NEW LOOK 20% OFF VOUCHER

Just a little post. I purchased a magazine today and inside was a voucher code for New Look. It is offering 20% off online.

Voucher Code - NLXMASMR7

Offer open between 11/11/11 - 13/11/11

Small disclaimer - I am not associate for affiliated with New Look whatsoever - this post is purely done by me for the benefit of my readers and subscribers, therefore I am not responsible should there be any issues when using the code. 

Benefit YOU REBEL

Hi Girls, 

Todays post is about Benefits 'You Rebel' tinted moisturiser. I purchased this in the summer as I wanted maximum coverage without feeling like I was wearing too much make-up. The reviews on this product were mixed however being a huge Benefit fan I was keen to test it. 

The product comes in 2 shades. Either the original or light. I purchased the original based on recommendation from one of the girls at the Benefit counter. 

For a tinted moisturiser it is rather thick consistency and actually resembles more of a foundation than a moisturiser. I have tried several tinted moisturisers before and they gave little coverage so I had higher expectations for this product. 

 My initial thoughts on this product were that it was too dark although it blended into my skin well (or so I thought). I set this with powder and all was fine however as the day progressed the product moved a lot and left me with what I can only describe as a 'dirty' look. Now don't get me wrong I think this would be  a great product when used with the correct skin type however I have combination skin and therefore as I get oily around the T zone area, the product only enhanced the oiliness.  

With regards to the colour, in hindsight I would have opted for the lighter colour or even purchased both to mix together to get a better shade. Personally speaking I have not given up hope with this product (given the price of £23.50). I don't think it helped that I used it in the summer months when my skin is much more oily. I can only imagine that if I used it in the winter when my skin is a lot dryer then I think this product will work well.

Have you tried this product and what did you think? Although I will always love Benefit and their products I can't help thinking this one was a slight disappointment!

W7 Nail Polishes

Last weekend I went shopping at an outlet centre near me and I came across a beauty shop. The shop was mainly NYX cosmetics with other higher end brands at discount prices. I came across a brand of Nail Polish called W7 - I had not heard of this before, have you?

 The polishes were all £2.95 each and on buy one get one free so I picked up a couple. The colours I chose were 'Envy' which is a metallic green and 'Cosmic Purple' which is a purple glitter. 

When I first opened them what hit me the most was the smell. OK so nail polishes do smell but this was very strong, more like paint than anything so I was a little apprehensive. I thought that when I applied the first coat it would be more opaque similar to the Barry M's I use but they came out very light, the purple glitter in particular. It took 2 coats to get full coverage and I must say I do like the green one which has different shades dependent on the light. However the purple glitter is not my favourite I must say. This might be because I'm not a great lover of purple yet the glitter kind of persuaded me to purchase :). 

All in all I can't complain given the price which I paid although Im not too sure I would go back to this brand. 

Have you ever tried this brand and what did you think. Im sorry my posts lately have been very nail polish orientated and I do have some great make up reviews coming up yet I feel that I have to really try a product to be able to give a good solid review and this sometimes takes a little longer...

Forever 21 Boots

OMG last Saturday my lovely bf took me to the new Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, London. I am lucky enough to live a very reasonable drive away from London so popping there at the weekend is not an issue. When we were there I spotted the A-mazing Forever 21 store. Now this store is a major hit in the USA and I already used their website frequently so to actually find a store, not just a store but one 3 stories tall was well pretty cool! I used my time productively and stocked up on lots of winter jumpers however along the way I found these boots, my only regret is not getting them in black too. They were £22 and super comfy and go great over leggings or skinny jeans!

OK, so they aren't real leather yet they are such an amazing quality for the price alone and I adore the buckle and plait detail on them.

30 Day Me Challenge - Day 17

Day 17 – How you hope your future will be like.

I hope that I am happy (not that I am not now). At the moment I enjoy my job and consider myself to be 'settled' in my career. In the future I hope to be married to my gorgeous boyfriend of 5 years and hope to be lucky enough to be blessed with children. 

30 Day Me Challenge - Day 16

Day 16 – Your view on homosexuality.

Did you know Homosexuality is found in over 450 species; homophobia is found in only one?

 No one has the right to judge another person for who they are. End of.

30 Day Me Challenge - Day 15

Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.

My iPhone... 

I use it to text, Facebook, Blog and email throughout the day when I get the chance! But on the other hand I do think it is quite sad how we have become reliant on our phones to communicate. I always think it would be nice to have a 'leave my phone at home' day yet then I think what if my car broke down and I needed it? What if there was an emergency? So at the moment Im going to stick with loving my iPhone! 

Barry M Instant Nail Effects - Foil Gold/Silver

As I am sure you are aware I love Barry M nail polishes. For some time now they have had the 'crackle' effects although I didn't quite 'get' this effect (a little messy looking for me). However I read a few days a go that they had a new effects polish out called 'foils'. This basically gives the effect of the nail foils you put on. At the moment it is only available in gold and silver and whilst I am not a big gold fan I thought it was worth a try. 

Anyhow, I had to go and get my passport renewed yesterday (how much for a renewal???) I now actually can't afford to go on holiday :)... well the photo machine was in Boots, they did have one in the post office but my boyfriend being the bargain hunter thought he could find it cheaper...not a good idea to take me to Boots as whilst there I came across these and purchased both colours. 

These retail at £3.99 on the Barry M website which you can view here,  and in shops although Boots are currently doing a save £1 when buying 2 so it came to £6.98.

Whilst I'm still not overly keen on the gold...i LOVE the silver. I can't even begin to tell you how  well these colours go on, literally like liquid gold/silver. I only needed one coat and it looked amazing so I can only imagine that 2 coats would be even better but personally I don't think you need a second coat.

Overall I loved the effect of these polishes, my only hope is that they extend the colours in the range as I can imagine that some metallic blues and pinks would be stunning. These colours, though will be perfect for the upcoming festive season and I can't wait to wear them. 

Small Disclaimer - all products purchased by me. I am not associated with Barry M in anyway whatsoever this review is based on my own opinions for the benefit of my readers and subscribers. 

Follow me with GFC

I love tags and I have seen this around for a while. I got this from Kelly at Beauty Obsessed and you can view her blog here. But I know that others have also been in on it such as 

Nykki at My Mane Blog and Melissa-Emily at Life Beyond Base.

These are all great blogs so I suggest you check them out. Also please do this tag and follow it on

 Blush or Bronzer:

A little of both. I use matte bronzer to contour and then a little blush on the apples of my cheeks to add some colour.

Lipgloss or Lipstick:

Before I would have said lipgloss but I have since got more into lipsticks and love the matte finish you can get.

Eyeliner or Mascara:

Mascara all the way. Im not too good at applying eyeliner but with mascara you can get either a dramatic or natural look

Foundation or Concealer:

Foundation. You can always apply more foundation to the areas you need the most.

Neutral or Coloured EyeShadow:

Depends on the occasion. Day - Neutral and Night - Colour

Pressed or Loose Powder:

I find loose powder messy so would have to say pressed.

Brushes or Sponges:

Always a brush.

Long or Short:

Medium, not too long yet not so short that you can do nothing with them.

Acrylic or Natural:

I used to be a fan of acrylics until I realised how much damage they do. I sometimes have them for holiday or occasions but 9 times out of 10 my nails are natural.

Brights or Darks:

Depends on the occasion but I would have to say darks a majority of the time.

Flower or no Flower?

No flower

Perfume or Body Splash:

Perfume - Jimmy Choo original

Lotion or Body Butter:

Lotion although I do like a bit of Palmers Cocoa butter for the smell alone.

Body Wash or Soap:

Body wash always

Jeans or Sweatpants: 

Jeans 

Long Sleeves or Short:

Long in winter, short in summer

Dresses or Skirts:

Dress

Stripes or Plaid:

Stripes

Flip flops or sandals:

Sandals

Scarves or Hats:

Scarve

Studs or dangily earings:

Dangly

Cowboy boots or Riding boots:

Riding

Jackets or Hoodies:

Jacket

Curly or Straight:

Straight

Bun or Ponytail:

Ponytail

Bobby Pins or Butterfly Clips:

Bobby pins

Hairspray or Gel:

Hairspray (rarely)

Long or Short:

Long

Light or Dark

Light at the moment but building up courage to go darker...will keep you posted!

Side swept bangs or Full bangs:

Side swept

Up or Down:

Down

Rain or Shine

Shine - who likes the rain?

Summer or Winter:

Summer

Fall or Spring:

Spring

Chocolate or Vanilla:

Vanilla

Thanks for reading girls, I hope you enjoyed. I would love for you to do this so if you do link yourself below so that I can read your answers!

Becky x 

Follow me with GFC 

Barry M Nail Polish in Mushroom

Firstly I love Barry M Nail Polishes. I love the fact that they are an affordable budget polish, currently retailing at approximately £2.99 (Boots/Superdrug do 2 for £5) yet they never scrimp on the quality. 

I own most of the collection that is available in store, although they do have a more extensive range via their website which you can view here. 

Mushroom is one of my favourite shades available, its a light brown with a greyish tint about it. I love the fact it is subtle so perfect for everyday wear yet has such a high gloss to it. 

I am wearing 2 coats, purely to help it last longer although with only 1 coat you get a beautiful opaque colour without the need for a topcoat, although I would put a top coat on purely to extend the longevity of it. 

30 Day Me Challenge - Day 14

Day 14 – A TV show you’re currently addicted to.

I love trashy TV. I know that there are a lot of people that will slate me for it. 

At the moment I would have to say TOWIE - The Only Way Is Essex. I know a lot of americans will not have heard of this. Its set in Essex, UK. It is basically meant to be like The Hills (which i LOVE) but trashier :).

Thats just at the moment but my fave of all time would be Sex and the City - I will never tire of it!

30 Day Me Challenge - Day 13

Day 13 – Your views on drugs and alcohol

I am anti-drugs. BUT I can understand that people can fall in with the wrong crowd and become addicted and you need to understand addiction and that it does not make that person a 'bad person' it is an illness and they need help and support. I feel that kids should be educated better on drugs so that they are better prepared for if/when they are offered them and realise that it is not 'uncool' to say NO!

Alcohol, I love wine (in moderation) Im not the type that goes out every weekend to get 'bladdered' although of course every now and again I might drink more than intended at special occasions. I enjoy a glass of wine in the evening over dinner to 'relax' but in the same sense I could live without it. As long as alcohol is drank sensibly and in moderation I see no problem in it.

L'oreal Paris Colour Infaillible Eyeshadow - Time Resist White

For some time now I have been looking for a white pearlescent eyeshadow to use as a highlighter on the brow bone and in the socket. I have been looking for one thats quite shimmery although does not give you the whole 'glitter' look. 

At the weekend whilst in my local Sainsburys I came across the L'oreal range and picked up this gorgeous eyeshadow from their colour infaillible range. 

The colour is Time Resist White 001, although it is classed as white I would describe it more as pearl as it has very very slight gold undertones.

This is a highly pigmented eyeshadow and retails for approximately £6.99. It is a small jar so it is a little bit more expensive for a drugstore eyeshadow although I do feel that L'oreal is a higher end drugstore brand and you can definitely feel the quality in the product. 

Having discovered this I shall definitely check out the other colours in this range although from what I remember there was not a great deal of choice.

30 Day Me Challenge - Day 12

Day 12 – Your current relationship, if single discuss how single life is.

Relationship status: In a long term relationship

I have been with Chris for over 5 years now, we met whilst I was on a girls holiday and he was on a boys holiday. I can't say it was the most romantic beginnings but we found that we lived only a couple of miles away from each other and just 'connected' (as cheesy as that sounds).

Right now I am happy, and as with any relationship we have our ups and downs but we work it out. I know that this is the man I want to spend my life with. I don't have any advice for relationships as I take every day as it comes and never take my relationship for granted. You have to work at it but the fact he is my best friend helps :) 

Interview by Kelly @ Beauty Obsessed

Hi Girls, 

A few weeks ago Kelly introduced a series of interviews whereby each week she would be interviewing bloggers. I loved the idea of this and contacted Kelly to say I was interested so I was very excited to be given this opportunity! See my full interview at...

beautyobsessed2.blogspot.com

Special thank you to Kelly for allowing me to do this, also check out her blog and subscribe as it is a great blog! 

October GlossyBox

So I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my first GlossyBox which I ordered at the beginning of the month. If you have read my previous posts on this I was a little sceptical although excited to see what I would get. So heres how I got on. 

The box was nice, simple and elegant although a lot smaller than I thought it would be.

Inside was a smaller shoebox type box, again nice and good quality with the GlossyBox logo embossed on the top.

Nice introduction, also advises that they are doing a refer a friend programme so you can earn points towards future boxes.

The products packaging is stunning, simple but lovely. It is covered with tissue paper and sealed with a ribbon and GlossyBox sticker.

What I felt let it down was the products, whilst they are good products none the less, they are not things I would necessarily purchase, but I am always open to trying new things...

Whats included...

Dermalogica Age Smart Thermafoliant (full size - £40.50)

This an exfoliant although I think this is more for the mature woman :( but I will try!

Dermalogica Age Smart Recover Masque (Full Size £33)

Again I will try this although I am not sure this is particularly for my skin type

Leighton Denny Expert Nails (Full size £11.00)

This is a full size bottle and does look like a good polish the only fault I have is the colour...I may change my mind once tried though.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner (Full Size £13.00)

Hmm I do have several pencil eyeliners 

Robert Piguet Eau De Parfums (Full Size £65.00)

I can't think of anything nice to say about these perfumes, they would probably suit the older lady...nice pink pouch though

Dermalogica Makeup bag

Small but cute - I actually think this may fit my Clarisonic Mia for travelling with!

Bonus Gift - Dermalogica Age Smart Lip Complex (Full size £22.50)

So small I can't imagine I will get much use or will no doubt lose it!

I can't help feeling like I have sounded really ungrateful but having spent £12.95 inc postage and packaging on these products I can't help but feel a little disappointed. 

Whilst I enjoy the anticipation of what I might receive I think its very risky when you consider that you are not guaranteed that there is going to be something that you like. I may have been unlucky and I am sure that there are many women out there that are extremely happy with this months box. 

On this not I probably won't continue with Glossybox and may try another brand such as feel unique which has had some good reviews. 

Have you got Octobers GlossyBox and what did you think?

Small disclaimer - item purchased by me. I am not associated with GlossyBox whatsoever - all opinions expressed are my own and for the benefit of my readers.

Boots 17 Magnetic Nail Polish

Magnetic nail polish/varnish has been around for a while now and there are several reviews available on the internet. I believe that the main brand that sold these were Nails Inc. I personally do not buy Nails Inc. Whilst I do not dispute that it is probably a great brand of nail polish, I just can't justify spending so much when there are great cheaper brands on the market. So... I was a little excited to say the least when I discovered that boots had brought one out under their 17 brand. Although there is not a huge selection of colours at the moment, 4 to be exact, the colours available are gorgeous!

At the moment the colour available are - Blue, Gun Metal Grey, Teal and Lilac

I purchased blue and gun metal grey which retail at £4.99. I understand this is an offer and they will be going up to £5.99 in the near future. Although not a great saving it is a small saving all the same and I will be going back to purchase the other colours which were not in stock when I visited Boots. 

What Boots says about the product...

What is 17 Magnetized Nail Polish...The polish contains very fine metal particles, when you have applied the polish and its still wet, hover the magnet (which is part of the cap) over your nail and watch the effect appear!

The pot is quite chunky similar style to those of Nails Inc in its shape. It has a removable cap which has the magnet attached and then a smaller handle for the actual polish. Personally I would of preferred the handle of the brush to be slightly larger for better grip but thats only a small personal preference. 

I applied one coat and did it per nail. So i painted one nail, hovered the magnet and then moved onto the next. It did take a few attempts and I had to start again several times, but I 

think this is all down to practise and the more you do it the better you will become.

All photos are of 'Gun Metal Grey'

 

I absolutely loved the effect this gave and it is a great way to introduce nail art if you have never done it before. Im a big fan of nail water marbling which you can see my post on here, however the water marbling effect can be messy and takes up a lot of time so this was the next best thing.

Overall I am really impressed with this and much prefer this to the crackle effect nail polishes which in my opinion feel look a little messy. This looks neat and tidy just with a funky edge!

Let me know what you think and whether you have purchased these before...

Small disclaimer - all products mentioned were purchased by me. I am not being paid nor compensated for this review. All opinions are my own and for the benefit of my lovely subscribers.

My First Award!!!!

I was so excited to check my blog and find that the kind Nykki from www.mymaneblog.com had awarded me with my very first award.  I have not been blogging for long so this means a lot and thank you to Nykki and my subscribers. 

There are three rules for this award:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave the award to you.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Send it along to 10 other bloggers and let them know you have awarded them!

7 things about me...

1. I am 27 years old

2. Getting closer to 30 and leaving my 20's behind really scares me

3. I have a gorgeous boyfriend who I know I will spend my life with

4. I met my boyfriend on holiday over 5 years ago (we happened to live a town apart)

5. I can be moody despite the happy exterior

6. I have a national certificate in electrical engineering with a double distinction

7. My favourite city is New York

3. 

The blogs that I have chosen to award. 

1. Faye @ lovefayexoxo

2. Sarah @ Beauty Geek

3. Diary of a country girl

4. Sugarpuffish

5. Seven Things Beauty

6. Makeup Forever

7. Exclusively Glam

8. Basketcase Beauty

9. Beauty Amplified

10. Beauty Not Just Skin Deep

The blogs above are in no specific order.