It's Christmas!!!!!

When the tree is up, it officially means it's Christmas. Since I'm living at home right now, my parents are in charge so they leave it quite late. I would personally have it up a lot earlier! But anyway it's done now and it looks fabulous.

Lovely right? It's a covered in snow style one from Asda! So pretty and wintery.

I also got some super cute Christmas nails on the go at the moment, I got another glitter Barry M one. It's a gold bar glitter, it looks rose gold in some lights. It's super pretty and I didn't want to layer it but it could look nicer over a gold foil style polish.

It's another Superdrug limited edition so the bottle is the same style as the pink one I have.

Here it is no flash and below with flash.

Of course with this type of glitter it's hard to get full coverage but I kind of like it like that anyway over the natural nail. The texture is rough though, so best to go over with a top coat. I need a new one desperately as it keeps catching on my clothes.

Also, today in the mail I got some cute rings I got from eBay for 99p! I had intended them to be midi rings but they are a little too big so I'm stacking them instead. If you are ever on the look out for cute jewellery then always check out eBay. They have a lot of sellers abroad that do amazing deals.

Lastly, I hope you have your Christmas jumper!! I got mine from Primark. I was inspired by Brad from 'The Vamps' to get a Christmas pudding one when I bumped  into them in Manchester not long ago. They're lovely guys by the way, check them out on YouTube for sure.

How cute is it? It's a dark photo I know but I love the polka dots on the pudding! Adorable. It's from the men's section for £12 by the way. They have loads more too so you have no excuse not to get involved this year!

Primark purchases I love

I went through a phase of hating Primark but recently I have been buying a few bits from there.

I will always have a love hate relationship with the store as it's always busy and the sizes are never correct! But you cannot grumble at their prices...

I originally wanted to buy a bowler hat from H&M but since they ran out I had to go to Primark. I usually hate buying the Primark equivalents but this hat is so cute actually, I wear it all the time. I since have a H&M one too but only because it is different in shape. £8 is good because I wasn't sure I'd have he confidence to wear it.

I am in love with their cute collar sweaters and collars in general! So I got the red checked top in red and black but also white and black too! I also got the sweatshirt in coral, they are so comfy and go with anything! I am so tempted to go back and get the striped one as well before they sell out... But maybe that is taking my collar obsession too far!

My China Glaze let down

In a past post I spoke about going to Sally's and picking up some reduced polishes. One of them was 'when stars collide' by China Glaze as a part of their Holographic collection. It looks lovely however it was a disappointment.

At first it looks lovely and it really is different from the usual silver holographic. However about an hour later the colour had chipped off my nails. After loving my OPI shade, I was sorry I bought this I should have stuck to buying OPI. I am glad I didn't pay full price, I am hoping if I get a good top coat I can solve this chipping problem.

Lazy facial care for under £15!

So I am in love with Superdrug's vitamin E night cream, and this has inspired me to write about my routine. Lately I am lazier than I should be regarding removing make up and taking care of my skin in general. However, I have less spots and bad looking skin than ever.

I have been addicted to using this little gem:

It smells lovely, not too over powering. You don't feel as if you're putting some horrible perfume on your face that will make you get a rash! It smells really dreamt and makes your skin and mind feel ready for bed. It's not too thick, it dries amazingly well into the skin. You wake up feeling really glowing.

My skin is usually always red and patchy without make up but as you can see, in this picture it's not so awful. It's not perfect but it really did make my skin calm down!

Anyway, I got this alongside a superdrug sensitive face wash and day cream. They were having a 3 for 1 deal and I couldn't resist.

The wash is great too. It doesn't smell and it contains no parabens. You could compare it to the range from Simple but I have never really loved their products. These from Superdrug work much better in my opinion.

Here is the day cream. I am not as crazy about this as I am the night cream. Maybe I should try the vitamin E day cream. There is a huge vitamin E range actually and I can't wait to buy it all. This cream isn't bad though, it's good enough for basic moisture needs but I hope the rest of the E range makes my skin as glowing.

Lastly, this isn't just Superdrug exclusive but I am in love with Johnson's night make up wipes that smell of moonflower! 

When I used these at home for the first time they smell so amazing my mum and dad thought I had sprayed something lovely around the room. When I would use them in university my room would always smell pleasant without trying. They smell so relaxing, it's like a really cheap massage for your face if you take your time taking off make up. They make your skin feel so soft and clean. I can't recommend them enough, the great thing about them is they remove your make up so fast. Even if I have been on a night out and can't be bothered to properly clean my face, these do the job anyway.

All these products are under around £3 each. This is the least I've spent ever on face products that actually work, so if you want fabulous skin without the effort but you don't want to break the bank then these are for you!

OPI Chic From Ears To Tail

I went to Sally's to pick up some hair products but then I noticed their sale section! It had some lovely polish shades from both OPI and China Glaze that stole my attention.

From OPI I got a shade called 'chic from ears to tale' and it's a lovely light bubble gum pink! This shade is from their Summer 'couture de Minnie' Disney collection; all the shades from that collection look so lovely.

I find it hard to get a light pink I like as often they are pretty much transparent. Usually I need about 5 layers to achieve a nice finish but this only takes about 2. Of course with OPI you always get quality.

I am actually so glad I got it, second day it's still staying strong. On sale for around £5 it was a bargain and I need to go Sally's again soon to get my nail polish fix. Nothing better than a good bottle of OPI!

Sinful Colors Polish - Nail Junkie

Before I was introduced to the Barry M glitter polish in my last nail post, I had another favourite. It was 'Nail Junkie' by Sinful Colors, of course this brand is now available at Boots stores in the UK but way back when I got this, it was only available in the states. I got my bottle when I was away working in Maine; I absolutely fell in love. I have had the same bottle since Summer 2012, glitters dry out quickly but this one lasts a while.

The glitter is so beautiful, it reminds me of mermaids. It is a mixture of small and big pieces of glitter so it's really sparkly! Sinful Colors do a lot of glitters like this, to be honest, I don't know why I don't own more.

Such a pretty shade isn't it? This is always my go to shade when I am in a nail dilemma. It is a pain to remove but it doesn't chip bad so it's worth it. I highly recommend this and other shades by Sinful Colors, such a lovely collection.

My obsession: Forever 21 midi rings.

Okay so midi rings aren't news or anything but I am still obsessed with them. I got a few over the summer but I wore them so much and since I'm lousy at taking care of jewelry that isn't real gold or silver, they have gotten a little rusty. So I recently decided to treat myself to some new ones.

It was this picture of Katy Perry's midi ring that got me obsessed with them... and leopard print manis!!!

Aren't they cute? The silver ones were £3.15 and the gold £2.40

These rings double up as pinky rings, unless you're me. Since my little fingers are tiny I get scared to wear them like that in case they fall off.

Of course, you can stack them up or wear them on their own. That's why I love little rings, they're more versatile and the more dainty the jewelry the more I love it.

I can't wait to buy more. I saw some on eBay I have my eye on and there is loads more in Forever 21. I might have to give the gift of midi rings to myself this Christmas! What are your favorite jewelry trends? Or stores? Let me know.

Fixing my hair with Colourb4

I am a long term user of ColourB4 by Scott Cornwall, however I am beyond disappointed with the new fashion colours range. As I said in a past post my hair was left blue by a JoBaz product, so I went to Superdrug to get this. I was excited to get rid of my ugly locks but they remained blue!

Ugly patchy hair I received from JoBaz product.

I wasn't so mad at JoBaz' product as it does usually state that it wont work on hair that has been truly stained by colours like black and bright red. Since my hair was bright pink, I wasn't too bothered that it didn't work in the end. With this product though, the box promises it will fix bright colours and it was pretty much the same when I washed it off. What a waste of money! My hair was also left drier than before, very disappointing.

In the end I resorted to bleach bathing my hair which means I lost a lot of hair health.

Mid bleach bath! As you can see, the blue was gradually leaving and the pink/blonde was returning.

After 2 bleach baths my hair is now blonde/yellow with pink streaks throughout.

My hair still looks a mess but it is on its way back to looking normal. I will nurse it back to health and hopefully soon I can colour it again. I am hoping in the near future it looks acceptable enough to leave my home without a hat!

The best Barry M glitter nail polish ever?

With being in LA for a while, I fell behind on the British cosmetic scene but now I have had time to wander around the high street, I have been reunited and I want everything! I recently went on a hunt for a new party outfit but in my opinion, no outfit is ever complete without perfect nails.

When I saw the new Barry M holographic pink glitter called 'Fairy Lights' from Superdrug, I instantly fell in love!

Let me know in the comments what you think but here are some photographs to prove how wonderful it is...

Inside with flash

Indoors no flash

Outside no flash

Even the lid is fabulous!

Personally, this is the best glitter polish I've ever had. I can't stop looking at my nails. Glitter polishes are always my favourite but as you'll know if you've tried them, they are a pain in the butt to remove! Barry M polishes when it comes to glitter are normally not as bad... So I am hoping it is the same with this.

For now though, I can report I have had it on my nails for a full day and still no chips. With a lot of glitters, they chip instantly! This one has real staying power and I can't wait to get out and show off my pretty nails.

You can still buy this polish from Superdrug, do hurry as it's limited edition. I bought mine for £3.99 but their Facebook page states from November 29th you could get the polish free with a Barry M spend of over £6.

There are other exclusive shades to be had at both Superdrug and Boots. At £3.99 each these are a beauty bargain! Head over to the Barry M Facebook by clicking here to keep up to date with the current polish range and deals.

Christmas Candy

You're probably used to buying your relatives candy for Christmas. Candy is a go to when we simply can't think of nothing else to give. Now candy gifts can be something you're proud of thanks to 'The Five Almonds- Les Cinq Amandes'. With their selection of hand painted chocolates and sophisticated edible pearls, I'm sure you will find a present for even your most fussy relative. They even allow you to create your own custom gifts!

Also, with this exclusive code HOLIDAY10 you can receive 10% off any order at their website http://www.the5almonds.com!

Here are my personal favorites from their current selection:

Pink Hearts Gift Box, $18

Chocolall Gift Box, $15

Spring Jars, $12

Rose Pearls Mix, $18

Hair colour removal disaster!

I decided it was time to get rid of my pink hair. I loved it for a little while but it was always meant to be temporary. My aim was going lilac so I decided I'd get the ball rolling and I had somewhat of a crisis.

I had always used either Scott Cornwall's colour b4 to rid my hair colours, even reds and blacks have came out fine. Then I found one by JoBaz which was much cheaper...

Despite how cheap you can find this for, I had used this on my hair before and it worked fine, so I thought I'd try it on my pink. To my surprise this time it turned my hair blue! I thought either it wouldn't work at all or it would work amazingly... I didn't realise there was a chance my pink hair would turn blue! But yes, I'll have you know there is a chance it turns pink hair blue and it looks truly awful.

On camera it doesn't look as bad, especially in that lighting. In real life through it was like a lilac/grey/blue wishy washy mess! Thank god for hats, I put mine on and nipped into town for a new colour removal dye. I will write about what happened with that in another post! But for now, please note colour removal kits are not great on bright pink hair! Unless you want blue, in that case go ahead!

Product review: Schwarzkopf LIVE Color XXL Ultra Brights Shocking Pink

So my hair was fading really badly recently. Pastel pink can be a chore and I had no dye left, so last minute before a party I took a trip to Boots and decided to try shocking pink which was a part of the XXL live range. I hate box dyes a lot because they never work correctly. I decided to water down the mixture with conditioner because it looked crazy bright and initially that wasn't what I wanted. I am never too fussy about hair colours though as I like to experiment.

The mixture in the tube is really thick and like the directions crazy colours, you don't have to mix anything yourself. It smells nice, a lot like fruit mixed with play doh? Strange but not a horrible smell. You get hardly any in the tube which is partly why I wanted to mix it with a LOT of conditioner. Conditioner not only waters down the colours of some semi permanent dyes but it can make them last longer too!

After I put it on I knew it was going to go quite bright but by then I was kind of excited for a change. I googled some photos of people in the colour and it looked lovely and a lot like directions flamingo pink which I have had before.

When it was ready to wash off I was really taken back by how bright it was! It really is shocking pink. I will be honest, I don't want to keep this colour as it doesn't suit me as much as others do but it is great for those who love bright pink shades. If you do not want to be dying it as much, then this is perfect.This pink is not budging at all!

Here is a picture of my hair before the party:

And here is a photo of my hair today:

Sorry to hide my face but my skin isn't looking great today! As you can see 5 washes later this pink is staying put, and it is still very bright! In some lights it is almost purpley pink.

Overall I would give this dye a straight 10/10 for staying power and my hair is so shiny. The conditioner you get with it smells great too. All I would say is do not get 2 boxes of this stuff, mix it with conditioner instead. You do not get enough in one tube for half my head without diluting, which I think is not worth the price. However, as you can see, diluting with conditioner will not effect your colour and you will save yourself some cash.

Winter Boots!

Everyone loves a new pair of boots and when I took a trip to a Liverpool market recently there were so many amazing styles to choose from. The boots it seems everyone is loving at the moment are the ones with the cut out sides. I had always noticed them on models and in Topshop but had wondered if they were worth the cash. At around £70, boots from Topshop weren't ever affordable enough for my student budget, so I decided to wait. When I recently saw a pair of cut out boots at the market for just £35, I couldn't help myself.

Now they do look super pretty! You can't see the cut out much here since I am wearing black socks underneath. Otherwise, I love the hole because it means I can show off all my cute socks in the winter months. I am absolutely addicted to buying socks.

In my honest opinion, even though I love these boots to bits, I wish I had waited and gotten some from Topshop! At half the price of Topshop boots they are a bargain, but it's totally not worth the pain. All the boots I have had from Topshop have been AMAZING comfort wise. These boots would be great for wearing once or twice but they are not a shoe made for walking a lot. My toes hurt at the front and the soles are very uncomfortable.

I know it sounds crazy but despite the pain, I am dying to wear them again. I might have to put them on whilst wearing a couple pairs of socks to baggy them out a little. If anyone has any other tips then please do write them to me. In future, I will probably just stick to paying out a little extra for my boots, it is super worth it and they last months.

Since I am such a fan of Topshop boots, here is my current lust list:

ARABEL2 Cut Out Boots, £70

Astrix Chunky Lace Up Boots, £42

Argo Heavy Strap Boots, £92

(These look insane but trust me in real life the holographic look makes you fall in love!)

Arvey Double Buckle Boots, £78

What boots are you lusting after this Winter? Let me know in the comments!

A non-professional's guide to obtaining and maintaining pastel pink hair.

Transforming your boring locks to a beautiful pastel hue is not an easy task. However, if you are committed to the color you want it isn't impossible. The information I will give you in this post could also be applied to other pastel colors such as lilac and peach.

I have been coloring my hair from a very young age and I am by no means a professional. I home color my hair very often because professionals aren't often willing to risk damaging your hair and ruining their reputation. Hair is easily damaged when going lighter, especially when you have naturally dark hair like myself. So please be advised, if you are going to follow my steps... No matter what, your hair is always going to get a little less healthy in the process. Post coloring, I would advise using a lot of conditioning treatments and maybe a trip to the hair dressers for a trim so your hair can grow back more healthily.

Step 1)

If your hair is already very light blonde you can skip this step. If your hair is dark then you are going to need to get yourself to Sally's or another local beauty supplier where you can pick up a sachet of my favorite 'Freeze Ice Lites Hi Lift Powder Lightner'. This is pretty much the same as any other powder lightener except it contains a silverising toner to help counteract the brassy/yellow tones that bleaching hair brings.

Step 2)

You will need to buy a creme developer to mix with the powder, I would recommend buying a large bottle of 30% if your hair is quite dark. I usually just buy the cheapest one Sally's has and it does the trick. The higher the developer the quicker it will lighten. Also, the higher you go the more damaging it can be so be sure to ask the supplier their advice too as it will depend on your natural shade.

This might sound obvious but you will need to get a pair of gloves to ensure the bleach doesn't burn your hands! Also get a mixing bowl and brush to help you apply the mixture to the hair. You might want to get somebody to help you check it is all over and even, so you don't get patches of brown hair you have missed. The mixture dries quickly so get a plastic bag and place it over your hair to lock in the heat. Keep checking your hair to keep an eye on the color, wash it off as soon as desired color is achieved.

You could get a cape or towel to protect your clothes too. I know it sounds like a lot of effort but it will be worth the money and time in the end.

You may need to bleach your hair more than once to achieve the light blonde you need for pastel hues. Please remember the health of your hair, I recently bleached my hair too many times in one day when I was being impatient but it wasn't worth it as I lost a lot of length. If your hair is looking like it needs a break, then please do so and condition it in between bleaching sessions. Condition, condition, condition! It is very important.

(Dumb Blonde Bed Head hair conditioner by TIGI)

Step 3)

Your hair may still have some brassy/yellow tones after bleaching is complete. If so get some 'Colour Restore Iced Platinum Toner' from Boots. If you don't live in the UK, any other toner that removes brassy/yellow tones will do the trick too! A quick search on google should leave you with plenty of choices. Leave it on overnight if you really want results. It might go gray or purple if you leave it on TOO long though, I don't mind this but I know some people do so be prepared.

Step 4)

Choose the colour you want! I personally wouldn't get a pastel colour that was premixed, I would get a pink such as 'Flamingo Pink' or 'Carnation Pink' from Directions and water the mixture down using a white colored conditioner. This means you get more colour for your money, once the colour looks a lovely pale pink in the mixing bowl it is time to apply the mixture. Leave it on your head for as long as you like, I usually leave mine on for about 30 minutes to an hour.

If you simply can't be bothered to water down your own pink then you can buy a lot of pinks that are already a lovely pastel color. The ones I have tried and love are 'Pastel Pink' from Directions and 'Candy Floss' from Crazy Colours.

Now you should have fantastic pastel hair! Congratulations. Now for maintaining that beautiful mane...

• CONDITION IT, a lot. Get some hot oil treatments, they work amazingly! My favorite is Miracle Growth Oil by a brand called 'African Pride' it is super amazing for fixing burnt ends, it smells delicious too. Click Here to be directed to their website.
  
• Pastel colors wash out very very quickly. Avoid having to color it often by pouring some of the pink mixture into your regular conditioner. If you apply it to your hair for even 5 minutes each time you shower, this will help to restore some of the color helping you save time and money.
  
• Get yourself a color friendly shampoo and conditioner set to stop the color washing out. For example, Alberto VO5 make one called 'Cherish my colour' that I would recommend.
  
• If you don't trim the burnt ends, your hair probably wont grow. If your ends are burnt, they are going to get worse with heat styling tools such as the hair dryer and straighter. As you brush your hair during blow drying, the ends will get caught in your hair brush and fall off.
  
• Personally I can't stop using my hot styling tools, if you're like me you will need to get a heat defense spray.

• Try not to be impatient when bleaching, if it wont go white or light blonde straight away then wait a while. Try not to bleach it too many times in a day or a week, it will be really bad condition and the color wont look nice. Good things come to those who wait!
  
• Bleach bathing your hair is another method of lightening with minimal damage. Google 'Bleach Bathing' and there will be plenty of advice. This involves mixing shampoo with a small amount of powder/developer to gradually lift the hair color. When I first realized this was an option, I started coloring my hair a lot more often as it is a lot less risky.

• REMEMBER: Do not color your hair if you have somewhere important to be that week. That way if you make a mess you have time to seek the help of a professional before your event.