Defining blonde eyebrows: MUA Pro Brow kit

Being blonde I have a bit of an issue with my eyebrows, in that they’re basically invisible. I really do get eyebrow envy when I see a perfectly shaped pair of dark brows framing someone’s face.

I shape and trim my own brows, aiming to keep them fairly full (not a fan of skinny brows), and although I have considered eyebrow tinting I have yet to try it as it seems like it would be high maintenance trying to keep on top of it. So I’m still experimenting with brow makeup and my latest purchase is the MUA Pro Brow Ultimate Eyebrow Kit.

The kit contains 3 colours of powder and wax, plus some tweezers and a brush, which I think would be handy if you’re taking the kit out in your bag, but to be honest, too small for me to use daily. The final result I’m looking for is a natural looking defined eyebrow. I don’t want it to look obviously drawn on. So I’m using the middle colour powder to fill in the shape of the brow (the lightest of the three is a pink-colour and is meant to be a highlight for under the brow). I am then applying the wax to tidy and fix them.

Overall I really like this kit, as I think the ash blonde colour suits me and looks natural, and using wax is proving much more successful at keeping my eyebrows tidy than the clear brow and lash gel I’ve used previously. At £3.50 from Superdrug it is a great price, and even more so considering I bought it as part of a 3 for 2 deal. However as I have no need for the dark brown shade or the highlighter (which is too dark for my skin colour) I would definitely prefer a kit with just a light brown powder and the wax.

I have to say though, I think my eyebrows look much better for it, and I do like the way that defined brows make your eyes stand out… (just like the woman who tried to sell eyebrow tinting to me said they would!)

My wishlist for May

With holidays on the horizon I’m trying to save rather than spend any spare cash I’ve got. I’m also aiming to spend more wisely, finding bargains where possible as well as focussing on fewer more expensive items as investment pieces if they’re wardrobe staples or timeless classics! As always though, as I browse and window shop, I’ve ended up with a bit of a wishlist…

1. Emotional Brilliance make up from Lush. I tried out some of the colours in the range here, and have wanted them in my makeup collection ever since. The only trouble is deciding which colours!

2. Peaches and Cream leather backpack from Grafea. This cute backpack comes in a range of candy colours. So pretty for spring!

3. Core: Peanut Butter Me Up. I didn’t know this flavour existed! It’s only a matter of time before this is mine!

4. Denim pinafore. Pinafores are starting to pop up everywhere… and this is my favourite.

5. White boots from New Look. Despite the fact that it is now technically spring, I still haven’t had enough ankle boots action! At the moment I’ve got a thing for white boots (for some reason the fact that they’re white makes them seem more summery), and this is my favourite pair.

6. Candy by Prada: Cute packaging + pretty fragrance + not animal tested = all good.

7. Diamond print trousers from Dorothy Perkins. I love the shape and the print of these printed “joggers”. I’m convinced that they would be amazing for work.

Holiday feelings: South Beach Swimwear

With only a month to go until my holiday trip to the Mamma Mia paradise setting Skiathos, a South Beach Swimwear event presenting their summer collection could only mean one thing: the beginning of holiday feelings. The venue was the Manchester Spinningfields frozen yoghurt bar Frurt, and if rails of brightly coloured bikinis and kaftans weren’t enough to create the holiday vibe, the faux palm tree and deckchair certainly did the job.

South Beach is a new swimwear brand, and the collection itself is very summery and bright. They’ve done a great job of capturing the SS13 trends in their swimwear pieces, with everything from western fringing and pretty lace to candy pop brights and fun prints. And the prices seem to be in line with other high street retailers’ swimwear, which is always good news. I think there’s probably something for everyone in this collection, and everyone at the event seemed to have their eye on something different.

The pieces that caught my eye include this pretty cobalt blue number, which I thought was cute and a bit retro looking with its beaded frill, and a very cute white lace bikini (if I wasn’t so pale-skinned I’d be all over this!). There’ve also got a number of beachwear pieces including kaftans and jersey maxis (a versatile holiday essential), but my favourites were the cream crochet tunic and waistcoat, modelled in the lookbook over a bikini, but both of which I think would be fab at a festival.

However, when we were invited to select our favourite piece from the collection (which we had a chance of winning in the prize draw), it had to be the black cut-out fringed one-piece. I really really want a cut-out swimsuit and I really like the shape and the embellishments on this one.

Good news: if you like any of the pieces then as a reader of my blog you can get 15% off everything in the range. Just quote code TOPBLOG15, which is valid until 30^th June.

Also worth a mention is Frurt’s frozen yoghurt. I love frozen yoghurt (fat free ice cream, yes please), and my first try of the Frurt offering was chocolate fro yo topped with chocolate brownie and fresh strawberry pieces. Delicious! I’m sure this place attracts a healthy crowd on a sunny day!

Book review: The Conjuror’s Bird

I bought this book for its intriguing cover for just 99p from a charity shop. Buying books for their pretty covers has backfired on me a number of times, but the gamble paid off on this occasion as The Conjuror’s Bird by Martin Davies was both an exciting and a thought-provoking read.

 The book has two narratives set in different time periods running alongside each other:  a present-day mystery revolving around the hunt for the “Mysterious Bird of Ulieta” – a missing extinct bird specimen; and the story of the 18^th century naturalist Joseph Banks, his romance with a mystery mistress, and how he ended up owning the Ulieta Bird that was originally caught on one of Captain Cook’s expeditions. In a roundabout way this second storyline comes to explain how the Ulieta bird went missing, but is actually in itself more of a historical romance between Banks and the intriguing mystery woman who became his mistress (a very interesting character!). The two storylines were distinguished in this version by completely different typefaces, as well as distinctive writing styles, which worked really well.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it was written in a way that made it difficult to put down. (I always like to end a reading session on a chapter break, which becomes difficult when authors like to and every chapter with a cliff-hanger or significant development!). What I really liked about the book was the way it was built around real-life historical facts about Joseph Banks’ life, his mystery mistress, his expeditions and also the actual facts known about the missing Ulieta bird.

I can also see how this book would be an interesting one for book groups, as it looks at the issues of conservation and species extinction, and the theme of “losing things”. I found really interesting to view the mystery of the bird from two perspectives – from the present day where it is seem as a rare and valuable object because it is no longer around, vs the past where it just a new species of bird with no extraordinary features and was therefore easily lost in time. It makes you think about how you don’t realise the value of something until it’s gone….

I’d recommend this book, as it was a nice and enjoyable one to read.

Tutorial: DIY tea cup candles

Last year I posted about the pretty teacup candles I’d made, and as I spent one morning at the weekend creating a couple more, I thought it would be nice to post a little “how to” guide. They’re so easy to make, and considering how lovely they are and how much companies charge for them, this is a very rewarding craft project.

What you’ll need:

• Tea cups
• Eco Soya Wax
• Candle wick – you’ll need to select the correct thickness based on the diameter of your cups
• Metal wick tabs
• Wooden skewers
• Tape
• Blu tack
• Scissors
• Large pan and small saucepan
• Scent

The method:

• Create a ban marie with the pans. Half fill the large pan with water and place the small pan inside it.

• Measure the wax. I found I needed twice the volume of my chosen cups in wax flakes to create enough of the melted wax to fill them.
• Put the wax into the smaller pan and heat on a medium heat to melt it.  

• Once the wax is melted, add any scent you’ve chosen. I used specific candle scent, which I’ve read you need 1oz of oil for 1lb of wax. However, the ginseng oil I was using wasn’t a particularly strong scent so I added extra. I’ve also read you can use essential oil instead, which I’ll try next time!

• Cut a length of the wick longer than the height of the cup, pull through the metal tab, and use a small blob of blue tack to stick the tab to the bottom of the inside of the cup.

• Use two skewers taped together to hold the wick upright inside the cup.

• Pour the melted wax into the cup and leave to harden. Don’t move the cup until it is solid, and I also lightly covered mine so that no specks of dust would land on the soft wax surface.

• Trim the wick

They make lovely gifts!

 

Liebster Blog Award

Thanks to Chels Humble Honesty for nominating me for a Liebster Blog award! This is such a nice idea to spread the word about the blogs we love reading and deserve way more followers! Hope you enjoy reading my recommendations. I’ve also looked at the 11 by Humble Honesty and have found some lovely new blogs!

How To Take Part (if you’ve been nominated)

• Tell the blogging community and world 11 things about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions given by the nominator.
• Nominate 11 bloggers to take part (they must have under 200 followers).
• Ask 11 questions to the people you have nominated.

11 things about me

1. My ipod is full of soundtracks of musicals, and that’s it! I love musicals. The songs are just so singable!
2. I’m in at least 1 amateur musical or pantomime each year.
3. I get a lot of pleasure out of finding bargains.
4. BUT I find it very easy to spend (too much) money on cute/pretty/quirky items that I have no need for.
5. I’ve never travelled outside of Europe.
6. I sponsor a chimp at Monkey World.
7. I have a degree in Linguistics, and took a fairly roundabout way of getting to my current job.
8. I like things to be tidy!
9. I’m not that keen on pizza. It’s my least favourite takeaway.
10. I like being creative, which at the moment involves a lot of baking!
11. I love Disney. A lot.

My answers to Humble Honesty’s questions 

1. What’s your favourite thing about being part of the blogosphere? I like finding inspiration for blog posts, as I think it helps me enjoy the smaller things in life so much more. I also like being inspired by other like-minded bloggers.
2. Tea or coffee? Tea, tea, tea! Tea is in my top ten favourite things!
3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Probably still in Manchester, but hopefully a home owner! Still working in fashion marketing but hopefully higher up the ladder!
4. When did you first get into blogging? A couple of years ago after reading an inspiring article about successful bloggers. When I started I had no idea what I was doing though!
5. Favourite animal? Chimpanzee
6. What’s your earliest/best memory of makeup? My first memory is of clear mascara, which I thought made a real difference, but was subtle enough to get past the “no makeup” rules at secondary school!
7. What’s your favourite beauty brand? I don’t currently have one – I’m experimenting with new ones! 
8. Who’s your favourite designer? This season my favourites were Matthew Williamson and Isabel Marant. But I always love an Elie Saab gown!
9. Your best fashion/beauty tip? Don’t try too hard! Style is better when it feels natural and true to the person.
10. What is your favourite TV show? At the moment The Great British Bake Off, as it’s both entertaining and full of baking inspiration!
11. How did you come up with your blog name? I wanted something that said “I’m pale-skinned and proud!” as well as sounding nice. I also wanted to say “Manchester” as I knew I’d be posting about it a lot.

My 11 blog nominations

1.  http://bellinibeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
2. http://www.amberrosethomas.com/
3. http://lifeandtimesof-becca.blogspot.co.uk/
4. http://www.fashiondotty.com/
5. http://fashionfoodandflirts.wordpress.com/
6. http://gingerbreadbuttons.com/
7. http://lullabyforpies.blogspot.co.at/
8. http://www.sallytangle.blogspot.co.uk/
9. http://www.smocktofrock.co.uk/
10. http://the-cup-and-saucer.blogspot.co.uk/
11. http://thesparklypanda.blogspot.co.uk/

My 11 questions for my nominated blogs:

1. What are your favourite types of blog posts to read and to write?
2. What is the biggest thing you’ve learned since starting blogging?
3. What inspired your blog name?
4. What is your favourite beauty product?
5. What did you want to be when you were a younger?
6. What is your best feature or quality?
7. And your best skill?
8. What is your guilty pleasure?
9. What is your favourite place you’ve visited?
10. Which character from a film or book are you most like (or would like to be)?
11. What’s the best thing you’ve ever made?

Battle of the hand creams

I love hand cream – I use it constantly and always have one on my desk at work. I also currently have two more hand creams on the go at home, and that’s what has inspired today’s post. In essence, a battle of the hand creams.

1. M&S Mood Rescue Ylang, Patchouli & Sweet Orange Luscious Hand & Body Lotion

I think this has a nice smell, and I was initially drawn to it because of the contemporary look of the packaging and the fact that it was being sold at outlet store prices (£1.50 for 250ml).

I don’t particularly like this hand cream though as it is thin, runny and it leaves my hands feeling greasy. It also doesn’t seem to moisturize my hands very well. It doesn’t have a long-lasting effect, which means that I have to keep applying it. Basically I’m not convinced that this hand cream is doing my hands much good at all.

Will I buy it again?

No definitely not. I wish my existing bottle would go down quicker! On the plus side, M&S cosmetics are cruelty free (BUAV approved), but that doesn’t make up for all the flaws in this hand cream. I’d consider trying different M&S ranges though.

2. Hand therapy by Superdrug: Intensive hand cream

This is the one I keep on my desk at work, as it is a small, low-cost, unobtrusive tube. The hand cream is thick and creamy, and I only need a small amount on each application. This means that a small 75ml tube is lasting me ages, even though I apply it several times a day. It smells quite nice and leaves my hands soft and moisturised (and not greasy!) – a feeling that lasts for hours! The tube says it also protects your hands with vitamin E and glycerine, and it certainly makes them feel protected! Superdrug is a cruelty free brand, and best of all, the 75ml tube only cost me 99p.

Will I buy it again?

Yes. I’m loving using this at work, so I plan to restock with the same product when the tube eventually runs out.

3. Betty & Walter elderflower and lemon hand lotion.

I bought this hand wash and hand lotion bathroom set in the Boots half price gift sale in January. It came packaged as a gift, so I’m not even sure if it’s something I could find again. However, I do love having it in my bathroom in its cute little wire carrier. I think it’s a nice homely touch! It was definitely the packaging that caught my eye and sold the product to me.

I also thought that the elderflower and lemon scent combination would be appealing, and I have to say, I’m not disappointed with the smell. It’s my favourite scent of the three hand creams – very fresh and summery. It’s a nice treat to wash my hands with the hand wash and then moisturize with the hand cream, which is lovely and thick and feels really nice on my hands for quite a long time afterwards. It’s not greasy either.

Will I buy it again?

If I found this hand cream again (I’m not sure if I could as it was a Christmas gift set from Boots), if it was cruelty free and also a reasonable price then I would. I definitely enjoy using it. I do also have plans for this packaging afterwards– possibly involving refilling the bottles, as I like having this little set in my bathroom.

Is there a winner?….

Superdrug wins it for me. It’s so much better than the 99p price tag would suggest!