It's Christmaaaaaas: The Winterlicious Tag

1) Favourite Winter Nail Polish?
Glitter is an absolute must for me at this time of year, so for the past two months (I know...) my nails have been adorned with sparkle. Currently I'm wearing Ciate 'My Fair Lady', which is a really pale pinky nude, along with a gold glitter tip. The glitter I used was GLITTER NAME Barry M - love it! This is quite reserved for me, before this I went to the extreme and layered my red nails with two, yep.. two, glitters both from Barry M - GLITTER NAME, which is a mixture of blue, green and red glitter, and GLITTER NAME, which is a plain gold. Well, if you cant go OTT at Christmas, when can you?!

2) Favourite Winter lip product?
My lips get pretty dry in the winter, and the fact that I have the horrible habit of biting my lips doesn't help at all, booo! Because of this I'm never more than a metre away from some sort of lip balm, my favourite at the moment being Blistex NAME. I've read a tonne of positive comments about the NAME, and so might have to make a cheeky purchase when I get paid...

3) Most worn Winter clothing piece?
Without a doubt my leather jacket is my most worn item. I bought it about a month ago from Topshop and have literally worn it every time I've left the house since then! It really keeps me warm and the (detachable) fur collar adds extra warmth which is always welcome in the freezing Scottish weather! Sometimes you see people in leather jackets which are shiny and so cheap looking, but this doesn't fall into that category at all and the last thing it looks is cheap, although it was an absolute steal at £58! You.Need.One.

4) Most worn Winter accessory?
To be honest my most worn item is a bit boring.. I was in H&M looking around the accessories section and saw  a scarf that was the most gorgeous deep red/burgundy colour, and of course picked it up straight away! At only £7.99 it's a really affordable piece in a shade that is everywhere at the moment! I went in to work the other day and my manager was like 'do you know that your scarf and top are the same colour?..' Awks. 

5) Favourite winter scent/candle?
For me, Yankee Candle takes the crown every season so it's a no brainer that during the festive period it's the same. I have 3 scents on rotation this year. First I have Clean Cotton, which is an all year favourite for me. It smells so fresh and gives your whole room the feeling of clean bed sheets. Cranberry Ice is another which I have been loving this winter - it's not too intense, instead gives a sweet cranberry scent without the headache that comes along with some other strongly scented candles. Finally, Red Berry and Cedar has been taking pride of place in my burner the past few days. It smells gorgeous, it's one of those which is quite subtle but when you leave and re-enter the room the smell hits you and it's just.. Christmas!

6) All time favourite Christmas/Holiday movie?

It's difficult to pick just one.. I'm going to have to cheat and write a list! Elf is becoming a classic for out generation, and it's definitely one of my favourites! I also love the Grinch, it's so funny! I love anything Dr Zeuss so it's a winner for me! The Muppets Christmas Carol is one to get you in the festive spirit, along with Miracle on 34th Street which reminds me of the last day before Christmas at primary school.

7) Favourite Winter beverage?

Unpopular opinion or not, I prefer Costa so Starbucks, and it's a Costa drink which is my favourite winter beverage this year. Their Frosted Mint Hot Chocolate is b-e-a-utiful. Mint chocolate is my favourite so a warm winter version ticks all the boxes for me. The mint isn't overpowering but it's definitely there - I highly suggest you try this if you haven't already!

8) Favourite Christmas/Holiday song?

Aaah so hard to pick! Obviously The Fairytale of New York is near the top of my list, but they're all (with a few exceptions) so good! I love the Michael Buble Christmas CD too... Favourite song questions are always hard! 

9) What is your favourite Christmas Decoration this year?
I've not actually been home to see the decorations yet.. My favourite decorations around Edinburgh are on the pillars at the Dome on George Street. So gorgeous and even though they're massive they're still quite subtle and pretty.

10) Favourite Holiday food/treat?
I think Christmas Dinner is my favourite meal of the year.. Extreme Sunday roast! Pigs in Blankets are amazing! (I'm not sure if they're called that everywhere? Basically sausages wrapped in bacon haha!) I honestly cant think of anything to top a Christmas dinner, not even including the extras like cheese etc. Literally just the plate of the best roast you have all year!

11) What's at the top of your Christmas list?
I've been boring this year and just asked for money.. I couldn't think of anything that I really wanted as it was my birthday in October so I don't really need anything right now :( So un-Christmassy I know.

12) What are your plans for the holidays this year?

I'm working Christmas Eve, but get an early finish at 4.30 so I'll drive back home straight from work, can't wait! I'm having Christmas at my Mum's house along with my brother and Grandparents. I'll pick them up on Christmas Morning and they'll spend the day with us before I drop them off again at night. Unfortunately I'm working on Boxing Day too, so it's back up to Edinburgh for me early on the 26th which is a bit of a bummer.. I'm secretly hoping it snows loads over night so I get stuck at my mum's and can't make it for work... Fingers Crossed!

I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and New Year. What's top of your Christmas list this year?

Evie x

All these photos are taken from my Instagram, follow me if you like @evieconnor

You And I We're Gonna Live Forever

Excuse my fat foot.. This was a couple of days after it was done so was pretty swollen!

I got my tattoo, woo! I was so excited to get it done, I've wanted to get for 3 years so I knew it was something that I wouldn't regret. This post is just going to be a breakdown of the meaning and the actual process of getting the tattoo done. Enjoy!

Meaning
This tattoo is personal and close to my heart - I chose a feather to symbolise the angel feathers which are said to be seen after someone dies. My uncle died almost four years ago and I knew I wanted to get something to represent him, as he was honestly the nicest man you could ever meet. We were very close, and I trusted and adored him more than my dad if I'm honest. He was only 31 so the thought of losing him had entered no one's head. He loved music, Oasis and The Beatles being his two favourites, but he could appreciate all types of music and respected anyone who could sing or play an instrument.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to get a lyric to represent him, but in the end I couldn't pick one that didn't sound too cheesy, and so the feather was definitely the best option.

Process
I asked my uncle's close friend if he wanted to do the tattoo, as I knew it would mean a lot to him, and it also made it more personal for me rather than having a stranger who didn't know him do it.
I showed him a picture of a similar feather, although he changed it slightly as he didn't want to so an exact copy of someone else's work. He drew two marks on my foot - the start and the end points - and then did the tattoo freehand, with the exception of a few areas which he drew guidelines to make sure it was even.
It took an hour and a half, because there is no shading at all on this tattoo, it is made up of hundreds of lines but I feel that this means that it looks a lot more realistic than a simple outline and shading. I did bleed a little after about an hour, but that's nothing to worry about!
After this he put on a layer of Bepanthen, and then wrapped it in cling film to stop any dirt getting into it and to ensure it wasn't irritated by my shoes (I was wearing vans.. should have probably worn dolly shoes..)
I'm really pleased with how he did it, it was hygienically done and I can't fault it at all.

After Care
After a couple of hours I removed the cling film and let the air get to it. My foot had swollen quite a bit and to walking was uncomfortable for the first 2-3 days, but it wasn't anything to cry about. Each person I speak to about tattoo after care seems to have done something different, but for me it was simple. I cleaned it with water (no soap) every morning and every night, each time followed by a thin layer of Bepanthen for two weeks. It has healed really well and I would recommend this method to anyone who was wondering about tattoo after care, although of course listen to what the artist says as after all, it's their job!

Pain
Because it's on my foot, and everyone who I had spoken to about it said that the foot is one of the sorest places to get tattooed, I was pretty anxious. However when I was in getting ready to have it done, I wasn't nervous at all and the excitement of finally getting the tattoo took over. I have a high pain threshold, but even if I didn't I don't think that it would be too bad. I would say that this tattoo was a 8/10, it was sore yes, but it was a bearable pain that after a while just got to the stage where it was annoying and I waned it to stop because it was getting on my nerves rather than because it was painful. 
I've heard that the outline is the worst part, and the shading is much less painful however I don't know if this is true as my tattoo has no shading.

All in all I'm SO pleased with it, it's exactly what I wanted and I'm now looking at what I want to get next.. I've got a few ideas which may be appearing on me in the future! I think that if you want to get a tattoo and are worried about the pain, then don't be! Yes it hurts but it stops immediately and it's so worth it when it's healed and looking sweeeeet! Seriously though don't let the thought of the pain put you off if it's something that you want to do!

Have you got a tattoo? How did you find the experience?
Are any of you thinking of getting a tattoo?

Evie x

Pastels and Brights

Coral and Tangerine have shown as quite similar in these photos, in actual fact Coral is a lot more pinky, and Tangerine is a true bright orange!

Lemon Ice Cream is a lot paler in real life than it looks above, sorry for the misleading photo!

It's that time of year when we like to revamp our nails. Winter's darker shades take a back seat and leave it to Summer's brights to bring the party! I've written before that Barry M is my favourite brand of 'affordable' nail polish because, despite the long-ish drying time, the range of colours is amazing - 69 shades! Without counting I'd say I have around 20 Barry M polishes, and can't recommend them enough! With a wide range of both pastel and bright colours, Barry M have done really well to include shades that will appeal to everyone. I have chosen a selection of seven colours that I will be wearing this summer and taking away with me next month!

It seems like some people have had trouble trying to find Peach Melba, with many outlets being sold out. As you can see from my usage, I bought this shade a while ago (I want to say last year?) so thankfully I didn't have that problem.

Of course there are many more summer colours to choose from, and I seriously recommend you get your mitts on some if you haven't already because with the weather we're having at the moment any attempt to brighten it up is welcome. (And necessary!) I can see myself going crazy and wearing all the pastel shades at once, one on each nail along with Eyeko's Rain Polish - a pastel blue! 

What colours are you wearing on your nails at the moment? Are you more of a bright or pastel kinda gal?

Evie x

Wishlist #1 - Summer Holiday

1. Benefit Sun Beam - I need to get me some of this! Recently I've been hearing so much about this highlighter - whether it be on Blogger, YouTube or Twitter - and it's all been good. It looks like the perfect highlighter for when my skin has a tan, and I'm seriously tempted to buy it before I go on holiday next month!
2. Essie, Sand Tropez - This has to be the most perfect colour ever. Again, I'm tempted to buy this simply because it will accentuate a tan! So pretty and summery!
3. Topshop Libertine Wedges -  I've been looking for a pair of wedges like this for a while. I love the heel, it's kind of a heel/wedge hybrid, quirky and interesting! I think they would look amazing with highwaisted floral shorts and a loose white vest!
4. MAC Blossom Culture Lipstick - Part of the Perennial Pinks collection, this is my favoured colour of the two Sheen Supreme Lipsticks. MAC describe it as a 'soft pink with pearl' and I think it's such a beautiful colour.
5. River Island Yellow Digital Print Maxi Skirt - This is such a fun vibrant piece that would look gorgeous paired with a white vest and gold jewellery. I'm also after a black maxi skirt but this is definitely on my wishlist for this holiday! I'm just a bit worried that such a bold print might swamp my 5'1 frame, although that wont stop me trying it on!

What does your wishlist currently consist of? Any items similar to mine? Are you going away this summer?

Evie x

Fake vs. Real MAC Lipsticks

MAC is one of those brands whose products you treasure like they were your children, and get butterflies of excitement when swatching and buying new items to add to your collection, for me anyway! Recently, one of my friends bought what she thought was a MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick from eBay, something which I would never recommend. She was so looking forward to it arriving, however as soon as she opened the package she could see that it was not what she'd hoped she would receive. Fake makeup is all over eBay, so this post is basically going to give you NUMBER basic point to let you know if you've bought a fake MAC lipstick. To demonstrate the differences I have used a fake Viva Glam Gaga and a real Angel lipstick.

Firstly, the sticker on the bottom is completely different. As you can see, the real lipstick on the right clearly displays the name and finish, (Angel, frost) whereas the fake fails to give a name at all! The text around the edge of the sticker is correct, however it is written in a different font which is much harder to read, and is missing the recycling symbol. Schoolboy errors.

Clearly whoever manufactures these fake lipsticks has spent 2 minutes when designing the outer packaging! This is completely different to the real box. First of all the fake lipstick came in a box that was a different shape to the real lipstick. Secondly, the text isn't even close to being correct. The exact same sticker that was seen on the bottom on the tube has been stuck (squint) on the end of the box. It just screams that it's not real! 

The quality of the tube is shocking. The twist mechanism can be easily taken apart from the bottom of the tube, which is obviously something that a legit MAC lipstick would never do. The lipstick feels lighter than the real one, and the actual product inside just seems too plastic-y to be real.

Talking of the lazy packaging errors, the size of the lipstick is different too! I'm no fake lipstick manufacturer, but it seems that a quick measure of a real product wouldn't go a miss when designing the fake packaging, no? As you can clearly see in the above picture, the imposter on the left is taller than the real product on the right. Also, the fake packaging is a lot thinner and feels like it could easily snap with enough pressure.

The colour of the packaging is different. The real packaging (top) is much more black, whereas the fake is more of a dark grey. Also, the fake packaging fails to feature the 'e' symbol, which means that the quantity stated on the packaging is correct according to EU standards - pretty important!

Also, the smell is vastly different. As most of you know, MAC lipsticks have a gorgeous cakey/vanilla scent, something which has not been transferred into the production of the fake lipstick. It smells like paint. Acrylic, and very unpleasant it makes you wonder what the ingredients are of this imposter product. 

I am in no way an expert on this topic, however I thought this might be a helpful post and if it helps one person avoid wasting money on a fake product, then I'll be happy!

Have you ever bought a fake cosmetic item? Do you have any other tips on how to spot a fake product?

Evie x

Weekly Round-Up - 1

I'm totally cheating with this picture, it was taken ages ago but I really wanted to get this post done and today is very much an off day... I have orange hair because I was trying out the hairspray for Wednesday, I'm going to school dressed as Ginger Spice because it will be the last day ever! So exciting!
This week has been a real mix - I only went to school one day because it's so close to exams and I prefer to revise at home, I get so much more done because I just can't concentrate at school, I always end up talking/going for food/doing anything but revision, and find it easier (although not easy!) to revise at home.
Saturday went so quickly! Got up and did an hour of revision, then went to town to get the orange hairspray for Wednesday! Although because my hair is almost black it takes a LOT to show up, I ended up having to buy £7 worth.. It will be so worth it though, Wednesday will be such a laugh! Then I went home and did another hour or so of revision (which is very unlike me, especially on a weekend! Impressive!) before my friend came and picked me up to see The Avengers! Oh.My.God. It's so good! You need to see it! I absolutely love Chris Evans and RDJ (only in Iron Man, haha) so both of them together was like my dream film! AND I hear that there's an Iron Man 3 and Captain America 2 coming out in 2013/14 so that's exciting!
Today has been a day of revision. I have a test after school tomorrow so I was reading and making essay notes for that, and doing business management past papers too. So much fun, I love revision... Although my day has just gotten a thousand times brighter because Clueless is on now! It's like, totally one of my favourite films! Way fabulous!;)

NOTD - Tangerine Fatal

Seeing as the weather has been so rubbish recently, I thought I'd paint my nails a colour which is definitely spring/summer. Typical Brit moaning about the weather, haha! I love this colour - tangerine fatal by Bourjois. It's a gorgeous bright orange, but it's not too bright, if that makes sense? It's definitely a stand out colour, but at the same time it's quite subtle. Oh god that's the worst explanation ever! Okay.. It's a sort of a bright pastel orange, but in some lights it seems like a soft neon. Wow, I'll just stop now. The picture was taken in natural light and so gives a pretty true representation of the colour, so you can decide for yourselves what kind of orange this is!;)
As for application and drying, I can't fault this polish. The brush is sized really nicely and so is easy to apply without having to worry about it getting around the edge of your nail, and drying time is around a couple of minutes - which for someone like me, who normally has to wait around 5-10 minutes for Barry M nail paints to dry fully, is perfect! (Not that I'm dissing you Baz!) The only gripe I have with this is that it's very sheer. I applied two coats, as I normally do with any coloured polish, however the whites of some nails are still visible so I had to add another coat.  Not a huge problem, but something worth addressing!
These polishes retail for £5.99 in boots, although I was lucky enough to win this from a competition on Kim's Blog (link). However, something I noticed when researching the price was that the swatch online is completely different to the actual colour of the polish! Boots show it to be a pinky/coral, but it's definitely not, even with my shocking description skills managed to get across the fact that it is very much orange!

Have you tried any Bourjois polishes? What is your favourite nail polish brand?

Evie x

Current Skincare Routine

After a week away up north, eating rubbish and not getting my full 8 hours, my skin pretty much hated me. I set out on a mission to find a skincare routine that would get my skin back to normal sharpish! I have combination skin - it tends to get slightly oily in the centre of my face, and dry across my forehead and around the edge of my face, so I needed something that was going to work well with my skin.

The cleanser I chose was Neutrogena's visibly clear pink grapefruit daily scrub, because I'd heard only good things about it. The exfoliating beads really feel like they are doing something, but are small enough so that you know you're not being too rough on your skin. Not to mention the fact that it smells amazing! I also picked up Neutrogena's visibly clear spot stress control moisturiser. It's quite a weird (but amazing) product. I was expecting a normal moisturiser consistency, however this is more of a gel and so feels extra smooth when applied to the skin! I absolutely love this moisturiser, and the fact that I got it for 5p (there was a 2 for £5 on the visibly clear range in Boots) makes it even better! I'd definitely repurchase this once this tube is finished. Finally, the favourite of them all - Clean and Clear dual action moisturiser. I absolutely love this moisturiser, a little goes such a long way and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and, well, moisturised.

I keep the clean and clear moisturiser on my bedside table, so that as soon as I wake up I can moisturise my face. I use the cleanser each night when I shower, followed by a load of the clean and clear moisturiser. I then dry my hair while that absorbs, and then apply the Neutrogena moisturiser. I'm probably making it a lot more difficult for myself than it needs to be, but I like to have little routines set out in my head and find it really difficult to snap out of them, so it seems like this one will be with me for a while!

Have you tried any of these products? What is your favourite skincare product?

Evie x

TOPSHOP Lipstick - Ohh La La

Ohh La La is described as a 'coral blush', and I'd definitely agree with this. I love the colour of this lipstick. It's a modern colour, but feels quite classic on the lips. A single swipe of this lipstick gives a sheer wash of colour that's really pretty, or it can be built up to a more striking, punchy coral.  Topshop claims that this lipstick is a matte finish, which smooths, moisturises and nourishes your lips. I'm not quite sure how true this is - in my opinion the formula of more of a semi-matte finish, although this isn't a problem for me as I didn't buy it thinking it was matte. As for the moisturising element of this lipstick, I'm yet to see any results of this, however that's not to say that it's drying and I don't think that using a lip balm before application is essential. I'd say that length of wear with this lipstick is around 2/3 hours, however it was put to the test during that time as I was eating, talking and drinking - so not bad I'd say! For £8 I'm really happy with this lipstick. The colour is gorgeous and will carry me through spring and summer, I have a thing for coral so really wanted to try it! The finish is (semi)matte although for people who are not fans of this finish, when used alongside a clear gloss it's beautiful also. I'd really recommend this product to someone who was looking for a coral lip colour, that on first application gives a sheer colour, but can be built up to achieve a vibrant finish. Love love love.

Update & Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eyeshadow in Goddess

It's mad to think that in less than six weeks I'll be on exam leave, and then I'll only have a month of exams to do before I'm finished school forever! Scary but so exciting! I know what I'm doing now - decided uni isn't for me and although I'd love the social life, I really don't want another four years of education, so instead I'll be moving to Edinburgh (wooohooo!) to go to college and hopefully find a job! I really can't wait, it feels like everything is coming together now and like I can just concentrate on passing this year and then I can start a new chapter in my life in a new place. Of course I'll miss everyone but this is what I've wanted for a long time, and I have to trust myself that it's the right thing to do! Jeez I sound old!

Okay, onto what I'm guessing is the reason you're reading this post... This is the Urban Decay loose pigment in Goddess. I bought this on a whim one day whilst browsing cheapsmells.com(link) I was looking for a black eyeshadow with a bit of depth because although the matt black in my Sleek palette is great, I wanted something that would instantly liven up a dramatic smoky eye. I'm going to a school social in two weeks (which is basically when 6th years from 9 schools from my county get together in a hall and have a dance and a drink - orange juice obviously!) and the theme is pirates, so I wanted to create a really dark eye, but something that would photograph well and feel like I made a real effort. As soon as I saw this shade I knew it was perfect!

From the above photograph you can get an idea of the glitter in this pigment. It's amazing! The base of the pigment is a matt black shadow, but it's full of blue/purple/green glitter that shows different shades in different lights, so each photograph I took turned out differently. It's a really interesting colour, and is exactly what I was looking for when buying it - something that will jazz up a deep smoky eye. I was surprised to find out that this is in fact a mineral pigment - I actually only realised this when I was reading up on the product before writing this post, I have to admit!

Something that lets the product down is the packaging. Although on paper it seems like a perfect product - compact, pretty design with it's own brush - it is quite the opposite. Yes it looks nice, but on opening the pot you are met with a brush that holds far too much product to be of use, and it's a messy job to tap it off if you really want to use the brush - trust me, I tried! To use this product I find that I have to tip out the pigment and use one of my own brushes to apply it. This technique produces a lot of waste, and if I had paid the RRP of £11.50 this would have annoyed me no end, but thankfully I only paid £4.25.

The pigment is really nice to apply, it blends beautifully and although this is my first Urban Decay pigment, from what I have heard/read this is common with similar products so I can imagine myself purchasing other products from their eyeshadow range, perhaps not another pigment unless it was at a discounted price!

All in all I'm glad I bought this pigment. It does everything I wanted it to in terms of application and wear, but is let down simply my the annoyance of the packaging. However, as I have said I didn't pay full price for this item so I can't really complain! 

Have you tried any of the products from this range? What did you think of them? Any recommendations for better packaged pigments?;)

Evie x 

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

First off, can I just say how much I love this packaging?! The lid is black with green and purple glitter in it, so pretty! Okay, on to the actual product... This is MAC's translucent (or transparent) finishing powder. I'd heard a lot about this product on YouTube and Blogger, so thought I'd give it a go. The artist who helped me in the MAC store said it was one of their best selling powders and that she, as well as other girls in the store, couldn't live without it.

I was advised to use this powder with a kabuki brush, and to start at the top of my face so that any product that dropped could be swept away as I moved further down the face. I was really excited to try it out, so got up pretty early the next day - you know when you're really excited to do your makeup and get up at stupid o'clock? I have to say I was quite disappointed. Described by MAC as 'A silky finishing powder that provides an invisible way to set makeup. Reduces shine while optically minimizing the look of pores, likes and imperfections', I felt it didn't achieve any of these claims. As for keeping shine at bay, this product didn't do much. I don't have particularly oily skin, but this powder did nothing to 'reduce shine' on my face. I also felt that my pores looked the same as they did before I applied the powder, which is really disappointing for a product which costs £18.50.

As for setting my makeup, I can't honestly say that this product is anything fantastic. I use Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation after hearing so much about it, and I really like it, but find that is has the same staying powder with or without the use of MAC's finishing powder. I will be continuing to use this product on thr rare occasion for the simple reason that I want to use it up! I feel like it was such a waste of money and I'm really disappointed with it.

I hate writing such negative reviews but I don't want to lie about a product that I feel didn't live up to expectations! Have you tried this powder? What did you think?

Evie x

MAC Angel Lipstick

It's always exciting getting something in the post, especially when it's from MAC! Even though I knew what it was, I was so excited to try this shade as it's everywhere! I'm guessing that almost all of you will own, or at least have heard of, this lipstick. It's massively popular, and this is probably due to the fact that Kim Kardashian is often seen wearing this shade along with Turkish Delight gloss from Nars. (Link) It's a frost finish, which I was a bit sceptical of trying after hearing that this formulation can sometimes be quite drying. However I have had no problems with this lipstick and find that as long as I use a lip scrub (Link) and balm beforehand there is no drying element with to product. 

The shade is described by MAC as a 'soft pink', and in my humble opinion that sums it up pretty well. It's so wearable and a very daytime appropriate shade, and is complimentary on all skin tones I have seen it on, from pale to dark. Everyone loves the smell of MAC lipsticks, that vanilla scent is strangely satisfying and compared to that painty smell that some lipsticks have, it's something that definitely helps 'make' this product for me.

I'm no MAC expert by any stretch of the imagination! I own 3 MAC products, and this is simply because with no job, and already having to borrow from the 'bank of mum and dad' (I hate that expression!) for driving lessons, I can hardly ask for money to buy make up... So when I can, birthdays etc, I go a bit mad on clothes and make up, but otherwise it's drugstore for me! (Not that there's anything wrong with drugstore products, obviously!)

I'm desperate to get my hands on Watch Me Simmer from the Shop Mac collection, but it seems to be sold out everywhere and I'm not keen for the massively raised prices that will be floating around the internet! I also really love Full Speed from the Sheen Supreme range... Maybe someone will be nice and this will be in my collection soon!

Have you tried this, or any of the other lipsticks I mentioned? What's your favourite MAC lipstick? Hope you're having a great weekend!

Evie x

Can I just apologize for any blurriness in these pictures! Someone with  has gotten fingerprints all over my camera lens, I know.. Tragic! I hadn't noticed until I went to crop the images on my laptop, so I hope it's not too annoying for you! The first picture is doing my head in!:(

Accessorize Nail Polish Shade 38

I bought this nail polish on a whim really... I was at the till waiting to pay for a necklace and I saw this little gem sparkling in a box on the counter. This one in particular caught my eye above the rest because it's such a different colour, it's green. And purple. And glittery. And only £4. I love it!

It was quite hard to capture the true colours of the nail polish in a picture, but I think these two photos do it quite well, and should give you an idea of what it's like anyway! It's such a shame that this polish doesn't have a name, other that 'Shade 38', because it so deserves it! It's a mixture of green, and purple. Although when I started to take it off it revealed a pinky copper shade that was really pretty.

The only downside is that it takes SO LONG to come off! You need at least two coats of this polish to build up a decent colour, and this makes for a really hard time getting it off again! However, I personally can cope with an extra 5-10 minutes because it's seriously amazing when it's on.

Are you a fan of this nail polish? Can you recommend any similar effects/colours? Hope you're having a good weekend!

Evie x

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrup

I'm a massive fan of everything lipbalm-ish. I carry around 13 with my in my school bag on a daily basis (sad thing is, I'm not joking) because I hate the feeling when my lips don't have some sort of balm on them. I was shopping in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago and fancied a wee peek in Lush. I must admit I rarely shop there, I'm dead tight on wonga at the moment and I need to pay for driving lessons, as well as clothe myself, so as much as I'd like to spend money on bath bombs and face masks, I just can't. 

However (and it's a big however seeing as you can make a similar thing yourself from sugar and oil) this was placed on a stand near the door, and I couldn't resist it! It was £5, which in the heat of the moment seemed like an excellent price for what is essentially sugar and flavouring in a pot.. Looking back the price was maybe a bit steep but what can I say, I'm a sucker for anything that will make my lips look nice!

I really like the packaging for this product. It comes in a small glass pot, which makes the whole thing seem more substantial and worth the £5 price tag. You get 25g of product, so it will last a while. I'm not sure of the preferred regime for this product, but I've been using is every second day, followed by a load of Blistex intensive moisture, which is amazing! I do it at night, simply because the Blistex can leave you with ghostly looking lips, but that's just because it's so thick and incredibly moisturising, so I can't complain! 

As you can see, the colour is a bright vivid pink, which is immediately eye catching and I think makes the scrub more exciting to use! In terms of how well the product actually works, I can say that I have noticed a difference in how soft my lips are after using this scrub. However, even though I apply moisturiser straight away, it doesn't provide a lasting difference to my lips. I'm glad that I picked this up, because I would have always wondered about it, but I can't see myself buying this again.. Sorry lush!

 Have you tried this, or a similar product? What did you think? Hope you have a great weekend!

Evie x

Elizabeth Arden High Shine Gloss in Berrylicious

Elizabeth Arden is a brand which, I must admit, had never really caught my eye before now. I've always thought of it as a bit 'old lady-ish' I think, but I've discovered that, if this is anything to go by, their products are of really good quality!

I bought this lipgloss from cheapsmells.com for £6.50, but there is a very limited range of colours. As I'm sure you know however, Elizabeth Arden products can be found in most department stores, and retail at around £14.

Now on to the actual product! I put it on this morning, around 4 hours ago, and since then have been out and about, talking, eating and drinking. I can't tell you that it has stayed put 100% and looks freshly applied, but I can safely say that it lasted a good couple of hours before wearing off, which is no less than what I would have expected from a gloss. The consistency is nice, not too thick and not too 'nothing'. It does look a bit scary when you take the wand out of the tube, quite gloopy and hard to work with, but it's really not! 

The colour is gorgeous! A deep pinky/red that in my opinion would look great on all skin tones. I have kind of pale/medium skin, and I think it would suit my mum, who has medium skin, as well as it does me.

Pros

• Gorgeous colour
• Feels nice on the lips
• Reasonably long lasting

Cons

• Needs to be reapplied within a couple of hours (not a major problem)
• Value doesn't meet price, although I really like this lip gloss, I'm glad I bought it for less than the RRP of £14

Have you tried one of these glosses before if so what did you think? Can you recommend some lip glosses for me to try?

Evie x

What's going on?

It's been a month since I last posted anything - I haven't had my memory card since before Christmas so I had to make do with a 'snipping tool' of 8tracks featured in my last post! Thank god I have my camera back now, it's like I was missing an arm! I didn't have any pictures for proper posts lined up (although I do have lots planned!) so I thought I'd take a few snaps of things that have been occupying my recently for a bit of an update/catch up, I hope you don't mind!

1. After 5 hours worth of exams today I was pretty stressed, so I bought myself some chocolate because let's face it, chocolate makes everything better. I really wanted the peanut butter version because it sounds amazing, but there was none left so I had to get the orange instead. Peanut butter is obviously pretty good if it was sold out!

2. Q Radio. Complete live saver. Couldn't live without it!

3. Revision. Revision. Revision. So glad I got two exams out of the way today, if not a little stressy..

4. UCAS. I hate you.

5. Bought this little gem after seeing it on a few blogs. So far it seems to be working well, I'll be writing a more detailed post on this soon.

6. Yankee Candles are just... mmmmmm! Macintosh Spice is gorgeous. This one is often burning in the living room, while I have the Christmas Eve tart burning in my bedroom. Lush.

7. I went to my first proper Burns Supper last week. It was so good! Love a wee but haggis;)

8. Some of the things I am yet to blog about. This being without my camera malarky has caused a load of posts that will most likely be published pretty close together, sorry about that!

So that was pretty much my past week. Hope you don't mind the hashed together post, I was just excited to get something up! I'll hopefully have some 'proper' posts up by the beginning of next week. 

Evie x