Essie East Hampton Cottage

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I have been thinking about this nail polish for a loooong time now, I've been going back and forth deciding whether or not to purchase. Well I am pleased to say that I bit the bullet and bought it at the weekend from ebay, and it arrived today!

There are a few reasons that motivated this purchase; I have been lemming this polish ever since the lovely Lexie mentioned it in one of her videos, the perfect creamy pink nude, I also love the name East Hampton Cottage, I would very much like to live in something very similar, I imagine it to be beachy, whitewashed clapboard and oh so shabby chic - perfect.

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Anyway, I digress, onto the colour...

This type of nail polish has become a firm favourite of mine recently, I think that it gives my hands the perfectly polished and elegant look which is classy and not too over the top. I also love Bubble Bath by OPI and the mini OPI colours in the Bridal Collection. I am not keen on something that is too creamy and a block colour like OPI's Mod About You, I prefer either a sheer consistency or a slight shimmer that's buildable, I am not adverse to applying 3 coats of polish, OPI or Essie usually dry quickly anyway, and it's all tied together with a little Seche Vite topcoat.

This brings me onto the question of nail polish brands, which do you prefer OPI or Essie? I know that there are other's out there but I am sucker for their polish names and I really like both brands brushes. Do you have any favourite nude, baby pink colours you recommend?

A little drugstore shopping...

It's been a while since I did a haul post, mainly because I haven't been shopping. I've been enjoying other pastimes at the weekends, being a little Martha Stewart at home and seeing friends and socialising, shopping hasn't been a top priority - that's not to say I didn't miss it!!

I quickly popped down to Boots this morning to pick up some bits and bobs for my holiday at the end of the week. My suitcase (well toiletry bag!) was super heavy so I wanted to get some travel sized bits and have a general mosey.

Johnsons 3 in 1 Cleansing Wipes for Dry and Sensitive Skin (for home from home makeup removal).
Nivea Rich Moisturising Day Cream.
Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo (cute travel size).
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Treatment (again cute travel size).
Botanics Glossy Brunette Conditioner (I'm hoping this will be a dupe for my Aveda Clove Conditioner, which helps keep my darker blonde in for longer).
Dove Minimising Nature Fresh Deodorant.
Boots Moisturising Nail Polish Remover Pads (perfect for my travel bag).
L'Oreal Perfect Clean Soothing Cream Wash with Scrublet (really excited to try this).
Maybelline Falsies Mascara (my favourite mascara at the moment).


Have you tried and loved any of my purchases?

What I am Loving this Weekend

Hi everyone, I hope you're all very well and enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK. I've really had "blog block" lately so I apologise for the lack of posts from me. I hope to start up again soon - I promise!

In the meantime, I thought that I would do something a little off the topic of beauty / cosmetics and do a little post on some things that I am loving this weekend for you, so here goes.

The Real Housewives of New York

There is presently a marathon of Season Two of the show on Diva TV (Sky 269 lol) and I am loving it! Alex and Simon are just plain irritating and Kelly is an idiot but I LOVE Bethenny, she is a gem.

Holidays by the Seaside

I am going on holiday to Devon at the end of next week and I can't wait. We have rented a Cath Kidston-esque cottage by the seaside, for some well needed rest and relaxation.

Essie Nail Polish 

I've really been getting into Essie at the moment, what are you favourite colours?

What are you loving at the moment?

What I am using right now...

I love reading these kinds of posts, it satisfies my curiosity!


Shampoo: Kerastase Bain Miroir 1.
Conditioner: Elvive Smooth Intense, Aveda Clove and Redken All Soft (I like to mix).
Styling Products: Tigi Rockaholic Born to Rock Leave in Conditioner, and Redken Satin Wear Blow Dry Lotion.
Shower Gel: Palmolive Coconut Shower Cream for dry skin.

Body moisturiser: Bath and Body Works Plumeria body cream and Butterfly Flower body lotion. 

Fake Tan: Not using one presently, I can't stand the smell.

Cleanser: Botanics Deep Clean Cleansing Foam with my Clarisonic.

Toner: Not using one at the moment.

Exfoliator: Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It scrub/mask and my Clarisonic.

Moisturiser: Nivea Q10 Night Cream and Nivea (in a pink tube!) for day.
Eye Cream: Aveda for night and Origins Ginzing for day.

Primer: L'Oreal Studio Secrets but I don't always remember.

Foundation: Mac Studio Fix Fluid.

Foundation brush: MAC 187

Concealer: Mac Studio Finish Concealer.

Powder: Bobbi Brown Sheer Loose Powder.

Blusher: Mac Melba.

Bronzer: Mac Golden bronzer.

Highlighter: None.

Eyeshadow base: None at the moment but I do like Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit.

Eyeshadows: Revlon Vintage Lace and Mac Coquette.

Eyeliner: Not using one at the moment.

Curler: Shu Uemura.

Mascara: Maybelline Falsies and the Volume one in the yellow tube (sorry can't remember the name!)

Lipstick: Mac Myth.

Lipgloss: MAC Dazzleglass Creme in Boy Bait, Lipglass in Florabundance or Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks.
Lipbalm: Burts Bees or Korres Guava Lip Butter (trying to use it up!).

Nail Colour: OPI Bubble Bath.

I'd like to tag:-


Marcia

Laura

Sarah

Daisy

Lydia

And anyone else who would like to do the tag, comment below so I can read your list!

Foundation Colour Help

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We all know how hard it is to find a good foundation shade. I thought that it might be helpful if I showed you the colours that I use over a few ranges:-

I am NC15 in Mac Studio Fix Fluid, and in summer I can use NC20 but moreover I am a true NC15. In Bobbi Brown I am Warm Ivory but I have also used Porcelain (see bottle at far right) in the past. Nars Sheer Glow I use Mont Blanc. In Revlon Photo Ready I use the shade Vanilla and in Colourstay I am Buff.

I hope this short little post was helpful, when I use any new foundations I will update this post to let you know the shade.
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I am really interested in trying Makeup For Ever's HD Foundation, does anyone use a similar shade to me as above and also use HD? I'd love to know what shade you use!

Review : Bliss Steep Clean Toner Pads

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About a month ago I was able to convince my lovely mum to treat me to some Bliss skincare, namely their Steep Clean Pads (and also a mask which I will review at a later date). They cost around £26.00 and you get 50 pads in the jar. I've used Bliss skincare before when I received a mini kit one Christmas and I really loved their Clog Dissolving Cleanser which smells gorgeous so I was interested to try some more of their products.

The main reason that I wanted to try these was because more recently I have noticed the pores around my nose have been becoming more noticeable and I wanted to try something to help with this.

The blurb on the box is what swung it for me; the must have mattifying, moisturising toner pads. Decongest pores and reduce inflammation. Gently exfoliates to reduce breakouts. Hydrates the skin to provide moisture balance. Controls oil where needed without drying. Which all sounded great for use mainly on my t-zone. The main ingredient in these is salicylic acid and it also contains pineapple and papaya enzymes. It also stated that you can use these pads to target certain areas of your face which was perfect for the purpose I wanted, as I was scared that they would be too harsh for use all over my face.

It also has some gimmicky rubbish about “smart sponge technology” but I won’t bore you with that, you can read it for yourself if you really feel the need here, but basically it's got some oil absorbing miracle worker ingredients which is all you need to know really!

The size of the pads is very good, they are the same size as the tub, and they have a waffle weave like texture on each side, one being slightly rougher than the other, so you can really get into the crevices at the sides of your nose. I used these night and day after cleansing and before moisturising.

I really liked the scent of the pads, they smelt very faintly of pineapple, nothing harsh and they didn’t sting one little bit, even after I had used my Clarisonic. I have used glycolic before and although by skin responds really well to it I have noticed a slight tingling sensation which these pads do not give you, so better for slightly more sensitive people I would imagine, but obviously you know your own skin!

The difference I have noticed is mainly to do with oil production, I don’t find myself needing to blot my t-zone throughout the day, or reapply my makeup which is great and will obviously in the long run help with breakouts if you suffer from any. I can’t say I’ve really noticed a massive difference in my pore size but I will say that my skin looks a lot more refined and clear, and maybe the pores have diminished a little bit. Overall I am very pleased with the results that I have had from using these pads and would definitely look into a similar product from another brand because I like to try new things.

Now that these have all gone I am looking into trying the Origins peel pads, has anyone tried these...?

April Favourites

I am so sorry for the lack of posts from me lately. Life has been so hectic and stressful. So sorry. Anyway onto the good stuff; it seems that monthly favourites are one of my most popular posts and I have to say I really enjoy thinking of the products and writing it all up, and this month has been a very good month for favourites!

First up lets start with the skincare; I have really been loving Bliss Steep Clean Toner Pads, especially for around my nose where I have quite enlarged pores, I really think they have made a big difference. Another Bliss product I have been enjoying is their Instant Gratification 10 Minute Mask, now I have had trouble finding this anywhere online so presumably it has been discontinued which bugged me a little bit because I paid full price for it in Fenwicks but nevermind. It's also been helping with my pores, I use is just on my nose a few times a week. I have also rediscovered my Clarisonic Mia which I have become very much attached to this month, it makes my skin super super soft and really cleans out the makeup and daily grime from my skin, I don't think I will stop using this now. Another skincare product is Garnier's Nutritionist Eyecream which I have been loving this month, it sinks in amazingly quickly and leaves my skin with a velvety matt feel, it doesn't sting or irritate my eyes either.

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Moving onto makeup; I have been loving L'Oreal's Super Liner, the dupe for Lancome's Artliner. It's so easy to apply to get a thin or thick line and it lasts so well and doesn't transfer, plus it's nice and affordable which is always a good thing. I have been wearing a very neutral eye and focusing more on the crease this month. Blanc Type (shown at bottom) all over the lid and either Coquette (left of photo) or Patina (right in pan) in the crease. This look has been completed with the mega lashes I have been getting from using Maybelline Falsies mascara, which is simply amazing. I have also been loving a peachier blush like Springsheen (shown top) or Melba (bottom right) both from Mac, which is much more flattering for my skintone at the moment.

What have you been loving this April?