It has been about 4 months since I started this ban and I am no where near finishing it and it feels like none of the products are going down either.
The last couple of weeks I have been very tempted to buy make up, I managed to stop myself so that was good, but I do feel like I am gonna crack and buy something.
I think I have done pretty good for not buying makeup for 4 months and I am finding things in my make up bag which I didn't realise I had, some of the products I have I wonder why I even bothered as they are that bad of quality, but never mind, I will learn for next time not to buy it.
That is all I have to update on really, but until next time - hopefully I will still be good and not buy anything!
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
My ELF Collection - Face
To be honest, I don't own that much products for the face area as I am always nervous when applying anything to my face, my eyes and lips are fine, I pretty much know what I am doing with them two areas. It is just applying blush/bronzer, foundation, concealer etc.Which I am pretty much clueless about, although I have been learning more and understanding what is my right colour to use for foundation and concealer. I do have a few face products which I will show you.
Blush
I did clean these honest I did! But it is easy for them to get messy all over again.
These are the Natural Radiance Blusher, they feel like talc powder and go on very smoothly, the only problem with them is that they are too powdery (as you can see in the photo), they can get very messy easily, not on the face, once applied it looks very beautiful and you can build it up to achieve the right colour for your own taste which is brilliant. But it does get very messy when it is opened, when you put your brush in there, if you drop it, it tends to go like what it shown in the photo - Well that is what I have found.
But for £1.50 I don't think it is a waste of money at all.
Concealer
I had bought these back when they had only a few selection (the fair, light, medium), so I didn't really know which colour would suit me the best - none suited me as when I received them they were too dark for my skin colour. But I still kept these, sometimes I use them just like primers for my eyes, or lips. Or even if and when I do get a little bit of a tan I could apply this in some areas, but I mainly use them for primers.
The all over color stick is a bit more thicker than the tone correcting concealer, sometimes I don't like this product at all because it is too thick and sometimes makes me feel as if I am wearing loads of makeup, but other days I feel it is really good.
I cant really say anything about the tone correcting concealer as I have hardly worn it sadly, but the times I did wear it I was happy with the out come, over all I think I would choose the tone correcter over the all over stick. Although with the all over color stick you get to choose how much you apply to your face, which is a good thing.
Maybe I could do a better review when I am able to get the right colour for my skin and understand it more better..
Both of these products are £1.50 each.
All over color stick(s)
These are so good if you want that tiny bit of makeup, but don't want to look like you are wearing that much. They just seem to add that tiny bit of glow to either your cheeks, eyes or lips. The colour doesn't show that well, but like some of the ELF products you can always build them up til you have the right amount of colour etc. They don't feel sticky either when they are applied to your face, which is really good as well.
The only problem I had with one of them was, that I turned it too far up and it wouldn't go down and down it looks bad. It managed to go down when I put the lid on it, some of it stuck to the lid but as long as I got it back inside that was the main thing, so whatever you do, don't do what I did and turn it all the way to the top until it clicks and you realise you have gone too far!
Anyways, these are a very handy product to have. They cost £1.50 each.
Blush
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| (L-R) Glow, Innocence |
I did clean these honest I did! But it is easy for them to get messy all over again.
These are the Natural Radiance Blusher, they feel like talc powder and go on very smoothly, the only problem with them is that they are too powdery (as you can see in the photo), they can get very messy easily, not on the face, once applied it looks very beautiful and you can build it up to achieve the right colour for your own taste which is brilliant. But it does get very messy when it is opened, when you put your brush in there, if you drop it, it tends to go like what it shown in the photo - Well that is what I have found.
But for £1.50 I don't think it is a waste of money at all.
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| Glow |
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| Glow |
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| Innocence |
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| Innocence |
Concealer
I had bought these back when they had only a few selection (the fair, light, medium), so I didn't really know which colour would suit me the best - none suited me as when I received them they were too dark for my skin colour. But I still kept these, sometimes I use them just like primers for my eyes, or lips. Or even if and when I do get a little bit of a tan I could apply this in some areas, but I mainly use them for primers.
The all over color stick is a bit more thicker than the tone correcting concealer, sometimes I don't like this product at all because it is too thick and sometimes makes me feel as if I am wearing loads of makeup, but other days I feel it is really good.
I cant really say anything about the tone correcting concealer as I have hardly worn it sadly, but the times I did wear it I was happy with the out come, over all I think I would choose the tone correcter over the all over stick. Although with the all over color stick you get to choose how much you apply to your face, which is a good thing.
Maybe I could do a better review when I am able to get the right colour for my skin and understand it more better..
Both of these products are £1.50 each.
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| All over color stick - Apricot Beige (fair) |
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| Tone Correcting Concealer - Apricot Beige (fair) |
All over color stick(s)
The only problem I had with one of them was, that I turned it too far up and it wouldn't go down and down it looks bad. It managed to go down when I put the lid on it, some of it stuck to the lid but as long as I got it back inside that was the main thing, so whatever you do, don't do what I did and turn it all the way to the top until it clicks and you realise you have gone too far!
Anyways, these are a very handy product to have. They cost £1.50 each.
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| Lilac Petal |
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| Lilac Petal |
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| Persimmon |
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| Inside of the lid |
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| Persimmon |
My ELF Collection - Lips
I mainly have lip products from their normal range (this range doesn't really have a name so this is what I call it), as well as a lip product from their mineral range, all these are brilliant to wear. They don't feel that heavy when applied, I also find that they are not that sticky so you don't feel as if you have applied to move on. The smell of them I can put up with, they all smell really nice to me so I don't have a problem with that - The Luscious Liquid Lipstick has a vanilla mint scent to it and the Super Glossy Lip Shine Spf 15 has a grape vanilla scent.
The mineral lipstick goes on so nice, very smoothly and I find that it moisturizes my lips which is really good for me as I do suffer from dry lips all the time
And then you have the Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm, the scent of this lip balm is strawberry crème, they also have vanilla, orange crème and raspberry crème.
Luscious Liquid Lipstick, Super Glossy Lip Shine Spf 15 and the Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm cost around £1.50 each and the mineral lipstick is £3.50 each.
I also have the Lip Definer and Shaper which is pretty good for those who want to make out that lips are a bit more fuller than what they really are, if you don't like the feel of a plumping lip gloss then this is probably a good thing to have. There are two ends to this product, the definer and then the shaper - on each side they have written which end is what and then the other side of the pencil has the colour written on. The pencil lip is also really good and useful, it has a sharpener on.
The Lip Definer & Shaper costs £3.50.
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| Caramel Candy |
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| Caramel Candy |
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| Bark |
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| Bark |
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| Nicely Nude |
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| Nicely Nude |
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| Angel |
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| Pink Kiss |
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| Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm Strawberry Crème |
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| You cant see it that well, but I thought to add the swatch in just in case.. |
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| (L-R) Natural, Nude |
My ELF Collection - Eyes
I have seen a few makeup channels on YouTube start to do this sort of thing, so I wanted to do it with my ELF (eyeslipsface) collection. I don't own all of their products but I do have a few from each range. So I thought I would share with you what I have and give you all a few swatches as well.
Eyes
These eye shadows are from the mineral range and cost around £3.00 and you get a lot of product in such a small pot. You do get some fallout when you apply them to your eyes, but to be honest that is a given considering the type of eyeshadow it is, this does not effect the colour of the product when applied to your lid. The colour is absolutely lovely when it is applied and it lasts for a good few hours, you will of course get a few creases when it is applied after a long time, but I haven't seen any other brand which doesn't do this.
The texture of these eye shadows are lovely and soft, they don't feel heavy at all when applied so it doesn't make you feel like you are wearing loads of makeup.
The only problem I found with these was, you need to keep them somewhere where they are not going to be moved around much, as when you open the lid some of the product may fall out. Apart from that I love these and they are really good for what you are paying for.
Eyes
These eye shadows are from the mineral range and cost around £3.00 and you get a lot of product in such a small pot. You do get some fallout when you apply them to your eyes, but to be honest that is a given considering the type of eyeshadow it is, this does not effect the colour of the product when applied to your lid. The colour is absolutely lovely when it is applied and it lasts for a good few hours, you will of course get a few creases when it is applied after a long time, but I haven't seen any other brand which doesn't do this.
The texture of these eye shadows are lovely and soft, they don't feel heavy at all when applied so it doesn't make you feel like you are wearing loads of makeup.
The only problem I found with these was, you need to keep them somewhere where they are not going to be moved around much, as when you open the lid some of the product may fall out. Apart from that I love these and they are really good for what you are paying for.
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| Socialite |
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| Girly |
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| Seductive |
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| Sweet |
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| Earthy |
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Avon skincare, haircare and nail varnish
On Monday I decided to look at Avon, as I haven't shopped from them since I was around the age of 13 I believe. So it has been a long time, and I wanted to know what has changed about them, as everyone seems to be talking more of Avon. So I wanted to see what the fuss was.
Now since I am on the makeup buying ban I couldn't buy any make up, but I could buy nail varnish (I don't see nail varnish as make up, I think of it as more nail care).
Today I received a big parcel and it was from Avon, and I am really surprised at how fast it came, even more so that it was delivered on a Sunday!
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| The box it arrived in |
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| Inside the box |
I was little bit shocked at how it was packed in the box, surely they could have found one smaller than that, or even put some sort of care into the packaging. The box was even damp at the edge (which you can see in the photo), luckily it didn't damage the products, just made the packaging a bit wet and dirty, but they are still usable.
Apart from that I was pleased with it all. And now to show what I did get.
(L-R) Advance techniques volume shampoo (400ml £2.70, original price £2.80)
Naturals volumising shampoo key lime & passion flower (250ml £0.00, original price £2.00)
Matte nail enamel inky blue (£3.00, original price £6.00)
Naturals hair yogurt mandarin & kiwi (150ml £2.00)
Matte nail enamel grey cement (£3.00, original price £6.00)
Matte nail enamel red velvet (£3.00, original price £6.00)
Avon care 3-in-1 cleansing lotion (200ml £2.25, original price £4.50)
Clearskin professional deep pore cleansing scrub (125ml £2.14, original price £5.50)
Clearskin professional daily correcting lotion (50ml £2.72, original price £7.00)
Clearskin professional clarifying toner pads (45 pads £2.14, original price £5.50)
All of it came to £22.95, all of this was either in the sale or their was a buy 1 and get 1 free offer going on, as well as that I had found a voucher code giving me free delivery, so that was an extra bonus. :)
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Rosemary Conley - Fitness Triple Pack
Just this morning I received a parcel from amazon which was the Rosemary Conley - Fitness Triple Pack.
I decided to go with her for my DVD workouts because everyone said she was a little bit more gentle for people who have mobility problems (she isn't jumping about all the time, or giving you difficult moves to do). Plus everyone seems to rave about how good she is, since she has been doing this for a very long time I think it was best I went with her.
In the box set you have:
Ultimate whole body workout - which has a 35 minute aerobic workout, a 20 minute body conditioning exercises. Plus this DVD has a chair workout for those who have difficulties moving about.
Five-Day fat burner - which has five 10 minute workouts, or you can put them all together if you wish, there is also a 20 minute section on how to lose weight and cook the low fat way. This DVD comes with a little booklet which has 6 recipes and a 7 day menu planner.
Fat attack - which has a 20 minute high energy aerobic workout, two 10 minute sections one working on the hips and thighs and the other working on the abdominal, upper body and back strengthening. The DVD also has a Fitness Circuit which has been designed for men, but women can do it as well. So you and your partner could workout together if you wish to do so.
I have already done one of the workouts today, I managed to do the ultimate whole body workout, 35 minutes. Which was a mistake sort of, as I should have gone with the 10 minute ones, why? Well I haven't done any exercise in a while or anything like this in a very long time and I soon realised that I was hurting very much as my body had not had time to gear it self up. So if you are new to exercising, I would advise to start off slow and then work on that, don't just jump into the deep end and expect wonders because you are gonna hurt yourself.
Apart from doing that silly mistake I actually felt good about the whole thing, and afterwards I felt like I had a bit more energy.
So I think I have chosen a good choice by choosing this triple pack - plus it was a bargain, only £4.49 for all three :)
I decided to go with her for my DVD workouts because everyone said she was a little bit more gentle for people who have mobility problems (she isn't jumping about all the time, or giving you difficult moves to do). Plus everyone seems to rave about how good she is, since she has been doing this for a very long time I think it was best I went with her.
In the box set you have:
Ultimate whole body workout - which has a 35 minute aerobic workout, a 20 minute body conditioning exercises. Plus this DVD has a chair workout for those who have difficulties moving about.
Five-Day fat burner - which has five 10 minute workouts, or you can put them all together if you wish, there is also a 20 minute section on how to lose weight and cook the low fat way. This DVD comes with a little booklet which has 6 recipes and a 7 day menu planner.
Fat attack - which has a 20 minute high energy aerobic workout, two 10 minute sections one working on the hips and thighs and the other working on the abdominal, upper body and back strengthening. The DVD also has a Fitness Circuit which has been designed for men, but women can do it as well. So you and your partner could workout together if you wish to do so.
I have already done one of the workouts today, I managed to do the ultimate whole body workout, 35 minutes. Which was a mistake sort of, as I should have gone with the 10 minute ones, why? Well I haven't done any exercise in a while or anything like this in a very long time and I soon realised that I was hurting very much as my body had not had time to gear it self up. So if you are new to exercising, I would advise to start off slow and then work on that, don't just jump into the deep end and expect wonders because you are gonna hurt yourself.
Apart from doing that silly mistake I actually felt good about the whole thing, and afterwards I felt like I had a bit more energy.
So I think I have chosen a good choice by choosing this triple pack - plus it was a bargain, only £4.49 for all three :)
Friday, 14 January 2011
My new hair
My sister basically did it all for me and I believe the hair dye was one of superdrugs own make, it was a very old one. I believe I had that for 6/5 years which is really bad and may be I shouldn't have used it in case it made my hair go bad, but it was a try out and it turned out to be a good try (but I do advise people not to do what I did).
I really do like this style on me, its just a bit more shorter than what I usually have, plus my sister didn't really cut it straight as one side is a little bit longer than the other, but I don't care, its different and it suits me - that is all that counts really, isn't it?
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Weight loss progress part 2
Near the beginning of December I checked to see how much I weighed and apparently I put on half a stone, which wasn't good at all. I was starting to give up on the whole weight loss as it seemed like it wasn't working, whatever I lost I seemed to put it back on.
Now that Christmas and New year are over with I checked again, thinking that I have put more weight on as you do over the holiday period, but apparently I have managed to lose that half a stone. :)
I don't understand how I lost it as I didn't even watch what I was eating, but I guess it was because I was walking around more and drinking more fluids, so that is what I am trying to do again - drink more and do more exercise.
I have already been out for a walk today with the dog, even though part of me was thinking I shouldn't as I am still recovering from another cold and it was a little bit icy still, but I followed what my dog did and when she started to slide we went back home.
I didn't walk that far but if I keep to it, it should help me with my weight loss.
Also thinking about buying an actual work out DVD to go with the belly dancing and tai chi work outs, but finding the right DVD is a bit difficult at the moment as there is hardly any that are gentle exercises.
I wouldn't be able to handle some of the work outs that are out today because of my condition and I would just get bored of it, hopefully though I will find one. :)
Now that Christmas and New year are over with I checked again, thinking that I have put more weight on as you do over the holiday period, but apparently I have managed to lose that half a stone. :)
I don't understand how I lost it as I didn't even watch what I was eating, but I guess it was because I was walking around more and drinking more fluids, so that is what I am trying to do again - drink more and do more exercise.
I have already been out for a walk today with the dog, even though part of me was thinking I shouldn't as I am still recovering from another cold and it was a little bit icy still, but I followed what my dog did and when she started to slide we went back home.
I didn't walk that far but if I keep to it, it should help me with my weight loss.
Also thinking about buying an actual work out DVD to go with the belly dancing and tai chi work outs, but finding the right DVD is a bit difficult at the moment as there is hardly any that are gentle exercises.
I wouldn't be able to handle some of the work outs that are out today because of my condition and I would just get bored of it, hopefully though I will find one. :)
Blog rave: Natures Own Ankle Boot
I normally don't talk about shoes or boots on this blog because well the style that I wear would not please anyone at all. I have to wear EEE (ultra wide fitting) boots or shoes as my feet are very awkward and I have never felt comfortable with normal fitting shoes.
Sometimes it gets difficult when finding shoes with this fitting as hardly any shoe will feel comfortable. I saw some boots on Ambrose Wilson and took a chance in buying them, hoping they will actually be good for me and thankfully they are.
I am in love with these boots, as soon as I put them on they felt perfect. They have a tiny bit of a heel which I am not used to either (I always wear flats as I tend to fall over easily, more on that a bit later on in the blog) but that doesn't change my mind about these, they are just that comfortable.
The colour of them is a bit shocking as well as I never go for any other colour but black, so to have this colour in my collection is a bit of a shock for me but they just look so nice and its encouraging me to step away from black :)
Sometimes it gets difficult when finding shoes with this fitting as hardly any shoe will feel comfortable. I saw some boots on Ambrose Wilson and took a chance in buying them, hoping they will actually be good for me and thankfully they are.
I am in love with these boots, as soon as I put them on they felt perfect. They have a tiny bit of a heel which I am not used to either (I always wear flats as I tend to fall over easily, more on that a bit later on in the blog) but that doesn't change my mind about these, they are just that comfortable.
The colour of them is a bit shocking as well as I never go for any other colour but black, so to have this colour in my collection is a bit of a shock for me but they just look so nice and its encouraging me to step away from black :)
NOTD: Avon Matte Nail Enamel in Violetta
In December Fleur De Force was giving away 10 bottles of Avon's Matte Nail Enamel in Violetta and I was one of the lucky winners :) Thank you so very much Fleur De Force!
Sorry for the messy look, I have literally applied this and quickly took photos of this as I was wanting to get this post done and didn't think about cleaning the edges up..But you get the idea of what it looks like on the nail.
At first I was a bit puzzled when I applied this as I was expecting a little bit of shine, as I am used to seeing that on other nail varnishes. But once it went on I really liked it, it dries really fast which is such a plus if you are in a hurry.
The colour is absolutely gorgeous and it works well with the matte finish, the product doesn't feel heavy when on the nails even when you apply more than one coat.
Overall I really like this varnish and will most likely buy another few bottles of this (when I have finished the make up buying ban) :)
At first I was a bit puzzled when I applied this as I was expecting a little bit of shine, as I am used to seeing that on other nail varnishes. But once it went on I really liked it, it dries really fast which is such a plus if you are in a hurry.
The colour is absolutely gorgeous and it works well with the matte finish, the product doesn't feel heavy when on the nails even when you apply more than one coat.
Overall I really like this varnish and will most likely buy another few bottles of this (when I have finished the make up buying ban) :)
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