*NEW* Feature Friday - Blogger JellyBeanAdventures 26th of July

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Going Dotty! Dotting Tool Review - Sparkly-Nails*

CONVERSATION

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*NEW* Feature Friday - Fairypants 19th of July

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Darling W7 Debris Collection - Review Mauve Debris*

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Irresistible Handmade Pigments From Innocent+Twisted Alchemy*

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Professional Palettes and Make-up Essentials with BeautyEasier.com*

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Beautiful Locks With Biorganics Hair Therapy*

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Friday, 26 July 2013

*NEW* Feature Friday - Blogger JellyBeanAdventures 26th of July



New Feature Friday!
Featuring JellyBeanAdventures.com

Happy Friday everyone! Today's feature Friday is highlighting a lovely blogger, she is Stephanie and owns Jellybeanadventures.com 

Stephanie really reflects herself so well in blogging, she is down to earth and holds in her readers when she writes. I remember first looking over at her blog and how amazing her jelly bean animated header was! She blogs about a selection of things, lifestyle posts, fashion and wonderful beauty hauls! It's been a pleasure to hear a bit more about Stephanie and her blog by interviewing her; Enjoy!



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Interview with Stephanie Pickering l Owner of JellyBeanAdventures

1) What has been your key inspiration to beginning your blog? 

My real inspiration was from seeing my other friends from around the internet popping up with theirs and they were cleverly designed and it was somewhere to document what you'd been up to, things you'd bought that were good/things to avoid and people would actually listen(read)!.

2) What do you enjoy the most about blogging? 

I enjoy being honest about things. If I don't like something, I will say why. I'll even tweet about the recent blog post and probably tag the companies in of products that I've used. That way I'd like to hope that my voice would be heard. I also like that if I'm thinking of buying something new then I have a search about on various blogs and get the general jist of how it works/if it's good and the price range. 

3) To date, what has been your 'proudest' blog moment?
I think my proudest moment was when I first posted about my weight loss, which included some less than flattering photographs. I needed to get it out there, in order for me to acknowledge that's how I look and to move on and get myself better and fitter. It did take me a while to press that post button.
 4) Where do you see yourself and blog develop in the future?
In the future I'm looking to move house, and at that point I will be buying a proper camera with a tripod and doing outfit posts as I love buying clothes, moreso than make-up. At the moment I haven't got any space, nor camera, nor privacy to pose as much as I like so it's all a waiting game. 
5) What tips/advice would you give to someone who wants to go down the blogging path like yourself?
I would say find yourself a niche, don't blog about the obvious stuff. You can find 10 to the dozen reviews on a number of blogs all for the same foundation/lipstick/eyeshadow. You get sick of reading all the repetition, well I know I do! Also, if you're going to use a product and then review it after, why not do a before and after style post, I love reading them. For example you might buy some shampoo that claims to de-frizz. It's all well and good saying 'Yea it works and it's great'. I want to SEE how well it works.
6) Which would you say is your favourite type of blog post to do?
I'd say I do love doing the adventuring updates, although I don't do those too often and I haven't got a lot of free time away from work. I really love pining over clothes so blogging about loads of pretty clothes makes me feel better, also keeps the links to the clothes fresh in my mind as I always source my finds.
7) 3 Must have beauty items you couldn't be without! 
At the moment it's my Alberto Balsam green apple/mandarin shampoo and conditioner. I love fruity smelling hair care, and it's the type of product that you can still smell at the end of the day. It's lush!
I really swear by the Clearasil face wipe pads, I don't have spots per say but recently with the hot weather my face has been oilier than usual. These wipes are alcoholly so make my skin feel lovely after using.
And finally, I alway carry a Soap and glory spritzer in my bag. I love the smell and it's easy enough to just splash on whenever I feel like it. It's all girly and that's quite unlike me. I love it.
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Thank you so much to Stephanie for opening up about herself and her blogging adventure! I wish her all the luck with her blog and would love for you to all check it out along with her networking sites:-
Blog - http://www.JellybeanAdventures.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ImBobbles

Friday, 19 July 2013

Going Dotty! Dotting Tool Review - Sparkly-Nails*



Hey there beauties! Today I'm bringing to you another review from the wonderful Nail company who has it all, Sparkly-Nails! 
They kindly sent to me their dotting tool with two nail paints, as I've not used a tool like this before I was interested in which types of nail art I could produce, and here is what I came up with!




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Initial Thoughts

Firstly I like how sparkly-nails always delivers their products professionally packaged, with never any damage or leaking. The dotting tool came within this packing so it was clear to see how the tool looked before even opening it. The tool is double ended, each of the ends is a different size which is handy as it is all in one so no big need on having to change tools when doing your nail art. 
The dotting tool is very well designed and easy to hold, pretty much like a pen, it gives more of the user that added confidence if they're still new to nail art, because of its sleek shape. 
The paint pots were such a reasonable size at 3ml each, they're a water based type solution so a top coat is needed to seal in the design. 


Only a small dab of the tool in the paint, just so that the tip is covered, was all you needed to create a couple of dots on the nails. For the flower design on the navy blue base polish I used both ends, the smaller tip for the middle of the flower then the larger tip for the petals. The second nail art design was inspired by the 4th of July, a sparkly blue base and dots of white and red using the small ended tool. For the overall prices of Sparkly-nails tools and paints they were very reasonable and affordable for the effects you could get from using them!

What are your thoughts? Would you consider using a dotting tool for nail art?
Let me know in the comments!



   

*NEW* Feature Friday - Fairypants 19th of July



New Feature Friday!
Featuring Fairypants

Yaaay it's Friday and I know it has been a while since the last Feature, but we're back with a wonderful handmade and unique company, Fairypants! 

Fairypants is a home business that Natalie Pierce-Jones started when she realised she could no longer afford to buy dresses. She decided to make them instead! Fairypants grew as friends and relatives wanted a piece of the action, and now it includes jewellery  vegan cosmetics and hair accessories. Fairypants is now stocked nationally. You can buy their dresses from Spark in Matlock, their jewellery from Sally's Secret Garden in Chester, and their vegan lipbalms from Animal Aid, and Viva!

I got the opportunity to interview the lovely Natalie all about her career! 

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Interview with Natalie Pierce-Jones l Director

1) What has been your key inspiration to your current career?
 I remember a project in infant school, I must have been 5 or 6. We were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. All the other little girls wanted to be nurses, teachers or hairdressers. I told everyone that I wanted to be a Dress Designer. And now I am. Simple!

2) What do you enjoy the most about your job?
 I'm really creative, and I often can't concentrate in 'normal' jobs, so Fairypants is perfect for me. I like that I am my own boss, and I love that I get to turn my amazing ideas into reality. The best thing though, is the knowledge that other people rate what you're doing. If you work for yourself, when people buy things, they're basically buying YOU. They're buying into your ideas, your thoughts. And that is a massive compliment.

3) To date, what has been your 'proudest' moment?
I've had a couple of really proud moments. The first was winning a Shell Livewire Award shortly after starting my business. It meant a lot to me, it was in the beginning when I had very little confidence in myself as a businesswoman. Another would be when I started to receive orders for my handmade Vegan lipbalms. I started making those because I was sick of only being able to buy strawberry flavour lipbalm in the shops, I realised there must be another way! Selling my concotions to customers is an amazing feeling, because it means that others saw the gap in the market too!

4) Where do you see yourself in the future?
In an ideal world, I would want a small chain of Fairypants shops across the UK. They would be selling fabulous retro clothes that would suit any body shape and bank balance, super cool unique jewellery and a large vegan cosmetics range. The fact that they are vegan should appeal to everybody, as it means they are completely cruelty free. Not tested on animals, and containing no animal derivatives or other icky ingredients.

5) What tips/advice would you give to someone who wants to go down the same career path as yourself?
Whenever I feel a bit unsure about a decision or an idea, I play You can get it if you really want by Desmond Dekker. Sounds stupid, but a nice bit of reggae will always sort you out, and the words are really positive. You can get ANYTHING if you are prepared to work hard enough at it, and that is the advice I would pass on. Running your own business is NEVER easy. But if you get it right, it's always worth it.

6) Which would you say is your favourite item off your website at the moment?
At the moment, I'm loving two products. My vegan lipbalms (they're my babies, and cosmetics is and has always been a massive passion of mine) and the vintage style button wedding bouquets that I've just started doing. Working with brides is so amazing, they're always full of excitement, and I'm a naturally excitable person, so it works well!

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I'd like to thank Natalie and her business for their time and allowing me to let my readers hear more about your cute handmade company! I'll be making some sneaky purchases I'm sure!

If you'd like to interact with Fairypants here are their social sites!


       

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Darling W7 Debris Collection - Review Mauve Debris*




W7 Debris Collection

I'm very thrilled to let you all know about the new collection W7 have brought out for 2013, this is their Debris Collection. 5 shades have been carefully designed for all year around I was kindly sent over the beautiful Mauve Debris varnish to review.

W7 has always been a favourite brand of mine, their quality and quantity are so reasonable and affordable. I'm excited to see new collections from them as they keep up to date with all the trends and this collection has been perfect for lovers of all things glitter!


Mauve debris is packed full of purple, green and gold shades of glitter; Its fabulous for festivals, carnivals or even fairgrounds for that main element of fun! These specks of glitter pick up wonderfully in the sunlight, the texture of the varnish was very glossy overall so there wasn't a main need for a topcoat. 


To achieve this look I applied about 2-3 coats of the polish so depending on the desired effect layers are the right way to build these polishes up. Personally I would only do a glitter finger on the ring finger than every nail simply because I do have trouble removing glitter base polishes; but completely up to you on how you'd style the Debris shades! 

Priced at £4.95 each, the nail polishes are available online from the first week of July.
Follow W7 on Twitter - https://twitter.com/W7makeup

   

Sunday, 14 July 2013

Irresistible Handmade Pigments From Innocent+Twisted Alchemy*



Hello darlings and happy Sunday to you all! I've got a new review for you today, as it really seems July has been a busy time for them! But I love sharing my thoughts and opinions with you and learn more about unique companies and their products.

I came across Innocent+Twisted Alchemy, a store that was on StoreEnvy which you may be aware of. I was looking through the make-up category completely in my element and then I saw these gorgeous glittery pigments... Linda Wan is the creator with so much talent. She makes both the Eye-shadows and the art/packaging for them too. So allowing me to review a few of her eye-shadows with you today has been an honour!

All comments and opinions are 100% my own and I've not been paid say them.




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On receiving the package, Linda had ensured that the products were protected by wrapping them within bubble wrap. I was thrilled to see such an adorable hand sized bag which looked so Kawaii and was so me! Inside were two full sized products and two samples (clamshells) I was overwhelmed by the quantity and when you see the pigmentation you will see why! She had also placed in a gorgeous art print card of her shop's logo and included a surprise coupon code, such a generous lady.

The shades which I received were:- Endless Rain Lavish Lollipops (1.63g), I < 3 when angels cry (1.63g), Life is a game - Sweet Pandemonium (sample size) and Regenerate (sample size).


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-Lavish Lollipops Eyeshadow $6-

This is from the 'Endless Rain Collection' I firstly adore the names she chose for each one, it feels like it's their own little character. Impressed with such a beautiful shimmer, Lavish Lollipops is a hint of lavender and mauve pink , with duo-chrome gold and golden shimmers. The quality is perfection, the texture is ever so soft to the touch which won't be harsh on the eye area. Its simple to blend too for that desired effect. I would suggest this shade for a bridal make-up, special occasion or evening wear. Please also note that these eye shadows are not lip safe but are also not vegan!
When the light hits these will shimmer wonderfully, I can really see the gold and lavender shade stand out softly.


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-007 I ♥ when Angels cry $6-

 This shade is perfect for a neutral pale highlight, a pink-ish tone with shimmers of gold. Within 
daylight the golden specks are captured, this is when 'I ♥ when angels cry' makes a natural 
or bronzed look, appear dewy and glowing. This would be wonderful to highlight the brow bone or
the inner corners of the eye to really make them pop! 
A soft velvet to the touch texture that can blend easily on the skin. 
Not lip safe but this eye-shadow is Vegan!


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-Sweet Pandemonium Clamshell $3-

For samples these clamshells of product are perfectly packed! Sweet Pandemonium is a purple with a gold shift and red shimmer, unfortunately the lighting couldn't give this much justice but you will see the purple hue on the swatches. I would suggest this shade for an evening look, ideal for smoky eyes. The shade can be built up in layers if necessary and softly blended out with a blending brush. 


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-Lovely Tomie - Regenerated Clamshell $3-

Regenerated is part of the "Lovely TOMIE" Collection. This set is inspired by the amazing horror manga "TOMIE" by Junji Ito. This is one of my favourite shades, it's a beautiful light copper which includes hues of purple and gold shimmer. This eye-shadow is only limited edition though! So do get it while you can! Ideal for both day and evening looks, especially for bridal as this would look amazing on photographs outdoors. 


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A big thank you to Linda for her generosity; which eyeshadow stands out the most to you? Let me know in the comments!

Find Innocent+Twisted Alchemy store here - http://innocenttwisted.storenvy.com/

Also get 15% off with this code - UniqueLoveStyle 

      

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

Professional Palettes and Make-up Essentials with BeautyEasier.com*




BeautyEasier is a company which has been providing beauty products since 2008 and are constantly updating and bringing new knowledge for their customers experience. 
 All the products they carry are produced cruelty free and no animals are harmed. Even though some companies still test on animals, they do believe that it is unnecessary, unethical and is scientifically unreliable. As they want to be sure that their products are safe on humans, their products are rigorously assessed and tested by human volunteers.

BeautyEasier.com kindly sent me some of their products to review for my readers, all comments and opinions are 100% my own and I've not been paid to do so.


Products I will be reviewing - 28 colour shimmer make-up palette (smoky-eyes), 10 colour blush palette, Manly 64 colour eye-shadow palette and SixPlus Flat Top Synthetic Foundation brush

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The 28 Colour Shimmer Make-up Palette for Smoky-Eyes



I was extremely excited on this palette's arrival, Mainly because I'm passionate on creating the famous smoky-eye look. My first thoughts were how reasonable the pan sizes were, for using this in a professional manner there is a well made layout of eye-shadows that vary in shades.
The palette was easy to open with a clear cover slip on top of the eye-shadows which helps protect but also keeps them hygienic when working on sets. The case itself is a firm sleek design which is easier to store and travel with; although there is no mirror inside this wasn't an issue for me personally and with the way I'd use the palette.
For 28 shades there is something for multiple looks that can be created, the way I'd use this palette for a smoky eyed look would be placing a darker shade on the outer corners, creating a slight winged v-like shape and blending it into the crease to then use a medium shade close to that colour for the middle of the eyelid blending it softly out. The shades provided can be both for an intensified or subtle look and are all a shimmer base finish. These shadows are highly pigmented and reasonably priced which includes Free shipping! A perfect palette for any make-up artists kit.


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10 Colour Blush Palette



Now this is a palette I've not had before, so to have the opportunity to review it I was over the moon! This is a 10 pan blush set which as you can see has an array of shades for every skin tone. From soft pastel pink to a pinch cheeked colour these matte blushes are perfect for both professional and day to day use. In single use the shades are an opaque full coverage, but with the texture being so soft they're much easy to blend to the desired consistency. Another thing which I loved about this palette was that you can use the darker shades for contouring! I'm very impressed with the quality of the product and is perfect for a make-up kit when you want to try both highlight and contoured looks.


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Manly 64 Eye Shadow Palette







Now this set is much smaller in size to the other palettes I would suggest it's easier for travelling with, with a total of 64 colours this is nicely layered within the palette. I was more surprised though of how small the single colour sizes were, at 1.6cm diameter it can be much easier to result any product fall out to mix with another; This would be my only fault with the product. As for the choice of colours, there really is every shade to create either a bright colourful look to a dark intense look the shadows also have a slight shimmer to them, some more than others, which should be noted but with a silky texture and wonderfully pigmented. The case itself is perfect for the products to slot into with a glossy finish its easier to keep clean!


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SixPlus Flat Top Synthetic Foundation brush



Last but not least is the SixPlus range that produce professional make-up brushes, This one I was sent is their Flat top foundation brush. This has a strong aluminium handle and synthetic hair which is so soft to the touch, it's perfect for a flawless finish. I used this brush within my normal make-up routine, even though it stated that it works best with mineral foundation I was tempted to give it a whirl with my Benefit Oxygen Wow liquid foundation. Only using a small amount I worked it into my skin, using the brush in a circular motion as it blended thoroughly. I can not explain how soft this brush is! It was an airbrush finish over all and worked perfectly even on the driest patches on my face. I'm very interested to see how the rest of their brushes are but this is perfect if you have sensitive skin or using a much lighter liquid foundation or powder/mineral.


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Currently grab their promotion code/offer - 8% OFF coupon #2013 off your whole order!

Visit their store at - http://www.beautyeasier.com/

     

Monday, 8 July 2013

Beautiful Locks With Biorganics Hair Therapy*


I'm thrilled to bring to you another company which specify in Hair care who doesn't use any harsh chemicals, and are also cruelty free.

This Company is BiOrganics, their products have started to become very popular within the eco bloggers community and with celebrities such as, Janey Lee Grace (Radio 2 presenter and no 1 personality in the natural beauty yearbook 2013) And (Pollyanna Woodward of the Gadget Show.) I was honoured to have the opportunity to review a selection of their salon secrets hair care products which target dry, damaged and frizzy hair.

All opinions and comments are 100% my own and here is how I got on with them!

Products that I'll be reviewing - Salon Secret Replenishing Shampoo, Salon Secret Replenishing Treatment and the Salon Secret Elixir. 

Salon Secret Replenishing Shampoo

From my own personal experiences with shampoos that are created to target coloured or damaged hair, haven't left me with the salon perfect results that they promise. I either find them even more dryer than before or it just goes too frizzy. My current hair condition I would say is quite dry, coloured hair and slightly damaged from heat styling. The replenishing shampoo has its purpose of using a blend of natural ingredients that repair, moisture and protect the hair of breakage; Containing the famous Argan Oil and ylang ylang which I've heard great results on giving a glossy and healthy shine. During my hair routine I applied a 50p sized amount in my palm which I worked to cover both of my palms, before applying to my wet hair and massaging to the scalp. The scent of the product isn't over powering, I would say its a fresh fragrance that you can definitely smell the Ylang Ylang within. I washed my hair with this shampoo twice then used a moisturising conditioner from my previous hair routine. I wasn't expecting a massive change from the one use, but I was pleased with the results after I Blow-dried! My hair instantly felt smoother and looked shiny too.
I've been using this shampoo all the time as my routine and I've really noticed the difference it's already looking healthier and so is the colour it's calmed the tone down and made it natural appearing. 
I've noticed that using a shampoo that is free from SLS & Parabens it makes a big difference and is much more healthier for your hair; I'd recommend this shampoo to anyone who like me has dry, thick and needs that extra glossy boost!


Salon Secret Replenishing Treatment

As part of this set, there was a replenishing treatment that is an intense deeper treatment for damaged hair; It's been tested to repair and restore including UV protection and reduces colour fading. Ingredients include Vegetable proteins, Argan oil and Sunflower seed extract. My hair has particularly suffered when the weather and heat has been unbearable, causing my hair to dry and weaken; I've used this treatment adding a small amount into my palms before smoothing it through clean and wet hair, Then I left it on between 5-10 Minutes like a hair mask. Rinsing thoroughly and drying my hair again I was speechless from the results, my hair was refreshed and felt incredibly clean. I'd recommend using this at least once a week, not to over do it as the results are pretty quick even from someone with thick hair!


Salon Secret Elixir

Lastly is the wonderful Elixir that I was curious in using; mainly due to not applying anything to my hair before I blow dry it at home and also it is the first hair oil I've used. Now this product is what I use every time before I dry my hair, I can't see why I was so worried! As my hair type is thick I used 2 pumps of the oil and rubbed it into my palms before working it on the tips and then the length of the hair, avoiding both the root and scalp. Then I brushed my hair into its style with a comb and blow dried. It helped tackle my issue of frizz when I usually dry my hair, revealing it to look a lot smoother and that also my hair dried quicker with the oil than without! It is a recommended hair oil at an affordable price!



BiOrganics website - http://www.biorganics.co.uk/

      
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