Let me see your beauty...

I recently posted an Instagram of my beauty loves and must haves of just now and it has come to the time where I need to tell you all about them and why I bloody love them. I am not going to lie I got pretty much through the whole box in a post just there and somehow feckin deleted it!!!! I almost punched the laptop. However, wooooooosaaaaaaa and time for round two! Ok, so I asked a whole bunch of gorgeous lassies around me what their beauty loves and must haves were and managed to build up a smashing wee list that I hope everyone can take from and use. Thankyou all you lovely ladies for helping me out. I love a good nosey in folks makeup bags and this satisfied that weirdness no end. You all rock! 

Ok I will start with my GlossyBox plus extra goodies I have and then take it from there........

Paul Mitchell Rinse Conditioner This conditioner was a god send to my forever tangled barnet. You need only LOOK at my hair and it would knot, so this product helped bring peace and love to my unhappy ends. I have been leaving it in if I have time to give my hair some much needed love which has helped with hair loss as it was forever falling out after washing and brushing. The ease that this allows my hair has stopped the ripping sound that I cringed to hear when trying to tame it after a shower. The great thing is a little goes a long way with this stuff so a 300ml bottle at £11.75 doesn't seem quite so steep. Another fantastic thing is that it wasn't tested on animals! Nat I know you will be happy!

Pro White Original by Alessandro I will be honest. I simply used this because I got it in my GlossyBox and thought not much else of it. That was until I noticed however that my nail tips where indeed whiter than white. This polish also gave my nails a nice gloss and overall natural look which insinuated that I took care of my nails. I totally don't. So this product gets the glossy white and well looked after thumbs up from me! Not available in any UK shops yet ( I know, daft rite? ) however you can grab a bottle on eBay for £3.99.

DHC Cleansing Oil This cleanser has now made me a skincare snob and has me turning up my nose at anything else out there. Any product with Olive Oil as its base is indeed going to be amazing and this did not disappoint. Effortlessly lifting any makeup or grime this stuff leaves my skin dewy and pinchable and it is a pleasure to apply makeup on top of too! You can get yourself a 300ml bottle for £18.50 and with every order get 4 free samples to try into the bargain. Whats not to love? and if you're disappointed by it, don't worry, just give it to me!!! ha!

One Hot Minute by Benefit I know, I know, I bang on about this stuff, but really, its the shit. I don't use foundation anymore because of it so that must portray the enormity of its success surely? with a light even coverage minus the oily layer foundations leave,  its quick and easy to apply and easy to redo if needed. It is a bronzer so it is brilliant over foundation if you do wear it, which gives a nice velvet finish locking your foundation into place just nicely also. Mine has lasted years, literally years, and I cannot think of money better spent! Grab it at Boots for £23.50 and thank me later!

HD Brows Palette and Tweezers My latest obsession is these two products I again received in my GlossyBox, and both are fantastic. The tweezers lift every hair with barely any pain even those tiny stubborn short hairs you usually can't get and have to just leave and hope noone notices. These teamed with the eyebrow Palette in Vamp have totally transformed my face and eyebrows which were a constant annoyance to me. I literally tap the slanted brush on the colour and it does both eyebrows no problem. The palette has 4 shades for every hair colour so it pleases everyone and will last forever by the looks of things too. At around £20 each these are not cheap, however I don't plan on purchasing either for a very long time and I doubt you would need to either.

St Ives Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturiser This is quite a new purchase but has quickly become a staple piece within my regime. I grabbed this off of Amazon for a smashing £7.29 with free postage and its a decent sized tub at just under 300ml. It is light on application and absorbs really well,  and after using this for only a week I have been getting compliments on my skin being nice and glowey ( not a word I know but hell have you noticed how many words I have made up on here? ) so there you go, the proof is in the puddin. And who doesn't like puddin?

Eye Lash Curlers Last but not least I got these curlers years ago and love them more now than I did before as I genuinely appreciate what they do for my wee lashes. I however cannot remember for the life of me where I got mine from. So, instead I linked the Fantastic Shu Uemura curlers instead,  as reading blogs and reveiws all over the web I hear they are the dawgs! again at £20 a pair is a big stretch for me at the mo, so, I'm sticking to my cheapy ones for now!.

Anytime I am in need of any type of makeup, skincare or hair products I know I am never in any need to go anywhere else but my little sisters bedroom. A keen lover of all things makeup my sister has a never ending treasure trove of fun stuff and I asked her to put together her best things that she loves and uses without fail all the time. She kindly obliged and even sourced it all aswell. I know, whit a lassie eh? so here goes...

Sleek Face Contour Kit - Medium 
Naked Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palette
Elf Stipple Brush
Elf Powder Brush
Bourjois Bronzing Powder
Mac Prep & Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
Revlon Compact Foundation In 04 Neutral Beige
Maybelline Fitme Foundation in 130 Buff Beige
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - Medium
Mac Mineralize Skin finish Naturaul - Medium/Dark
TopShop Lipstick - Rio Rio
Elf Eyebrow Treat & Tame - Medium
Mac Eyebrow Pencil - Spiked

Bio Oil
Blistex MedPlus For Lips
V05 Hot Oil For Hair
L'Occitane Hand Cream - Travel size
Origins Super Spot Remover
Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil
Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo
Moroccanoil Hydration Mask - Hair
Palmers Cocoa Butter Night Renewal cream

Oft that is quite a list there, but already I have my eye on a few things to try! now to just sneak a sample of her lot, ye know, just to make sure I like them and stuff........HAHAHAHAHA.

Ok so all the other ladies I asked gave me some smashing things to list for their best buys and I can see where my wage is going this month..... as dangerous as that may be!

Lorna Loves - Revlon Lip Butter in Macaroon at £7.99  
She says not only does she get the coverage of lipstick but it performs as well as a lip balm also. So no dry lips here people. What more could you want?

Charlene Loves - Dermalogica Skin Care - £19 Skin Kit
She says not only do they have free 1st Class delivery but they give you 5 free samples with your order to try. The Skin Kit itself has the best cleanser, toner and moisturiser she has ever used!

Vicki Loves - Wella Shockwaves Volume Mousse at £2.85
She says this mousse gives her locks lots of volume minus the frizz unlike many products she has tried before!

Hari Loves - Cucumber Face Wipes, Tesco's Own brand at £0.99
She says these wipes are refreshing and take away makeup and grime away easily leaving your face smelling fantastic also!

Melissa Loves - YSL Primer at £29.50 and Benefit Eyebrow Kit at £22.50
She says she could not live without these two gems, the coverage for dark circles under the eyes and the help with shaping her brows has proven important to her daily regime. She swears by both and I bloody believe her!

Lisa Loves - KMS Roots Shampoo & Conditioner at £9.19
She says these products work wonders for her fine hair and seriously thicken and create volume which she loves. I like the sound of these myself!

Nat Loves - Ultrabland Facial Cleanser at £6.75 from Lush
She says she loves this product because it removes makeup easily aswell as help with spots if used as a cleanser at night. She loves the fact that this product can be applied to the face and lips and all round is a fantastic way to remove every last bit of dirt from the skin. Applied to the hands at night allows you to waken to silky soft mitts too she says! Lasting ages this product is well worth its pennies and I think I may have to get this to add to my skincare regime.

Hina Loves - Kiko Nail Varnish in every colour! at £3.90 and Batiste Dry Shampoo - Dark Hair at £3.05
She says Kiko nail lacquer is amoung the best varnishes she has ever used ( and she uses alot ) it does not chip or crack even after a weeks worth of ware and tare and she swears by it. She loves the fact that it comes off easily without staining the nails and adores the range of gorgeous colours too! Instead of washing her hair everyday she uses Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair and says not only is it cheap but keeps her from tirelessly washing her locks everyday.

Harpi Loves - Garnier Soft Essentials Foaming Cream Wash at £3.55 ( bargain )  
She says this face wash clears all makeup including mascara and by only using the tiniest of amounts AND it is soap free! she also is a huge lover of Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair and uses it daily too!

The Bow Loves - L'Oreal Extra Ordinary Oil at £6.66 and Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion at £36
She says that the Extra Ordinary Oil saved her hair from any type of frizz considering she bleaches her hair often and she is also a brand new fan of Giorgio Armani's  Maestro Fusion foundation because its oil based formula is simply divine on the skin!

The Fringe Loves - Rimmel Sunshimmer Light Matte at £5.99, Save The Nail Topcoat at £6.95, Berocca Boost at £3.69, Dior Skin Nude Compact at £35, Soap & Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser at £10, Soap & Glory Bright here, Bright Now at £11
She says without these beauties she would not be happy with her daily routine and finds that after trying lots of different products these were the ones that stood the test!

Pauline Loves - Cupboard Cosmetics
She says it caught her eye in the paper and how ordinary household products such as mayo can be your very best beauty friends!

I'm considering trying to make my own eyelash growth gel based on tutorials I found on YouTube. I will take a before and after picture of  said lashes and see if it works! if not, I will moan about it for ages and ages in work AND on here........ I jest. This was the video I watched and will follow!

 

Huge amounts of love

Topknot

xxx

Beauty must haves of the momento!!

A long absence and no apology? Yes that would be me! I am sorry though. To you, myself and the blogosphere. However who cares I hear you say? Well yes. Who does? Anyways. A picture of my beauty must haves and stuff that I totally love just now. I'll list the exact names and prices and where to get these things in my next post. I need to find all these out first of course. Ha!

Topknot xxx

To do list rejig...

Ok...so on my to do list today was a hefty list of important and must be done things. To be fair I did the ones I really didn't want to do, but the must clean out my wardrobe fell by the wayside. Instead I picked myself up, dusted myself down after the truly awful calls to the horrible electricity company and made myself the etsy shop I've been promising to make for ages. To be fair I maybe should have waited till all my productss were ready but I thought, well, why? Just do it now you procrastinating procrastinator! So I did. The skincare products listed so far are my favourite and absolute necessities in life, so they went on first.

The most important in my opinion is the citrus and almond oil cleansing balm and I have been using it for years. I stopped using it and changed to a big brand for a few weeks (Christmas pressie) and now I'm nursing a spot. Raging. So I'm back on it and making sure you all know about it too. All you have to do is take a pea sized amount of the (completely natural and preservative free) balm and rub all over your make up and dirt covered face. It's so natural you can even take off mascara with it and give it all a good rub. Everything that shouldn't be on your face will melt away as soon as you take your lovely clean flannel, soak it in hot water and wring it out. Then the lovely steamy (but now not too hot after its been wrung out) facecloth can be used to wipe away every last trace of grime. The oils in the balm will keep your skin moisturised and dewy all night long and the beeswax will protect your skin against bad weather and environmental baddies.

The rose moisturiser is completely natural too, so much so that I would recommend it be kept in the fridge. This makes it extra cooling and refreshing on your tired skin, combatting redness and inflammation. The avocado oil is great for lined and wrinkled skin as it is packed with vitamin e. I recommend you use this daily and left on without using make up after for a few hours on any sneaky days off you have to give yourself a bit of a rest.

Well there we go. Have a look, give it a try and thank me later ;)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eanda



Fringe xxx

Just chatting

Well hello there my little chunky monkeys. I'm doing a few things simultaneously today. Firstly I'm trying to gut the flat because my mother in law (without the law) is coming to dinner. I won't be there but still, there has been smoked fish made in this house (not by me) in the last few days. Boke. Next I'm sitting watching ugly Betty and drinking coffee. I'm also trying to get ready for work and investigate what I'll need to buy to wear to work tonight. Yes I know I work for a fashion company (I got the job!!!) but I don't start to wear uniform for another week and have to try and not wear the same outfit every day (whatever I wear needs to be nice and smart, but not overly so, and must also be plain enough that noone will admire it too much or ask where I got it)...I'm also thinking about last minute preparations for the family get together this weekend. This happens every year, and involves stunning gorgeous cousins and a swimming pool...so I reckon some nice new nail varninsh, a bit of body brushing and maybe some fake tan? I'm not sure but the pool with my whitish blue body as it is won't be pretty...Of course it must be noted that I am also writing this blog post which is setting me back muchos much. I wanted to leave in half an hour. No chance. I wish I'd tried your shorts a couple of weeks ago knotty one, that might have made a difference!

Ooft, I'm off to get ready. I'm doing some research in to body brushing and the wonders it can achieve, a post about it will be coming soon...

Fringeypops xx

Bow's Hallowe'en

Wow Knot, awesome pumpkinspiration! I aim to at least have one this year which will be half as good as one of those - do you happen to have a turkey cutter I can borrow? Here's my pumpkin from last year - Jack Skellington - those teeth were not easy with a giant blunt kitchen knife.

Here's a link to the nail polish I'm in love with, they are so cute and I'm a sucker for a gimmick! 


Fringe, the cupcake class was smashing - if your cushions turn out as good as your cupcakes then Mr Fringe will be a happy bunny! I'm not sure whose these are but they were just so pretty! 

And back to Hallowe'en - a much under celebrated holiday in the UK.  I'd love to do it USA style, those guys know how to celebrate a holiday!  This year I want to make loads of pumpkins for the front step and make candy apples to give out to the trick-or-treaters... that's the plan anyway! With that in mind, I decided to have a trial run of the candy apples, and just as well! 


Of course this was a spur of the moment idea at about 9.30pm on a rainy night, involving a bike ride on flat tyres to get vinegar and food coloring before I was all set to go.  The only thing I was missing was a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature (note to self, buy one of these).  It's a pretty simple recipe which can be found here here.  

I followed all the steps and was feeling pretty smug about how well it was going - the kitchen was filled with the aroma of sweet toffee and so far everything was going to plan.  It takes ages for the recipe to start looking like toffee and not like brown water!  And here's where it all went wrong!  In my smugness, whizzing around the kitchen with my spotty apron on, I grabbed the food coloring and free-poured it straight into the pan... it was blue.  Not shiny red like on youtube, more greeny-blue bubbling potion that the Evil Queen would be proud of. 

A poison apple, sleeping death? Perfect!

Yeah I agree, not the tastiest looking concoction.  This is the really tricky part though, after a google search I had found some tips for how to know if your mixture is ready without a thermometer - apparently dropping some mixture into cold water will let you know, if it goes hard and toffee-like, its ready.  

Spot the difference?

As i found out - not so! The mixture dripped straight off the apples and formed a lovely mess on the baking paper which never dried hard and shiny but stayed a goopy mess for three days.  This didn't stop my better half from eating one of course, his verdict being that it tasted nice but he couldn't look at it when he ate it.  

Some spooky cupcakes too! Made from a kit though
so doesn't count!

So that would be my Hallowe'en adventures so far! Any tips on how to make some appetizing candy apples (other than not using blue coloring?) And what ideas do we have for costumes this year?