Pins and Needles.. Silk-épil Epilator Review

Hello Lovelies! Hope you're having a fab weekend, I'm particular excited because all the ice and snow has gone and its safe for me to wear heals once again without looking like Bambi on Ice! Right so this year for christmas I asked for a rather odd present as my friend described it but to me it was pretty standard I got...the best epilator ever! HA Curious?

So Iv'e been wanting this for a while and tbh they cost a canny bit so I wasn't going to splash out and spend over £100 on something that inflicts pain on myself HOWEVER my lovely grandmother got me it for one of my prezzies cue excited screams as the one I been using since the age of 15 (I know, I know) literally rips my legs apart every time I used it *ouchh!

This is the Braun Silk-épil 7 wet & dry epilator, which you can buy from Boots For £119.99.
So what so you get with it, my edition is the 7391 legs & body (there are others which are designed for facial use as well.) Inside you get your epilator, cleaning brush, 2 heads/caps, plug, pre wipes and a pouch to put it all in.

What the Box Contained.

I've only used this twice since I got it in December as one of the great things about using and epilator is that you don't have to do it as often as shaving!  But straight away as soon as I used it I could see a massive difference in this and my previous one.  I don't no many people who use an epilator, my mother introduced me to it when I was younger as I'm light skinned and have really dark brown hair, and as some of you will know dark hair shows up more on legs than blonde. Im going to talk about the Pro's and Con's now of this epilator and of using one for those who are maybe thinking of giving it a try.

PRO's:

• Right the first thing that comes to mind is how gentle this epilator is. Compared to my previous the technology in these things has come a long way and I can truthfully say it doesn't hurt. (And I'm a bit of a wimp!)
• It can be used pretty much any where, as its for wet and dry use and its cordless. So weather you want to use it in the shower or floor it's going to work for you.
• It has a light!! Right you will no believe how great this is until you use it! Makes life so much easier than trying to strain your eyes to see all those fine hairs!
• It gives your legs a massage... ok so not quiet but it does include a massage system that stimulates the skin while plucking.
• Last pro.... its sparkly!

CON's: 

My Silk-épil 7

• At around £120 the price will be a big con for them to buy one of these eplators. But trust me its worth the investment, if your unsure and want to try it out theres no point in buy a cheap one for £20 because truthfully it's going to hurt like hell! Yes its pretty pricey but its basically just 6 trips to the salon for a leg wax! 
• The charger this isn't a big con but its one to consider as to charge up the epilator you do need to have one of those shaver outlets you see in bathrooms. Now I'm lucky enough to live in a new build house, some people might not have this available to you need to check. Would be better if you could charge in a normal socket and then still use wirelessly!
• Once again its about the charging of the product it takes 1 hour to charge and runs for 40 mins wireless the booklet advises to re charge after every use however if like me you sometimes forget to do these things, you're going to run out of charge half way though and then your kind of screwed. (well for an hour at least!)

Next on my list is the Naked Skin IPL but don't expect a review anytime soon as it currently retails at £449.99 ouchh!!

 Hope this review has been some, what helpful to anyone wanting to buy an epilator or wondering about upgrading. If i've missed anything off and you have any questions Im happy to help, so please just ask! However any requests for a demonstration will be denied ha ha (not pretty)!

Whats In My Handbag?

Hello everyone, Today's post is a quick peak inside my every day to day bag. I've seen a few of these posts and thought it would be a fun one to do even though I can't say I carry anything TOO exciting around with me. So here it is...

Right my handbag that Im using today is my DKNY quilted chain bag and this is what I carry around with me on a daily basis. My purse is the most important thing in my bag it has everything in it and as you can see its a pretty decent size and I just love it. Other every day essentials to me is my hand sanitizer, my pen, hair bobbles, and my inhaler these are the things I never really take out of my bag and every bag I own pretty much has these items already left in it just so I don't forget.

I like to carry around a green tea, bottled water and usually some almonds or nuts which I actually don't have today. Simply because I don't always fancy soft drinks and if I'm out and about and I pop to someones house most my family and friends DON'T drink green tea, me on the other hand can't live without it!

Now when it comes to make up I could carry a bag full around with me and go and top it up every time I look in a mirror so I purposely don't carry a make up bag around with me because I would just fill it. I do however have some things I have to have.
Vaseline: Love this stuff it's a life saver and this limited addition Pink Bubbly flavour had a lovely sheer pink tint to it and smells divine! I haven't left the house this winter without it.
Max Factor Facefinity: This is my little compact foundation top up, it's so handy and comes with a mirror and sponge applicator to top up during he day and even out any blemishes that might start to appear.
Perfume and Nail File: This little perfume bottle (next to my YSL lippy) is another great invention. I fill this up on nights out and everything, it is a great way to top up without carrying bottles of perfume around and its small enough so that you're not wasting loads by filling it up! Also my nail file is a new addition I go so sick of breaking a nail and then have it snag on tights or worse catching it in my hair that this has become a permeant feature since I won it in a cracker at christmas hahaha but hey what can I say it the perfect handbag size!

Last but not least my little gem is my Handbag Butler. This is perfect for girls who hate to put their bags on the floor while eating out or at a cafe. My mother bought me this after I forever complained about the scruffy floors in cafes are would sit there with my bag on my knee no matter how big it was. The matter of the fact was I like nice handbags, I save up for them and you would have to kill me before I put my Chanel Veau Ver Tote on some dirty floor!! So basically this hangs your bag of the table making it safer and cleaner than whacking it under you chair.

So that's my bag for you nothing too odd or interesting but is does seam to change depending on my 

activities so I might do a few up dates on my bags and their insides! let me know what you think and if i'm missing any important can not live withouts! =)

Beauty Haul Essentials...

 Hi Bloggers hope everyones January is going well and having a great start to the new year!!

So I seam to run out of every thing all at once and find my self spending loads on one trip to Boots haha These are a few beauty essentials and wants that I pretty much use every day and I've just put a rather large order in at E.L.F online so I'll be doing a post about my make up haul when that all arrives too. Anyway these are a few things I picked up yesterday while I was out. 

L-R Models Own Sponges, MUA Nail Caviar, Essie Polish, Bio-Oil,
OralB 3D White, Spa Scrub, Stylfile & L'Oreal lip liner.

Right so a quick run though the things I bought:

Models Own Sponges: I've been a bit hesitant to getting these as £8 for a sponge seamed a bit steep but iv'e seen them being used in a lot of foundation tutorials lately and thought I'd bite the bullet and give them a whirl. I'll let you know how that one goes..

MUA Nail Caviar in Gemini: This wasn't an intentional buy I kind of just spotted in while in Superdrug and really like the colour oh and I happen to be a Gemini so that kinda swayed me haha and the price £2 bargain Im going to do a post on how well it works and looks this weekend.


Essie Nail Polish in Fiji: Been after his for ages, they finally sell it in the Boots near mine so I snapped this up as it was the last one yeyy!

Bio-Oil: Ok so this is a bit of a random one but I've started to use this again simply because my arms and skin are so dry from the cold (and maybe the over use of fake tan) and it really works so well. Anyone who is prone to dry patches on their skin (i know lovely right?!), you should really give this a go you don't need to use a lot so you're not covering yourself in oil, it says to use twice a day but i only use it every time I shower or every other day as I like to switch it with my coco butter. Oh and it smells great and only cost £3!

Oral B 3D White Toothpaste £2: I bought this toothpaste before after seeing the advert on TV with Holly Willoughby in and after using it I thought it hadn't worked because I really couldn't see a differance. This was before christmas and since finishing it and going back to a normal paste I feel as though I can see a little difference in the whiteness of my teeth so I've bought it again to give it another try.

Spa Scrub: I suffer with rather sensitive skin and can't really use and scented shower gel or soaps so this baby is a god send for me. I use to use the Soap and Glory scrub but at £11 it was breaking the bank as I go through this stuff like lightening! This is by a brand called ooh la Spa and I get it from a little pharmacy near me for £3.99 it's amazing, its smells like a holiday and is brilliant for getting rid of fake tan and getting your skin silky smooth.

Stylfile by Tom Pellereau: This is the best nail file ever! I meet Tom at the clothes show live this year and he's so nice and really loves his product and so he should its brilliant! As you can see its an S shape which is supposed to be better for your nails and makes it a lot easier to files the edges in my opinion. I can't remember how many nail files I went through last year but it was quiet a few so the stylfile is said to last up to 12 months... lets see how far we get!

L'Oreal Lip Liner in 668 Rose Vintage: Right so this isn't something I buy often in fact this may possibly be the first lip liner I have ever owned why? Simply because I really just didn't know what to do with them to not make you look like a drag queen and basically I hate my lips so I don't really like to faff on with them. They are thin and boring and since I was about 8 I've always wanted lovely big bee stung lips and well mine are not that. So after contemplating all the possible ways of getting 'bigger' lips   I thought id give a liner a try. ( If this doesn't work I may have to look at fillers ...*screams!)

So all this should keep me interested for about a day or two and then I'll be back out buying more 'Essentials' haha! Oh and if any one has any tips for big lips please let me know i'm dying over hear! 

Instagram #1 ... New Year, New Start!

Hi as my first post of 2013 I thought I would also do my first Instagram post of the new year and well actually ever ha so after a hectic Christmas and new year life goes back to normal and I'm hoping this year might just go a little better than the last... Sp far that's not really working out too well, but that's a whole different matter! So here it is my top pics since the start of the new year.

L-R: My new wall hanging, Me new year, Tiffany's,

Home made chocolate house, Taking down decorations, New bag,

Bright eye pallet, Beaut ipad case, Friends :)

Love Holly

xoxo

Merry Christmas Everyone xXx

How To Reindeer Nails...

Merry Christmas Bloggers!

Holly 

xoxo

Bag Lady... 2013 Top Picks

Hi dolls! As the New Year approaches a tradition of mine is to invest in a lovely new bag and purse! *ha any excuse* So I decided to show you my top 3 picks for all price ranges.. With purses from £10 in River Island and a fabulous range of bags in Zara (I could walk in and pick up any from this store I love them all!) , theres no excuse not to treat your self this new year and feel amazing with some new arm candy!! I seriously love all 6 featured and would happily buy them all! Happy Holidays...

Christmas Gifts... Less than a week to go!

Hi dolls! With less than a week I've got all my shopping done and presents wrapped.. yey! So I've been browsing the net and looking at somethings I'd like in the new year and fingers crossed they might even pop up in the SALES!

After seeing many bloggers use the site BeautySets to form wish list i thought id give it ago and made my NewYear Wishlist, so here it is...

As you can see I've gone for a Pink, Gold and Black theme..which actually wasn't intentional! I LOVEEE everything on this list so I only wish I'd asked for some before christmas, too late now ha but most of the things are pretty much 'new in' so I guess they'll be around for a while after the holidays for me to get my hands on. Hope you like my top 7 new year picks!

Happy Holidays..

Deck the Halls...

Hey Bloggers!

So getting in the christmas spirit I decided to put a tree up in my bedroom this year and although it was a little bit of a squeeze I managed and I think it looks fab, very festive. So this isn't anything beauty or fashion related just a very small post as I just wanted to share my lovely tree with all my readers! 

Hope you like my room tree, eekk I love christmas , not long now everyone! 

Quick Christmas Haul

Hi everyone I just wanted to share a few christmas party items I purchased recently while out shopping!

So I've got quiet a few lunches out planned this year and I've been on the hunt for some new dress that I can turn from daytime lunch into full on party dresses. And out of all the places to find a party dress these two are from none other than Florence and Fred at Tesco!! 

So here are my two Tesco dresses and I love them, they are just what I was looking for and I just can't believe how nice they look on just goes to show you. Anyways along with the dresses I've also been bag searching on ebay and found this lovely gold sequin Topshop bag for a £5, bargain! 

I also picked up a lovely red nail varnish from H&M and my Giorgio Armani Samples which you can read about here. Have a great Sunday!

Clothes Show Live Experiance

Hey I've just finished a hectic week and finally managed to get my blog post out about my Clothes show experience, now if you don't want to hear a negative post about your beloved Clothes show then stop reading NOW because sadly this is not going to be me telling you how much I loved it and how amazing it was... Quiet frankly it was embarrassing! 

So.... Last weekend I was in Birmingham with my mum for the Clothes Show Live at the NEC. I've been plenty of times when I was at school and I think the last time I was there was with my textiles class in 2005! That should have been my first hint that it just wasn't going to be the same. I remember going with my friends and thinking it was amazing and buying loads of clothes so obviously I'd asked my mother if we could book a hotel and go this year.... I wish I hadn't bothered. Now I don't no if it was just because I was pretty young when I first went but it was nothing like I remembered or imagined.

Now don't get me wrong the fashion show its self was brilliant I really enjoyed that part (it was helped by the parading of male models in just their underwear*pics coming up) but the rest well just left me a little underwhelmed. First of the clothes were like something you would find on a market stall and where I live thats really not a good thing! I was surprised by the number of naff t-shirts and crappy leggings for sale over and over. Ok maybe to a few peoples taste but if 'chav' was the look you were going for you hit the jackpot! Please correct me if I'm wrong in thinking that ASOS was a sponsor and Henry Holland was a presenter, were any of their clothes available to buy, No don't think so. I guess I was just expecting more stylish and diverse clothing available on offer at an event that calls its self 'CLOTHES SHOW'!!

On to the Beauty Hall now this was a little hit and miss for me. I think there were really good brands and great offers available but there only sooo many nail art kits and teeth whiting treatments you can have/buy in one day. Again the beauty counters were good but they were just repeating the same thing over and over and it got a little boring to wonder around. So after buying my 3rd 'goody bag for £10' which contained exactly the same things as my previous two, I gave up.

I was sooo disappointed in the whole day and even when I told my friends about it and showed them my pics they were a little disheartened. Now I no this is a really negative review but I really felt completely let down and kind of a little pissed that I'd paid £27 to get in, train fairs and overnight stay and I was met with in my own words 'a load of crap'. If you asked me before I went last weekend would I recommend going to the Clothes Show I would have Sound its praises and jumped at the chance to go, however sadly after last weekend I be embarrassed to recommend anyone spending their money and going to this event. Sorry but this got a massive THUMBS DOWN!!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Review

Hey everyone hope your all enjoying the run up to the holidays?!

So Today Im doing a review on the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I've seen this tested on blogs and its had great reviews and as a favourite of Kim Kardashian I thought I'd give it a go.

So I poped in to my local Fenwicks store in Newcastle which is the only place that sells Giorgio Armani make up in the North East. I've been searching for a great foundation for literally years, and after buying countless foundations and trying to match colours I wasn't going to just jump in and buy this foundation for £34 so the lovely girl on the counter gave me 3 sample pots to try out on my skin and match my colour perfectly.

The samples I got were the shades shown above 4.5, 5 and 5.5, Theres not a huge difference between 4.5 and 5 but shade 5.5 for me is far to dark. My perfect match is No.5 and as you can see by the pictures it's a lot more of a yellow undertone rather than the 4.5 which is a red undertone.

Overall the coverage from this is a good medium but if you after a full coverage for going out I would suggest layering it up as its pretty easy to build up or even adding it on top of another foundation. This foundation is apparently great for you nights out and taking pics as it has no spf so hopefully that means no dreaded ghost face photos but I've yet to try it on a night out so I'll keep you posted!

Christmas Holly Nails

Only 13 days un till Christmas! Arrhh *cue panic*
This week I've been finishing off my christmas shopping, putting up my tree (in my room might i add) and getting in to the christmas spirit with some christmas nails, ready for all my Christmas lunches and parties over the next few weeks.

Rather than go for full on red nails I decided to go for a festive gold and add some sparkle myself.
I used two nail polishes GOSH Gold and MILANI Jewel FX in Gems.

I decided not to add too much to my nails as 1. I was in a bit of a hurry and 2. I kinda ran out of gems to stick on but I think it looks great just on the thumb nail. I actually ended up painting the glitter on to all of my nails the next day as I was going out, forgot to take a photo thought ... Oops!

Hope you're all getting into the festive mood and enjoying the run up to the holidays!

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet Review

Hey bloggers I'd like to share one of my Duty Free purchases and now my all time favourite perfume of the moment. Ok ok so I realise it has been out for a while and  a lot of people have it but when it was released back in 2008 (I think) it just wasn't for me, I was in to a lot more sickly smells and basically smelt like a baby prostitute, to quote mean girls in fact.

So this year as I was walking through duty free I was spritzed with this gorgeous sent and never looked back. It's really fresh but not too floral or sweet and gives you a very sexy scent. I'm in LOVE.

The price is what you'd expect from a designer perfume and retails in Boots for £51 for 50ml and £73 for 100ml.

I've heard a lot of people say that it is a summer scent but I completely disagree I would wear this all year long as it's really just an elegant fragrance that you can wear during the day or add a little more for the night.

If you're looking for a new scent or even starting your christmas  list (a little early I know) this is one I'd fully recommend every girl to have on her dresser. And lets not forget how beautiful is the bottle I was sold on that alone ha! Whats your thoughts on Miss Dior scents, do you have a personal favourite?

American Beauty Haul... elf product reviews

So while I was away I decided to get as  many beauty treats as I could and considering the prices over in the US are wayyyy cheaper than UK I could have spent a fortune in Target and duty free! ha

So here are a few of the products I picked up, these are all my favourites!

I love elf products they are such good quality and amazingly low prices that I use them in my everyday 'face' all the time and to me some of their products are just as good at doing the job as all the top brands. 

These are a few of the elf products I picked up from a local Target. Some good and some not so great but still not bad for the price. 

• First off is the Good: My elf foundation was a risky one as out in the US there seams to be no colour samples anywhere so I guessed and surprisingly it's a perfect match! Only thing I would say is the formula is a little drying but for my oily skin thats not a problem. 
• Next is the eyebrow kit this is brilliant i don't do much with mine, so the gel and powder work well to shape and fill in.
• Tone Correcting Powder, I use this as a powder to set my foundation as if is very light and works really well this way. 
• The concealer and highlighter I picked up I have mixed feelings about sometimes it works a dream and others it doesn't really make any difference. I tend to use the highlighter as a primer for my eyeshadow.
• Golden Bronzer this is another hit and miss I like to be bronzed and for me this doesn't feel like I'm getting enough colour from it but it does give you a glow you're not gong to be completely pale after using. 
• Daily Brush Cleaner for me this doesn't do a lot of good, I wash my brushes every week or so and this cleaner is to be used straight after use but tbh I'm a little lazy and always forget so I can't really say if it's working or not oops!

What are your favourite and least fav elf products? 

I'd love to hear your recommendations!

September Fashion.. Winters coming!

Is it too early to unpack the winter wardrobe yet?! I'm dyingg to get in to my comfy knits and hunter boots and to be honest with the summer we've had I have a right to some warmth in my life!!

Since coming back all i've done is complain about the heat are lack of it and when the summer in the UK is a complete wash out I really wish I could just skip ahead to Fall...
Just think endless cups of starbucks hot chocolate, fairy lights, candy corn, Im soo excited for halloween and christmas I could burst. I know Im getting a little ahead of myself here as August is barly over but theres something about a lovely knew knitted jumpers and fur coats that just puts a smile on my face!

All images taken from We ♥ It 

Ok so you might not be counting down the days un till christmas but I bet some little part of you can't wait to put on those legs warmers and curl up in hundreds of fairy lights... *just me ok!* Ha.

Whats your favourite season & winter must have?!

Hot Tools Curling Iron Review

Hi everyone sooo Im back from America and finally able to come back to blogging! I have got soo much to review so Im starting off with a quick review on my Hot Tools curling iron I've been using over in the states! 

I was finally able to get my hands on the Hot Tools 1 1/2 gold barrel to use while I've been spending the summer over in Florida. It gives me really loose waves and my hair doesn’t take forever since it’s such a big barrel, It heats up really fast and goes up to 430 degrees. The tip doesn’t get hot so you wont burn yourself and it has a swivel cord which makes really easy to move around. The barrel is gold because apparently it makes the heat distribute itself evenly. It also comes with two extra safety stands you can clip on when they start to wear off. 

I also purchased the 1 inch barrel which makes your curls last a lot longer through the day. The boxes come with the exact degrees the wand should be heated depending on the texture of your hair. Hot Tools has definitely won me over with they’re curling irons.

I bought mine over in Florida and the product they range from $35-$42. Although I have only used it for the past few month I do feel like you are paying for a good product that should last a long time. 

Right so now that I'm back in the UK I can't use my hair tongs because of the voltage BUT I've have found loads of sites selling them over here so I'm defiantly going to purchases this asap and for £20 they are a real bargain!

Let me know what you think!