Shellac Nails

Going into the beauty parlor for me is like a kid in a candy shop, soooooo much choice I want it all!!!! I recently took a trip to France and I always have my nails done before I go away so I don't have to worry about them chipping or having to bring polish with me, just relax and enjoy my holiday with my family. Before I left I had a neutral shade on my hands, and a dark red on my toes............

Shellac Hands



Look how pretty, very pleased with them and the amazing girls that did them.  Shellac doesn't damage the nail, its very hard wearing and long lasting, grows out with the nail and depending on your nail growth every 2/3 weeks to have them redone. A lot cheaper than gels or acrylics ranging form £10 - £20 look out for salon monthly promotions for a better deal; so many different colours and styles to choose from.

Red Toes

For Christmas I have gone  for a santa red with a hint of sparkle which i'm loving as I have a matching red lippy which i cant wait to pair up at the weekend.........

Anyone else tried Shellac????????

Merry Christmas everyone XxX

Maclaren Techno XT Stroller Model Black

Choosing THE right pushchair that aims to suit all your needs is very difficult, given there are so many to chose from but hey ho it's all part of a learning curve when becoming a parent. When we first had our little lady we opted for a travel system; the Quinny in black which made life very easy in the beginning. This system only lasted us a year due to size and compatibility with our car which is why we opted for a stroller that wouldn't take up much room in the boot, easy to fold down, and of course durable for travelling with. I did alot of research before settling on the Maclaren, I discovered that when buying a buggy not only do you have to consider your needs but also after you have finished with it, you need a good selling point. The Maclaren ticked all the boxes for me, it is suitable form birth and comes with a removable head support which is very soft and washable. 

• Suitable from birth upto15kg (My daughter is 4 and well over 3 stone and we still use it regularly with no problems).
• One handle recline which gives you four positions from up right to completely flat.
•  Foot rest with two positions.
• Water resistant square hood with a built in zip panel that extends out to a sun shade panel (which for me was clincher as the Quinny didn't have this, you had to buy an umbrella for an extra £30 that would never sit right and got in the way with shop door ways).
• Height adjustment handles (which makes such a difference as my partner is 6 ft which adapted to his needs).
• Carry handle.
• Easy foot breaks.
• Reflective panels making it safe for evening walks.
• Shoulder pads for added comfort.
• Five point harness to keep baby safe which requires an adult to unclip as its a two point press.
• Lockable front swivel wheels.
• Large carry basket on the bottom.
• Aluminum frame making it light weight.
• Removable washable seat fabric (which is a god send).
• Folded dimensions = H107xW29xD25cm.

Maclaren Techno XT Stroller........

If you register with Maclaren online when you get one they give you a lifetime guarantee, I purchased my buggy in Mothercare in the sale for £160 but normally they are £235 so it pays to keep an eye out for the sales; Mothercare do offer a 2 year guarantee too for no extra charge. This model does come with a matching foot muff which is sold desperately for £50 and if you go on the Maclaren website they do sell little added extras such as seat inserts which come in a wide range of funky patterns and bold colours to jazz up your pram to make it look less dull. I had to buy one of these which are machine washable and do protect the seat which is always a bonus, it also comes with a rain cover which washable too. God what would we do if baby things were not machine washable, since becoming a mummy my washing machine has genuinely become my best friend as I'm sure all parents can relate to. 

It's not just Mothercare that sell the Maclaren range if you troll the net kiddiecare, Argos, Boots, Ebay, Amazon etc all sell them so it is very accessible. 

Sun visor all the way down.

As I spoke about earlier the handy little built in sun visor as pictured above; Maclaren really have thought of everything with this model haven't they??????

When folded down it fits comfortably in the boot of my Golf leaving plenty of room for shopping bags, although I think you would struggle to get it in anything smaller but check the measurements before purchase. 

Overall I couldn't be any happier with this pram very versatile from to birth to toddler and ticks every box. If your not a fan of black then it does come in a red and a royal blue which are just as nice, it's currently on offer in Mothercare at the moment for £185 so snap it up while stocks last!!!!

MAC BROWS

Anyone that knows me will know i have a huge obsession with eyebrows lol (No SERIOUSLY!!). There is nothing worst than bad eyebrows in life, they really do make or break a look, so it's crucial they are done right. It's taken me years of practice to accomplish a great arch, and colour which i'm confident in saying with the amount of compliments i receive; so i feel it's time to break my silence and share my eyebrow secrets. Alot of people think it's good to shave all the eyebrow off then pencil them in......WRONG!!!! This is the worst thing you can do and i'm sure many have made this mistake but it will cause problems in the long run; if this is done over a period of many years the hair can grow back patchy and thicker which leaves nothing to work with. The key point to shaping brows is to only remove hair below the brow line not above, this ensures a natural look and higher definition. 

Unfortunately I don't have very dark or thick brows so i tint them and shape them by wax or tweeze to make them appear fuller. As I said before I wax under the brow and in the middle of my brows to prevent a mono brow which we all detest! 

I've tried many different products over the years but i have tracked down my 3 top favourite products that i use daily which i really couldn't be without.............

Left to right.....

MAC Eyebrow tint gel

Mac Penultimate brow pen

Mac Lingering Brow

Is it me or do all the MAC products smell like chocolate fudge?????

Anyway this gel is a really strong hold gel which keeps the hairs at bay all day, it  has a dark browny red tinge to it and it also comes in a lighter colour too which is great for lighter tones. Very easy to apply but a word of warning with this one; apply lightly as it is quite dark then build it up for more of a HD look. (£13.00)

The Penultimate brow pen is truly a god send, I love it so much to the extent that i always have a good stock full of these to keep me going, I currently have 5 in my cupboard as backup (seriously), it only comes in one colour and its light at first but can be built up as much as you like. You can get a really precise point with it due to the pen point, it lasts ages and its only £14.00. This is a really long lasting product, I find you have to wash it off as apposed to a makeup remover because it stays so well which is good in one way but time consuming in another. 

The Lingering pencil is also good, it's got a crayon texture to it and comes in many different shades, I have Spike and lasts really well too. (£13.00)

There are 2 other products I rate too which I use as backup, Benefit and Clinique..........

Clinique has a double ended brow pen which has an eyebrow pencil at one end, and a highlighter at the other.

This comes in different colours but this one is the darkest, this product is really handy as it's a 2 in 1, the pencil side is really easy to apply although it is dark so be careful not to overdo it. The highlighter side has a peachy pink undertone which is applied to the arch of the brow making it more prominent. This is a perfect handbag product making it easy for touch ups. (£18.00)

The Benefit speedy brow gel isn't as good as the MAC gel but it does the job, it has a slight brown tinge but mostly clear which can be used on any colour really. (£14.00)

Here is a look i did on a girlfriend with blonde hair, I used The Penultimate pen with Benefits brow gel and the dark brows at the bottom were created using Lingering MAC pencil with MAC brow gel.........

BEFORE/AFTER

BEFORE/AFTER On Dark (Myself)

So there you have it my brow secrets unveiled, was it what you expected??? I adore eyebrows and always will but just bare in mind everyone has different face symmetry's which makes it difficult to get THE perfect brows, but the closer the better is always a winner and of course practice makes perfect.

XxX

Matte Nail Polish

All things matte this season which I'm totally down with, i can finally match my matte lips with my nails :) I've been waiting anxiously for this to be released on the high street for a while now, and I have to say I am not disappointed. So far I've only come across Barry M (£3.99) but it won't be long before the rest jump on the new craze and I'll be frantically nabbing them off the shelves to go home and try :)

This particular shade is difficult to pin down as it looks different in various lights; it's a mix between purple, beige, grey, and brown all mixed in one. I was very impressed with the speed it dried in, making it similar to 60 second polishes without the status. Once dried it has a weird texture, not smooth but very dry like; initially it screams a shiny clear top coat as it looks like something is missing, but after a days wear you get used to it. I've seen a burgundy shade in this range that i want to try too, has anyone else tried Matte polishes yet???

Highlight & Contouring Kit

All about the Kim K look.......... I did my beauty training 6 years ago when foundation and concealer was really the only thing you did to prep the skin; so this is all new to me. As it is a new craze it's difficult to buy kits in shops so i was delighted to find one in my local Superdrug store, strictly speaking it's a concealer kit but works perfectly for H&C. It comes in 5 different kits with different shades for any skin tone, i went with number 3 but given i have an olive skin tone i could do with a 4 (which i WILL be purchasing). It has a light and dark shade, followed by a setting powder. I never wear foundation only a tinted moisturiser (never needed to so don't intend to start now) so i found it a bit heavy looking on my skin; but I have tried it on my friends that do wear foundation and it looks great on them. The key thing with H&C is to go 2 shades lighter than your skin tone for highlighting, and 2 shades darker for contouring. I applied this kit with my finger, then blended with a sponge to get an even look, this look can look very pale at first but you get used to it and end up loving it!!

The texture is very smooth and velvety making it easy to apply, it doesn't have much of a scent, but i think it looks like an expensive product that cost just £7.99 which is always a bonus!! The brand Sleek is new to me, but so far i'm impressed; they have a great range of different products/shades with an even better price tag........O the appeal :)
So far an impressive product with dramatic results, here is a pick of this look I applied to a girlfriend :)

Thermos Food Flask

After debating for months whether or not to put my daughter in a nursery, i finally decided to do it and found one with a great Ofsted report. From 9 months old she has been with the same childminder who i loved and most importantly my daughter did which made it easier, I've always had to provide a hot meal that would get heated up while she was there. I assumed this wold be the case with a nursery; but sadly this wasn't with the nursery i picked so i had to try to figure out a way to maintain her eating habits quickly. I took a trip to the range for some picture frames and stumbled across flasks and had a light bulb moment and thought 'that's it!!'. I could heat her food up before nursery started and transfer it into the flask which would keep it warm for up to 8 hours.....my baby WILL have a warm lunch after all :)
This particular one i purchased is specifically tailored for food, however you can put liquid in it too; at the top there is a built in spoon which folds down nice and neat which is handy.

This product is so versatile i can not rant about it enough, its made my life so much easier; you can even store baby food, warm water for a new born to warm formula up. Honestly the list is endless, plus it's only £9.99!!!! BARGAIN. You can snap this up pretty much anywhere but as i said i bought mine from the range. Hope this has been helpful xx

60 second nail polish

Being a busy mum means I don't have a lot of time for myself so I need to be quick or wake up extra early to do anything. Anything that makes my life quick and easy with barely any time is always a huge bonus, so i was pleased to discover the rimmel 60second range. To be fair it's actually quite impressive, they have brought out a whole range of new colours which is always appealing. It really does soak into the nail quick and will need 2 coats or more for full coverage; the brush is extra thick so if you're really careful you can cover your nail in one neat stroke. I've had mine on for a week and there only now starting to chip and show signs of wear which is right up there with the quality of both Orly and OPI polishes; so this proves you don't have to spend a fortune, plus there currently on offer in boots for £2.19 which is a double bonus!! @rimmel

This particular shade is a pastel baby pink, I'm afraid i cant give you the name of the colour because for some reason it didn't have one. The Rimmel range is available pretty much everywhere, including boots, Superdrug, Tesco, and most department stores. I'm going to buy more shades and try them out as i'm that impressed with them.

Mac Splurge

Welcome Autumn/Winter the worst time of the year (for me anyway), so i guess i better get in the spirit as i'm pretty sure if it's anything like last year i'll be in my thick jumpers and knee high boots for a while. As it was my birthday last month i had some spending money which i figured what better way to make myself feel a million dollars than a spot of retail therapy. My intentions were originally a new bag but as i didn't spot one that wowed me, i thought i'll get some lippy or 5 lol, so i did. I've read countless of blogs that categorize lipsticks for day, evening, and occasional wear which bug me as i wasn't aware there was a specific time of day your supposed to wear a particular shade........, in my opinion any shade is applicable for any time of the day, no rules just be brave and wear what you want! The brighter the better, lipstick is so powerful and speaks volumes which i love, life is too short to worry what people think, if anything there probably thinking 'damn i wish i could be confident enough to wear that shade'. Most people always fear they don't have the right skin tone to pull off a particular shade which is true to a certain degree but you just work with what you've got, and build up your confidence. It also helps to team it with the right clothes to complete the look, it's the way I've always approached makeup and in my opinion it's always paid off. Happy mind =bright lippy!!
Sorry rant over ha ha so as i was saying i ended up buying 5 lipsticks, didn't necessarily intend on buying Mac but given how I've been using there eyebrow products for years, i figured why not try some lippy's.

Dark Side
This is a deep redy brown shade that is just lush, if i could describe Autumn in a nutshell and what it's all about i would link it to this shade, goes on smooth and looks great with harsh black flicks on the eyes.

Go Let Go (Pro LongWear)

I'm obsessed with orange lippy at the moment, i feel it's totally different and more bolder than a coral shade and different to red.It comes in a different style and shape compared to the others, its the lippy in the middle which is also £20 but it does last all day. Most orange lipsticks always have a slight tinge of red in them which i detest, but this one really doesn't which i'm pleased to announce. It's a pro long wear shade so it's designed to last upto 12 hours and feels really smooth on application and you can actually feel it soak into your lips like a sponge. I love this and would highly recommend it......if you dare to wear it :)

Impassioned
I didn't mean to get a pink as i have so many already, i just stumbled over this and made a quick snap decision and thought why not. It looks brighter in the picture compared to the flesh, you can build it up as much as you want which is handy.

Mehr

This is from Macs matte range which holds a strong flawless colour, i don't feel the picture does it justice but hey ho what can you do. It's got a deep pinky/beige tone to it, however with it being a matte lipstick it's extremely drying so i strongly recommend you apply a balm 15 minutes before to allow it to soak into your lip before application. This will help to lock in the moisture and wont dry your lips out as much. Even though its not a pro long wear shade, it might as well be because it lasted pretty much all day which is a bonus.

Shy Girl

This is a creamsheen shade which goes on smoothly but personally i'm really disappointed with it as it really doesn't do me any favours, i feel it makes me look washed out, and you have to apply loads of layers to even see it.

Hope this has been informative, i did purchase some other products so i will do another blog and talk about them in great depth. xxx

Lelli Kelly shoes

My little girl is such a girly girl that loves all things pink, purple, and of course sparkly. I've had my eye on Lelli Kelly's for ages but just couldn't justify spending so much on a pair of shoes for a toddler that will get wrecked and most of all a short period of time with the rapid rate of growth. So i decided to get them as a Christmas treat last year 2012, i purchased them from Jones at a steep £45. The attention to detail is outstanding as every single bead and gem is individually stitched on so when you look at it like that then your mainly paying for the intricate labour (well this is what i kept telling myself in order to justify it). They come in a huge range of colours and designs which makes it difficult to decide which is why i bought them as a Christmas gift otherwise we would be there all day trying to make a choice lol. My little girl is very clumsy and is such an outdoors child (as i'm sure most are) so you need a good robust shoe to last, due to the beads and the cost she only really wore them at weekends to prevent damage and to give them a chance of staying clean (ish).

These are the shoes before wear................

And these are them after only 8 months of careful use...........

Considering they are only 8 months old there not that bad, but overall i'm very disappointed in the quality and wear of them, £45 is alot of money to spend on a child's shoe and given the name i was expecting more. My daughter assured me they were comfortable which is good, and they do include insoles which gives a bit more growth then the average shoe, also they can be put in the washing machine on a low temp but just be aware this could encourage the beads to come off but in my experience they didn't, this occurred during wear leaving not very many left sadly. I feel if these were worn on a daily basis they would have been totally ruined, these shoes are defiantly an occasional shoe as there too delicate.
She grew out of these about 3 months ago so i will be putting them on eBay as they still have some use left in them but as for future purchases i will not be buying anymore Lelli Kelly's, i know there are far more varieties of shoes that are harder wearing which come with a cheaper price tag.

Hope this helps, and just bare in mind that this is just my personal experience, some may discover the opposite.

Whats Foundation???

For years everyone always compliments me on how good my skin is and how flawless my makeup is, which is lovely but honestly I'm very fortunate to have inherited good genes and all I use is a tinted moisturiser...honest! That's my secret not very interesting but thought I would share with you what I use and how it feels. 
Benefit Rebel in the darkest tint, they only do 2 shades so its pretty easy to remember. It has aloe Vera in it which smells just delicious and it lingers all day so you get nice wafts of it every now and then which makes it interesting. I apply it with a brush then smooth out the streaky brush marks with a sponge and then I'm ready for the day. Xx

New beauty products

Here goes eeek, my first blog!!! I'm a big fan of blogs and find them interesting by discovering new tips and ideas to help make my life much easier, so now it's my turn to share my experiences with you guys and give a little back. I'm a busy mummy of a beautiful little 3 yr old (going on 20) girly who's my absolute world, I'm also doing a social work degree so my life is always on the go. I'm a qualified beautician too and love doing a bit on the side as my hobbie. I'm half Filipino and British which I'm very proud of and relish my roots.
Anyway that's enough of an intro lets get down to what it's all about...recently I purchased a new product by La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Mosturiser which I have to say I'm gobsmacked about. I've always suffered from an oily tzone which I'm sure alot do, and if your anything like me then you will have scanned everywhere for a product that eliminates this. Well look no further this product actually does what it says on the tin, I can't rave about it enough and more importantly its only £13.50 for 40ml.....Bargain!! You only need a small about that goes a long way, feels velvety on the skin and easy to apply makeup after.