Decleor Christmas Candle

Hey guys, how are you all today?  I can't believe it's Wednesday already!  Where has this week gone?

So, non-beauty post today.  A post, actually about a candle.  I've actually pondered a lot about what to write about this, I mean, it's a candle?  How much can I say about it... candles are subjective, I know that sounds silly, but surely the scent is all down to preference?  Well, I'm going to do my best, after all, it is a Decleor candle ;)

Bois de Neroli Christmas Candle* £22.00

They say "Gently flickering candlelight provides the perfect setting for any festive occasion. So set the scene for a wonderful Christmas with this Limited Edition MADAGASCAR CANDLE. Containing Neroli Essential Oil which is famed for its therapeutic benefits, its scent is sweetly floral and incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating to set the perfect atmosphere for a cosy night in."

My Thoughts

It's pretty simple really, it's lovely :)  It smells amazing and compliments a relaxing bath perfectly.  I've taken to lighting it after running a bath with a lush bath bomb and chilling out.  The small dent you can see above in the wax is after burning it for over an hour, I think it's safe to say there are many, many hours of burning left in this little beauty.

In the interests of full disclosure, I was given this item to review.  With that in mind, as utterly lovely as this candle is, I'm not sure I'd pay £22 for it, it's not particularly big, but it does smell divine... hmm, maybe as a nice treat if I've had a good month with money I would :)

Have you ever tried Decleor?  I'd love to try some of their skincare, I've heard amazing things about it :)

Why do you wear makeup TAG

Hey guys!  Not sure if I've done a TAG on my blog before, loads on my YouTube, but none here... so I thought it was about time I did one :)  This one has been going around and thought I'd give it a go, let me know if you would like to see more of them :)

Q1.  When did you begin to love makeup?
I've had a love affair with makeup for a long time.  I can remember the first makeup I ever had, it was a present from the woman my Dad left my Mum for, not the happiest of experiences!  She bought me a little bag with some brown eyeshadow, translucent powder, a soft pink lipstick... that was it I think, it was all Collection 2000 and I'll be honest, it was rubbish, but I'm talking about nearly 20 years ago (wow that makes me feel old!).  I think I've really gotten into it in the last 5-6 years, as I've been able to afford nicer makeup and gained the confidence to experiment with it more.  I can even tell you the item that turned it all around for me - it was a little urban decay palette that came with the primer potion.  I didn't even know primer existed, and couldn't believe how amazing it was!  From that point, I started wearing makeup every day and really enjoyed playing around with different colours.


Q2.  How do you feel without makeup?
Very plain.  Sometimes I don't wear a lot of makeup and it can look really nice, just a bit of mascara and blusher, and concealer.  Often on weekends I won't wear any if I'm not going out, unless I'm recording YouTube videos of course ;)  But I do like to give my skin a rest from makeup, I think it's good to let it breathe on a regular basis.  But saying that, it's very rare I step outside the house without makeup on ;)


Q3.  What do you like about makeup?
I love how creative I can be with it.  If you're new here, you may not know that the blog design was hand painted by me in watercolours, I'm, well, I used to be, an artist (here's my portfolio), but I just don't seem to have the time to paint/draw any more, I spend my spare time blogging instead, and it makes me happy :)  But makeup gives me that creative outlet on a daily basis.  I've always been all about the eyes and creating nice dramatic looks, and having that creative side for that kind of thing is a big plus.  I love how you can take the planest looking person and transform/enhance their features with just a bit of foundation, some eyeliner and mascara.  I love the confidence it gives me/people too, I know I feel much better when I've done my makeup, lol, I don't get people walking up to me telling me I look ill, which is exactly what happens when I don't wear makeup :)


Q4.  Name three 'holy grail' items?
Well, this may not be a surprise to you but....
1.  Chanel Ecriture liquid eyeliner - wouldn't be without it.  I've been purchasing it for around 6-8 years now, I've tried MANY others and none are as good.  This is worth every penny (£25), it's the one item I'd wear if I couldn't have anything else.
2.  Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - this is some seriously amazing stuff.  It conceals everything!  As much as I haven't done this, I'm pretty sure you could use it in place of foundation if you needed to.  It's great and costs less than £5, you can't go wrong!
3.  Maybelline The Falsies mascara.  This is simply the best mascara I've ever used.  It's only £7-8 and every time I wear it, I always get people asking me if I'm wearing false eye lashes.  It's amazing :)

So there we go guys, that's my TAG done, I hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about me and why I like makeup and wear it.  If you're reading this, I TAG all of you to do it too, feel free to link back to this post, or post yours as a comment below as I'd love you read yours too :)

Cardiff Fashion Week

Hey Pixi3's!  So, yesterday was a really exciting day.

This past week has been Cardiff's very first Fashion Week, and to celebrate that they had an outdoors catwalk and night time show.  I was invited (as well as a bunch of other lovely beauty and fashion bloggers) to a VIP event at Jamie's Italian - there was Prosecco and nibbles flowing, but more than that, I got to meet lots of lovely other bloggers :)

We started off meeting up early for coffee and a chance to get to know each other a bit better before the event too :)

Face
I wore Revlon Black Cherry on my lips, Chanel Ecriture eyeliner, Maybelline One by One mascara, Chanel brow palette in Brun, YSL touche eclat foundation, Chanel Orchid Rose blusher.

Outfit
Top/Jumper - New Look Inspire
Jeans - FashionWorld online
Stripy top - Sainsburys

Accessories
Watch - Michael Kors Rose Gold
Mae Movement bracelet in rose gold
Crystal Shamballa bracelet
Bag - Fiorelli Debenhams

Then we headed to Jamie's Italian and got stuck into the champagne and nibbles (I can vouch for the bubbly, it was lovely)  :)

It was lovely meeting up with all the girls, hopefully we'll be meeting up again nearer Christmas for an Egg nog or Gingerbread latte :)

Cariadity (left), Cardifforniagurl (right)

Charli dot dot dot (left), Cute Panda (middle), WhatLauraDid (right)

After Jamie's we went outside to get ready for the night time fashion show, it was super cold outside but the half hour wait went really quickly :)  When the show started I was super excited! I'd never seen a catwalk show in real life before, so it was fantastic to see :)

All in all it was a great night, I loved every second of it, I just hope Cardiff have another Fashion Week next year, this one seemed to be a great success :)

Here's the video I put together of the catwalk footage :)

Look Nail Pop

Hey guys!  So I have a cheeky nail review for you today :)  Now, my nails aren't really fit for being photographed at the moment, so I purchased a couple of nail wheels for it instead, hope that doesn't bother you too much :)

Look Nail Pop in Cool Britannia £5* for 10 ml on their online site

They say "Celebrate the London 2012 Olympics and get gold medal worthy winning nails that will stand out from the cheering crowd with this impressively patriotic Nail Pop. 

Packed full with red, white and blue glitter, one coat is enough to give you intense coverage whilst leaving an ultra glossy finish."

My Thoughts

As you can see, there's a massive concentration of fine glitter in the mix, which means it doesn't take too many coats to get full coverage.  There are tiny pieces of red, blue and silver glitter.  You could use one coat as a top coat over a light or dark polish for an effect.  Or build up the layers for the full effect and add clear varnish over the top for a glossy finish.

As for durability, it's average, 1-2 days, which to be honest for me (with weak nails) is typical, if you have strong nails I think you could get another 1-2 days out of it which is pretty decent.  I really like this colour, it's so patriotic!  I can't say I've tried any other Look nail pop's so can't comment on them, but this one, for £5 is decent.  On the back of this one, I'd definitely go back and investigate more of their lovely collection :)

Have you tried LOOK nail pop's?  Did you like them?

Mascara Series - Summary

Hello lovelies, how great is it that it's Saturday!  Today is a special day for me, my mum would have grown another year older today if she were still with us.  Since she passed away, on her birthday each year I've visited her grave, but I'm breaking that tradition this year and doing something my mum would have pushed me to do.

There's a fashion event here in Cardiff for Cardiff Fashion Week - it's a VIP blogger event, it was such a great opportunity, I know my mum would have wanted me to go :)  She would have loved this blog :)  Either way, I'm heading down there early November anyway :)  Ok, on with the summary!

So over the last week, I've compared 6 different mascaras, I've found some great ones, and some not so great.  Generally when I apply it, I only apply 1 coat, so in the pics below, it's only 1 coat just as I would each morning when I'm getting ready :)

My favourites are Chanel, Fat Cat and One by One - they're the ones that stand out for me :)  I think they're the ones that give me the best volume, length and just plain out look the best :)

That's not a bad ratio too, one high end and 2 high street :)  Next on my wish list is YSL shocking, Collection Skyscraper, Max Factor 2000 calorie - that should keep me going well into the new year.

Did you enjoy this mascara series?

You can see the previous instalments here

Chanel * Colossal * Fat Cat * MUA Every Lash * One by One * Pink Papaya

Mascara Series - Pink Papaya

Hello everyone!  So, it's the last in my series of mascara reviews!  It's been really good fun comparing them all, and been able to highlight easily the ones that I've liked and don't like, it's so easy to see when it's in a photo :)

Pink Papaya mascara - available on Amazon for $17.55

They say "May be used alone- simply apply to lashes as you would a typical mascara. For the best resulta apply as part of a 3 part amazing lash system. Start with Pink Papaya Lash thickener then follow up with Pink Papaya HD mascara. Finally apply Pink Papaya Waterproof , Volume or Lush mascara last for an off the runway model look."

I was sent this in a makeup swap I did with the lovely WheatenBeauty1 on YouTube.  Pink Papaya is purchasable usually via Pink Papaya parties and isn't available here in the UK.

My Thoughts

For me, this is a middling mascara, it's not amazing, but it's not terrible.  It certainly wouldn't be a go to mascara for me, but it does make my lashes look lovely.  I think the optimum amount would be two coats, if you're in a rush, one coat would suffice.  The wand isn't amazing, but it coats the lashes well enough, just not as good as the wand on the Falsies or One by One.  I like it, I'm grateful to be sent it in a makeup swap (thanks!) but I don't think I would go out of my way to purchase it again considering the price.  

I give this mascara 3.5/5

If you're based in the states, have you ever tried Pink Papaya?  Did you like it?

Mascara Series - One by One

Hey Pixi3s!  I'm both happy and sad to bring you my Maybelline One by One review today.  Happy because I love it, sad because apparently Maybelline have discontinued it :(  You might well still find it in places until it's sold out, but I have it on fairly reliable sources that they're scrapping it :(  Either way, on with the show!  You can still probably grab it in some shops :)

You can hopefully find this in Boots and Superdrug for around £7.99

They say "WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Finally, bold volume without any of the bulk. 

• Patented Lash Catcher™ brush has 3 bristles per lash to make every lash count 

• Catches, coats and de-clumps each lash to make them all fatter and flirtier

• Instant clump-free volume 

• Contact lens safe and ophthalmologist-tested 

• Washable, also available in Waterproof formula 

FOR BEST RESULTS

Sweep brush upwards from root to tip to add volume to each lash. Continue building lashes until you reach your desired look. Do not let dry between coats. Removes easily with soap and water or Expert Eyes® 100% Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover."

If you do a google search for One by One you can find some online stores that still have stock and are selling it, but before long you won't be able to find it anywhere, that makes me sad :(

My Thoughts

I picked this up after watching a Miss Glamorazzi video where she'd been recommended it and loved it, and she has it listed as one of the products she'd repurchase, so with that in mind I thought I'd give it a try too :)  I love the wand, it's rubbery and flexible.  The formulation is great, it gives fantastic lashes as you can see - just one coat and they look amazing.  The only negative about this mascara is that it does dry out and clump quite quickly.  I've been using it for around 4 weeks and it's already at the stage where it's barely usable.  I do love the lashes it gives me and without curling them too :)  I'm sad they've discontinued this, but I do hope they're replacing it with something equally wonderful (unlike the Colossal!), watch this space I guess!

What's your favourite Maybelline mascara?  Did you get a chance to try this one?

Mascara Series - MUA Every Lash

Hello lovely people :)  How are you all on this lovely autumn day?  So today is day 4 of my Mascara Series and I'm reviewing MUA's apple scented(?) Every Lash mascara.  So if you want to see what I thought, keep reading :)

Available on the MUA online store for £3

They say "‘Every Lash’ is just £3 and it smells of apple!! Yummy! It adds glamour, length and volume to your eyelashes. ‘Every lash’ is available in three shades – Black, Black/Brown and waterproof. This is the perfect mascara to add length with the first application and glamorous volume with the second. And by using the waterproof shade we guarantee you long lasting full lashes without smearing."

My Thoughts

First of all, as for the smell of apple, it's only just noticable, and... why?  I don't generally go around smelling other peoples lashes, and lets be honest, we can't exactly smell our own... 

Anyway, on to the review.  I don't like it.  One coat isn't noticeable at all, two coats, a little, three coats and it looks like I have one coat on... I'm afraid this is one of those MUA products that you really do get what you pay for with.  It's £3, but I'd rather put that towards Maybellines the Falsies or MeMeMe's Fat Cat mascara... You know I'm a fan of MUA's products, but they can't get it right every time, and this time, they didn't.  I've tried a couple of their mascaras, and I'll be honest, I haven't liked any of them yet.  Hopefully they'll bring out one I like at some point, but at the moment I wouldn't recommend them.

I give this mascara 1/5

Have you tried this yet?  What did you think of it and the scent?

Mascara Series - Fat Cat

Hey Pixi3s!  Welcome back to the third instalment of my mini mascara series!  Today I'm reviewing Fat Cat mascara by MeMeMe cosmetics.  I did write a teeny weeny review on this some time ago (it was one of my first blog posts!) but that didn't have pics of it on my lashes etc, so I thought I'd write a proper review of it this time!

I'm writing this post while watching Sleepless in Seattle, man I love that film :)

Available on the MeMeMe website for £7.99

They say "Create lashes full of volume and alluring depth with our best-selling FatCat formula, with whiskered brush giving purrrfect eye catching results every time."

I picked this up when I was looking for a waterproof mascara (I was heading to a funeral), this was in the fat cat waterproof mascara slot, but after the funeral I discovered it wasn't waterproof :S  I think there may have been a waterproof version, but it hadn't been put in the right place, either way, I still liked it :)

My Thoughts

Well considering it wasn't what I thought I was purchasing, I was still really happy with it.  As you can see, with just one coat it looks good.  It lengthens and defines... I won't go so far to say that it adds a lot of volume, but it does make my lashes look nice, and lets face it, that's all that really matters.  This I would definitely re-purchase, it's decent and after more than 3 months (it's going in the bin I promise!) it still wasn't crazy dry, it was perfectly fine.

I have to say, I'm really impressed with MeMeMe, they've brought out some fantastic products, I've yet to try one that I don't like, or doesn't meet my expectations.  I thought that might be the case with the Dew pots (review here), but they were great!  I'd love to try their godess rocks, think I'll have to add that to my wishlist :)

I give this mascara 4/5

Whats your favourite MeMeMe products?

Mascara Series - Maybelline Colossal

Welcome to part 2 of my week long Mascara series, today I review the Maybelline Colossal Volum Express Smoky eyes mascara (wow, what a mouthful!).  As you know I'm a big fan of Maybelline mascara's, my favourite being The Falsies or Falsies flared, so when I saw this was on offer, I was really excited to give it a go.  If you want to see the pics of it, and read what a thought, read on :)

Maybelline Colossal Volum Express Mascara available in Superdrug for £7.19

What they say "WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

The most colossal lashes in just one coat. 

• Lush collagen-enriched plumping formula and Mega Brush instantly build 9X volume, without clumps 

• Contact lens safe and ophthalmologist-tested 

• Washable, also available in Waterproof formula

FOR BEST RESULTS

Sweep brush from root to tip to plump lashes and achieve dramatic volume. Do not let dry between coats. Removes easily with soap and water or Maybelline® New York Expert Eyes® 100% Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover."

I was lucky enough to pick this up with Maybelline One by One in a Superdrug deal of 2 for £10 which saved me about £4-5 (not to be sniffed at!).

My Thoughts

So what did I think of it?  Well, I had high expectations what with my love of The Falsies (flared) and, to be honest, I was bitterly disappointed.  I expected/hoped for it to be at least as good, especially with a name like Colossal, surely they're setting themselves up for a fall calling it something like that?  Well, even if they didn't expect that, in my opinion, that's what they got.  Have a look at the One coat image above, you can hardly tell I'm wearing mascara... only with three coats does it start to look like I'm really wearing anything.  I never apply 3 coats of mascara to my lashes, so the fact that I NEED to with this one to get close to the effect of one coat of the Falsies is very disappointing. 

It's quite a wet formulation too with a very unspectacular brush.  I don't plan on finishing this one, just keeping it until I'm paid again and then I'll buy YSL shocking and The Falsies (always like to have 2 on the go)  :)

I give this mascara 2/5

Have you tried this yet?  Were you disappointed too?  Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Mascara Series - Chanel Inimitable Intense

Hey guys!  So, there's been a couple of mascara reviews I've been meaning to do for a while now, so I decided to make it a mascara review week!  I have 6 mascara's that I'm reviewing, and on the 7th day, I'll compare them all together so we can see which is the best, sound good?

This is the first in the series, I give you, Chanel Inimitable Intense in Noir.

This is a sample given on a counter

Chanel Inimitable Intense - £23 (for the full size) and can be found in Boots.co.uk

What they say "In a single stroke, this mascara delivers it all: volume, length, curl and precise separation. A sophisticated formula and unique brush design combine to deliver lush, long-wearing colour so precisely that each lash, even the finest, is perfectly defined and separated. Pro-Vitamin B5 hydrates and conditions lashes to keep them supple and healthy-looking."

I was given this by the people on the Chanel counter when I was making other purchases to try out :)  One thing I really love about Chanel mascara samples, is they always make the brush the same as you'll get on the full size.  I feel it's so important to make sure the brush is the same and not some random cheapie brush, after all, having the right wand on a mascara can make or break the product.  I mean, you could have the best formulation in the world, but if you can't get it on your lashes, it's all lost!

My Thoughts

I really like this mascara.  The wand is great at getting the product on to the lashes and gives them great volume, and length.  It lasts well and when you come to remove it at the end of the day, it removes well too :)  I think this mascara performs best with 2-3 coats, whereas some of my favourites work well with just 1 coat.    One thing I really like about this mascara is it lifts my lashes really well - in none of these pictures did I curl my lashes first, and you can really see the difference between the first lash pic and the rest :)  It didn't add much length, but I have quite long lashes anyway so that's not a big factor for me, I prefer volume.

I give this mascara 4/5

Have you tried this?  Did you like it?  Don't forget to enter my giveaway :)

500 Subscriber Giveaway - CLOSED

Well, what can I say - 500 subscribers... to think only 4 months ago I launched my very first giveaway as a thank you for hitting a mere 50 subscribers, and believe it or not, it took me 6 months to get there.  So, as a massive thank you and show of my utter appreciation for ALL of you, for the lovely comments you leave and for coming back and reading my blog, I'm launching my biggest giveaway yet :)  It's also going to be the last one for a little while as I'm going to be saving up for going on a holiday next year (first one in 4 years!)

But there's a twist, I'm not telling you what I've bought, it's a mystery box!  What I will tell you is that there are 20 items (plus samples inc Chanel!) and the 20 items that I bought, come to £75 and let me tell you, oh my god is the box heavy!  I'm not looking forward to posting it!  Some of the brands included are Essie, Maybelline, MUA, Revlon, Rimmel.... and more!

So, the rules!  You HAVE to be a subscriber of my blog (I will check that entries comply with this) and that's it.  There are other ways to enter too, but they're optional.  The giveaway will run for 500 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MUA BB Cream

Hey Pixi3's!  I've had this product a little while now, but I haven't written a blog post on it until now because I wasn't really sure what to make of it and even if I liked it or not.  So, here's some pics of it, and at the bottom, my thoughts on it :)

Front and back of the container in shade Medium (bought when there were only 3 shades) £4

From the MUA side "Inspired by Asian Beauty Balms, our brand new MUA BB Foundation is a full coverage foundation containing a multi-functional formula that conceals, brightens and evens out skin tone for a perfect complexion. Its great range of shades will adapt to suit all skin tones. Apply with a big dense brush and buff into the skin for the perfect flawless finish. Easily the hottest and best product in your handbag – it’s the perfect size too!"

Even though I'm really pale, I found the shade medium to suit me the best.

Bottom half of my hand is where it's blended (top half has nothing on it)

My Thoughts

First of all, this BB cream has a very odd consistency, it's very much like a gel - it's a thick formulation and very glutinous.  I haven't tried that many high street/drugstore BB creams, but I've yet to find one I really like (*shakes fist at Ginvera for making such a great BB cream*).  I really didn't like the Maybelline one or the 17 one, they both (for me) gave little to no coverage and left my already oily face feeling like an oil slick.  As for this one, it's somewhat better.  It didn't leave my skin very oily, but more so than a normal foundation.  It's coverage is decent, more akin to a foundation than a BB cream which is quite impressive.  For the high street ones I've tried, it's definitely the best, and the cheapest, but it isn't something I would use day to day.  For me, it's more of a 'I'm just popping to the shops and I don't really care what I look like, but I don't want to look like I just rolled out of bed' kinda BB cream as opposed to a day to day staple.  So sorry MUA, you haven't made it into my rotation, but I don't hate ya either :)  If you're looking for a budget BB cream, it's definitely worth the £4 :)

Have you tried it yet?  What did you think about it?  

MUA Nail Constellation

Hey guys!  Another MUA nail post for you today :)  Just as I said before, this was purchased before October so it doesn't affect the 'no-buy' etc - and nails aren't in any fit state to really show you what it looks like on :p

I picked up Libra for I think, £3.  It has beautiful black beads speckled with the odd turquoise bead.  They're very easy to apply, simply paint your nails with a colour of your choice (I'd opt for either Black, Turquoise or as I did, their shade in Plum Noir), and while the nail is wet, just take the lid off and pour over your nail, once the nail is covered, press down to help them set.  If you want to give it a bit more longevity, add a top coat of clear nail varnish to help them set for longer.

Don't expect it to last long as with any caviar nails, it's really for 1-2 nights/days.  As for removing them, I found it very easy, I simply was able to push them off without much effort (that's why they won't last too long)  :)  I think these are an amazing alternative to the Ciate ones which cost around £14, and lets face it, they're pretty much the same!  Another great pick from a great brand, well done MUA!

What's your favourite nail constellation?