NOTD: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Now this isn't what I'd call one of my typical NOTD posts as I usually just show you all a photograph of a pretty nail varnish on my nails but today I have something a little different to show you. 

It's very rare that I wear nail varnish on its own as I've always got something jazzy on my nails, from spots to stripes to penguins in a blizzard. So on the rare occasion when I'm wearing just a pretty coloured nail varnish, I'll do an NOTD post. I think I featured Topshop 'Pool Party' in my most recent NOTD post.

Anyway, let's talk about the fun things...

If you have read my blog from the very beginning or watched my youtube videos then you'll know that I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar. My mamma used to read the story to me during and after pregnancy and ever since being a little girl, I have loved The Very Hungry Caterpillar. And still at nearly 21, I have an obsession with it, I have a Very Hungry Caterpillar mug, blanket and cushions (that's one thing you all now know about me). So since I love The Very Hungry Caterpillar so much, I have spent my afternoon creating The Very Hungry Caterpillar nails. I absolutely adore them and thought I'd do a NOTD post. 

I'm considering doing NOTD posts featuring nail art as well as normal nail varnishes so if that's something you'd like to see then please let me know. 

If anyone would like me to do a tutorial, please let me know as I don't mind doing one, I'll just be doing it on a nail wheel as I don't want to remove this from my nails (it took a long time to do). I will warn you though, it's a very fiddly and detailed design so it takes a lot of time, patience and effort.

Are any of my lovely readers Very Hungry Caterpillar fans?
:)

Outfit Of The Day: Nautical & Summery

I haven't done an Outfit Of The Day (OOTD) post for a while (it was last July to be precise) so since it was a lovely hot day, I thought I'd do an OOTD. 

I love the nautical trend and have done for many years, I still have red and navy anchor bracelets that I bought 3 years ago from Accessorize and only recently threw out an anchor tee that I had when I was 16 (making it an impressive 5 years old!). 

Blazer: River Island, Tunic: Primark, Leggings: Topshop, Shoes: ASOS, Ring: ASOS, 

Brooch: Miss Selfridge, Nail Polish: Orly 'Hotshot' 

I love the combination of red, white and navy as those colours compliment each other so well, hence why I paired my navy and white striped blazer with a white tunic and red accessories. If the tunic (meant to be a dress) wasn't so short, I'd have worn it without leggings but since I'm not fond of cheek exposure, I thought I'd pop on a pair of leggings with it.
Red jeans and white converse would also look amazing with this blazer so that's definitely an outfit I plan to wear when the weather is a little cooler. If I'd have worn jeans and converse in 25 degrees of heat, I'd have well and truly melted.

Are any of you still a fan of the nautical trend? And would you like to see more OOTD posts on my blog?

Many thanks for reading!
:)

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in 'Vanilla Cupcake'

I recently tweeted saying that I'd purchased something utterly amazing but I wasn't going to tell anyone what it was until it arrived. Anyway, it arrived through my post box this morning so thought I'd share my AMAZING purchase. I'd usually just Instagram something exciting but considering it's THAT good, I thought I'd do a post about it. I also knew that everyone would want one so thought I'd give information about where to buy etc as I knew I'd get a million and one questions about where to buy them from. 

So without further ado, here is my utterly amazing purchase, a Yankee Candle lip balm! 

I can probably guess that the majority of you said something along the lines of 'OH MY GOD' or 'WOOOOW' when you first clapped eyes on this post as I did the same thing when I discovered them on eBay. 

Now I bet you're wondering if the lip balm actually smells like the candle and I must admit, I wondered the same thing, but no word of a lie, the lip balm smells EXACTLY like the candle. It's sweet, scrummy and smells exactly like a vanilla cupcake. I also noticed that the scent lingers which is really pleasant, it makes my nostrils want to dance a little.

The lip balm contains 4g of product which is the same as most 'twisty uppy' lip balms. Lypsyl and Origins lip balm contains 4g of product whereas Burt's Bees lip balm contains an extra 0.25g... OOFT. You also don't need to use a large amount of the Yankee Candle lip balm as it's smooth and creamy meaning it's going to last you a lifetime.

If you're wondering how the lip balm works, then the bottom of the 'jar' twists and as you twist the product lifts up, it's the same as any other 'twisty uppy' lip balm. As you'll see from the photographs above, the 'lid' pops off and the product is displayed.

The Yankee Candle lip balms can be purchased from eBay and if you live in the USA, they can be purchased from Amazon too. I purchased mine from the UK seller 'collectorboyz' and they currently sell the following flavours; 'Vanilla Cupcake', 'Christmas Cookie', 'Vanilla Lime' and 'Sweet Strawberry'. I'm not sure how many of each flavour they have so if you want one, I'd buy one as soon as possible. I also must mention that shipping is excellent, it was shipped on the day that I purchased it and it only took 2 days to arrived and it's FREE delivery... AMAZING.
You can buy the lip balms from other sellers but I noticed they were selling the lip balms for around £7.00 which is really expensive considering they're worth a couple of dollars in the USA. If you're willing to spend £7.00 then you could choose from other flavours like 'Sparkling Cinnamon', 'Sweet Strawberry' and 'Spiced Pumpkin'.
It's also worth mentioning that the seller 'zini84' has a gift pack of the lip balms for approximately £13.00 (the cheapest on eBay), the pack includes 'Christmas Cookie', 'Vanilla Lime', 'Vanilla Cupcake' and 'Sweet Strawberry'. I will warn you that they aren't a UK seller and shipping is free so god knows when you'd end up getting the pack! But if you're interested in the gift pack there's only one left so get buying before it's gone!

I am so thrilled with this lip balm, so thrilled that I actually purchased 2 of the 'Christmas Cookie' lip balms today. I cannot wait for them to arrive and I'm seriously considering building a collection of the Yankee Candle lip balms as I love them that much.

The question is, will you be buying a Yankee Candle lip balm?
:)

Tropical Green Look

I love green eyeshadow and probably own about 100 green eyeshadows but I have to admit that I've somewhat neglected them over the past few months. Today I decided to use some of my lovely green eyeshadows and create a summery, tropical look. 

I decided to wear bold lips as well as bright eyes as I think the two look lovely together. I opted for a pink/coral lipstick as I thought it complimented the green eyeshadow nicely.  

Products used to create this look:

Eyes:

• MAC Paint Pot in 'Bare Study' 
• Inglot 'Pearl 412' 
• Inglot 'D.S 477'
• Inglot 'AMC Shine 17' 
• Sleek Curacao Palette (Eyeshadows Used: 'Screwdriver' and 'Martini' )
• L'Oreal Super Liner
• Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner Pencil in 'Black' 
• YSL Shocking Mascara

Face:

• Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in '06' 
• Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in '01 Fair' 
• L'Oreal Glam Bronze Duo Powder
• Fashionista Blush in 'Juicy Apricot' 

Lips:

• Figs & Rouge Peppermint Lip Balm
• MAC Lipstick in 'Party Parrot'

How to create this look:

1.) Apply 'Bare Study' to the eyelid using your fingers or a flat eyeshadow brush, blend out the edges using a blending brush. Bare Study works as a base for the eyeshadow. 

2.) Apply Inglot 'Pearl 412' all over the eyelid using a large eyeshadow brush. 

3.) Apply Inglot 'D.S 477' in the outer corner of the eye and blend into the centre of the eye using a blending brush. 

4.) Apply Inglot 'AMC Shine 17' into the crease of the eye and blend using a blending brush.

5.) Using a small eyeshadow brush apply 'screwdriver' to the very inner corner of the eye.  

5.) Apply 'Martini' to the brow bone using a small eyeshadow brush.  

6.) Using the L'Oreal Super Liner, create a winged effect. 

7.) Apply a small amount of Inglot 'AMC Shine 17' to the bottom lash line using a smudge brush. Only apply it to the outer part of the bottom lash line.

8.) Apply a small amount of 'screwdriver' to the bottom lash line using a smudge brush. Only apply it to the inner part of the bottom lash line.

9.) Apply the Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner to both the bottom and top waterline. 

10.) The final step is to apply the YSL Shocking Mascara to both the bottom and top eyelashes. 

I hope you enjoyed this look and if you would like me to do a video tutorial, please let me know!

Many thanks for reading!

:)

Top Ten Eyeshadows (& Cheaper Alternatives)

A couple of weeks ago I posted about my Top Ten Lipsticks and I have to say that a lot of my lovely readers enjoyed that post very much, so much so that I was actually requested to do a Top Ten Eyeshadows post. 

Today I decided to write a Top Ten Eyeshadows post, like I did in my Top Ten Lipsticks post, I'll be including cheaper alternatives. 

From left to right: MAC 'Bare Study', Urban Decay 'Sin', MAC 'Crystal Avalanche', MAC 'Electra', Urban Decay 'Oil Slick', MAC 'Club', MAC 'Mystery', MAC 'Shale', MAC 'Lucky Green' and MAC 'Free To Be'

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1.) MAC 'Bare Study' - £14.50 - Cream Formula

Cheaper Alternative: Fashionista Single Eyeshadow in 'Nude Glimmer' - £4.00

Price Difference: £10.50

Left: MAC 'Bare Study'
Right: Fashionista 'Nude Glimmer'

Bare Study is described as 'soft beige with gold pearl', it has a cream formula and a frost finish. Bare Study isn't technically a powder eyeshadow, it's a paint pot which is a cream eyeshadow. It can be worn alone or can be used as a base for eyeshadows. I absolutely love wearing Bare Study on its own as it gives a nice subtle shimmer but I also like layering neutral eyeshadows over the top of it. Fashionista 'Nude Glimmer' isn't an exact dupe for Bare Study as one, it's a powder eyeshadow and two, it's slightly more peach toned. But if you're looking for a cheaper alternative then 'Nude Glimmer' is the one to go for. 

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2.) Urban Decay 'Sin' - £14.00 - Sparkle Finish

Cheaper Alternative: MAC 'Naked Lunch' - £10.00

Price Difference: £4.00

Left: Urban Decay 'Sin'
Right: MAC 'Naked Lunch'

Sin is described as 'champagne'. It's a peachy nude colour with a high amount of shimmer. Sin is such a lovely neutral eyeshadow and I primarily use it in the inner corner of my eye when creating a brown smokey eye. 

Naked Lunch isn't as pigmented as Sin but there's no denying that the colour is exactly the same. If Naked Lunch was more pigmented, they'd the twins for sure. 

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3.) MAC 'Crystal Avalanche' - £10.00 - Veluxe Pearl Finish

Cheaper Alternative: L'Oreal Colour Infallible in 'Time Resist White' - £6.99

Price Difference: £3.01

Left: MAC 'Crystal Avalanche'
Right: L'Oreal 'Time Resist White'

Crystal Avalanche is described as 'white with reflects'. It's the perfect highlight shade and it's also lovely worn alone as it opens up the eyes. 

Time Resist White is a close dupe, it's not an exact dupe as it's slightly more cream toned but due to the finish and the high amount of shimmer, I'd say it was a close enough dupe. I absolutely love Time Resist White and would highly recommend it to anyone that was thinking about buying Crystal Avalanche. Why spend an extra £3.01 when you don't have to. 

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4.) MAC 'Electra' - £10.00 - Frost Finish

Cheaper Alternative: Inglot 'Pearl 448' - £4.50

Price Difference: £5.50

Left: MAC 'Electra'
Right: Inglot 'Pearl 448'

Electra is described as 'silver with icy shimmer'. Electra is possibly one of the nicest silver eyeshadows that I own and I think this is due to it's lovely finish and smooth application. It's a lovely silver eyeshadow to use when creating a black smokey eye.

Inglot Pearl 448 is near enough identical to Electra in terms of colour, finish and texture. The only difference is the price tag. I love Inglot eyeshadows and they're possibly the best eyeshadows that I own. 

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5.) Urban Decay 'Oil Slick' - £14.00 - Sparkle & Matte Finish

Cheaper Alternative: Inglot 'AMC 65' - £4.50

Price Difference: £9.50

Left: Urban Decay 'Oil Slick'
Right: Inglot 'AMC 65'

Oil Slick is described as 'black with silver micro glitter'. It's a great black eyeshadow and I especially like it because it contains glitter. I primarily use Oil Slick as an eyeliner or when creating a black smokey eye.

Inglot AMC 65 is an excellent dupe for Oil Slick, the only difference is that Oil Slick has chunkier glitter particles. If you're looking for a black sparkly eyeshadow then I'd definitely go for the Inglot AMC 65 as it's much cheaper than Oil Slick.

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6.) MAC 'Club' - £10.00 - Satin Finish

Cheaper Alternative: MUA Trio in 'Innocence' - £2.00

Price Difference: £8.00

Left: MAC 'Club'
Right: MUA 'Innocence'

Club is described as 'red-brown with green pearl'. Club is a beautiful eyeshadow and this is due to it being a duocrome. I love how its a brown eyeshadow with a blue/green undertone, it would look lovely on anyone with green eyes as it would makes eyes appear greener than they are. I'm not going to lie, Club is a nightmare to apply and you do need to use a lot of it but it's such a beautiful colour, you just cannot resist it. 

Innocence is an excellent cheaper alternative to Club as it's got the same blue/green undertone. It isn't as dark as Club but who cares when you're saving yourself £8.00. 

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7.) MAC 'Mystery' - £10.00 - Satin Finish

Cheaper Alternative: Sleek 'Boxed' (Oh So Special palette) - £6.49

Price Difference: £3.51

Left: MAC 'Mystery'
Right: Sleek 'Boxed'

Mystery is described as 'muted plum brown'. I primarily use Mystery for filling in my eyebrows as I like them to look quite dark. It's a very pigmented eyeshadow so you don't need to use a lot of it. It's a multifunctional brown and I love it to bits and pieces. 

Boxed isn't an exact dupe but if you're looking for a dark brown matte then this is the one to go for. It's a lovely rich brown colour with great pigmentation.

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8.) MAC 'Shale' - £10.00 - Satin Finish

Cheaper Alternative: Inglot 'D.S 460' - £4.50

Price Difference: £5.50

Left: MAC 'Shale'
Right: Inglot 'D.S 460'

Shale is described as 'mauve-plum with subtle shimmer'. Shale is a great for using when creating a daytime smokey eye as it's not too dark or harsh looking. I always wear MAC 'Vex' with Shale as they go together like strawberries and cream. Shale does need layering and you do have to use quite a bit but I don't mind as it's such a lovely colour and it looks beautiful on the eyes. 

Inglot D.S 460 is a good alternative and I highly recommend checking it out if you were planning on buying Shale. 

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9.) MAC 'Lucky Green' - £10.00 - Veluxe Pearl Finish

Cheaper Alternative: Inglot 'Pearl 412' - £4.50

Price Difference: £5.50

Left: MAC 'Lucky Green'
Right: Inglot 'Pearl 412'

Lucky Green is described as 'Frosted Midtone Lime'. This is the BEST green eyeshadow that I own, it has amazing pigmentation and it's such a beautiful colour. 

Inglot Pearl 412 is an excellent alternative as it's pretty much identical to Lucky Green. 

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10.) MAC 'Free To Be' (LE) - £12.00 - Matte Finish

Cheaper Alternative: Sleek 'Ribbon' (Oh So Special palette) - £6.49

Price Difference: £5.51

Left: MAC 'Free To Be'
Right: Sleek 'Ribbon'

Free To Be is described as 'Bright True Coral'. It's one of the brightest, boldest eyeshadows that I own and I simply adore it. If you follow my blog or watch me on youtube then you'll know that I'm a HUGE coral fan. I love everything coral including eyeshadow, if I could have a coral coloured house I would! Free To Be takes a lot of layering but it's worth it as it's such an intense, eye-catching colour. I usually use Free To Be as an eyeliner. 

Ribbon is a brilliant alternative to Free To Be as it's near enough the same colour and it too has a matte finish. The great thing with Ribbon is that you don't have to layer it at all, unlike with Free To Be. Ribbon is intensely pigmented, has a creamy texture and only a small amount is needed. 

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I hope you all liked my Top Ten Eyeshadows post and if you have any questions about any of the eyeshadows mentioned, please feel free to comment below.

Many thanks for reading!

:)