxe sample: 30ml
Retail price: £29 for 200ml

2) Ahava mineral body lotion:
     Part of Ahava's new My Skin Reborn range, this quickly absorbed richly moisturizing lotion draws on the properties of dead Sea minerals to effectively hydrate, nourish and protect the skin.
    It's not the most exciting product ever, but who doesn't love a good body lotion, ay? It's a perfect size for when you're on the go & I'll probably end up taking this away with me to Egypt in a few weeks. Perfect!

My deluxe sample: 40ml
Retail price: £18 for 250ml









3) Daniel Sandler jumbo jet mascara:   
Jumbo jet is the only mascara a woman needs when she wants high-performance, luscious lashes. After one stroke of the brush, lashes can appear thicker and longer.
     Now that's what I'm talking about! After seeing the wand I was so impressed, it's definitely one I'd pick out for myself! I'm expecting amazing things from this mascara...

MY deluxe sample: full size
Retail price: £14.75


                                          


4)KMS California hairstay style boost:
      Primer for your hair! The foam-to-liquid crackle formula enhances natural movement and bounce while boosting the performance of styling products, for a style that lasts up to 3x longer.
     I'm not really a hairspray kind of girl, & generally I just stick to what I know so maybe this product will break me out of my comfort zone. Fingers crossed!

My deluxe sample: full size
Retail price: £10

5)Rebel nails nail wraps:
     Welcome to the nail revolution! Rebel nails' nail wraps are easy to apply, long lasting and kind to nails. No chipping, fading or wear. Amazing professional finishes and designs are now available at your finger (or toe) tips!
    Disappointing. I suppose I've always been intrigued by nail stickers & have never actually tried them so this is an opportunity to see what they're all about. I just wish they weren't a paper bag colour & for my toes. I've spotted some snakeskin print ones on their website so I might buy some if these turn out to be worth it. Who knows, maybe I'll be converted!

My deluxe sample: full size
Retail price: £7.99

So that's it, overall I'm pretty happy, it's only the nail stickers that have let the whole box down. It's definitely still worth the £10 so I can't complain really. What did you get in your Glossybox this month?

Thanks,

Sorry

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I'm still quite new to Youtube so I've been focusing on that & neglecting my poor blog. But now I've written a huge list of ideas for my blog & I'm making myself a schedule so that I do a few posts a week, so basically... I'm back!
   It probably hasn't helped that my mum has taken my camera on holiday with her, so the next few posts might have quite horrific quality but I'm sure you'll all forgive me! If you have any requests or ideas for me then please leave me a comment, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks,