Christmas Sales Haul

I hit the shops with my mum on Boxing Day and although it was absolutely packed and all civilisation had turned into bargain hunting robots with no manners or people skills, I managed to come away with some lovely buys.

The shop that took most of my money was Topshop. I looked online before we went out and was a little disappointed with the online selection, so I wasn't getting my hopes up. However I found some lovely items in store and now I know the sale items in store are always better than online.

Bunny print shirt dress - £48 reduced to £30

Plum ponte dress - £30 reduced to £20

Leopard print shirt dress - £30 reduced to £18

Stripe top - £18 reduced to £10

(I couldn't find links online for the rest of the items)

I spotted the leopard print dress a while ago, but they didn't have my size. After it disappeared from the shop floor in my local Topshop, I thought I'd seen the last of it... And I couldn't believe my luck when I found the bunny print dress as I think it sold out super quickly when it came out in stores earlier this year. As I was laying out the items to take the picture above, I realised I have a 'type'... Looking through my wardrobe, you would see that I have a penchant for patterned skirts and dresses, stripy tops, and dresses that come in just above the waist. Does anyone else have a type of clothing that they always buy?

Topshop charity bracelet - £2

At the till point in Topshop, I spied this orange cord bracelet with a a silver wishbone charm. Jewellery with wishbones on are my weakness and I knew I had to buy it! The bracelet cost £2 and it was nice to see that £1 goes to charity (Centre Point, to be exact). There were two other designs too - A red cord bracelet with a dainty squirrel (so cute!) and a black cord bracelet with a heart.

I also picked up a few items from Marks and Spencer. M and S isn't a store I tend to shop in, but I thought I'd have a peek as my mum was looking for some work dresses.

Woven blazer - £29.50 reduced to £12.50

Black skinny jeggings - £?? reduced to £7.50!

I have been after a black blazer for ages! I spotted a lovely 3/4 sleeve blazer in Topshop a while back, but at £65, I couldn't bear to part with the money. After spotting this lone blazer on the rack, among a lovely turquoise one of the same style, I knew it was meant to be! My mum actually bought the jeggings for herself, but didn't realise they had zips at the bottom. After proclaiming that she was "too old for the extra zips", I decided to try them on... I have nothing but good things to say about these. They're a thickish material, so they lean more towards jeans than jeggings, they fit like a dream and stay skinny! My pet peeve with jeans is when the sag around the bum or knees and I have worn these every day since buying them (oops) and they're still nice and tight!

Lastly is an item I actually picked up from New Look before Christmas. After Sarah blogged about this skirt, I knew I had to have it!

Tulip sequin mini - £29.99 reduced to £6.50!

The skirt is absolutely beautiful. It has an array of flowers on the front,, with some pretty beading along the scallops.

Did you pick up any bargains in the sales?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #8

Hey everyone! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and I hope Santa got you everything you wanted! :D

Today I have a few finished products to share with you. I've realised that I hardly ever have any finished make-up to show! So I really need to make more of an active effort to start working through my collection as I am trying to downsize. Let's hope there are some more make-up items in my next Project Empties post!


Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser Review: To be honest, this cleanser isn't really anything special. However I really liked it! It's super gentle, which was great for times when my skin was feeling delicate or when I broke out and it is pretty effective at removing make-up. I like that it's scentless and you get a generous amount of product for £8 or so. Would I repurchase? Yes
Clarisonic Gentle Hydro Cleanser Review: This had a strong cucumbery scent, which I didn't like and I didn't like the texture of it either. I liked that it was nice and gentle, so it's perfect for sensitive skin. It worked well with my Clarisonic, however I used it a few times on its own and didn't find that it was a particularly great cleanser. It didn't dry out my skin and left it feeling clean and soft.   Would I repurchase? No

No7 Radiance Revealed Exfoliator Review: Here Would I repurchase? Yes
Clean&Clear Shine Control Daily Facial Moisturiser  Review: This moisturiser was a bit pants to be honest. It claims to help control shine, but I found that it made no difference. It is a light moisturiser, which I sometimes felt wasn't moisturising enough. It has a lovely citrus and zingy scent, which is nice for the mornings.  Would I repurchase? No
Boots Witch Hazel Review: I've been using this witch hazel as a toner or as part of my DIY toner. It's a great size bottle for only £2-ish and it has lasted me ages. Would I repurchase? Yes
Clearasil Overnight Serum  Review: I bought this on a whim, as I was looking at in Boots (for £7-something) and then saw it for sale in none other than Poundland! It made no difference whatsoever on my breakouts and I'm glad I only paid £1 for this.  Would I repurchase? No
Next Diamonds Review: This is supposedly a dupe of Dior's 'Miss Dior Cherie'. I'm not sure if it is, but it is a lovely sweet and girlie perfume. I thought it was a perfect scent for summer, so wore it loads through the summer and autumn months, before recently transitioning to a heavier scent (Chanel 'Coco Mademoiselle', in case you're wondering). I had this for approximately a year and a half and noticed that the scent changed a little as I neared the end of the bottle, so I would advise to get through this quickly if you do purchase it. It's a great price at only £6 for 30ml! Would I repurchase? Yes
L'Oreal Voluminous Review: Here Would I repurchase? Yes    Finished Products: 8 Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to December 2011: 40! What have you finished up recently? Thanks for reading. xoxo, Joy

It's Christmas Eve...

So I just wanted to wish you all a...

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I hope you all have amazing times with your family/friends/whoever you're spending the day with! And I hope Santa brings you everything you want ;)

Thank you all for being here with me throughout this past year, whether you've been a follower for a long time or short time. I really appreciate every single one of you and am so grateful.

Lots of love, Joy xoxo

All images from Tumblr.

MUA Heaven & Earth Palette

I picked up this Make Up Academy Heaven & Earth Palette last week from my local Superdrug after months and months of pondering, "Should I, Shouldn't I?". After seeing a tonne of rave reviews on numerous blogs and constantly seeing that it was sold out in Superdrug, you know you're onto a winner so I nipped into Superdrug and bought this without a second thought.

I'm so glad I finally bought it, because the colours are so gorgeous and pigmented! Some of the shades are more pigmented than others and there is a little fallout on application, but you seriously cannot fault this palette. I can't believe this palette only cost £4! My favourites are number 3, 4 and 6 on the top row (going from left to right).

 Above: In natural daylight, Below: With flash

 In natural daylight

With flash

If I was being picky, the only downside of this palette is that all the colours are shimmery. I would have loved some matte shades thrown in, like in the Naked Palette. But that is a minor issue and I love this palette!

Do any of you own this palette? What are your favourite neutral palettes?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

T-Zone Dilemmas

Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice, please?

I have combination skin, where I have dry cheeks/nose and a rather oily t-zone. Currently I'm using Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder to set my foundation, but it is not living up to expectations. I get shine after a few hours and my make-up doesn't stay in place long enough :( So I am asking you ladies, what is the best setting powder and mattifying powder you have used? Or any products that help to keep your t-zone matte? I would love some recommendations, please!

Here are some virtual Christmas cupcakes in return for your help :)

Image: Bakerella

xoxo, Joy

Current Favourites

I didn't do a November favourites, because I was using pretty much the same make-up throughout November as October and I didn't see the point on posting the same favourites. But recently, I've been loving some new products so I thought I'd share them with you by doing a quick video.

What are you loving at the moment?

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Review: Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask

What they say: (From TheBodyShop.co.uk) Sink some antioxidant Vitamin E into your skin. Bring skin back to optimum moisture level with this intensely hydrating mask.

Price: £12.00

Swatch:

What I think: On the website, they recommend applying a thin layer and leaving for 10 minutes, before removing it or leaving it on overnight for an intensive moisturising treatment. Personally I don't see the point of applying it and wiping it off again, so I've been using this as a night moisturiser for the wintery weather. I've been really liking it, as it leaves your skin feeling soft and non-greasy the next morning. When I first bought this, I applied large amounts to my face and it left my skin feeling tacky and sticky for a while and almost made my face feel like it was stinging a little. You literally need a pea size amount, and that is more than enough to leave your face with a thin, moisturising layer.

It smells clean and fresh, without having an over powering scent. The texture of this mask is quite hard to describe. I'd say it's a gel-like, wibbly texture (I don't know if that makes any sense, but hopefully the pictures in this post illustrate what I'm on about...!). I initially didn't like the texture, as it's quite unlike any other moisturisers I've tried, but the more I used it, the more I got used to it.

This mask is also great for other parts of the body. If my skin is feeling extra dry, I use this like a normal moisturiser and slather it onto my skin.

I would recommend this for people with dry skin. I have an oily t-zone and it hasn't made me break out or get an oilier. You get a generous 100ml in the tub, which I think will last ages. I haven't tried The Body Shop Vitamin E night moisturiser, but I assume that this would be more moisturising. So if you're considering the night moisturiser, maybe give this a go as the night moisturiser comes in at £10 for 50ml and this is £12 for 100ml, which is great value for money as you get double the amount of product for £2 extra.

I got an Origins Intensive Mask in the Origins gift set from Bicester (mentioned here), which I think is a similar product to this, so I'll definitely be using that soon and maybe comparing the two.

Have you ever tried this product or any other intensive moisturising product?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Christmas Wishlist

As Christmas is looming closer and closer (14 more sleeps!), I thought I'd share my ultimate Christmas wishlist. A few things are things I need, e.g. new glasses as the plastic on my Chanel ones are falling apart a little after having them for 4 years and new replacement heads for my Clarisonic, while some things are a little out there e.g. the Black Milk leggings or a little extortionate e.g. the iPhone and Mulberry Alexa. But like I said this is my ultimate wishlist, which is irrespective of how realistic life is.

Clockwise from left:

Purple Galaxy Leggings (BlackMilkClothing.com)

iPhone (Apple.com)

Clarisonic Brush Heads (Clarisonic.co.uk)

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish (LizEarle.com)

OPI Rainbow Connection (OPI.com)

Mulberry Alexa (Mulberry.com)

Ray-Ban Glasses (Rayban.com)

What have you asked for for Christmas? What would be on your ultimate wishlist?

xoxo, Joy

4 Week, No Heat Review

In October I decided to attempt the 4 Week, No Heat Challenge. It's been just over a month now, so I thought I'd do a quick update and give you my thoughts on the challenge.

I have been enjoying not needing to dedicate up to 20 minutes for styling my hair. This means more time in bed! I tend to wash my hair at night and have recently been going to bed while it is still a little damp and in a loose bun. The next morning, this gives me nice natural looking waves, which I just run a little serum through and I'm good to go. I usually wear my hair straight every day, but I'm really enjoying having wavy hair and in my past experience, as my hair grows, my natural wave becomes more pronounced. But for now I will continue cheating (by wearing it in a loose bun while damp).

I feel like my hair feels stronger and fuller, but I still get a lot of fall out, especially when I'm running conditioner through my hair or when brushing it. My natural hair gets frizzy much easier than when styled, so I found slicking a little serum through my hair helped to tame it.

The picture below shows the change in length. As you can see, there hasn't been a drastic change in the length of my hair, but it definitely feels healthier and I have noticed fewer split ends.

Left - Before (Air dried), Right - After (Slept in a loose bun)

I have decided that I will try to persevere with this challenge. I will try to avoid heat altogether, but there are occasions where I will still use it every so often. I am glad I tried this and would definitely recommend it if your hair is feeling a little damaged from heat.

Have any of you tried the 4 Week, No Heat Challenge? How did you get on with it?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Virtual Christmas Party

I don't actually have a Christmas party to go to, but I have been virtual shopping for one! I love that you can completely over the top with the glitter, glitz and glamour at Christmas and nobody would bat an eyelid! My picks are quite reserved, but I love the colours and glamour of the outfits. I completely forgot to pick jewellery and I didn't pick jackets either, because who really wear jackets when they're all dolled up and going out? If the celebrities can brave the cold for premieres, why can't virtual me?!

Firstly I have my high street picks with items from Miss Selfridge, ASOS and Aldo. I absolutely adore the colour of the dress and I have been lusting after an asymmetric dress like this for ages. I think the gold clutch and gold accent of the shoes match perfectly with the rich tone of the teal, while the accent of black on the shoes means it isn't gold overload.

Dress - Miss Selfridge (£39), Clutch - ASOS (£45), Shoes - Aldo (£80)

Total = £164

Now onto the fun part! I decided to select a few items from high end, out-of-my-price-range designers. I may have had a little too much fun picking these as it made me feel like Tamara Ecclestone, hehe! (Did anyone else watch 'Tamara Ecclestone: Billion Dollar Girl'?). The dress is a beautiful red, which ties in nicely with Christmas. I love the subtle diagonal pattern on the dress, which (I assume) would be slimming. The Charlotte Olympia shoes are absolutely to die for! It was a hard toss up between these and the Paloma ones! I think the Bottega Veneta clutch finishes off the outfit nicely, as a black clutch may have been too matchy-matchy with the shoes, while the cream sticks with the neutral theme and I find ivory goes lovely with red.

Dress - Adam (£375), Clutch - Bottega Veneta (£890), Shoes - Charlotte Olympia (£608)

Total = £1873!

Are you going to a Christmas Party? What are you wearing to it? What would you buy if you could spend, no expenses spared?

xoxo, Joy

New Bits & Bobs

Last week I managed to get a MAC Her Blooming Cheek blush and MAC Pink Nouveau lipstick from the lovely Rachel's blog sale. I came home to see a parcel from her and literally ripped it open!

Her Blooming Cheek blush is a gorgeous, highly pigmented pink. It looks scary in the pan, but using a stippling brush to apply it leaves you with a pretty pink cheek. I think this will be a firm favourite this winter! Pink Nouveau is a bright Barbie pink lipstick. I originally didn't think it was very me, but upon trying it on I fell in love with it. I wore it when I went shopping with my mum with a neutral eye and I really liked it! Thank you so much again, Rachel!

Her Blooming Cheek, Pink Nouveau

I have recently been lusting after a dark red/wine lipstick for Autumn/Winter. I was waiting for my friend to get her eyebrows threaded in Superdrug, so I thought it was only right to have a cheeky look down all the make-up aisles! I went a little swatch happy and must have swatched every single dark red lipstick I came across. My hand looked like I had linear measles! After some deliberation, I opted for a red lipstick by MUA which was cheap as chips at only £1! It's a gorgeous red, which is lovely for night and day. It applies like a dream, is super creamy, non-drying and lasts for ages.

I also picked up a matte black eyeshadow (shade 20) as my old one had smashed into smithereens. Like I've said before, the pigmentation of MUA eyeshadows is amazing and they are soft and velvety. MUA has definitely rapidly become one of my favourite affordable brands.

MUA Lipstick Shade 1, MUA Eyeshadow Shade 20

What have you bought recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

DIY Toner

I've recently been breaking out more than usual and I don't know why... So I whipped up this DIY toner and thought I'd share a quick tutorial for a soothing, skin softening and acne treating toner, which has rapidly become one of my personal favourites :) It leaves your skin feeling soft and helps battle blemishes and acne. It issuper simple to make and can be made with things that are available easily and cheaply.

After filming and editing the video, I had a search on Youtube and saw that Secretlifeofabionerd already has a video about this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpf4s0zS73w),which is a tiny bit different as she uses more aspirin. Seeing as I'd spent a good few hours editing the video, I still decided to upload it. I hope you like it!

More Background Info:

Salicylic acid is abeta-hydroxy acid derived from the bark of a willow tree. It is available forthe public in the form of aspirin and lots of products aimed at acne andskin clearing on the market contain salicylic acid. Salicylicacid works by causing the cells of the epidermis to shed properly. Thisprevents the pores from getting clogged up and being infected with bacteriathereby preventing blemishes from showing.

Witch hazel is producedfrom the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub. It is a natural astringent, which reduces inflammation, sanitizes the skin and helps with hydration of the skin. Many people use it topically as a toner, as it is gentle and non drying to the skin.

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Wardrobe Envy: Kristen Stewart

I went to see Breaking Dawn with my flatmate earlier this week. I generally enjoyed it and can't wait for the second instalment, because I want to see how the story ends (as I haven't read the books). If you've seen it, what did you think of it? I can't believe after the next film, it'll all be over! After watching the interview with the whole of the Twilight cast on the Ellen Show and seeing a gazillion Kristen Stewart/Bella Swan make-up tutorials pop up on Youtube, I was inspired to do a style crush post of Kristen Stewart.


While some people may be thinking 'Reeeally?!', I actually have to admit I genuinely like Kristen's style (most of the time). I love Kristen's casual style, as this is how I tend to dress. She tends to stick to blacks, greys and whites and always looks comfortable and casual. In my opinion, sometimes her event outfits are a bit questionable... But when she gets it right, it's spot on. I think Kristen generally opts for cocktail dresses and massive heels, although it seems like she tends to wear floor-length dresses to the Twilight premieres and doesn't stay in the heels for very long either, as there are pictures of her at the Breaking Dawn Part 1 Premiere in London signing autographs in her trainers!

All images are from KStewartFan.org and Google
Who are your style crushes? You can see more of my style crushes .

xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Office

2 coats of American Apparel nail lacquer in 'Office'

I tend to steer well away from green nail polishes, as I don't think they suit my skin tone, however I have a soft spot for minty green shades. I found the formula of this very runny, which was a little bit annoying as I managed to drip a few splodges on my hand. I noticed that the colour can be opaque with one coat. But due to the formula, I found it difficult to get the right amount on the brush so settled on two coats and ended up with a lovely streak-free opaque colour. It dried quickly, which is great and dried to a glossy, but matte-esque finish. I don't think that description makes sense, as glossy and matte are complete opposites, but hopefully you can kind of get an idea of what I mean from the picture...? Without a topcoat, this chipped on me within 2-3 days :(

Have you ever tried AA nail polish? What colours would you recommend?

xoxo, Joy

Collective Haul

I've just uploaded a collective haul to Youtube, so I thought I'd also post it here. It does seem like a lot, but it was bought over a couple of shopping trips and over a few weeks.

I'm sorry if you're sick of seeing videos from me!

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Tag: I Feel Naked Without

I love doing tag posts, because they're nice and simple to do and a bit of fun :) So I thought I'd make one up myself! I've decided to call it: "I feel naked without..." and the rules are simple:

1) Write a list of 5 things you feel "naked" without

2) Tag 5 people

With regards to feeling "naked", I don't mean literally naked!! It's metaphorical and is basically what you can't leave the house without or what you feel like you've lost a limb without. It can be anything from wearing mascara to your phone or ipod to wearing your favourite piece of jewellery.

I feel naked without...

1) Mascara. If necessary I could go out without any base on, but I have have have to wear mascara. Even if I'm just popping to the shop downstairs, I have to put a bit of mascara on my lashes to stop me looking like a potato head!

2) My watch. I feel weird when I don't wear my watch. My wrist feels naked and I always find myself looking to my wrist even when it's not on.

3) A spritz of perfume. I have to spray some perfume on myself before I go out. I hate going out without spraying some. Sometimes I even resort to taking detours via Debenhams or Selfridges, just so I can make sure I've spritzed myself with perfume! I also carry a mini atomiser in my bag. My favourite at the moment is Philosophy's 'Falling in Love'. And as Coco Chanel once said, "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future".

4) My glasses. Even when I wear contacts, my face feels naked without my glasses. Out of habit I always go to push them up, even if they're not there. While most people prefer wearing contacts to glasses, I actually prefer wearing my glasses.

5) Lip products. I have to go out with at least something on my lips, whether it's lip balm, lip gloss of lipstick. At the moment, my lip products of choice are Nivea Milk and Honey lip balm, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream or Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Rivage.

I tag: Everyone! If any of you do this, leave me a link in the comments below :) What do you think of this tag?

Sorry this was a rather wordy and picture less post. Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Spotlight On... Laura Laine

I've decided to start a new periodic feature called "Spotlight On...", which will focus on illustrators, artists, photographers, etc. I used to spend lots of time on Livejournal, Tumblr, Flickr and Deviantart and through those sites discovered a tonne of artists and photographers, which I thought would be nice to share some of their work here. I was trying to do that through "Picture Tuesday" and "Saturday Quote", which I did when I first started my blog, but I kind of got lazy and gave up with those, oops.

First up is the Finnish fashion illustrator, Laura Laine. Laura Laine is a Helsinki based illustrator and has had her work published in Vogue Nippon, Elle, The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, etc. I have a top from H&M a few years ago with one of her illustrations on and love it to death! Her illustrations are absolutely beautiful. They're so detailed and I love the hint of haute couture thrown into them.

Illustrations: Laura Laine

What do you think of Laura's work? Who are your favourite fashion illustrators?

Thank you for reading. I'd love to know what you think of this new feature :) xoxo, Joy

Review: Clarisonic Pro

I bought my Clarisonic back in September and thought it was about time to do a review of it! I thought I'd do a video review for a bit of change, but it ended up being a bit of a mess and in a random order. I just kept talking and new comments kept popping into my head as I talked! Also, I apologise in advance for the state of my hair and my monotone! Haha.

Do any of you have a Clarisonic? What do you think of it - worth the money or complete rip off?

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Grazia

1 coat of Tito nail polish in 'Grazia'

I won this in the lovely Aseya's giveaway. This is such a gorgeous hot pink 'Barbie' colour. I own a tonne of pink nail polishes, but don't own one anything like this! This polish has a nice formula, which is super easy to work with. I was impressed that it was opaque in 1 coat and dried quickly, because I hate having to wait around for my nail polish to dry. I found it lasted well on my nails and only experienced minor tipwear after a few days.

What's your favourite hot pink nail polish?

xoxo, Joy

Haul From Home

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in approximately a week, I was at home for reading week at the end of October and was either spending time with my family, babysitting my sister or revising throughout most of it, so I didn't get much of a chance to blog and then when I got back to the flat, our internet had decided to go kaput and we have only got it back today. Thank goodness for mobile internet!!

Somehow I always manage to bring back to Birmingham a lot more than I take home! So I thought I'd show you my 'haul' of the stuff I brought back from home to Birmingham.

Post

I get most parcels sent home because of a few issues I've had with Birmingham postal service in the past. I won a giveaway from Shadahada's blog, but there were customs charges to pay and the postman left a card at the beginning of October. Unluckily, my parents went to China and America throughout the whole of October, so unfortunately I missed that and I think it got sent back to her :(

I was lucky enough to win the lovely Aseya's giveaway a while back. She was generous enough to post the item and added a few other goodies with it. I love the nail polish! That will definitely be featured in a NOTD soon! Thank you so much, again, Aseya! :D

I bought teeth whitening bleach from a dental showcase in March, but the trays that came with them were crap. I bought these custom fit trays for £35 on eBay, which is pretty good as it meant I didn't have to pay extortionate amounts at the dentist and the service from the eBay seller was great. They send you 4 pots of impression material and you have to take the impressions yourself (Quite a hilarious feat!) and then send you back our trays and a little vial of bleach. I highly recommend the sellers if you need bleaching trays.

Duty free and America

I asked my parents to pick up a new MAC Studio Fix Fluid for me from duty free, as I thought it'd be worthwhile to save a few pounds buying it in duty free. If I'd known they were going to America, I would have asked them to get it America, but oh well!

When I found out my parents were going to America, the first thing I asked them to pick me up were some Crest toothpaste, as I've heard people rave about these and I wanted to give them a try! I hope they live up to my expectations.

Previously Bought

I went to Bicester Village with my mum and picked up a few things from CCO. The Brighter By Nature Pads have received brilliant reviews on the Origins website, so I persuaded my mum to treat me. I have used a few of the pads and unfortunately I am yet to experience the amazing effects that everyone else has. I will persevere and update you all. The set of the Vitazing, Ginzing eye cream and Drink Up Intensive Mask was a brilliant bargain at around £30! I've been using the Vitazing moisturiser and omgosh, it's love!

I hope this hasn't been too boring for you! Have you tried any of the products I brought back? What did you think of them?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Project Empties #7

I haven't finished much these past few months. Although I'm not sticking to a strict 'Project 10 Pan', I am actively trying to use up products that I have before buying more.

TIGI Bedhead Foxy Curls Shampoo

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

Review: This smells so amazing and leaves my skin feeling so lovely and soft! It isn't overly greasy, yet it is extremely moisturising. The scent lingers on the skin, which I really like.

Would I repurchase? Yes

Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2in1 Face Wash and Mask

Review: This is a nice creamy face wash, which is gentle enough for every day use (unlike many cleanser aimed at acne-prone skin), however I don't feel it made any difference to any spots or blemishes I had during my breakouts. I preferred using it as a face mask and leaving it on for about 10 minutes when I was feeling a bit spotty. My skin was left feeling soft and clean, without feeling tight.

Would I repurchase? Possibly

Boots Cold Cream

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? Yes

Neutrogena Multi-Defence Night Moisturiser

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? No

Finished Items: 5

Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to October 2011: 32

What have you finished recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

October Favourites 2011

I don’t have many favourites this month, as I have been trying to speed up my morning routine and have been using the same few products all month. I also haven’t bought any new make-up for a few months now and I am actively trying to minimise my collection.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid – I bought my first bottle of this almost 5 years ago and used it every day. During the past few years, I’ve opted for lighter coverage foundations and reserved this for nights out and days where I needed my make-up to last. Over the past month or so, I have been choosing this as my go-to foundation and I have rediscovered the love I had for it back when I first bought it. It leaves a lovely matte finish, which I am aware that a lot of people dislike. I find it can look natural if you only use a pea sized amount of foundation. It lasts all day on my skin and doesn't leave me a oily mess by lunchtime. I have the shade NC15 and it is a perfect colour match. This is love.

Layering Different Mascaras –Recently I’ve been forgoing eyeliner in a bid to speed my up make-up routine and instead I have been applying lashings (excuse the pun) of mascara. The two mascaras I've been reaching for the most recently are Max Factor False Lash Effect (the waterproof version) and Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara. By mixing a volumising mascara and a lengthening one, they have made my lashes look super long and voluminous. I love that they’re both waterproof/long lasting formulas, which means that I don't get an unsightly raccoon look and they hold curl wonderfully. The combination of these two products, along with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, have rapidly become holy grail status.

Topshop Neon Rose – I have been using this cream blush so much over the past month. I love that I can just use my fingers to apply it and I love the matte, powdery finish. It’s a gorgeous colour, which leaves you with a pretty flush to the cheeks. Although, be aware that it’s very easy to go overboard with this blush and you could end up looking rather clown like! (See here for swatches and to find out what it is a potential dupe for).

What were your favourite products this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

4 Week, No Heat Challenge

Earlier this year, I saw a few posts and videos from a number of people saying that they were doing a 'Heat Free Hair Challenge'. CosmeticsCharlotte72 did a great summary video of her experiences and some tips here and Hannah from beautylishious did an amazing series on ways to style your hair without heat.

I am trying to grow my hair at the moment and in a bid to get healthy hair, I thought this would be a good challenge to attempt. I have terrible willpower, but I am going to try this challenge for one month and update you about how I get on! This is how my hair looks air dried and I guess this is how my hair is going to look for the next 4 weeks:

Please excuse the cheesy grin! It's probably because I'm wearing one of my favourite t-shirts of Danny Robert's Chanel girl illustration, which I bought from Fritha's blog sale :)

I thought I'd also throw in some 'hairspiration' pictures of people that give me hair envy...

Photo: Mariannan

Photo: Leblogdebetty

Photo: Tumblr

Photo: Google Images

Photo: Google Images

Have you ever attempted the '4 Week, No Heat' challenge? How did it go for you? And who gives you hair envy?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy