MUA Nail Polish Review

I finally managed to pick up some of MUA's new Nail Polishes today. They are only £1 and I have been wanting to try them for a while but my local Superdrug hasn't had them in stock. They still don't have many different colours, but they do now have a few. Today I picked up Pistachio Ice Cream, which is a lovely minty green colour and also Bright Coral, which is a lovely bright pinky coral colour. 

The packaging of these Nail Polishes looks just like the Essie Nail Polishes and I think they look more expensive than they are. I couldn't see on the bottles how much is in them, but they seem smaller than other nail polishes.

I tried the Pistachio Ice Cream one straight away and absolutely love the colour, I think it is a really nice colour for Spring. The brush isn't very smooth and so I needed to apply two quite thick coats to make it look smooth, also the shape of the brush meant it was a bit messy to apply, but nothing a cotton bud and nail polish remover couldn't correct. :) 

Overall for the price of £1 I think these are good value for money and will probably try some more, I really like the look of the Amaretto Crush one, so hopefully will be able to try that one next. 

Thank you for reading. 

I'd love to hear if you have tried these and what colours you like.

Nyss x

My April Glossybox

I received my April Glossybox at the end of last week and was really pleased with what was included, so wanted to share it with you. 

I have been subscribed to Glossybox since December and am always excited when they arrive to see what is inside.

The actual box this month was a special edition box designed by Pearl Lowe and is a gorgeous floral design. These boxes are great to store things in and I would love to see some more special edition pretty box designs like this. 

The theme for April is Spring Fever and I received the following:

Sunsense Daily Face SPF – 10g

I have not heard of this product before but it looks like it is a sheer tinted moisturiser and with a SPF of 50+, so will be perfect for summer and I am looking forward to trying it.

NIP + FAB Mango Smoothie Dry Skin Fix Body Butter – 50ml

I love using body butters and this smells amazing so I cannot wait to try this.

Yves Rocher So Elixir Purple Eau de Parfum – 5ml

I am normally not so impressed with perfume samples in Glossyboxes because the ones I have received before were small vials, but this is 5ml and in a really cute little bottle. This is described as an ‘intoxicating and magnetic fragrance’ and is quite a strong fragrance, but smells really nice. 

Sleek Makeup Blush in Pixie Pink – 8g (full size)

Earlier this month I bought my first Sleek Makeup Blush and have loved using that, so I was excited to see this in the box. It’s a gorgeous colour and I can’t wait to try it.

Essie Nail Lacquer in Nice is Nice – 13.5ml (full size)

I was excited to see this, as I have not tried any Essie products before. I love the colour and tried this straight away. I am really impressed with it, normally I find when I apply nail polish it tends to chip after a day or two, but this lasted about 3 days without chipping. I will definitely be trying some more colours. 

If you are interested in trying one of these, you can find out more here: Glossybox

I would love to hear what you received in your Glossybox this month and if you received the same things I did what you think of them.

Thank you for reading :)

Nyss x

MUA Blusher No. 4 Review

I recently bought my first MUA Blusher and wanted to share this with you because I am really pleased with how pigmented it is and I really love the colour I choose.

When I bought this I wasn’t looking for a blusher, but these are only £1, so I couldn’t resist getting one to try and after swatching the shades I picked up No. 4, which is kind of peachy pink colour, with a bit of shimmer in it.

This Blusher is really pigmented so you only need a little on your brush. It has a soft texture that blends really easily, creating a lovely finish. I think these Blushers are excellent value and the other shades all looked lovely when I swatched them so I will definitely be trying some more of these. It would be nice if there was a mirror in the lid, but for only £1 I can’t find anything negative about this Blusher.

If you have tried these I’d love to hear what you think of them or what colours you like.

Thanks for reading :)

Nyss x

This or That Beauty Tag

I wanted to try a tag post and the lovely Louise at fashionxox1 suggested I try the This or That Beauty Tag. Some of the questions seemed to relate more to people living in America, so in this post I used a combination of the questions Louise had answered and the ones Leanne at Makeupblast had answered and also changed them a bit to fit more with people in the UK. I enjoyed answering these questions, but found it really hard to choose just one answer for some of them.

Make Up

Liquid or Powder Foundation?

I prefer BB Creams, but if I had to choose I would probably choose Powder Foundation

Blush or Bronzer?

Blush in the Winter, Bronzer in the Summer or both to contour

Powder Highlighter, Cream or Liquid?

I love all of these, but probably use Powder Highlighters more

Lip Gloss or Lipstick?

I love both equally, but my favourite lip products are probably Lip Stains that are also glossy, and more recently Lip Balms that are also stains :)

Lip Balm or Lip Butter?

Lip Balm

Matte or Sparkle Eye Shadow? 

I prefer Shimmery ones

Eye Liner or Mascara?

Mascara 

Gel, Liquid or Cream Eye Liner?

Liquid

Neutral or Colour Eye Shadow?

Neutral

Pressed or Loose Eye Shadow? 

I use Pressed Eye Shadows more

Brushes or Sponges?

Brushes

Nails

Short or Long?

Long, but not too long

Acrylic or Natural?

Natural, although my nails don’t grow very well

Brights or Darks?

I like both depending on the occasion and time of year, I also like pastels too

Matte or Shiny?

Shiny

Glitter or No Glitter?

Depends on the occasion, I love glittery nails at Christmas

Body

Perfume or Body Spray?

Perfume

Lotion or Body Butter?

Lotion, but a thick one

Body Wash or Soap?

Body Wash

Hair

Straight or Curly?

I love my hair curly, but tend to wear it straight day to day

Bun or Ponytail?

Bun

Long or Short?

Long

Light or Dark?

Dark

Up or Down?

Down

Random

Rain or Shine?

Shine, who prefers rain?!

Summer or Winter?

Can't choose, I like both for different reasons

Autumn or Spring?

Spring

Cats or Dogs?

Cats

If you fancy doing this, let me know and leave a link to your post as a comment, I'd love to read them :) Or if you have any other questions like this you would like to know my answer to let me know. 

Nyss x

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

I wanted to share this with you, because it's a product I didn't think I would enjoy using, but I love it and so am really pleased that I tried it. 

I have combination/oily skin so when one of the lovely Ladies at my local Clarins Counter recommended their Lotus Face Treatment Oil I wasn't convinced because the thought of putting oil on my skin worried me because of my skin type. However she explained that it is designed for combination/oily skin and I left with a sample. 

When I first applied this I was still a bit wary, but I applied it before bed as I had been advised to and it felt really luxurious and absorbed well into my skin. I instantly loved the smell of it, it contains Rosewood, Geranium and Lotus and the smell reminds me of being at a spa.  

In the morning my skin felt lovely, really hydrated and I think looked better and brighter. After a few times of using the sample I was given, I was convinced that this is a really lovely face treatment and now have the full size one. You only need a small amount, so the bottle would last for quite a long time and it comes with a dropper which allows you to use just the right amount. 

It is made of 100% pure plant extracts and the box states that it is 'specifically formulated to purify, balance and improve combination or oily skin'. 

Clarins do different Treatment Oils for different skin types and if you want a treat for your face I would recommend this. Don't be put off if you have oily or combination/oily skin like I was, because it really does work. 

Thank you for reading :)

If you have tried this I'd love to hear if you like it as much as I do.

Nyss x

MUA Power Pouts Review

Since I first heard about MUA's new Power Pouts I wanted to try them,  I love using lip stains and tints, so these really appealed to me and they are only £3 which makes them excellent value. I popped down to my local Superdrug yesterday and they had all six shades in stock. After reading some reviews I had already decided what two shades I wanted to try first, but I swatched all six on my hand to see what they were like for myself.

 Top to Bottom - Crazy in Love, Rendezvous, Runaway, Irreplacable, Justify and Brokenhearted. 

I loved them all and think I will probably end up buying more, but yesterday I stopped myself at two and bought Justify and Rendezvous.

Left - Justify. Right - Rendezvous.

I wanted to wait until today to post about these, so I could try them for a day to give you more of a review. When applied they go on smoothly and have a slight minty taste. They feel really moisturising and after applied they just feel like you are wearing a lip balm, which I really liked and the shape of the stick makes it easy to apply.

The colours look different when applied as you can see from the photos, so swatch them before you decide which ones you want.

Rendezvous

Left to Right - Bare Lips, Rendezvous first applied and Rendezvous after about half an hour.


I found while wearing Rendezvous it developed into a deeper pink colour, which I liked, but you might not if you apply this wanting a nude colour.

Justify

Left to Right - Bare Lips, Justify first applied and Justify after about half an hour.

I found while wearing Justify it also developed into a slightly deeper colour after a while. 

Both of these Power Pouts are a little deeper in colour than the photos show and the colour lasted well and when it felt like it had worn off, my lips were left tinted, which I really liked.

I recently received a Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush in a Glossybox which I loved and I think these are quite similar in design, although the MUA Power Pouts are more sheer than the Jellp Pong Pong Lip Blush I have, and they also feel more moisturising. These also look very similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, but I haven't tried these so not sure how they compare, if you have I would love to hear what you think.

Overall I have to say I love these and for the price, they are an excellent bargain and a little treat that will not break the bank :)  I will definitely be getting some of the other colours and if you haven't tried these you should. 

I am becoming a fan of MUA products and the price means you can try lots of new things. I'd love to hear what your favourites are.

Thank you for reading :)

Nyss x

My March Favourites

I love reading about other people's monthly beauty favourites and think it's a great way to learn about products I may not have tried before. So thought I would share with you the beauty products I loved using in March.

For the last month or so I have been using Benefit's Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit in medium everyday. I have been reshaping/growing my eyebrows and use my Brow Zings to define the shape I want them to be and to help disguise the shorter hairs that are growing back. I prefer using powder and wax on my eyebrows because I think you can use it to achieve a natural look by just using a little wax and powder or a stronger look by applying more.

Another make up item I have used a lot in the last month is Soap and Glory's Love at First Blush. I usually use all colours together and when applied it gives a subtle colour which I think is really nice for everyday wear, but it can also be built up if you want a stronger colour. It has shimmer in it too which I love and I think the packaging is really cute. I have also used the lightest colour as a highlighter on my brow bones, which I think gives a subtle highlight.

I have also been loving Vichy's Normaderm Tri-Activ Cleanser. I received this in my January Glossybox and was excited to try it, because I really like using cleansers that are also exfoliating  but I didn't try this until March because I had a different one I wanted to finish first. I love using this, it feels lovely when you use it and it leaves my skin feeling really clean, it also smells really nice too, which I like because I can be put off products that I don't like the smell of. This can also be used as a mask, but I haven't used it as one yet. 

There were a couple of body products I have used a lot over the last month and have really enjoyed using. The first one is The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub, which I have almost run out of and will definitely be buying some more. I love this body scrub because it has lots of exfoliating bits in (I wasn't sure how to describe these!) which makes it feel like it's giving your skin a good exfoliation. I also like that it isn't oily and so it rinses off easily and as an added bonus is smells delicious! 

The second body product is one that I have loved for a long time and go through phases of using it and it's Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion. I absolutely love the smell of this, it feels really lovely when applied and absorbs well. It leaves your skin feeling really soft and moisturised. If you haven't tried it, you should! 

The last product I have chosen as one of my favourites for March is Lady Gaga's Fame Eau de Parfum. I am not really sure how to describe this scent, but I love it, it is quite strong though, so if you don't like strong fragrances then it probably isn't for you. In the bottle the perfume is black but when you spray it on to your skin it is clear. As well as loving the smell of this I also think the bottle is a nice design.  

Thank you for reading :) If you have tried any of these I'd love to hear what you think of them and if you have posted about your monthly favourites leave a link in the comments below, because I'd love to read them. 

Nyss x

A beautiful storage idea for Earrings and Necklaces

I have been having a sort out recently as I'm moving in about a month and thought now is a better time than ever to have a clear out and organise things. 

Over the years I seem to have accumulated a lot of jewellery especially earrings, I think this is because I'm always drawn to sparkly things especially when I see them reduced and I can't resist a bargain! 

I used to keep my earrings altogether in some little drawers but always found it annoying looking for the pair I wanted. After sorting out which ones I wanted to keep, I didn't want to just put them back in the drawers to get mixed up again, so I decided a good way of storing them would be like this.

I got this noticeboard and just pushed the earrings into it. I think a pin board might have worked better because this board is quite hard and some earrings would not push in, so I put them on small pieces of card (cut out from a Glossybox box) and pinned those to the board. I also found it was quite useful to hang some necklaces on it so they didn't get tangled. I still have a couple of little boxes for special earrings but most are now on here.

Not only can I now find pairs easily, I still have plenty of room for more :) I think not only is it a good way of storing earrings and necklaces but it also looks really nice and I will be putting it on the wall at my new house. 

Thank you for reading :) I'd love to hear how you store your jewellery :) 

Nyss x

My First Haul Post

Yesterday I went to London for my Aunty's Birthday Lunch and on the way back we stopped at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford. I had never been there before and loved it, there are so many nice shops and I will definitely be going back but next time for a day rather than just for couple of hours! I hadn't intended to do any shopping, but I ended up with a few little bits. :) I love reading other people's haul posts so thought I would share with you what I bought. 

I have been wanting to try the Sleek Rose Gold Blush for a while after reading reviews comparing it to the NARS Orgasm Blush, but it has been sold out at the Superdrugs near me. So when I spotted a Superdrug as we came out of the Tube Station, I popped in to see if they had it in stock and they did :) It's such a beautiful colour and I love the sparkle in it. I haven't tried it yet but can't wait to! It's a really good price at £4.49 and after looking at the other colours yesterday I think I will have to try the Sunrise one next.

In Superdrug I also picked up my favourite mascara - Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Black Drama Mascara. I absolutely love this and it has been my go to drugstore mascara for a while. It's £7.99 which I think is really good value and I love how you it gives loads of volume especially when you apply a couple of coats. I have tried the other mascaras in The Falsies range and love them all, but I tend to go for this one, because it comes in 'blackest black'. I also think the packaging is really cute, with the lace print on the lid. 

In Westfield, I spotted a shop I hadn't seen before called Beauty Base. It sells fragrances, skincare products and cosmetics  As I got to the back of the shop I noticed a whole aisle of budget price cosmetics and was instantly drawn to the huge range of L.A. Colors Nail Polishes at only 99p each! There was every colour you could imagine and being so cheap I had to get some. They contain nail hardeners too, which is great for me, as my nails tend to break easily. I spent a while looking through the colours and picked the 4 below.  

L.A. Colors Nail Lacquer in Antique Burgundy. 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in Cocktail. 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in Mega Watt. I love this nude colour. 

L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish in Aztec Orange.  

All the ones I picked are shimmery, but I think they did also have colours that weren't shimmery or glittery. I am looking forward to trying these and hope they are as nice when applied as they look in the bottles. If you have tried these let me know what you think of them.

I also went to Primark and picked up these cute nail wraps that were reduced to 50p! I have used nails wraps before but don't think I applied them properly because they didn't seem to stay on very well, but I thought for 50p I could try them again and if they didn't last long I wouldn't have wasted much money.

From Primark I also bought this cute white wooden bird for only £1.50! It has a white ribbon loop so it can be hung up. I am moving house in about a month (hopefully) and so have been collecting little house bits and pieces and thought I would be able to find somewhere for this to go :)

Thank you for reading :) 

I would love to hear if you have tried any of these before and what you thought of them :)

Nyss x