Sunday 30 January 2011

Month's Most Wanted

Hello everyone,
If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I love compiling wishlist style posts. At any one time I'll have a long list of items I want to purchase and am lusting over... which normally dwindle away. But I thought I'd start a 'month's most wanted' to show what I've been lusting over throughout the whole month, and where's a more perfect place to start that January 11?!


























Ikea Malm 3 Drawer Chest: I'm so sick of my dressing table/make up set up. I don't particularly like the way that office drawers look and it just clogs up my work space. I really want one of these Malm chest of drawers, it would give me so much storage place, and I'd love to just chuck all my make up (in some kind of organised chaos) into the top drawer. [£56.17]

Vera Wang Princess Perfume: This is my absolute favourite perfume, probably ever. It's a really sweet scent and comes in the most gorgeous bottle! Whenever I'm in Boots or Debenhams I always give this a sniff and it's always in the back of my mind to buy it... but it's quite pricey and I struggle to part with the cash! [100ml, £57.00]

River Island Beige Skinny Jeans: I'm loving beige/camel coloured skinny jeans, it's such a change from dark denim but I think transition perfectly from winter into spring, they look gorgeous with floaty blouses or a rock t-shirt and leather jacket. [£39.99]

F&F Brown Batwing Top: Batwing tops are super flattering and I love earthy, neutral tones like this... it would also look great with those beige skinnies! This top is so versatile and really affordable. [£10.00]

Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation: High end foundations are not something I've ever ventured into, but they all get rave reviews and sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on something... I have to try one! I really want to get my hands on this Chanel one! Is it really worth the money? Let me know in the comments :) [£29.00]

natalieslovex

Friday 28 January 2011

I got inked!

Hello ladies,
I've always wanted a tattoo... since I can remember, so on Wednesday I took the leap and went and got inked! I thought I'd just share a little photo of what I had done :)



























So it's the word 'embrace' along the side of my right foot. The reason I got this particular word is  because it pretty much represents how I feel about life... embrace every single second, and don't ever take it for granted because it could be gone in a second. I didn't want a very big tattoo, and it's pretty easy to hide if need be. I'm so pleased with it and I already want another one!

Looooads of people have already been asking me 'did it hurt' and it's a really hard feeling to describe... it isn't painful as such...it's bearable but it does feel like a hot scratch and is more of an irritating feeling. If you're considering a tattoo but are scared of the pain... honestly, go for it! If you're anything like me you're expecting some excruciating pain that you just can't sit through, but is much less painful then you think it's going to be!

Hope you're all having a wonderful week, and enjoy your weekend!
natalieslovex

Thursday 27 January 2011

Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick - Baby Lips

Hello cuppycakes,
So I'm slowly but surely getting through the swatches from my Elf haul, again I can only apologise... this month is a bit crazy for me but my usual blogging will be resumed shortly. I miss doing face of the day's! But I've basically just kept it simple with a winged liner most days, which doesn't make for a very exciting read, lol! So anyway, I've swatched one of the 'luscious liquid lipsticks' today, the shade baby lips.




























So the 'liquid lipstick' comes in this long, clear (cheap) plastic looking tube, which twists at the bottom to release the lipgloss from the sponge applicator. I actually really like these types of applicators, I just which the packaging was a bit nicer... but what can you do for £1.50??




























So I did a close up of just the lips, as well as a full face shot because I think people find them more useful - sorry I look so moody!! To me, this isn't a 'liquid lipstick', when I hear that phrase I think of a very thick but creamy formulation... this is basically just a gloss.The colour of this is quite sheer... a very light baby pink. This is swatched over the top of concealer to blank out my natural lip colour because my lips are naturally very pigmented...almost red! The formula isn't at all sticky, which is quite surprising and the gloss does stay glossy for a good amount of time - 3 hours and it smells very minty. I love minty smells! The only downfall for me is that the colour payoff isn't great, I like a lot of pigmentation in lip products as my lips are so dark. However, this could be a blessing for those that just want a pretty pink sheen on their lips :)
natalieslovex

Saturday 22 January 2011

MAC Lovelorn lipstick

Hi loves,
So I completely forgot I even had this lipstick... and I've just remembered how much I love it! I found it all sad and lonely at the bottom of a handbag which was shoved in a drawer somewhere. Don't you love finding treasures in handbags you haven't used in a while?! Anyways, thought I'd just do a little swatch type of post for you guys :)




























As you can see, it's a Lustre finish - which I love. Lustre's are really moisturising and go on so smoothly, plus you don't need a gloss because they all give a lovely sheen. It's a pretty bright pink, which wears well. I love lipsticks that when they've worn off a bit, they leave a slight stain... which this does really well.






















This is what it looks like when it's first applied, quite glossy and it's a shade of pink that's really going to suit everyone. The MAC website describe is as an 'emotive blue pink' which I think it pretty spot on... blue tones are great because they make your teeth look whiter.



























This is the lipstick after a couple hours of wear - plus drinking and eating! Obviously the gloss has faded, and the colour has changed a bit... but it settles into a really nice darker pink. This lipstick gets a thumbs up from me... as do all of my MAC lipsticks, I'm yet to find a bad one! This used to be available for £12.50, but MAC have put their prices up to £13.50... come on MAC that's a bit silly isn't it?

What MAC lipsticks do you rate?
natalieslovex

Thursday 20 January 2011

In a knot...

Hey everyone,
I've always thought that my hair looks better in hairstyles that involve my hair being down and flowing, with a few grips or plaits to jazz it up sometimes. I just don't think I look right with my hair up... but when I'm slobbing around the house I do just chuck it up in a messy bun or something similar. But generally, I don't like having my hair up and away from my face. However, I've seen top knots everywhere lately... and I really like how they look, so I thought I'd try and rock it today, and have vowed to keep my hair like this all day. I want to get out of my boring hair rut!





























I actually messed it up a bit and roughed it up after I took the pictures because it was a bit too polished for my liking ;) So have you tried out the top knot? Are you someone that has always got their hair up or down?
natalieslovex

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Shall I or Shan't I?

Hello cuppycakes,
So yesterday I did a bit of shopping, you can see my haul here if you want to, and I tried several things on in Primark... one of which I wasn't sure on. I loved it, really loved it but something about it... does it suit me? So I popped my blackberry out and sent a picture to the boy - he said it was 'okay' but then... what does he know? ;)

So of course... I've come to you lovely lot! I'm really sorry that I'm not wearing anything underneath, I obviously would do if I were to buy it and wear it... but I wasn't wearing anything at the time that could go under it, so please ignore that! Sorry if it offends anybody :/


























It's £10.00 from Primark for those of you who are interested. So do I go back and get it before I regret it, or shall I leave it to the fashionistas?
natalieslovex

Monday 17 January 2011

Small haul

Hello lovers,
So I quietly put myself on a make up spending ban at the beginning of the year, until the end of January - well that's the plan anyway! (the Elf haul doesn't count because I ordered it before Christmas!). However, I seem to have totally made up for it shopping for other things! Ain't that just the way it goes? At the weekend I went shopping with the boy and saw two bits that I wanted, but left them. When I got home they kept flashing into my mind and I finally caved in and went into town today to pick up those TWO bits. *Surprisingly* I came home with more...


New Look £19.99 £14.99
I've had my eye on these suede wedges for long before Christmas, and I'm sure you've all seen them around blogger and youtube. I popped into New Look to lust over them and I couldn't resist. When I got to the till I was over the moon that they've been put down by a fiver!



























Primark £5.00
Okay so this is a bit of a weird one, I'm aware of that, haha! But I'm on a bit of a health kick right now (I lost 3 lbs last week though dieting alone) and my 30 day shred came in the post along with another fitness DVD. It's really important to have support in the boobage area when working out and I thought this was cheap and cheerful... let's see how it works!



























Primark £10.00
I'm loving the whole pussybow thing that's going on right now, and I've been seeing the one from Primark on a lot of blogs. The Primark in my area is quite big but they seem to get things in late. But I did find it! I really wanted the white/cream one but they only had this mink coloured one, which I actually really love!




















































Primark £12.00
Bit of a simple one but I fell in love with it. Just a plain longline camel jumper with these two ruffles by the shoulder. What I loved is that the ruffles were on the back too! I love when the details go onto the back as well.



























Primark £3.00
Just a little umbrella that I can chuck in the bottom of my bag, which with the weather lately... I'm in desperate need of! They're not the greatest of quality umbrellas, but they do just to have there in times of emergency! Plus who can resist the leopard print??


























Primark £2.50
I don't often buy jewelery because I always forget the wear it! But I thought the jumper would look a bit plain on it's own and I saw this pretty little necklace and thought it would do the job :)


Primark £4.00, £1.00
Loveeee this swallow scarf, the background it's a mauve-lavender-grey with fuchsia swallows on. Perfect for jazzing up a plain or monochromatic outfit. And the belt? Pretty self explanatory!

Hope you enjoyed my little haul :) I also picked up some 'super skinny' jeans from New Look, but thought they were a bit boring to show. But if you want jeggings that look and feel exactly the same as jeans - button an all - these are your guys!
natalieslovex

Sunday 16 January 2011

Maybelline - Dream Satin Liquid foundation

Hello my beauts,
I'm so sorry I haven't put up a post in a while, I'm in the middle of exams at the moment and spend every spare minute revising. Also been trying to fit in a bunch of driving lessons because my test is rapidly approaching (eeek!). So now my 'please forgive me for neglecting you' speech is over, I'm going to do a review on a foundation I showed in this haul a little while ago. I got a few comments asking for a review/whether it was any good... and it's the Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid foundation.














First off the bat, I really like the packaging. It's simple and sleek but feels quite expensive as the bottle is  made of thick glass. I'm always happy with clear bottles because you get to see when you're running out (and the foundation doesn't cling to the inside like Colorstay!). Also... it has a pump, one that doesn't make the foundation come out in squirts! Need I say more? 

So Maybelline describe this as 'Air-whipped foundation, air-brushed finish' sounds appealing, right? If I'm 100% honest with you, I wasn't entirely sure about this foundation. I wasn't expecting all that much because I bought it on a whim! I was little bit worried about the word 'satin' as someone who suffers from oily skin... but it actually leaves a pretty matte finish in my opinion, not too matte and does let some of your natural glow and skin texture through. The coverage surprised me too, I'd say it's medium-full and blends over blemishes seamlessly.




























As I mentioned, I have oily skin and that usually poses a problem with how long foundations last on me and how much oil they let come through. This foundation is actually quite long lasting, as long as I blot or powder during the day. It doesn't make me too shiny, but I do get a bit of an oily T-zone at about 2/3pm and I apply my foundation at 7am. But this is nothing a bit of powder can't sort out. As long as I make sure I sort out the oily zones, it stays basically the same way I applied it. If you do get oily and don't blot/powder the make up does start to slip in those places so do watch out for that. Another thing I found with this foundation is that it does transfer quite a bit, so be careful when placing your head on your other half's newly washed white t-shirt! Lol.

Overall I'm really fond of this foundation and I think it's made it's way into the top 5 drugstore foundations I've tried, and I'm normally so fussy with foundations. I just wish it didn't transfer as much! And unfortunately doesn't have any SPF. It's really readily available, all drugstores carry it and even some supermarkets and is really affordable at £8.19. If you want to know anything else... ask away :)
natalieslovex

Sunday 9 January 2011

Elf haul

Hello sweets,
I've been craving an Elf haul for well before Christmas, but I thought with some of the money I got I'd put in a sneaky little Elf haul ;) Of course, up to £30 for free delivery... companies really suck me in with free delivery! Makes me feel like I've saved money, which is entirely not true but I never learn! I'll start with the usual line (the £1.50 line, with white packaging). 




























I ordered one hypershine gloss, which is the top product, in the shade 'Mauve', and as you can see... not very mauve! The bottom two items are luscious liquid lipsticks, the middle shade is 'Baby Lips' and the bottom shade is 'Strawberry'.






















So what's the difference between the hypershine gloss and the luscious liquid lipstick? Well the hypershine gloss is the one on the far left, and the applicator is a brush. Whereas, the luscious liquid lipsticks have this spongy type applicator... what are these things called?!
ALL £1.50 EACH




























I also ordered a eyelash + brow wand and a brow comb and brush... mainly to pad out the order to get it up to the £30, but also because I've been using the brow comb on the end of my Rimmel brow pencil for far too long, and it's a state. Plus they're so cheap!
BOTH £1.50



























Eyebrow Treat + Tame in 'Medium', studio line £3.50
Mineral Lip liner in 'Peachy', mineral line £3.00
Mineral Lipstick in 'Rosy Raisin', mineral line £3.50



























Mineral Blush in 'Bliss', mineral line £3.50
Nail Polish in 'Desert Haze', £1.50
Superglossy Lip Shine in 'Candlelight', regular line £1.50




























Make up mist, studio line £3.50
Daily Brush Cleaner, studio line £3.50
Really impressed with the packaging of these items, feels really expensive and looks sleek! Really excited to see how these two compare to the MAC products... I'm hoping they're going to be better because they're loaaaads cheaper!

Swatches/reviews are on their way! But if there are any products that you particularly want swatches and reviews for I'll try and get them up first. What are your favourite items from Elf?
natalieslovex

Saturday 8 January 2011

MAC - The Faeire Glen

Hello guys,
So I wanted to do some reviews and swatches of some of the products from this haul here. Today I thought I'd do one of my favourite lipsticks I featured in that haul which has now become one of my favourites of all time! I feel like maybe this post is a little bit pointless because the lipstick is from the MAC collection A Tartan Tale, but I think you can still get most of the items. This is actually my first collection item and it's the lipstick 'The Faeire Glen'.

This lipstick is described as 'a pale neutral pink' on the website, and is a Lustre finish. I love Lustre finishes, other than Cremesheen they are my favourite. You don't need a gloss over the top if you don't want because they give such a pretty sheen to the lips. They're so soft and glide onto the lips, which means they're nourishing too. The only downside is Lustre's don't often have a great amount of colour payoff, but the colour is always buildable. So here are the swatches...




























It's a really great nude for me... doesn't wash me out too much, not too orange and not too pink. Literally love this lipstick! I've heard that's it's similar to Hue lipstick, so when this runs out I'ma have to get myself that bad boy!

Did any of you guys order from the A Tartan Tale collection? What was your favourite item? I really wished I'd order the lipstick 'Cut A Caper' too, if it's still on the website I might just have to click the buy button! Oh MAC, how you rinse my bank account!
natalieslovex

Friday 7 January 2011

Eye of the tiger

Hello beautifuls,
I went out for a meal with one of my nieces, my dad and my grandma last night to a really lovely Italian (<3) restaurant last night. Mozzerella sticks for starter and a yummy real pizza for main, followed by Tiramasu! Nom nom. This is what I wore, still quite casual :) I didn't have enough time to take proper outfit of the day photo's so I just did a 'pop in front of the mirror' jobbie!



























Tiger top, River Island
Bodycon skirt, H&M
    Tights, Primark

Again, I just paired this with some black, flat ballet pumps :)
natalieslovex

Thursday 6 January 2011

BooHoo order

Bonjourno!
So in this post here, I showed a few skirts that I really liked... Including some ones from BooHoo which afterwards, went on sale. I saw it as the perfect opportunity and ordered away! They did take a while to get here but I kind of understood because of the snow and all of the bank holidays. So these are the two skirts I ordered...





























Rose + Polka dot skirt £5.00 on sale

I love this skirt... the print, the fabric and the style. I was really excited to get it and thought I'd pair it with a crisp white t-shirt, black blazer and tights. However there is a big problem that I have with BooHoo... and it's their sizing! I don't know if you have ever experienced this, and please tell me if you have... but their sizes always seem to come up small. As a size 10/12 I thought Medium/Large would be fine. It wasn't. Even when I took the skirt out of the packet I could see how small it was! Although it's stretchy it looks like a size 8!! Gutted that I'm going to have to send this back...



























Studded body con skirt, £8.00 in the sale

Again, I love this skirt when I got it out, it has a zip down the back and has a little bit of stretch. But again... the size is a little bit wrong. It's much better than the first and does seem about right, I ordered a size 12 but I'd say this is more of a size 10. I think this would fit the average size 12... but I have natural wide hips (a blessing and curse at the same time). Great for child bearing... not great for finding things that fit well! So unfortunately... this too will have to go back :(

So when ordering from BooHoo take this into consideration, it's not just the skirts either... when I ordered some jeggings before they seemed a bit tight and a few of my friends have said the same things. The tops I've ordered in the past have been fine. I really recommend the website though, the clothes are really nice and affordable (but don't feel or look cheap) I'd just say get a size bigger than you usually would. Have you found this with BooHoo or is it just me?
natalieslovex

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Birthday...

Hello loves,
So yesterday was my 18th and you all sent fab birthday messages so thanks a lot for that :) I thought I'd just share a few bits and bobs with you :)





























My favourite birthday card, from who else but... my Dad! Love my Dad, he's like my absolute best friend and we share exactly the same personality, we're like 2 peas in a pod! I definitely intend to live my 'adult' life according to this card!




























The boyf, really, really spoilt me and I was totally not expecting it. He got me this beautiful Armani watch, it's a little too big because my wrists are unbelievably small so I'm going to have to wait until it's adjusted before I can wear it :(





























My usual blue bubblegum soda... but with some Malibu as it was my 18th! Lol. And... the massive and as you can see, MASSIVE burger. Yes I did manage to consume the whole entire tower!




























And of course, no 18th is complete without a bottle of champers!

I have a family meal scheduled for a week on Saturday, and on Friday it's also one of my friend's 18th's so that night will be spent with a few cocktails and scrummy food. Love you all!
natalieslovex

Tuesday 4 January 2011

My Birthday Face!

Hello treacles,
So yup... it's my 18th birthday today! I'm now officially allowed to order alcoholic drinks and am classed as an adult! Wowsa, I still feel like the little 9 year old that wanted to be a Princess! I suppose I've come a long way! Lol. I'm not going to do a birthday haul because again, I mainly got money (some very, very generous gifts, I've been spoilt), so I thought I'd do a birthday face of the day. Unfortunately it's actually my first day back at college too, meh. I've kept it pretty simple but that's what I like with my make up :)















Urban Decay, Drink me Eat me all over the lid
Elf cream eyeliner, Black
L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara, Black
Avon Colourtrent eye khol, Brown on waterline
Elf brow kit, Medium

The Urban Decay eyeshadow appears quite pink in this picture but it's actually more beige/nude and I think the original shade is called Sin, but don't quote me on that!




























MAC Studio finish concealer
Natural Collection concealer
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid foundation
Maybelline Dream Matte powder
MAC Breath of Plum blush
MAC Fix+ setting spray

Carmex

So I hope you all have a great day, I'm just about to pop along to college and later on tonight I'm going to my favourite restaurant, Woodies. And then Saturday a big family meal is being planned, so lots of calories will be consumed over the next week! Oh and I'll be enjoying the bottle of bubbly that my brother got me!
natalieslovex