Not practical but darn they're pretty!

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed there was a recurrence of cut-out boots appearing on the blogosphere and astonishingly, I really wanted in on the action!

Usually, I'm a trainers or flats kinda gal but I have been determined to inject a bit more 'oomph' into my wardrobe starting from the feet up!

I got these babies from Primark for £18 and I'm super chuffed with them.

To me, £18 was a bit steep for Primark as I'm used to £4 ballet flats but if you look at similar styles on boohoo.com, missguided.co.uk etc they are all £30+.

They have a slightly pointed toe and the heel is about two and a half inches, which is more than enough for me nowadays! The boots are black but not a shiny black, they are distressed without being scuffed.  I like the pointy toe as my dumpy legs could do with all the elongation they can get! 

Most importantly, they are really comfy.  I wore these to have a walk around the International market, which is held on the first saturday of every month here in Aberdeen.  The boots managed to carry me around after a giant polish hotdog and some very sinful churros! I then wore them to a work conference held in Glasgow (I didn't get to do any shopping though! *sadface*) with no sore feet in sight!

The only problem with them, is that I might not get much use of them now that the snow has arrived in Aberdeen! 

Have you got a pair of bargain boots?

Have you had any snow yet this week?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

Weekend Mani #13

Happy Weekend Peeps!

Sorry I have been a bit lax on the ol' blogging horse this week, winter has hit me right in the motivational mojo! 

This weekend the sun was shining for what is claimed to be the last 'fine' weekend this year, the mercury rose into double figures!! 

Following how much I enjoyed the contrast between the red and black last week for this mani, I thought I would go down a similar path this weekend.

I present to you Barry M 'Spring Green'...

This is a lovely bright green, which is really cheery and although I'm not usually a fan of green, I love this! As I have come to expect from Barry M, the formula is great, 2 coats gives opacity and the brush is really easy to use.  I actually picked this one up in SemiChem, that is far too handy as it's just five minutes walk away from my house! 

'Spring Green' jazzed up with O.P.I. Black Shatter...

Now, before you say 'not another O.P.I!' this was only one shiny pound from Poundland! £1! The formula on this was great, I've tried a few shatters or crackle polishes and often find they can be a bit weak or a bit wishy washy but this was a good, solid colour and dried into it's shatter super quick.  

This is from the Katy Perry O.P.I collection.

If you are a fan of shatter polishes, I would heartily suggest visiting the pound shop as I have picked up a purple, gold, black, red and green one over the past couple of months!

Have you tried shatter or crackle polishes?

Are you a fan of Barry M polishes?

Hugs,

Jodi 

xxx

P.s Boots and Superdrug both have a 3 for 2 across cosmetics on just now! 

My First...Ever Birchbox!

Evening chummers!

Last Friday I received my first ever Birchbox, I had ordered it on Halloween after spotting an offer on Tattooed Tealady's blog, where you could get another box free (to give to a friend, or friends or family, or keep all for yourself!) and as it was possible going to contain a Laura Mercier product, I went for it.

This is what I got...

A fine selection, I hope you agree.  Below is the menu...

I got...Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Nude (14.7ml) , Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant (7.5g), KMS California Hair Play Makeover Spray (50g/70ml), theBalm Cosmetics Stainiac (1.2ml), Dr. Lipp Nipple Balm for Lips (3ml), Egyptian Magic (3 x 3ml sachets).

 Birchbox also often provide a 'Lifestyle Extra' which, in this case, was a sachet of Chia Seeds (8g) which is the superfood of the moment.

Also provided with the Chia seeds was a wee information card and even a recipe for a smoothie by a celebrity chef none-the-less.

From ordering it on the 31st of October, in the afternoon, it arrived pretty quickly on the 8th of November, so just a week, which isn't bad at all.  It came well packaged in it's own recyclable box (or you could use for storage as it is sturdy enough) and there were also information cards provided which told me about Birchbox, about the Birchbox shop, about products they sell, about how to use the products etc. 

 

The products themselves were contained within a small drawstring bag within the pouch, which again would be pretty handy for storage.  I can actually see the bag being pretty useful for maybe storing hair stuff in if I were going away for the weekend.

A couple of things I will mention is that my second box was dispatched a week later (so I'm told) and the Laura Mercier product (which I was most looking forward too) appeared to be opened and the tube was a bit dirty.  While I appreciate that not everything comes sealed nowadays (the Dr Brandt was), it did look as though it had been used or at least squished very hard! 

The tube as it was in the box :-(

Dr Brandt product was nicely sealed though!

I contacted Birchbox customer services, got a reply within 24 hours and was told a replacement product would be sent out and that my second box was on it's way - can't say fairer than that!

Overall, I was pretty chuffed with this box and the great customer service is always a win for me (I worked in a Hotel for 9 years, I had customer service drilled into me!).  I'm glad I went for it as although I loved the 'present' aspect of the Beauty Box, the mediocre Glossyboxes had put me off a bit.

Also, if you are thinking about getting a subscription, you can get cashback via Topcashback. 

Birchbox also have an online shop where you can purchase the full size items featured in your box and they also offer a rewards points system which can help towards your treats! 

Do you get any Beauty Boxes?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

Weekend mani #12

Ever since I first clapped eyes on the L'oreal confetti topcoat, I knew one day, it would be mine! Today is that very happy day!

Amazing how something as simple as black and white dots can really 'make' a mani.

For this weekends Mani I have used O.P.I Nail envy matte base coat, two coats of Ciate 'The Glossip' and a smattering of the L'oreal topcoat confetti.  

This is my first ever Ciate polish and it was actually one that my boss got in a Glossybox that she said she would never use, yippee! It looks like a peachy coral in the bottle but is much more red on the nails, with more of an orange undertone.  It reminded me alot of the Barry M polish I posted about here. 

           

It was a really easy polish to apply, I did this by candlelight the night before and haven't done any clean up, the formula was just right.  The brush itself was a good size, not too thin and the bottle is just the cutest with the little bow.  All in all, I was very impressed by this polish and the orange-y, red-dy and peachy tones in the colour has me looking at my nails all the time!

I should also mention that it is a creme formula and very glossy, I have no topcoat on at all and after 24 hours - no chips!!!!

I then went ahead and added my confetti.  Its weird, I would never think of black and confetti in the same grouping but it works! 

This is a really easy way to jazz up your mani without requiring any crazy good nail art skills yo!

It contains various sizes of matte black and white dots, it's a very grown-up 'non-glitter' effect and the monochrome is just an all round, timeless winner! I detected a very, very subtle silver glitter suspended in the clear base ( I think that's why the flash didn't like it so much) but super tiny particles so they don't really detract from the dots. 

I used two coats of the confetti although I just dabbed on the second coat in any bald spots that appeared after the first coat.  The formula wasn't thick and the dots were pretty easy to maneuver to where you wanted them to be. The brush was a good size too.  

I ended up adding the confetti to my thumbs too as I didn't think just one nail would be enough!

I really like this combo and am very impressed with the application of the Ciate and of the effect of the Confetti.  Both are now enemies of my bank account! I will definately be trying out the confetti over a wide range of colours too, I may have to make a confetti collage! 

Have you tried the Confetti Topcoat?

If you have, which colour did you try it over?

Hugs,

Jodi 

xxx

Max factor Wild Shadow Eyeshadow Pencil

On one of my trips to Boots last month, I finally bought one of these Max Factor Wild Shadow Eyeshadow Pencils, in the shade Vicious Moss (15).  

Everytime I went near a Max Factor display, I couldn't resist swatching these, I loved how cool the gel formula felt and really wanted to try it for myself.  

The shade I went for was a shimmery olive colour, it seemed to be the 'tamest' of the wild bunch, that would go with my green eyes. There are 8 shades available ranging from a bright, lime green to a frosty silver to a sapphire blue.  No purples though!

It's in a handy pencil form which is great for just adding a wash of colour to the eye in a jiffy.  The formula is nice and soft and so glides on with little drag.  The pencil is a tad chunky for doing any sort of precision eyeliner work in my opinion.

The colour was more shimmery on the skin that it looked on the pencil but it was pretty well pigmented.

It blended out fairly easily too, which is possibly more of a benefit for the more vibrant colours but again, the gel-like formula makes blending a relatively easy and pain-free experience. The formula is easily buildable to, I managed to build up the colour at the crease with no patchy problems.

On the eye lid itself, it does appear slightly lighter and more shimmery than when swatched on the back of the hand but the subtle wash of colour is quite easy to wear.  The formula lasts for ages, I pretty much went all day at work and it was still on my lids at 5pm.  It had worn down slightly and lost some of it's shimmer, which was fine with me! 

All in all, I like this product a fair bit although I would like it more with less shimmer.  I'm contemplating a few more shades from the range though - caramel rage, I'm looking at you! For a quick, easy and cooling eye look, these are definite winners in my book!

Have you tried any eyeshadow pencils?

Do you prefer shimmer or matte eyeshadows?

Hugs,

Jodi

xxx

Is Dove Essential Nourishing Lotion really Essential?

In the summer, my boy and I got accidentally sunburnt one day.  We are usually SPF 50 types but it was a case of he thought I had the sun lotion and I thought he had it! 

Feeling a little bit crisp, we ended up in our local Tesco in which not a single container of after sun was to be had! 

We ended up with this offering from Dove as it seemed to be the most nourishing and least fragranced, although it didn't say if it was suitable for sensitive skins.

The website isn't too clear on the ins and outs of this product, just that it will provide nourishment and moisture and more nourishment... 

It has a Deepcare Complex within which consists of several skin nutrients and rich essential oils, and more nourishment - obvs! 

I don't get the 10 days nourishment 'promise' either, is it 10 days worth of lotion in one bottle or will your skin feel silky soft for 10 days? Again, the website didn't really provide clarification and reading the back of the bottle didn't help either!

The lotion itself is nice, applies easily and doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy afterwards.  I would say it was lightly fragranced and I would put it into the 'washing powder' group of fragrances.  The boy used it without anyone telling him he smelt like a girl so it's reasonably subtle.  

I definitely would not say that my skin felt like it had 10 days worth of nourishment applied to it and I usually have pretty soft skin on my bod.  I would say I could have gone two or three days without feeling the need to moisturise after using this which is pretty standard for me.

All in all, it was ok, handy if your in a bind and the closest shop you can get to is a supermarket but I don't think I would repurchase this personally if I had a wider selection. 

What do you use as your 'no frills' daily moisturiser?

Do you In fact moisturise daily (I don't, I'm far too lazy!)?

Hugs,

Jodi

Weekend mani #11

This mani is a bit different this week as it is the weekend of my chums hen night and hence the weekend I dress up as the cheshire cat!

 I posted about my clothes and accessories here, although there were a few slight changes.  Instead of a feather boa, I used two pink magic scarves and a purple one too, similar to these.  One of the pink ones acted as a belt and the other two were twisted together to give a striped effect.  Much more 'furry' than the boa and much less shedding too! I got them from the pound shop and I can use them again over winter, although Honey has kinda claimed the purple one! 

I also got some bright pink tights to wear along with the stripey socks. It's gotten very cold in Aberdeen this weekend.

Without further ado, onto the nails! I started off with a base of OPI nail envy matte and then used two coats of OPI Strawberry Margarita.  I have not taken that many pics of this as I have previously posted about my love of this colour here and here. 

Once they had dried thoroughly, I got some scotch tape and placed it on some greaseproof paper.  This is something new I have discovered and makes cutting out strips or shapes from the tape ALOT easier.  I then applied the strips of tape to my hand a few times before applying them to the nails.  

I then popped OPI Plum and Get it over the top, which is a lovely, shiny purple.  I was running quite late by this point and so only ended up doing two fingers on each hand like this as I didn't want to take the time to do them all and probably end up mucking them up or smudging them.  And that was it, I didn't bother with top coat as they were coming off the next day and I didn't want to risk smudging the lines.  

I made my own Cheshire cat mask, I even made the stick to attach to the mask completely from scratch.  I traced the smile onto some paper, coloured it in and then attached to some card with PVA glue to make it a bit more sturdy.  I was super chuffed with this little bit of DIY! Easily amused, moi?

This picture was taken before I applied my base, so apologies for any offensive porey bits! I was in a bit of a rush by this stage so couldn't go for the super dramatic cat eye that I was planning but this was effective enough.  I used Barry M Liquid eyeliner in 'Black', Maybelline 24Hr Colour Tattoo in 'Painted Purple', Collection Glam Crystals in 'Dancing Queen' (pink) and 'Shake it Up' (purple) and Maybelline 'The Rocket' waterproof mascara in 'Black'.  I think I put something in the crease too from the 'Heaven and Earth' MUA palette, pics here.

Lips were one of my new LimeCrime babies, which I will review soon, called Centrifuschia.  A blue toned pink that gave an impressive hit of colour.

The base was just my usual foundation with a hint of Hoola bronzer, my Mary-Lou miniser highlighter (review soon!) and my bourjois blush.  I kept it all quite minimal as the eye make-up and lips were enough to be getting on with! 

I was the only Cheshire Cat out and had a great night with the girls! And no hangover either! Yay!

What do you think of fancy dress?

Did you dress up for Halloween?

Hugs,

Jodi 

xxx