December Glossybox

So I loved receiving a little early christmas present in the shape of my December glossybox, it is defintely one of the best boxes to date in my opinion!

Milkshake conditioning whipped cream

I'd never heard of this brand before but anything that claims to condition my hair and look after it's colour always gets a try from me. It has airy mouse like texture and a sweet milky smell much like the name suggests. I didn't exactly notice a massive improvement in my hairs condition but it didn't do anything bad so I will continue using but not repurchase.

Rituals whipped body cream

Another "whipped" offering and this time in the form of a moisturising body cream from Rituals. I love using this, it is so light and sinks in beautifully with no greasy residue left on my skin and no feeling 'tacky' when I get dressed. This is definitely something I would think of buying if I did not already have a thousand and 1 moisturisers that need using up!

Seche nail colour

This nail varnish has a post all on its own here so I won't bore you by repeating myself.

Sleek eye pallette

I am definitely gong to try out more stuff from this budget beauty brand. I love these shadows, they are super pigmented and blend gorgeously. I have been using them all the time to create smokey eye looks. Definitely need to try some more products and hope they compare.

Anatomicals lipgloss

Now it is no secret that I am not a big lipgloss fan so I can't give a very good insight into the ins and outs and comparisons with brands etc etc. However it is not too sticky, smells lush and I will actually wear it which must mean its good.

Hope you all had a lovely christmas and have exciting plans to see in the new year this eve!

Meg x

Let's eat, Grandad!

Excuse the funny name, it was drummed into my head at school to learn the importance of punctuation ("let's eat grandad!" is a lot diff to "let's eat, grandad!"). And as I am focusing on my trusty grandad cardigan it seemed appropriate.... anyway...

This jumper is a good 3 years old and still going strong if slightly bedraggled but it works well with a grungey kinda look. I bought it in a vintage shop for around £15, and I have worn it ever since If I am in need of a warm layer. It has muted wintery/autumnal colours which I love and is just the right length to cover my derrière if I am wearing leggings, perf! You can also see my cheeky raspberrygrape ring on my pinky.

Hope you are all wrapping up from the cold!

Meg x

I've got the winter blues.....

When someone says to me "winter nails" my mind instantly conjures up a rainbow of warm colours, reds, burgundys, deep berrys or festive golds and glitters. Very rarely do I think of the icy blues in my collection, 'cause as far as i'm concerned our winter is cold enough! However when this seche nail colour in hypnotic arrived in my glossyox I couldn't wait to slap the holographic-y shimmery royal blue goodness on my nails. By golly I was impressed! the formula of this is lovely with one coat definitely sufficing so perfect for if you are in a rush. I also think it would be pefect as a base for some christmas nail art, maybe layered with snowflake sor a snowman, also think this would look lovely as part of a galaxy nail. So this christmas why not embrace the icy hues of winter, much like we have done with our christmas tree this year! (p.s sorry my nails aren't the neatest job in the world, this picture was also after a few days wear!)

Meg x

DIY christmas presents; home made chilli oil.

Being a student I am a big fan of the home made gift as it is way cheaper than buying from a shop. However it also shows the recipient that thought and effort has been put in to what they are receiving, a win win! this year I am making my mum some chilli oil, she loves to cook and unlike me adores spicy food.

I had a kind of recipe which I looked at which was this; 

450 ml Olive oil

20g Dried red chilli flakes

3-4 whole dried chillies

Gently warm olive oil in a saucepan. Add chilli flakes and whole chillies to the oil and heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the oil to cool slightly.

When the oil has cooled slightly transfer it to a sealable glass bottle, including the chilli flakes and whole chillies.

store in a cool dark place, shaking the bottles once a week. As time goes on they will become redder and hotter.

This was actually really quick and easy to do, and the colours are so gorgeous! I couldn't help trying to capture them so here are my attempts;

I will let you know if she likes her present! are you giving any home made gifts this year?

Meg x

the Red Lip rundown

Now we are in  December, we are bound to have plenty of celebrations and parties. Some may be on a empty Saturday evening, so you can start your beauty regime mid-day with a luxurious soak etc and look preened and fabulous when you step through the doors. Others may be right after work, or that important meeting (or that guilty pleasure tv show you just cannot miss) and you find yourself getting ready faster than Wile e Coyote. Whatever your time frame is something which will always make you look pulled together is a bold lip, and what colour is more christmassy than red?. So I selected 3 reds each with a different finish and thought I would give you my thoughts. I apologise in advance for no-make up skin, it was just one of those days y'know?

As can be seen we have a glossy pink toned red, a matte pillarbox red and a gorgeous shimmer lipgloss to either layer on top or use alone as I did. A colour and finish to suit everyone.

The Yves Rocher was a dream to apply, very smooth and slick, though I found it highlighted imperfections and flaky skin. With it's sheer finish it would be perfect for those trying to build up their confidence with bold lips.

 Next up is an offering from Rimmel, a bold lip for the bold vixen in all of us, this is sure to get you noticed. As with all matte lipsticks a good slick of balm is handy to put on before.

 Lastly we have a lipgloss from No. 7, complete with christmas-tastic shimmer and a soft-not-too-sticky consistency this is sure to add some glam to any look.

Meg x

The online shopping revolution; Mallzee.

For me there is nothing better than doing my shopping online from the comfort of my warm toasty bed. No crowded shops, no searching for sizes, and no traipsing through the rain/snow/wind. However being the ultimate scatter brain I constantly find myself sat there thinking of where to actually visit and end up with a gazillion and one tabs and bookmarks. Cue then ringing all of my friends, trying to direct them through site to see if they think the particular dress is worth buying or I have a case of 'shopping fever'. So when an email popped into my inbox explaining the concept behind Mallzee I was thrilled. 

"Mallzee is all about creating a new experience for shopping online. Users create their own personalized shopping mall (Mallzee) by picking their favourite brands and stores. Our fancy software then finds products matching their personal style and showcases them in their Mallzee!

There are a number of aspects that make Mallzee social from the integration of Facebook chat to creating polls and browsing friends online wardrobes.  An added bonus to inviting friends to your mallzee is that as the ‘owner’ you earn money every time anyone buys from your Mallzee, including you! (That's right you get paid when you shop?) 

Currently we have over 200 brands signed up to Mallzee (Urban Outfitters, New Look, Feel Unique and St. Tropez to name a few)."

how awesome does that sound! This hasn't actually launched yet, but if you get yourself over to the site you can enter your email address to get a prelaunch invite, you can also help spread the word and win some prizes!

Meg x

Feather extensions

Feather extensions are actually something I had a year ago, but seeing as they are cropping up once more I thought I should mention them. I don't actually have any proper photos of them in their full glory but here are some webcam pics I shot at the time;

I hope you can see them well enough. I bought my feather extensions from feather ray where I got the "Naturals mix red" I think I might've paid slightly less for them but they do explain that prices have risen in line with wholesale prices. They arrived as individual 'feather' strands with a needle-threader like tool and small metal rings. Putting them in was fairly easy, I worked out which strands I wanted to go together and where I wanted them placed.  Then used the threader to thread a metal ring onto my hair stopping about an inch from my roots. I poked the particular feathers I wanted into the ring, used a pair of pliers (had to call in a favour, not something I usually have lying around) to squeeze the ring shut trapping the hair and feathers inside and hey presto! a lovely bohemian kinda look, perfect for festivals! These definitely gave my hair some pizzaz and I loved the colours. Even better? they can be washed, straightened, curled, anything! you can treat them exactly as you do your own hair.

You do have to be careful when you brush your hair as you can catch the ring, also when putting them in remember squeeze it flat against your head ( I did it the other way and it stuck out). I think these lasted an ok amount of time, a few times when 1 fell out I would just use the pliers to slightly open and close the rings again putting the feather back in. Then when they really were finito I  plaited the feathers into a bracelet, which I then lost (scatter brain).

Overall I would definitely try these out if you are looking to give your hair something extra, there is a wide range of colour combinations and lengths available from feather ray including the ever popular ombre. And also clip in styles if that's more your thing :)

Meg x