Halloween Nails!

Just so you know .. well I am sure you can tell from the pictures, nail art is not my strong point ha! I have very strange nails that nail polish just does not want to hang on too, whenever I paint them they literally chip minutes after I'm finished so I'm more of an acrylics girl! However acrylics can be expensive and as halloween is only one day it would be quite a splurge to get halloween themed nails, which you would then be stuck with for the month! So instead I thought I would do a Halloween Theme NOTD which can be used as inspiration for anyone who is like me and wants something fun on their nails for halloween, but something that has to be basic as clearly I have no real skill haha!

 

I have did 3 nails orange with a little pumkin face (I'm hoping you can get the look I'm going for here)

 

I then did one white nail with a little ghost face! which is actually think is so cute!

 

and finally a little spider web .. with a spider (yes thats a spider! lmao)

I trust if you are good at nail art you can turn this inspo into a masterpiece! However if your not, like me, its all a bit of fun in the spirit of halloween!

 

Happy Halloween!!

 

Paul Mitchell Event!

Last Wednesday night my sister (Pretty Polly's Blog *Link* for her review of the event!) and I went along to the Paul Mitchell event at the Malmasion Hotel. As I am new to blogging I have only been to a few events which usually include alot of people! however this event was different, it was more of a small interment gathering including cocktails and some nibbles and at first I was a little intimidated! However Sarah, who was representing Paul Mitchell was really nice and friendly and made the evening feel like a relaxed evening with friends. In the end I was actually really happy that the evening was so small as I got to know some other bloggers which was great! When I'm in large crowds I just don't know where to begin to start chatting to people I don't know but this made it easy and comfortable like we were all just having a chat!

They're Christmas catalogue looks great! and some of their new gift sets look to be the perfect Christmas gift! I know I personally love receiving hair care gift sets for Christmas and with the sets ranging from £16-£35 there’s something for everyone whether it be a stocking filler or a great main gift for a friend or family member, I don't think they would be disappointed! I know I wouldn't! They also stock hair styling tools and even candles! The gift set packaging is colourful and with full on glitter writing, its definitely the type of packaging I go for in the shops when choosing gifts!

Not only do they not test on animals but everyone was most impressed by their Tea Tree Pack, the label is made from recyclable material and can be planted to grow your own daisy’s! How cute is that!

If you have read my first ever blog post you would see I am on a mission to find the secrets of big hair and Paul Mitchell is definitely the kind of product I am looking for! I was lucky enough to be given a free sample gift set of "You're a Pretty Big Deal" which includes an Extra Body Shampoo and Conditioner and an Extra Body Daily Boost Spray which I am soooo excited to try out! Roll on BIG hair! *review coming soon* and not only that Paul Mitchell really spoiled us by even letting us try out ANOTHER SET! so I picked out "Fab Girls Finish First" which includes a Shampoo, Conditioner and a Fast Drying Sculpting Spray *review coming soon*. I am SUPER excited to try out the Sculpting Spray as Sarah said this is perfect for setting your rollers which is just exactly what I need! Don't you hate it when you spend ALL day in your rollers only for the volume to collapse after 20 minutes *sigh* story of my life. So as Paul Mitchell is a well-respected hair brand I have full faith that these will deliver the required results and I can just tell my hair is going to be looking fab this Christmas party season after using these products!

If you have a look at their website they're doing some really cute Limited Edition products for Breast Cancer Awareness too! *Link*

Benefit - They're Real Mascara! x

I am one of those unfortunate people who have really short eyelashes L, and although I have tried various types of eyelash extensions, I like the idea of them more than actually having them. It's great having nice long lashes but they are sometimes more hassle than they're worth. I’ve had from £10 party lashes right upto £100 semi permanent ones. All of which needs regular (sometimes very expensive top ups) and some pretty ridiculous “terms and conditions” to keep them looking good. I must admit I am very good at taking care of them and usually manage to get longer out of them than what they are expected to last however as a long term solution to short lashes they are just too much hassle, trying to wash your hair without getting your eyes wet is virtually impossible! Haha! and never being able to rub your eyes, which doesn’t sound like a big deal until your not allowed to do it and then all of a sudden your eyes need constantly rubbed! Haha.

Me & my mum are constantly trying out new mascaras (unfortunately I obviously got the short lash gene from her!) but always afraid to branch out on expensive ones incase there is infact just no hope for our little lashes! My sister over at Pretty Polly’s Blog gave us some of her higher end mascaras to try out, and one stood out from the rest for me and my mum. Benefit’s They’re Real! I have actually tried a benefit mascara before. I tried the Bad Gal Mascara after receiving a mini sample in an eye shadow palette once but even after hearing great reviews on it, I was not a fan, the brush was far too big and thick for my small lashes.

So I was so shocked that this one was so good!

I love the brush! I think the round comb type brushes are the usually the best at trying to get some length. I am not one for several coats of mascara, I don’t like it when my lashes feel hard and  I like my lashes to look like they could naturally be my lashes and not thick with mascara (just my own personal preference)  

I have uploaded a picture below of my lashes! *This is only 1 coat*

Sorry about the picture quality! 

The top picture is me wearing the mascara on both eyes. To the left is my normal little sad lashes haha! and to the right is just a closer shot of the mascara on one eye.

This is literally the 1^st time I’ve ever used a mascara that you could actually see my eyelashes in pictures!


I will definitely be repurchasing the full size version of this!

Pink Things: Think Pink

I was inspired by Glam Beauty's Pink Things : Think Pink post to do my own! I thought it was a great post for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, plus I also love PINK!

My Stila Highlight Duo in Kitten

I love the packaging of this highlighter, its a really nice size, small and thin so doesn't take up much room in my make up bag and also has two gorgeous shades inside which can be used individually or mixed together!

Nails Inc Pinky Pink Nail Polish

I love this nail polish and it was also a limited breast cancer edition! Although it is still available. Its so glittery and pretty! I'm not usually a big nail polish person as I always chip it 4 seconds after applying but I love having this on my toes!

Nyx Buttergloss Strawberry Parfait

I love the formula of these lipglosses, they're so smooth and creamy and make my lips feel really soft. It has a nice amount of colour that it can be worn on its own or over a lipstick!

Mac Impassioned Lipstick

This was my first ever Mac lipstick and I just adore the colour, its vibrant and girly and was gorgeous for summer, but I also think it can easily be worn during any season, because who doesn't love a pink lip!

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Pink Edition Perfume

My boyfriend bought this on holiday for me and as soon as I smelled it, it immediately
became my new favourite. As you can see from the picture its down to it's last few drops which I'm very upset about, but it's already on my christmas list!

Vo5 Give Me Texture Powder

I'm actually almost finished this but will be purchasing another, I think its great for making my back combing last longer without drying out my hair & making it feel like straw like similar powders I have used in the past. It also can be brushed out the next day which I think is great! For my sisters wedding we used one of these types of powders from salon services & you literally had to shampoo your hair like three times to get it out! So I much prefer this one! 

Lee Stafford - For Hair That Never Grows Past a Certain Length!

This stuff really does work! and not only that it makes your hair smell great and leaves it feeling nice and soft!

Get To Know Me Tag!

Since I’m new to the blogging world I thought this would be a great tag as well no one really knows me yet! I also thought it would be a good place to start for my first tag post J

Well lets get started J

 

1. Are you named after anyone?

 

Sadly not, when I was little, my sister and I had a babysitter called Tracey and I used to tell people I was named after her, people must have thought my mum was nuts lmao! I wasn’t named after her though, don’t even think my mum had met her yet when I was born ha!

2. When was the last time you cried?

 

Last weekend during my Hollyoaks catch up day! I ALWAYS cry at Hollyoaks haha! To be honest I’m an emotional wreck and cry at EVERYTHING!

 

3. Do you have kids?

 

Nope.

 

 

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Hmmm I think I would, I reckon I’m pretty fun ha! and I’m a loyal friend, I think friends are so important and I’d be lost without my best friends <3 x

 

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Not a lot, just as a joke occasionally but I don’t think I’m that sarcastic ha.

 

6. Will you ever Bungee Jump?

I definitely would but I’m only 23 and so think I am too young to risk death lmao! I’d much rather sky dive though!

 

7. What's your favorite cereal?

I don’t really eat cereal much but if I did I would want something really sugary like frosties or something which is why I just AVOID! Haha x

 

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Em I’m not sure obviously their appearance I’d probably check out their outfit ha.

9. What is your eye colour?

Greeny/Blue they seem to change from day to day ha, they’re mostly blue though

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings. I’m really prone to nightmares so don’t like to watch scary movies, purely because I know I’ll then have nightmares for weeks ha! My boyfriend loves scary movies and is always trying to get me to watch them ha!

11. Favorite smells?

Does this mean perfume? If its perfume my favourite is the pink Ralph Lauren perfume. If it’s just random smells I love the smell of cucumber, just makes me think of summer! J

 

12. Summer or winter?

SUMMER! I’m always freezing so winter just makes it worse ha! Although when I go on holiday I do get to agitated with the heat and can’t sit at peace, to be honest though I’m usually on a wild holiday with the girls and don’t see much sun anyway lmao but we still insist on going somewhere with sun! haha

13. Computer or television? 

Computer because I guess I could watch TV on that anyway … is that cheating? Ha Plus I have an online shopping ADDITICTION! Like it’s not normal if their was online shopping rehab I would genuinely go lmao!

 

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home? 

Oh I don’t know, I think Cyprus has been the longest flight I’ve been on so I’m going to go for there ha!

 

15. Do you have any special talents?

I can usually look at someones outfit and tell you where they got it from lmao not always though but a lot of the time, I don’t think this is a talent, its more due to my online shopping addiction but it’s all I’ve got haha!  

 

16. Where were you born?

Scotland, Glasgow

 

17. What are your hobbies?

I don’t think I do anything that would count as a hobby, blogging? lol

 

18. Do you have any pets?

No. I really don’t like animals. Sorry to all you animal lovers but I am not an animal person at all they really scare me L

19. Favorite movie? 

Mean Girls .. obviously! & Twilight <3

 

20. Do you have any siblings? 

Yes, I have one sister (Pretty Polly’s Blog). I love having a sister! J

 

Well hopefully this helped you all get to know me a little bit J I like reading these types of tags on other peoples blogs too!

Autumn Wish List!

I thought I would do an Autumn/Winter Wish List as I am loving this years trends. I've managed to narrow my selection down to a few key pieces although it was difficult! I'm currently on a spending ban this month so these are some items I hope to purchase once I've paid my credit card bill after buying too many Summer items *oops*.

First is this super cosy jacket from Pink Boutique, I'm always cold and this is fully lined with fur so it will keep me nice and warm in winter time. I love that its black so will go with everything and its short! I'm really petite so I hate when I find jackets that I love and they're long so they drown me so this is a nice length for me! Unfortunately it sold out after like half an hour after going up online waaaa! So I'm really hoping they get this back in stock soon!

£49.95 - Pink Boutique

Next up is Dr Martens! I've never been a fan of these but recently I've been loving them on girls wearing them with shorts and dresses with tights I think they actually look super cute! They'll tie in well with this years grunge trend and I think I will get a lot of wear out of these this Autumn/Winter! These are available at many online stores such as schuh etc but I will most likely get these from ASOS so can use my student discount! 

£90 - ASOS

I recently bought a pair of black high waisted shorts from H&M and I have been loving them so when I saw these black high waisted skinny jeans in River Island I thought they would be a great piece to add to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe! I can throw them on with a tucked in t-shirt & I'll be good to go! 

£25 - River Island

I love playsuits! I think they're super cute and you just look so well put together without any effort when wearing them. This black and white polka dot playsuit from Missguided will look great with a chunky scarf or cardigan and tights. It also ties in with the monochrome trend which I love! 

£24.99 - Missguided

Finally is this super cosy oversized cream jumper from ASOS with lace detailing. It looks so warm and cosy but because of the lace detailing it adds a little extra and makes it look really fashionable as well as comfortable! Its unfortunately out of stock at the moment so praying it comes back in stock soon because I just have to have it! 

£40 - ASOS

What's on your Autumn/Winter Wishlist this year?

The Hope Glasgow

Last night me and my sister (Pretty Polly’s Blog) went along to The Hope in Waterloo Street in Glasgow's launch night after a £500,000 refurbishment! No expense was spared for the launch either as we were all spoiled rotten with delicious food samples and drinks. The bar is open from 8am till midnight and literally a 30 second walk from central station so it is a perfect location, especially for one of those out for lunch with the girls that ends up let’s stay out and get the last train home kind of days! The bar had a really nice relaxed chilled out vibe, a great selection of drinks, from cocktails to very reasonably priced bottles of wine for the city centre.

 

They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and from the samples we tried, I will definitely be making another visit even just for the food! The beef burgers were by far my favourite from the night and I don’t even like red meat and so never eat burgers, but they were absolutely delish! We also got to try some pulled pork with bbq sauce and apple, which was very soft and flavourful! Some mini chicken burgers, which I also really enjoyed, some deep fried potato skins, very different from the usual chips but really good and a variety of chicken skewers.

Finally the desserts! An array of 4 to die for puddings, Profiteroles (YUM), chocolate cake (YUMM), Sticky Toffee Pudding (YUMMM) and finally the most AMAZING cheesecake I have ever tried! So light and creamy! My boyfriend loves cheesecake so I couldn’t wait to get home and tell him about it ha!

 

It has a really nice cosy atmosphere and I can see me and my friends spending a few chilly winter days/nights in this bar! I have already been recommending it so if you’re looking for somewhere new to go in the City Centre I would definitely try out The Hope!

 

As Paula has recently got a shiny new camera we decided she would take all the pictures from the night so head on over to her Blog for some pictures of the night and her view on the place! (LINK)

 

Lauren's Way Vs Million Dollar Tan!

 Anyone who knows me, knows I am a complete TANOREXIC! I absolutely love fake tan and truly believe the saying "Everything in life is better with a tan" ha! You will very rarely see me without fake tan on, even in winter! So when I heard of the US phenomenon that was "Million Dollar Tan" I just HAD TO HAVE IT!! I tried for months to find a UK supplier but unfortunately I could not find one L. So in August I couldn’t wait any longer and so bought it from the US website.

The reason this post is not just a million dollar tan review is because prior to discovering million dollar tan, Laurens Way was my go to fake tan. Its available in the UK and a lot less expensive so for anyone who was like me and wondering if it is worth the extra penny’s to buy a US fake tan or stick with the good old fashion UK tan. This post is for you!
 

1^st I’ll start with Lauren’s Way!
 

Lauren Goodger from the Only Way is Essex Fake Tan range I use the “Glam Tan”. It retails at £18.95 for a 250ml bottle, however both times I have purchased mine I have had a 20% off discount code so I managed to snap it up for only £15.16! BARGIN! I LOVE the colour of Lauren’s Way, it’s very dark but natural, and I do have paler friends who are able to use it and prefer a “healthy glow”. That is not my style though, I don’t think I have ever said the words “my fake tan is too dark” The darker the better for me, I don’t want a sunkissed glow I want to look like I’ve been on holiday for a month! Haha.
 

I like to use fake tan’s with a colour guide, however I do not know why because unlike some who are terrified in the morning to wake up looking too dark, I am usually left disappointed when I wash it off as I prefer the colour of the colour guide! However I don’t feel Lauren’s Way colour guide gets deeper throughout the night so my top tip is to apply enough that you are a shade or two darker than what colour you actually want your tan to turn out. So once your happy with a colour, apply 1 or 2 more coats and that will be the colour you will be when you wash off the colour guide!
 

Like I said I have friends who just like to add a little colour to their skin tone and so only apply 1-2 layers of this (its liquid so very easy to apply and layer in one application), whereas if you are a tanorexic like me I apply a good 5-6 layers haha! If I have a big night out I tend to do this twice over 2 nights, however just for everyday this is more than enough even for me!
 

I would say this tan roughly lasts on my skin (looking good) for just under a week. However, I don’t feel like it fades, after a week I feel it starts to patch a little but easy enough to get off by exfoliating! I have had tans in the past that are absolutely impossible to remove, but Lauren’s Way can be removed quite easily. Again with the amount I wear I think this is what leads to the “patchiness” I think if you only had 1 or 2 layers on then it may fade nicely! A 250ml bottle usually lasts me a good 6 months, maybe longer I’m not entirely sure, but again with my friends who don’t apply as much managed to make hers last a year! So if it is just for nights out you most definitely get your money worth!

 

Also a little mention on the smell, I find it bizarre people still comment on fake tans smelling like biscuits! There are so many different tans out there now that I find it very rare to find one that actually smells like fake tan now (except Johnston’s gradual tan .. that stuff stinks so bad!) personally I quite like the smell of Lauren’s Way, smells a little like oranges!
 

Next up… Million Dollar Tan!

 

I opted for the Spray Million Dollar Tan Extreme! This retails at $38 for 8oz which works out about 227ml (random amount) however postage was a whopping! $25 almost the same price as the tan! Haha. There was a cheaper shipping option of $9, however it took upto 4 weeks to arrive and there was no tracking and in the terms and conditions it basically said if it goes missing … tough ha!

Luckily though I did manage to find a 20% off discount code online so I managed to pay $55.40 which worked out roughly £35! I have paid £30 before for St Tropez so I thought it worked out at a not bad price and it came within 2 days which was great!

 

It has the same type of formula as Lauren’s Way, just a dark liquid, and again I LOVE the colour, however I don’t find it to be as dark as Lauren’s Way and although I apply the same amount of layers I have to always apply over 2 days, as applying only 1 night simply isn’t dark enough for me. However it has a beautiful colour! Even my dad commented on how nice and tanned I was looking! Infact when I wear this I get lots of compliments on the colour! Also although it obviously doesn’t smell like biscuits, I’m not much of a fan of the smell. It’s not terrible though, Lauren’s Way definitely has a nicer scent.
 

I am not finished the bottle just yet but its definitely running low and I have only used it for 3 occasions (obviously my occasion requires a tanning application over 2 days!) I think I will probably will only have enough for another 2 nights out.
 

Now this is where it gets tricky! So far Lauren’s Way is looking like a clear winner, the bottle lasts longer, it smells nicer, its cheaper, its darker … however Million Dollar Tan lasts on the skin (looking good) an amazing 2 weeks! It fades nicely but even by the end of week 2 you are still tanned! Once it gets into 3 weeks then I find it can start to patch but again its easily removed by exfoliating.

My conclusion is I think I will continue to purchase … both tans! Haha. I honestly love both so much I don’t think I could live without either ha!
 

I love that Million Dollar tan has such a natural colour that lasts so well on the skin, but Lauren’s Way is such a good price there’s no reason I can’t keep it as a back up!

Below I have uploaded a few pictures of me wearing the tan so you can get a better idea of the colour.
 

Remember if you aren’t a tanorexic like me then don’t be scared by the colour, less can be applied to still have the gorgeous colour without it being as dark as mine, and as for girls like me who are constantly coming across reviews for a “sunkissed look” but want to know which fake tan’s will actually make you DARK this one is for you! Haha.

 

This is me wearing Lauren's Way (2 coats)

 

This is me wearing Million Dollar Tan (2 coats plus a third on my calfs and arms as my stomach and thighs seem to take to the tan better so was just to even myself out) 

 

The first picture is me on night 1 in Ibiza.

The 2nd picture is our last night so 6 days in, and we also had a salt water shower!)