Happy Halloween! MOTD Beautyuk Festival palette

Happy Halloween!

As my new *Beautyuk Palette is the Festival one I thought that today being Halloween would be the perfect opportunity to get creative with the bright colours. The inspiration came to me whilst walking little Alfie this morning down a long path full of trees and autumn leaves. Ha ha my hair is so wind swept but big hair don't care!!
This palette would be fabulous for bright butterflies creatively applied in the Spring / Summer time too!
I swatched and showed the pallette in more detail here in my previous blog post.

I love face art and so decided to create a simple pumpkin first on my cheek and used the green, black, yellow and orange shades. I blended and shaded the colours to give more of a dimensional look.

I then drew simple lines and joined them together by using the black eyeshadow. I then added a little blue and green and attached a spider!

I have figured out this week that my nail art and creative make up skills are basic ha ha! You've either got it or you haven't and I think my skills are lost somewhere in Fairyland.

I really really need a chocolate apple that are out in supermarkets this month plus tonight I'm making sure we watch something spooky. Today is one of those days that I keep waiting for something to happen........... but sometimes you need to make things happen yourself <3

Laura xoxo

Cutesie Mini primark haul

I was sat at the hairdressers the other Friday and I think it was in Look magazine that I saw a jumper that I needed to own. I absolutely adore cutesie items and this was Disney's Bambi jumper from Primark.
I also needed in my life an Ariel t-shirt that I had seen but didn't know whether they still had it in stock or not. I love Mermaids and again it's a winner being Disney.
I also heard that they had sweetie print leggings from Maliberry Makeup blog too so I set out on Saturday with these three items in mind.

The Primark was huge and I thought the women's items were only on one floor and that is why I was so disappointed at first to not be able to find them but the beauties were hiding on the second floor!

I grabbed the Bambi jumper when I saw it. My eyes lit up ha ha! I saw the sweetie leggings but they looked a bit too yellowy for me- if they were on a pink/ white background I would have definitely bought them. I then saw Ariel and that made my trip complete.

However on the first floor I saw two hats that I needed in my life. I usually buy the cute ones from River Island but these ones were £3 each which is amazing!

Pom-Poms and pink heart- instant want!

Amazing crystals - I adore rainbow crystals!

Close-up of jewels <3

Ariel t-shirt- needed this! £6

My gorgeous Bambi jumer <3 £10

Super happy with my mini haul. Disney and rainbow crystals make me happy :)

Laura xoxo

Beautyuk Paint for Life Trio NOTD

Beautyuk have created a tantalising trio of three pretty pinks to help raise money for Cancer Research UK. The three polishes are emotively named 'hope' 'strength' and 'love' You can purchase them online here or from Superdrug stores.

*The Paint For Life Trio set costs £5.99 and £1 from each set sold goes to the charity which is close to many people's hearts. The polishes would work out at around £2 each which is a fabulous price.
Beautyuk have set a minimum target to raise £50,000 for Cancer research UK.

If you add a 'Paint for Life' trio into the online basket , your whole UK delivery will be free too which is an added bonus.

Paint for life Beautyuk Trio for Cancer Research UK

Trio of colours in natural light

Perfect blendable colours

Colours I used for my NOTD

 'Hope' Beautyuk

'Love' Beautyuk

'Strength' Beautyuk

Pinkabloo Beautyuk

Pinkabloo glitter polish

NOTD

 'Hope' becomes opaque after a few coats of colour as it is a pale pink whereas 'Strength' is opaque and super glossy after just one coat.
I added some sparkliness with 'Pinkabloo'* too which adds a glittering of glitz. This is only £3.49

My little finger and thumb were too short to fit on the box ha ha!

 I attempted the ribbon as you can see and got my nail art tools out. Hats off to those artists who can design nails. I adore them but it is immensely tricky.

Laura xoxo

Beautyuk Posh Palette no.3 Festival swatches

After trying out Beautyuk's Posh Pout in 'Power to the Purple' I was super impressed with the colour, application and the formulation. I very kindly got sent some gorgeous products to review and I couldn't wait to try them out.

I absolutely love bright colours and I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame. I couldn't wait to get creative with different looks from the *Posh Palette in no.3 Festival.The palettes are also available in
no.1 Eden which is great if you like wearing nudes/ brown shades and  no.2 Masquerade which would be great for creating a smokey eye look.
Each of these palettes can be purchased from here for £5.99 which is incredibly good value. The range is also available in Superdrug, Internacionale or Select too.

I love the names of the palettes and the Festival one I received also made me think of Carnivals in Rio too. Each of the palettes has a mixture of matte and shimmer shades to choose from and each pan is generous so this will last a lengthy amount of time.

Packaging:
The eye shadows are encased in a slimline palette which clicks securely to so it would be ideal for travelling.
I really like the crispy white coloured casing as it appears fresh and new.
The logo is clear to see and I love the little heart that has been designed on it too.
An eyeshadow applicator is included and also a slimline mirror which is great for applications on the go.

 Price:
This palette costs £5.99 which is extremely good value for money.

Performance:
The range of chosen colours are perfect for creative looks.
The eye shadows are soft and really easy to apply. You only need to press gently against the pan to get the desired amount as any further pressure and you will get too much on your brush. The darker colours have a high pigmentation and the white shade is buildable by applying more layers.
The colours become more intense when a primer is added underneath them and they last longer too.
Given the price, design, range and pigmentation I would definitely recommend these.
The staying power is excellent. After catching a glimpse of my eyes in the mirror, the eyeshadow was still as vibrant hours after application.

Beautuk posh palette no.3 Festival

Back of BeautyUk palette

All ten shades with mixture of matte and shimmer shades

Close-up of pigments

Close up of generous sized eye shadows

Swatches of all ten shades

Have you tried Beautyuk's make up range before?

Laura xoxo

Helen Rochfort - Drink me - Eat me - handbag

I first saw Helen Rochfort's bags advertised in a magazine (I think it was New! magazine)
Do you know when you see something and you just have to have it? Well this was it! So I researched it and found it for £65. I've had it for a couple of years now and I keep it immaculate as it's one of my favourites. For Christmas I'm getting the 50 years anniversary Sindy one and I am so excited. It arrived yesterday and I was so good that I didn't even peek!
So yes I love Sindy too! <3

I absolutely adore Alice In Wonderland and cupcakes and this bag encapsulates pure beauty.
I love the colours, detailing and  the unique design. It makes me feel like a dressed up dolly when I wear it with an outfit. This suits my personality down to a T :)
There are diamantes adorned on the bag and the clutch part at the top is a clear crystal.
Inside there is a long strap that can be attached to use but I prefer to hold it in my hand. There is a little charm too with the initials HR on that dangles but be careful as this sometimes gets caught in the clasp so the bag won't close until you move it out of the way.

The bag arrives in a pink and white stripy drawstring bag too and a certificate of authenticity which I haven't photographed here.

It is definitely one of my favourite bags ever! Helen once advertised a pink cupcake ring too and I was too late at getting one! Boo! She now does scarves, satchels, clutches and phone cases too.
There are a wide range of designs available and the more I look , the more I want!

She also has a Facebook page too which is here.

Laura xoxo

Beauty UK, Benefit, JvG, Maybelline, Bourjois, Urban Decay FOTD

After accumulating quite a lot of beauty items I thought I would kill two birds with one stone , so to speak, and try out two of my new products which I bought and received in my Miss Glossy box. This bag of beauty products contains 4 or 5 high street beauty products. I love high end items but also love high street ones too, discovering gems and trying out new colours.

The two products I decided to try on my 'face of the day' were the Beauty UK posh pout ( a twist-up tinted lip balm ) £2.99 and JG/ JvG make-up collection soft touch eyeliner 10 - waterproof £6.95

I am incredibly impressed with both of these products and would definitely repurchase again. The Beauty UK posh pout I have in shade 3 which is 'Power to the Purple' although on the sticker it says purole. I didn't even know what purole meant!
I thought it was a lip crayon and with the excellent creamy pigmentation I didn't realise it was a tinted lip-balm until I  looked closely at the crayon . The lip crayon glides on effortlessly and it is easy to apply whilst leaving a lustrous colour. The purple elements gives the pink an impressive kick in the right direction. I really want to try out more of these products and see what the rest of the range has to offer too.

I'd never heard of the brand JvG before and after researching I found it on MONU professional skincare and it's used for bridal make up too. The eyeliners are available in a range of shades too but I'm glad I received the black shade as it's more wearable for everyday for me personally.
I have a collection of eye liners and I only wear ones that are soft and easy to apply as I can't stand ones that drag or are hard and pencil crayon like. I get rid of them straight away if that's the case. However this one is a dream to apply and has a really strong colour. I'm not sure about it being waterproof as it came off easily but then again it didn't streak in the rain though either! I forgot about it being waterproof to be honest.

Products I used.

 Here are the products I used. I love Benefit and the Fake Up works really well and is moisturising. Mine is in the shade 02 Medium. I've hit pan on my Coralista Benefit blusher! I tend to wear this everyday and it has lasted absolutely ages so it works out great value for money.
I've had this Maybelline mascara pulse perfection stashed in my drawer still in its packaging. It reminds me of an electric toothbrush and putting it near your eyes! I also use the Bourjois chocolate bronzer. I don't wear foundation unless it's a night out somewhere.

Love this Urban decay palette I use it everyday!

I adore Urban Decay

Beauty UK Posh Pout

Power to the Purple

Soft touch eyeliner

Lip balm shade

Creamy formula

All products used together.

I absolutely love the Beauty UK posh pout. Look at the colour! <3

Simply cook - Jambalaya

I wrote an unboxing for Simplycook.com which you can find all the details here.

Basically you get four recipes in a box that can easily fit through your letter box. It is a subsciption service and the boxes are sent monthly. The box contains little pots of the sometimes hard to find ingredients such as oils , marinades or powders and you have to buy your fresh ingredients.

I decided to make the jambalaya recently and it not only smelled delicious it tasted scrumptious too. I was very impressed. It was easy to follow the numbered instructions and everything ran smoothly.

Slim cuboid box // Three little pots that contain Cajun seasoning, Jambalaya paste and garlic oil // Recipe card to follow // Pepper, onion and chorizo chopped.

Prawn and chicken coated in the cajun seasoning // Chicken fried in the garlic oil //

Crispy chorizo added to onion, green pepper and then rice is added // Prawns and chicken added.

I have three more of these recipes to try. I hope they are as tasty as this one.

Laura xoxo

I ❤ Fall Tag!

 I was tagged to do this post by the lovely Beautiful Jewell

♥ Questions:

1.) Favorite Fall lip product?
A: At this time of the year my lips need more of an intensive treatment due to the change in the weather. I love my new Korres Lip butter as this makes my lips feel super smooth.

2.) Favorite Fall Nail Polish?
A: Well I still stick to pastels and glitters even at this time of the year. My favourites at the moment are my Lush Lacquer ones.

3.) Favorite Starbucks Fall Drink?
A: I haven't been to Starbucks for a few months but I want to try the pumpkin one! Other than that I love hazelnut, cinnamon, cappucino or caramel lattes.

4.) Favorite Fall Candle?
A: I need one in a cinnamon scent mmmmmmmmmm.

5.) Favorite Fall Scarf or Accessory?
A: River Island cutesie hats.

6.) Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?
A: I've not heard of the haunted hay ride or corn maze before but I would be scared stiff in a haunted house too unless it was one of those rides at Alton Towers or something!

7.)  Favorite Halloween movie?
A: Hocus Pocus yay! Reminds me of when I was little.

8.) Favorite candy to eat on Halloween?
A: I love those chocolate apples with the sprinkles yummmm! I also love parkin and a little bonfire toffee to fully soak up the atmosphere.

9.) What are you dressing up as for Halloween?!
A: I'm not sure yet! Although i love dressing up . It's fun!

10.) What is your Favorite thing about Fall?
A: Onesies, hot chocolates, marshmallows, snuggling up when it's cold outside, the getting-nearer-to-Christmas feeling.

I tag everyone who wants to do it :)

Birchbox Unboxing October

My Birchbox arrived today and as always I get excited to see what is contained inside.
I was really impressed by this months box especially after receiving another branded box which I felt lacked with contents this month.
This month they have sent out the products which have received the most hype on social media networks which is brilliant as I think the majority of people will therefore find the products beneficial.
Inside the cute-sized cardboard box, there was again a branded drawstring bag with complimentary orange features. This month they have featured a new idea of keepsake cards which contain a list of apps, how to's and a list of their social media to connect with their audience. Their magazine is now available online. I liked the little cards and their innovativeness in being one step ahead and trying something fresh.

Birchbox October

Drawstring bag

Products contained inside

New keepsake cards

All the products this month

Lifestyle Extra- UltraDEX

Can't wait to try out this recalcifying and whitening toothpaste as it is something different and is award- winning. I've never heard of recalcifying before. It's been clinically proven to rebuild tooth enamel. I received a mini version and the full sized product would be £5.49 which is more expensive than lots of toothpastes available on the market but good if it has great results.

Dr. Lipp original nipple balm for lips.

 I already received one of these in my Glossy boxes but with the size of the little tube, two will always come in handy. Full size of this would be £11.50.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant

 I received a 7.5g tube and the full size of this product would be a whopping £67! I am intrigued to find out what difference this skin exfoliant will make.

theBalm cosmetics Stainiac

 I received 1.2ml which is a teeny sample in a 'diddy' bottle that wouldn't look out of place in Alice In Wonderland. This is a hint of tint for cheeks and lips. The full size product would be £10. I have the Benefit version and a MeMeMe version also now.

Laura Mercier foundation primer- radiance

 "The universal pearl tint creates a soft focus effect to minimise the look of imperfections with a radiant finish."

Full size is £28.

KMS California- Curl Up Wave Foam Mousse

 I can't wait to try this out as it will be perfect for my hair type. This would be £15 for the full sized product.

Beauty extra: Egyptian Magic

A multi-purpose healing skin cream which would cost £29 for the full size. As you can see I received three samples of this. You rub the cream into your hands until it turns into an oil and then you can apply it to your skin or ends of hair. Very intriguing.

I think that this is an excellent box full of products this month and with the two added extras it really feels as though it's good value for money.

Did you receive this box? Is it the same as mine?

Laura xoxo