NOTD

Hiya guys,
My last nail of the day was... god! Yonks ago. So here it is...

This is Barry M's Lemon Ice Cream

In some lights, this looks like the beautiful pale, yellow pastel colour it appears in the bottle - and in others it looks like a bright canary yellow. Either way, I love it... when i first started applying it, I wasn't sure if I would. It does take a good 3-4 coats as it's such a light colour, but I really love the outcome. I'm lovin' it for summer and I don't care if it clashes with my outfit ;)

Do you worry about your nails matching you outfit? Or could you not care less?

Natalieslovex

Wishlist

Hey beautifuls,

I was thinking the other day, about how I haven't been wanting much recently... and how long ago it was I compiled a 'wishlist'. Which then, of course, resulted in me writing up a whole list of things I wanted (and clearly wasn't even aware of wanting) lol! I thought I'd share with you guys incase one of them were rubbish, or really are a necessity to add to my collection!

Body Shop Body Brush

I've always known the 'effects' of body brushing, but I'd never fully believed it. But after reading very glowing reviews about this brush in particular on a number of blogs, including Laura's, I just really want to get into it and see what it can do for that pesky orange peel on the back of my very upper thigh!

Vanilla + Dewberry Perfume Oils

Apparently they last a long time? Somebody let me know :) I'm looking for a new summer fragrance but want to try one of these out.

 

MAC Blushes in Dollymix and Harmony

I have two spaces to fill in my blush palette, and from looking at swatches I think these two would fit in just perfectly!

MAC Lipsticks in Costa Chic and Creme D'Nude

As the sun becomes a much more frequent thing, the appearance of Costa Chic is making me very jelous! It's the perfect coral. As for Creme D'Nude, the melting tragedies just haven't put me off. Has there ever been a more perfect nude?

Large Vented Rollers

I'm always trying to find ways of getting cute and easy hairstyles without too much heat. I only used rollers once, and they weren't very good... however, I'm willing to give them another try in a bid to get volumous, summer hair minus the heat!

On sale at New Look - £10

New Look - £22

New Look - £18

Motel - £35

What are you wishing for?

Natalieslovex

Day 04 - Your favourite book

Hey my lovelies,
Day four! What's my favourite book? I don't really read many 'deep' books... I usually just stick to the same old romantic commercial books.

My favourite book is probably out of these four...
Adele Parks - Tell Me Something
Harriet Evans - The love of her life
Lisa Jewell - Ralph's Party
Lisa Jewell - The truth about Melody Browne

Yeah there we are :) I love books written by Lisa Jewell, there always unique and I find her style of writing so easy to read, and deffinitely page turning.
Natalieslovex

Cherry On Top Award

Hello cupcakes,

Right so I recently got awarded the 'Cherry On Top' award... cute right? I really love getting awards, who doesn't? It just reassures you that people out there are reading, and are enjoying your posts and have your blog in mind when it comes to thinking of awarding people. Which is something I sometimes think about, lol.

The beaaaaautiful blogger that gave me the award is Dollface. She has a bunch of great reviews and her posts really vary - something that I adore. So thank you sooo much :D Much love to you!

Rules are as follows...

1. Thank the person that gave this to you :) Go on, give them a virtual hug!

2. Copy the award and put it on your blog.

3. List 3 things you love about yourself ♥

4. Post a picture you love (e.g a person you adore etc.)

5. Tag 5 people you wish to pass this award on to :)

 

Hm, 3 things I love about myself?

1 - I love to laugh, and it's something I do so much throughout the day. I hope (and I think) it helps to brighten other people's day, and I love that I sometimes have that ability to turn a negative situation into a slightly more positive one that people can laugh about. I have no problem with taking the piss out of myself!

 

2 - I think that I'm a generous and caring person, I'd much rather make someone else happy before myself and I'd give up a lot of what I have for other people too. Love getting involved with charity events, and love donating!

 

3- I love that I'm happy in my own skin. Of course I still have my insecurities, but overall I am who I am, and if you don't like it? Lump it. It's taken me a long time to get to this place, but I'm here now ;) And if only everyone could get to that place in theirs lives - the world would be much better!

 

I'm in love with this picture - my Dad is the absolute entire world to me. He inspires me, he motivates me, he believes in me and he makes me laugh! He is honestly one of my best friends, and if he wasn't in my life - it wouldn't bear thinking about! I love you daddy!! And he also hates having pictures taken so this is extra special to me!

Now onto the other fabulous bloggers that I'd like to get this award...

Stacey @ Girls are made from Sugar and Spice

Louise @ Affordable Treats

Nicola @ Magics In The Makeup

Paula @ Sweetcheeks Beauty

Jody @ ByJody

Sorry if you've already been given this, I'm rubbish at keeping up with them!

Natalieslovex

Bring it home boys!

Hello cupcakes,
I'm guessing you've all heard about England going onto the next round (finally some good football) the game was sooo tense, and now we have Germany and Argentina!! Gonna be hard, but our lads can do it ;) I decided to show my support with my nails, rather than purchasing an over priced shirt...

Not very neat, admitedly but considering this was done after the match, and after one (or five) celebratory drinks, I'm pretty impressed lol. Needless to say the next morning at college, was not enjoyable!

Who are you guys backing for the cup?

Natalieslovex

17 Freebie

Afternoon honeys,

So yesterday I put up my review on the 17 mirror shine lipsticks - which you can find here. And I also mentioned that which those purchases I got a free gift... Travel Make up kit.

It comes in this beautiful little postcard box! Everything inside was also wrapped up in hot pink tissue paper. I love little details like that. Anyway, onto what was inside and my thoughts on them so far.

You get 3 make up items, and a little something else (shown at the end), all of which are really great items, and worth spending the £6 for :)

The first thing up is this waterproof mascara. The wand is pretty standard - nothing special, but nothing terrible. It's not full size though, which I think works to it's advantage. If you're going on holiday this year, this a great little thing to take. On holiday I personally only use waterproof mascara round the pool, and in the evening I'll use my usual mascara. If you dont wanna pay out for some waterproof mascara and don't want anything too big - this is a gem!

Next up is this Fast Finish nail polish, in the beautiful colour 'grapefruit'. It reminds me of a pinker version of Barry M's Pink Flamingo. I tried this out on a nail as soon as I got it, and... I adore it! The application was amazing, very easy, brush is the right size, the consistency is good too. I don't know whether the speed is any different to any others... but ah well. This colour is going to be my favourite for the summer! Suits all skin tones, and will look especially good with a tan. I'll definitely be picking up some more colours.

The last make up item is the 'volumous' lip gloss, that also claims to be 'colour intense'. Colour intense? It really is!! This swatch was just one swipe, and it's totally opaque. It kind of has a bit of irradescent shimmer, but I personally like that... it's not volumous though, it's just like any other lipgloss. This is in the shade Pink Ice.

Lastly, you get this little voucher. It entitles you to 100 points on your Boots advantage card when you spend £5 or more on 17 brand products - perrrrrfect reason to go and get me some more nail polishes!

Have you picked up on this deal yet? I really reccomend it. It's totally opened me up to the brand, which I'd never owned before. Give it a try!!

Natalieslovex

17 Mirror Shine lipsticks

Hello lovely ladies,

I'm pretty sure you'll have seen these floating around on blogs and youtube channels, and I thought I'd put my two cents in and let you know what I think :)

So at the moment in Boots, you'll gain 100 points for every 17 Mirror Shine lipstick you buy. Great for those with an Advantage Card - more excuse to pick up a variety of colours ;) As well as that if you spend £6 or more on 17 brand products, you'll get a free 'travel make up kit' which I'll post about tomorrow :) So yes. These are some lipsticks not to be missed!!

Hollywood, Beehive and Nudist Peach

Here they are in all their glory... I'm not too mad about the packaging, it's okay I guess. They retail at £4.49 so if you bought 2 you would qualify for the freebie.

Onto the swatches. The colours didn't pick up too well on my lips, but the swatches on my wrist are the true colour of these beauties.

First up; Hollywood. This is the first red lipstick in my collection! In the tube it looks like a very scary, but when applied it is more of a raspberry red, still pretty bold for a neutral-lover like me!

Secondly; Beehive. The lip swatch here is a little off - so go by the swatch on my skin. This is a really pretty pinky/nude colour. My lips are very naturally pigmented and as these are quite sheer I dab a little concealer underneath to cancel out the red pigment.

Last but not least; Nudist peach. Once again, go by the swatch on my wrist because for some reason it won't pick the colour up properly on my lips. I love this colour, but again... I need to dab on some concealer. But it's a very pretty peach colour and this will definitely experience some major useage throughout the summer.

Now onto what I think of them... as the name suggests (mirror shine) they give a very nice, glossy sheen to the lips. They remind me of a MAC Lustre... which I love. It's especially good if you're much more of a lip gloss person but are trying to get into lipsticks, this would be a good transition.

It's also very good for anyone like me who is a little bit 'stand off'ish about bold and bright colours. A lip gloss is a great way of trying out bold colours as they aren't as pigmented (in most cases) and can be made a lot more subtle. Again, as these are similar to a gloss I picked up a bright red lipstick. It's definitely made me feel a lot more comfortable about wearing a bright colour on the lips.

The staying power is actually surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting for it to stay on for the good 2.5/3 hours that it does. And the fact that it is so moisturising makes it a pleasure to wear. I wear lipstick everyday and usually I'll have to apply carmex all throughout the day to keep the chapped look away. Whilst I've been wearing these I've only really had to put on some carmex before I go to bed!

To be honest, I've always looked past the brand 17, but thanks to blogger, and their special points offer, it's really drawn me in! I think they'll be a few items that I want to pick up now the quality of these are so nice. These have scored a big fat 9/10 for me...

Pros.

Cheap,

Satisfactory staying power,

Moisturising,

No need for a lip gloss,

On offer at the moment ;)

Varied range of colours,

Accessible (to those in the UK)

Cons.

The packaging can look a bit tacky,

Needs a good few swipes to get an even colour

Have you tried these? Are you as in love? And look out for what comes in the free travel make up kit tomorrow :)

Natalieslovex

Haulin'

Hello sweets,
The past week or so I've sort of been accumulating some new bits and bobs, and I thought I'd just quickly (ahem) share it with you guys. This is probably going to be a really picture heavy post so I'm really sorry about that. Here goes...

First thing I got was just this simple striped, longline vest top. It's kind of an off-white cream colour, with a very, very dark grey. It's really simple and I'm on a bit of a stripe frenzy at the moment.

H&M £2.99

The next thing was this bandeau top (yes more stripes). It has little ties around the neck so it can be a halter neck, but I'll probably just tie these into a bow to avoid silly looking tan lines. It also has the 'secret support' kind of thing inside, which personally I don't like...

Primark - £4

Next up is this really pretty camisole. It has crochet detailing around the neck line, and then 2 ruffles with lace trimming at the bottom. I think it's really pretty and easy to wear for summer. The material is also really thin so definitely a good one for the summer. I think I also saw it in coral and black.

Primark - £8

So this is from the men's section, gotta love it ;) It's a plain white v-neck t shirt with a picture of a bit of a legend - Jimi Hendrix! I had to have this when I saw it.

Primark - £6

So this is another thing from the mens section, lol! This isn't to everyones taste but I saw it and thought it was really different. Its kind of a skull print tee with feathers and stuff, it looks a little All Saints-esque to me? I don't know, it's kinda rock chick and will just bung it over short shorts in the summer :)

Primark - £4

So obviously I wasn't going to pass on the amazing deal that glamour are giving away, you've all heard about it. And after searching low and high in a number of different places I managed to retrieve all three!

I mentioned in my recent skincare video that my regime was coming to an end, so I got these two nuetrogena products to try out - looking forward to that. I also got some cocoa butter 'gel' body oil to see how this compares to the butter.

So I had to get some of the 17 Mirror Shine lipsticks that are doing the rounds at the moment, which also gained me a freebie that came in this cute little box! There's going to be a seperate post on swatches, what came in the pressie and what I think about the lipsticks. I reccomend everyone to go and pick at least one up though... if you have a Boots card especially you get 100 points for every one you purchase.

I think that's everything! Apart from 2 other men's t-shirts that I bought, but I've already cut them up, I'm sure you'll see them in an OOTD soon enough :)

Natalieslovex

Day 03 - Your favourite TV programme

Evening ladies,
I'm onto day three, seventeen left lol! This is a hard one too!! I feel like I'm cheating all the time because I always put more then one but hey ho, rules were made to be broken ;) rebel!

I don't have too many favourite programmes...
Big Brother - I get officially addicted
Friends
Hollyoaks
Eastenders
Keeping up with the Kardashians
The Inbetweeners
Skins
Waterloo Road

I think that's about it :) What are your faves?
Natalieslovex

Battle of the Bodies

Hello cupcakes,
So most of us are starting to try and get our bodies bikini ready, the summer is really, really on it's way - we've even had a few glimpses of it already. And it got me thinking... what would be my ideal body? Something healthy, no bones on show, curves, but lean and toned!

Flicking through mags seeing celebrities gogreeeeous bodies, makes me green with envy! How do they do it?! Loads of hard work and hours spent in a gym, followed by a very strict diet. That's just not me, lol. So here are my body inspirations...

Jessica Biel

Scarlett Johansson

Beyonce

Audrina Patridge

Kim Kardashian

Alex Curran

Who's your favourite celeb beach body?

Natalieslovex

Showing my support for the lads!

Morning ladies, Just wanted to show some support for our boys out there in South Africa! Granted, our first match didn't go particularly well, so lets hope tonights a different story! Algeria? Should be an easy match, but then again... so should've USA! I love football, full stop. So the World Cup, I love SO much.

The moment it all went wrong... lets not have a repeat, please? Will be interesting to see if Green gets played or not

Oh and can we have some more shots of this guy, sitting on the bench looking delightful in a suit please? (the on guy on the right ;) lol!)

C'mon England!!

Natalieslovex

Day 02 - Your favourite movie

Hey bambinos,
So day two of the 30 day tag and todays question... my favourite movie. Now this is similar to the songs - I have a loooot of favourite movies so I'll list a few. I love comedies the most - anything that makes me laugh is definitely a winner. But I also love soppy romantic films and also actions.

No further adue...
Forest Gump - everyone loves this!
Any Adam Sandler film
PS I Love You
Wolverine
Finding Foresster (if you haven't seen this - watch it!)
TOY STORY
Bugs Life
UP!

There's a tonne more, but I really love those. Especially Toy Story and Up!
Natalieslovex

Current skincare + Speed reviews

Hello ladies, My skincare products have almost finished, and I realised I hadn't done a review or even a post on it - which is crazy because it's been working so well for me! The fact that I'm even nearing the end is saying something, as I usually just get bored and move onto other products. Although, saying that after this I'll probably switch to completely different brands even though this has worked well for me. Purely because there might be other products out there that work even better! I'm rambling, so I'll get on with it now...

Mornings

The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash £6.50

First off, I thought this was gonna smell really weird - kinda like the sea? Lol.Well it doesn't smell fishy, or salty or anything like that, it smells so fresh which is gret for me in the mornings. This claims to leave you with clean, clear and shine free skin. The consistency is more like a liquidy gel, that foams into a sort of cream, rather than lathery bubbles. I really like this because I feel it's really working deep into my pores. It deffinitely reduced my spots, something that I really look for. It also keeps my skin pretty oil free, without making it flaky - result! Love this, reccomend anyone with oily and blemish prone skin to try this out.

*I don't use a toner in the morning because I just don't feel like I need to*

Superdrug's Tea Tree Moisturiser around £2.99

I've mentioned this before on my blog, so I've sued this for quite a long time. It has tea tree and peppermint oil as well as aloe vera. The Tea Tree acts as a blemish fighter (althought I haven't seen much of that). The peppermint gives a really fresh scent and also a very cooling feeling on the skin, another great thing for me in the morning. It's really light and sinks in quickly, I'm not really interested in moisturisers so... yup.

Night Times

*I take my make up off with Johnson's baby wipes*

The Body Shop Seaweed Purifying Facial Cleanser £6.50

I use this before I go to bed because the consistency is more milky and it doesn't lather up. I feel like this is better for removing any make up you might've missed when removing it with a wipe. It's really soothing, and leaves your skin very soft, and feeling clean. This also claims to prevent shine and blemishes... but as I use this before bed I can't really comment on that. This doesn't clog the pores, and lifts the dirt right out. It also carries the fresh scent.

The Body Shop Clarifying Toner £5

The scent of this is a little bit more 'sea like' if that makes sense? Still pretty refreshing. I love using this toner, it revitalises the skin so well, making it feel a lot more awake. Although I only use this at night now, I did used to use it in the morning and it really helped out with my oily t-zone. This is deffinitely lift out any oil/dirt/bacteria that somehow escaped the previous steps. I used this on a cotton pad all over my face and neck. Fab product, I can see myself continuing to use this one.

LUSH Grease Lightining £5.10

I've done a review on this here, so just check that out. But I use this on any blemishes that I have, and it really calms them down. Any excess that I have on my finger I'll use on the rest of my face to prevent any breakouts.

Bio Oil (125ml) around £14.99

I love this stuff! I use this as a moisturiser at the very end of my skin care regime. I used to have a lot of red and uneven patches on my skin. I was quite weary of using this on my face, as I already have very oily skin. But honestly, that doesn't matter... in the morning my face is not oily. I would never advise someone to use this in the morning because it needs that over night time to sink into the skin and work its magic, it's evened out my skintone a hell of a lot... another item that will always be present in my bathroom!

Extras

St Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish Fighting £4.29

I exfoliate my face about 3 times a week, or generally when my skin is looking a bit dull. You've seen this a million times before so I won't babble on. Be careful when using it because the exfoliants are very hard. Love this stuff though, it's a staple for me.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2-in-1 £3.59

I use this as a mask once a week, sometimes two. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and even a bit firmer. The scent is so gorgeous and a pleasure to use. It's a clay based mask, but it doesn't dry to that 'if you smile it cracks' type of thing. Very easy to apply and easy to wash off too. If I'm having a bit of a break out, and good 10 minutes with this smeared on my face helps out a lot. Everybody needs to have this in their lives!

If you have any questions about any of these products or anything else skincare related leave me a comment, or e-mail me, or check out my formspring :) I hope you've all have a fab weekend!

Natalieslovex

Day 01 - Your favourite song

Morning ladies,
Just a quick one today then and my first day of the 30 days tag :)

So... my favourite song? I have suchhh a bunch of songs that I really love, and I always forget about some and rediscover them and think 'omg this is my favourite song' so yeah. I'm probably just going to list a few. But I love a whole range of different music from hip-hop, rnb, dance, drum n bass, pop, indie... so everything? Near enough lol.

A few of my favourite songs...
How to save a life - The Fray
Halo - Beyonce
Everything is borrowed - The Streets
Beautiful - Eminem
The scientist - Coldplay
Bittersweet smyphony - The Verve
Wonderwall - Oasis
Rescue me - Skepta
Turn it up - Pixie Lott
Not afraid - Eminem

That's pretty much a mixture of some of my all time favourites, and my current favourites :)
Natalieslovex

30 days

Hi treacles,
So, I've just started following an amazing blog, which I'm loving. The girl behind the blog is a lovely girl called Jody. So if you're reading this - I've just discovered your blog and I'm loving it ;)

Anyways, I was scrolling through her posts and came across a tag she's doing called '30 days' and basically there's a subject post for each day typa thing. I probably won't post mine conescutively because I think that would get a bit boring, plus I'd miss doing FOTDs and reviews and all that jazz.

Here are the topics :)

Day 01 - Your favourite song
Day 02 - Your favourite movie
Day 03 - Your favourite TV programme
Day 04 - Your favourite book
Day 05 - Your favourite quote
Day 06 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 - A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 - A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 - A photo that you took
Day 10 - A photo of you taken over 10 years ago
Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 - A fictional book
Day 14 - A non-fictional book
Day 15 - A fanfic
Day 16 - A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture etc.)
Day 18 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 - A talent of yours
Day 20 - A hobby of yours
Day 21 - A recipe
Day 22 - A website
Day 23 - A YouTube video
Day 24 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 - Your day, in great detail
Day 26 - Your week, in great detail
Day 27 - This month, in great detail
Day 28 - This year, in great detail
Day 29 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - Whatever tickles your fancy

So watch out for that and don't forget to go and check out Jody's blog :)
Natalieslovex

Blue/Green EOTD

Morning lovelies,
I have a day off today as I've finished all my exams - back to college on Monday though. Boo! Anyway, I thought I'd have a play around with some eyeshadow palettes and came up with this little look that just happened to match my nails ;) So it's a two in one post lol!

The eyeshadow look is a bit crazy and I probably wouldnt wear it out unless I was going to a party of something similar. I like to stick to neutral territory lol!

The camera made my eyebrows look a bit weird :/ and they haven't been groomed so please ignore! Lol. My nails are Barry M - Mint Green.

Have a fabby day, besides the rain!

Natalieslovex