Model's Own 'Mirrorball' Nail-varnishes | Review

Hello Lovelies! 
This is my second of two linked reviews (: The first was of the Revlon Kissable Lip Balm  Stain, which I purchased at the same time. 
Model's Own have released a 'Mirrorball' collection of nail varnishes, to be worn alone or as top coats to jazz up a nail look. I purchased this one, in 'Freak Out' (one of five Mirrorball glitter varnishes) and it contains very small  circles of pink glitter, slightly larger royal blue hexagons, and thirdly some wonderful jaggedly hand-cut large pieces of light blue glitter. 

 I think any of you looking at the pictures would agree it looks pretty damn cool! Wearing it is awesome, I tend to layer it over black varnish, or use it alone for a more played-down look, and I've had a lot of people comment when I wear it! The wear is - as with most glitter based varnishes - very good, further making it ideal to wear on top of another colour as it helps lock the colour in! This does mean that when you want to take it off the epic struggle of varnish-remover vs. glitter-polish occurs - so I tend to either wait until the last of the glitter comes off naturally, or alternatively try to prise the layer of nail varnish off by wedging one of my other nails underneath.. (I hope you understand what I mean!)  
The price of this varnish was £5, which I was happy to pay to try out one of these new-ish Mirrorball topcoats. (They went Nation-wide in October). You can pick it up instore from Boots, or online at ModelsOwnIt.Com

Rachael XX

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Revlon Kissable Lip Balm Stain | Review

Hello Lovelies!

I apologise for the poor blogging effort last month, my uni life has just taken over! (and it's really lovely at that.) In November whilst buying my friend Cat's birthday gifts (see above) I thought I would try out the products too! This is then the first of two linked reviews, the other being of the Model Own's Mirrorball nail-varnish in 'Freak Out'.

 So here's my low-down on this product:
♥ This is a highly pigmented stain, which for me has stayed on overnight! 
♥ The texture is - as the name eludes - balmy, nourishing and remains so as it wears
♥ It has a minty taste! This makes it a refreshing pout fix
♥ There are seven colours on sale in the UK - this being Lovesick
♥ You can buy them at Boots for £7.99 - in my opinion much better value than Clinique's Chubby Sticks 
♥ This shade is such a bright-popping colour - easily creating a statement lip
♥ There is quite a lot of product in the tube (as my photo attempts to show)
♥ Basically nothing wrong with it at all! A lovely lovely product! 

 Rachael XX

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A little rant at No7

Hello Lovelies!
In my last post (The Urban Decay Eye Glitter review here) I indicated my looming rant at Boot's No7. Why the rant? you may ask. 
In summer I posted a review of No7's Stay Perfect eye mousse - Look here before you read the rest of my little rant! At the time my review wasn't very extensive because I hadn't had much time to prepare it before I just posted it anyway. I could add now to that post that the product is prettily packaged, ideal for throwing in your makeup bag, very simple to apply with your fingers, and lasts very well both on your eyelids and as a product - due to the design of the tube packaging minimising excess product waste. So overall, a great product for £9. 

 Recently whilst in Boots I decided I would look at the other shades in the range - something I've been meaning to do for some time - of which there were three or four. I couldn't find them at the No7 counter and so eventually asked a sales assistant who pointed me to a different product which is a replacement of the one I was looking for. A Smoothing Eyeshadow has replaced the Stay Perfect collection's eye mousse. Ok. So products change - but usually you'll get past the immediate irritation of being unable to complete your collection of one product, particularly when the original is so good. But this time I just haven't felt any sort of love for the replacement.

Image taken from Boots.com

Here are my reasons why I just can't love this product:
♥  I really dislike the shape. I personally don't feel that the lipgloss-style packaging makes it looks classier or prettier - I think it actually looks cheaper! I don't think I'd gift this to someone
♥  What irks me about the applicator is that by applying product to your eyelid and replacing it into the tube you risk infection and contamination to a certain extent - this wasn't previously an issue. Also, I feel the applicator brush is unnecessary. From my experience using this product it is best applied with your finger, allowing you to easily blend and layer on your lids - so adding a brush into the mix is just making more faff! 
♥  My inner Eco Warrier questions why the replacement is one using more plastic! The previous tube design was simple packaging which didn't include the applicator stick with its long lid
♥  And last but not least, why fix something which doesn't need to be fixed! :)

Positive blog posts to come!

Rachael XX

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Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eye Gel

Hello lovelies!
I have a lovely lovely product from Urban Decay to review today! My flatmate Karen has this and let me borrow it to review - which I'm pretty pleased about because I've been genuinely excited to blog about it!
Urban Decay's Heavy Metal glitter gels are an amazing revolution in the sphere of cosmetic glitter. Made from a clear base with a decent volume of glitter added, it is easily applied, non-messy, direct, and stays on all night.(I can testify). Furthermore,it is very buildable: if you allow to dry between layers you can create a much stronger intensity of sparkle for a night-time look, whilst one coat of gel over an eyeshadow (or even alone) during the day can bring an extra something to your daily makeup.The one I'm reviewing is 'Power Ballad', a mixture of sea-green, lavender and powder blue glitter pieces which look stunning when they catch the light. Especially effective in clubs! 

In these photos I'm wearing a dab of glitter over a layer of No 7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse. (I reviewed this HERE) Be prepared for a massive rant on this product very shortly! I am not happy with No7. 
Anyhow, regarding the Urban Decay glitter, from my internet searches it seems a slippery product to get hold of! Urban Decay is stocked in the UK in Debenhams and House of Frasers stores, however online anyway they each only have the eyeliners from the Heavy Metal collection. I presume this means it is unfortunately out of production. However, I have found one link - and if you do come across this and have a chance at purchasing one, I would strongly recommend it! They are the type of product to last a long time. Amazon (3 in stock! £4.20 + P&P)

Rachael XX

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October Empties

Hello Lovelies!
I've slightly missed the boat with this one, but wanted to post it anyways. (What's a week amongst friends anyway..!) I decided at the start of October that I wanted to begin making Empties posts, so have tried to keep hold of empty cosmetics products to show you what I've been using. A few things slipped my mind and ended up in the bucket, but I have a decent handful here to share with you!

Photo 2: 
Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara (black) - My favourite mascara (and I've tried LOADS) I used this one up near the start of October, so purchased a replacement. It is really good value at £10.99, and for a further analysis read my post on it HERE
Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes - Again, another favourite. I'm a makeup-wipe snob. These are the only ones I've grown to love. I blogged on them HERE

Photo 3:
Batiste Dry Shampoo - floral & flirty blush - I'm not a big user of dry shampoos, yet always feel it necessary to have a can of batiste in my bathroom. This one smells really good, although it can make my hair look a bit off-colour..
Batiste Dry Shampoo - with a hint of colour, medium & brunette - ..so i invested in a dry shampoo for  brown hair! Except I feel that this one can just be a bit much in my  hair, and make it feel quite minging and full of product. Sometimes I spend so long trying to sort this it'd have been quicker having a shower!
Pantene Pro-V Repair & Protect conditioner, for normal-thick hair - I started using this when my hair was most damaged after ombre-ing it. (I use the shampoo too!) It is quite an intensive product, but it does its job! I just try to make sure I don't use it near my scalp.
Head & Shoulders Active Sport Shampoo (Olympics Menthol Edition) - Often using more professional shampoos I can get a lot of build up of product in my hair - so I like to mix it up with a cheaper scalp-friendly shampoo like this. (Though note that Head & Shoulders is a surprisingly expensive brand!)

Photo 4:
FluoriGurd Daily Rinse fluoride mouthwash - My dentist makes me buy it.. but it tastes really good! so i'm happy
Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion - Me and my flat mates share bottles of clean & clear, getting through one approximately every fortnight. It's scary how much extra makeup residue/dirt comes off with this product (I should point out, it is more a liquid than a 'lotion' per say)
Dove Summer Glow & Soft Shimmer nourishing body lotion - My summer favourite.. And I still like to bring it out occasionally for a little more of a glow. It is very effective.

I have a whole line of product reviews already photographed and preparing to be posted! So watch out!

Rachael XX

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Blind makeup challenge mark two!

Hello Lovelies!

I'm been having a lot of uni fun lately which has meant that my blogging fun has dwindled.. Including a loooot of Halloween stuff lately! (Potential blog post to follow) Me and some uni friends wished to try out the blind makeup challenge one evening so I thought I'd share the pictures on here. My first blind makeup challenge with Euan can be seen HERE.

 Beauty.. ! I did Amy's makeup (She has just started a blog here - Cut Him Out In Little Stars) and she did Kerry's. 
Hope you had a Happy Halloween!! 

Rachael XX

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MAC makeover

Hello Lovelies!
Sorry for being so out of touch lately - I have been plagued with an upper respiratory tract infection for the last three weeks, and it still won't go away! But I needed to break my blogging rut, so I decided to share with you some photos from a MAC makeover one of my lovely friends gave me lately. 
Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention to the products used, so I can't comment on individual ones, but she is a very skilled young woman and not only did she create a flawless look, but she also gave me tips on how to adapt my makeup to complement the shape of my eyes and brow-bone. 

This look is very different from my usual go-to black winged liner, but the blue and brown smokey eye was a nice change! Unfortunately I underwent this transformation at around 11pm, so I couldn't wear it out that day. I also loved how she shaped my brows - they are still in a deplorable state of over-plucking woes, and yet they looked really good when filled in by her. (This gave me hope; my right eyebrow has been only semi-present for over a month!) 
Hope you're all well.

Rachael XX

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Naughty Boots Haul: Real Techniques, Bio Oil, No7, MaxFactor, Save The Nail

Hello Lovelies! 
I made multiple mistakes today all leading to a massive naughty haul in Boots which isn't on my list of Essential Student Finances, and therefore should shame me! I decided to let you in on it:

Mistake 1: Deciding to go to Boots after my day of boring lectures
Mistake 2: Entering Boots whilst in the knowledge of their 3 for 2 promotion on makeup, nails, eyelashes and accessories
Mistake 3: Letting myself touch makeup whilst experiencing high levels of impulsiveness
Mistake 4: Taking time to read a sign which tells you that the 3 for 2 works in your favour - by ordering your purchases in price order and giving you every third item free, rather than simply the cheapest ones (If you are buying 6 or more purchases)

 Oh what lovely products!
Real Techniques Stippling Brush £11.99
Well I have been eyeing up Pixiwoo's Samantha Chapman's brushes for a loooong time. This was one of the first things I picked up! I credit some of this willingness to Rachael from Smeemies who featured a Real Techniques brush in a recent haul - think that tipped me over the edge!
No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in 'Fair' £11.50
A mixture of its cheap & cheerful quality and ineffectiveness when partnered with my new No7 foundation has caused me to branch out and find a replacement for my Natural Collections Face Powder
MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara Gold Limited Edition (£10.99) free!
Unfortunately I'm yet to write my post comparing the False Lash Effect Mascara to the Lash Architect Mascara.. I feel this gives the game away on my preference! But look out for my post as it shall (hopefully!) give balanced reasoning with both mascaras!
Real Techniques Blush Brush £9.99
When I made the decision to purchase 6 items instead of 3, this was pretty much in my hand instantly. And I'm so pleased
Bio Oil 60ml £8.99
I have ummed and ahhed over this product for an extremely long time. I have spot scarring on my chest/shoulders/back and whilst its not something which affects me day-to-day I have been unable to get any to fade, and this is championed as clearing most skin imperfections
Save The Nail 45 Second Top Coat (£6.95) free!
I have never used Save The Nail before, however my No7 Top Coat has turned gloopy and I wanted a change

Total Haul Cost: £42.47
I have no regrets.

Rachael XX

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