Seriously Sally Hansen, Seriously?

So, my nail challenge is going well, so I thought I'd go for a nice pink NOTD, using Fairy Cake by 17. The application wasn't the easiest, but I did ok. I thought I'd top it off with some Sally Hansen Nail Shine Miracle, which I won about a month ago. This product usually retails around £9.50 and claims to give a 'salon perfect, shiny manicure that lasts up to 10 days'

Well, it was a big mistake! I waited until my varnish was nice and dry, and then added one thick coat as advised.   This was where it all went wrong. It instantly made my nails all sticky, and didn't seem to dry. I waited a good few minutes, but it was still so sticky that I ended up ruining most of my nails as I was getting ready to go out. All my good work was undone, and I had to take off all the varnish as it looked so awful. If I just hadn't bothered with the top coat, I would have been fine. Now this is a fairly expensive product, so I would have expected more. I don't know if it would be different over another varnish, but I have to say I am very disappointed. Like I said, I won this from Sally Hansen, so nothing lost. I don't know whether to give it another chance to redeem itself, but after today I really don't know if I want to! Its a shame really, I have other products by Sally Hansen that I like, but this has been a let down.

Has anyone used this? How did you find it?

Don't worry though, I have now done another NOTD, which I will post later!





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Avon calling, part 2

Told you there would be more Avon posts! This is my second, slightly smaller order. I hope that it will be helpful for you to see my purchases, as I think we are all a bit nervous of ordering things we have never seen properly. It can be a bit hit and miss, as you will see.

I got almond and milk body lotion, which was a free gift from my lovely rep for spending over £30, (my mum helped out with this!) This smells absolutely amazing, a great gift. Then we have Aloha liquid soap, which was £1 as I spent over £10. This smells ok, and I am sure will work perfectly well as a soap, not much else to say about it! Again, couldn't resist a wee treat for my feet, and got the cherry ice exfoliating scrub for £1.80. This actually smells alot better than the spray I got last time. Just need to find a moment to give myself a pedicure. This Dry Skin SOS cream is for my boyfriend, he has eczema and really dry skin, so is always on the lookout for something to help that. Let me know if you would like an update, maybe I can persuade him to do a review!

I ordered the clearskin blemish clearing blemish stick (bit of a mouthful) which is the slight miss I was talking about. From the catalogue I thought it was one of those sticks that you can apply to a blemish to help clear it up. Which I guess it is, but its also a concealer. I think this is where Avon sometimes falls short, the items in the catalogue don't always have the best descriptions.Its actually an ok colour, and has a kind of medicated smell, so hopefully will do some good.

This cost £1.75, so i'll give it a go and see how I get on. The packaging did amuse me a bit-

Skin coloured? Is there such a colour? Surely they understand there are many different skin colours?

I also ordered a couple of make up products, surprise surprise!

These are the Illuminating face pearls which were £5.00, and a glimmerstick brow definer in Blonde. I am a bit unsure of this, but I am going to do a full post about my eyebrow crayon dilemmas!

Katie T always puts in a good few samples for me to try, as she knows what I'm like. I got a few perfume samples, including the Reese Witherspoon one that I requested, some skincare samples and these cute lipsticks-

How adorable are they? So teeny tiny, and ideal for travelling.

I have to say, I am loving getting the Avon catalogue every few weeks, I can spend ages trawling through it looking for bargains. I am not sure my purse is so happy though!

Let me know if you would like any reviews, or have any Avon recommendations!


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4 things Tag

I was tagged for this by Stars Glitter Magic, (check out her blog, its awesome!) and thought it looked fun, and is a good way to let you know a bit more about me!

4 things in my bag

1. My phone-HTC Desire, its new, and I love it!

2. Keys, for mine and my boyfriends, so its a big bundle!

3.Hello Kitty Make up bag- usually has powder, mirror, and other things i'm wearing that day.

4. Brush- to tame the mane on the go.

4 things found in my purse

1. My student card- gotta love those student discounts!

2. Pennies- I'm poor :(

3. A No.7 voucher- I've used 2 already, but the cycle continues!

4. Nando's loyalty card- Free quarter chicken, get in!

4 favourite things in my room

1. My Bed- I like to sleep!

2.My Clock Radio- Its ancient, but I love it. Its not so happy that I spilt tea in it, so might have to be replaced!

3. My cupcake make up drawers- Pretty drawers full of pretty make up!

4. My tiny pink Steiff bear-  I got him in Hamleys, he is teeny and pink, beautiful!

4 things i've always wanted to do

1. Become a Nurse- Despite some detours, in a years time, i'll be there!

2. Own a Horse- I live in the city, I can't ride, but I can dream...

3. Go to Japan- One day, one day!

4. Own a campervan- Again, I can dream...

4 things i'm currently into

1. Nail Polish- The nails are growing, they must look pretty!

2.Hot and Sour Soup- Don't know why,it makes my lips sting, but I love it!

3. Blogging- Cos its fun, innit?

4. Four Weddings- Awesomely funny show!

4 things i bet you didn't know about me

1. I have an extra rib.

2. I am a rubbish swimmer but can Scuba Dive.

3. I spent a year in Australia.

4. I run a charity, sending volunteers to Africa.

4 songs i can't get out of my head

1. Love the way you lie- Eminem Feat. Rihanna - Had to google to see what the song was, I just keep singing 'Stand there and watch you burn' in my head. I don't even like Eminem!

2. Mountains- Biffy Clyro
3.Time to Pretend-MGMT
4. Keep Yourself Warm- Frightened Rabbit

I Tag:
Fashionable Addict
Eye to the Keyhole
Drugstore and Bargain Lover
Just Aimee

Rules:

once tagged you must link the person who tagged you

tag 4 others

let the bloggers know they have been tagged

give 4 answers to each question asked

I can't wait to read all your answers!


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My stop nail biting challenge and first ever NOTD!

As I have mentioned before, I have the nasty habit of biting my nails, and always have. Well, the time has come for it to stop! I am always so jealous of all your NOTD posts, with lovely nail art, so this is my inspiration to stop. I especially love the konad nails I have seen, and am going to treat myself to a konad set once my nails have grown enough. I have already managed a few weeks of no biting, and its going well so far.

Now I know they might not look long at all, but believe me, this is good progress! They are usually so nibbled that no tip is visible! I can really feel the difference, like them catching on things, and when I type. I quite like this though, and its all motivation! I am scared though that if one breaks then I might just give up and be back at square one. I think if I keep them nicely painted though, this will deter me from biting, and look nice of course! This means, I have been purchasing some nice polishes recently, mostly Barry M, as I love the range of colours, and they have been on offer at 2 for £5. So, drum roll please...... its my first ever Nail of the Day (NOTD)!

The polish I used was Barry M's Berry Ice Cream. I have a few of the ice cream shades, and love them all. I think it looks so summery, even if the weather up here doesn't agree. I put on 2 coats, without a top coat, and it has lasted about 2 days before chips started happening today. I guess that will teach me to not use a top coat. As having nicely painted nails is my main motivation for stopping the biting, I think I will make a weekly NOTD post, to keep me going!

As I am not that used to painting my nails, they don't turn out that neat. I thought I'd share with you a little something that I first saw on Jelena's blog, that helps me out a bit.

Its the Boots expert Nail polish remover pen. It cost £5, and is like a felt tip, but made of nail polish remover. I know that many people use cotton buds or orange sticks dipped into remover, but I find this a little fiddly, and this pen just makes things easier for me. I use it to tidy up around the edges, and hopefully make my nails look a bit tidier.

So, wish me luck with my stop biting challenge, and any tips, gratefully appreciated!



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Making me blush! Part one- Models own

Recently blushers have become a big favourite of mine, so I thought I would start a series showcasing some of my favourites. Lets start off with the 2 I have from Models Own, as recently featured in my July favourites. I have Warm Glow and Cheeky Pink. These retail at £5 each, and can be bought in some Boots stores, and on the models own website. Models own are planning to offer 50% off all products if they reach 10,000 likes on their facebook page.

Packaging
I like the packaging, its basic, and feels sturdy. The blushers kind of snap shut. They feel like they won't get damaged in your make up bag when travelling, something that really annoys me.

You get a generous amount of product, and I love the shades of both of these blushers.

These swatches aren't the best, but give some idea of the colours. I found that the colour of my actual product looks nothing like the ones on the models own website! What I love about these blushers is that they give a luminous, highlighting effect, without looking shimmery. They just make you glow! They are fairly pigmented, so its good to start with a light hand, and build up.

Any Models Own products you would recommend?

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Sleek Palettes

I mentioned in a post a while back that I got my first sleek palette, in original. Well since then, I got sucked in to all the hype and had to get the new limited edition palette, circus! I think the palettes are great value for money at £5.99 for 12 very pigmented eye shadows!

Original

The packaging on all the permanent palettes is the same, sleek black. I like this, its plain and classy!

You get a generous amount of shadow, and a big mirror!

As you can see, there is a wide range of colours, all highly pigmented. They are all pearl except the black, which is matte. This is a palette I can see myself getting alot of use out of.

Circus

The limited edition palettes are normally a different colour, and this one is red, which is befitting to the circus theme!

The colours in this one are very bright and circus like.

I am not sure I will get quite so much use out of this palette, but it will be great for adding a pop of colour to an eye. There are alot more matte shades in this one. Now I just need to practice my eye make up skills, so I can post some eye of the days.

Hope you enjoyed a look at my sleek palettes, any recommendations for my next one?

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Clinique update

A few weeks back I told you about being accepted to the Clinique ambassador programme,and starting a 2 week trial of their 3 step system. (see post here) Many thanks to those you that signed up to the site using my ambassador code, I am now a full ambassador,  and as I was one of the first 200 to complete all the steps, I will be getting a full size set of the 3 step. So, what did I think?
Well, I think its ok. Yeah, just ok, nothing amazing, and certainly not amazing for the retail price of £42 for the full sized set. Sometimes I think my skin is looking good,but at other times it feels a bit greasy,and I am still getting breakouts, although this is pretty normal for me. So while it might not be making breakouts worse, it isn't stopping them, which is what I really want from a skincare routine. I still don't like using a facial soap at night, so might go back to using my normal cleanser at night.

Its still only been a few weeks, so I will keep on using it for a while longer. I still have a good amount left of the original sample set I was sent, and soon should have my full sized set.

I look forward to hearing how everyone gets on with the free samples from the site. You can still sign up at www.3thingsbefore30.com, and can use my code FR27330229 if you wish. This site is UK only
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Avon calling!

I was very excited when one of my best friends, Katie T, told me that she was becoming an Avon rep! I have always liked Avon stuff, its good quality, and there are some great offers in the brochure. You may see a few posts like this in the future!

The thing I was most excited to get was the frizz control Lotus Shield.

This is a lightweight serum, which claims to smooth and tame, and provide a barrier against humid weather. As we get alot of damp weather up here in Scotland, this could be a lifesaver! I have had a go already, and am liking it so far. I will give it a proper review after a few weeks use. This was £5 on offer, usual price £7.

The other things I got were facial suncream for £4, which is alot cheaper than other brands I have seen. Its spf 30, so should protect my pale skin. It is also anti-ageing, bonus!

I got a spa headband for £1.50, which will be good for when I use face masks and the like.

I got a couple of foot products, as I don't know about you, but summer comes around, and my feet start to look horrible, all hard, cracked, and generally eww.  I got footworks pedi peel pads, which were £2.15, and are basically pads that you rub over your heels, and they provide intensive moisturisation. They did seem to make my feet feel softer, but my quest for something to properly sort them out continues! I also got footworks cooling foot spray,in cherry, for £2.25. This will be great after a long day on my feet on placement. The smell is pretty fake, but it feels nice and cooling.

Sometimes I suffer from a dry, itchy and flaky scalp, so I got the advance techniques scalp treatment for £2.70. I have yet to try this, but hope it will help when I get a flare up.

The final product I got was a glimmer stick, which was £2 as I had already spent over £10 in the brochure.

I got this in starry night blue, which is a dark navy kind of shade. I can't say it seems that glimmery to me! Its one of the eye pencils that winds up-

All in all, very pleased with my Avon haul! I am putting in another order tomorrow, so you will get to see that in a few weeks.

I have a few questions for you ladies about Avon-
Any product recommendations?
Anyone been an Avon rep and have any tips for Katie?
Anyone know of a good smudgeproof mascara from Avon? (customer question Katie got)
Thanks!


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July Favourites

Can't believe its the end of July already! I'll be back at uni in no time. I have been loving a few products this month, so thought i'd share them with you lucky ladies.

HTC Desire- This is one of the most exciting things of this month! I've only had it for 4 days, but I love it! Of course I  had to get a pink cover for it, which was £2.99 from Amazon. The phone itself was free, on a £25 a month contract from Orange. It does just about everything, and I am thinking on doing a review post about it, once i'm used to it. I know I like to hear about other experiences before I commit to something like a phone.

Using 2 Mascaras-  Yeah, old news I know, but new to me! I have been using a lengthening one over a volumising one, in the hope of improving both length and volume. I think I can see the difference, but it could be all in the mind.

Models own blushers-

I know there was alot of interest when Models Own came to Boots, and I managed to resist for a while. I read alot of good things about these blushers, and when I was in and saw a 2 for £8 offer, I could resist no longer. They are normally £5 each. I got warm glow and cheeky pink, and they are both lovely. I will be reviewing these in the new few days.

E.L.F powder and complexion brushes-

Again, old news! Both these brushes are great, the flat topped powder one is amazing for applying liquid foundation, and I like to use the complexion one for powders. I hate to admit it, but until I got this brush, I just used to use the applicators that come in powder! This gives a much better finish. These cost £3.50 each.

Soap & Glory You won't believe your eyes- This is an illuminating under eye serum, which moisturises and  perks up the under eye area, with light reflecting properties. I like to thing it makes me look a little more awake. This cost £9, but there is often 3 for 2 offers on in Boots.

Barry M nail paints-

Now nail varnish isn't really my thing, on account of my nails being bitten and manky. However, I find the summery Barry M colours irresistible. These are mint green, blueberry ice cream, and pink iridescent. I am going to paint my nails nicely, in an attempt to stop the biting. Any tips appreciated. I am already eyeing up the  strawberry and berry ice cream paints too! These cost £2.95 each, and there is an offer of 2 for £5 just now in Superdrug, or spend £6 and get a limited edition nail paint in Boots.

L'oreal Perfect Clean with scrublet-

The one pictured is the exfoliating foaming gentle scrub, but I also have the purifying foaming gel wash. I just love the scrublet. Using it means only a small amount of product is needed, and it leaves your skin feeling smooth and clean. The bristles are rubbery and soft, so feel nice on the skin. These cost £4.99 each, but I got them while on offer. There is currently a boots offer of 2 for £7 on selected L'oreal perfect clean.

NYC Color Wheel mosaic face powder-

These face powders are more of a mix between powder and blusher. I have them in rose glow, and peach glow. The colours blend together, and create a nice colour boost and glow. They come in 6 shades altogether, and cost £3.99, from Superdrug. There is currently a 3 for 2 on all NYC make up.

You will notice I like to get things on special offer! Its my way of justifying my spending, ha!


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