Skincare

Clothing and Fashion, Make-up, Nails, Skincare

Oct/Nov’s Most Wanted

October 30, 2013

It’s the time of year when I should be focusing my purchases on others, ready for Christmas. Unfortunately all this does, is fuel my longing for products that I happen to spot along the way. There are so many things that I ~~want~~ -need- this festive period that I have no idea where to begin!

First up, Dior in “Rouge Dior 999”, because even though I already own over 9000 red lipsticks, I really need this one! I don’t know why, I’ve never been a massive fan of this brand before, I love their perfume but that’s mostly where it lies. I keep seeing beautiful adverts for this lipstick though and I don’t know if it’s the arty “chains” it is photographed with or how in the right light, the casing looks like it’s made of studs, the fact of the day is – I want it in my life!

For £26.00 from House of Fraser, it could be yours (and mine)

Now, lip Crayons are still quite a craze. Owning a few I think they are OK but most are not shades I would wear to important places such as the stage. The NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in “Dragon Girl” and also “Red Square” both look absolutely amazing. Unfortunately only the Red Square colour is available on the UK NARS website which makes me very sad.

They start around £17.50 and you can pick them up directly from NARS.co.uk

I’m not one to lust over Loreal Skincare, but browsing a beauty magazine I hade a lot of fun playing with one of their QR codes which scans your face and tells you all about what skin tone you have.

The Loreal Skin Perfection range promises to “transform the appearance of skin quality” with tone looking more even and pores virtually undetectable. With wild statements like this I simply must at least try the Day Moisturiser.

For a very reasonable price of £9.99 I shall be picking one of these up from Boots although I may wait until -after- Christmas.

I’ve been swallowing feelings of envy for a while now over this pallette. Seeing a lot of our fellow beauty bloggers reviewing theBalm “Nude tude” palette, with 12 beautiful neutral colours I really really want this.

The cheapest I have found this is £26.00 from Feel Unique. Can I resist this for a few more months?

Gem and I are going to a friends wedding on Saturday. (Evidence of our hen party shenanigans found here) With the theme being Red and Black, naturally my dress had to be red. After having a shoe dilemma and searching the web for a perfect match to my 50’s dress I came across these:

Iron Fist Little Lamby Polka Dot T-Bars. They retail around £44.00 definitely not an amount of money I am willing to spend on shoes right now, but I will be purchasing these as soon as I can physically justify it. (Being someone who never/rarely wears heels.)

My rubbish girl skills for walking in heels aside, look at them! They are absolutely perfect, it’s like they one day, decided they were going to make a shoe for “Pants and friends.”

Lastly, before my bank closes and ties all contact with me. O.P.I Christmas 2013 Liquid Sand editions modelled by Mariah Carey. At the very least I must have in my possession “Kiss me at midnight” and “It’s Frosty Outside” for all of my Christmas nail art fun!

Full size prices range from £11.00 but you can pick up the miniature versions in Christmas sets for about the same price.

So there we have it, my October and spilling rather heftily into November most wanted. Are there any things you are lusting after this time of year? Let us know!

Totally hellbent for spending all the monies on all of the shiny things

-Pants

Skincare

Working 9-5 (made easier with nails)

October 25, 2013

As mentioned in a previous post, I have now been self-employed for two months, leaving behind the NHS, a well paid job, an almost Senior position and a life spent inside prison walls. (Yes I was a prison nurse.)

Although I still work as a nurse occasionally to keep my practice up, one of my main issues was with the direction of the NHS in general and my general frustrations at not being heard with my ideas being pushed aside. It had been in the works for a long time but one day, I sat down with my other half Brains and decided it was time to leave. I switched my life of caring for others for a life of perching my arse in my home Office. I am now a developer working alongside Brains and our web development company “BIOSTALL“.

One of the biggest perks of my new job, is being able to do whatever I like. I mean don’t get me wrong, I have to work hard because time is money and … well … without that there would be no shinies. It does mean however, that in between coding I can apply a few coats of Varnish or write a few blogs.

Anyway, the whole purpose of this post was to share with you the hilarity that is my desk …

This is just a random selection of some “go to” items on my desk at the moment. Some nail varnishes, remover, hand cream and tools for when I have the urge to repaint my nails or I get some inspiration. Behind my is all of the shiny things Gem and I purchased on our accidental shopping haul.

I doubt I would have got away with any of this in my previous employments and I’m so proud of the day I handed my resignation in and finally took the plunge. My advice to all of you, is to do whatever you want to do. Life is too short to be unhappy and if things don’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. Live life to the full!

On a completely random side tangent, I also remembered this little beauty.

Since October has been the subject of many a hand cream, I found this the other day amongst my cleared out work things. This is The Body Shop’s Hemp Hand Protector and it was my staple hand cream when I washed my hands about a zillion times a day. (What with the whole healthcare and infection control thing I had going on.) I had completely forgotten about it and have now returned it to it’s former glory by giving it a home on my desk so I can use it as I please.

You can find it at The Body Shop either online or in store for just £4.00. With 40% of this week, you may as well have a shop!

So in summary, do what you will providing you aren’t hurting anyone else and get all over the Hemp Hand Protector Cream from The Body Shop.

Totally hellbent for doing whatever the hell I like

-Pants

Skincare

October 2013 Bargains

October 25, 2013

For those who may not know, I am now in me second month of self-employment. Working from home has it’s perks, but it does mean I have had to curb my enthusiasm for the purchasing of ad-hoc beauty products and really take control of my spending habits.

Going from a relatively well paid job, to one that has no certainty of ever having money again is quite a daunting leap and has meant I’ve had two months of strict budgeting, which has also forced it’s way into my beauty lifestyle.

Although I have hundreds of cleansers, toners, wipes, micellar solutions and expensive exfoliating scrubs I can’t resist the urge to pick up more when I’m out and about – this month however I ditched my ridiculous body care purchases for some bargain products and was actually very surprised.

Superdrug’s own Body Polish

I resisted the urge to buy expensive body scrub for every day use because I simply didn’t need it, I opted for this, the cheap and cheerful version of my usual Body Shop purchase. Although this is a polish, I was surprised by just how exfoliating this was and how beautiful the smell was. Sometimes I find Superdrug’s body wash’s dry my skin out a lot but this was fine. Well worth the money and I will be sampling some of the other’s in their range.

You can pick this up online or in store at Superdrug for only 0.97p!

Tesco Cucumber Face Wipes

If there’s one thing I like to spend a little bit more on, it’s a decent face wipe. The difference in use is amazing. Running dangerously low on my usual Nivea Face Wipes however, I popped into the corner Tesco’s for some groceries and ended up picking these up instead of the Nivea wipes which were almost £2 more expensive than what I would pay for them. Knowing that I wouldn’t be going to my usual shop any time soon, I picked these up for £1.25 to give them a go.

They compare to Boot’s Cucumber face wipe, which I have always found to be pretty good. They managed to remove a full face of make up with little residue left so I am very impressed considering I wouldn’t have ever considered buying Tesco’s own brand face wipes before.

Next time your in store or doing your online grocery shop and in need of a cheap and cheerful facewipes you can get a pack of 25 for £0.99 in most Tesco’s.

Totally hellbent for saving all of the pennies

-Pants

Festivals, Make-up, Skincare

October most wanted!

October 23, 2013

I’m starting to be very careful with my money now. That seasonal-time-of-the-year-you-shouldn’t-mention-in-October is coming, I have a wedding to go to, a visit to Holland next month, I’ve just spent £300 on Wacken tickets, and I have more than enough make-up and shiny treats to justify having to buy more. BUT. It doesn’t hurt to look and dream, right?

Geek Chic Cosmetics Witchcraft and Wizardry Set

L-R House Elf, Always, Mischief Managed, Golden Trio, Headmaster, You know Who.

Look at those colours. LOOK AT THEM. I’m having delirious day-dreams about pairing Mischief Managed and You Know Who into a dramatic stage look right now, and I fear it is one of those things that will continue until I get my hands on these gorgeous shades!

Geek Chic Cosmetics are a company that have been on my radar for a really long time, yet I still haven’t got round to actually ordering from them. This needs to be rectified! I mean really, combining gorgeous pigment eyeshadows with tongue in cheek geek culture is right up my street. I need this in my life.

Available from Geek Chic Cosmetics for $28.75

Body Shop Honeymania Range

Amie picked up a few pieces from this range (and blogged about it here) and has been singing praises ever since! I’m very very tempted, especially by the scrub and body butter. The Body Shop have amazing discounts online all the time, so maybe I can be tempted in the next 50% off sale. By maybe I mean definitly.

Available from £2 to £13 from The Body Shop

Soap and Glory Yule Monty

Oh yes, all the best Soap & Glory shinies in a fabulous cosmetics case. I’m only a recent convert to the ways of S&G but now I want it all. Even at £60 for this set you’re still getting a bargain considering how many products are included. My plan will be to wait till after Christmas when Boots slash all the prices on their gift sets making a massive saving on the RRP of the individual items.

Can I wait till January for all the lovely things? Hrrrrrm.

Available from Boots for £60.

Katy Perry Killer Queen ETP

Katy Perry, hardly the epitome of extreme metal but she exudes at least a touch of rock chick cool so I don’t think I loose too many krieg points for being a bit of a fan.

I’ve gotten through two testers for this (One from the Sept/Oct Miss Glossybox, the other from the October Glossybox) and am absolutely in love with it.

£30 for 100ml from Superdrug.

Manowar Magic Circle Festival Tickets

Of all the things I love in this world Manowar rank pretty close to the top. They’ve just announced a Magic Circle Festival in Finland for next summer and I’m just chomping at the bit to find a way to go.

I’ve always wanted to go to Finland so this to me seems the perfect excuse!

Tickets go on sale for 75 Euros on November 4th. More details here.

Totally not hellbent for being frugal this time of year. Harumph!

– Gem

Skincare

Nip + Fab Shine Fix

October 23, 2013

This was a gift from Amie (along with lots of other lovely things you can see here) as she has the most lovely matte skin ever and I unfortunately have been cursed with an ever-shiny face.

I am one with the ways of powder and blotting papers, and have tried quite a few products that claim to be mattifying with varying degrees of results.

The Nip + Fab Shine Fix is labelled as a gel, but it looks and applies much more like a cream. There’s a lovely fresh scent that disappears once rubbed into the skin, and as expected of an anti-shine product it leaves a soft matte finish.

Applied over my usual moisturiser it does take away a lot of the shine, but it really does it’s job underneath my make-up. When combined with a touch of Benefit Porefessional I found that I didn’t need to blot or use powder for hours longer than I usually would.

This is also a great product for touch-ups after make-up application, and I found dabbing a little around the nose area kept me shine-free throughout the day and well into the evening.

Available from Nip + Fab for £4.95

Totally hellbent for a shine free face

– Gem

Beauty Boxes, Hair, Skincare

Birchbox October 2013

October 21, 2013

I seem to have waited forever for this month’s beauty boxes to come around and after an underwhelming Glossybox this month, I couldn’t wait for Birchbox to try and lift my spirits.

This months delights included the following:

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance | £28.00
A generous 15.0ml helping of this primer was very nice indeed. This will last a lifetime! I used a little of this on Saturday in the frantic morning rush when slapping on my stage makeup. It did a pretty fine job and putting on my foundation was most definitely a dream for once. I think this is a keeper to add to my stage makeup collection.

Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant | £67.00
I havn’t actually tried this yet, having not heard of the brand before I am expecting absolute miracles considering the price. A 7.5g helping is good enough for me to put it to the test though, so expect updates on this in the near future.
KMS California Curl Up Wave Foam Mousse | £15.00
Being one of those with naturally curly hair, I am always buying products to make my curls and waves look nicer although most of the time I opt for straightening so it’s always a nice change for me to sport my natural hair do. This 75ml mousse should be plenty for me to test this out, despite the amount of hair I have!
theBalm cosmetics Stainiac | £10.00
Having received a previous lip and cheek tint, I was a little apprehensive about this one. On swatching it’s a very subtle color, but I’m not sure the texture of this will get along with my skin, especially my cheeks. Time will tell with 1.2mls for me to play with.
Dr. Lipp Nipple Balm | £11.50
I’ve been meaning to pick some of this up for a while and this months Birchbox was well worth it for this alone. An absolutely adorable 3ml size product. I own the Nip+Fab version of this and absolutely love it. Needless to say I will be saving this for as long as possible! If it had cheeks – I’d pinch them.

Lifestyle Extra:

Birchbox Eyelash Curler | £10.00
I recently received a Curler in my Glossybox a few months back and havn’t really got to grips with having a very bulky object very close to my eyes, with my precious eyelashes in it’s grasp. At some point, I will have a play with them box and see how they do. It took me years to finally take the plunge with falsies, so hopefully I can be a little braver this time.

Beauty Box Extra:

Egyptian Magic | £29.00
Three 3ml sachets of all purpose skin cream. Who does not love skin cream? I haven’t tried this yet, but through the packet it feels very thick – almost like Vaseline. With the packaging bringing a little Nile into the equation, I could almost see this as a death metal beauty item too. Can’t wait to play with it.

Another thing I enjoyed this month was the little cards in place of a “magazine” with a few tips and other bits of info. I’m a sucker for quirky graphics!

You can get your hands on a Birchbox for just £10 a month with £2.95 P&P. With the option to cancel whenever you want and earn reward points for each box which you can spend later it’s well worth it.

Totally hellbent for teeny tiny treats

-Pants

Skincare

CLINIQUE Dramatically different moisturiser

October 21, 2013

I bought this in August 2012 on the ferry on the way to Wacken. One of the reasons I went for this at the time, was it felt beautiful when I was testing all the lotions and potions on the boat.

Anyway, I had been saving this for a little while as I already had thousands of moisturisers open but about 6 months ago, I thought I would try this out. I have been using this weekly on and off since then and have only just run out of it, so I have to give kudos for it’s longevity, especially as I went for the smaller 50ml tube.

I was expecting great things from this, I have a friend who swears by Clinique’s products and had heard and read some good reviews, but I have to say, as someone who actually suffers from dry skin, this didn’t do wonders for me at all. When using it in the morning, my face would begin to feel dry again around lunchtime, which is very poor next to my Vitamin E cream or L’occitane which keeps me hydrated until my bedtime regime.

Texture wise, it’s far to thin and watery and sometimes my skin felt a little greasy for a short time after application, which was annoying when I needed to rush out the house and slap on some makeup.

Now that this has been used up, I probably won’t be purchasing this again, perhaps my skin is just too dry for this. Have you used this and had better results?

If you do want to try out this or Clinique’s other ranges, you can buy it at Boots online or in store for £17.00, they also have lots of offers on for Skincare and Clinique. You can also pick some up in various department stores such as House of Fraser and Debenhams.

Totally hellbent for moisturisers that last all day!

-Pants

Skincare

Free REN skincare set with InStyle Magazine

October 21, 2013

I have been all over the magazine freebies this month, I got 3/4 of the L’Occitane hand creams with Marie Claire, I picked up another Eyeko Skinny Mini eyeliner from Glamour, and this morning I picked up this mini REN skincare trio with Instyle!

The mini set includes Evercalm Gentle Cleaning Milk, Vita mineral Active 7 Eye Gel and Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream and is worth £12 so a real bargain!

My main reason for grabbing it (other than only costing £2!) was that I needed in particular a travel size eye cream to go in my gigging toiletry bag as I used my last one up in Leeds on Saturday.

I like to pick up miniatures wherever I can so that my gig-day bag isn’t loaded down with loads of full size products. Usually I take my make-up off as soon as we hit the road, as wearing full stage make-up for any longer than necessary isn’t good for my skin at all, and also because I usually end up nodding off if it’s a long journey and I hate sleeping in my make-up!

All three of these look ideal for taking on the road, and I absolutely love the ethos of purity in Ren Skincare, especially after a sweaty night in heavy make-up!

Totally hellbent for all things tiny.

– Gem

Facemask Friday, Skincare

Facemask Friday – The Body Shop Warming Mineral Mask

October 18, 2013

Like Gem, I am a fan of face masks and as you all know, I may have more than a slight obsession with The Body Shop. This is a mask that I haven’t used in a while but before gig day tomorrow, I felt it was appropriate to bring a little pampering into my Friday evening!

This Warming Mineral Mask is the perfect mask for a dull, miserable day/evening. It doesn’t set and dry hard, however it warms when rubbed into the skin and washed off. It reminds me of sitting in the steam room at the gym, and smells a little like it too. I think it must be the ginger fragrance that does that (yes our gym has a fragranced steam room.)

I am not always a great fan of masks that don’t “set” but they have their advantages. What I like about this one, is that it’s easy to wash off and I generally do this in the shower anyway, but if you were to wipe it away with a sponge/cloth you don’t have to scrub your face to remove it all.

The results are amazing, my skin feels really invigorated and stays soft for a good few days afterwards. So next time it’s raining outside, you are having a night in or are feeling a little stressed try one of these out.

If you are sensitive to products, The Body Shop staff are lovely and very helpful and always give me small samples to try out first before I commit to buying. (Probably because they know I spend all my money there!)

You can buy The Body Shop’s warming mineral facemask directly from their website, or in store for £10.00.

If you have tried this out, I would love to know your thoughts?

– Totally hellbent for cosy masks

Pants

Skincare

Nip + Fab Dry Hand Fix and other lovely treats!

October 17, 2013

It’s rather handy to have a different skin type to your best friend. I have very greasy skin and Amie very dry so when freebies or bonuses come our way we can have a nice switch-around.

I am now the happy owner of the Nip + Fab Shine Fix, Nip + Fab Dry Hand Fix, Avon Naturals Lilly and Gardenia Body Whip and a little sample of The Body Shop warming mineral mask.

I want to give the Shine Fix a good few days to try out, so I’ll have a review on that sometime next week. The Body Whip is a product we both use a lot, but Amie didn’t like the fragrance of this one so I’m going to swap a cherry one that I ended up with two of.

Amie is going to be reviewing the facemask on Friday, so look out for that. I’m guessing it’s going to come highly recommended!

Which brings us to the Nip + Fab Dry Hand Fix. I’ve been aghast ever since the Pistachio body butter was discontinued, and actually got to the point where I’ve been craving the scent! Amie HATES the smell, but received it as part of a special offer on the Nip + Fab website so yay for me it’s now mine!

It takes a lot for me to be drawn away from my favourite L’Occitane hand creme (which you can currently get for free with Marie Claire!), but today I’ve not reached for it once. In fact I don’t think I will reach for it until I’ve used this all up!

As far as doing it’s actual job, the Dry Hand Fix does exactly what is says. It’s very moisturising but not greasy, absorbs quickly and leaves hands feeling very very soft. For me though it is ALL about the delicious pistachio and almond scent, and though I still miss the body butter this is fulfilling that craving till I can track some down!

Available for £4.50 from Nip + Fab

Totally hellbent for surprise treats!

– Gem