The Professional Beauty Show at the ExCel London and Ebay make-up finds!

The Professional Beauty Show at the ExCel London was AMAZING. It's any Beauty-Professionals must go to trade show in the UK and it's a brilliant platform to Network, create new custom and find new brands to use/represent, especially if you work in or run a salon or are a MUA.
This was the first time i'd ever been and i cannot say a bad word about it. Well except the coach ride up there and back, but that was nothing to do with the show nor even the coach or the coach driver, it was all on the 'teenage' girls my college friends and i we're sharing a coach with. My Beauty Therapy evening class consists of women all between the ages of 20 and 30. The other girls from college are all full-time course so they're between the ages of 17 and 20- and boy can you tell the difference. Although back in my day (thats right i said it) if i was bored on public transport, or at least where others would be within ear-shot i still wouldn't have listened to music at full volume and sang along with it and kept everyone else awake on the coach at 6am!
I'm 100% sure that only that young girl and her mate next to her were enjoying the nosie. The rest of us, even her other class-mates just wanted to sleep or relax at least. I may start a 'free disposeable headphone' service where people who are 'bored and want to listen to their music are handed a pair of headphones and can have an optional splitter and another pair for their mate.

Anyway after enduring the 4 hour coach ride of that, we arrived at the ExCel Center in London. And if you've never been there it is HUGE. It looks almost like an Airport terminal when you first walk in. The ticket/ day pass collection service was simple and easy even in a large group like ours. (It was two coaches full, only four from my class though) It was simple and easy to navigate and the only teeny gripe i do have about the whole thing was just how busy some of the stands were and how dis-organised it looked, and it wasn't even like the poor people running the stalls could help it because it was the other people there who were crowding, making a mess, putting products back in the wrong place and i genuienly saw a girl try out a lipstick on the back of her hand, then wipe it down the mirror of the make up stand. WHAT THE HELL.
The first stand like this was the NYX stand. I LOVE this brand and i felt horribly sorry for the poor people working on there and left to tidy it up at the end of the day. I did get some amazing items.
I bought the Glitterati Cream Eyeshadow Pallete .This was £10.50 at the show but its usual price is £14.

Also from the NYX Stall i bought two Lipsticks from their Lipsmacking Fun Colours range, £3 each, usually £4, In the shades "Shiva" and "Pink Lyric". They're both quite bright pink colours, on with a petrol-like blue tone to it.

And last of all from NYX was a pot of their amazing Concealer £4.00, usually £6.00. This i got in shade "light Porcelain", this was mainly for the eye area but i have a concealer pallet now too (show you later in the post)

Also, FINALLY i got my hands on an EOS Lipbalm in Blueberry for £6!

Then i had a free Face-mapping service by a lovely lady called Alex from Dermalogica, this is the brand who used to supply my Colleges' beauty salon. They are really good. According to my free face-maping i have Sensetive cheeks and forehead (quite red) with mild dry problem areas on my forehead from my Psoriasis, which is all 100% correct, then she said my skin felt quite "hot" so i got to try out some of their Cooling spray that you use straght over the top of your make-up, and i did notice the instant change. After my face-mapping i was directed to a counter with my little bit of paper and stocked up on a load of free samples, specially recommended by alex to help my skin. I have samples of; Barrier Repair, Skin Perfect Primer, Skin Smoothing Cream, Ultracalming Cleanser, Precleanse Original Clearing gel (for breakouts) and Daily Microfoliant. I haven't tried any of them yet but i know Dermalogica is amazing and it's all about the science behind the product and not the packaging or the label.


Last but not least i made an investment in some O.P.I Nail Varnish, in a new Textured shade called "Happy Anniversary". I already had the base-coat all it requires is a layer of base and two coats and its cot a really soft-matte feel to it while remaining shiney and glittery looking. This shade is a lovely white pearlescent colour and it shimmers so nicely in the light.

Finally my EBAY finds. I'm a massive fan of saving money where i can so when i discovered the cheap make-up pallets from china i thought i'd order some to try them out. No they're not free-from, eco-friendly, they're mass produced in china, but some of the things available are essentially just items we buy over her but without the famous-brand label already printed on that we're used to.
I bought this Eyeshadow Pallet of 120 different coloured shadows for £5.50 FREE p+p.


Also this concealer and contouring pallet which was £2.50 FREE p+p.


Ebay has wealth of Beauty and Make-up products available, from job-lots of well known brand-names to items like the ones above. I know for whatever reason people seem to be afraid to buy stuff like that from Ebay, but consumer law, in the uk anyway is at items such as this have to be un-opened and in original packaging so if there is any doubt you have evey right to return items and get your money back, but 9/10 times it'll be a new-in box and sealed item or items for a much lower price then in stores.

Thanks for reading. XxX

Iron Fist X My Little Pony = *Weep*

Umm...Yeah so i have a serious problem... i need like all of the things, all of the money, stuffs...now....IN MY FACE

The new Iron Fist X My Little Pony spring line is out soon... and if you've followed me before on my previous blogs or you may even know by now on here... My Little Pony (Alice in wonderland, and lord of the rings) are my ultimate fan-girl "i must collect everything to do with it" items. And now Iron Fist has done this to me...and my bank... I need a job... like .... NOW. Just so i can buy these things, you know, it's not like i want to pay my rent or bills... piisssh!
XxX

February Birchbox (UK)

Hello!
Hope everyone had a lovely Valentines day, or if you don't go in for that kind of thing i hope you had a great "screw everyone in a relationship i'm going to get drunk or eat ice cream"-day!

Finally here is my first ever beauty box from BIRCHBOX! And it did not disappoint. I did a hell of a lot of research between all the different monthly beauty box options out there and between all the the reviews and un-boxing's i decided on Birchbox as it's the main one associated with SheSaidBeauty.com which i frequent quite a lot, and it seems to also be the only consistently good beauty box. Others seem to have odd months where there are just rubbish items in there, where as from what i researched Birchbox may sometimes contain a select few unwanted or un-desirable items but nothing as bad as the scale of some of the others.


Up First is the Beauty Protector; Protect & Oil is a hair conditioning and strengthening oil. It's a bit pricey at £16 for it's full size, but i feel it'll be worth it if you can afford to make the investment for your hair. I used it once and noticed a difference immediately. I have bleach damaged hair so it can be quite dry and brittle and i use a lot of moisturising products to keep it looking healthy and strong. This oil however done the job of 3 of my different products with results after one use, and as it's a hair oil so 2-3 drops through damp hair will work wonders (i have very short hair so only needed 2 drops). It smells like Candy Floss and is highly recommended. As far as i can find it is only available through beauty supply stores such as Birchbox.
- This is me with the Hair oil and the Eyeko eyeliner on!

Next is the EYEKO Skinny Liquid Eyeliner £12. This is my favorite item of this entire box and something i'm definitely going to be buying. I love my eyeliner as it is and this product is just so simple and easy, there's no separate brush, no fiddly little nib. It's literally just like a felt tip for your eyes. So far the small sample sent out seems that i'll last quite a while so i think if you were to buy the full size item it would last you a very long time. It's worth the price for all you eye-liner happy folk out there!


Nail Rock Nail glitter (in red) £6.99. This nail kit is widely available in a variety of colours and textures. I haven't yet used it but i'm looking forward to using it. Only reason i haven't yet used it is simply because i'm a studying Beauty Therapist and have to keep my nails clear and short for treatments. Also It takes roughly 20 min to apply... and ain't nobody got time for dat!


Urban Veda- Radiance Exfoliating Facial Polish £8.99 Seems a bit pricey for what it is, not that i'm adverse to spending to keep my skin looking good. It smells lovely and leaves your skin feeling amazing but nothing that other similar skin treatments wont do the same and perhaps for cheaper. Although it is 100% vegitarian, they don't test on animals and its organic. So i guess if your as worried about things like that as i am but have more money then i do you'd not hesitate to buy from this brand.


Last of all is the Gilchrist & Soames The London Collection Shower Gel £13.75. Over priced for what it is- Which is nice-smelling shower gel. I get the feeling with this item you're paying more for a label then products that are in the item to make your skin feel and look better. But i guess that may just be my opinion. The small travel bottle was handy for going to my mums over the weekend and i was complimented on my "smell" but it lasted about an hour. I doubt i shall buy this.


...I have a confession. There was also some Green and Blacks 70% Dark Chocolate (around £2.50) but i ate that before i'd even looked through most of the other bits, as i do LOVE my chocolate, especially Dark... OMNOMNOM

All-in-all Birchbox February edition was ace, i think I've found at least three brands i'd recommend and buy again.
XxX

Hair Chalks; The Scam.

I'm usually the last person to put-down a company for getting on-board with a new trend, let alone many companies at once- but all the companies who have jumped on the Hair Chalk bandwagon should be ashamed of themselves. Especially the prices they're charging for WHAT it is. Most of them will say their's is "better for your hair" etc...but the truth is, chalk is chalk, and someone just happened to discover that wetting your hair and applying a coloured chalk meant the colour stayed, for a few days at least... and brands have taken a simple idea, slapped their name on it and charged TRIPLE or even more then what it is actually worth. The only reason this outrages me so much is becasue at the moment, not everyone has a lot of money about, but they want to keep up with the latest trends- which is perfectly acceptable, especially when its a trend that is supposed to be so quick and easy! But the poor souls are being lead to believe if they buy this brand-name chalk it'll be better then artists' Dry pastels- which may i add i bought for the grand total of £3.00 for 34 differet colours.
You can even get them on ebay for 99p! But the brands claim you must buy their individual colour chalks at rediculous prices when at their core they are all the same. They very rarely actually have any added ingredients that will benefit your hair- at most some oil. But all that will do is stop the colour taking as well to your hair. With hair chalks at the end of the day all you are doing is filling the opening in the folicles of your hair, with a dampened coloured powder and sealing it in with heat. It'll wash out in 1-3 washes. Its a temporary, quick-fix "weekend fashionista" trend. Which is what makes it so popular!
You can leave work on a friday at 17:00 with plain boring hair, and by 18:00 have pink dip-dye effect or multi colour rainbow streaks which will be gone by work Monday morning! It's an accessible trend that everyone of all price-ranges can access. You just have to make sure it is the dry pastels/chalks you use and not artists oil pastels etc... the key is the powdery substance.


I just hate to see people thinking they NEED to buy the espensive brands when it's really not nessisary. I've included a list below of brand names should you want to check them out anyway. But honestly, just go to your local art shop or search Ebay for "hair chalk" or artist pastels... and you'll save yourself a small fortune.
Beauty should be accessable to everyone, not just the ones who can afford brand-names.
XxX

Fudge Urban Hair Chalk @ Superdrug (uk) £5.99 / $9.85 (US Dollars)


Hair Color Chalk (haircolorchalk.com) £9.72 / $15.99

Hot Hair Huez (hothairhuez.com) 4 Chalks for £9.09 / $14.95

Or last and very much LEAST:
L'Óreal Hair Chalk £15.00 EACH / $24.67

The "Blogger made me buy it" TAG

1) Who are your most inffluential blogers? Who are the ones you really, rely on for reviews and swatches?

I follow a lot of Blogger and Vloggers, but i usually find my inspiration from the ones with similar tastes to mine. So People like Helen Melonlady, Bunny, Beautycrush and Leanne Lim-Walker.

2) Do you buy a product solely as a reslut of a review from your favourite blogger, or do you look for more reviews from others?

I always look for more reviews, simply because if you want a fair assessment of an item you need multiple people to provide feedback and reviews as no one is the same so everyone has different opinions and expreiences, so you have to source the average review.

3) What is your favourite item that you have ever bought as a consiquence of other bloggers?

My Fluffy "teddy bear" texture jumper from New Look. I kept seeing bloggers posting OOTD or reviews of their Top Shop cropped fluffy jumpers and i knew i needed one. Ideally i wanted baby-blue one but i could never afford it! I used to just go into Top Shop and stalk it, see if it was reduced, in the sale etc...even looked on ebay and asked on selling sites. But no luck. Then i found a burgandy long fluffy jumper in New Look, nearly as soft and it was in the sale for only £12! So i didnt hesitate encase it was the only chance i had to get one! I literally wear it as much as i can get away with, wash it and re-wear it as soon as it's dry. I love it.

4) What is your Least favourite item that you've bought as a consiquence of others' blogs?

I don't actually have one. Because i no longer have a job, anything i do buy with any spare money i have is usually really well thought about before-hand so i know i'm not waisting money.

5) Name 5 Products you bought recently as a result of Blogs;

1- B Replenished facial oil from Superdrug.

2- Rimmel London Matte Lipstick in shade 103.

3- Burgandy Fluffy Jumper from New Look

4- True Match Minerals Foundation

5- Fudge hair Urban Texture Junk Wax.


6) Have you ever given into blogger hype? I so which hype?

The Beauty oil. I've seen so many bloggers reviewing facial oils and seeing how nice their skin was, as a beauty therapist i thought it was only nessisary i bought some too!

7) Have you ever avoided a blogger hype? If so which one?

I'm avoiding MAC lipsticks like the plague. Not anything against MAC at all but i lack the money to buy any, and once i start i wont stop collecting. Also there are no stores close to me AT ALL. :(

8) Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?

I'm actually the one who finds new things when they're fist released and usually cheaper. So i tend to find things before they're "hyped". Like my BLEACH london hair review, or 18 months or so ago i bought a faux fur coat, now everyones wearing them! Three years ago i was hunting charity (thrift) shops for satchels now they're everywhere and expensive too! I made myself a clear Quartz Necklace from an old quartz pendant that used to be my mums, now they're everywhere, and obviously the L'Óreal skin Perection range i reviewed about a week after it was released. :)

Thanks for reading! Feel free to do this on your own blog! I'm not planning on tagging anyone.
XxX

Primark and New Look haul, plus interesting price differences between AX Paris online and in store....

First things first. I have to address my BARGAIN OF THE DAY:



This is my nude/pink and black Body con dress from AX Paris. Bought in store from New Look. Now as i said in the title, there was a very large price difference when i looked up the dress online to add a link to my blog, on the Offical AX Paris website it is Listed as £40 HERE.
While I luckily enough picked up the Dress for only £16 in the Sale in New Look. I know obviously they have completely different marketing and pricing techniques as obviously New Look buys in AX Paris stuff and sells it for them, like Quiz clothing do as well. But i would have thought that in order to reduce the price of an item from an outside label it would have to be instructed by the label's owner, and then they too would match the price, as what is stopping someone from buying the £16 one from New Look, taking off the New Look tag and taking it back to AX Paris to get a £40 refund... Or am i the only one who thinks bad people would do things like this...
ANYWAY moving on, i also bought a small bag to match from New Look, It's literally the perfect match, with a beautiful Gold chain strap, this was £12.99 brand new.
I'm so happy with this outfit when i put it on, all i need now are some shoes. Oh i should probably add it's for a friends wedding in april so i deliberetly went for similar or matching items, and the longer sleeves were just a plus for me, because as much as i like showing off my Tattoos i find my upper arms are a problem area for me and i like to hide them when there are cameras about.


Also in the New Look sale i FINALLY got my hands on a FLUFFY JUMPER>>> Not the Pale blue cropped Top Shop one I wanted, but when on a budget you have to say No sometimes. Especially at those prices. This one is just as soft, bigger and slightly baggier but i love the fit. I couldn't decide between the cream or the burgandy colour, in the end i bought the darker, simply because when i'm eating, food seems to be attracted to my breasts, and i'm less likely to stain a dark plum one.
That was £12, and i bought it in size bigger as i like to layer my jumpers and not feel too resticted. Because of how wide the neck is it looks lush with a shirt on underneath and the collar peaking through.
Final thing from New Look in the sale again were these amazing little Candy-Skull nail wraps that were only £1! Amazing! So far they've lasted 3 days with minimal chipping, and i've still done my usual day-to-day cleaning and washing up. So well worth the money!

Next are a couple of bits from Primark;
First of all these skinny, faux leather trousers. If you've followed me on previuos blogs you'll know i'm a sucker for leather but i never used to wear it as i'm a size 16 i had it drummed into my head that i was "too big". But sod it! I now own two pairs of faux leather trousers, and when i pass my bike licence i'll be in leather a hell of a lot more.

Then i saw this, and if you know me at all, even just a tad, you'll know that ANYTHING with My Little Pony on is MINE! It's like one of a few things i can remember vividly and fondly from when i was younger. When it first came into fashion and everyone was going on about "retro" My Little Pony items and i just complained, i didn't want to share my "thing" with anyone. Obviously it's not exclusivly MINE but you get what i mean. I didn't want my quirky little thing to become everyones fashion statement, but i take it all back. It's so much easier to find MLP items now!

I also own the white t-shirt they had of MLP, back in August. Next on the agenda is their MLP pyjamas! Muwahahaha!

And last but not least i had to add on this little Geisha Make up bag i bought from a charity shop, still brand new, never used had it's tags on it. And was only £1.75! So pretty and the colours are amazing.

As usual thank you all for reading my lovlies! And thank you so much for all your support so far! Already! It's been a crazy two months back on the scene!
Don't forget to add me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
XxX