♥ PINK PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP BRUSH.

Makeup Store Pink Powder Brush

How pretty is this? I've had my eye on this for soo long. For those who don't know MAKEUP STORE is a Swedish makeup brand. I would say that it is the equivalent to MAC makeup price and quality wise. So obviously, the price was the only reason for me to not buy this lol. Anywho I finally got it and I am so happy. It's not amazing or anything. It's just a PINK professional makeup brush and I love anything that is usually not pink- in pink.

I paid roughly £23 for this brush, in Swedish Kronors that is 235.

This is what it says on their website "A soft brush made out of goat hair. The size of the brush gives a perfect result for powder but is slightly too big when applying blush. ". To check it out on the website, click here.

What do you think of this & had you heard of this Swedish brand before?

x

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ Contouring & Highlighting Chart +EOTD & FOTD

How to do contouring and highlighting?

Today I'm posting this FOTD and ETOD and since the highlighting and contouring in this picture showed quite well I decided to do a highlighting and contouring chart as well.

This was a look I just did to try an eye shadow palette belonging to my mum (it's in the pic below). Unfortunately the colour of the shadows was really hard to catch on camera, it's purple, not brown.

I put together this highlighting and contouring chart for you guys!

1. My FOTD with NYR bronzer for contouring and their eyeshadow hibiscus for highlighting
2. A chart of an everyday highlighting and contouring, also what I did in the first pic
3. This is heavy highlighting and contouring- cheekbones and nose are included in this.

This is all I used for my look and the CHANEL foundation I reviewed the other day!

Again, the eyeshadows are definitely Not brown, they're purple!

Do you highlight and contour your face? Have you done a post on it?

                                                   x

Read more »

♥ Love & Hiphop Atlanta Make up Series Pt.3: Jocelyn Bright Pink & Hot Pink

Love & Hiphop Atlanta Make up Series Pt.3: Jocelyn Bright Pink & Hot Pink

I actually did this look just before I did the look of Erica Dixon from Love & Hip Hop (link), but I didn't want to post them both at the same time. This picture of Jocelyn is one I found on google so I'm not sure when or if she wore this on the show- but I've been loving bright pink shadow for so long and I just had to give it a try! :)

This is such a simple look, Jocelyn is only wearing yellow from what I can see but I decided to add some brown shadow above the crease line. Other than that I only used eyeliner, mascara and filled in my brows.

Something I realised while doing this is that I kinda have hooded lids (or slightly) which means when you put shadow on your crease, it won't even show in some angles- hence the awkward angles lol!

• Maybelline or Une foundation
• NYC Grey Eyeshadow for my brows (link)
• NYR Organic Bronzer for slight contouring (link)
• INGLOT bright yellow eyeshadow (link)
• INGLOT matte brown shadow (link)
• Liquid Eyeliner from COMPANY magazine
• Lipstick- Homemade (link)

What do you think of this look? 

Did you watch Love & Hip Hop Atlanta?

x

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ NOTD- Isadora, Autumn Shade

ISADORA NAIL VARNISH

I usually like light or bright coloured nail varnishes but lately I've had my eye on a lot of autumn shades. Being in Sweden I have really been enjoying shopping my mums stash. Turns out she has loads of gorgeous dark nail varnishes in her stash and this is the first of them.

This must be one of the toughest shades to catch on camera. Even looking at my nails I'm not sure how to describe it. As you can probably tell I used the flash in these pictures to catch the most accurate shade.

A close up for you guys!

Sorry about the backlight, I don't really have anywhere to take pictures but you can see the shade anyway in the other pics.

Growing up in Sweden Isadora used to be my favourite varnishes when I was younger. Not for a particular reason though like they were amazing, but I just liked the brand and the colour range. However, I was happily surprised by this one.. It was really streaky and sheer at first but it dried super fast and seems like it will stay on for long.

Have you tried Isadora nail varnishes?

What's your favourite Autumn shade?

x

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ Benefits of SHEA BUTTER :)

SHEA BUTTER BENEFITS & HOW TO SPOT REAL SHEA BUTTER :) 

What is Shea Butter?

Shea Butter is a naturally rich butter extracted from the nut of the African Shea Tree. It's widely grown in Ghana but can also be found in other Western, Central and Eastern African countries.

Yellow Vs. White Shea Butter?

This had me confused for so long, what is the difference between yellow and white Shea butter?The first Shea Butter I tried was bright yellow. I bought this from a man sellin natural products at Camden Market. He seemed very knowledgeable so I decided to ask him. According to him there is no yellow Shea Butter and the only ways it could look yellow is if it has been artificially dyed- to satisfy the request for "real" yellow Shea Butter. The other way is if it has been mixed with Buruburu butter which is actually bright yellow.

So how do I find raw 100% unrefined Shea Butter?

I would look for Shea Butter that looks similar to my one in the picture. It could also help to visit shops that focus on natural and organic skin care since they tend to have genuine natural products.  A site I really recommend is www.akoma.co.uk- I've ordered from there before. In addition to that I've been told that a site called Akuawood sells great Shea Butter too. If you get the chance to buy  it from a store rather than online- smell it! The smell is slightly nutty and fairly strong.

What are the benefits for SKIN?

• Great from extremely dry skin or skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis
• Good for sensitive skin since it is 100% pure with no additives or fragrances
• Can nourish and improve the look of your skin since it contains Vitamin E, F & A

What are the benefits from hair?

• It is very thick and can prevent frizz
• It can nourish dry ends and you can use it to seal in moisture
• Mix with Aloe Vera gel or any oil for a medium hold when slicking your hair back

Benefits for both hair and Skin?

• It is a natural sun protectant (that is not to say it should replace your spf)
• Make whipped Shea Butter and use as a body/hair lotion or cuticle cream. Instructions here: DIY rich whipped body/hair cream

This post was requested guys, hope you enjoyed it :) 
Do you use Shea Butter, if so- for what?

x

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ CHANEL Firming & Smoothing Fluid Makeup

Chanel LIFT LUMIERE Firming And Smoothing Fluid Makeup SPF 15

"This unique age-minimizing formula is the consummate skin-caring makeup, with weightless medium to full coverage, and a natural luminous finish. A SOFT CRYSTAL LUMIÈRE™ complex visibly diminishes the look of wrinkles and fine lines, setting makeup imperceptibly and controlling shine without a hint of chalkiness. Emollients deliver essential hydration, and firming polymers provide skin with an impeccably smooth surface and the look and feel of an immediate 'lift'."

That is how this foundation is described on the CHANEL website. Do I agree? Well I don't have any wrinkles but I would say that this foundation suits me very well. I don't wear foundation daily, not even weekly. So when I do, it's because I want great coverage- and I think that this does  give great coverage and gives a more flawless makeup 'ed look. It's definitely matte, not at all dewy and I love that it has SPF 15. I actually really like this and if it wasn't so expensive, I'd buy it!

The packaging is sleek and pretty expensive looking which is what you would except from a foundation of this brand. However, it is slightly misleading (at least to me) since this is NOT the shade of the foundation. I'm guessing all shades have the same colour on the bottle..

This is what the product looks like non- blended and lightly blended. 

I found a great site for full ingredient lists: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=47639 (<-Click to view the ingredients for this foundation)

Quick ingredient check:

• Mineral Oils ( ) 
• Silicones (x)
• Parabens (x)
• Propylene/Butylene Glycol (x)

Oh, this is my mum's foundaition by the way, if anyone was wondering why I kept writing I don't buy high end products and the ingredients arn't very good. I'm glad she is always tanned so that even though she is white she wears the same shade as me.

Have you tried this? What's your favourite foundation?

x

 

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ Mini Autumn Haul- Two Boots

I don't kow about you all, but I always struggle to find "autumn boots". So as soon as I find some that I think look decent, I'll just buy them straight away.

There is a shoe store in Sweden called "Skopunkten". To be honest I don't think I ever bought shoes there when I lived in Sweden, I used to think they had quite cheap looking kind of shoes. However, I wen't there when I was shopping with my little sister hoping I might find something okey since I knew they always ( I think) do a 3 for 2 offer. Thankfully I found these two boots and got my Lil sis another pair (don't worry guys she was given £100 to shop for anyway lol).

These two were about £30 each which I think is a really great price for what it is..

Which ones do you prefer?

x


 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ Love & Hip Hop Makeup Series Pt2. Erica Reunion Look

LOVE & HIP HOP ATLANTA MAKE UP SERIES.

I am soo excited to share this look with you! I have previously shared another look from Love & Hip Hop atlanta but at that point I didn't make it a series. However, I loove so many looks from the series and decided to keep posting them. 

This is the look that Erica, Scrappy's babymama wore at the Reunion Pt.2. She looks so stunning and althought I look nothing like her I really wanted to try out the makeup.

Despite the fact that I love makeup I don't own that many lipsticks and no blushes at all. So I didn't have any shade like the one she wore on her lips. Instead I used a mixed of a clear lipgloss+to ELF eyeshadows and a purple lipgloss.

Also, I didn't fix my hair so I just pinned it to the side to slightly resemble her hair do.

I also mixed two shades to get a similar blusher to hers.

This is what I am wearing on my face:

• Foundation:UNE Perfectly Matte or Maybelline 24 Hr Matte (I don't remember because I was trying both on for an upcoming review lol)
• Eyebrows: NYC black/grey eyeshadow applied with Real Techniques eyebrow brush.
• Eyeshadows: Pearly white & Pink from my ELF Eyeshadow palette
• Eyeliner: Maybelline Gel Liner
• Mascara: Natural Collection from Boots
• Cheeks: NYR Organic Powder Bronzer and ELF bright pink blusher
• Lips: ELF Clear lipgloss mixed with two plum & purple eyeshadows + purple lipgloss from Swedish brand Makeup Store.
• Earring: New Look

What do you think of this look, have you watched Love & Hip Hop Atlanta?

x

 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ Sweden Shopping: Nail Varnish Depend Shade 313

I am now in Sweden guys, for those who don't know I am half Swedish and I am actually born in Sweden. Right now I am here to visit for almost three weeks which is the longest I have been here for over three years. 

The place I go to in Sweden is outside the second biggest city (Gothenburg) and today I went to Gothenburg to buy a few things. Buying beauty stuff in Sweden is something I haven't done for years, but I decided this time to buy the things that I can't get hold of in England; i.e Swedish brands and so on.

DEPEND polishes are very common in Sweden and are usually £2.5 each. In a clothing store called CUBUS they usually have an offer of two for £4 so I got four nail varnishes for the equivalent of £8. 

This is the true shade of this polish, it's purple with green shimmer in it, but that doesn't show in all of the pictures down below.

I also used the DEPEND Number 182 All round polish (the one on the far left in the top pic) as a base coat and top coat. The formula was really light and went on smoothly. As you can see it's pretty glossy too.

Do you like this nail varnish, and have you tried DEPEND varnishes before?

x

 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ DIY- Nourishing Facial Oil

Hi Guys! I wanted to share this facial oil that I've been using lately. It has worked really well and it's definitely a staple of mine now. Out of all the oil mixes I've tried before this is my absolute favourite and that is why I am only sharing a facial oil DIY now :)

What are the ingredients?

• Hemp Seed Oil (I will write a post on the benefits of these soon)
• Tea Tree Essential Oil
• Vitamin E Oil
• The bottle is the Amber Glass Bottle Dropper from Neal's Yard and Remedies, love this!

Fill the bottle with Hemp Seed Oil, leaving a little space for a few drops of the remaining oils. Add 3-10 drops of Tea Tree Oil (Tea Tree Oil is anti bacterial). Add Vitamin E oil- I'm not sure which measurement is appropriate so just put as much as you feel that you need.

How to use it?

I use this every night, you only need a tiny bit so this will last forever! I've been using this for about a week and my skin feels really clear. The oil is super nourishing and perfect if you have scars you want to fade, or if you just want more glowing skin.

Do you use oils on your face? Any recipes to share?

x

 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ Skin Care- SPF for face comparison

All of us have probably heard of the importance of SPF  in your daily facial moisturiser by now. I had been meaning to buy one for so long but I really wanted a more natural, and affordable option. The two to the far right are for the face specifically and the left one from M&S is for body & face.

These are all really different so I thought I'd compare them all and tell you which one of these I love!

£15, Marks & Spencers SUNCARE SPF  30-

Result: This is for face and body and it really works. After staying in the sun with this on my body I got less of a tan (than the day before when I didn't use it), and my skin didn't feel sensitive/burnt from the sun.

Ingredient Check: Ingredient wise this is not the best. It contains Parabens, Silicones, Butylene Glycol & Propylene Glycol. The silicones and Butylene Glycol are very high up in the list.

Price: It is £5 and the formula is really thin for a body & face cream and lasts for long. Therefor I think it's very affordable.

Get this if: You don't really care about ingredients, you want one SPF for your whole body which is affordable.

£2.50 Superdrug Simply Pure SPF 15 Face Cream for Sensitive Skin

Result: This is for face only and I loooove this. The formula is slightly white when you apply it but sinks in within seconds. It's very light and your skin will absorb it super quickly and leave your skin very soft. 

Ingredient Check: The Spf in this is Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (I was slightly worried to use this ingredient until I saw it in Neal's Yard and Rememdies lemon grass sun spray- I trust their judgement). The fifth ingredient is Glycerin which is an humectant. In the middle of the ingredient list is Shea Butter and Almond Oil & in the bottom there is one silicone. 

Price: This is £2.50 (or something like that) for a tube of 75 ml. Super cheap!

Get this if: You want something extremely affordable that will still have good quality ingredients for your face. This is the perfect everyday face SPF!

! There is a very similar cream to this one which is not for sensitive skin, it has similar packaging but this contains Mineral Oil. So don't get the wrong one :) 

£9-12 Lavera Anti Aging Sun Milk SPF 15

Result: Even though it has got the same SPF factor as the previous one, this feels like it will protect your skin more against the sun. The SPF agent in this is Zinc Oxide and it is extremely water repellant (after applying it only once in the morning, you will still feel that it's pretty hard to wash off in the evening). Also, it is slightly thicker and makes your skin look extremely white! This is the biggest disadvantage to this cream- I tried to time it, and it seems that the "whiteness" disappears after approximately five minutes. Not your to-go SPF in other words. 

Ingredient Check: The top ingredients are Zinc Oxide, Cetyl Alcohol among many. Then about 2/3 of the whole ingredient list is filled with oils and butters like- Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Almond Oil, Shea Butter & Aloe Vera Gel. 

Price: This is £9-12 for 30 ml only. To me, this is really pricey and since it wasn't amazing- I don't think I will repurchase.

Get this if: Remember, this has anti-aging properties. So I would say if your main reason for using SPF is to stay young/prevent wrinkles- this is the cream for you! Mature skin often needs more hydration which makes it a good match to this skin since it's pretty thick and has many nourishing properties to it.


So what's the conclusion? 

• For the non-fussy person who just wants something affordable that still works: M&S SPF

• The bargain hunter who still wants decent ingredients- Superdrug Simpy Pure SPF

• For the ingredient aware mature lady who doesn't mind a hefty price tag- Lavera SPF

What face creams with SPF do you recommend? If you have written a review.. link it to me?

x

 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ BooHoo Outfit Blogger Challenge

FASHIONVOUCHERS.COM- BOOHOO BLOGGER CHALLENGE- CREATE AN OUTFIT FOR £50

Usually I am not one to join competitions, giveaways or anything like that. But when I received an email with information on www.fashionvouchers.com 's Boohoo blogger challenge I though- why not?

For those who don't know Fashionvouchers is a website where you can browse for vouchers and discounts for fashion and beauty stores. Boohoo is an UK online shop that sells clothes for bargain prices . I am yet to place an order there but I have a lot of friends who order from there regularly.

Guidelines: Create an outfit with clothes from www.boohoo.com for a maximum of £50. The best four outfits will be rewarded with a £50 voucher each.

This is my outfit, it costs exactly £50 (they are all linked) :

|| Macy Tie Front Jersey Tee £2, Xanthe Spiked Bracelet £8, Tammy Structured Clip Clasp Box Briefcase £15, Rea sateen stretch roll hem cropped Jeans (colour mint) £10, Anastasia Black Suedette Slipper Shoe £15 ||

You can read the information on the blogger challenge here



What do you think of this outfit? :) 
Joing the challenge - it's harder than it looks though.
(if you join, send me the link to your outfit)
x


 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ INGLOT Freedom Palette Review+ Fiery Make Up

INGLOT Freedom palette Review+ Fiery EOTD

I am so excited to share this look that I created with my new palette (pics at the bottom of this post). This will be an EOTD and a review of the palette itself.

This is my first time using the palette and I didn't really have a particular look in mind, I just felt like trying out the brown and the red together, it ended up being a colourful double liner look.

All the pics are taken with my iPhone guys because my DSLR is still broken.

Creating this look was super easy. This is what I used:

• Eyelid primer: MUA Eye primer
• Lid: INGLOT Red matte eyeshadow
• Crease: INGLOT brown matte eyeshadow
• Eyebrow: INGLOT beige/nude matte eyeshadow
• Tear Duct & Bottom Liner: INGLOT Bright yellow matte eyeshadow
• Waterline: NYC White eyeliner
• Tightline and lower lash line: MUA Black eye liner
• Catliner flicks and upper lash line: Maybelline Gel Liner
• Eyebrows: Rimmel Eye Pencil
• Mascara: Natural Collection from Boots

If you are ever interested in me doing a tutorial on a look, please let me know :) x

Back to the palette. I got this from the INGLOT store in the shopping centre Westfield (in Shepherd's Bush, London). It was cheap for good quality shades with this palette of five for, I think it was £23 which is a bit over £4 per shadow but then you get the palette as well. The shadows are magnetic and you have to put them in yourself when you've bought them.

I understand now why I've read so many people complaining about how INGLOT chose to name their shadows. They are all named by number and they do NOT state the colour of the shade. Which means even though I saved the packaging for this post, it's practically impossible for me to know which shade number is which.

However, these are the names of the shades I got:

|| INGLOT Eyeshadow Matte 342, INGLOT Eyeshadow Matte 323, INGLOT Eyeshadow Matte 366, INGLOT Eyeshadow Matte 372, INGLOT Eyeshadow Matte 328 ||

The colours are so bright and pigmented. My colour choices might seem random but I was dying for some professional quality mattes- both natural shades and bright shades. 

Result: I looove the colour payoff. I suppose there is a bit of fall out when using these shadows, but not to the point it's a problem. As you might guess I did not wear this look out but I am guessing they are pretty long lasting.

Availability: The only INGLOT store I know of is the one at Westfield Shopping Centre. For me that is extremely convenient since it's close to me, but I don't think there are many other stores in London (correct me if I'm wrong)- so I wouldn't say this is readily available.

Price: As I said before, for roughly £4/shadow+ a magnetic palette which, I must say it's a good price even for a bargain hunter like me :)

Do you like my look?

Have you tried or reviewed INGLOT palettes, if so- send me the link :)

x

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »

♥ NYR Bee Lovely Range

Neal's Yard and Remedies Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel

I was so excited to try this shower gel from NYR's new Bee Lovely range. I've written about the range before here in a blog post. The description said it would contain honey (of course) and smell of Orange essential oil. Orange Oil happens to be my favourite scent so I was really excited!

Description (from NYR website here, <- also view ingredients here)

• Gently cleansing
• Enriched with moisturising organic honey
• Natural uplifting scent of orange and mandarin
• Helps raise money for our bee lovely charities and projects

What do I like about this?

I love the scent, and it is not like an artificial Orange smell (like Bodyshop Satsuma). There is no fragrance in this shower gel (great for sensitive skin or the whole family) so the scent obviously comes from the essential oils.  Something I usually don't care about when I review stuff is the packaging. However I really really like the packaging. There is something about the hard dark plastic bottle that makes it look pretty luxorious (which it is at £14.00). The fact that there is a pump is really handy when you are showering. I never paid notice to the fact that hardly any shower gels have a pump and how inconvenient that is. The cleansing agent in this is Cocamidopropyl Betaine which is really gentle. Except for being Sulfate free this shower gel is also paraben, and silicone free.

What do I not like?

I don't really dislike anything but the only thing might be the price. It is very pricey- but then again it supports a specific course (However this was a PR Sample so I did not pay for this).  Something I know some people mind is the fact that it doesn't lather massively. Meaning it really does lather! But not as much as your used to with Sulfates. I just think that's a good think, it feels more natural and gentle on your skin (which it is) when it doesn't lather too much.


Do you like NYR guys and have you tried anything from the BeeLovely range?

x
Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

(*)

Read more »

♥ Make Up Using PHOTOSHOP Only

DIGITAL MAKE UP/ Make up using Adobe Photoshop

So I decided to try something I hadn't tried before- to apply a full face of make up using the editing program Adobe PhotoShop (Elements 10). This is what I came up with, initially I wanted to create a smokey eye look but it turned out slightly colourful lol.

What do you think guys? This is my first time doing this and I just thought I would share it since I haven't seen anyone do a post on this subject before, and I don't have a camera at the moment. 

What I have done to the picture:

-Added three different colours as eyeshadow

-Filled in my brow using a dark shade

-Copied the colour of the bronzer I already wore and added more to cheeks, nose and forehead

-Added colour to my lips

-Smoothed out my skin

Have you tried this and do you use photoshop?

What do you think of this look :)

x

 Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Read more »