Project Empties #6

Wednesday 31 August 2011

Over these past two months, I have managed to finish quite a few things. I know I've said this before, but I am making an active effort to minimise my spending with regards to make-up, skin care and hair care. Hopefully I can keep it up and save up for something lovely!


Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment
I washed it out by accident before taking a picture of it, oops!
Review: When I started using this, I used it with every wash instead of conditioner (even though it states to use it between shampoo and conditioner) and then after about 3 weeks, I used it every other wash. The packaging says to use an egg sized amount, which is a ridiculous amount to use! I used a grape size and found that sufficient. This made made my hair feel so soft, even after the first use. Even though I applied it all over my hair, it didn't make my hair feel greasy or weighed down. I can't comment on whether or not it helped my hair grow longer, as I trim my hair quite regularly, but I did think it made it feel stronger and less prone to breakage. As with all Lee Stafford products, this is highly scented with the signature smell. I really like the scent and loved that I could smell it on my hair even once it was dry, but some people might not like it as it's one of those love it or hate it scents.
Would I repurchase? Yes

Boots Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo
Review: Every so often my hair goes through a stage where it gets greasy after 1 day and looks weighed down and limp. Upon using this shampoo, it clears any build up and my hair feels squeaky clean. I tried using this once every week to regularly get rid of build up, but found it a little too clarifying. I eventually settled on once every 2-3 weeks and found it worked a treat. It's a great shampoo for a great price! Plus I love that it's easily accessible and isn't a special salon brand.
Would I repurchase? Yes

Boots Baby Shampoo
Review: I mainly used this to deep clean my make-up brushes. It did a good job of cleaning them and left them feeling soft. I found that it didn't lather up very much and took quite a lot of product to make it lather well. I didn't really like the scent of this shampoo, so it was a little annoying that my brushes smelt like it after they had tried, but it was bearable.
Would I repurchase? No


Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser
Review: This is a great moisturiser! I have combination skin and found it was light enough for my oily areas and moisturising enough for the dryer and normal areas. I also found it left my skin nice and soft. It claims to help prevent spots and blemishes and although I wouldn't put it solely down to this product, I did find I broke out less when using this. This is a great moisturiser for a fantastic price.
Would I repurchase? Yes

Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Oil
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? Yes!

Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream
Review: This is a lovely, light eye cream which has done wonders for my eye area. I used to get dry patches around my eye, but this has sorted them right out! I found that helped my dark circles a little, as they started becoming less obvious. I don't tend to get puffy eyes and I have very few fine lines around my eyes, so I can't comment on how well this works for them.
Would I repurchase? Yes. I got this free with Glamour magazine and bought a few copies as it was so cheap!


Neutrogena Multi-Defence Gently Purifying Wipes
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? Yes

Soap and Glory Flakeaway
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? No

Korres Quince Body Butter
Review: Here
Would I repurchase? Yes

Finished Items: 9

Accumulative Finished Items from December 2010 to August 2011: 28

What have you finished recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

August Favourites 2011

Monday 29 August 2011

I can't believe it's the end of August already! This means I need to start repacking for university soon, as I go back to Birmingham on the 10th (and start on the 12th). Argh! Packing is so stressful, lol. This month, I haven't really been doing anything exciting with my make-up. To be honest, I've been using the same products every day and I haven't bought anything new as I'm trying to be good and use up the make-up I have, before buying more.


MAC Lustre Drops in Sun Rush - I bought this from a blog sale a couple of months ago and didn't ever use it, because I didn't really know what to do with it! This month I have been adding a tiny drop to my foundation and it gives a lovely glowy and fresh bronzed look. It gives the right amount of glow, without making it look like you've gone overboard with shimmery bronzer. It also looks pretty as a highlighter, especially underneath W7 Africa (mentioned below).


W7 Africa Bronzing Powder - W7 market this as a bronzing powder, which baffles me as I can't see any bronze when I watch it! When swirled together, it's a beautiful peachy-pink colour, which I use this as a highlighter. It doesn't have massive chunks of glitter, like some powder highlighters do and it makes you look really glowy. Another great thing about this? It only costs £1.99!


Garnier Anti-Dark Circles Concealer in Fair - I absolutely love this! I know it's designed primarily for use under your eyes, but I also use it on areas with redness or discolouration (e.g. under my nose, on acne scars, etc.). It's a perfect lightweight concealer, which does not crease and lasts all day. The colour 'fair' is a perfect match for me, which is lucky! I always thought the roller ball was a bit of a gimmick, but I have to admit it is nice and cooling under the eyes and great in the morning when you're still half dead.


Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Rivage - This is my current favourite lipstick and have used it non stop all month. This lipstick is so beautiful and it's my perfect 'lips-but-better' colour. I love the colour, the formula, the packaging, everything about it! (Thanks again to Tine, as I won it in her giveaway!)


Missguided Nail Splash in Missbehave - I've been wearing this colour on my fingers and toes for the whole of August. It's a pretty, mid-tone pink, which is described perfectly on the Missguided website as cotton candy pink. The application was easy and the colour was opaque in two coats. This nail polish has great wear and only chipped at the tips after about 3/4 days.


Babyliss Big Hair - I only bought this in the middle of August, but I love it! It gives me big hair and I have big love for it! (I will have a detailed review of this coming soon)

What were your favourite products this month?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

N.B. Everything was bought with my own money, apart from the Chanel lipstick which I won in Tine's giveaway and the Missguided Nail Splash, which I was given at the Brum Blogger Meet. All my opinions are 100% honest regardless of where I got the product.

TK Maxx Treats

Friday 26 August 2011

It seems like all I keep doing throughout my holidays is shop! I just tend to end up at my local shopping centre, because there isn't much else to do near where I live. I went shopping with my mum yesterday and she insisted on popping into TK Maxx. I normally avoid TK Maxx like the plague, because it stresses me out. (Does anyone else find it super stressful?) But this time, I'm glad we went in because I found some lovely things that I am in love with!

Photo: Google

As you may or may not be aware, I've been on the hunt for the perfect trench coat. I have a navy one from H&M, which I love but I wanted a more classic Breakfast at Tiffanys style one, like the one worn by Audrey Hepburn above. I was going to get one from Warehouse which cost £85, but alas that was not my dream coat (and my purse is thanking me!). I spotted the coats rack and started riffling through, looking for a cute quilted Barbour-esque coat as they seem to be everywhere now. Instead I chanced upon this Michael by Michael Kors beaut! It was in the final clearance at only £32, so I snapped it up right away!


It looks huge here, but would you believe it's an XS!


I love the attention to detail, like on these buttons.

I also managed to pick up this TIGI Let It Be Cherry Almond Leave-In Conditioner, which Sarah has mentioned before. Can you believe it was reduced down to 50p?! What can you get for 50p nowadays? Not much! And omgosh, it smells amazing! If you like cherry bakewells, you will love this scent!!


Whenever I go shopping I always look through the purse and bag rails, knowing full well that I don't need more bags and purses. When I saw this Modalu purse on the stand, I knew I had to have it! Modalu has been made famous recently, due to Pippa Middleton toting the 'Bristol' bag, which they hastily renamed the 'Pippa'. I will admit, I had never heard of the brand until it was made famous by P-Middy. The purse reminds me of the Anya Hindmarch Joss wallet, which I could only lust after, and at only £19.99 (RRP £49), this was a lot more purse friendly. The leather is a beautiful grey 'shark' colour and the leather is buttery soft.


I love the consistent shell detail, from the labels to the shell studs to the lining of the purse - So cute!


Have you found any amazing bargains recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Accent Tag

Wednesday 24 August 2011

I uploaded this to Youtube a few days ago and thought I'd share it here. I think there are a few versions, but this is the one I found. As a mini-background, I moved from China when I was 1 and have lived in England ever since. I currently live in South East London (England) and go to university in Birmingham.



Words:
Garage, Herb, Schedule, Figure, Jaguar, Lieutenant, Water, Advertisement, Vase, Route, Ballet, Tomato, Leisure, Address, Ate, Buoy, Aluminium, Aunt, Wash, Oil, Theatre, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pyjamas, Caught

Questions:
What is it called when you throw paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries in at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

I tag you all! If any of you have done this or decide to do this, I'd love to hear what you all sound like :) I think it's really interesting to hear different accents from all over the world/UK.

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Friday 19 August 2011


What they say: (From Boots.com) 70% more radiance and flawless complexion for up to 16 hours! A flawless, luminous complexion for up to 16hrs. Fruit therapy for radiant boosted skin. Anti-dull complexion range.

Price: £9.99

Swatch:

Bourjois Healthy Mix in 52 (Vanilla)

Slightly blended out

What I think: I absolutely love this foundation! I use the shade 52 (Vanilla) and I find this a great match. I found 51 too light and too pink, while 52 has more of a yellow tone. Sometimes if I feel like I need more coverage, I add a little MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15 to it, which gives a lovely amount of extra coverage and longevity to the foundation.

While I normally don't like scented products on my face, this foundation smells amazing and fruity. It isn't overpowering and doesn't linger for long. This is due to the fruit extracts -
  • Apricot > radiance
  • Melon > hydration
  • Apple > antioxidant
  • Ginger > energy
Upon application my skin has a dewy but matte finish, as it isn't highly dewy or completely matte. I found that my skin looked fresh and healthy and no dry patches were accentuated. This has a medium coverage, which leaves your skin looking natural. I use either my fingers or my Sigma F80 to apply this and it is easy to blend and looks great, regardless of what I use to apply it. It is nicely buildable and doesn't look cakey, even after powdering. A second layer gives your skin that extra flawlessness without looking like you're wearing too much makeup.

I found that this lasted well throughout the day on my skin. I set my foundation with powder and I blot or powder over my t-zone later in the day, but I do that with every foundation and it's mainly out of habit to be honest.

I love the packaging. The pump is great, since you can easily control how much you pump out. As a rule of thumb, I find one pump is more than enough to cover my face and jaw. I think it's great that the packaging is plastic, so you don't need to worry about it breaking in your make-up bag and it's handy, because you can easily see how much you have left.

I really can't think of anything bad to say about this foundation... I guess, the colour range could be deemed as a little limited. There are 8 shades, ranging from 51 (the lightest) to 58. I assume that there is a shade for everyone, but I find most drugstore/high street foundations are either very pink or very yellow.

I am definitely going to repurchase this when my current bottle runs out. I think it's a great price for a great foundation! There is also a Healthy Mix concealer, which I want to try now!

What do you think of Bourjois Healthy Mix?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

You've Got Mail

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Today I received two lovely bits of mail. Over the time I've been blogging, I have been lucky enough to win a number of giveaways and each time I receive the parcel, I'm always overwhelmed with sheer excitedness and am always so grateful that I have been given the opportunity.

In June I won Becca's amazing Cherry Vimto and Missguided giveaway. When my dad opened the door to the postman, he just gave me this look to say "What have you bought now?!" When I opened the box, we were both shocked at how generous they were.

The box the hamper came in was huge! Look at the size of the box in comparison to my Macbook!

The lovely hamper with the Cherry Vimto. I've recently become obsessed with adorning my room with wicker baskets to store miscellaneous bits and pieces, so this will look perfect in my room and I'm going to put my hair styling tools in it :)

Wow-oh-wow, so generous! After taking this photo, my dad didn't hesitate to steal all 3 cans of cherry Vimto as he left for work and I have managed to munch through a packet of the Vimto Chewy Sweets and a few glasses of Cherry Vimto Cordial. Nom :)

The gorgeous cherry red lace dress from Missguided. I am going to a wedding at the end of September, so this will be perfect for the occasion.

At the beginning of August, I won the lovely Christine's Sigma F80 giveaway. I already have a Sigma F80, but since coming home from uni my mum has decided to pinch it, so this came at the perfect time! The package was shipped on Aug 9, so I was impressed at how quickly the brush came all the way from America!


How cool is the Sigma logo? It's like a rainbow holograph!

Have you won anything recently?

Thank you for reading and a massive thank you to Becca and Christine for allowing me to win their giveaways! :D Make sure to check out Becca and Christine's amazing blogs! xoxo, Joy

P.S. Don't you hate when your camera runs out of battery just as you're about to use it?! I had to use my dad's DSLR for these pictures and they came out with a yellowish tinge, so I used Carrie's vintage Photoshop action again to cover it up.

Recently

Friday 12 August 2011

Over the beginning of the week, I became a little obsessed with the London riots, poring over the news and Twitter, worrying that the riots would spread to my town. There were riots in surrounding towns, but my town was missed - probably because there's nothing to loot, apart from some charity shops, the 99p store and Morrissons. But I felt such despair over the towns, businesses and homes that were ruined due to the events over the past few days. However seeing the photos of the riot clean ups, the Sikhs protecting Southall and the post-it notes stuck on the shop front of Poundland in Peckham helped to restore my faith in humanity and it shows true community spirit. I hope nothing too major happened where you live and that you're all safe.

Despite these riots, I still found time to do a little shopping. I didn't pick up much and I'm sorry if this post drags on! I could ramble for England.

I picked up the September issue of Marie Claire magazine (£3.60), because of the free Ciaté nail polish. There was also a sample of a Dove Intensive conditioner. I've tried two Ciaté nail polishes before (Swatches here and here) and was highly impressed. There was a choice between a dark purple and this nude colour, but I settled on the nude because I'm still going through a nude nail phase. 'My Fair Lady' is a lovely pinky-caramel nude (Can you tell that I suck at describing colours?) and the NOTD above shows 3 coats. I feel that it could have done with another coat, but I couldn't be bothered. There was a discount code on the back of the box, so I thought I'd pop it into the picture in case anyone wants to use it.

I went to Boots in search of the Nivea Anti-Cellulite Gel-Cream, because it was half price (£5.50 down from £11). While I was there I spotted this Vichy Dermablend on No15 (Opal) in the clearance section for only £7.75 (RRP £15.50), since the box was super battered but the product hadn't been opened, so I snapped it up right away. I've heard rave reviews about both of these products, so I'm excited to try them.

I spotted this ring in the sale jewellery section of Miss Selfridge for £4.25. I've wanted a ring like this for a while and love it! It reminded me of and Alexander McQueen ring and I love the little pop of turquoise in the eyes.

I've watched a few Primark hauls recently and everyone else seems to be picking up some great buys, but I didn't really see much that took my fancy on my latest trip. Maybe I need to go to a bigger one... I spotted this scarf in Primark for £4. It says it's oversized and oversized it is! I'd says it's about 1m wide and about 2m long, which I think it perfect for the transition from Summer to Autumn and would probably work well into Winter.

If you saw my wishlist post, you would have seen that I wanted a trench from Warehouse and a black dress from H&M. I tried the trench on and I was disappointed as it really didn't suit me :( However I did pick up this pretty coral skirt in Warehouse for £25. I was lucky to get the H&M dress as this was the last one in my size. I guess it makes sense as the dress is a complete bargain at only £14.99! Other stores seem to be following Zara's lead (Re: Frankie Sandford's infamous red dress) and have started making dresses in this shape, but this is the cheapest I've seen.

What have you been buying recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

August Wishlist

Sunday 7 August 2011

With Autumn fast approaching (I can't believe summer is almost over already!), I've started browsing around online, adding things to my virtual shopping basket and attempting to spend money I don't have! My clothes colour palette barely changes from the cold to warm weather, as my wardrobe mainly centres around neutral colours like black and grey. A colourful patterned, stripy or floral top is as far as my wardrobe stretches with regards to colour. This mini wishlist for Autumn follows suit in the neutral theme.


Clockwise from left:
Trenchcoat (Warehouse.co.uk)
Babyliss Big Hair (Babyliss.co.uk)
La Roche Posay Effaclar M (Boots.com)
H&M Jersey Dress (HM.com)
Fossil Rose Gold Stella Watch (Fossil.co.uk)
Aldo Cyphert Bag (AldoShoes.com)
Maybelline lipstick in Coral Crush (Boots.com)

Are you thinking about your Autumnal wardrobes yet? What are you planning to buy in Autumn?

xoxo, Joy

Review: No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara

Friday 5 August 2011


Left: Naked lashes, Right: Curled and 1 coat of Exceptional Definition

I love this mascara! The brush is a pretty unique concept where one side is designed for volume, the other for definition and the top for hard to reach areas - Essentially, you're getting 3 mascaras in 1! I found this mascara gave my lashes a great amount of volume and some lengthening. It's perfect for layering with other mascaras, e.g. a lengthening one, to get the best of both worlds. Although I did find after approximately 3 coats, my lashes started to get clumpy and spidery.

The Boots website says that "The formula is enriched with cashmere keratin, vitamins and hydrolyzed soy protein to care while you wear." I don't feel that this made any difference for any other mascara, but it's nice to have it in the back of your mind that your mascara may be caring and beneficial for your lashes.

The formula of the mascara was very dry. It dried quickly on the lashes and I found no smudges under my eyes throughout the day. The tube also dried out pretty quickly (Quicker than my other 'wetter' mascaras, like L'Oreal Voluminous or Max Factor False Lash Effect), but I did manage to use majority of the product up before it dried out.

I will definitely be repurchasing this mascara again. It gives a generous amount of volume with nice length, and like I said before, you're essentially getting 3 mascaras in 1 :) The new Benefit mascara has a similar brush concept to this and from the reviews I've seen of it so far, it looks great, so I might have to give that one a go!

Have you ever tried No7 Mascara?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Sunset Dreams

Thursday 4 August 2011

1 coat of H&M Nail Polish in 'Sunset Dreams'

This colour is a gorgeous, bright orange, perfect for summer. I love H&M nail polishes. This is the third one I own now and the quality of all three is consistent. This was opaque with one coat! The application was perfect and better than I expected for a nail polish that cost 99p! This lasted well on my nails, but I took it off after a couple of days, so I don't know how well it lasts beyond 2-3 days.

Have you ever tried H&M nail polishes?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Wouldn't It Be Lovely?

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Yesterday my parents, my sister and I went out for lunch in Greenwich, but my mum decided the lovely weather was a perfect opportunity to take some family photos. So we trundled off to Hall Place first, which is a "Grade I listed country house built in 1537 for Sir John Champney" right next to the A2. I think it's such a juxtaposition that there's such an old historic house, with huge grounds next to a motorway... The grounds are so beautiful and well maintained. There are so many different types of flowers and there are even bushes in the shapes of animals! It's a lovely spot for people to enjoy the lovely weather and it's always packed out when the sun's shining!

I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took yesterday with you. I edited the pictures using a Photoshop action downloaded from Carrie to tie in with the historic feel!





It was so hot yesterday, so I kept my OOTD very simple. It consisted of:
Top: Urban Outfitters
Shorts: H&M
Sandals: Accessorize
Bag: French Connection

What have you been doing/Where have you been going to enjoy the lovely weather?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy