Monday 4 August 2014

Mani Monday! Peach and Flowers

Something some of you may not know about me is my love for nail polish and nail art! It's been a while since I've had the chance to properly sit down and take the time to do my nails. Therefore I've decided to do this 'Mani Monday' series to hopefully inspire you to take the time to pamper yourselves and try something new (mainly just for fun as I love to pain my nails!). 

I am a little rusty so my nails are in no way perfect and my hands are not as steady as they previously were as I am a tad out of touch (who am I kidding, seriously out of touch!). 


This design is super quick and easy but still manages to look pretty and girly! If anyone would like to see a pictorial just leave me a little comment! 

I used a dotting tool to make the flowers but you could replicate this design by simply using a toothpick or hair grip. The peach colour is one I've had for years from Claire's, the white petals were made with a white shade from natural collection and the centre dots were created using Barry M's Mocha. 

Have a lovely week! 

Nicky xo

Friday 20 June 2014

Friday Favourite #3

Now that my exams are finallyyy over *big sigh of relief* I can get back into the swing of things and make sure I keep up with my Friday favourites. During the weeks of my exams I didn't really have any favourites as I was just sticking to what I knew, but I did have a few horrible break outs, and if anything I was using less and less products as I was trying to avoid making my face angry. Okay so before I go off on a tangent lets just get into my favourite this week.
 
As some of you may know a couple months ago I finally gave in and brought my very first mac lipstick! I know, you may be thinking Nicky what is wrong with you ?? I know, but there was something about me that though I just simply could not justify spending £15 on one lipstick, little did I know just how amazing these potted gems are! Not only do they smell amazing they're soooo creamy no matter what the finish is meant to be!
 
This week I've been LOVING Mac's Chatterbox, it is an amplified finish yet it is so creamy on the lips and lasts sooooo long. Chatterbox is such a lovely pink shade which can be worn everyday or even paired with a smokey eye! It is definitely something which is a good for everything. I am absolutely besotted with this lipstick and if you are on the hunt for a new Mac lipstick I would recommend trying this out, as it is one that I think would work with every skin tone. Another thing I love about this lipstick is that it makes my teeth look so much whiter! I have tried many lipsticks which make my teeth look yellow, I don't have the whitest teeth but they are not yellow either and for me this just gives them an extra little boost!!
 
If you have any suggestions on any lipsticks I should try comment and let me know!
 
Have a lovely weekend beautifuls!
 
Nicky xo
 

Friday 16 May 2014

Friday Favourite #1

Happy Friday Beautifuls! 

I've decided to start a new series called 'Friday Favourite', every Friday I will upload a straight to the point post telling you all my Favourite of the week, whether it's beauty or fashion related even a random favourite! 
If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed I'm really into wearing statement necklaces, and this week I've been absolutely loving this one from H&M which I have been wearing in my last two OOTD's!! I love the detailing on it with a slight tribal touch to it. Most definetely adds a subtle sparkle to my outfits. 

It's one of those that I can match with so many outfits and just bring it to life and make my outfits look more put together when really a lot of the time I tend to just 'grab n go' as I like to call it. 

I would love to hear your favourites this week! So pop me a comment down below and let me know!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend..

Nicky xo




Friday Favourite #2




This weeks favourite is something that I knew quite early on in the week I was going to include for today's post. Real techniques miracle sponge is something much to my surprise I really didn't like so much when I first purchased it but I decided to give it another go but only using it for concealer under the eyes. 

I was hands down blown away by the results I must say! My concealer just blended in so well, which lately I've been having great troubles with as I think under eyes are in the need of some serious hydration. I use the sponge damp and just pat in my concealer and BAM concealers all set blended and looking perfect. The pointed edge is great for getting in the inner corner and is an absolute steal at £5.99! 

I would recommend this to everyone to try as I'm sure you will not regret it! I've fallen in love with it do much that it actually went and picked up another one yesterday. I think that goes to show just how much I like it! Really does work miracles. 

Have a lovely weekend beautifuls!

Nicky xo


Sunday 4 May 2014

OOTD! ♡ #6

This post was meant to go up on Thursday (when I actually wore this outfit) however I was unable to do so for a few boring reasons I won't get into!

 
Outfit
Jumper - H&M
Necklace - H&M (as seen in last OOTD post)
Jeans - New Look
Boots - Had them for a while cannot remember where I purchased them from sorry!
Jacket - New Look
 
 
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!
 
Nicky xo
 
 
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Wednesday 30 April 2014

Another OOTD? Just an Average Day at College♡


Hiii Beautifulss!! Just thought I'd do a quick post sharing with you my OOTD from Monday- just the average day at college.. It was meant to go up earlier but I've been busy with revision and essays :( .. Student life ey *sighs*. 

So my Blazer is from New Look who are currently having a 20% off discount for students !! I'd had it in my wardrobe for a couple months and totally forgot about it .. But a blazer is perfect for those inbetween weather kind of days we seem to be experiencing in England at the moment. My top is just a plain long sleeved black top again from New Look. 

Jeans I purchased from H&M a few days ago and boy were they a bargain- £7.99!!!!! My gorgeous necklace is also from H&M yes I know I currently have an obsession with statement necklaces can you really blame me though? I think not..

Just a quick mention I am thinking of doing a Lipstick of the Week series as I don't tend to mix up what make up I use as much as I do with lipsticks, so just let me know your thoughts and any lipstick suggestion ideas! 

Picture quality will get better- promise! I'm working on it, just been having a few technical difficulties! 


Have a good week lovelies ! 

Thursday 17 April 2014

FOTD & OOTD ♡

 
 
I thought I'd show you all my FOTD and OOTD, nothing special just went out for a meal with the family :) .. Some of you may be surprised that I didn't leave my hair natural and decided to straighten it (due to a slight knotty hair issue, I'm sure you curly haired girls out there feel my pain!) .. Before I start to ramble on with the post! 

Face
Foundation- Bare Minerals Medium Beige (N20)
Concealer- Mac Pro Longwear NC30
Translucent Powder- Rimmel Stay Matte
Inner Corner Highlight- Sleek Contour Pallete (Light) Highlight Shade
Bronzer- NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny 
Blush- ELF Tickled Pink
Eyeliner- Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude
Mascara- Maybelline Falsies and The Rocket (Waterproof) in the lower lashline 
Lipstick- Mac Please Me 

This was a lot more make up than I normally would wear but as I'd napped before hand I felt as thought needed to make myself look a bit more awake even though I didn't feel it !


Outfit
Navy Jacket- Zara
Grey Jumper- Newlook
Light Blue Jeggings- Newlook
Necklace- Forever21 (I'm in love with statement necklaces if you can't already tell from my Instagram!Also I couldn't find the link to the exact same necklace but I did find the beautiful pink version)
Boots- Wedged Boots from Newlook (sorry I didn't remember to include a pic!) 


Sorry for the crappy quality of pics, I'm having to use my phone until I sort out my non working camera :( ... Hope you're all having a lovely week ! 


Nicky xo

PS would love some mac lipstick suggestions, recently brought my first ever mac lipstick, yeah I know where have I been!

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Raisa Cheema Made Me Do It!!!!! #minibeautyhaul



A few weeks ago the beautiful Raisa Cheema posted a video on her YouTube channel (click here to watch), and the three products shown above were included. So me being me went out to my local Boots the next day and picked these up as they were on 3 for 2. I'd been looking out for a BB Cream that helps with my crazy oily skin so when Raisa mentioned the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream I knew I had to try it! It is not perfect at keeping my oils at bay, but it is a whole lot better than the ones I have previously brought. I've found the best way this works is by using Wayne Goss's trick (it has literally worked wonders not just with this BB Cream but my foundation too!). This really does feel so nice and light on my skin and when I do have a breakout on my face this really does not anger the spots further, most likely down to the fact that the BB Cream does have salicylic acid.
 
I had heard a lot about the Maybelline Fit Me concealer and thought it was time to see what this hype was truly about.. Needless to say I am sooo impressed! It doesn't really do a great job in covering blemishes but that's not really what I wanted it for, instead I use this in the shade 10 under my eyes, and boy does it do a great job in covering the under eye mess! It does not crease on me and yet somehow doesn't look unnatural as I find some concealers under the eyes do tend to do!
 
Okay, moving on to the thing I was most excited about trying- Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick in Make an Entrance. So as soon as Raisa appeared on my screen I was dying to find out what she was wearing on her lips and turns out it was this bad boy! It is simply gorgeous and I could not resist the urge to slather it all over my lips as soon as I got out the shop! No words can describe how I feel about this lipstick. Lipsticks/Lip glosses are my favourite beauty product to try out I absolutely love them! This lipstick is most definitely something special it is a red lipstick with orange undertones which I was a bit sceptical about to begin with as anything with orange undertones do tend to make teeth appear to be yellow, however this was not the case! It glides on the lips, super easy to apply and lasts quite a while without drying up my lips. So if you're on the look out for a red lipstick which isn't too bold and in your face then this is the lippy for you!
 
Overall I would recommend all of the products I have mentioned in this post! They are AMAZING!!! All of the above are very reasonably priced and there always tends to be some sort of offer going on whether its Superdrug or Boots.
 
If you would like a more in depth review of any of these products leave me a comment down below!
 
Hope you're all well!
 
Nicky xoxo

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Mini Beauty Haul

Helloo guys ! Thought I'd do my next post on small collective hall, the clothing/fashion haul shall be up very soon! If you want to see an in depth review of anything just let me know !



I must say this is one of the best moisturisers I've ever used ! It can be hard to find something that hydrates your skin without leaving it shiny and looking very oily, so for me this is perfect! Quite often on offer in Superdrug and Asda for around the £3 mark, and absolute BARGAIN!




So I brought this as I was finding using foundations too heavy for my skin, I don't really have perfect skin and for my skin tone I find it difficult to find a perfect match drugstore foundation, hearing good things about this I thought I'd give it a try especially as BB creams are meant to adapt better to your skin tone.. however the medium shade was way to dark for my skin making it look orange, so next time it's on offer I shall be getting the lighter shade.





I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BABYLIPS! They are the perfect tinted lip balms especially this shade and the 'pink punch'.




Never EVER have I loved any make up brushes as much as I do these! Real Techniques do the best, they leave my make up looking flawless, so easy to wash and dry and do not shed at all! When I saw these two on offer in Superdrug I found it hard to pass it up!




Batiste dry shampoo works amazingly on my long curly hair, a quick spritz and my hair feels fresh and ready to go. 




Natural Collection have some great finds at a bargain price! The rosey glow blush is a favourite of mine especially for this time of the year!




I also picked up the lip liner and lipstick seeing as it was on 3 for 2.




I've not actually given this a proper go but I'm excited to try this out!





Cocoa Butter Lip Balm is a must for me especially in the cold wintery season.


OOTN- Happy Birthday Shika!

Hii guys! Me and a few friends went out last night to celebrate my best friend's birthday so I thought I'd share a few snaps and my OOTN. 


I did wear a white blazer over the top as it was a little on the cooler side last night!  


You can't really see the necklace I'm wearing so I thought I'd just insert a close up of it, it will be included in my fashion haul which will be up soon! 



This is the lovely little clutch I decided to go with in the end! Small but still managed to fit quite a lot in there phone, emergency charger, small perfume bottle, lipstick, chewing .. The usual!  



The lipstick I wore was from natural collection and I must say for a couple of pounds it really did an amazing job ! Only had to touch up a couple times throughout the night and didn't leave my lips feeling dry at all !



As it was my best friends birthday I had to include her in this post !





Happy 18th Birthday Shika! 
Hope you had a lovely day ! You really do mean the absolute world to me and I couldn't ever ask for a better best friend/sister.. I know I can always rely on you and trust you with my life and for that I am eternally grateful! Love you loads beautiful ❤️ xxx

 

FIF- No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation


Hello lovelies! I thought I'd do a First Impression Friday on the No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation for today's post! 




 

I was reading through some blogs when I came across Porcelain Queen and she mentions the no7 beautifully matte foundation in one of her posts .. Having very oily skin I decided to give it a go especially as No7 have their skin match device thing, which I was pessimistic about at first

I was in a bit of a rush when I went along to my local boots to pick this little beauty up.. The lady called Grace who helped me was so lovely and didn't waste any time and just got straight to the point (unlike other counters when I'm having to wait around for the consultant to get themselves organised). I literally hopped onto a seat out the device over my face after removing the BB cream I already had on and within seconds she had the one that matched my skin perfectly. When buying foundations I do normally like to go a shade or two darker just so I don't look too pale and washed out so this is exactly what I did. My colour was deeply beige and I love it ! 

Let's start off with the packaging. The foundation comes in a smooth matte plastic bottle which I guess reflects te product inside. The foundation does have a pump which makes application mess free and so quick and easy! One thing I must say about this foundation is that a little goes a long way ! 

The product itself is amazing ! It instantly mattifies the skin and blends in seamlessly leaving your skin feeling so soft and luxurious. You do get the standard 30ml and has SPF 15. I would say this foundation is of medium coverage. 

I do have incredibly oily skin so I'm always on the search for a product that will help with that. I always have to set my foundations/BBcream with a powder or within an hour I'm just an oily mess! 

I applied the foundation with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush at around 7.30 and decided to go without powder for once, brave move right ? And by 12pm there was very little oil visible, I literally couldn't believe it ! I didn't think this was possible ! By 2pm my face could have done with a dusting of powder but I went without to see just how long lasting it was. My face didn't seem to get any more shinier than it was at 2pm by around 5.30 pm so I left it on for a few more hours.. By 7pm there was still no difference and throughout the day the only place that was shiny was my nose, I can cope with that ! 


I must say I am definitely impressed with this foundation ! I have never been this oil free with a foundation before.. EVER! It's so lightweight and works amazing on oily skin! I would 100% recommend this to anyone with oily skin and for £12.95 I think it's amazing for the price point ! 

I'm thinking of doing more FIF's in the future so let me know what you think ! 

Nicky xoxo


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Revlon Haul !



Yes I know ! I'm a bit late on the whole Revlon lip product bandwagon and to be quite honest I've no idea why it's taken me so long to join it! But finally I decided to buy a few as I felt I needed some new colours in my collection. 

So I originally was only going to but maybe a lip butter and a lipstick but when I saw superdrug were having their 3 for 2 offer, how could I resist it? It sort of became just one more whilst they're going cheap.. And next thing you know I've picked up nine and I'm walking out the shop beaming at my purchases ! 

I picked up some Lip Butters, Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, Super Lustrous Lipsticks and a Super Lustrous Lipgloss!

Lip Butters
Strawberry Shortcake
Peach Parfait 
Sweet Tart
Tutti Frutti

Super Lustrous Lipsticks 
Lovers Coral 
Pink in the Afternoon 

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains
Honey
Cherish

Super Lustrous Lipgloss 
Pinkpop 

I decided to do First Impression Fridays with each of the products I chose so keep an eye out ! 


Nicky xoxo


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FIF- Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks

So as you may know I went a bit Revlon crazy, as a result I decided to do a FIF on what I'd purchased. And this week it will be on the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks. 



The first lipstick I picked up was "Pink in the Afternoon", it's one of those clichéd your lips but better kinda colours. For me it's perfect for everyday.




"Lovers Coral" is a subtle peachy/pink which I can see me using a lot more in the summer time. 


One thing I have to say is these lipsticks are super smooth, silky and creamy! They don't dry my lips like many other lipsticks do and even some how make them feel softer, think of it as a buttery lipstick.


Revlon really do have an amazing colour range and I without a doubt would recommend this to everyone ! I do not have a single negative thing to say about this product! 


I will be doing another Revlon FIF next week so keep your beautiful eyes peeled! 



Happy Friday !! 

Nicky xoxo


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FIF- Maybelline New York Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

I know, I know I've been slacking with the posts lately as I have been quite busy with college and I promise I will be back to posting regularly as of next week ! I am thinking of doing more OOTD's and FIF's so let me know what you think.
 


So on with this weeks FIF.. I had been eyeing this up and was considering ordering this from Amazon as at the time I didn't realise it would be available in the UK. I just happened to be browsing on Superdrug's website and came across this beauty! Long story short the next day I popped in and picked it up along with the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer seeing as they were buy one get one half price (I will be doing a FIF with the concealer next week so keep your eyes peeled).
 
I had heard a lot of mixed views on this so I was a bit sceptical. I can be a real sucker for packaging something with I was originally drawn towards, it is meant to make your skin look and feel smooth as well as poreless, which I must agree it does. I had a gel/silicone feel, which managed to fill in my pores and after I had applied my foundation, my skin actually looked flawless and my pores were virtually invisible, result! Having medium sized pores I must say I was rather pleased, although I did notice a slight more oil on the areas I had applied the product, but I think this could be solved with some powder, this definitely hasn't put me off using it.
 
All in all, I do like Baby Skin and would recommend this to anyone with enlarged pores or even if you just want a reasonably priced primer to make your foundation look silky and smooth, at £7.99 I say it's an absolute bargain! I know it has been compared to the Benefit Porefessional but as I have only ever used it once I can't really make a direct comparison.
 
Hope you're all having a lovely day!
 
Nicky xoxo



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Top 5 real techniques brushes

I'm not one to spend a lot of money on make up tools unless I need to. I mean why spend more money for something higher end when you can pick something up from the drugstore at a much cheaper price ? 

That's where real techniques comes in. I'd seen so many Youtubers raving about them and a few months ago decided to try them out. And boy was I impressed ! You may be wondering why I have only included face brushes and that's mainly just because I tend not to wear eye make up besides mascara on a day to day basis.
1. The contour brush I got as a part of the core collection. Contouring is something I struggle with so when I do, this really does make it easy it's so precise yet manages to blend in my contour without leaving any harsh lines. 

2. The blush brush.. My oh MYY! I've tried a few difference blush brushes before yet they either leave my blusher looking harsh, blotchy or uneven. But nope not this one. 

3. The powder brush at £10.99, allowed me to use powder to set my foundation without leaving that dusty powdery feel. It is a bit on the bulky side so it's not something I can carry around with me in my bag for touch ups, however Real Techniques have come out with some retractable brushes so maybe I need to get my hands on them. 

4. The expert face brush was the first ever brush I had brought. I instantly loved it. My foundation looked flawless and went on amazingly for the first time since I began to use foundation. I told EVERYONE about them and they all felt the same as me. One thing that dazzled me the most was the fact they did not shed. Not a single hair, I know right? A bargain at £8.99. I purchased mine from Superdrug so I do get 10% student discount. 

5. The buffing brush is another one from the core collection and I think this is the most versatile. I can use this for powder foundation, liquid foundation and I can blend in my concealer and blush! It is the most perfect brush in the world !! 


Okay guys so those are my top 5 Real Techniques brushes, they are not in any particular order cause that would be asking the impossible of me. I recommend the Real Techniques to you all as they are super affordable!

Hope you're all well! 

Nicky xoxo
 

Saturday 8 March 2014

NV Colour Lipstick

Hello Beautifuls !!

This post is something I'm really excited about ! I know I have been absent for quite a while, I've been snowed under with so much college work.

So, I came across NV Colour on Twitter and was instantly intrigued (as I tend to be with anything beauty related!), popped along to their website and was instantly drawn in! If you haven't already then you must check them out, NV Colour also have an Instagram so go and follow!!!

I did only buy lipsticks as lipsticks are my thing and something I knew I'd get a lot of use out of, but now looking back I wish I had ordered some more especially as they are a right bargain at £6 a piece. Their website states "NV lipstick is a super moisturising, long lasting lip colour that glides beautifully and comfortably onto your lips for all day long staying power" and I 110% must agree! All of the lipsticks are so similar in texture and longevity which is something that can be very rare within brands.

One thing I was extremely impressed with was the packaging! It is super smooth and gorgeous to look at, when I first received this in the post I kept them out displayed on my draw just so that I could stare at that, sounds a tad weird right? But I think that goes to show how much I fell in love with the packaging. The one feature I was dazzled by was the magnetic casing!! I have never come across any magnetic packaging on a lipstick before and boy was I impressed. I'm forever leaving the lids on a lipstick half open so this solved all my prayers. Everything I have always wanted in a lipstick!

I have never been so pleased with customer service before, EVER! The NV Colour team are so friendly and happy to help, I was amazed.



Flamenco is one of those beautiful peachy nude everyday colours that I LOVEE!!! It's soo smooth and silky on the lips and lasts a good few hours before I need to touch up. It's one of those go to lipsticks which is in big competition with my Revlon- Pink in the Afternoon, something I wore every single day until this little beauty came into my life.
 
Pixie is a very much so a light Barbie pink. It was a bit too light for my personal liking but I can imagine many girls loving this lipstick. Saying that I love the texture so much that I just pop on a bit of lip gloss to darken the colour and it is perfection!
 
Sorbet is my FAVOURITE! I can see myself wearing this every day in the summer. It is one of those very few lipsticks that are long lasting without drying out your lips and is super pigmented!
 
Ladies if you haven't looked into NV Colour yet, you most definitely should! I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!!
 
Loves
 
Nicky xoxo
 
 
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Monday 3 February 2014

Fashion & Skincare Haul ♡

Hiyaa Beautifuls! 




Today I was feeling in the need of a pick me up and as I was in town I decided to so some damage. I'm using the excuse that I had a voucher and my student card to get discounts, that makes it allowed right?




I guess ill begin with the skin are items. Seeing the new L'oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Cleansing Oil I was intrigued as I was on the look out for an alternative to my usual make up wipes as these were just not cutting it for me anymore. 
The Simple Oil Balancing Moisturiser was on offer and as I'm almost out of my Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturiser I thought I'd pick this up. Cocoa butter is something I adore the scent of! Although it's a body moisturiser I do intend to use this at night time to try clear my skin of those pesky marks! 




Unfortunately H&M didn't have the red version of this in stock so I decided to go with the cream to help tame my hair (more like hide it on a bad hair day) and keep my ears nice and toasty! 



I've been looking for a coat similar to this for a good few months and I happened to come across this in New Look and I really could not resist! 


This jacket I think is and absolute bargain from Zara as it was in the sale for £16.99,   need I say more? 




I've had my eye on this for a while and seeing as H&M had 20% off I grabbed it whilst I could. Seeing as the days are getting colder I thought this would be ideal and I could easily dress it up with a statement necklace and some skinnies!



This jumper I'm not so sure about if I'm honest, I was looking for a jumper in the exact same colour but a bit more fluffy, but I guess this will do for now unless I find something better anytime soon. 


If you would like me to do a bit more of an in depth review of any of the skin are items or OOTD's with the clothing I brought just pop me a comment :)

Hope you're all okay! 

Nicky xoxo