Snowflake nails

Bourjois Very Vernis in Rouge Diva
Models Own WAH Nail Art Pen in white

Snapshot Sunday #5

A festive selection...

Dress up in diamonds!

Boots have a L'Oreal offer on at the moment, spend £15 and get the 'Dress Up in Diamonds' gift set free. I am a fan of their gifts as they usually include some full size products and this is no exception! The set includes:

- nude magique sachet in medium
- mini revitalift pot
- true match sachet in shade W3
- full size color riche diamantissme lipstick in fuschia 325
- full size color riche nail topcoat in crystalissme
- full size volume million lashes in diamantissme

I love their volume million lashes mascara and for this alone, the gift is worth every penny spent getting it. The topcoat is not something I would have picked out normally but looks like it will give a nice pearlescent finish to any polish. The lipstick is the perfect shade for the season and is something I'm sure ill be wearing very soon.

If you're a L'Oreal fan it's definitely worth investing in a few favourites to acquire this set (worth approx £25) .

Boots, spend £15 on L'Oreal.

Starbucks Redcups: a festive tradition

While doing some Christmas shopping I couldn't resist the obligatory Starbucks seasonal special...Toffee Nut Latte! Their redcups scream Christmas and I hopers squeeze in another couple over the festive season!

Essie Leading Lady

I spied this in a magazine last week and couldn't resist one of Essie's festive offerings! The polish is a burgundy type plummy red with glitter within it. I was worried it would be a bit too thin in terms of the colour of the actual polish but I was wrong! With two coats there is good coverage so it's not the kind of glitter polish that you need to apply on top of another colour. It is the perfect berry shade for the Christmas and party season.

£7.99 Boots

A Sweet Treat: Skittles Candles

I came across these little candles whilst browsing in my local B and M bargain shop and couldn't believe how delicious they smell! These candles are made by Skittles in collaboration with Star Candle Company. I bought the Strawberry and Raspberry versions though there is also a green version with a melon type scent which personally did not appeal to me. The box states that the burn time is approximately 25 hours which is excellent considering these candles were only 89p each! Yes...89p!!!! They are presented in simple grooved glass jars so are quite stylish (unlike the delicious but not well packaged Jelly Belly candles).

For 89p you can't go wrong and at this time of year would make an excellent stocking filler!

Yankee Candle Addiction!

I can't help being a little bit in love with these candle products! I have been working my way through a selection of their festive fragrances in jar form and also as samplers and wax tarts. I am new to the wax tarts but am a convert after buying a burner on EBay (approx £5 for an official one via eBay). The tarts crumble easily into the pot and melt amazingly quickly using a plain tealight. The scent appears much stronger than a normal candle and it fills the room quickly. I am currently burning Soft Cotton from their Simply Home range (£1 asda) but have also purchased Midsummers Night and my favourite Christmas Eve, along with Vanilla Frosting. I think it will be getting a lot of use.

The Yankee Samplers are also an inexpensive way to test the fragrances. They burn away to nothing with no waste if instructions are followed. I picked up mine via one of the many eBay sellers for approximately £1.70 each.

Snapshot Sunday #4

This week I thought I'd share a few more of my autumn/winter photography efforts. I must make more of an effort with the photography next year! In the meantime I shall make do with being Santa's official photographer at the Christmas Fayre!

Yankee Candle Christmas !

As its December 1st I've finally lit my Yankee Candle Christmas Eve candle (large jar). Promised myself I wouldn't burn it until today as I am planning on it being my official Xmas aroma! I've even bought the wax tart version and similar scented tealights in Happy Christmas. I love Yankee Candles and find them really good value for money and that the fragrance payoff is good. At the rate I'm burning it I hope it makes it to the big day!

Large Jar approx. £15 via
eBay.

Snapshot Sunday #3

Winter part two!

Snapshot Sunday #2

This week I have raided my snaps an have gone with a 'beside the seaside' theme. I love a bit of time with my camera, only wish I had more time for it!

Damson Dream

In a bid to save money I am sticking by my 'rediscover old treasures' mission and am starting with Boots No7 Stay Perfect nail polish in 'Damson Dream'. This is not a new purchase and I got this for a few pounds with one of the £5 No7 vouchers. It is also available for a few pounds on EBay. The colour is a warm plummy shade which has a slight shimmer. It needs a few coats to appreciate the depth of the colour but it also looks pretty with one coat for a more sheer version. I think I will be coming back to this shade over winter! The only downside is it does not wear for a huge amount of time without scuffing but if, like me, you like changing colours frequently, this shouldn't be a problem.

Scrimp and Save

Well this is not exactly the kind of post I planned on writing and given that my blog is so new, not one I wanted to write. Have come to the realisation that my finances need to be sorted so that means less spending for me! I love trying out all the new things I find calling me on the shelves but in the spirit of saving money, I have decided that at least in the short term, my blog will have to chart my attempts to rediscover the copious amounts of beauty products I already own. No doubt ill still treat myself to odd bargain bits but I'm considering this a challenge and don't want to let it put me off continuing with the blog.

Here's hoping my efforts pay off! (Literally!)

Extreme Eyes!

I thought i'd share one of my go to favourite products that I always re-buy when it's finished. That product is the Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner. At £2.99 it is a complete bargain and performs better than some of the pricier alternatives. I love the felt tip style liners as they are easy to apply compared to the inkwell style ones and with a steady hand you can get a range of line styles. What I particularly love about this pen is how long it lasts. I have used similar pens at a higher price point that have begun to fade on application very quickly yet this pen does line after line and the lines remain dark and well pigmented. The liner does last all day though I have no intention of wearing any eye products for 24 hours! It is also available in a peacock green shade and a purple-plum colour. I do own these and the green especially really does last! So much so that no amount of eye make up remover would shift the green tinge off my eye lids and it took well into the next day for the green eyes to disappear! So I guess if you do want to wear your make up all day from start to finish them you won't go far wrong here!

£2.99 Superdrug/Boots

Wake me up before you go go!

I'm a big fan of anything that can give the illusion of having had a good nights sleep and have tried a range of products. My ultimate favourite is YSL Touche Éclat closely followed by the Boots No7 version so this has a lot to live up to! The shade I bought is 'ivory' as I went for a lighter shade (the next shade up was too pinkish for me). On application it is smooth and gives good coverage. It does give a glowy effect and a hint of the 'anti-fatigue' promised. It definitely awakens the eye area which is a plus and the doe foot applicator I have always found to be effective (like in my other favourite concealer by Collection). Is too soon to say if this will make it into by repeat-buy list but am going to give it a good try!

£5.49 Boots (bought as part of their buy 1 get 1 half price offer so was cheaper)

Magnetic Nail Paint Barry M

I have heard good things about these magnetic polishes but was reluctant to try them after a disappointing experience with similar polishes in the Boots 17 range. However I am now converted! I love how the range has a range of patterns and colours available and I plumped for 'Moondust' with a diagonal stripe which is a metallic bronzey gold shade. It applies well and the effects really do match those promised on the lid. The instructions recommend one coat then a second coat with the magnet hovering over for approximately 5 seconds. The resulting effect is eye catching and effective. If you're after a quick and easy way to create different nail effects then this is the way to go!

£4.99 Boots

Undressed!

Am a bit late to the 'undressed' palette party and have been intending to buy this for quite sometime yet have never got round to it.

The MUA palette consists of 12 shades ranging from 'pretty nudes to smouldering metallics'. They are presented in round pans in a plastic compact. It does include the obligatory sponge applicator though it wouldn't be my application method of choice! There are smokey eye suggestions on the reverse though there are any number of smokey eye combinations you could create. At £4.00 this palette is an absolute bargain. I'm too stingy to splash out on the Urban Decay equivalent so this is a real purse pleaser. Having used these palettes in other colour themes I find the consistency to be good and the pigmentation to give good coverage. They are very bendable and easy to apply even by those looking for quick application. If you should pass a MUA stand then I would definitely recommend spending four of your hard earned pounds on this palette!

£4.00 Superdrug

Berry Vamp!

To recap my previous post, I have recently become determined to get to grips with berry lips! I was browsing my local Superdrug when I came across this 'Berry Vamp' lip liner pencil by Look Beauty. This is the first product in their range I have tried and it hasn't disappointed. The liner is soft and easy to apply and the pigmentation is of a good, deep quality. The pink packaging is different to a lot of other pencil cosmetics I own and it appeals in its pastel pink tones. At £4.00 it is a cost effective way of introducing berry shades. It is ideal as a liner but is soft enough to use cross the entire lip area. I shall definitely explore this range further!

£4.00 Superdrug

Berry-licious!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable in 'Crush'

I have long been a fan of these crayon style offerings from Revlon. They are a cheaper option that Clinique's Chubby Sticks. With the colder weather upon us I have been experimenting with berry shades. This is daunting for a nude lip/pink lip fan so the Just Bitten crayons are a good way of easing me into darker shades. The packaging is also very appealing with its twist up silver end and tight fitting lid (no berry stains in my handbag!). The pigmentation is good for the type of product and is there is a better colour pay off than similar berry stick shades in the Soap and Glory range. The more you apply, the deeper the shade. The finish is glossy but not sticky and feels nice on the lips. I can easily see this becoming a winter favourite!

£7.99 Superdrug

Snapshot Sunday #1

In my spare time (not that I have much of it!) I'm a keen amateur photographer so thought I'd use my blog to share some of the ones I'm most proud of.

This week the theme is winter!