All Hallow's Eve: Halloween Spooky Nails

Dripping Blood - Spiders Web - Wound - Skull - Tombstone

Knife - Skull - Gold Web - Eyeball - Spider

Top - Jack Wills Gold Glitter - 17 Blue - Nails Inc Chelsea

Bottom - 17 Red - Rimmel Whitener - Topshop Big Smoke - 17 Gold

As it is Halloween tomorrow, I thought I would do a quick post on my spooky nails! They're not brilliant but I am pleased with them, I don't have specific nail art tools so I used a broken old hair pin for larger details and a sewing needle for more specific details, I would imagine proper nail art tools would make this a lot easier!!

I used a variety of colours as you can see, sadly I couldn't find my orange (pumpkins, hello!!), purple and green would also be great colours to use, you could do Frankensteins, Witches or Vampires. I am going dressed as a Zombie so I'll be sure to post photos of that tomorrow, check out Tanya Burr's zombie make up look (here) it's AMAZING!!!

Don't forget to enter my MAC Lipstick Giveaway.

Beyond Bronze: Fake Bake Instant Tan

Fake Bake Beyond Bronze Instant Tan in Matte Medium 125ml - £9.99

I am a massive fan of a year round glow, I don't tan naturally myself, so I always rely on the bottle to help me get that bronzed look. I normally use St Moriz Tan which gives instant colour that then develops a deeper colour that lasts 4-5 days, however I recently got given the Fake Bake Beyond Bronze Instant Tan in Matte Medium and I am loving it for nights out or moments when you need that immediate boost!

The Fake Bake instant tan is a dream come true, it saves so much time as I don't have to worry about tanning the night before. It comes out the bottle as a very dark black lotion but it blends on to the skin as a beautiful olive tone tan with no shimmer; I like to use a tanning mitt, this helps to give a super even colour, however this product is so easy to blend that I think it would work well with any application method. It dries very quickly and does not transfer on to your clothes or other fabrics, I even find it doesn't run if it gets a little bit wet which is ideal on nights out. It has no noticeable scent and is also suitable for the face, I sometimes use this on its own during the day just to give my face a little colour and it has not broken me out.

I would highly recommend this tan, it's honestly one of the best I have ever used! Let me know if you have any recommendations.

FakeBake FakeBake Beyond Bronze Instant Wash Off Premium Tan For Face (Google Affiliate Ad)

The New Nude: Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohls in NUDE and TAUPE - £3.99 each

High street beauty brands are on fire just now with a whole host of new releases for Autumn. I am particularly loving Rimmel, their Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks are amazing (107 review here) and these new Waterproof Kohls are another great addition to the line!

There are quite a few colours in the new eyeliner collection but the Nude 005 and Taupe 004 really stood out to me, having searched for a nude eyeliner for a while this is very welcome in my collection! They have a lovely creamy texture, well pigmented and blendable. They apply beautifully and stay put, the waterproof aspect means they literally last all day, even on the waterline! I like to wear the Taupe all over my eyelid, blended out with a fluffy brush and the Nude colour on my waterline, it's a great dupe for the Mac Chromograph pencils which are only part of the pro line. At £3.99 they are very reasonably priced, especially given the quality of them!

I think the other colours in the range would probably be much the same, so I imagine they are also wonderful products, but these colours really caught my eye.

NOTD: Nails Inc Chelsea

Nails Inc Chelsea - £11

I am in love with all the rich and opulent tones associated with Autumn at the moment; deep berry lips with matching dark nails, a glass of mulled wine, I'll stop before I get carried away! 

Nails Inc Chelsea is the perfect nail polish colour for this time of year, it is a rich, velvety, dark plum-black, as you can see in the swatches above, it appears black but has enough warmth not to make pale skin look grey. The formula is pretty opaque so I only need to apply one coat, out of habit I applied two in the photos but you really don't need it! This shot was taken after 3 days of wear with a Sally Hansen top coat so as you can see it is pretty chip resistant! It is easy to apply and dries quickly, what more can you ask for?!

A massive thank you to my good friend Emilie who gave this to me, it's my new favourite!!

MAC GIVEAWAY

New Favourite: Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara

Max Factor Masterpiece Max 'Black' - £9.99

I am a big fan of Max Factor products, I've enjoyed using their False Lash Effect Mascara in the past (review here), and their Second Skin foundation is a beautiful high street product! As I am a big fan of full lashes I always thought this mascara would not offer enough but I got a sample of it a few months ago and loved it! So I picked up the full size Masterpiece Max when it ran out.

This provides a really lovely, natural but full lash effect. It has a plastic comb brush which beautifully separates the lashes whilst coating and lengthening each lash with no clumps. I like to apply two layers but one is definitely enough for definition! It is a good dark black colour and the mascara lasts well, I don't find it is as soft and flexible as high end mascara's but then it is about half the price! It's also simple to remove which is a big plus for me, I hate to be scrubbing away at my eyes.

It is certainly a great option for a good value mascara! Have you tried this before? Can you recommend any other high street mascaras? Let me know in the comments!

Quick Shopping Haul: Body Shop, Dylon, Jack Wills

So I thought I would do a quick post on what I bought today! I caught up with a friend for lunch and couldn't resist a few purchases. The Body Shop had a sale on so I picked up their Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel (£3.20) and Lip Butter (£4). I then went to John Lewis and picked up some Dylon in Burlesque Red as I have a pair of bright red cords that I thought could do with toning down a bit, I'll update you on how that goes! Finally I went to Jack Wills to take advantage of their student discount, I bought a pair of their Bromley Leggings (£29.50), I had a similar pair from last Christmas which I have worn to death so I replaced them with this lovely pair.

Don't forget to enter the MAC Giveaway!

Can You Keep A Secret?: Jack Wills Beauty

Wine - Cherry Red - Hot Pink - Coral

Minis - Part of Set

Lip Stick - £9.50 (full size 3.5g - not pictured)

Red - Hot Pink - Powder Pink

Minis - Part of Set

Lip Gloss - £8 (full size 10ml - not pictured)

I thought I would share a little bit of a beauty secret with you all today! Jack Wills is a UK lifestyle brand aimed at university age people; they do many things, from beautiful, well cut dresses, to super comfy lounge wear and a small but great beauty range! At first I was a little unsure of whether a clothing brand could pull off a good make-up line but I was definitely proved wrong!

Their lipsticks are beautiful, well pigmented, gorgeous velvety textures, they last well and there is a fabulous choice of colours! Their lip glosses are also fantastic, they provide a slightly more sheer colour, the texture is smooth and they last a good 2-3 hours which is great for glosses! The ones pictured above are from a small lip set I purchased so they are not full size but they do the same colours in the main line.

The colour Wine is very similar to the new Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107, as you can see it is my most worn colour! Bright and bold lips are going to be big this Autumn and Winter so it is worth checking these out.

The range does not appear on the website just now however it is available in store (search your nearest Jack Wills HERE) and it is also available on their outlet website, however this is members only access (here). Their nail varnishes are also brilliant, look out for my post on them at the end of the week!

Have you tried any of their make-up line? Do you have any other surprise brands you have come across? Let me know in the comments below!

Don't forget to enter my MAC Lipstick Giveaway! 

Photoshop in a Pot? Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch

Clarins Instant Smooth - £25

I hope you can see the area above the unblended patch that looks completely line/mark free (as if it's been photoshopped!)

Just a quick little post! The holy grail of make-up bases and primers, or at least of the ones I have tried, is Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch (here). I like to think of it as photoshop in a pot! It is a skin perfecting make-up base that is meant to blur lines and pores giving a flawless finish, applied before or after foundation. It looks like a pink paste in the pot but blends out to clear so would be suitable for any skin colour. You only need a small amount on problem areas and it leaves them feeling silky smooth. Once applied you can leave it at that for no make-up days or you can apply your foundation as usual. I believe it can be used after foundation but I have not found this to be as effective! I have had the above pot for a year, I don't use it every day but I think it is a lovely product to use on days when you're just not loving your skin!

Make sure you enter my MAC Lipstick Giveaway! HERE

GIVEAWAY: MAC Lipstick Of Your Choice!

CLOSED

Hello lovely followers! I just wanted to thank you all for your kind support since I started in April, I reached 100 followers last week so I wanted to give something to one of you as a thank you!!

So, you have the chance to win a MAC Lipstick of your choice! You can browse the selection on the MAC website (here) I realise the Marilyn Monroe collection is popular just now but bear in mind they may be out of stock by the end of the giveaway!

***PLEASE READ BEFORE ENTERING***

All you have to do to enter is use the RaffleCopter below, it is compulsory that you follow by GFC (google friends connect - see sidebare) and leave a comment below with your email and the colour you would like, you can also tweet, follow me on twitter and follow on Bloglovin as extra points.

If you are under 18 please ask your parents permission as I will need to ask for your address if you win!

The giveaway is only open to the UK and IRELAND due to postage cost, apologies for this but I will be doing an international giveaway for Christmas so keep an eye out for that!

GIVEAWAY Runs until November 30th 2012

I will email the winner within 48 hours of the giveaway closing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Red Lip of the Season: Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 107

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 107 - £5.49

2 layers and blended out

When the buzz started around the new Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks (here) a month ago, I could not wait to get my hands on the colour 107. I then saw a post by Anna from Vivianna Does Makeup with the vampy lips and nails and I knew I had to have it!

They were released on October 3rd so I was straight down to my local boots to pick this up, I was going to get some of the other colours too but I manage to control my spending... for now anyway!

First of all, I LOVE the packaging! The beautiful matte red tube is something to behold, imagine pulling it out of your handbag to touch up your lippy - gorgeous! The 107 colour is a deep wine-y red with blue under tones, perfect for the Autumn months. The texture is more demi-matte, but I think this is actually very smart as it is therefore easier to wear! Having lips in good condition will definitely help this to look better but a matte lip balm applied before should help it to look pretty perfect. Another option would be to apply a small amount to the middle of your lips and blend out to a stain, as above in the swatches.

It is definitely a bold lip but I think most people could pull of the colour, I like to pair it with a nude matte eye and bit of peachy blusher.

Attempting to rock a red lip and trying on coats with my great aunt!

English Rose: Bourjois Blush Rose Frisson 54

Bourjois Round Pot Blush in Rose Frisson 54 - £7.50

Bourjois round pot blushers have always been a bit of an iconic product, with their instantly recognisable packaging and cute domed shape. I recently purchased this one in the colour Rose Frisson 54. It is a pretty, soft rose pink that gives a lovely flush to the skin. It has a slight shimmer to it but that doesn't transfer to the skin. They are well pigmented but I have found a skin develops on the blush which needs to be gently broken up (I use my tweezers to gently scratch it) and I know this is not to do with oil transfer from my skin as I wash my brushes frequently. This is annoying but I can deal with it. It would make me reluctant to re-purchase but the colour is pretty so I could almost put up with it as they are not too expensive.

It lasts well on my skin, perhaps needing a touch up in the late afternoon but I think that is normal for a powder blush, if you're looking for long lasting try a cheek stain like Posie Tint or a cream blusher. The Bourjois also has a lovely rose scent to it and the packaging is very pretty, top marks for the magnet instead of a clip opening!

What is your favourite blusher?

Miracle Concealer? MAC Select Moisture Cover

MAC Select Moisture Cover - £14.50

A quick post for Saturday morning! I have found it really difficult to find a concealer that provides good coverage of under eye circles and blemishes that also doesn't dry up, flake or crease. I've tried a few of the high street concealer sticks and cream concealers but I always find them drying on my skin. So I went along to MAC with my dilemma and a lovely lady at the Edinburgh Harvey Nichols counter suggested this to me.

MAC Select Moisture Cover is a rich creamy concealer. It has the perfect amount of pigment for every day use, if you're looking for a complete mask-like cover this might not be up your street, but for a natural finish it is perfect. It does not leave my skin dry or flakey like others I have tried and blends in beautifully.

I have NW20, which is a perfect peachy toned colour for under eyes. I would suggest getting matched up in store for the best colour match as they have a brilliant colour range! I like to apply this with a small blending brush to get a light finish but it is definitely build-able, just remember to set it with some powder if you do this! And a little goes a long way, I've had this for 2 months already and I've barely used any.

What is your favourite concealer? I want to try the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, is it worth it?!

Hair History: Big Change Time!

A long long time ago, I had ginger hair; curly and crazy bright orange hair! Cue photo of a manic looking 3 year old me on Christmas day...

I had a mixed time with ginger hair. Little old ladies loved it, my family all loved it, but it is safe to say my fellow primary schoolers were not so keen on it. I had many a ginger joke thrust in my direction over the years, most of the time not bothering me in the slightest but it is true that over time these things can niggle away at you. So when I turned 14 and my mum said I could get highlights (after years of me nagging her!) I was so excited! Along we went to the hairdressers and my life as a blonde began!

Since then I have been varying shades of blonde, from peroxide to warm honey blonde, with a few forays in to the land of brunette (never lasted long, 6 weeks at most!)... Cue embarrassing photos from my teenage years!

Only joking, they are going nowhere near the internet!!

Anyway, until yesterday my hair looked like this.

Being blonde also has its advantages and disadvantages! Roots, split ends, brassy tones, over processed hair, the list could go on and on. The products needed to nourish and maintain it are also expensive, particularly if you style your hair a lot, which I certainly do!

So a few weeks ago I made the decision to go back to my natural colour, I started looking for pictures of ginger hair that I liked. Gemma Arterton and Karen Gillan were the two that stuck out the most!

Dyed                                                                                                                      Natural

After weeks of research into various colours, salon or home choices, prices etc. I decided to take the plunge and do a home dye, I figured it was too expensive to try and decide I didn't like it, so I worked out what level and warmth to go for and took a trip to boots. I came home with 2 boxes of L'oreal Excellence Creme in shade 6.46. On offer 2 for £10 in boots (bargain!)

The colour is deliberately not as vibrant as the ginger inspiration photos of Karen and Gemma because I knew putting that colour on top of blonde highlights ran the risk of highlighter orange hair! So I've ended up with a more auburn tone, I will work my way back to the more copper toned ginger over the next few months!

I would really recommend the L'oreal Excellence Creme, it is super easy to apply and provides a deep glossy colour. My hair does not feel too damaged from the process however I did do a deep conditioning treatment the night before. The conditioner with the dye is lovely but is in one of those annoying small plastic containers, the only downside I would say!

What do you think? Let me know about your home dye experiences and if you have any brands you recommend!