Man vs Shoe Divide

When it comes to fashion and nights out, men seriously have it so easy. Jeans- check, tee- check, shoes- check. However the other week while I was grabbing some fresh air outside of Loveshack I overheard a conversation between a group of men. This conversation really surprised me as they were stood winding each other up over what shoes they were wearing (no I’m not winding you up). This got me thinking and next time your on a night out have a look at what men have on their feet, or take a sneaky peek into your other half's wardrobe.

I’m guessing it’ll be one of the following styles- high top trainers, low top trainers, boat/canvas shoes, boots (or as I call them pit boots),and smart (work) shoes.

Top- Clarks Wallabee £105.99, Havaianas Origine Espadrilles £24.99, Barker Barnes Shoes £265.99.

Bottom- Nike 6.0 Zoom Mid 2 £70.99, Converse One Star Low Profile £54.99, Bikkembergs Vintage Boots £216.99.  

Have you also noticed if a guy thinks a certain style of shoe works for them they’ll normally buy the same shoe in each different colour, or buy slight variations of a particular style. I’ll use my guy friends as an example- one will only be seen on nights out wearing converse, another will wear brogues, one wears boots, and the other won't be seen out wearing anything but Vans. It’s only once in a blue moon you’ll actually see them wearing something different. I know men like to get their cheeky digs in about how bad us women are when it comes to shoes… but at least we know how to step outside the (shoe) box with the choice of shoe styles we put on our feet ;)

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Monki Corin Dress

Oh I’m so happy that for the temperatures have slightly cooled down this morning, the office isn’t like a sweat box and I don’t have to witness blokes wearing too tight vests with their moobs on show to the world. Anyway I’m digressing away from today’s post- the Monki dress which nearly gave me a heart attack.

In no way can I fault Monki or their customer services as they were brilliant, however considering I ordered the a good 11 days before Bank Holiday Sunday, my dress was sat in my local depot (20 mins from my house) for 6 days before sending it out for delivery. Many thanks for that Hermes, however luckily my dress came in time. Monki is one of those fairly unknown brands which I’ve noticed is starting to make waves in the blogging community, personally I can’t get over how good quality their items are and how cheap they are. The dress itself was only £25 and it’s made out of “dressy” material if that makes sense- if that was Topshop or River Island the cost would have easily been doubled. Just a quick warning about the sizing in Monki- they come up on the large size, my dress is a small and I would have rather have had the x-small to try on also.

Dress- Monki (link)

Heels- Topshop

Necklace- Topshop (in stores)

Bag- Chanel Medium/Large

If you saw my payday wish list post last month you will have been aware that I also wanted some black wedges to go with it. What a bloody carry on that was- I ordered the wedges I wanted from Topshop in a size 9- there was an inch overhang at the back. There must have been an error in the labelling of the shoes as mother T couldn’t get her size 6 feet into them. So cue another pair ordered and low and behold there was still overhang- hence having to wear the leopard print shoes yet again.

As usual ignore my face like a smacked backside- I was in quite a mood with myself as my hair hadn’t turned out how I wanted it to look down to an incident with the scissors at the hairdressers the day before (cue short layers all over). Oh and the dress does stain- right at the end of the night I managed to get vodka and coke spilled down me, and Steph’s dress got attacked by a drink as well. Sometimes I wonder why people don’t hold their drinks properly while walking through a crowded dance floor. However on a positive vodka and coke stains do wash out of the dress.

Anyway 3 and a bit more days to go until the weekend.

Miroslava Duma

(all via google)

I could quite happily spend hours at looking at pictures of Mirsolava (in a non stalkerish way)- I'm just completed obsessed with her style.

Five days to go and its a very long weekend- bring it on!!

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Pumped Up Kicks

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the gym- the majority of the time I hate the place. My New Years Resolution was to go once a week (I’ve kept it up) however on average I aim to go three times a week for at least an hour. Do I feel like I’ve lost weight or toned up? Nope. However the last few sessions while going at it on the cross trainer I’ve been thinking about gym fashion. To be honest I look a right clip and do I care nope. What’s the point in spending loads on a gym wardrobe, when that money could be put towards non-gym clothing.

Converse All Star Ox £34.99 and  Nike Woman's Air Vivus £55.80 via Spartoo

That’s when I started thinking about how individual people’s gym shoes are- obviously everybody is in trainers, but the vast variety of trainers people were wearing. No doubt when you did PE at school practically everyone in your class had the same brand of trainers. However at the gym people wear Converse in a variety of colours to bright pink Adidas trainers to plain white plimsoles. So I’ve decided to purchase some new Nike running shoes- my excuse being that I need some decent running shoes. I decided to purchase these as I was drawn to the fluro orange accents (well neon is in fashion) and then accidently these marine Converse ended up in my basket too.

I now feel like I’ll look the part in the gym now with my snazzy new footwear.

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A Bit of Retail Therapy...

I've realised that "Who is She" is missing hauls- well not really beauty hauls as you get to see them in the monthly "RayBox" feature, however there's nothing on the clothes I buy unless you see them on an outfit post. Due to the job situation if you're not aware my pay has gone down £300 a month which in addition to the money I used to save from the rest of my salary towards a house deposit I'm really cutting back on my spending I'm also saving up for a holiday in August. So items of clothing (except going out stuff) I'm trying to buy items which I can use for holidays/work/casual wear. Plus as I spend money on clothes like they're going out of fashion (literally) I've thought its about time I get some hauls up on here.

This is my spends from the last 6 weeks- note the lack of beauty products (check me out). I've linked back to the items where I can.

Clear Travel Containers/Bag, £1, Tan Sandals £4, Gold Platted Belt £1- All Primark, Messenger Bag With Edging £19.99 Zara (link), Banana PJ Bottoms £5, Guns N Roses Tank £8- Both Primark, Seamed Top £25.99 Zara (link).

Denim Shorts- £5 Primark, Multi Row Snake Chain Necklace £10 Topshop (link), Gold Beaded Chocker £3 Miss Selfridge, Beaded Collar Shirt Primark £10 (note this is small fitting across the chest- go up a size or two), Pink Cut Out Shoulder Top £30 Olivia Rubin for Dorothy Perkins (link).

Acid Flower Cut Out Dress £42 Topshop (in store), Stripy Dress £8, Gold Necklace £3 both Primark.

I'd actually thought this month I hadn't spent much on clothes.... hmmmm it appears not...

Don't forget to enter my Groupon giveaway.

Groupon Giveaway

If you live in the UK you will be aware of the company Groupon- basically in a nutshell Groupon allows you to buy deals at a reduced price. The deals can vary from a hotel break, to teeth whiting, to cupcake making. You can also get excellent deals on hotels abroad. I never knew how popular Groupon was until I over heard a conversation at work where some of the guys in my office had used Groupon to buy special deals on Diggerland and local farms which they take their families and how much money they had saved. Then Michelle commented that she had bought a cupcake making session for herself and her nieces, which then spookily I received an email from Steph saying she wanted to go on it.

Basically with offers which Groupon have, they have a set amount at a certain price to be gone within a certain time frame. When the offer is gone, its gone.

I was contacted recently asking whether I would like to purchase a deal off Groupon and review it for the blog- however I thought that I would use my £20 voucher and give it away to one of my readers for them to treat themselves.

Rules

Open to UK followers only

Leave a comment with enter me and let me know whether you have used Groupon before and what did you buy,

Leave your email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway will close at midnight 8^th June.

Good Luck

*Sponsered giveaway- content is my own

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Scrub

Benefit have recently branched out into a skin care range and to be honest I’d never paid the range much notice until I had a chance to have a good look at the Brow Bar Launch in Middlesbrough. I was aware of the skin care range from your blog posts and the mentions in magazines, however if I had ever stopped at a Benefit counter I would only look at the make up nothing else. I received a sample of their Refined Finish Facial Scrub* at the event, and after using it for the last month, I thought I would share my thoughts.

First up the packaging- its girly and kitch and keeping in with the Benefit brand, this would look fab on any dressing table. The tube itself is plastic and has what I would call gripping on- come on how many times have has a product slipped out of your hand while in the bath?

The product itself looks exactly like Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and on first inspection you may be wondering where the exfoliator is, however as soon as you start rubbing this into your skin, you realise how “gritty” it is. The exfoliator may be fine however the product is packed with it but isn’t harsh on the skin- I would say this is the most gentle exfoliator which I have used on my face, yet it its one of the most effective. The product does have a mild scent, which fits in with the rest of the Benefit skincare range, however this smell vanishes as soon as you work the product into your skin. It’s hard to pinpoint what the scent is, however the only way I can describe it is a clean refreshing smell.

A little tip for you- this product is amazing at removing fake tan in those stubborn places (ie neck, hands, elbows, tops of feet), everyone loves a multi purpose product. The product retails for £17.50 however you do get 127.5g and a little goes a very long way- the amount on my hand is more than enough for my face and neck. If you’re looking for a new facial exfoliator and you want to treat yourself I would definitely recommend this.

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Chicken

When you go to Nandos to scoff some chicken the key to a successful Nandos trip is to be comfortable in whatever you wear- at times tracksuit bottoms are ideal. However as my wife (or gaife aka gay wife) Nick was up for the weekend, I thought I would make some sort of effort purely as I haven’t seen him in months.

Glossy Doubleduty Circle Torque Bangle- OASAP (link)

Short Front Hem Open Shoulder Tee- OASAP (link)

Super Skinny Jeans- Primark

Spike Necklace- Topshop

Recently I’d received some items from Oasap and I thought this would be the perfect place to wear them- casual yet dressy enough for an afternoon out. If you haven’t checked out Oasap there are some little treasures to be found on that site. Currently I’m going through a right t-shirt and jeans phase at the moment, and if I could come to work in them I would, and this short front open shoulder tee appealed to me straightaway. I don’t own a single black tee so I thought this would be a fab addition to my wardrobe. The sizing on their website is mainly one size and isn't as big as I thought they would be as I'm normally a size 10 on top (but I have been blessed with a huge chest).

The same can be said about the gold circle torque bangle I picked up. I chose the larger size as even though I have tiny wrists I have man hands- seriously they’re huge, so bangles are a bit of an issue for me at times. This is actually too big for me, so I’ve been wearing it further up my arm. I’ve paired this with the Zara messenger bag which every blogger, their aunt, their long lost cousin and their next door neighbour has. I bought the grey version (Blogger has deleted my picture) and I’ve actually had this for well over a month now and will only use it if I go anywhere when I’m not at work as I don’t want it getting dirty under my desk. If you have this bag I’d definitely recommend you spraying it with suede protector beforehand.

Savlon First Aid Spray

It’s a double whammy of posts today and tomorrow from me, as I said I wanted to post everyday in May and due to two very long and manic days at work I haven’t had time to post. So post one of two is already up (see below) and for the second post I’m sharing with you a product which I very rarely go without using on a daily basis.

Yes it’s a first aid spray.

Even though I have my ears pierced twice, well three times but that was an accidental piercing by myself (moral of the story always look into the mirror when putting earrings in)- I never wear earrings on my lower lobes. However over the last year I have caught the piercing bug and have acquired 4 new piercings (tragus, helix, and opposite my tragus can’t remember what its called on my right ear, and then my anti helix on my left ear). I’ve been lucky and haven’t had any infections in my ears from the piercings- the only real trouble I have been having is if I sleep funny and then it flares up for a couple of days and then goes away.

My Treacle Muccy recommended this spray to me as her ears are full of metal and if you dare look at one of her piercings it will flare up and become infected and this is what she uses. I spray this morning and night on the front and back of each piercing and clean with a cotton wool bud. However this is rather drying on the skin, so normally every other day I will use dettol to clean my piercings and to prevent my skin from drying out.

I paid about £3 for this from Tesco and it’s lasted me everyday since last August and there is still well over half a bottle left. If you have piercings I'd definately recommend picking one up.

Benefit Browzings and a FOTD

Yes your eyes aren’t seeing things- this post includes a FOTD. Last month I attended the launch of the Benefit Brow Bar in Debenhams in Middlesbrough (post) and I also did a separate post on their signature brow (here). The Friday before last bank holiday I went to their Brow Bar in Newcastle Debenhams to get my brows re-tinted and waxed. At the Benefit event I received one of their Browzings* sets in my goody bag and was unsure of how to use it properly. Some people stated that you use the wax first, then the powder and others stated that it was the powder first and then the wax.

At the Brow Bar at Newcastle they give you a 20 minute time slot for the wax/tint and this allowed the lovely mua to show me how to use the brow kit. I’m starting to get the hang of using the browzings kit and I’m now wanting to use more darker shadows on my eyebrows (Mac Brun and Mystery I’m looking at you). It’s been 3 weeks since I had my brows tinted and waxed and I’ve noticed that since getting them waxed the hair is starting to grow back slightly quicker and the tint has faded quicker this time. I’m off to Boro next Saturday with Tor so I think I’ll get my brows tinted and waxed again- for £18.50 it’s not cheap however I don’t think its breaking the bank as some salons in Durham charge more than that.

I’ll be honest I’ve only used the wax once since getting this set, as my brows normally stay in place, so I’ve just been using the powder. I’ll also add that I’ve only been using this on nights out also- so normally my brows have lasted from 7.30ish until 2-3am. I would say that the powder itself can be used as an eye shadow or for eye liner so you will definitely get value for money from the set (£23.50). I also use an angled brush from Elf Studio Line (review here) to apply the powder.

Brace yourself for a FOTD..

Face

Benefit PoreFessional*

Mac Studio Fix Foundation (NW25)

Benefit Boi-ing (shade 2)

Mac Paintpot Painterly

Benefit Browzings* (medium)

Eyes

Mac Shadows- Haux, Satin Taupe, Shroom, Typographic

ELF Studio Cream Liner (black)

17 Wild Curls Mascara

Benefit They’re Real Mascara*

Cheeks

Mac Melba Blush

Vivo Baked Bronzer (shade 1)

Lips

Mac Hue

Models Own Grace Green

I've just realised that as no doubt I'll be in one hungover state today I thought I would schedule a post which I have had sitting in my drafts since last year. If there is anything you want to see on the blog please leave a comment below and let me know.

If you remember way back Models Own had their annual 50% off offer, which as you know causes absolute mayhem on their website and it crashes for hours at a time. However this time myself, Michelle and Holly had a plan- we'd make a list of what we wanted and then I would order everything in one go. So anyway Holly wanted their Autumn/Winter 2011 set which contained this beauty of a colour which I have wanted to get my hands on for a long time- Grace Green. As Holly is so lovely, she allowed me to try this colour before giving her the set.

I would say that in some lights this looks a fab olive/khaki green- as seen in the pictures above, however in some lights it looks like how do I put it sludge?? However personally I love this colour. With the majority of Models Own polishes the pictures you can see I have only used one coat which fully covers the nail. I don't know if its just me, but I've noticed that the thicker the nail polish from Models Own the quicker it takes to dry.

Normally if I use two coats of polish (or one and a topcoat) Models Own polishes can last me a good week with very little chipping. However the one coat lasted me a good 4 days before any tip wear was visable. Currently this isn't avaliable in any of my local Boots however you can buy direct from the Models Own website for £5.

Are you a fan of green nails??

No7 Eyeshadow Blending Brush

No7 Eyeshadow Blend & Contour Brush £7.25

It’s about time this little beauty had a post of its own. You will have seen this mentioned previously on the blog in monthly favourites and I can’t emphasise enough that you need this brush in your life. Seriously this is a contender to be crowned my favourite eye brush ever. Many bloggers have compared this to Mac 217 blending brush for a fraction of the price- I own a travel sized 217 and this totally blows the 217 out of the water.

Personally I only use this brush to blend my eye shadow in, and if you’re a fan of a smoky eye this will be your new best friend. I haven’t used this to apply colour all over my lids however I have a gut feeling it’ll do a brilliant job. I bought mine from Boots with a £5 No7 voucher so only ended up paying £2.25, however I would quite happily pay full price for it. In comparison to my Mac 217 when I wash this brush it instantly dries to shape- no moulting, no hairs sticking out of place- my Mac 217 appears to have split in the middle and looks more like a stippling brush than a blending brush.

You need this brush in your life!! I've bought a back up I love it that much!!

(They're currently in the 3 for 2 offer on beauty products in Boots- hint hint)

Sheer Cover Starter Kit

As always when I write a review on here I hope you all take into consideration what products don’t work for me, may work for you and vice versa, however once in a blue moon a set comes along which personally I am quite disappointed with. Before Christmas I’d attended a Girls Day Out Meet Up in Newcastle which was organised by the lovely Katie from Lady From A Tramp, and in our rather generous gift bags I’d received a Kabuki Brush from Sheer Cover. For me this brush is brilliant for popping in your bag on a night out to touch up your bronzer/blush and I’ve been really happy with it.

After the event I was contacted by Sheer Cover’s PR company asking if I wanted to try some Sheer Cover products and I was sent their Starter Set* which is aimed at Medium skin tones. It must be noted if you bought this set you also receive a DVD and a step by step guide to applying the products.

Foundation/Concealer brushes- To me these are the winners out of the set. The concealer brush is brilliant for precisely applying concealer under your eyes and to spots. The brush hairs do look quite “hard” in the picture however they are very soft and don’t irritate the skin. The foundation brush is just a winner with me- I’ve been using this to apply my Mac MSFN and it can also be used for blusher/bronzer.

Mineral Foundation (Buff/Latte)- this was the major disappointment of the set for me- as you can see the products are far to yellow based for my skin. I tried mixing both the colours together and still it was far too yellow based. This is a major let down with this set purely due to the hit and miss with the colour shades- there is only 4 to choose from. However it needs to be noted that this colour may work on your skin- my natural skin colour is a NW20 or NW25 in Mac with tan.

Concealer- yet again I had the same problem with the concealer. However to make the most of this product I have been using this as a primer on my eyelids before applying eye shadow. By using the product in this way my eye shadow has lasted much longer and can survive a gym session. Even though the product hasn’t worked for me (ie to conceal) I have been able to adapt this and use it.

Extra Length Mascara (Black)- a handy sized mascara to keep in your bag for on the day touch ups. I haven’t really noticed any lengthening effects on this mascara as my eyelashes are very long naturally. However this mascara does separate my lashes nicely and doesn’t clump them and I have been reaching for this more and more on a morning for work.

Eye Shadow/Blush/Lipstick Quad- I can’t cope with lip products in a case with powder products- the eye shadow/blush combo I can get away with but not lip products mixed in too. I don’t want to put product on my lips which has a powder film on top. The case itself is very sturdy and comes with a large mirror which is brilliant for on the go touch ups. The eye shadows aren’t the most pigmented, however they are very easily buildable. The blush is so so- is very pigmented and would work better on tanned skin, however its very blendable and can work on different skin tones.

Swatches of the compact

Base Perfector- I have no comment on this as I had an allergic reaction to it.   

The set can be ordered direct from Ideal World- my set is unavalible online however the retail price is approx £59.85.

Blog Buttons- June

You know the drill.

I've had a think and I'm offering 6 places based on a first come first served basis.

However to be fair each month there will be fresh blogs for you to check out and follow, so if your blog was on the month before you won't be on that month (I sound so harsh there) but you can put your blog forward for the month after.

As always blog buttons are free.

Right the gym is calling my name :/

The Holiday Shoe Dilemma..

I don’t know if it’s just me, but come holiday time I always have the age old dilemma of what shoes I should take. These are the questions which go through my mind-

Do I take flats? Heels? Flip Flops? What shoes do I travel in? How many pairs of shoes should I take? Do I pack my shoes in my suitcase, or put it in my hand luggage so I can pack some more clothes?

I took a pair of heels with me to Tenerife last year (the first time around), wore them for one night and lasted about 2 hours as my feet were hurting- and these were from what I would call my “comfy” heels. Second time around I didn’t bother taking heels, yet didn’t feel dressed on nights out.

So after some thinking I’ve decided that realistically you only really need 4 pairs of shoes to take away with you. Some comfy shoes to travel in (or flip flops)- Toms/Keds are ideal. Then there is flip flops for during the day- I normally have some Birkenstock esq sandals. For nights either a pair of flip flops/sandals in either black or tan (depending on what outfits your taking) and then if you’re one of the lucky ones who can wear heels abroad without your feet swelling up- a pair of wedges.

These are my current favourite picks-

Top- Havaians Top Metallic £17.99, Arian Tiffany Camel Sandal £26.99, O'Neill Razzle Black £22.99.

Bottom-  French Connextion Mahala Espadrilles £64.99, Avril Gau Ellen Espadrilles £185.99, Betty London SYNYT Espadrilles £48.99.

I really want the O'Neill Razzle flip flops as they would be perfect for nights out- especially as they come in both black and tan, but then again I do love the entire Havaianas range. Right I really need to get a holiday booked so I've got an excuse to buy them!!

Whats your approach to packing shoes for your holidays?

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Miss Selfridge Designers

I think I am stuck in a rut, every time I want new clothes (all the time) I tend to go to the same shops- Topshop, Primark, All Saints, H+M, Zara, New Look, Asos and then Debenhams for the concession stands. Even though I take pictures of things from magazines of what I want/like from Miss Selfridge, I never ever go into any of my local stores- the one at Newcastle is tiny, Metro Centre is cramped, and the Durham store which I used to go in has been moved into BHS and I very rarely shop in Durham (unless I’m desperate for something).

While having a major panic about the delivery of my Monki dress for the previous Bank Holiday Sunday (I’ll save that tale for the OOTN post), I clicked onto the Miss Selfridge website and I have to admit I have been very impressed with what I’ve seen. I know Topshop is known for its Boutique and Unique ranges, but did you know that Miss Selfridge also have their own Designed By and Project Geo ranges?

Project Geo

Printed Leggings £25, Bra Top £18

Tee £25, Acid Wash Studded Denim Jacket £59

This range just screams 80s at me, I do love the acid print denim jacket, however I personally wouldn’t wear it. Really love the cropped tee but as I don’t have the abs to work a cropped tee I would pair a vest under it. I think to me all the items in this range are statement pieces which need to be worn with plain items of clothing. Even though I have picked items from this range which I like, would I personally buy any pieces? Maybe the cropped tee.

Designed By

Printed Playsuit £40, Mirror Print Tunic £32, Neon Print Vest £35, Pleated Print Maxi £75

Now this range is right up my street- it screams McQueen and Missoni. I really want the tunic, and I’ve had a picture on my phone for about 6 weeks now, yet I’ve never gotten around to buying it (roll on payday 2 weeks tomorrow). This may be a bit controversial but I am sick of seeing the skirt/shirt combo on celebs- I just think its print overkill. To me this is definitely holiday material- Ibiza or Miami. Actually as I type this Michelle is on a 4 day cruise around the Bahamas (the cow :p) and is holidaying in Miami so these items of clothing would have been perfect for her. I think this range is quite girly, and from what I have seen it seems to be made from decent material, so your definitely getting your money’s worth.

Do you own anything from these ranges? If you’ve done outfit posts hit me up below.

April Favourites

Even though its only the 15^th I really feel that I’m behind with posting my monthly favourites, so here it goes. April has been quite a good month in terms of rediscovering old favourites and resisting the temptation to spend money on anything and everything.

Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng Toner- I previously wrote about this here after purchasing it in September- it’s still going strong. I would say I probably use this 5 out of 7 days a week and considering I have just under half a bottle left it’s definitely worth the £19.50 price. The Ginseng toner is for dry/normal skin and leaves your skin feeling fresh.

Ecotools Eye Shadow Brush- I’m quite OCD about my brushes- certain brushes are only used for certain shades (if that makes sense). So this brush I use to apply my work eyeshadow with (2^nd shade from right, top row, sleek storm palette), and then if I’m out on the weekend and the brush is clean its used to apply Mac’s Shroom or All That Glitters. Don’t ask me to explain my logic, its just one of those things. I bought this brush years ago from Tesco when they were on offer, and its just a brilliant brush to use to apply shadow with. Also in all the times I’ve washed it, its never once shed a hair- which to me shows how good quality it is. If you had to own one brush from the Ecotools range it needs to be this.

OPI Avoplex- I reviewed this here, I can’t get enough of it.

Mac Politely Pink Lipstick- I bought this way back in January and only worn it once or twice if that. Since Papa Dave’s birthday I’ve been wearing this more and more during the day while not working. I would say this colour comes between Hue and Patisserie and for me it’s the perfect your lips but better shade. I think this colour goes under the radar in the blogging community, but I would definitely recommend swatching this if you get a chance.

Illamasqua Bronzing Duo (Glint and Writhe)*- I’d actually wrote a nice long review on this but blogger deleted it. A fab product to use to contour, I’ll rewrite the review in the next couple of weeks.

Vivo Baked Blush (Peaches and Cream)- review can be found here.

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation (NW25)- the best foundation for nights out. I use this with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and I love the coverage it gives. I’m no use with types of coverage but I’d say it’s a medium-full. Will be purchasing a tube soon.

Benefit The Porefessional*- I love this stuff, stay peeled for a review shortly. Not purse friendly in the slightest, but I will be picking up a couple of copies of Glamour next month to get some samples of this to tie me over. Oh I only use this for nights out, not during the day.

Chanel Emerveille- the best nude eyeshadow ever. I normally either wear this by itself or on top of Mac’s All That Glitters. I find that if I don’t use a primer on my eyes, some of the shimmer ends up all over my eyes, but as its Chanel I can happily live with it.

Some cheeky swatches for you-

Running on Empties #3

Oh it’s starting to become a bit of a pain this shopping my stash (I hate this phrase) business, its starting to become a bit of a chore having to use the same products over and over again. Plus then there is some products which I thought were just about used up, but oh no they just like to continue giving and giving and giving (Max Factor False Effect I’m talking about you). However one positive to come from this is that the only beauty item I’ve purchased lately is some new deodorant- I’m living the dream I know.

But… its now coming to the stage when I’m running very low on items which I would deem are necessary and I am going to have to repurchase- Botanics Red Shampoo and Conditioner (currently on 3 for 2 in Boots), Revlon Nutri Colour, St Tropez Mousse and Crest Whitening Strips. I can definitely get away with rationing my fake tan and Nutri Colour toner and repurchase at the end of the month and I’ll get some Whitening Strips while I can. But needs must and the shampoo/conditioner are needed, and after an incident in the hairdressers which have resulted in about 4 inches of my hair being cut off I’ve had to buy some Lee Stafford Hair Growth Products to get my longer hair back (even though its still long-ish).

Anyway onto the products I’ve used up-

St Tropez Mousse- I always end up coming back to this tan and I would say that this is my favourite tan ever. Normally I purchase the 240ml bottle from ebay for about £16 and this lasts me a good couple of months. One coat is enough on my top half for a night out and then I do two on my legs- for some reason my upper body takes tan better than my legs. I currently have half a bottle of my back up left and I’ll be repurchasing, however I do want to try their new dark mousse.

Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb (30ml)- I’ve got about 3 bottles of this open at the moment, different sizes for different bags and all that jazz. This is one of my favourite perfumes and you can instantly tell when someone is wearing it. I’ll definitely repurchase this from duty free, unless I can find someone who wants to buy me a bottle… hint hint.

Primark Lipbalm- 50p for two lip balms you can’t be robbed. It tastes like plastic, is a bit grimy on your lips, but it keeps them moisturised. Will I repurchase? Nope I’d rather use Vasaline and I HATE vasaline.

Kiehls Crème De Corps and Ultra Facial Moisturizer- I’ve had these products for so long and I’m finally glad to be rid of them. I’m really not a fan of Crème de Corps and wouldn’t be repurchasing- it seems a bit of a waste of money. As for the Ultra Facial Moisturizer I felt that it was a bit “watery” and I would prefer it to be of a more thicker consistency. I’m undecided as to whether I would buy this again, I would probably try another face cream from the range instead.

Soap and Glory Body Wash- who doesn’t love Soap and Glory? Exactly nobody. Steph bought me this for Christmas, and I’ve also been using it for bubble baths as you do. Would I repurchase? Definitely.

There’s still loads of items left in my blog sale (below)- please buy my stuff ;)

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Vivo Peaches and Cream Blush

As a massive fan of Vivo's Baked Bronzers I've always been very interested in seeing if their Baked Blushes lived up to the same hype. After finally using up all of my Accessorize Scandal blush I decided that for my next drugstore blush I would try a Vivo blush. In particular the shade which seems to appear the most on people's blogs..

Many people have commented saying that this is a dupe for the famous Stereo Rose by Mac however personally from looking at swatches of Stereo Rose I don't see the similiarity. I would say that the look/feel/formulation/colour payoff of Vivo blushes is similiar to Mac Mineralize blushes which personally I am a fan of, however Vivo is a quarter of a price at a very purse friendly £4.

I've found it quite hard to capture its true colour as in different lights it looks more peachy, other lights more pinky. However I would say that the picture on the right is more accurate. Normally I apply this with a kabuki brush onto my cheeks first thing on a morning (7am) and I apply quite a bit of colour so by lunchtime there is still some colour payoff on my cheeks. Personally I feel that if I wanted this colour to last all day I would have to top up at lunchtime, however as I'm stuck behind my desk all day and I'm not going to meet the man of my dreams where I work- I'm not that

bothered about reapplying.

I've been using this now every day for the last 6 weeks, and I've literally just made a dent in the product- you definately get value for money and I'm definately going to repurchase this and maybe a more pinky blush (I never look at the names when I'm at the stand- bad blogger I know).

If you live in the Durham area, Tesco at Dragonville (Gilesgate) stock the full range, and you can also order from their website.

Right I'm off to get ready to go to Nandos with my favourite Gay aka my wife for some chicken and a bitch, and to get the items sorted for tomorrow's blog sale- keep your eyes peeled for that!! And its sunny- hurrah. Oh and HAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII to my new followers xxx

Volume.....FREEZE

My hair has a love-hate relationship with hairspray, sometimes they co-operate, other times they don’t. Normally hairspray likes to especially fail on me on that one time in a blue moon when you actually have a good hair day. Back in the day when I was at school near enough every day my hair would be caked in hairspray (don’t judge me that’s what was fashionable), however on a daily basis I very rarely use it, it’s normally just on nights out.

99.9% of the time you will have noticed that on nights out I always wear my hair curly, and no hairspray has managed to keep the curl in my hair for a decent length of time. I’d received this a few months ago and I’ve never really used it that much, however for nights out I’ve been reaching for John Frieda’s Luxurious Volume Thickening hairspray*.

John Frieda say that this hairspray “adds volume, body and lift to flat hair while its anti-humidity shield ensures exceptional hold, whatever the weather. Contains UV filters to protect against environmental damage. Quick drying, non sticky mist leaves a smooth flexible finish with added gloss”

While on nights out (with the beer goggles on) I never paid much attention to how my hair has been looking as the evening progresses, however looking back over photos- you can see this on my recent night time outfit posts, my hair is looking good and my curls are still in place. Personally I haven’t noticed any major difference in volume on my roots, however my curls look fuller. So even though I can’t promise volume, I do think it does a brilliant job of keeping my hair in place. I do feel that my hair the next morning is rather dry from the product, however its easily brushed out.

Would I repurchase? Definitely. This currently retails for £5.79 although all John Frieda products are currently on offer 2 for £7.50 in Boots.

Speechless

At times being so tall has its advantages- however the downside is having flippers for feet. As I’m getting older my feet are shrinking (hurrah) and shopping for shoes have become less traumatic and more enjoyable. In most places I normally wear an 8 with the occasional 7, even those most places do cater for a size 9. However at times you come across the one pair of sandals which you know you need to have in your life.

Even if they make your feet throb and you struggle to walk in them you’re still obsessed- let me introduce you to these beauties from Missoni.

Missoni TM13 Heels, £399 via Spartoo

I do hold quite a soft spot for Missoni and I just love their prints, and these heels don’t necessarily scream out Missoni but you still can tell they are Missoni. Personally these heels are so versatile and can easily be worn with a variety of different outfits. Personally I would wear these with jeans and a white blazer, and have the shoes as a statement. Yes the shoes are pricey however as they are from a major fashion house and in their signature print are worth the investment in my eyes.

Just a shame they don’t go up to my size :(

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OPI Avoplex

I’ve been using Avoplex now constantly for about 6 weeks and I now feel in a position to be able to provide a more accurate review. OPI recommend that you use this twice a day on your cuticles however I apply this every time I wash my hands at work as the soap is very drying on my hands. Normally if I’m not a work I apply two-three times a day. Considering you get 15ml of product you literally need the smallest amount, and I’ve hardly made a dent in my bottle- it looks unused.

OPI state that their Avoplex products are rich with natural moisturisers and the natural avocado oil and phospholipids soak deep to nourish skin, cuticles and your nails. Plus as Avoplex is so gentle on your skin you can also use it if you have extensions/gel overlays on your nails and it won’t cause any damage.

Prior to using Avolplex my nails weren’t in the best of condition- I used to suffer from bad snag skin which would at times be painful. However since using this and refraining from picking the skin, my nails haven’t been in a better condition. I’ve noticed that if I don’t use Avoplex I start to suffer from bad skin, so I make sure I take time out daily to apply this. My overall nail condition has also improved greatly since introducing both this and Mavala Scientifique into my routine- since January one, yes one nail has snapped and that was purely due to me catching in my seatbelt. I still suffer from the odd peeling nail however I deal with it as and when.

Personally I really enjoy the scent of Avoplex products, however I know it’s not to everyone’s taste. I’ve never seen this on the net yet, so this may purely be a rumour however there is going to be a fragrance free Avoplex range coming out. Normally this retails in Boots/Sallys for about £18-19 however I paid about £8.50 with my cousins discount card in a recent haul. However if you are in no rush you can get this off ebay (including p+p from America) for about £7-8 (seller Beautyzone2007).

Madonna Truth or Dare Fragrance

Celebrity fragrances are becoming more and more common these days from the A list right down to the Z list. Now and again one fragrance comes out which personally could easily pass for a perfume from one of the top fragrance houses. This perfume is Truth or Dare* by none other than the Queen of Pop- Madonna.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been testing this perfume and even though I have made my mind up about this perfume I had to wait until after wearing it for a night out until writing this review.

“Combining a unique blend of narcotic floral balances with addictive woods and vanilla, Truth or Dare challenges customers to get in touch with the dual forces that coexist in everyone. Darkness vs light, innocence vs deceit- the fragrance dares to expose what lies beneath”.

In all honesty I don’t really know what I was expecting the fragrance to be like, however I am obsessed with it. Its one of those “strong” scents, which to me I would prefer to wear during the day, rather than on a night (if that makes sense). The floral undertones is very prominent, however personally this is what appeals to me when it comes to picking out perfumes. Normally for work I apply perfume around 7am and then I normally only reapply if I am going to a meeting or going out for lunch/after work, so usually any scent is long gone by lunch.

When testing this I have deliberately only applied this once in the morning- one squirt on my wrists and one on my neck. Truth or Dare has serious staying power- this lasted until I got to the gym (4.30pm) and I could still smell this post workout. Come to nights out- this yet again passed the test- normally I top up my perfume throughout the night, however on Sunday I made Steph keep hold of this bottle to prevent me from reapplying. By the end of the night the scent was still present, however it wasn’t as strong as it was when I wear it during the day.

Since wearing this I’ve received so many compliments from my work colleagues/friends as to what I’ve been wearing, so once my sample is used up I’m definitely going to purchase the 30ml bottle. The Eau de parfum retails for the following amounts 75ml- £42, 50ml- £32, 30ml- £25.

Currently Truth or Dare is being sold exclusively in Selfridges (both in store and online), however this will shortly be getting rolled out to the usual perfume retailers.

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