The Versatile Blogger Award!

My first blog award!
Thank you so much YourAlmostAlice for nominating me!


I'll nominate the blogs I enjoy now:
1. Culton's Blog
2. AnnieMacJ
3. LadyCrowX
4. BabyGothGurl
5. Dot Scribbles


Now 7 interesting facts about me...
1. I'm a pescitarian, and I have been for 9 years. I'd be a vegetarian if it wasn't for my love of fish!
2.My favourite food is probably seafood - and I love crab!
3. I own 2 guinea pigs, who live with me at uni and go everwhere with me, called Damon and Aro - they're my babies! (I shall have to do a post)
4. I love crafts, and I'm always making something! Jewellery, cards, sewing, knitting etc
5. My favourite film in the world is Disney's Alice in Wonderland - I know every word.
6. I want to go travelling for a year, visit lots of different countries and learn new things.
7. I'm a huge bookworm and I always have a book in my bag.


Thank you again Natalie for nominating me! xx

MAC Viva Glam Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin

OH. EM. GEE.
I was just browsing a couple of my favourite bloggers sites, and I saw this.
I am TOO excited right now.

Incase you didn't know, MAC have a line of cosmetics called Viva Glam, where 100% of the selling price of each item goes to their Aids Fund. 

Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin have become the newest Spokespeople for the Fund, meaning they are both bringing out their own product each on the Viva Glam line.

This excites me SO much. I am a huge fan of Nicki Minaj and I would just love to have a product from her.

This lipstick looks amazing. I love satin pink colours, and I feel like I could wear this every day. 

With it being Nicki too, I feel like this product has been made for me - sad, I know!

I'm maybe not so excited about the Lip Conditioner, mainly because it's not something that appeals to me. I like to use the usual Vaseline and keep it at that.

Apparently these will be released sometimes this February ... CAN I HAVE IT NOW, please?

Sorry this has been a hugely excitable post.

Please note: Images provided are not mine, they are from http://www.xsparkage.com/?p=4510#more-4510

Mum's The Word!

Hi!
While I was home for a few days, my mum wanted me to give her a make over.
I plucked and reshaped her eyebrows and she'd just had her hair newly cut.
She says she's in an unsure stage in her life. She's unsure how to dress, what to wear, how to have her hair. She's turning 45 in June (she'll kill me for putting this on here, ha!) and she's never been one to wear makeup. Usually she had mascara and a touch of eyeliner on.


So off I worked my magic on her:
A blank canvas...

I asked her how she wanted me to do it. She said she wanted it dramatic, and just to do what I wanted without making her look like a clown (Me, Clown? Never!)

My mum has really dry skin, and she finds that when she applies foundation, it sticks to all the dead skin and hairs no matter what she uses.

I used my Simple moisturiser and let it sink in while I did her eyes which I decided to use my naked palette for, and just go for it.

And here we go, and I think it looks amazing. It makes such a difference to her.

Some of you might think she's wearing a little much makeup, others might not.

This was just a play around, and to see what she'd look like with some slap on! 

Hope you like :)

ELF Haul

Hi everyone!

So while I was at home last week, my ELF products got delivered - I was SO excited.

ELF are a company I have been interested in for a while. After hearing about how cheap they are and a range of reviews on them, from their cosmetics to their brushes, I had to have a try and after all, if I was unhappy I'd only have lost a little money than I would if I was trying say, MAC.

I made sure I bought products that I would actually use, and also want.
So here we go:

I've been after new brushes, and products to create more looks with.

Eye Shadow Brush

Eye Crease Brush

Eyeliner Brush

Studio Stippling Brush


These brushes are so soft, and they're exactly what I was expecting.
I haven't used them all yet, but I especially love the Stippling brush - although to be honest, it does shed a little. I'm not sure if this is just because it's a first use or if it will be a problem? I'll let you know!

Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Grassy Green

I'm a sucker for eyeliner. I love it either to line my eyes or as a base for eyeshadows. I don't own any green eyeliners so thought I'd give this a shot. The pencil itself has a glittery texture to it, and it really emphasizes on the "Shimmer".

When I swatched, I was really disappointed. The green is a lovely colour but there just isn't any sparkle or "shimmer" to it. 

The product itself applys nice -  it's soft, it's easy to blend and doesn't seem like it would dig or drag your eye in use.

I love the aspect that you get a sharpener in the lid, which is always a bummer when you run low and can't find your sharpener!

Lipstick in VooDoo

I love red lipsticks. Although I don't wear them all the time, I think that they're beautiful. So when I saw this on the website, I had to buy! I decided to go for "Voodoo" which is described as " Spicy Warm Red Creme". I do feel that when I swatch, this shade might be a little too dark for me. I hope not though!
The smell of this product is beautiful. It is quite fruity, reminds me of sweets, cherry lollipops or raspberries - now I feel like Alice when she drinks the "Drink Me" bottle.
I'm really looking forward to trying this out on me, hopefully it'll suit my skin tone.

Cream Eyeliner - #D20

As soon as I saw this colour, I just about DIED. I adore blues, and this just swept me off my feet. I honestly can't wait to use it!

You get this with a little brush, obviously to be used for application. When I first got this product, I tried it with my finger first and it had a good pay off but not great. I then used the brush, and it looked fabulous on my hand!

I am really excited to see what with will look like on my eyes, whether it will be as vibrant!

Cream Eyeshadow - Natural Glow #D20

This is quite a hefty item! I was surprised at how big the packaging is actually, although I do think you get quite a bit of product. I was excited to try this, and I love golds especially for nighttime looks!

When I swatched, it looks like amazing pay off on my finger and I was excited to see what it would be like - felt a little let down. It is creamy (obviously) and I think it would take a while to build up a solid colour with this. It does have amazing shimmer though, and I think it would amazing blended towards my brow as a highlight. I am going to see if it would work as a base to give something more shimmer. 

Overall, I am really happy with my products and because they were so cheap, I feel like I've snapped up a bargain! 

Most products are £1.50 - £3 from them, and I think they're really good value for money. They do remind me a lot like MUA which is currently available in Superdrugs at £1 a product!

Have you ever ordered from ELF before? What were your thoughts? 

My Wish List

Hi all :)

I've been thinking about items and products I'd love amongst my collection.

Since I've started this blog, my love for beauty has grown so much. I love talking with people via twitter etc about our love, interests and our excitement for upcoming events (IMATS, I couldn't go though, boo!) and releases (Cannot wait for Revlon Lip Butters)

I've found a new friend amongst YourAlmostAlice, and I love that I can find out about something beauty related and know she'll be just as excited as I am.

Anyway, onto my wishlist! .......

Inglot Eyeshadows
Image taken from weshouldmakeup.blogspot.com

I've seen a few people playing around with inglot lately and the colour pay off looks amazing.
After seeing xSparkage using her palette and showing swatches on her website, I really want some!


MAC Viva La Glam
Image taken from Mac website

MAC and Lady Gaga have released their Viva Glam collection! I am desperate for these as I am a huge fan of Gaga! I love limited edition packaging, and I love black and red together.
Next time I call into MAC, I need to have a swatch of these and possibly a cheeky purchase!


Illamasqua Pure Pigment - Static
Image taken from beautygala.com

After buying the Pure Pigment Berber, I want this. I saw it when I was swatching the Illamasqua products and this could look amazing over white or black eyeshadow.

Hopefully you may see these products in the new few months on my blogs.

What are on your Wish lists?

A Bit Of A Personal Post

Hi everyone,


I'm going be brave and talk about something that is very personal to me, sharing with you my experiences on the subject. 
I think it's always great to hear about someone who suffers from something similar to you. It makes you feel that little bit better about yourself, like someone understands and so you don't feel so alien. Although it can be very embarrassing and distressing to people who have the same complaint, I think us women should unite together and shout that we aren't perfect, we have issues and problems and it should be open and shared with the other women of the world!


My problem is I suffer from facial hair, more so on my chin and neck area. 
It's something that appeared when I was about 16 out of the blue. It was mainly really black wirey sideburns when it first developed.  
I went to the doctors to see if there was something I could do about it.
Was it my fault? Was it something I could stop? But since then it's been something I've just had to live with while going to and from hospital appointments. 


I went to the doctors and he referred me for tests: blood tests, hormone checks etc etc. 
They thought I then had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome as I had 1 cyst on my ovary, and the also other symptoms like weight gain and facial hair. 
I think it's hard for someone of a larger size. Everyone wants you to be the perfect size 10, but as I'm sure every one of you readers know, that's so hard to achieve and maintain. Having a problem like PCOS and so on, it really isn't a matter of eating less. It's something you can't control on your own.


I underwent treatment of Laser Hair Removal for my facial hair, having 1 session a month for 8 months through the NHS. I was told that I was the perfect skin type for the treatment (pale skin, dark hair) and at the end of the 8 treatments, there was a 10% chance it could come back.
Unfortunately it did, and it seems to have come back with avengeance. 


On 9th August 2011, I had to undergo surgery to remove the cyst that was on my ovary through a caesarian cut on my stomach/womb. They found another while they were operating so I ended up having 2 removed. I spent 5 days in hospital, and 6-8 weeks recovering.
Apparently one of the cysts was the size of a grapefruit.


Yesterday (Friday 3rd) I decided to go back to the doctors to ask for more laser removal for my face - the hair has been getting to me recently and I was sick of hiding it or shaving.
The doctor said that he couldn't see me getting the treatment as the NHS have made cuts on cosmetic surgery but he'll refer me to a dermatologist. 


I had to do SOMETHING. 
My mum was getting her hair cut yesterday at the new salon that had just opened around the corner from my house. One of the girls who worked there does nails as well as threading. I decided to have a word with her about what she thought the best way would be to get rid of my beard (waxing, home laser kit, threading) and she said that threading would be the best bet as it was quick and easy. 
She fit me in straight away and off she went working her magic.
I'm not going to lie to you, it hurt. But it was quick and my skin feels so soft unlike when I shave. They also say "No Pain, No Gain" and I think it's worth the 5/10 minutes of pain to remove something you hate.
On a plus side, no chemicals are used. Just cotton thread and tea tree oil to calm the skin down afterwards. 
I'm actually really happy with the results, and I can see why this is hitting off big time throughout the world of beauty. A lot of people mainly have their eyebrows done, and it's great for the shaping and tidying up.
I'm hoping that my treatment lasts me a few weeks, and I'll be doing a more detailed post about my experience of threading, what happens afterwards and what it's like when it grows back.


I hope you enjoyed reading this post, it's been very personal to me and I hope anyone who suffers from the same complaints feels like they can be open and comfortable with themselves - it's nothing to be ashamed of, and a lot of people suffer from facial hair!
I'm happy to answer any questions regarding anything mentioned in this post, sorry for rambling a little. 


Please note, everything I've mentioned in this post has a link to what it is so that you can easily find what I am talking about. I have not been paid to post about this, nor asked to. It is from my own personal experience and will hopefully help others.

Avon Makeup Haul

Hi everyone!
I've used Avon for as long as I can remember. At home we have our Avon lady Alison come round every 2 week-a month with our catalogue and our orders. She's so lovely and you really create a relationship with your rep, they know their way around the products so if you're unsure, ask!


Over the last 2 years or so, I've moved away from Avon and we hardly get anything from the catalogue anymore which is a real shame. But since watching the Pixiwoo sisters on Youtube, they've really got me back into the company - they use high end products along with Avon and you really get a feel and the quality for the products.
I decided to take a plunge, and order some bits from the Avon website, mainly because I didn't want to find my local Avon rep and have to have the catalogue, as I imagine this will be a one off spend!


When ordering, I decided to take advantage of the offer they had on - Receive a free beauty bonus when you spend £10 on selected products).

I ordered:

• SuperShock Mascara in Black (Which has been missed off being sent, boo!)
• Glimmerstick Diamonds in 
• Smokey Diamonds
• Sugar Plum
• Emerald Glow
• Glimmerstick Brow Definer in Dark Brown

In my "Beauty Bonus" I got:

• A card gift box
• Glimmerstick Eyeliner in Blackest Black
• Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel in Real Red
• True Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Black Pearl

Smokey Diamond, Sugar Plum, Emerald Glow, Blackest Black

Brow Definer in Dark Brown

I'm happy with my Avon order, although gutted they missed off my Mascara although I'm sure they'll sort it. I'm looking forward to trying out my new products in tutorials and looks to come!

Have you ever ordered anything from Avon? What were your thoughts?