NOTD : No 7 Beanie and Konad

Quick NOTD post, so I used to be mad about Konad, which is the art of stamping designs onto Nails, this one was created with 2 coats of No 7 Beanie polish, a dark brown polish, with a the bow from Konad Plate M56 stamped on with White Konad polish.

It was this little bow design that made me fall in love with Konad, as soon as I saw it, I had to have it and immediately ordered a starter kit (I think it's around £12 for the one I got that had 2 starter image plates, a scraper, a stamp and 2 mini polishes for stamping the designs on), when I ordered it, I thought it was going to be so difficult to do, but it really isn't, you definitely have to have a few goes of it to get a handle of it, but once you have the technique down, it's really simple to do, it can be quite messy, so before I begin, I get myself set up with cotton pads with nail varnish remover on so that you can clean the scraper and stamp through out, and I do it on the back of an old magazine so the that it can be just thrown away at the end and to save my table!

The one thing I haven't quite got down yet with Konad is applying top coat, whenever I seem to do it, it seems to smudge the design and drag it down - any tips for this?

What do you think of this design? I love it, it's so cute and girly and is great for work because it's not too over the top!

Soph xx

Sorry about the blurry picture!

Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub

Hi All,

Sorry I've been a bit MIA this week - been super busy with work and haven't had as much time for blogging - trying to rectify that now though :) Sooo, I recently told you about some Biore Products I was sent to review, my last post is here and I loved the face wash so much I have been using the Pore Unclogging Scrub. This scrub is designed to clear skin and exfoliate away dead skin cells. The lovely people at Biore have this to say about the product:

"Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub, with spherical beads, targets what clogs pores and cleans away impurities. You're left with a healthier-looking complexion without damaging your skin."

I haven't been using this scrub every day, even though it is targeted as a daily use, but I'm using it maybe two to three times a week and I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin after using it, skin just looks a little bit more fresh and brighter. I think if I had been using it daily I would probably see more of the blackhead clearing results! It also doesn't dry skin out which I can find happens after using some scrubs, skin feels clean and fresh which as I mentioned in my previous post is what Biore were trying to create with this range, everyday products that don't strip the skin of it's natural nutients and don't dry out the skin.

The scrub comes in the new packaging, following the re-launch by Biore recently, so for my shallowness, it looks nice in the shower, and, as with the cleanser, a little goes along way with this, as the product foams up nicely when you rub it into the skin.

You can find this here for £4.99

Have you used any of the new Biore range yet?

Soph x

MUA Eyeshadows

I picked these little beauties up on a recent trip to Superdrug, I'd been intrigued to try MUA for a little while after hearing all the good things about them and had also been looking for a neutral eyeshadow for a while and as they were only £1 (I am still a bit baffled by this - I think because I normally buy Urban Decay shadows which are most definitely not £1) I picked up the darker brown colour as well as it's my staple eye shadow colour. These were both a bit out of the ordinary for me though as they are both a matte colour and I normally go for a shimmer/glitter but I wanted something a bit more subtle for work because I wear a lot of eyeliner, If I add too much eyeshadow as well it looks like I'm ready for a night out rather than a day at the office.

I've been after a nude eye shadow (Shade 17 - Matt) for a while and this one is exactly what I have been looking for, it's a few shades away from my skin tone so you can tell you're wearing eye shadow but it's not too in your face, it's also really good for blending in other colours so you don't have full on colour, for example, I apply this as a base and will then blend in a more golden shimmer colour along the base of the eye lid so that there is a little hint of shimmer but it's not too much for work. Really love this colour just because it's so simple.

The darker brown eyeshadow (Shade 19 - Matt)  is again a matte colour, which is something I haven't really used before, but at the price MUA sell these at, it's great for experimenting. I have been using this one as more of a definer on my lid using my Ruby and Millie eye liner brush to get as close to the lash line as possible. It looks great blended into the nude shadow as well.

The packaging is simple, black base with a see through flip lid, which is great for picking the colours you want quickly and then the MUA branding on the lid, the branding has worn off on both of mine though. I use both of these shadows over another MUA favourite product - the MUA Eyeshadow Primer - review here - and it lasts a good 8-12 hours without creasing.

Do you use MUA eyeshadows? Which is your favourite?

Soph xx

NOTD: Pink Polka Dot Nails

Random NOTD post for you here, As it has been disgusting and rained all day today, I wanted something summery on my nails to cheer me up so I went for a white base with pink Polka dots - the polka dots aren't perfectly even because I couldn't find my dotting tool so ended up using the head of one of my brothers screwdrivers (Sorry if you're reading this :)). I used Models Own White Nail Varnish on the base, around 2 coats of this gives full coverage I find, and then the dots were done with Rimmel Urban Princess (A great polish, similar to Nails Inc Brompton Place which is one of my all time favourite polishes).

If you have never tried dotting before, you can also use a the end of a Kirby grip to create the dots. I normally put a splodge of nail varnish onto the back of a magazine, or a surface that you don't mind getting nail varnish on, leave a it a few seconds so it goes slightly tacky and then dip the tool you are using for dotting into it and then dot onto the nail. If it is your first time, do a practise run so you know the size of the dots you will get and can then base how many dots you will need on each nail.

If you want me to do a tutorial of this, let me know :)

Soph xx

Denman Tangle Tamer Brush

I'm a big fan of Denman brushes, my sister and my mum always had Denman brushes when I was growing up, so they both got me into these when I was young. I love denman brushes purely for the quality, they last forever and don't rip at your hair and they're also reasonably priced for the quality, They aren't the cheapest brushes you can get but for the quality of them I think they're an amazing price. When I think of Denman I think of black plastic handle with the red rubber and clear bristles, I love the fact that you can still get these ones as well, very much a classic style, I spotted one of these on my Grandmothers dressing table as well so the loyalty to Denman spans across the generations in my family.

This post however, is based on the Tangle Tamer brush which is a neon pink handle with black rubber cushion and black bristles. I immediately fell in love with this for the colour, it just screams girly and pick me up and I like having it in my bag, as it adds a bit of colour and also doesn't take up too much space. I have quite fine hair, that is also quite damaged through colour and styling so it has a tendency to knot quite easily, rather than pulling other brushes through my hair and ripping through the knots damaging my hair more, this has softer bristles that help to break up the knots, it really does make such a difference to my hair and leaves my hair feeling soft and manageable again. I spotted this advertised on Amazon as a childrens brush but I think it's for all ages.

Denman on the whole do seem to have a brush for everything, they even have scented brushes but they've recently released barrel brushes that are curved in the middle so they can get closer to the head creating more volume, I spotted these the other day in Boots so may have to look into these soon as they sound great.

I picked my Tangle Tamer brush up in Boots for £7.49 I think but they don't seem to be online in Boots so you can try in store or pick it up online here.

Soph xx

Loreal Voluminous X5 Mascara in Carbon Black

I tend to have some go to products that have worked their way into my heart over the years, these are the products that while I wouldn't always use them, purely because I like trying new products, they have a special place in my make up box and I tend to re-purchase them if I run out, one of these items is Loreal's Voluminous Mascara, I have several of these still in there packet's just in case they ever run out! This is one of those Mascara's that one coat is perfect for day to day wear and is really buildable for a night out without getting too clumpy. I have Voluminous 5X in Carbon Black, because I like really dark lashes but there are more subtle versions as well, there's Voluminous 4X in Black. I have used this on and off in it's various forms for about 6 years and I really do love it, I always feel a bit guilty when it gets thrown aside for a newly launched Mascara.

The brush is quite a thick straight bristle brush that separates the lashes as you apply but really builds volume, curl and colour, I really don't think you could get more of a Black Mascara. There was also a curved brush release of it, but I haven't seen that around for a while. The packaging is quite simple, it's a black tube with Gold detail and a gold lid, nothing too special there although it looks nice and classy, but I guess it is a bit plain. I find I can get about 3 months use out of a tube of this before it starts to get that clumpy feel when you apply it, which is quite good really, I've tried others that start to go down hill after a few weeks so in comparison, I'm happy with this. At the moment, I'm flitting between this and Benefit's They're Real (review here), this more for the day time and They're Real more for the evening.

You can pick this up in most places that sell Loreal, and it retails for around £8.49 in most places.

What's your favourite Mascara?

Soph xx

Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer

Hey lovelies,


Hope you all had a lovely Easter - I cracked into the chocolate as soon as I woke up yesterday. Not good! Today, I'm going to be talking about Benefit That Gal Primer - a "brightening face primer" - It is a lovely pink cream that smells a little bit like strawberries and sweets, although it has raspberries in it so it probably smells more like raspberries than strawberries! It's designed to brighten the face and can be worn under make up to brighten the skin and ensure makeup goes on smoothly, over make up as a bit of a pick me up, but it can also just be worn on it's own, to brighten up your skin, which is particularly good in summer, I sometimes find in summer when it's hot, that I don't want to put on foundation etc but this works really well as a little perk to skin, making skin look smooth and fresh. I think the biggest testament to this product for me is that I have used it for a about 2 years now, and I am so fickle when it comes to makeup, particularly when it comes to things like primers, because there are constantly new ones coming out that claim to do wonders, and while I've tried some of these and liked some, I've never stopped buying this.

Another thing I like about this product is that it is shimmer free, with a lot of brightening make up around now, it seems to just be the shimmer that is doing the brightening, and even though I do love a bit of shimmer, I like to apply the "shimmer" effect myself in different forms through blushers or highlighters rather than all over my face in a primer! SO to get the brightening effect, this has light reflecting pigments and also contains Raspberry and Chamomile to soothe the skin. It comes in the usual lovely Benefit packaging, it's a white twist tube with a lovely peachy pink, green City Scape on the front, but you can also get the smaller squeeze tubes (5ml) that are perfect for travelling, these tend to come in the Benefit gift sets.

When I go out as well, I like to mix a little bit of this with Murad Skin Perfecting Primer that I got a little sample of in my Glossy Box and apply all over my face with a foundation brush, when I do the two of these together, it makes skin look amazing! Although apparently it works really well with Benefit's Porefessional as well, but I can't comment on this yet, because I think I'm the only Beauty Blogger not to have tried Porefessional yet, but they both look similar so I think it would do a good job!

You can pick this up from Boots or most department stores that stock Benefit for around £22.50

What's your favourite primer?

Soph xx

Barry M Berry Ice Cream Nail Polish

Hi Lovelies,

I picked this polish up last year and it's sat hidden away in a little box until last week when I was looking for something to match the GORGEOUS weather we had last week. I have completely fallen in love with this, it very much suits the on trend pastel colours that seem to be everywhere this spring. It's a very pale purple/lilac that looks almost pink in some lights, for some reason I want to say it's almost neon as well, as it definitely has that look about it but it's not quite a neon. It takes around 3 coats to build up a full colour, the first coat when applied is very sheer but the colour builds up by the second coat and is perfect and super shiny by the 3rd coat.

This is a bargain at £2.99 and can be picked up online or at Boots or Superdrug.


Which is your favourite pastel shade for spring?

Soph xx

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation

So I finally managed to get my little paws on the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation this weekend, I had tried it out at the Benefit stand in my local Boots the week before and fell in love with it, as you can probably guess, I'm a huge Benefit Makeup fan, I love everything from the packaging to the names of the products and just to the pure girlyness of all the products but have always wanted them to bring out a liquid foundation. So, the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation (bit of a mouthful!) is fab, it gives a little more coverage than my usual foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - click for review)  but I could have just been a bit heavy handed applying it in my excitement, I used a full pump of liquid but half a pump could work better for the day for me! I went for the foundation in "Ivory - I'm Pure for sure" which I think is the second lightest, at first I thought it could be a bit pale for me, but it blended perfectly and comes out a little darker on the skin when blended in.

The foundation itself leaves skin with a lovely dewy, healthy glow finish which is exactly what I love in a foundation and covers up any imperfections perfectly! I applied this over Benefit's That Gal which is a primer that brightens up the face, I will be doing a review on this separately and they really work well together, lightening and brightening the face. The bottle is a see through pump bottle, nothing too special there but I'd prefer to not have any gimmicks when it comes to design really, but one of the pretty cool things about this foundation that the lovely Benefit lady told me about is that the pump doesn't actually have a tube leading into the liquid, it's an air pump that circulates the liquid to get it out, during tests apparently they found that the tubes in foundation pumps can build up bacteria which can cause skin breakouts if a foundation is old, so while I can't comment on this yet, it's good that they have thought about things like this rather than just pushing any old thing out! Another thing that I love about this foundation is that it is SPF 25 as well as having a 3 star PA (UVA) rating which I believe is the highest you can get.

This foundation is oil free also but surprisingly moisturising so would suit most skin types I think, I struggle sometimes with foundations soaking into dry patches throughout the day but after a few days wear with this, can honestly say have seen nothing of the sort! Definitely fallen a little in love with this, you can get it from Boots or most department stores for £24.50, mine also came with a little sample of Porefessional as well and a little tub of the Benefit Moisturiser!


Have you tried this foundation yet?

Soph xx

Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

Initially it was the name that drew me to this wonder product! I love it, it reminds me of childhood books for some reason, also, Lemony Flutter smells like heaven, just like lemon sherbert sweets! I use this mainly for softening my cuticles but it's other uses include rubbing it over any dry bits of skin, elbows, feet etc, to soften up. It's very thick and very moisturising, and slightly greasy but not necessarily in a bad way, I normally rub this on and then put on hand cream so that you're not left with greasy little nails! One of my friends thought this was a hand cream though and rubbed it all over her hands, I wouldn't reccomend becuase it is a little bit too greasy for that, but she did have super soft hands a few hours later so could be good for an intense treatment if you have dry hands!
Lemony Fltter itself has lots of lovely natural ingredients as you'd expect from Lush, top ingredients are Beeswax, Shea Butter, Lemon Oil, but there are literally so many oils and lovely bits in this that I won't be able to fit them all into this post but check here for the full ingredients list.

I bought a pot of this last summer and after using several times daily, a few months later it still looked hardly used so it will literally last for ages, I had to repurchase recently though because I left my last pot in a hotel in Nottingham on a work trip *sadface* It's great at softening cuticles and for eradicating dry skin around the nails, I carry mine around with me in my bag because I do use it about 10 times a day, it makes your nails look like you've just come out of a salon, I've also used as a lip balm when I couldn't find any in my bag and it worked great so it really is a multi purpose product.

I picked mine up in my local Lush for £5.95 or you can order it online here!

Have any of you guys used Lemony Flutter?

Soph xx