A little over a year on, big changes!

A year later!

Just over a year on and so many things have changed for me and I’ve finally decided it’s time to start blogging again and being active in the beauty network.

So what’s happened other than growing older (19 isn’t that old is it?), a few holidays and a few people come and go? Well I am now a fully qualified level 3 beauty therapist currently working in a local hotel as a spa therapist for just over 3 months now. Although, I was planning to be working on cruise liners and right now I would be working on them if I had gone through with the training. Whilst at college we had a company called ‘Steiner’ come in and give all the beauty students a talk about life on cruise ships and beginning your career in industry on one. It all sounded amazing, so I filled out an application, awaited a reply and yes I got an interview in Birmingham for Steiner to work as a therapist on board. I went along to my interview, done well and got offered a spot on ship if I went through with their mandatory training a month before leave. All sounded great but a little before that I found out my only sister was pregnant! I really didn’t want to leave home especially for the 9 months you have to be contracted for and miss my little niece or nephew grow up, so instead I decided to defer my offer with steiner for six months and luckily well a vacancy came up where I work now and I really wouldn’t look back on the decision I made.

Right now I’m so happy and so many things are falling into place as I’m slowly getting older and more mature. I know what I want to do in the future in 5 years, 10 years and maybe even beyond that! But for now I want to carry on blogging, share my interests, good buys, experiences in industry and even life experiences with those who stay tuned in with my blog. I really miss the blogging world and right now I want to get deep into it and stay active, so stay tuned for regular updates from yours truly, Chloe x

ST Moriz Dark Review!

Now like the majority of girls, I'm a sucker for a sun tan but hate the idea of harming my skin and body from using sunbeds, therefore I stick to my trusty St Moriz mousse. I usually use the standard shade which sometimes I find doesn't really make much difference, so I bought the 'dark' shade for a change at £3.99.

I used my applicator mitt and applied equal amounts to all my body parts, starting with my legs. You need to prep the skin before using this tan! Exfoliate, Exfoliate and Exfoliate some more! I had a small patch on my wrist where I test wax before I use it on a client and the tan clung to the area like crazy. Then once the tan is applied let it dry fully before getting into bed etc. I advise anyone to use the tan before bed then sleep overnight and shower it off in the morning, as when I woke up I was the orangest I've ever seen myself!

Then once I showered I actually liked the result. Excuse the photo of my dodgey leg...

Before - After (Showered)

Now I wouldn't say this tan gives you a deep colour as I was expected but it does give you a nice finish, but if you are looking for a dark ten similar to xen tan or fake bake I would not suggest this as a substitute! For the price though it is good value.

CheapPros:

• Isn't orangey in colour
• Doesn't streak
• Easy application

Cons:

• Smells awful
• Needs to be washed off (unless you like the oompah loompah look)
• Skin needs to be prepped thoroughly before application

Overall I'd give this a 6.5/10. To me I still much prefer the original ST Moriz, but this is good for a change!

Fragrance of the moment - Harajuku Lovers, Love.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I'm finally back after a month away from my blog! A lot has happened believe me. Including tonnes of college work, a breakup/makeup, being ill and shifts at work, but nevertheless I'm finally back and I wont be straying away for so long again!

Now this post was planned to be uploaded around 3 weeks ago (bad I know) but it is finally here and its on the lovely fragrance by Gwen Stefani called Love, from the Harajuku Lovers Collection.

Look how lovely she is! I picked her up at Tk Maxx for £10 for a 30ml bottle! 

And look how lovely the packaging is, I couldn't resist!

Now down to the actual review! This is a very light fragrance that of course is best for day, its supposed to be a sensuous floral scent, which I would agree with but it doesn't last for long at all. There are definitely fruity undertones making this a very sweet girly fragrance (hence the name love). I havent tried any others from the collection but I'd love to as I love this perfume! 

The only thing I wish is that:

 1 -  the bottle was bigger. 

2 - the scent lasted for longer.

Anyway, on a side note I have been thinking about beginning to start filming videos for YouTube, I'm not 100% sure yet as I do lack confidence in that area but so many people on here and in person have said to me I should. I will keep you posted on my final decision but I do think its likely that I shall start! Also, I've started the makeup section of my beauty nvq at college so I will certainly be doing tutorials and tips on here, so watch out for a few tutorials coming up! And I promise, I wont be leaving it so long again before posting! 

Red Luscious Lips for Winter!

 Now as we’re reaching into the coldest part of the year I always feel conscious of wearing bright colour on my lips in case of cracking from dry winter lips. But lately, I figured out a simple and effective routine for making sure my coloured lips look and feel great throughout this season!

Now for this look I’ve chosen a deep red from Avon as its one of my favourites to wear for winter called Really Rosy from the Avon Ultra Colour Rich Mega Impact Lipstick collection. I love this range from Avon as the colour is definitely rich and has a creamy texture which glides on the lips beautifully, even better it contains spf 15 and even though we are in winter lips can still get damaged as the top layer is so fragile.

In total I use 4 products

• A lip scrub from lush or you can just use any sugar mixed with a bit of lip balm.
• I use Vaseline in cocoa butter.
• My chosen lipstick.

• A gloss to seal and create a shine, I use Lancome’s juicy wear top coat in clear.

To begin I prep my lips by removing any excess dead skin by using my lip scrub. I simply rub it into my lips and lick it off as it tastes delicious, if yours doesn’t taste nice you can remove it by using a wet cotton wool pad.

Then I apply a generous amount of lipbalm to my lips and allow it to soak in for a minute.

I then apply my lipstick first to the outline of my lips to mimic lipliner and then all over for a full coverage. You can then blot with tissue and reapply to make sure its long lasting.

Once this is applied I then take my clear gloss and apply all over to help seal and give a lovely shine to the lips.

And volia, lips that will last all day throughout the winter weather with no cracking!

Barry M Deal and 154 New Nude Review

So, I was in my local Boots and I came across the Barry M as usual, and then seen there was an offer, spend £6 or more and receive a free limited edition silver glitter varnish. How could I resist? Well I did and 4 days later I was back to actually purchase it!

I bought the eyeliner in 'Gold' for £2.99 and the new lip paint in 254 - Pale Nude and received a lovely varnish free! (Worth £3.99)

Now the gold eyeliner is pretty typical, a beautiful glisten which will look lovely on bronzed and nude eyes for that added effect. I'm quite surprised as I usually find light eyeliners not as long lasting but this one lasts quite well!

Then I got the new edition to the lip paint collection in 154 - Pale Nude. I don't really venture towards nude lipsticks, especially Barry M as I've had a bad experience with one in the past, it was waxy, foundation like and just didn't suit my complexion but after hearing that there was suspected change in the formula I thought i'd give it a go to add to my lipstick collection. Surprisingly, I love it! Now I admit, due to the winter I need to scrub my lips and apply lip butter but its worth it! This lipstick will probably be a handbag essential as I love it.

You can see my chapped lips still in the photo but I blame the winter weather! So hopefully once they clear up the lipstick will look a lot smoother

And just to show you, this is my previous Barry M lip paint in 101- Marshmellow a very pale nude, that was waxy and always cracked on the lips. Opposed to the New shade 154 - Pale Nude, which appears to have a new formula as it is much more creamier. Definitely advise anyone to go for the 154 and stay away from 101!

Now just to quickly show you the free varnish, I wasn't expecting miracles as it is free but it'd look lovely on tips or on top of a varnish for the Christmas season, now ignore the state of my nails! Waitressing really does ruin them!


Anyway, Sorry this is so long winded but I should hopefully be updating a bit more frequently as I break up from college next Tuesday for the holidays and I'll be going on a shopping spree! So a big haul will be coming up in a couple of weeks so stay tuned.

Manicure Advice

I am nowhere near a manicure expert however I have learnt some valuable tips while studying beauty therapy that I thought would be great to share with you all.

Many of the tips are pretty self explanatory and for the ‘beauty enthusiast’ pretty much common sense, but many people aren’t aware of certain benefits that products and techniques can provide for your nails, and I thought we’re coming closer and closer to the party season, so why not start now and have beautiful nails for Christmas and New year?

First I’ll explain reasons as to why you should be treating your nails to the best you can!

Looking after your nails on a regular basis not only helps the appearance of

your nails but the condition of your cuticles. Over grown cuticles can form and stick down the nail plate leaving you with a condition called Pterygium – An unsightly and painful to remove nail disorder.

Treating your nails on a regular basis also helps to stop any fungal build up on the sides of the nails. Not many people realise how much build gets caught in the edges of the nail plate, which makes you much more prone to any nail infections.

If you’re going to a salon many therapists will provide you with a hand and arm massage, not only is this relaxing but this will help blood flow and flexibility in the wrist and hands, which is great for the winter months!

10 Steps for Manicured Nails

1. Wash your hands
2. Remove existing polish with an acetone free nail polish remover
3. Begin to file the nails, do not saw the nail, stick to one direction and file the tips of the nail downwards (Bevelling) to seal any layers on the nail
4. Buff the nails with a buffer and a paste or oil, this is to help circulation in the nail which will make them grow faster
5. Massage cuticle cream into the cuticles and fingers and apply cuticle remover
6. Using a hoof stick use circular motions in the cuticles to loosen them off the nail plate
7. Use a cuticle knife if necessary, use it wet and flat and use circular motions on the cuticles to cut any loose cuticle off
8. If needed use cuticle nippers to carefully remove any dead tissue or hang nail
9. Brush the nails and use nail varnish remover again to remove any oil
10. Paint as usual

Products I recommend for healthy nails!

• Buffer and buffing paste
•  Cuticle cream and remover
•  Cuticle nippers to remove any catches on the nail
• Crystal or Emery board – Unless your nails are hard as rock do not use a metal file! The heat generated from it can weaken the nails and make them split further

Also, here is a leaflet I had to produce for college which hopefully some of you will find interesting!

I hope this post has given you somewhat a better insight on how to look after your nails and hopefully you will pick up good habits and have beautiful nails for the holidays!

Wishing you all the best

20/10/11 Kate Lasting Finish Review

Hey guys, hope everyone is well! I’ve had a pretty busy past few weeks with college and work, otherwise I would have blogged more often. But nevertheless I have my first proper review on hand for you.

Let me show you the new Kate Moss lipsticks from Rimmel London! I am in love with them. They’re pretty good for the money too, in Boots they retail for

The packaging is simple and black with the ‘Kate Signature’ on the lid, with their well known crown on the top. The lids fit on perfectly which I find good as many drugstore lipsticks aren’t so secure and usually just slip off. The packaging is obviously very plain but I think that’s what is keeping the price low. £5.49 and its three for the price of two! So that works out 3 lipsticks for £10.98 which I think is really good!

I bought them in colours 08 (nude),05(pink) and 04(purple). Nearly half of the collection! In total there are 7 shades, from hot pink, vibrant red, nude to dark purple. The lipsticks themselves are really pigmented but have a very waxy feel to them. The scent isn’t so great, it reminds me of the lipsticks you used to have as a little girl, with the plastic scent to them, but I guess you can’t have it all especially for a drugstore product. In terms of application the pink (05) and the nude (08) are much more easier to apply. They go on so smoothly especially with a coat of Vaseline on underneath.

Unfortunately, the deep purple (04) is much more harder to apply, that may just be due to the nature of the colour and the fact I’m not the best at applying lipstick! But I think if you exfoliate your lips with a sugar scrub and use Vaseline the application is much more smoother.

In regards to durability I find I have to reapply this at least every hour. That may just be me, but with a product like Lipcote or Rimmel's own lip seal it should last much more longer.

Pros -

Easy to apply

Great pigments

Sturdy packaging

Cons -

Reapply frequently

Plastic scent

Waxy texture

Overall I'd give this a 7/10