Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Archive for February, 2012
Thanks for Following!
0
7 years
by Naomi in General
Hello you lovely lot,
This is just a quick post before I go to bed to say a big massive thank you to everyone who reads and follows my blog. Today I reached 30 blog followers in total via WordPress and Bloglovin’ and I am very happy! I also have over 200 followers on my Bewitchery Twitter account which is amazing. I only started this blog a few weeks ago and I didn’t really expect anybody to be interested in what I have to say, and though 30 isn’t a huge number in the grand scheme of things, it’s 30 more than I thought I’d get, so thank you so much for supporting me and blog 
Here’s to the future and many more followers to come!
I haven’t had time to post any reviews or tutorials today as I have had a very busy day with university and visiting my dad, but I’ll be posting twice tomorrow so keep an eye out for that.
Also, I will hopefully be organising a giveaway soon when I get a few more followers, so if you know anybody who might like my blog, please tell them about it!
Once again, thanks everyone!
Naomi x
The Body Shop Chocomania Gift Set
0
I was gifted this ‘Exclusive Edition’ Chocomania Gift Set from The Body Shop for my birthday by my lovely best friend. My birthday is on Valentine’s Day so the heart shaped, chocolate box looking packaging seemed very appropriate, and it definitely appears rather luxurious from the outside!
Inside the Chocomania tin there are four decently sized products:
- Chocomania Body Butter – 50ml
- Chocomania Body Scrub – 50ml
- Chocomania Shower Cream – 60ml
- Chocomania Lip Butter – 10ml
Unlike a lot of chocolate bath and body products, these actually smell quite nice! I usually find that chocolate scented toiletries smell quite sickly, and nothing at all like chocolate, but the Chocomania range has quite a rich sweet scent, a bit like chocolate pudding, and is far more pleasing to the nose than most.
I used each of the Chocomania products from the set this morning, and will now let you know my thoughts about them individually, in the order that I used them.
Shower Cream
The Chocomania shower cream is the most lightly scented product in the set. It is silky smooth and lathers up well – I didn’t need to use much of it at all to wash my whole body. The scent was only very faint on my skin after use, and soon faded, but once it was layered with the other products that didn’t matter too much.
Body Scrub
Others have said this product looks like the chocolate pudding it smells like, but I’m not too convinced. My initial reaction when I opened this was that it looked like something else! (I’m sure you can guess what). Ignoring what I think it looks like, this has the strongest chocolate scent of all the Chocomania products and it really does smell good enough to eat. I used this on my upper arms which tend to get fairly dry. The exfoliation this provides is delicate, but excellent – my arms felt wonderfully soft after using it. Without a doubt, this is my favourite of the Chocomania products.
Body Butter
I have always loved The Body Shop’s body butters and I think this is a nice addition to their range of butters. It has a deep, cocoa scent and, once again, a little goes a very long way. Layered over the shower gel and body scrub, the scent is still lingering on my skin and is absolutely lovely. My skin feels softened without being left greasy. The body butter claims to provide ’48h Feel Good Hydration’ – a very big claim I have to say. Since I have a shower every morning, I doubt I’ll be able to tell whether this lasts for 48 hours, but it is very rich so I guess it could.
Lip Butter
The Chocomania Lip Butter is my least favourite product in the set. It smells a bit like Smarties, which is nice, but the texture isn’t that pleasant. I found the lip butter to be quite greasy on my lips, which didn’t feel very nice. After a while, some of this greasiness was no longer there, but in the end I rubbed it off and replaced it with my usual lip balm.
Overall I am very happy with the Chocomania Gift Set – the products smell gorgeously decadent and most of them do their job, and they do it well. If you want to try the Chocomania range, grab it whilst you can because I don’t think it will be around forever, seeing as it’s an ‘exclusive edition’!
Naomi x
Tattoo Care
2
7 years
Today I thought I’d do a quick post about caring for tattoos. The above photograph was taken just after I had my tattoo in 2010. I come from a family of tattooed people; my sister has a couple, my dad has loads and a lot of my cousins and friends have a few, so over the years I have seen and experienced a lot of tattoo care. I am not a professional, but after the taking the advice of my tattoo artist and tattooed amigos, as well as my own experience, these are my tips for caring for tattoos whilst they heal.
Wash regularly
Once you’ve taken your dressing off, it is a good idea to wash your tattoo with warm, soapy water to remove any blood or surface bacteria. Establishing a washing routine is important in order to avoid infection, so wash the tattoo like this twice daily. When drying the area, pat dry with a clean towel but do not rub.
Moisturise
A couple of days after you get your tattoo, a scab will form. To stop the scab from drying out, gently rub a small amount of unscented, healing moisturiser onto the tattoo after you’ve washed it. My tattoo artist recommended Bepanthen, which is commonly used to treat nappy rash on babies. I am allergic to some of the ingredients in Bepanthen however, so I used E45 and it worked just as well. My dad and sister also used E45.
Do not pick or scratch!
Never, ever pick or scratch your scab! The scab is part of the healing process and may itch a little, but it will fall off in its own time, leaving a perfect tattoo underneath. If you pick it, you could damage or scar your tattoo, and you don’t want that. I know it’s very tempting to pick it, but resist – it’s for your own good!
Leave uncovered
In my experience it is best to leave your tattoo uncovered whenever and wherever possible whilst it is healing. This stops it rubbing which can make it sore or knock the scab off before it is ready. I had my foot tattoo in the middle of winter and found that wearing boots or shoes made it sore, so I had to go around wearing flip flops for two weeks in the cold weather until it was healed!
Avoid Swimming and Sunshine
Submerging your tattoo in water for a long period of time when you have a new tattoo is not recommended as the ink can come out of your skin. Also, chlorine from swimming pools can cause reactions with tattoos, leading to irritation and excess scabbing, so swimming is a no-no! Also, you really, really do NOT want sunburn on a new tattoo, so stay out of the sun
Tattoos are usually fully healed within a month, but it is advised that you avoid water/the sun for a good few months after getting a new tattoo.
I hope some of you find this useful. I am not qualified to give advice about tattoos, but this is what I did to look after my own tattoos and it worked fine for me
Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they?
Naomi x
Homemade Sugar Lip Scrub
6
7 years
After seeing little pots of Lip Scrub in Lush last month, I wanted to find out whether I could make my own. From what I could tell, the scrub was made of very simple ingredients, so after a bit of research and comparing several lip scrub recipes, I came up with this one. Lip scrubs are great for dry or chapped lips, and help to smooth them out so that lipstick or gloss applies nice and evenly. This recipe makes enough for one or two uses, but could easily be multiplied to make a more substantial batch of lip scrub! Storing it in the fridge would keep it fresh, with the added bonus of being cool on your lips when applying.
To create a simple lip scrub, you will need:
– 1/2 tsp of Sugar
– 1/4 tsp Olive Oil
– 1/4 tsp of Golden Syrup or Honey
Add the ingredients to a small glass or bowl and mix with a spoon or your finger until well combined. The scrub should have quite a gloopy consistency when ready, but if it’s too runny add more sugar, or add more oil if it’s too thick. This is what it should look like…
I’ll be the first to admit that the scrub really doesn’t look very appealing (you know what it looks like, so I won’t say it), but in the long run it really doesn’t matter! What matters is whether it works or not, and it does Once your scrub is ready, use your finger to apply a liberal amount of the scrub to your lips.
Leave the scrub on for one minute, and then massage it into your lips. Be careful not to rub too hard as you could make your lips worse – a gentle circular motion is all that is needed! Once you’ve done this, wash the scrub off thoroughly with warm water and apply your favourite lip balm straight away.
And voila! Your lips are now lovely and soft, and primed for make up application. I hope you find this useful! I’d recommend only using a lip scrub if you need it, as the coarse sugar could make healthy lips sore if used too often.
Have you ever tried a lip scrub?
Naomi x
Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eyeshadow in Goddess
5
7 years
by Naomi in Eyes
I purchased this Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eyeshadow a few weeks ago and, so far, it is the only Urban Decay product that I own. I have never used much loose pigment make up before so when I found this for just £1.25 I just had to have it! I am a big fan of purple so I find the initial look of the product quite appealing, with the lilac tones, swirly patterns and sleek tube. These eyeshadows usually retail for about £13.50 for 1.2g, and come in a wide range of shades. I went for ‘Goddess’, which is a very deep blue/black with a beautiful blue glittery undertone.
The pigment applies with a flat brush and the tube holder is cleverly shaped inside so that you don’t get too much on the brush, however, there was still some excess on my skin when I applied this which I had to dust off with a clean brush, but I suppose that’s par for the course with loose pigments.
The powder itself is very fine, and as such barely gathers or clumps in creases, leaving a smooth layer on the eyelid. The pigment is also easily layered to create an even deeper, bolder look. Since this is a very, very dark eyeshadow, I probably wouldn’t wear it every day. For me it is more of an evening product to create glamorous, daring eyes. As of yet I don’t have any photographs of this on the eyes as I feel I need a bit more practise using it first! Instead, I have this swatch which was photographed in natural daylight and features one layer of the pigment.
As you can see, the shadow is very heavily pigmented and the micro glitter running throughout gives a nice depth which looks brilliant on the eyes. In the right light, the glitter shines electric blue which adds that little something extra to an otherwise basic shade. It is the added bit of oomph that makes me like this product, as it stands out from other pigments I have swatched in shops etc, and with a bit of patience I think I could create some attention grabbing looks with this. When I do, I’ll be sure to post them!
Have you ever tried any Urban Decay Loose Pigment Eyeshadows? Which is your favourite shade?
Naomi x
Friday Favourite: Avon Glimmerstick Eye Liner in Blackest Black
3
7 years
by Naomi in Eyes, Friday Favourite
The time has come again for me to choose my Friday Favourite, and today’s every day essential is the eyeliner that I use every single day without fail – Avon’s Glimmerstick Eye Liner in Blackest Black! I am a big, big fan of thick, bold eyeliner lines, both on the upper lash line and on the waterline, and over the years I have tried and tested many different eyeliners to find one that works best for me, and this is it.
Avon’s Glimmerstick eye liners are crayon liners rather than pencil liners, and come in a twist-up plastic tube. The problem I always had with pencil liners is that they would become scratchy, especially if the sharpener that I was using wasn’t very good, as little pieces of wood from the pencil would flake off, usually whilst they were being used! And trust me, that hurts. The beauty of Glimmerstick is that there’s no mess and no fuss. All you need to do is twist up and they’re ready to use.
The eye liner applies cleanly and very smoothly, with no blotching or breaking. I have perfected my technique with this liner and can create thick, even lines with one hand – they’re just that easy to use! The liner is creamy and soft so doesn’t tug at the skin, and unlike a lot of pencil liners it stays put and doesn’t smudge. I wear this all morning, afternoon and evening and hardly ever need to reapply it, and if I do I only do it once.
The liner is also fantastically versatile. You can easily control the thickness of the lines you’re drawing as it’s just like using a pen, so if you don’t want a bold line in the day, you don’t have to have one, but it’s easy to thicken it out a bit in the evening for a different look.
The only downside with the Glimmerstick Eye Liner, for me, is that they don’t last as long as I’d like. I get through about one a month which I guess isn’t that bad considering I use it every day, but it does mean I have to buy a lot of them!
Avon’s Glimmerstick Eye Liners are available in a variety of other shades, including Saturn Grey, Starry Night Blue, Cosmic Brown and Majestic Plum, as well as in ‘Diamond’ shades which are glittery. There are also Glimmerstick lip liners available. All Glimmerstick liners have an RRP of £6.00, but they are almost ALWAYS on offer at lower prices, or with free gifts.
Which Glimmerstick product is your favourite?
Naomi x
PS. Don’t forget, if you want to order any Avon products from me, visit the ‘Order Avon from Me’ page to find out how.
My Health and Fitness Regime
6
7 years
by Naomi in Beauty Regimes, Health and Fitness
Over the past few months, I have been trying my hardest to live a healthier lifestyle, both physically and mentally. I have always eaten quite healthy main meals as I have been vegetarian for eleven years, and the meat replacements I use, along with vegetables, contain far less saturated fat than meat. Snacking was my main problem as I have a gigantic sweet tooth and as such I find it very difficult to say no to chocolate and cakes! I also had a mentally unhealthy attitude towards exercise – I saw it as a chore and often underestimated my fitness levels. However, about six months ago something clicked in my head and I realised that I needed to alter these attitudes. I by no means needed to lose a drastic amount of weight, but I felt a few pounds would help tone me up in the right places and show off my hourglass figure. So far I have lost about 12 pounds, which is a very gradual weight loss which came from adjusting several aspects of my lifestyle which I will now highlight.
Diet
- As I said before, I have always been a big fan of sweet, chocolatey snacks and puddings. I now eat far fewer snacks than I did before, which I admit makes me appreciate my main meals a lot more, but when I do snack I try to have fruit, yoghurt or crackers etc instead.
- I do still have sweet things, just a lot less of them. For instance, I’ll buy a bag of treatsize chocolate bars instead of full size bars and make them last, or I’ll have smaller pudding portions.
- I have always drank a lot of water, but I’ve found that replacing the juice or fizzy drinks that I’d have with water has helped me cut down on sugar. I still have them sometimes every now and then though
Exercise
- I got into the habit of using the bus to travel short distances just because I have a student bus pass. I now leave my bus pass at home on purpose when I know I won’t be travelling far so that I have to walk. I really enjoy walking, especially when I have someone to walk with, so me and the other half regularly go on long walks. I usually take my camera too which gives the walk a point!
- My other half’s parents recently invested in a Wii Fit, which I have found very useful. Even when it’s raining outside, exercise is still possible and the games are fun so before you know it you’ve done half an hour of exercise!
MyFitnessPal App
- About 2 months ago I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my Android phone. Once you input your height, weight and weight loss aims, the app tailors a plan to suit you. It gives you a calorie target to keep to each day and lets you know whether you’re eating too much fat, sugar etc, which helps you see where you’re going wrong. I’m not much of a fan of calorie counting as it become quite obsessive, but this app really has helped me keep my focus! You can add other users of the app as friends and they can comment on your achievements which is a great encouragement.
Mental Attitude
- I’ve learnt that denying yourself the things you love only makes you miserable! You only live once (that old cliché) so enjoy these things whilst you can, just do it in moderation. Gorging yourself on bars of chocolate isn’t healthy, but one bar every now and then isn’t going to hurt.
- Being realistic is also important. At first, I felt that the MyFitnessPal calorie target was far too low for me when I told the app that I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds per week. I kept going over my target by a few calories each day, and though I was still below the recommended calorie intake for a woman of my age, I started to feel guilty. I reflected on this, changed my plan to 1 pound loss per week, and had 200 more calories per day to play with, which is perfect for me.
Obviously these techniques won’t work for everyone and I’m not saying everyone should follow this plan, but this has worked for me and I definitely feel healthier and happier. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep it up!
What have you done to improve your health and fitness?
Naomi x
The Big Skincare Revolution!
3
The Big Skincare Revolution is taking place and there seems to be some excitement surrounding it! If you visit the Skincare Revolution Facebook page, you can send off for a sample of a new mystery skincare product from a range which is apparently ‘set to change your beauty regime forever’. The sample you will be sent is a 3ml sachet of a face wash which can also be used as a face mask, but this is all that is known about the product – the branding etc remains a secret until the big reveal on the 1st of March!
My sample arrived a few days ago and this morning I decided to give it a try. The product is white with a pale green tinge and has a thick, creamy texture. The sachet pictures avocado and red berries, and I’d say the product smells very much like avocado but nothing at all like berries! I found the scent to be quite refreshing which is a nice wake up of a morning.
The instructions on the back of the sachet advise to use a small amount twice daily as a face wash, or a few times weekly as a mask. Since I was in a rush, I went for the wash option and rubbed a 10p sized amount between my fingers before massaging it onto my face.
The wash felt quite rich and cooling on my skin, and it rubbed in nicely and washed off easily. I was slightly worried that it would dry my skin out somewhat, as a lot of facial washes of this consistency tend to do, but it actually felt quite moisturising and left my skin feeling soft.
I noticed that the pores in my problem areas were a lot smaller and smoother after I’d used this mystery wash which is a big bonus, and they still look better than usual ten hours later!
Overall, I quite liked the mystery skincare sample that I was sent. I’m not sure I would use it as a mask as face masks aren’t really my thing, but I would definitely use it again as a wash. I struggle to find skin products that my skin isn’t sensitive to, and though this contains ingredients that I’ve previously not got along with, I seemed to be okay with this product. I’m looking forward to the big reveal in just over a week’s time and can’t wait to see what the range will contain.
Have you tried a sample yet? What did you think?
Naomi x
H&M Lip Gloss and Nail Polish
4
For Christmas, my other half and I were given a voucher to spend in the local Highcross shopping centre and today, after our trip to the cinema to see The Woman in Black (which was great by the way), we decided to spend the voucher. To be honest I’m surprised we didn’t spend it sooner! Anyway, with my half of the voucher I got a gorgeous dress from H&M, as well as this nail polish and lip gloss – a bargain at 99p each. I’ve already tried both of them out and this is what I think of them…
Lip Gloss
I absolutely adore the cute black and white polka dot lid on this and it really compliments the vibrant gloss in the tube. The gloss itself has a delicate golden shimmer undertone which gives it a nice shine, and it smells lovely, like strawberries and vanilla. Though the gloss looks very bright in the tube, you need to apply quite a lot of it to achieve such a colour on your lips. I was expecting the gloss to be quite sticky and thick as it was so cheap, but it’s actually quite creamy and moisturising and lasts a long time. I’ve had a glass of water since I put this on and it’s still in place! The only problem I have with this lip gloss is that it tends to sit in the creases of your lips everso slightly, but at 99p it’s definitely a nice little addition to any make up bag.
Here are some swatches:
Nail Polish
This nail polish is a lovely deep aubergine purple called ‘Plum’ and comes in a dainty 7ml bottle. The polish is a little bit gloopy and the brush isn’t the best but it actually applies quite nicely and evenly. I applied two coats to achieve this look but I could have got away with only one coat as the colour is so rich. The polish took a while to dry fully (it was still tacky after a good 10-15 minutes), but once I applied a clear top coat it sped up the drying process. I really like this polish as it has a glossy sheen and the colour is absolutely stunning. Fantastic for only 99p!
Have you ever tried any H&M make up? Which products do you like best?
Naomi x
My First GlossyBox! February 2012
1
7 years
Over the last few months I’ve been hearing a lot about GlossyBox, both positive AND negative (but mostly positive), so when I discovered a 50% off voucher online earlier this month, I decided to order a box so I could see for myself what all the fuss was about! The voucher meant I could get my first GlossyBox for just £5 (with £2.95 postage), compared to the usual subscription price of £10 per box. As I kept seeing on Facebook and Twitter, the February boxes were posted last Friday, so I was very excited when I heard the postman at the door this morning! And indeed, he had my box for me 😀
My initial thought was that the box was very pretty, with its trademark pale pink outer and fancy inner packaging – even the postage box that the GlossyBox came in was cute! I couldn’t wait to open it up and find out what goodies I had been sent, and this is what I found…
L-R (Top)
Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap 59ml (Full Size – 59ml – £1.99)
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm 25ml (Full Size – 200ml – £15.25)
Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion 50ml (Full Size – 300ml – £20.00)
L-R (Bottom)
DuWop Venom Gloss in Buttercup 5ml (Full Size – 10.4ml – £16.00)
BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Storm Cloud 1g (Full Size – 2g – £7.00)
At first I wasn’t that impressed by the contents of the box, but I decided to give them all (but one) a try this morning and my opinion soon changed about some of the products…
Dr Bronner Magic Liquid Soap
This was the only full size item in the box and the only item that I haven’t tried so far, mainly because I’m not 100% sure what to do with it! The bottle says the soap is an 18-in-1 soap and I’m looking forward to researching this and finding out how it can be used. The soap sample I was sent is Citrus Orange scented and it smells really lovely and vibrant. The product is a mix of organic oils and essential oils, and the natural nature of this soap really appeals to me as I have fairly sensitive skin so harsh chemicals are a no-no. I’ll definitely be using this one in the not too distant future.
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm
The Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm (does anybody else keep accidentally saying ‘Phil Mitchell’ or is that just me?) is designed to smooth wavy, frizzy hair, which is great for me as mine has a slightly natural wave to it. The balm is quite thick and smells a little bit like Calpol, which I think is quite nice but others may argue otherwise! I used a few pumps of this on my hair this morning whilst it was still damp, then dried and straightened it as usual. The serum definitely made my hair easier to straighten and left it looking a little sleeker, but I think next time I’ll use a bit more product as I have quite long hair. Hopefully over time it will help even more.
Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion
This is by far my favourite item from February’s GlossyBox! I used this after my shower this morning instead of my usual moisturiser and it is luscious! The lotion is infused with natural oils (Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lavender and Peppermint), and has an amazingly powerful, fresh scent. The peppermint shines through which really wakes you up. The lotion is gorgeously thick and sumptuous and rubs in like a dream. Seven hours later, my skin still feels as soft as it did when I applied the lotion and the scent is still lingering. This is such a great product and I may invest in the full size version.
DuWop Venom Gloss in Buttercup
DuWop’s Venom Gloss combines their famous lip venom with a tinted gloss to create a lip plumper which looks pretty. I was slightly reluctant to try this as I have had reactions to lip plumpers in the past, but I went for it anyway (and I wish I hadn’t!). The ‘Buttercup’ shade is nice and naturally pink and the gloss smells absolutely yummy, almost like sweets with a hint of cinnamon! The gloss is quite thick but applies well, but this is where my love for this product ends. The ‘tingling’ sensation the GlossyBox flyer warned about was more of a cold sting. I thought it would pass after a few minutes but it actually got worse to the point that it was painfully unbearable and I had to wash it off! I don’t think I’ll be using this again, unless I rub a little over lipstick for a slight shimmer (although it will be coming straight off again if I have the same reaction).
BM Beauty Pure Mineral Eyeshadow in Storm Cloud
I’d been wanting to try some more mineral eyeshadows for a while so I was quite pleased to receive this, even though the sage green/grey shade isn’t really my colour! The shadow applies very smoothly and you really don’t need much to build a bold look. I really like the shimmer in this eyeshadow as it is quite subtle and adds a little depth to the darkness of the colour. I may try and create some looks with this that suit me as I don’t want to give up on it.
Overall, I am fairly happy with my February GlossyBox as the hair and body products are right up my street, even if the make up ones aren’t. I don’t think I’ll be getting another GlossyBox, but it was nice to see what all the hype was about. What did you get in your Glossybox this month?
Naomi x
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