Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Archive for January, 2014
STEAMCREAM for Face, Body & Hands
1There are probably thousands of STEAMCREAM reviews floating around in the blogosphere, but for what it’s worth, I thought I’d add my tuppence worth to the mix today.
So first, a bit of background. STEAMCREAM is a multi-purpose cream for the face, body and hands, and is produced in a unique process using steam (rather than emulsification), to create a lightweight but moisturising lotion. It contains natural, high-quality ingredients, including oatmeal, orange flower water, lavender oil, organic jojoba oil, cocoa butter and essentials oils such as rose, and is 100% vegan and handmade.
I hate to admit it, but one of the first things that attracted me to STEAMCREAM was the packaging. The cream comes in a 75g, eco-friendly aluminium tin, which is the perfect size to take with you when out and about or travelling, and each one is decorated with a different gorgeous design. The tins are just so eye-catching and pretty, and I can see how you could get addicted to collecting them! My particular design is a limited edition called ‘Buttons by Lisa Milroy’, and though it wouldn’t be my first choice (it’s a bit too understated for my liking), I still really like it. There are so many to choose from, but some of my favourites from the STEAMCREAM Design Gallery have to be Light From Space, She, and Cosmos.
I’ve seen some bloggers say that they don’t like the smell of STEAMCREAM, but I think it smells absolutely beautiful. It’s quite earthy due to the natural ingredients, but the sweetness of the lavender and rose really shine through. Overall it’s a nice relaxing scent, and I like to use the cream before I go to bed as the lavender is soothing and helps me sleep.
Now, the important bit. STEAMCREAM has a light and loose consistency that is very gentle on the skin. I find it pleasant to use as it massages in well, is non-greasy and absorbs nicely, and it leaves my skin feeling cool and refreshed. I’m sort of in two minds about its effectiveness though. It makes the skin on my face and body feel soft and smooth, but it’s nowhere near intensive enough to help the dry skin on my hands. I do suffer quite a bit with it in the winter, so perhaps it will do my hands more good in the summer, when the dry skin eases off.
All in all, STEAMCREAM is a fab little handbag essential. It’s versatile, smells great, feels nice and looks amazing, and gets a thumbs up from me! STEAMCREAM retails for £12.95 with free worldwide delivery, and can be purchased here.
Naomi x
*This STEAMCREAM was sent to me by STEAMCREAM for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Lunch Storage Ideas
0It’s been a while since I last posted anything lifestyle related, so I thought I’d do something a little bit different today and talk about food storage! Not the most interesting topic I know, but I’ve been getting very bored lately with taking the same old things to work every day for lunch, and I think a new lunch box could be the answer. I was recently browsing the Kleeneze website and noticed that they had some fun looking containers for sale, and they’ve inspired me to scrap the sandwiches and start taking healthier, more exciting food to work with me.
Snacks To Go £4.99 / Food Storage Set £19.99 / Fresh Food Storage Boxes £14.99 / Keep Cool Food Store £6.99
The Snacks To Go tub and the Keep Cool Food Store are what really got me thinking. Both would be perfect for taking salads for lunch, as they both come with a little pot for salad dressing, and the Snacks To Go even has a fork which slots in the side! The Keep Cool Food Store also has a freezable lid so your food can stay fresh. As a vegetarian I have had a lot of practice making salads more appetising, and the idea of having feta and olive, or roast vegetable salads for lunch instead of a boring cheese roll is really rather nice.
The Food Storage Sets may look like normal plastic containers, but the different sized boxes are what I find appealing. I love the idea of having a box within a box filled with fun little treats, almost like Japanese Bento boxes. The small ones are perfect for dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or even dips, the medium ones for veggies and crackers, cookies and cakes, and the bigger ones for pasta salads and suchlike. Yum!
You can check out Kleeneze’s full range of food storage here.
Naomi x
*This post is a collaboration.*
What I Wore: Graduation
3After two years of hard work, and juggling studying with a part-time job, yesterday I finally graduated from the University of Leicester with a postgraduate degree in Modern Literature! It’s been a long and, at times, difficult couple of years, but I am so happy that I can now officially call myself a Master of the Arts. And to make things even better, my fiancé graduated at the same time with the same degree, and because our surnames are alphabetically next to each other, we got to cross the stage one after the other! I was very nervous before the ceremony, which is odd considering I’d done it all before in 2011 in the same place, but in the end I really enjoyed the day and I’m so proud of my achievement.
Between them my family took hundreds of photographs, but after a hectic day I’m yet to sort through all of them, so for now I can only share a few. Hopefully I’ll have some better ones to add some time next week which actually show my outfit properly!
On the day I wore a beautiful textured floral dress from Dorothy Perkins, which I bought especially for the ceremony. We were told to wear ‘sombre colours’ but I didn’t want to look too drab, so I chose something with a nice print and teamed it with red lips and nails to match the colour of my hood.
Illamasqua Lipstick in ‘Snap’ / Ciaté Nail Varnish in ‘Dangerous Affair’
Excuse the pose on that one!
In the evening, my family, my fiancé, my fiancé’s family and I went out for a meal to celebrate the occasion. I wore the same dress as I did during my graduation, but I swapped my low New Look heels (I didn’t want to fall over on the stage!) for my new Kurt Geiger Sally Ankle Boots, my red lips for pink lips, and I also took my Zatchels Gothic Lace Saddle Bag out for a spin.
Also, I feel like MUA’s Pro-Base Makeup Fixing Mist needs a special mention here. I used the spray in the morning after applying my make up, and it did an amazing job at keeping it in place. I expected to have to reapply my make up before going out for the meal in the evening, but it still looked great, and did so right up until I removed it at 11pm! A real saviour on a long, busy day.
What did you wear to your graduation?
Naomi x
Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in ‘Revenge’
3
5 years
by Naomi in Lips
After seeing a few reviews of Collection’s new Gothic Glam lipsticks popping up on other blogs, last weekend I decided to nip into Superdrug and pick one up so I could give it a try myself. I’ve always loved a dark lipstick, ever since my teenage Goth days, and the Gothic Glam range features three beautiful deep shades that are just my thing, so I had high hopes from the start.
The three shades are 1 Seduction, a lovely pinky red, 2 Scorned, a dark purple, and 3 Revenge, a deep berry red, which is the shade I went for, and they’re all perfect for Autumn/Winter. All three lipsticks have Collection’s signature black packaging, but rather than pink it is embellished with gold, which I think gives it a more luxe look.
The lipstick itself has a very creamy texture, so it glides on easily and evenly. It’s also quite moisturising, however, I would still recommend using a lip balm underneath, or exfoliating your lips before use, as after a while it tends to show up darker on any dry patches/creases. Not ideal in winter I must say!
‘Revenge’ is a stunning, vampy, almost maroon red, and is very highly pigmented, or as Collection says, ‘deeply intense’. The colour lasts well on the lips and it stays bold for several hours after application, but it does eventually start to wear off, and needs touching up every now and then. But I tend to expect that of dark shades anyway. I have noticed that it acts almost like a lip tint though, as even after I’ve removed it my lips look slightly stained with a hint of berry red.
Collection’s Gothic Glam lipsticks retail for £2.99 each, which is just so affordable, and for a budget product ‘Revenge’ is really quite impressive. The colour and staying power could even rival some of my more expensive lipsticks! It reminds me a little bit of Dainty Doll’s 001 Couture, which is another of my favourites. So, if you love dark shades and are willing to moisturise/exfoliate before applying lipstick, then Collection Gothic Glam Lipsticks could be for you. You can find them in Superdrug and Boots!
What are your thoughts on this range?
Naomi x
What I Wore: Twice as Mice
7
5 years
Last week, whilst browsing vintage-inspired fashion website Beau Boutique, I spotted this gorgeous Sugarhill Boutique Mice Loves Dress in the sale for just £26, down from £56. Those who read my blog regularly will know that I’m crazy about rats, and the little cuties on the dress reminded me of my two babies, Miggley and Mog. Luckily, at the time it was still in stock in my size, and Hania of Beau Boutique very kindly sent me the dress to review. Thank you!
Beau Boutique Sugarhill Boutique Mice Loves Dress / Primark Black Tights / H&M Black Ankle Boots / Collection Gothic Glam Lipstick in Revenge
My fiancé and I went out for a nice lunch yesterday, so I decided to give the dress its first outing. The dress, which is from Sugarhill Boutique’s AW13 collection, is made from a light, chiffon-like mulberry coloured fabric, and is fully lined with sheer sleeves. The fabric hangs and moves beautifully, and is so comfortable and flattering to wear.
The print is my favourite thing about the dress as it depicts two mice (or rats as I like to think) forming a love heart with their tails, and it covers the whole of the dress. At the back of the dress there’s a wide exposed zip that runs to just below the waist, which I really like, and there’s also a contrasting sheer black panel at the waist which gives it a bit of an edge.
In terms of sizing I’m usually an average size 12, but the dress is a 14/Large and fits well but is slightly roomy, so I’d say it’s fairly accurate to size, if not slightly small. Just make sure you check the size guide before ordering!
This dress has gone straight to the top of my favourites list. It’s so pretty and feminine, and detailed enough that it doesn’t even need any accessories to set it off, in my opinion. I just teamed it with black tights and ankle boots, and an oversized bag, and was ready to go! Oh and the important test… My rats also approve!
Beau Boutique stock a wide range of women’s clothing, inspired by celebrity and vintage style, including brands such as Ruby Rocks, Madam Rage, Motel and Voodoo Girl. The site has become my go-to place to look for dresses and clothes that you can’t find on the high street, and they offer free standard UK delivery which is always nice when ordering online! You can browse Beau Boutique’s collections here.
Naomi x
*This Sugarhill Boutique Mice Loves Dress was sent to me by Beau Boutique for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
2True 3 in 1 Concealer
0This review has been sitting in my drafts for ages now, so I thought it was about time I shared it with you all!
Whenever I’m tired (which is most of the time) I tend to get dark circles under my eyes. Not bags, just circles, and I’ve always had trouble finding an affordable concealer that will cover them. In the past I’ve mainly used concealer sticks, but they’re more suited to covering blemishes and they never do a very good job, so a few months ago I decided to pick up a liquid concealer to try. Whilst browsing Superdrug for the perfect shade I tried many concealers from different brands, most of which were too orange or too dark for my pale skin tone, but whilst checking the cheapest stand in the shop, 2True, I was surprised to find the ideal match – their 3 in 1 Concealer in Shade 1, for just £1.99.
The concealer comes packaged in a very basic looking tube, complete with a soft, angled wand for easy application. The packaging is nothing to shout about, and in all honesty it is fairly impractical as it gets very messy, very quickly (as you can see below), and it’s impossible to get the last dregs of product out of the tube. But for £1.99 I’m not complaining too much!
The concealer has a light, creamy consistency and can be blended easily with a fingertip into all nooks and crannies. It also dries fairly quickly so it’s perfect for the morning rush, and it doesn’t go powdery or tight on the skin. In fact, I actually find it quite moisturising, without being greasy, and it leaves your skin looking smooth with an even tone.
The concealer goes on very pale, but once blended it is a brilliant match for light skin tones, with its lightness giving the skin a little boost of radiance. For a bargain concealer the coverage is actually quite impressive, and it covers up my dark circles well, and stays put for a good while. By the evening the dark circles start to show through again however, so it does need touching up/reapplying if you’re heading out anywhere.
Unblended
Coverage (with foundation)
Other than the impractical packaging, this concealer is a little gem and at £1.99 you really can’t go wrong. I’m already onto my second tube and it makes a nice little addition to my make up bag, and I use it on a daily basis for work to hide the signs of tired eyes. It gets a big thumbs up from me!
Naomi x
JollyChic $100 Fashion Giveaway Winner!
2Hello everyone!
Firstly, allow me to apologise for the delay in announcing the winner of my JollyChic giveaway. I had a bit of trouble verifying entries through Rafflecopter, BUT the issue has now been fixed and the time has come for me to name the winner! The winner will receive $100 (with free shipping) to spend on fashion at JollyChic.com, which will be credited to your JollyChic account. Between you all, you earned over 4,000 entries, so I’d just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who entered for making the giveaway such a success.
So, now the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The winner of my JollyChic giveaway, as chosen at random via Rafflecopter, is entry number 258, which belongs to…
Tara Hunter-Reid
Congratulations, Tara! You are the lucky winner. Please email me at to confirm the email address that you used to register with JollyChic, and I will pass the information on so they can credit your account.
Once again, a big thank you to everyone who entered, and thank you too to JollyChic.com for sponsoring this giveaway.
Please check back soon for another exciting giveaway!
Naomi x
How to Make Money on eBay
2
5 years
I’ve been selling on eBay for years and I’ve noticed that, over time, it has become increasingly more difficult to actually make any money from the things you sell. With postage costs rising, PayPal and eBay both taking fees, and the sheer volume of items for sale, if you’re not a savvy seller, selling on eBay can take a lot of effort with very little pay-off.
So, today I thought I’d share with you all my tried and tested tips and tricks for making money on eBay, with a few of my own success stories thrown in too. I can’t promise you’re going to make a fortune if you take my advice, but you can at least earn a few extra pounds!
1. Use Keywords
The words you use in your titles can really influence how many people are finding your item when browsing eBay, and therefore how many people are bidding. Say you’re selling a black dress… Calling it ‘Black Dress’ will probably mean it gets lost amongst a whole host of generic black dresses, but if you add detail with fashion keywords you can really tailor your items, especially if you know what’s on trend at the moment, and what people will likely be looking for. In my experience, popular terms include ‘Boho’, ‘Gothic’, and ‘Biker’. Just make sure your item actually suits the trend you are advertising it as!
My Success Story: I recently purchased a faux leather jacket on eBay that, though it was nice and very on trend, really didn’t suit me. I only paid £2 for it, so I put it back on eBay at a similar price and would have been happy just to make my money back. However, I listed the jacket using a few keywords in the title that related to its style (such as ‘biker’, ‘punk’ and ‘goth’), and in the end the jacket sold for more than £16!
2. Go Charity Shopping
One of my favourite ways to make money on eBay is to go shopping myself first… If you’re willing to spend time hunting, you can come across some real designer gems in charity shops at low prices, that you can then sell on when you’re done with them. You won’t find something every time you look, but when you’re lucky it’ll be worth it.
My Success Story: A couple of months ago, whilst browsing a local charity shop, I came across a men’s t-shirt from Liam Gallagher’s ‘Pretty Green’ range of clothing. It looked brand new, and at £2.99 it felt too good to be true, but I checked the labels over and discovered that it was 100% genuine. I snapped it up with the intention of giving it to my partner but he didn’t want it, so again, I put it on eBay at a low price in the hope of making my money back. Within hours the t-shirt had gained lots of watchers, and by the end of the seven-day listing it sold for a whopping £23.
3. Take Advantage of Free Listing
If you list an item for under 99p, eBay allow you to list 100 single-quantity items per month for free! But if you want to charge more (as I suggest in tip 4) it costs, and the higher your starting price, the more it costs. For clothing it’s usually around 15p per item, which doesn’t seem that much, but if you’re listing several items at once it soon adds up! Paying to list items just eats into your profits, so take advantage of free listing days whenever you can. eBay tend to run a free listing weekend every other week, so I tend to prepare everything during the week (gather items, take photos, plan my listings etc), then list everything during a free listing weekend.
4. Factor in Fees
Unfortunately for us sellers, both eBay and PayPal take a percentage of the sale price of your items, including from what you charge for postage. PayPal take between 1.4% and 3.4%, plus an extra 20p, and eBay take 10% of the final value. So, if you actually want to come out of a sale with something other than a few pence, it’s a good idea to factor these fees into your pricing. I personally never list anything for 99p, because once all the fees have been taken away you’re left with next to nothing, so I tend to start items a little higher. Perhaps £1.49 for small items, or for labelled brands a bit more.
It might also be an idea to up your postage costs too. It costs £2.60 to post a small parcel in the UK, but if you charge £2.60 you’ll end up paying some of the postage out of your own pocket, as some will be taken in fees. I usually put mine up to around £3.00 as P&P does also include packaging!
5. Take Good Photographs
Ever found something interesting on eBay, only to find there’s one small, low quality image of the thing, probably taken on a mobile phone in a badly lit room? Chances are you’re not going to want to bid on something if you can’t see what it looks like, so good photographs are always important in making a sale! I like to take mine with a digital camera rather than a phone, in natural light, and I always include a few close up photographs too so buyers can really see what they’re getting.
Do you have any tips for selling on eBay? Please comment if you do as I’d love to hear them!
Happy selling,
Naomi x
Swap & Save with Aldi – Lacura Skincare
1Not so long ago the lovely folks from Aldi’s Health and Beauty team set me a challenge – to Swap & Save with Aldi. I am currently saving for a deposit on a house, which means I have far less disposable cash to spend on beauty products, so I was more than happy to accept Aldi’s challenge! I received three skincare products to try out in place of my usual lot, all from the Lacura range; their Aqua-Complete Moisturiser, Aqua-Complete Multi Intensive Serum, and a large tube of Nourishing Hand Cream.
Here’s what Aldi have to say about the Lacura range:
Lacura products are carefully formulated with the finest ingredients to provide the perfect daily skincare routine. You can trust Lacura to gently care for your skin as each product is dermatologically tested.
I’ve been using all three products for over a month now, which I feel is enough time to comment on their effectiveness, so here are my thoughts on each.
Aqua-Complete Moisturiser for Normal Skin – 50ml – £1.99
With Hyaluronic Acid Complex, Hydrating Minerals and Provitamin B5.
Aldi’s Lacura Aqua-Complete Moisturiser has become my staple facial moisturiser for my morning routine. It has a lovely fresh scent and a light gel consistency, and I find that it creates an even base for make up, that keeps it in place all day. It’s actually quite similar to Nivea’s Express Hydration Primer.
When I first started to use the cream it seemed slightly greasier than what I’m used to, which worried me as my T Zone can get quite oily. However, it absorbs quite nicely and leaves my skin looking and feeling healthy and dewy, rather than shiny.
It has also been a great help to my skin throughout the winter months. I often get dry cheeks during the cold weather, but the moisturiser has kept that at bay this year, and as the packaging states it ‘provides long lasting all day moisture’. I’m interested to see how it will work with my skin in the summer now, as it has an SPF of 6 so will provide some protection from the sun.
I think I’ll be adding this one to my repurchase list, and I may even give the Lacura RENEW Night Cream a go too!
Aqua-Complete Multi Intensive Serum for Normal Skin – 50ml – £3.49
With Hyaluronic Acid and Amino Acid Complex, Glacier Water and Aloe Vera.
I’m fairly new to using serums and hadn’t been wowed by any I’d tried… until this one. At £3.49 the Lacura Aqua-Complete Multi Intensive Serum is the most expensive product of the bunch, but it’s still amazingly affordable. I mean, where else can you buy a good face serum for less than a fiver?! The serum is aimed at people aged between 20-35, so it’s perfect for my 24 years, and is supposed to make the skin appear ‘more radiant and youthful’.
The serum itself has a strange formula. It looks light, but feels rich, and it transforms into the silkiest, smoothest layer on the skin, and is quickly absorbed. It really is an absolute pleasure to use, and feels comfortable, leaving your skin visibly smoother and plumper. In that respect, it definitely gives a more ‘youthful’ appearance.
I have combination skin, so I was slightly dubious about trying a serum made for normal skin, but it actually seemed to create a balance; moisturising the dry areas whilst mattifying the oily areas. Two pumps of product is all it takes to cover the whole of my face, neck and chest as well. I think I’ll be repurchasing this one.
Nourishing Hand Cream – 75ml – £0.75
With Beeswax and Glycerine.
I suffer from very dry hands in the winter, and it has taken me a long, long time (literally years) to find a product that actually helps, so I was a bit reluctant to give it up for this. Aldi’s Nourishing Hand Cream is a basic beeswax and glycerine lotion, but it’s surprisingly silky, and not in the slightest bit greasy.
The cream absorbs nicely, and is quite softening, but it just isn’t intensive enough for my skin. Having said that, at 75p I’m still quite impressed, and I’d perhaps use it more as a summer hand cream when my hands aren’t as dry. I’d definitely recommend it if you have skin that isn’t overly troublesome though.
Overall, I think I’ve been convinced to Swap & Save with Aldi when it comes to facial moisturisers and serum, but unfortunately the dry skin on my hands means I need something a little bit more intensive at the minute than the Lacura hand cream.
If you want to check out the Lacura skincare range for yourself, you can visit Aldi’s website here, or visit your local store!
Naomi x
*These Lacura Skincare products were sent to me by Aldi for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
NOTD: GOSH ‘Frosted Purple’
5
5 years
by Naomi in Nails
Earlier this week I nipped into Superdrug whilst shopping with my mum, and whilst browsing the make up stands I spotted this gorgeous nail varnish by GOSH. Most GOSH varnishes usually retail for £3.99 each, but the range of ‘Frosted Sand’ glitters, which are very similar to OPI’s Liquid Sand collection, are currently discounted to £1.99. I was instantly drawn to this shade, ‘Frosted Purple‘, as the colour looked incredible in the bottle, so I snapped it up and couldn’t wait to get it home to try it out.
‘Frosted Purple’ is a simply beautiful colour, and is neutral enough to wear with just about anything. It’s a dark silver tone with a lilac tinge, and consists of two sizes of glitter – a very fine micro glitter, with larger flecks throughout. The varnish dries matte, which is quite unusual for a glitter varnish in my experience, and is textured like ‘frosted sand’. It feels slightly rough to the touch, but I’ve used far rougher glitters in the past.
Now, I know this is a bold statement to make, but I think this varnish is the best glitter varnish that I have ever owned/tried. It even beats my trusty favourite brands, Barry M and Models Own. Most glitters need layers and layers for full coverage, but not this one. My swatches show the coverage after just one coat. That’s right, ONE COAT! And it really doesn’t need any more than that, as it’s completely opaque. The formula is lovely too – very smooth and not at all gloopy, so you can actually brush it on (the brush is nice and wide, yay) rather than dab it on, as is usually required with glitters. It also dries very quickly for a glitter.
In terms of hardiness, I’ve been wearing ‘Frosted Purple’ for three days now, and the tips of my nails are just starting to show signs of wear. There are no chips or anything though. I can tell it’s going to be a pain to remove as it has the same texture as Models Own ‘Northern Lights’ and ‘Southern Lights’ which are really tough to get off, but it’s a small price to pay for such a high quality glitter.
EDIT: I was wrong! The varnish was actually really easy to remove with a normal nail varnish remover, and it barely took any soaking or rubbing to get it to budge. I’m very, very impressed.
I spotted four shades in the ‘Frosted Sand’ range, all of which are Toluene-free and Formaldehyde-free. ‘Frosted Silver’, ‘Frosted Gold’, ‘Frosted Purple’, and ‘Frosted Plum’, which I think is a new addition, and is next on my nail varnish shopping list! Will you be trying any? If so, get on down to Superdrug quick to take advantage of the £1.99 offer!
Naomi x
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