Week 23 manicure challenge

I did a little bit of a science experiment this week and mixed these two, to make a lovely blue sea effect. 

Footies

What are footies you may be wondering?! Well they are the lacy/tights material version of trainer socks. They are also more slim-line than trainer socks, as we all know trainer socks are never completely invisible with trainers. These however, would be.

They are pretty comfortable and would definitely not be visible with plimsoles and probably most pumps. Gone are the horrible days of having uncomfortable bare feet in shoes and all the other downsides that entails.

Fear not, the soles are not lacy, as that wouldn't be the most comfortable thing to stand on. The soles are a soft nylon material.

I picked them up in Primark yesterday for £2.50 for 2 pairs.

Holy grail eyebrow pencil

MUA Luxe power brow is (in my opinion) THE brow pencil to own.

I just find the pencil the perfect size and consistency to apply and end up with defined, yet natural looking brows. It is quite a waxy consistency and winds to extend, no sharpener needed here ladies.

There is also a creamy highlighter stick on the other end which is great for adding to your brow bone, the corner of your eye or even your cupids bow. 

You can purchase the power brow pencil in fair, mid brown or dark brown (I get mid). MUA is stocked in Superdrug stores or on the Superdrug or MUA websites for £3. 

Nars orgasm blush

And so my makeup collection expands with yet another quality brand from Cohorted.

Nars blushes retail at £22.50, this for me is a no go. I am a bargain hunter, if you have read other posts of mine you will know this. Call me thrifty, tight or whatever you will, but I like to be good with my money and get the most I can out of it. With Cohorted discount of 25% I managed to get it for £16.88. Yes this is still expensive for a blusher, but a girl can only have so much MUA and Rimmel before she wants something a little more upmarket.

Anyway, you don't want to hear about the money as much as you want to hear about the blush I'm sure!

It comes in smooth black packaging, with a mirror inside. I tried to swatch it a number of times in different light but couldn't get any photos that did the colour justice. It is a beautiful warm rose gold pink with tiny gold shimmery particles. It really is a stunning, subtle blush to wear.

It lasts very well through the day and the shimmer is so subtle that you can wear it during the day without looking like you're off to a nightclub.

I've took a couple of photos below to try and show the colour, but none of them really show the shimmer in all its glory.

To summarise, Nars orgasm blush is a beautiful colour that would go well in any girls collection.

S.H.E by Sophie Kimono

There are quite a few women online nowdays who make clothes to order. I follow some on facebook and instragram and I love the idea of buying something that not many other people have.

My sister pointed me towards S.H.E by Sopie last year and I have had my eye on her pieces via facebook and instragram ever since. Unlike some of the other brands with a similar set-up Sophie does a much wider variety of garments and the prices are still quite reasonable. (I've loved Alice's Boutique since day one, but with her dresses now averaging at around £100, I'm only going to be window shopping there now).

As Spring neared, my new fashion obsession became kimonos. I decided it was my spring/summer 2014 must have. I browsed online for a while at the usual places; ASOS, New Look, Missguided etc, but couldn't find anything that wowed me. Then one of S.H.E by Sophie's instagram posts caught my eye.

A beautiful bright pink florally kimono, perfect for summer and only £32. I messaged her straight away.

She also posted a picture of four different materials to chose from. I spent a good hour going back and forward between the pink one she had posted and a bluey-green material. I do love me some blue, so after initally asking for the pink, I changed my mind 5 minutes later to the blue.

A week or so later it arrived and I absolutely love it. It is lovely quality with beautiful fabric and it is finished to a professional standard with all the seams and hems neatly stiched with a sewing machine.

I would definitely purchase again from S.H.E by Sophie and I look forward to seeing some more of her summer creations.

Urban Decay Naked 3 palette

Hello!

If you read my recent post on the Illamasqua sculpting duo, then you would have heard all about Cohorted. If you haven't read it, maybe you have already heard about Cohorted anyway? If you have not heard about Cohorted - go there now (well, after finishing my post :))!

I got the beautiful Urban Decay Naked 3 palette for £18.50, thats 50% off the RRP. I have been extremly satisfied with my MUA palettes over the past few months, but who can't say no to Urban Decay at such a reasonable price?! I know I couldn't and neither could my sister, hehe.

The palette is famous for its long lasting, amazing pigmented rose-hued neutrals. I have never been one for pink neutrals, normally I go for brown/beige neutrals being blonde haired, blue eyed. But I did a little bit of research before buying it, and I saw what an amazing array of looks you can make with it,  for any skin tone and hair colour.

The palette comes not only with 12 amazing eyeshadows but also with a lovely soft double ended brush and four samples of the different primer potions that Urban Decay sell.

You can immediately see from looking and feeling the packaging that this palette is good quality, it looks great and feels pretty robust for sticking in your bag and travelling with. With the range of colours it includes, you can achieve so many different looks from light girly day-time to evening dark smokey eyes.

The eyeshadows have pretty good staying power and last well throughout the day. The brush is pretty decent too. I haven't actually tried the primer potion yet, but I have high hopes.

In summary I am sooooo glad I finally have an Urban Decay palette and I can see why it is raved about. However, if it wasn't for the discount, I can't say I'd actually spend £37.50 on one. For me that is just crazy money to spend on makeup, for other people maybe not.

So, thank you Cohorted, what a bargain!

Week 22 manicure challenge

Nude pink with Rimmel Aurora space dust and a couple of nail art gems.

Week 21 manicure challenge

Silver this week.

Week 20 manicure challenge

Baby blue with a poor attempt at a flower on the ring fingers so covered them with pink glitter.

Illamasqua sculpting duo review

I've never really owned what you might classify as high-end make up. I love the idea of having all the amazing products that every blogger discusses, but I really can't justify the price tag, especially when the high street does such a great job.

However, a new site called Cohorted launched last month, and this has given me the opportunity to enter in to the higher end game, but at prices I am more comfortable with. For example, I got the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette for £18.50 (50% off RRP). If you haven't heard of Cohorted, you should really go check it out. The basic idea is the more people who sign up to buy something (join a cohort), the bigger discount you get. Every week they have 4 new cohorts which range from makeup to skin care, Mac to Clinique.

I've heard/read a lot about Illamasqua and it's always been positive, so when the sculpting duo turned up on Cohorted it immediately tempted me. RRP is £26, and I got it for £17.50 which is still very pricey, but I wanted to try it and treat myself.

 The duo is made up of a bronzer and highlighter, perfect for contouring. The bronzer is matte and the highlighter has a subtle shimmer. The packaging is very smart, sort of sqaure but with inward curved edges. It also contains a mirror.  I have been applying it with my Real Techniques contour brush.

After using it for a couple of weeks I have mixed feelings. It is very very subtle. This on the one hand is a good thing, as I don't want to go out looking like a clown, but on the other hand I want my face to look contoured otherwise I may as well not bother.

I guess I'll just have to watch a few more contouring videos and work on my technique. If you know of any good videos or blogs for contouring, please point me in the right direction.

Benefit Porefessional for FREE!

Get down to your local newsagents girls, as the June 2014 Elle magazine comes with a free 7.5ml Benefit Porefessional.

Yes it is small, but its a great way to try out the product that every beauty blogger and her nan are talking about before biting the bullet and spending £24.50 on the regular size. Plus you get to read the magazine too!

I shall try it and let you know what I think.

Week 19 manicure challenge

Goldddddd