Primark nail art pens review

Today I thought I would share my opinions about the nail art pens from Primark. I can't say I am a professional at painting my nails but I have a few examples to show you and will talk about how the pens work for me.

Now, when it says 'nail art pen' I'm afraid that this is rather misleading. These are in fact mini nail varnishes. The applicator is a very fine version of an ordinary nail varnish brush. Despite this, it does make it easier when doing fine patterns that a regular brush. Here are some examples that I did:

The pink and green nail art pens
and Ciate strawberry milkshake

The white nail art pen and
Ciate Velvet Tuxedo

The gold nail art pen and
Nails inc gel effect in Baker street

The white nail art pen and
Barry M matte nail varnish in caramel

I do really like these sets and they are really good value (£2 for 3 pens!). I think they work well for spots, stripes, little flowers but could be tricky if you wanted to do some very fine designs. For me they do the job, I particularly like the mini flowers.

Do you have any design suggestions? please let me know

thanks

Katherine

xxx

Sephora haul!

This week I have been to Valencia on holiday and have been looking forward to going to Sephora as we do not have one in the UK. Here are a few of the things I got whilst I was there. (There are also a few things from Kiko too)

Sephora Items purchased:

Too faced chocolate palette

Make up forever HD foundation (Colour N117)

Sephora Triple action cleansing water

Sephora cream lip stain in 05

Sephora lip pencil in 03 queen quartz

Sephora Rouge infusion lip stain in 15 rosebud

From Kiko:

Kiko natural concealer in 02 natural

Kiko vibrant eye pencil in 602

Kiko long lasting no- transfer eye shadow stick in 04 golden chocolate

There are a few things that I have wanted to try for a while that I have been waiting to get my hands on! I have had a little try of the products but before giving my honest opinion I would like to try them for a bit longer. So far the cream lip stain stands out to me. It has a matt finish with a hint of sparkle that looks very pretty on the lips. It lasts very well (around 5 hours) and did not smudge/ go on my teeth.

The cleansing water is also lovely. Unlike the Bioderma/ Garniere micellar water your face feels refreshed and very clean afterwards. It does give a slight tightening so it may be drying but I will try it out and let you know my thoughts. 

Watch this space for a more in-depth review of the products

thanks

x

My coffee machine

I would like to share a review of my dolce gusto coffee machine today which has to be one of my favourite things that I own.

KRUPS Dolce Gusto Piccolo KP100640
(Currently £69.99 curry.co.uk but I picked my up for £44.99 in the sale)
I absolutely love this coffee machine and I enjoy having a coffee every morning before I go to work. There are over 30 varieties of pod to choose from, including espresso macchiato, cappuchino, lungo, mocha, chai tea, hot chocolate and more. Even if you are not a coffee fan there are plenty of other drinks to choose from. You can also use the lever to control the water temperature for pods that require cold water such as the Nesta peach and lemon iced tea. It is very easy to use and the water tank has a capacity large enough to make 2 drinks at a time. The pods are available at all supermarkets and are available at 3 boxes £10 in Asda (this works out at 21p a drink/ 42p drink for the milky drinks/hot chocolate capsules). All of the coffee/espressos work out very reasonable and the lattes/cappuchinos/hot chocolates work out a little more expensive as you need the coffee pod and the milk pod.

I also bought this bubble pod holder (£17.99, dolcegusto.co.uk) which holds 32 capsules and looks rather snazzy too!

I hope this review was helpful if you are thinking about getting a coffee machine

thanks
x

My bath time favourites

Today I would like to share with you some of my favourite products that I like to use when I have a nice relaxing bath.

Yankee candle in the scent: orange splash

(£19.99 when not on sale)

The first thing I like to do before I run my bath is to light a candle. Now it is getting into Spring time I have moved away from the spicy Christmas scents to the fresher citrus scents. This is very similar to the bodyshop Satsuma shower gel and gives off a lovely fruity scent.









Neal's Yard: Aromatic Foaming bath
(£15/200ml or £41/950ml)
I received a small 100ml size bottle of this in a Christmas gift set and I have to say it smells AMAZING! A little goes a long way as the scent is quite strong. According to Neals Yard it is 'a soothing aromatherapy blend of lavender, Spanish marjoram and geranium essential oils with a skin conditioning herbal infusion to help you relax and unwind'. I have to agree. It has a very relaxing scent- quite similar to the Kiels Midnight recovery concentrate smell. Even my boyfriend noticed how nice the smell was when he used the bathroom after I had had a bath. This says a lot!

Lush bath bomb: Granny takes a dip

(£3.35 per bath bomb)

I like to alternate between bath bombs and bubble bath for a change. This has to be my favourite bath bomb. Again it has quite a zesty/citrus scent. It has a ginger, pepper and lemon-scent and as its fizzing centre dissolves the water becomes multi-coloured. 

The body shop: Satsuma shower gel
(£12/750ml)
Whilst having a bath/shower I like to use the body shop Satsuma shower gel. This is available in a huge 750ml bottle with a great pump which makes it very each to use. The bottles lasts for AGES and again leaves a lovely orangey smell lingering on your skin.

The white company: Veveine hand and nail cream

(£14)

By now, you might be able to guess that I LOVE citrus scents! This is another favourite of mine. When I get out the bath I like to use a hand cream to keep my skin feeling soft, especially in these cold winter months. This hand cream has a lovely uplifting scent of verbena, orange and lemon. Paired with the had soap, this makes a lovely addition to the bathroom and it looks good on the side of the sink for when visitors are here!

I hope you enjoyed my bath time favourites

See you Thursday

x

Make up collection/ Home decor.

How to utilise small spaces when you have A LOT of stuff!

Today I thought I would share with you my storage solutions for all of my stuff! I currently live in London and as you probably know, space comes at a premium. I am lucky enough to have a spare bedroom which I can use as my office/closet/spare bedroom/everything else room! Here are some ideas I have come up with to help me make the most of the space that I have.

My desk area
Here you can see that I have made this area into my study area/ make up area. I have two ikea Alex drawer sets which house my makeup collection and my craft/ sewing equipment for scrapbooking and making things. I also have an ottoman stool to sit on which I keep all of my bedsheets in.
I have also got some silver buckets on a rail for keeping my makeup brushes and stationary in (Ikea).

I have several things in this area to help me keep my possessions nice and tidy:


Perfume storage 
Here I have used a spice rack to hold my perfume bottles, sunglasses on the bottom and other miscellaneous items. It is really handy having these out and ready to use aa I can see everything I have. Displaying everything helps me use everything a lot more. Some perfumes do not fit in e.g. Nina Ricci so I keep these in the bathroom/ on the desk.
You can buy something similar here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Mountable-Kitchen-Cupboard/dp/B009KN5E9K/ref=sr_1_2/275-3301330-2176927?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1423597426&sr=1-2




Nail varnish storage
I bought this holder from eBay and it holds around 40 nail polishes (they do come in different sizes). I have recently added my Ciate advent calendar nail polishes just in front of the holder and it stores them well and makes them easily accessible.
Again you can buy this here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Tier-Nail-Polish-Varnish-Display-Stand-Acrylic-Lip-Stick-Shop-Counter-Holder/201003219057pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2eccb9b871









Earring storage
I made this earring holder out of a picture frame and some plastic mesh canvas. The holes are perfect for putting earrings through and I then decorated it with left over buttons and butterflies. It is a great way to store them and makes it easy to get them on and off.

Sofa/Spare bed/ Storage
It is always difficult to know how to utilise a spare room so I recently purchased a daybed from Ikea. This is great because it acts as a sofa AND a bed. The bottom half comes out on wheels and forms a kingsize bed whilst retaining the lower part for two much needed storage drawers underneath. I leave the duvet on the bed which saves me having to find storage for it.
I made the cushions with offcuts of fabric from Etsy which was much cheaper than buying ready made cushions.
You can buy the bed here:
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00228705/

I hope these ideas helped you and that you have been inspired to try some for yourself. Thank you for reading

x

My current skincare routine

Today, I am going to share with you my current skincare routine and my skincare favourites!

Step 1: Removing my makeup 

Garnier Micellar cleansing water
Currently I am using the Garnier micellar water to take off my makeup with a cotton pad. I was using the Bioderma micellar water but it was quite tricky to get hold of/expensive in the UK. This is currently only £3.33 in Boots and to be honest works exactly the same as the Bioderma. It is very gentle and can remove even waterproof mascara very easily.







Step 2: Cleanse

MAC Cleanse off oil tranquil
Next I move on to cleansing my skin. This step removes the last traces of my makeup that may still be left behind. I take one pump of this onto my hands and gently massage it into my skin. I then take a hot flannel/muslin cloth and wipe off the oil to leave my skin feeling lovely and soft. This has been a recent addition to my skincare routine and so far I am loving it!






Step 3: Tone

Michael Todd Blue Algae Toner
I never really used toners until I found this one because I never felt like they were doing anything to my skin. I first heard about this one from fleurdeforce and decided to give it a try. WOW! this is brilliant. Why applied on a cotton pad, it give a slight tingling feeling to the skin and you can feel it working (in a good way). I try to use this everyday/every other day as it refreshes my skin and helps to get rid of any dry patches to make my skin silky soft! It is also now available on their UK website to stop any custom charges!






Step 4: Oil

Kiel's Midnight recovery concentrate
Again this is another cult product that gets A LOT of hype. I really enjoy using this oil. Firstly it smells really good and is quite relaxing to use just before going to bed. It is a very thin, water like oil that helps to repair the skin like magic overnight. I can't say that this fixes my dry skin during the winter perfectly but it certainly helps and stops it feely so rough an tight.







Step 5: Moisturise

Charlotte Tilbury's magic cream
I am currently trying out Charlotte's magic cream. It has a very thick consistency which drew me to it as my skin is quite dry. I have been trying it now for a month or so and it is a nice moisturiser. I think if you had normal-oily skin this would also be very good. However for the the price I don't think it is worth the hype. Before this I was using the Embryolisse Lait-creme concentrate and I think I prefer that and it is much much cheaper.





Aswell as these daily steps, I also have a few other favourites that I use 2-3 times a week in my routine


Extra exfoliating cleanse:

No 7 beautiful skin cleansing brush with the Liz Earle cleanse and polish

When I feel like i need to have an extra cleanse and some relaxing time I use the No 7 beautiful skin cleansing brush. This a very cheap dupe for the clarasonic brush. It is quite harsh on the skin so I only tend to use it 1-2 times a week to get rid of the dry/dead skin. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and refreshed. On this brush I use the Liz Earle cleanse and polish, which has been a firm favourite for several years now. If my skin is feeling sensitive, I will use this without the brush and wash it off with a hot muslin cloth.

I hope this has been an interesting read and you have found some new products to try!

thank you for reading this post

xxx

My top 5 favourite foundations

This week I have decided to write a post about my top 5 foundations of all time. Now that is a BIG statement! All of the foundations I have listed in this post have been worn A LOT! I love all of them for different reasons/ occasions.

Steps before foundation
In my current skincare routine before I apply foundation,  I always apply the Clarins hydra-quench serum first, followed by Charlotte Tilbury's Magic cream.



1. Chanel vitalumiere Aqua
(Worn in the shade 20 beige)

This has to be one of the most popular foundations in the blogging world, but for good reason! This is one of my favourite foundations of all time. When worn if feels so light and velvety. It makes me feel like I'm hardly wearing anything on my skin. A 'your skin but better' feel. It lasts well and when I remove my makeup after a long day it is clearly visible on my makeup remover pad. Definitely worth a try if you like a light but buildable foundation with a dewy finish.



 



2. Estée lauder Enlighten Even Effect Skintone Corrector SPF 30
(Worn in the shade light)

I am cheating slightly here as this isn't technically a foundation but a skin corrector. However, when I wear this I never need to apply foundation aswell. This has a lovely dewy finish and does what the title suggests. It evens out your skin tone and covers uneven colouring (in my case red patches) well. I choose this when my skin is having a good day, it has a very light coverage and looks as if you aren't really wearing much foundation. This could be paired with concealer for a slightly thicker coverage. A lovely addition to my collection.

3. Rimmel lasting finish 25 hour foundation
(Worn in the shade true ivory)

Out of the 5 foundations mentioned this has to be my current favourite and most reached for product. It is so affordable compared to all of the the other foundations mentioned. It has a medium coverage and is great for dry skin as it never clings to dry patches. I still use the Rimmel wake me up foundation which is similar, but if I had to choose- this one would definitely win!







 

4. Estée lauder double wear foundation
(Worn in the shade 2C3 fresco 01)

This is a great foundation if you prefer a medium- full buildable coverage. A lot of people say this is a very heavy coverage foundation but I think it can also be used sparingly to create a lovely finish that it not too thick. Out of all the foundations mentioned, this is the best lasting for me. It makes my skin look flawless and is brilliant if you have a really long day without anytime to retouch your makeup or you are going out for the night. *A handy tip* the Nars pump fits this bottle and make it much easier to worn with!




.

5. Nars sheer glow foundation
(Worn in the shade Santa fe)

This is a very good, medium coverage foundation which lasts well throughout the day. I bought a pump to go with this foundation aswell as it is hard to dispense when just tipping out of the bottle (you end up wasting a lot too!) This is in between the Chanel vitalumiere and the double wear and has a similar finish to the Rimmel lasting finish foundation. Personally since having the Rimmel one, I have been reaching for that more during the winter as it lasts better and never clings to any dry patches. If you do not have very dry skin I think this would be a great one for you!





I hope you enjoyed reading my top 5 foundations, see you next Monday for the next blog post

xxx

A Visit to Kiko

Today I went to the Kiko cosmetics store in Westfield Stratford City. I have been hearing a lot of good things about this brand from various bloggers (mainly Lily Pebbles!) and decided to pick up a few products to try for myself.

Here are a list of the products I purchased:

Kiko Products

(eyeshadow pencils listed from left to right)

• Universal fit hydrating foundation 02 Light rose
• Colour fever eyeshadow palette 101
• Glamorous eye pencil 407
• Glamorous eye pencil 403
• Glamorous eye pencil 409
• Glamorous eye pencil 402
• Glamorous eye pencil 401
• Long lasting stick 8 hour no-transfer eyeshadow 37

Kiko Universal fit hydrating foundation £6.90

foundation applied in an even coat

I purchased this foundation in the colour 02 light rose. Normally I wear NW20 in MAC or an Ivory shade in the Rimmel wake me up foundation. There are 20 shades to chose from for this particular product which I think is pretty impressive for an affordable make up range. I would say the foundation is a medium coverage that is suitable for most skin types. Personally I have quite dry/dehydrated skin and this foundation applied well and did not stick to any dry patches on the skin. So far so good! I will keep on wearing it and report back with my further findings.

Kiko Colour fever eyeshadow palette 101 £13.90

This is the eyeshadow palette in the colour 101 Coral Burgundy which according to Kiko is best suited for green or brown eyes. In the shop I saw this and instantly fell in love! I have been after a palette with a burgundy tint for a long time now. The eyeshadow palette can be used with dry or wet application and the shadows are very pigmented. When swatching the shadows, they did come out a lot browner than what I expected. I do have to say that I am a little disappointed as I was really looking for the burgundy shades. Nevertheless I do really like the eyeshadows and they have

a good colour pay off.

Kiko Glamorous eye pencils £4.20

(From Left to right: 407 electric blue, 403
 burnt sienna earth, 409 avio blue,
402 warm brown, 401 golden hazelnut)

These are by far my favourite purchase from Kiko. At £4.20 these are an absolute bargain! There are 16 colours in the collection to choose from and these are waterproof with a 6 hour staying power. The pencils glide on very easily and are lovely and soft when sweeping across the eyelid/waterline. They can be used as an eyeliner or can be smudged to create a soft smokey eye effect. I totally agree with the staying power as these were still on my arm after swatching many hours later!

Long lasting stick 8 hour no-transfer eyeshadow £6.90

Long lasting stick in the shade 37 burgundy

This long lasting stick 8 hour no-transfer eyeshadow was my final purchase from Kiko. I chose this in the shade 37 (burgundy). This is a beautiful reddish brown shadow that is perfect smudged out all over the eyelid, to create a smokey effect. It is definitely more of a shadow stick rather than an eyeliner pencil as it has a thicker applicator which twists up and does not need to be sharpened (bonus!)

Overall I have to say I am thoroughly impressed so far with the Kiko products I have tried and I hope to try more in the future.
http://www.kikocosmetics.co.uk

Thank you for reading
x