CHEL'S BEAUTY BLOG SWAP

I recently took part in Chelss Chapman's beauty blogger swap on her lovely blog. Being a very active student and being in uni everyday, some days 9-6:30, that I had little money to spend. Our budget was £15 and got spending right away. I am very guilty in saying that my parcel is yet to be sent as I haven't made a trip into town to send it - but I am hoping to get it done soon (I have a Essay due next week, boo!). The lovely Rosa was the person I was partnered up with. As soon as I opened it I had a massive smile on my face. How gorgeous is this? Looks so beautiful wrapped up that I didn't want to open it! But I was too curious to what was inside. After delicately opening it, I saw inside a bunch of different sized objects wrapped to perfection in purple tissue paper. I opened one by one and each one was such a lovely surprise!

As you can see below, the contents of this box was WAY over £15, so it puts mine to shame straight away. I had some lovely goodies in here, each which I was in love with.

• Firstly a cute shower scrunchie with Minnie Mouse ears - Adorable!
• Pink Tease nail foils which are so cute!
• Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Primer Tester. Can't wait to try this out! 
• Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara - Too excited to try this! I was so thrilled to open this.
• Four 17 Eyeshadows in Walnut Pearl, Socialite, Funfair and Superstar. Not sure which is my favourite yet, I'm lovely Funfair though!
• 2 Derma V10 orange nail remover pads.
• Lip Stain pen from Primark, looooove the colour!
• Simple Pleasures Gingerbread and Cookies Hand Soap. It's so weird as I'm using their Strawberry Shortcake Hand Soap now, so can't wait to use this!
• Models Own Nail Polish in Garnet.
• St. Tropez Taster Collection.
• Avene Skin Recovery Cream taster. I've used this before so this will be great for popping in my bag.
• Models Own ShapeIt BuffIt file - Love these! Really needed one so this will come in handy!
• Diesel Loverdose Body Lotion - Smells lovely!
• University Outfitters Nail Fail - Not 100% sure where it's from, but it screams Jack Wills.
• I also got some Lindt chocolates but I'm a fatty and ate them..
• A MUA lipstick in shade 5, I forgot to photograph! It's a gorgeous shimmery light pink.
• Lastly, a cute Sigma Eyeliner in a travel size, can't wait to use this!

As you can see, I am very lucky and I was given some gorgeous gifts. I really hope she feels the same. I really wish I could share with you what I got her, but I can't as of yet! I will show you some in detail very soon. Have you tried any of these? Or done a blogger swap? Let me know! Thanks for reading!

OMBRE NAILS. HOW TO AND FINAL LOOKS

It's no secret that I am in love with nail art, and I will continue to blog about my nail finds. This is my first attempt at the 'Ombre' trend. A look that sees two colours blend into one another to create a edgy and chic look. I put this off for a while as I expected it to be so much harder than it was. I regret leaving it this long - It's so easy and anyone can do it. I know a lot of people have tried it, and I just wanted to document my first time doing it, so people who have yet to try know that they can achieve it. First I took took contrasting nail polishes. I took Shade 2 by 2True and Andrea Fulerton Julia. Now all you need is a sponge, tooth pick (I used a Ear Bud and took of the cotton) and a top coat. Then you're good to go!

Then cut your sponge to size. Realistically you need it no bigger than your nail, but make sure it covers your length and width of your nail with some extra. Then paint your nail with the lightest colour. Mine where very equal, but as my blue was thicker, I chose the pink first.

Using a scrap piece of paper dab on your two colours side by side then mix the middle with a tooth pick as it looks in the picture above. You don't need too much nail polish and don't cover too much area either - It's only got to cover your nail.

Then dip in the sponge. You may need a fair bit on the sponge to get a good coverage of the nail. Then dab it onto the nail until you get the desired look. It may take a few dabs to get it the way you want.

As you can see after it dries it looks very messy. I cleared it all up with an ear bud soaked with nail varnish remover. Then I put on a top coat to sort out the uneven surfaces. As shown below, there is my finished product. This is my first go so it's not perfect but I am so happy with how easy this is to do - Even on the right hand!! The 'Acid Look' is with Who The Shrek Are You? and Strawberry Margarita, both by OPI. Have you done it before? If so, link me in the comments.

What do you think of this look? Let me know. 

Thank you so much for reading!

DIRTY WORKS SHIMMER LOTION REVIEW AND SWATCH

This is the gorgeous Shimmer Lotion from Dirty Works. Dirty Works is exclusive Sainsbury's. This brands is dedicated to make you feel good with good clean fun! Dirty Works do a wide range of body products but also dabble in accessories. Their products are so eye catching and certainly stand out from the other products on the shelves. At first glance I notice how similar it seems to be with the Soap & Glory packaging, the pin up girl, the quirky writing. These are both similar in the fact that they like their vintage - and who doesn't?! What I love about this is the glittery/shimmery packaging. I am a complete sucker for anything that shines, so when I was given this I was just mesmerized. I also love how cheeky the packing is and how simple it is too. Looks gorgeous in my bathroom!

I love how shimmery the lotion is. It literally is a tube of sunshine. You'd be mad to not agree with me when I say that is looks beautiful. It's like summer in a bottle!! I can't wait to use this when I go to the beach in the summer to enhance the look of a sun kissed glow. This feels so smooth on me and also cools my skin. As you can see it's full of shimmer, so a little goes a long way! The lotion isn't gritty at all, and really applies smoothly. I am so happy with how it looks on the skin, and as a body shimmer lover I was very impressed. It gave my body a gorgeous glow that wasn't too much. I also love that the scent is so subtle too, it's fresh and summery which is ideal. It also dries quick too so as soon as you put it on your good to go leaving your skin smooth and soft. Overall, I love this and cannot wait to use it in the summer - or when I go out partying next! Grab this beautiful Body Works Bling It On Shimmer Lotion from Sainsbury's at half price now at £2.49, RRP £4.99. I was lucky to been given it by the lovely Holly Arabella - check out her blog! What a steal!

Would you wear something like this? 

Thank you so much for reading!

NAILS OF THE DAY: BLACK, GOLD AND CLASS

I love nail art, and being very creative I always make my nails a statement. I wanted something classy yet edgy and came up with this design. It's so easy and so simple. I used Andrea Fulterton Sparkle & Stripe nail varnish in India. I'm a huge fan of Andrea Fulerton. Always bang on trend at affordable prices. This one was £4.99 from Superdrug. An absolute steal as it has an amazing thin applicator and an end where you can add sparkles to any mani. I also used Rio Nail Art Pen in black which you can get in a set, or singly for £5.95 from Rio Nails.

 First step is as simple as the rest. With the India colour I used the small brush applicator to go from one corner to the opposite corner over clear painted nails. Then filled in the top half with the same colour. Then using the Rio Nail Art Pen I followed the gold line to make a defined difference between the bare nail and gold. So there we have it.

A simple, classy yet edgy look for the posh bird and the punk, and everyone in between.

CLOSED - FIRST GIVEAWAY!

So there we have it - my first giveaway! I'm really excited for this and I hope you all are too! There are some lovely little things in here that are just too cute. Some lovely Topshop goodies and a pretty Essie nail polish that's great for any occasion! To enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below! Sorry this has taken forever for me to do, I've not been at home this week and been traveling today. Can't wait for someone to get their beautiful hands on these! I really hope you beauty lovers love this. It's all for you my pretties, thank you so much for all your love and support. Watch this video to see what's in this giveaway! Good luck - Some beautiful person out there is in for a treat!

So much love for you all.

Thank you!!

Hannah xxx

BeautyUK lipstick swatches here.

Painted Topshop Eyshadow swatch here.
I'm afraid for the moment it is UK only, but this may be subject to change. Not promising anything - Nail Varnishes are hard to ship worldwide!
As boring as this may make me, I will be checking all enteries to make sure it's done correctly so people get a fair chance of winning. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BEAUTY UK LIPSTICK SETS: HOLLYWOOD GLAM AND VERY IMPORTANT POUT SWATCH AND REVIEW

These cute little sets are from the one and only Beauty UK. You can get most Beauty UK products from Superdrug or see their collection online. I've never tried Beauty UK before and I was excited to try their much talked about lipsticks. These sets were a cheeky £4.99, which is a great price for 3 lipsticks as usually they're £3.49 each. I picked mine up in Superdrug, but you can get them online if there's no where near you that does them!

First I want to show you the Hollywood Glam set which has 3 pastel shades. In this set is 3 of their bests sellers. I had to do a lot of research to find out what the shades are as they're not labeled on the bullet or the box. What I also like about these is their finishes are all identical - Creamy with a matte feel finish with a soft shine. They all smell of mint too! On the picture above from top to bottom we have Candy, Chelsea and Snob. They have good staying power, but no different from other High Street brands.

 

      Cupcake                                                Chelsea                                               Snob

First off we have Cupcake. I had to take a million of photos to get this to look the colour it is on. Sorry about the poor application - I think this was the 4th day I tried! As I said it has a lovely matte/shine finish which looks gorgeous and creamy. This baby is totally pigmented. I love how gorgeous this powder pink looks, perfect for spring.

Now we have Chelsea. I'm not the one for nudes as it makes me look washed out. This nude is really pretty. It has a gorgeous peach tone that brings a bit more colour to my face than the usual 'foundation' looking nudes. Again this was so creamy and had a amazing colour pay off. I loved this, and so glad I've finally found a nude that suits me.

Snob is my favourite from this set. It's a gorgeous muted, pastely plum. Again, a great shade for the spring. I really can't explain how much I love the formula to these lipsticks. So creamy and full of colour. I am in love with Beauty UK lipsticks.

This Very Important Pout set is my favourite. It really has a colour for all occasions. First we have Naughty, then Candy and then Vampire. These are more glossy than the previous set but still so creamy - again smells of mint! Mmm! The pay off for all these colours are amazing. The wear is again, average with occasional top ups.

      Naughty                                                Candy                                            Vampire

First in this collection is Naughty - a bright and gorgeous blue toned red. Unlike the other collection, this one is more glossy - but still packs a punch. The colour is gorgeous and again full of colour. Another winner from Beauty UK. This colour is for the day and night. A very amazing red indeed!

Candy is so pretty!! Again another one perfect for spring or summer, and is great to wear during the day. As I said, this collection has a colour for every day! This is so creamy again and feels so lovely on the lips with amazing coverage.

Vampire is a beautiful deep red, a perfect red for evenings. As the title says, it really is a vampy blood red which I am in love with. It has the perfect amount of gloss to with great pigmentation. No faults with this beauty!

Overall, I am in love with these lipsticks and so happy I have these!! I'd recommend these to anyone, for affordable and amazing lipsticks that are just beautiful. I thick overall my favourite collection has to be Very Important Pout. It's just gorgeous. Have you tried any Beauty UK lipsticks or products? Thank you so much for reading!

COCO CHANEL PERFUME REVIEW

This is Coco Chanel. A gorgeous perfume true to Coco Chanel herself. This is a beautiful spicy oriental smelling perfume that oozes class. This is definitely more of an evening scent, and if nothing makes you feel like a classy, confident woman - This will. Wearing it makes me feel sexy and beautiful, and I know no perfumes that can do that. An incredibly sophisticated fragrance that reminds me of smokey eyes, red lips and a gorgeous little black dress. A warm rich fragrance that is sure to make you center of attention. If you're not up for a more mature smelling scent then you may not like this. To begin with I was a bit skeptical but wearing it in the evening made me feel so sophisticated. I love the bottle too, it's so classy and seriously glamorous  Again this is very true to Coco Chanel. If you like the sound of this, then you can try it out in most perfume stores such as Boots. Mine is a 50mls bottle which you can get at The Perfume Shop for £52.50. All you classy ladies out there, give this a smell!

Thanks for reading. Have you tried this? 

Does it sound like something you would wear?

MAC SOMETHING SPECIAL CREMEBLUSH SWATCH AND REVIEW

Another thing given to me by the lovely Holly Arabella. As soon as I got given this I loved it. Even though it's been used - Hit pan! - I wanted to share this with you! It's gorgeous velvet feel and beautiful shade, I had to try it out. Now it's my every day blush! After trying this I can't go back to using another blusher. I love how creamy and light it feels. Something Special is a gorgeous pink with tones of coral. It's a very powdery shade that looks so pretty and delicate on the cheeks. Once blended it gives the skin a gorgeous coral glow. I love the colour it brings to my face. Gives me a gorgeous glow that looks lovely - and builable too. So easy to add a wash of colour or make my cheeks a statement. This gorgeous colour is perfect for brightening my pale skin, and I can imagine it will look gorgeous on other skin tones too. Also I'm so chuffed with how long this lasted on my cheeks as most of my blushes fade throughout the day. Get this pretty little blush along with 5 others from Mac for £17.50 today. Have you used any Mac products? What's your favourite blusher? Thank you for reading!

SPENDING BAN UPDATE 2

The first week was a breeze. And then it got tough.

I'm usually pretty good at staying clear of spending, but this week as been bad. It's only been 19 days and I've crashed and burned.

Now I don't have a legit excuse for this, but I do have something that influenced me to spend. Luckily though my lovely and amazing boyfriend has been treating me to bits to steer me clear of spending. But I've spent... Here's what I bought out of my own money..

• Recently I participated in a blogger swap, so I had to buy a few bits for someone. A small limit was set.
• I am doing a give away for all your lovely followers! However I can't afford a lot, so I've only got a few goodies for someone lucky.
• I bought a top from Topshop in the sale. £10... Oh Hannah.
• I treated myself to a few nail varnishes, came to £7.

Technically I spent £17 on myself. And why? Because I've needed cheering up. This isn't an excuse, I know. I lost very close family member to cancer at an early age this month and to cheer me up I've been spending. Writing this actually makes me feel so disappointed in myself, and I know it's not a valid reason. My lovely boyfriend has been so supportive and has been cheering me up when he can. I also took a week of Uni because of this which again led me to treating myself.

The £17 I have spent I am actually going to match and donate to a Cancer charity after the spending ban is over. which makes me feel a little better about spending what I did. I really hope that the others out there doing this haven't spent yet and indeed I intend to spend no more! 

I just wanted to say a thank you to all the people following my blog and supporting me through this Spending Ban, like I am with many others of you. Let me know below what you think of my spend and how you're getting on yourself! Thank you so much for reading - I hope this motivated you to put the pounds away!

PALMER'S COCOA BUTTER FORMULAR SKIN THERAPY OIL REVIEW

This was another goody that was given to me by the lovely Holly Arabella. I was so excited to use this as my skin is dryer than the desert. First of all, I worried that it was going to be greasy like most oils are, so that was one thing that put me off trying it. Not only is my skin incredibly dry, I also have uneven skin tone and imperfections so I was curious to how this would work. Just before I received this my dry skin got out of control. Anyone who has me on Twitter may know that when I woke up one morning my face was tight, soar, red and most of all - my whole face was visibly dry. My eyelids where flaky, my cheeks were hurting and I couldn't touch my skin as it stung. To this day I still have no idea what caused this, I've never had dry skin so bad. I thought that a good step for me is to not wear any make up for that week. At first I started using Clinique Moisture Serge to sort it out, and then came to use this bad boy. It claims to improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, dry or damaged skin, uneven skin tone and aging skin.

First there is a handy pump dispenser which is really handy. I'm not sure yet if I prefer a pump bottle or a spray. After putting one pump into my hand, I got the smell of gorgeous Cocoa. For some reason I really thought it was going to smell like oil (I have no idea why) but it smelt lovely. I then applied it sparingly to my face, concentrating on my most driest parts. For a few minutes I thought my face felt oily, so I went to the mirror but there was no traces of oil to be seen. After a few minutes longer I could no longer feel it on my face, and instantly my face felt a lot better. After 1 week of using this my face is almost back to it's normal self, only more plumper. I also used it on my body as it has dry patches too, and it worked a treat. Straight after coming out of he shower, before bed or when I wake up I pop this baby on straight away. My body thanks me for it! My skin feels like velvet once applied. I also dab a bit of this on my face now before I apply my make up instead of other moisturizers I used to use. This is by far the most versatile product I have come across, and it's answered my dry woes. You can get this in a few chemists, Boots (£9.49 for 150mls) and Superdrug. It may be a bit pricey for some people, but you get plenty of product and you only need 1 pump to cover and area. I am completely in love with this and will carry on using this until the bottle is empty!  Thank you so much for reading. Have you ever tried using this? What do you use for dry skin?

HARAJUKU LOVERS PERFUME COLLECTION

I was gutted when the maker of Harajuku Lovers, Gwen Stefani, stopped making any new perfumes. I was so upset, but noticed that a lot of previous collections were hitting the discount stores - and still are. I keep finding these in TKmaxx and other shops alike, and these babies are all over the internet. Places such as Fragrance Direct and Cheap Smells have a load of Harajuku perfumes and they keep changing which ones they're stocking - So keep an eye out! Also check out Ebay, these are everywhere. I wanted to share the ones I have and talk a bit about them so you get more of an idea what each perfume is like. I don't have the whole collection, but I have a fair few!

Super G is a Limited Edition perfume which you can still find on Ebay.

This is one of my favourites, it looks so funky and arty.

The smell of this is without a doubt fruity.

The two most distinctive smells in this perfume is coconut and pineapple - It smells like an amazing sweet cocktail! If you like your perfumes fresh, summery and fruity, this is one I advise you get. This may actually be a favourite of mine. 

G of the Sea is another Limited Edition perfume, and by what I remember it was only out a few months on the shelves. However you can still pick this up on Ebay.

This is a very sophisticated smell in a gorgeous bottle. I love how the perfume is also blue to match the pretty mermaid.

The perfume has more of a woody floral scent. It's so delicate and really reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on.

This is simply stunning, and smells divine  A very lady like smell indeed. I can really smell the water lily in this, and the undertones of red apple too. The only down side I have is that it doesn't last long, which is such a shame for something so pretty.

This is one for the more classy.

Love Wicked Style is one of my most recent ones to the collection. It's velvet hair and matching purple perfume looks a treat on my shelf. This is more of a powdery scent with a subtle fruity smell. I love this one. I really think this smells like a combination of grapes, parma violets and powder, but there's none of these in the perfume! This perfume is laced with Pear, Sandalwood and Praline, this really is unique.

I think this is the most sweetest of the lot and that's what I love.

Lil' Angel was the first one I ever got, and I was so happy to get it. This is another fruity one. Again it has notes of Pineapple, but this time with Raspberry and Rose.

I loved this one, and loved using it - But one time my mum said I smelt like beer. After she said that I couldn't bring myself to wear it as I began smelling the 'beer' in it. I did a bit of searching online and found that a few of you said that it smelt of beer too, so I was glad I wasn't the only one.

It's shame as I really liked this, and as soon as someone disliked it I kept smelling the beer! 

Jingle G was released in the Winter of 2011. I was so excited to get this, and I wasn't disappointed. This is my number 1 Harajuku Lovers fragrance. This is described as a 'white floral' fragrance, but I believe it's more fruitier than that.

This to me smells yummy, and smells warm too. It's definitely a winter fragrance, and reminds me of  spiced fruit. You can really smell the Tangerine and Vanilla in this, and it smells gorgeous. There is a lot of floral notes in this but I can't smell them at all.

If you like a fruity smelling perfume that isn't too overpowering, then I recommend this. It's gorgeous!

Music is a very floral based perfume with hints of fruit. I can really smell the Musk and Sweet Pea in this that have been sweetened with Pear.
I'm not a massive fan of musky smelling perfumes so I'm not 100% with this. But if you like musk with a twist, then you'll go crazy for this.
Again, this is another one that doesn't last that long on the skin, which of course is a disappointment.

G Snow Bunnies is a perfume full of Coconut. Most of the 'G' perfumes have a statement smell of Coconut. All I can really smell in this perfume is a more sweetened smell of Coconut.
I'm not usually wild about Coconut, but this smells gorgeous. Again this reminds me of a cocktail, but I think all the perfumes do one way or another.
Even though this was made for the Winter, because of the coconut smell I wear it more during the Summer.
If you love Coconut, stick to a perfume labeled 'G'.

Love Sunshine Cuties has a gorgeous bottle. Admittedly I bought this purely because it had sunglasses! So easy amused. Of all of the collection this of all reminds me of a cocktail. However I do like this as it really fits in with the beach theme. I can really smell Coconut again in this one, and hints of Passion Fruit. There's also a slight powdery element to this which is delivered by the Frangipani and Lemon Blossom.
This truly is a Summer scent.

Baby Sunshine Cuties has a very distinctive smell - Sunflowers. Again this is true to the Summer theme which I love. It smells sweet of Lemons and Poppy. I can also smell musk in this too, but the Sunflower scent softens that.
This is another floral scent, and if you love Sunflower you will love this so much.

Overall I love the whole lot of the Harajuku Lovers Perfumes and so sad that they're not available in most stores on the high street as they used to be. What one is your favourite? Have you ever tried or bought any of these? Thank you so much for reading! 

MANHATTAN LOTUS EFFECT NAIL POLISH 78C SWATCH AND REVIEW

I went on a trip to Berlin a year and a half ago to view the sites. Back then I wasn't that bothered by beauty products - and so sad I wasn't! As I went into a chemist I saw this, and fell in love. I'd never heard of the brand before and just loved how the colour looked. This gorgeous sky blue with hints of green, I had to have it. I put it on that evening and loved how amazing it felt and looked, and I believe that this nail varnish inspired me to do more with beauty.

Unfortunately Manhattan isn't available in the UK, but should be. There's a few colours on Fragrance Direct and on Ebay, so I will go on a splurge after the spending ban! I found this up again recently on a trip back home, and really wanted to share this. This is such a gorgeous creamy nail varnish that needs few coats. 'Extremely long lasting, intensive colour. Lotus extract strengthens nails and gives extra long lasting colour brilliance'. It's packed full of colour and gives an amazing finish worth showing off. The finish of this almost feels rubbery - And takes forever to chip. Sadly, I've only tried one of Manhattan's polishes, and so sad I have. After using this again I'm questioning if it's even better than OPI - And for everyone who knows me, I LOVE MY OPI! As you can see below, the colour is just stunning, and really is beautiful. After wearing this people asked me where I got it, and with a smile I'd say 'It's not available in the UK.' I'm so smug! Really wished this was in the UK and I can't wait to shop online after the spending ban is over. What do you think of the colour? And have you tried Manhattan Cosmetics?! This gorgeous colour is rfom the Lotus Effect collection in shade 78C. Thank you so much for reading!