Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Foundation

I've made no secret of the fact I adore Clinique. Their counter at my local branch of Boots is almost always my first point of call when I'm looking to buy something new -  I think I'm yet to find a product that I'm not head over heels in love with!

Anyway I've been looking to find a new foundation for a while as unfortunately I think my MAC Studio Fix is causing me to have spot break outs after wearing. A real shame because I love the coverage, I just think the formula is perhaps a little too oily for my already quite greasy skin.

So me being me I hopped, skipped  and practically sprinted down to my nearest Clinique counter to discover the goods they had to offer me. I know they pride themselves on hypo-allergenic, completely fragrance-free products which I really like. They gave me a fabulous consultation and one I would really recommend having even if you're not prepared to buy a foundation - I found out more about my skin than I've known for 20 years! The Foundation Finder on their website is also a great tool for those who don't fancy a trip to the counter.

The lovely lady matched my skin type to a perfect colour and the best foundation for me, which was  the Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Foundation  in the colour Fresh Neutral. It was a close tie between that and the Superbalanced, I decided on the anti-blemish as I'm quite prone to spots!

The foundation is fantastic, it hasn't affected my skin after wearing it and it feels light and fresh on the skin. It does a fantastic job at covering blemishes too, I've found tapping over the area with a foundation brush covers it no problem. The product seems to work well with any primer and is completely satisfactory without. Basically I'm struggling to find any negatives for this product!

If you're looking for something for more everyday use, I would recommend going for the Tinted Moisturizer which is perhaps better as an everyday, light base. However this one is amazing for wearing a couple of times a week. I think that if you want a makeup to even your skin , cover spots and also help to heal them, this is the perfect foundation for you!

Me on the right - not the best shot but as you can see good coverage, no visible spots and not too shiny!

Lynx Launch New Female Fragrance

The giant that is Lynx, famed for racey ads and risky marketing campaigns, have just released a new set of fragrances...this time with one for girls! The new sprays, called Lynx Attract ‘For Him’ and ‘For Her’ are set to be on sale soon and they have spent a fortune on a marketing campaign for the womens' spray (£7.2 million!!) Unlike all their previous campaigns, this spray is solely for the fairer sex.

The ‘For Her’ scent is designed to perfectly compliment the men’s, with delicious top-notes of pomegranate, apple and blueberry, a floral heart and base notes of wood, musk and vanilla for a sensual edge; sounds like a very good combination of smells to me!

100 cans of the new Lynx Attract 'For Her' were made available exclusively through the Lynx Effect Facebook page on Monday and apparently the brand has said they sold out "within a couple of hours" so it appears the pricey marketing has worked so far.

I'm not sure what everyone else thinks about this one but personally I'm quite unsure. I associate the Lynx brand far too heavily with the (admittedly quite funny) adverts of semi-naked beautiful girls swarming around everyday, average joe-type men. The adverts would definitely leave my feminist 'Language and Gender' module lecturer in an angry state for the objectifying of women they arguably do in each and every advert. Everything we have seen associated with the brand so far just screams 'masculine' which is a little off-putting when you want to buy a new scent and expect somethings that smells girly and completely feminine.

However, the bodyspray for him and for her both cost just £3.25 so not too pricey for an everyday item that sounds like it smells pretty amazing. I think I will have to put my inhibitions aside and definitely give this a go, providing it smells completely different to the overpowering male versions.

Would love to know what everyone thinks!

Lip Balm Love

Like most girls, I am a total lip balm addict. Without it I feel something is missing, even on non make-up-wearing days I still use it just to keep my lips feeling fresh and hydrated. I do find the more you wear it the more you feel like you need it, but when your a sucker for buying new cosmetics that shouldn't be a problem, right?

I've been through numerous brands and varieties over the years, here are some of my no-fail favourites:



1) MAC Lip Conditioner

I bought this product a few months ago and I absolutely love it. It leaves the lips feeling soft, well-moisturised and tingly. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination (£11) but not a complete fortune either. The tube has lasted me a long time as so little needs to be applied to make an impact. I've heard the tinted versions being raved about a lot recently but personally I opted for the clear one so I could apply it without making a difference to my choice of lip colour. A definite recommend! 


2) Mint Julips Lip Scrub 

I love this scrub from Lush; a very innovative and original product. I really like the concept of using mint flavoured sugar to exfoliate your lips, although I'm not sure I would appreciate a bubblegum flavour as much. This scrub makes my lips feel smooth, plump and soft and the fact it's edible is a total bonus! It also provides a good base for lipstick as it really does exfoliate the dry areas. Quite well priced at £4.95 and again will last forever!

3) Clinique Superbalm Lip Treatment

I'm not sure Clinique sells anything I don't love and this lip balm of course does not let me down. This has quite a thick consistency which for me is the only big downside; I don''t like to feel like i have a gloss or heavy layer or product on my lips. On the plus side it can be used more as a gloss and it's super hydrating. It possibly needs less applications as it keeps the dryness from coming back very successfully.



4) Good old Vaseline

It wouldn't be a top lip balm post without the trusty Vaseline! I'm yet to meet anyone that doesn't have at least one tub lying around and the fact it's so cheap makes it an absolute necessity for any make up bag. I really love the Lip Therapy tints that they have brought out in the last couple of years. This rosy one is my favourite as it's very fresh without being too strong a smell or colour. This leaves the lips natural and glossy as I'm sure most readers will know by now. I have however noticed that a few more applications are required than the other ones I've mentioned, but with the product being so cheap I guess it's inevitable.


5) Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm

This all-natural lip balm is packed with essential oils of linden blossom to protect and nourish, rose geranium to help rejuvenate, and ylang ylang to stimulate circulation. It's also free from sulphates, artificial fragrances and colours so you can apply totally green and guilt-free. The texture is quite thin which personally I like. The taste and smell is not particularly amazing; this is perhaps to be expected with it being organic. At around £5 you can't go wrong!


Ones I haven't liked so much: smackers (too sticky), Burts Bees (not a big fan of honey).

My New Favourite £2 Moisterizer

I can't remember if I read about this on my blogger reading list or somewhere else but I recently stumbled upon something that recommended £2 Sudocrem as an alternative to moisturiser.

I'd heard it works fantastically at clearing and preventing spots and I had to try it out for myself. I also read that Cheryl Cole uses it; if it's good enough for her, it's definitely good enough for me!

So I bought myself a large tub, applied a thin layer to the face and left it overnight while I slept. Now I can honestly say it worked amazingly and I will definitely be using it again! It reduced the reddish areas on my face, the size of my blemishes were much smaller and the skin on my face felt much softer in general. By morning it had all soaked into the skin and felt very smooth and healthy.

Now two points that I read before trying that I don't quite believe in: using it everyday and saying it smells 'good'. I wouldn't use it everyday, once or twice a week perhaps. Also I don't think it smells good but that could just be me. I think it's quite a 'Grandma' smell if I'm being honest. It's also a bit of a pain if you can't sleep on your back, like me, and if so it's very easy to get your face a little stuck to the sheets, like me.

Anyway I would definitely recommend giving it a try, the tub will last you ages and it's too cheap not to try out. I promise it will be £2-3 very well spent!

Rimmel Soft Kohl Pencil Eye Liners

Now I've owned my fair share of expensive pencil eyeliners - MAC, bobbi brown, Clinique and Illamasque to name a few and this post is not intended to undermine any of those fabulous liners by any means. However, I've been using Rimmel's soft kohl pencil liners for years and years, literally ever since I even started wearing make up, and I absolutely love them. In my opinion these match up to any of the aforementioned high end products.

They're soft, long-lasting, glide on smoothly and are importantly CHEAP, really cheap at around £3 each. This makes it perfectly acceptable to take a couple out on a night out, and it's not the end of the world if you accidentally lose one (or three in my case). They are extremely soft which make them glide on smoothly and they don't scratch the eye when applying to the waterline. They are so easy to get your hands on too, pretty much every drugstore seems to sell them in a range of colours.

One of my favourite things about these liners is the range of colours they come in which is pretty much a whole rainbow-esque selection. My favourites would have to be Pure White which when applied to the waterline makes the eyes appear much bigger and I also love wearing Forest Green in the daytime; I've been wearing it since I was about 15 and just apply a little under the bottom lash set and corner of the eyelid, to make the eyes stand out without looking too dramatic or harsh like a black perhaps could. It works an absolute treat and normally stays in place for hours. My next must have is the Purple Passion; I don't have it yet but it looks gorgeous.

They do tend to smudge slightly but in my opinion, that's a good thing as I like the colour to be quite thick and even a little grungy.

Anyway I'll shut up about them now but for anyone looking for a cheap yet decent liner, I promise it will be £3 well spent!

January Bites: Ten Tips for Rescuing Winter Skin

So although I submitted my monthly HerCampus article to the editors almost 3 weeks ago, it's not been put onto the site yet. Normally I would wait untill after it's been uploaded before posting it to my blog but at this rate it will be severely out of date! Enjoy....

So 2012 has already begun. At this moment in time you’re probably sick of being surrounded by tinsel and fairy lights, bored of the daily banquet of turkey sandwiches and Quality Street, fed up of irritating younger siblings and nagging parents and tired of being so worried about the impending exams that you’re yet to actually start any revision. Whether you’re one or all of these things, your skin will almost certainly be paying the price.

Stress, cold weather, poor diet, excessive drinking and lack of sleep are just some of the many factors that can leave the body particularly weak and run-down come January and us students seem to bear this brunt much more than most. Unfortunately, when our bodies are drained and our lifestyle is hectic our skin screams it. While we can easily cover a few mince pie induced pounds under an oversized jumper and a couple of shameful NYE eye-bags under thirteen layers of concealer, the sad state of our skin can be much more difficult to hide.

Understandably, an arduous skin-care regime may seem like the last thing any student feels like committing to this month, but it appears January really is the time our sorry epidermises need a little refresh and revival the most.  For that reason I give you ten easy, inexpensive tips for rescuing your January skin. I can’t promise you’ll end up with a complexion quite akin to Halle Berry, but unless you fancy sporting a balaclava for the next 28 days, they could be worth a try:

1) Exfoliate - Winter skin can be much more sensitive than usual and while you don't want to over-exfoliate or irritate the face, a gentle micro-exfoliant will help keep the skin silky smooth and radiant. Try The BodyShop’s Vitamin C Microdermabrasion (£12) or something a little cheaper such as  St Ives Elements Micro Dermabrasion (£3.99), which promises to do the job just as effectively.

2) Watch the Temperature - To keep the skin hydrated, be sure to wash your face with lukewarm water rather than hot, as this will only dry the skin out even more. It’s also important to moisturize your face immediately after washing, as this is when your skin is more likely to lock in that much-needed moisture.

3) Drink Water, Water, and More Water – No doubt you’ve heard this one more times than you’ve set foot on Campus, but drinking sufficient water is extremely important. With water fountains on every level of Edward Boyle and now also installed in the Brotherton Library, there is absolutely no excuse. Plenty of water helps keep the body hydrated and we all should aim to drink 8 glasses of water every day.

4) Body Butter-Up – Cold weather can seriously dehydrate and dry out the skin and consequently a good moisturizer or thick body butter is vital for soothing and replenishing; a rich emollient like shea butter acts to form an invisible barrier and helps prevent surplus water loss. My personal favourite is Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula  (£3.77) as it’s exceptionally cheap and smells incredible. I also love Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Butter (£20.50); a little more expensive, but if your student loan can stretch to it, worth every penny.

5) Get Your Glow Back - To snatch back your much missed healthy summer colour, exercise and a good night’s sleep are the ultimate natural ways to boost that longed-for lustrous complexion. Alternatively, go for a glow–boosting product like Soap & Glory Glow Job  (£9), which provides a healthy bronze veil of wash–off colour.

6) Skin Super-Foods – Dairy products such as natural yogurt, goat’s milk and cottage cheese are packed with essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium. Snacks such as blueberries, strawberries, nuts and sunflower seeds are also brilliant as they have extremely high nutritional value. Salmon contains many fatty acids that are essential to keeping your skin from drying out and if you can fathom facing another Christmas-esque dinner plate, turkey isn’t too bad either. Spinach, sweet potato and carrots are cheap and cheerful vegetables to enliven your skin and what better excuse to make something more indulgent like carrot cake, roasts or coleslaw.

7) Cut Down the Caffeine - Can’t live without your morning Starbucks? Rely on your Red Bull mixer to keep pulling out Beyoncé dance moves past 1am? You may have to reduce this intake severely in order to avoid the high levels of caffeine and sugar that can cause oily spots and rob your body of moisture. Green tea is one of the best natural alternatives to caffeine; it will still give you a pre-lecture energy boost and could also modestly increase metabolism, bonus!

8) Multi-Vitamins - Taking multi-vitamins is a sure-fire way to get fundamental nutrients in your system without having to worry about breaking the bank during the weekly food shop. Some are more specifically tailored towards targeting the skin, like Holland and Barratt's ‘Skin Hair Nails' formula (£7.69 – 60 caplets) which I’ve been taking for around 3 months. Although I can’t say they’ve made an enormous difference to my skin just yet, the condition of my hair has definitely improved and I’m hopeful that the rest will come with time.

9) Be Make-up Vigilant – Wherever possible reduce your daily face paint and work the more natural look. Swap your heavy, suffocating foundation for something lighter like a tinted moisturizer; this one from Nivea (£2.03) will provide good coverage and let your skin breathe. For particularly sensitive skin, use hypo-allergic, naturally coloured cosmetics for make-up; the fewer pigments, the less irritating property.

10) (Attempt to) Make a Face Mask – Fun, cheap and a fantastic source of procrastination. There are millions of recipes online and there’s sure to be one perfect for utilizing whatever’s hiding in the back of the fridge. Here’s a simple OatmealFacemask to try and an even simpler Egg YolkFace Mask to get messy with.

Feel Unique January Beauty Box: 1 Week On

So this time last week I received my first Feel Unique Beauty Box much to my personal excitement, my bank balances detriment and my skin's delight.

You can read about my initial reaction here.

The box promised to refresh and revive with the note inside reading:

‘New Year New You. Now the festive frivolities are over its time to get back to basics with our specially selected products, designed to put you back on the straight and narrow.'

I thought this was a great concept for January and for that reason I fully forgive them for not including any make-up. Although I'd love some next month please!

Here are my thoughts on the products after a weeks use:

1) Lierac creme Mesolift anti-aging radiance cream 15ml 

This was my favourite product of the box; it smells lovely, almost like orange Starburst sweets! It's fairly thick but applied last thing at night after cleansing for the past week had really enhanced my natural complexion and daily glow. Out of everything I would probably be most likely to buy this product. I would rate it 8/10

2. Dead Sea Spa Majik Salt Brushing - 2 Sachets

The predominant downside for me with the sachets was that I have heard they have appeared in a number of similar beauty boxes in recent months, which is fine, but sort of takes the excitement out of getting something new on the scene and perhaps unknown.

The scrub was brilliant at exfoliating and left my skin feeling clean, smooth and silky. Unfortunately however the salt pieces were quite large and I usually like a much finer scrub. Also any future users should be careful when scrubbing over any cuts or flesh wounds as the salt can really sting. I learnt this the hard way after scrubbing over a cut I had gained after trying to open my Beauty Box with a knife much too enthusiastically and cutting my hand - oh the irony! I liked this product but wouldn't buy it; there are many other  skin scrubs out there I much prefer. 5/10

 3) Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml

I really liked this lotion. It was light, seemingly long-lasting and left my skin feeling fairly soft. One downside to the product was it's smell which was quite strong, floral and a little bit old fashioned if I'm being completely honest. Despite this, it was a nice product and one that I'm sure I'll get future use out of. 6/10

4) Phyto PhytoBaume Color Protect Express Conditioner 20ml

This wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but it was probably my least favourite product. I wasn't 'wowed' by it in any sense; I  tend to spend quite a lot of money on good hair conditioners and this one didn't really compare to some of my favourites like Catwalk, Aussie and Tigi. I didn't find it boosted the colour of my highlighted hair particularly. Maybe I will give this another try and see if a second verdict improves my thoughts. 5.5/10

5) This works Clean Skin for the Face 30ml

Last but by no means least, the thisworks facial wash which again I really liked. If you hadn't guessed already I'm a big fan good-smelling products and this smelt sufficiently fresh albeit quite strong. I found it took off every once of my make up and provided a completely clean base for moisturising. I would probably buy this product if the price was right. 7/10

I hope I haven't been too harsh, all just my honest opinion for those who are interested. I liked every item in the box, just some a little more than others.

I can't wait for Febuary's box and look forward to sharing my views on it.

Brushing Up

In recent weeks, after reading copious beauty blog articles and watching thousands (only a slight exaggeration) of V-log tutorials, I've learnt one very important thing about make up application...YOU NEED GOOD BRUSHES. It seems your standard palette freebies just don't cut the mustard and applying make up with poor quality brushes is practically like trying to brush your hair with a pillow...pointless.

So with this playing on my mind every make-up-wearing morning ever since, I did a little research into the 'best' brushes out there both on the high street and a little more high end. There are hundreds to choose from of which MAC, Clinique, No.7, EcoTools, The Body Shop and bobbi brown caught my eye the most.

I am the worst decision maker in the world, ever, and I did what I normally do in these difficult situations - let fate, or ebay decide. I left it a week or so in the hope one set of brushes would slap me in the face.

I entered MAC in Leeds' Victoria Quarter to treat myself to an eyeshadow before my first January exam (brilliant logic) and thought what better reason to buy an eyeshadow brush, than with my eyeshadow. Unfortunately one of the assistants, with far too much make up on, informed me that, with regret, the famous 217 brush I had requested was not in stock. In her eyes that meant a little less commission but in mine, this was fate.

To cut a long story short a few days later I was milling around my local town and was on to a WINNING shopping day; I'd already found a Calvin Klein bra for £4 and a £69 coat down to £12; I was on a bargain-fuelled high. Then I strolled into The Body Shop and glaring back at me was a set of beautiful brushes, on sale, for £15! Contained inside were:

Face & Body Brush

Brow & Lash Comb

Eyeshadow Brush

Lipstick/Concealer Brush

Fabric Roll  to store them in

They are still on sale online and are available here

Normally a Face and Body Brush is £18 so I knew straight away I was onto a complete winner. Unfortunately the set didn't contain a blusher brush which I knew I needed so I decided to go for the cheap and cheerful but ethically sound EcoTools (7.99) blush brush from Boots to go with them, which conveniently fit in my pouch! They are all so soft and lovely.

I've already used them and everything stayed on so much longer today, at this point I can't believe I ever managed without them.

Would love to know which (if any) brushes you use!

Make Up Looks: Spring (Daytime)

After

Before

                                                                              















      I've got HEAPS of work to do at the minute; I'm inbetween my January exams as well as having 2000 words of my dissertation to write. I am the queen of procrastination and have even resorted to deactivating facebook (temporarily). Anyways I've been playing around with apps to waste yet more time. 

This look I created as a Spring-time look; fresh faced, rosy cheeks and a hint of green under the eyes. Apologies for the oldish photo but you need one that is square on and with relatively little make up on.

Here are the products I used:

Mally Eye Shadow in Silk Champagne
Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Duo in Sunlit Sage 60
Stila eye shadow pans in starlight
BeneFit Cosmetics Thrrrob in Thrrrob
Stila convertible color in rose
CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup in 1 Classic Ivory 410
Clinique High Impact Mascara in black/brown
Chanel Inimitable Mascara in Brun
Stila kajal eye liner in pearl
Stila lip glaze in guava

Edit: I'm also well aware it isn't Spring yet, but I'm feeling optimistic - it's not too far away!

Kreativ Blogger Award

 Over the weekend I was very flattered to receive the Kreative Blogger award from the beautiful Hannah from Diary of an English Exile, who is a fellow Leeds University English Language student! Check out her fantastic blog covering her year abroad in Spain; lots of wonderfully written posts infused with Spanish anecdotes, culture, travel and a good measure of fashion and beauty.

 Here's the procedure...

Link back to the person that awarded you - Answer the questions - Share 7 random facts about yourself - Award 10 other bloggers and let them know

1 - Your favourite song

Oooh very tough! Either:

 Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation

The Killers - Mr Brightside

The Streets - Never Went To Church

2 - Your favourite dessert

I have the worst sweet tooth and I love all deserts! Apple Crumble or Iced Fruit Cake.

3 - What ticks you off

I have no time for unnecessarily nasty or spiteful people. Ugliest.trait.ever

4 - When I'm upset I...

Either go to the gym or comfort eat. Sweets and cakes are always a winner. Quite contradictory but true!

5 - Favourite pet

Definitely Dogs. I have a new Labrador puppy called Wesley <3

6 - Black or white

Definitely Black. Slimming, flattering and goes with everything - no competition!

7 - Biggest fear

Failing.

8 - Everyday attitude

Do whatever makes you happy

9 - What is perfection

Happiness and being content...and David Gandy

10 - Guilty pleasure

Trashy TV; the trashier the better. TOWIE, Made In Chelsea, Big Brother, Jersey Shore - I love it all.

7 Random Facts

I am a former cheerleader and have competed in and won National and international competitions for my home squad The Blue Sapphires and my University competition team the Leeds Celtics. I've also competed I'm America which was an amazing experience.

I once wrote a letter to Adam Levine of Maroon 5 declaring my undying love for him..cringe!

I am an accounts assistant during university holiday breaks at Cargill. Menial work but I LOVE the place and the people.

I'm pretty sure I was Anne Boleyn in a former life.

No one believes me when I tell them I was anne Boleyn in a former life.

I know how to sail a boat

I write for an online magazine Her Campus

Awarded Bloggers

5 (time constraints - sorry ) Beauty Blogs I LOVE:

   1. Fairy Tale Kiss

         2. Audreys Armistice

          3. Glimmer and Glow

                        4. Farewell To The Fairground

         5. Pearls and Poodles

Feel Unique January Beauty Box

                             

Just to make my day all the better the postman just dropped the Feel Unique January Beauty Box at my door. I've been so excited about this since I signed up and literally tore the packaging open to discover what was inside. I had no idea it had been dispatched so it felt like Christmas all over agin!

The Beauty Box concept costs £9.95 with free postage and although you don't know what goodies will be contained inside, you're promised 5-6 samples of high-end beauty products. 

There are a few different boxes out there but after doing a little research, I decided the Feel Unique Box was the best suited to me.

So this months contents:

1) Lierac creme mesolift anti-aging radiance cream 15ml

This product is sample size (15ml) and the full size version (50ml) retails for around £28. It contains apricot butter and lime wax and gives the skin 'an immediate radiance boost' post application. Although at 20 I may not need an anti-ageing cream just yet, I'm very excited about this product; the reviews are very good and I love face creams whether anti-ageing or not!

2) Dead Sea Spa Majik Salt Brushing - 2 Sachets

Next were two sachets of Dead Sea Spa Majik Salt Brushing - a highly nourishing, exfoliating body treatment that naturally exfoliates without irritating and eliminates dead skin cells. Again this product has fantastic reviews and I think it'll be good for a pre Fake Bake exfoliation.

3) Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml

Another sample size French product. This body lotion is a rich, hydrating treatment that promotes microcirculation and again helps prevent premature skin ageing. I'll be looking about 12 years old after trying all these products out!

4) Phyto PhytoBaume Color Protect Express Conditioner 20ml

My hair's in pretty poor condition after all the dyeing and exposure to heat I put it through; I'm looking forward to seeing what this product can do and whether it's any better than my favourite Clairol conditioner. It claims to be a creamy daily conditioner that instantly detangles and protects colour treated and highlighted hair...we shall see!

5) this works Clean Skin for the Face 30ml

This 'award winning cleanser' is another product with good reviews. It has a fresh, botanical aroma and contains palmarosa essential oil that hydrates and fights wrinkles. Again quite small in size but it smell divine.



The card inside notes: ‘New Year New You. Now the festive frivolities are over its time to get back to basics with our specially selected products, designed to put you back on the straight and narrow’. I really like this concept as it’s so true that we all need a little refresh and revival this time of year. The idea of ‘starting over’ is very apt for January.

So all in all I’m happy. The products are all something I would use and potentially buy and it will be nice to try smaller samples out before latently buying. Truth be told, however, I would probably have been more than happy to find a bag of frozen peas inside as I adore the concept so much!

The only downside for me is that I would have loved to receive a make-up product; this was one of the predominant reasons I signed up. I suppose the idea of a ‘revitalized new look’ kind of contradicts this and so it’s understandable that they’ve left make-up out this month.

There is also no full-size product contained but that is perfectly acceptable when the box only costs £9.95 and understandably it would be hard to include something full-size every month (I believe that there was some full Bed Head product in December’s box).

Beauty Boxes are available here: here

I look forward to trying the products out and blogging about their results!

Amy x

Review: AVON Nailware Pro - G111 'Dynamo'

I've always been a big fan of AVON nail varnishes; I find them to be reasonably priced, rich in colour and (perhaps most importantly) sufficiently long-lasting.

This shade, ‘Dynamo’, is a deep maroon colour with an intense glittery shine. The glitter is contained in the polish, which makes it silky smooth to touch - unlike a certain OPI glitter polish I have that leaves the nail very rough and uneven.

Admittedly very festive, but I do think this high-impact colour could last through January, potentially up until spring, and still be perfectly acceptable! Light-reflecting and eye-catching, this colour would look gorgeous teamed with a black dress and dark lips and makes a welcome, fashion-forward alternative to the more common pillar box red.

After 2 days it’s begun to very slightly chip towards the end of the nail but I do blame myself entirely as I didn’t apply a transparent top coat (naughty!).

The shade is £6 and from Avon, available here

2012 Resolutions

So it may be a little late but I've been contemplating doing a New Year’s Resolution-type post for a while now. Every year around this time I write and save a list of my wants and wishes for the forthcoming year on my laptop; this year, as I'm writing and committing to a blog, I may as well shed some (not all) light on my annual pledges for the future year:

-     Keep Up with Blog. One post a week MINIMUM and the writing has to be of good standard. NOT akin to some of the everyday rammel I've been publishing in recent weeks.

-     Don’t Crash Car. Touch wood. Also on last year's list.

-     2.1 and Nothing Less. Speaks for itself really. I'm graduating this year and anything below a 2.1 will not be worth the £21,000 debt I’ll be fashioning come July.

-     Look after Wesley. New puppy is here in two weeks and when I'm home I want to make up for the all the times I'm not and treat him like the true canine prince he is.

-     Embrace the Olympics. I LOVE all things sporting and all things British so during this year's Olympics I'll be glued to the TV at any and every moment possible. I'm lucky enough to have tickets for some track events and I am reeling with excitement already.

-     Some Form of Writing/Publishing Work Experience. Clearly been unlucky with my work experience so far, but I'm hopeful that my 13821947219 time will prove to be beneficial.

-     Amazing/Sufficiently Good 21^stbirthday. I HATE Birthdays. Well I hate my own birthdays -too much pressure and too much comparison to other people’s birthdays. I’m hoping for a weekend away with my homebirds and a messy night in Leeds.

-     Find a Husband...Or at Least a Date? I made substantial (for me) progress in 2011 but still find myself as single as Susan Boyle (who has now probably had more relationships than I have). Need to find a nice, suitable male that's not too old for me, or too stupid.

-     Enjoy Graduation and Leaving Uni. Not too many tears and an amazing night out will most definitely be in order (and needed after the hell that is my dissertation).

-     Write More, Care Less. I'd like to write more for HerCampus, Tweet, write AIESEC-related media and update my Blog. Most importantly I'd like to do this unashamedly and be proud of my work. I care far too much about what other people think, and although I'm getting better, I'd like to care a lot less about anyone that undermines me.

-     Holiday. Something at least half as good as last years trips to Spain, Cyprus and Cornwall would be lovely!