Project Empties #11

Today I thought I'd share the products that I've used up this month. There weren't many, but I'm glad to be rid of some of the products as I have either had them for a while (Maybelline lipstick and 17 nail polish) or I disliked the product (Estee Lauder eye make-up remover).

Left: MUA Shade 7, Right: Maybelline Baby Brown

MUA Lipstick in 'Shade 7'

Review: This is a lovely, creamy lipstick. The pinky coral shade is perfect for spring/summer colour. It is highly pigmented and I have never found the lipstick to be drying on the lips. It's a great lipstick for a great price!

Would I repurchase? Yes

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in 'Baby Brown'

Review: This lipstick is a gorgeous, wearable brown toned nude lipstick. It is a nice twist to a my-lips-but-better colour and I loved it. It has a very glossy finish, which was nice but could be blotted down so it wasn't as obvious. The lipstick has a sweet watermelon-esque scent to it. I haven't seen this shade in stores for a while, so I am not 100% sure whether or not they still stock it...

Would I repurchase? Yes

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Review: Here

Would I repurchase? No

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

Review: I loooved this moisturiser!! It smells absolutely divine and the scent lingers too, which is great as many moisturisers have scents which don't linger. My skin felt soft and moisturised after use, without feeling greasy. I found the 50ml tub lasted me about 1 month with daily use.

Would I repurchase? Yes

 17 Nail Polish in 'Party Animal'

Review: As you can probably see, I haven't actually finished this but it has unfortunately been relegated to the bin as I have had it for many many years and it has turned into a gloopy mess. It's a lovely glittery nail polish. In the bottle, it looks like a plain silver polish. However when applied to the nails, it had rainbow reflects.

Would I repurchase? If it was still available, then definitely!

What have you finished recently?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Spring OOTD

I went out for lunch with my friend today and thought I'd share my outfit from today with you. The weather outside was gorgeous and felt like it would have been perfect for a floral skirt or a pretty dress. However I'm not quite up to baring my legs yet and I wanted to take my new Miss KG sandals out for a spin, so I opted for my staples of a blazer and jeans. As a quick side note, the Miss KG sandals massacred my feet! They were so painful to wear after a few hours and I have blisters on both my little toes :(

Top: Urban Outfitters

Blazer: Marks & Spencer

Jeans: Urban Outfitters

Sandals: Miss KG (Kurt Geiger)

Bag: eBay

Watch: ASOS

Necklace: Accessorize

Bangles: Gogo Philip

Ring: Primark

I decided to do ombre nails with all the blue nail polishes I own, however I only had 4 so had to opt for white on my thumb instead of a blue shade!

Thumb: Natural Collection 'White' (2 coats)

Index: Models Own 'Bloo boo' (2 coats)

Middle: ASOS by Ciate 'Lauren' (1 coat)

Ring: H&M 'Blue My Mind' (2 coats)

Pinkie: Essie 'Midnight Cami' (1 coat)

How have you been enjoying the lovely weather?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

P.S. I'm seriously obsessed with the 'Earlybird' filter on Instagram! What's your favourite filter? :)

What's In My Bag?

I decided to film a 'What's in my Bag?' video, because a) I have a new bag and b) I'm nosy and love to watch these videos, so I thought I'd let you have a nose into my bag! :)

Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Diagonal NOTD

I don't normally paint my nails very often, as I have clinic most days, and I rarely ever do nail art as I am not creative or precise enough to do it! However, last week I decided to not only paint my nails, but also do some nail art. It isn't anything special or complicated, but I really like the way it turned out and thought I'd share it:

Firstly I painted 1 coat of Nails Inc 'Piccadily Circus', allowed it to dry fully and then I stuck cellotape over the nails diagonally. I probably could have angled it better on some nails (e.g. my middle finger), but I don't mind that it's not 100% perfect. That's what practice is for! Then I painted 1 coat of Models Own 'Champagne', although I probably should have done 2 coats... Allow this to dry fully before removing the cellotape, as it could end up a big mess if you remove it too early!

Are you a fan of nail art/designs?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

I know this has cleanser has one million and one reviews, but I thought I'd just throw my opinion into the mix as well.

100ml Pump Starter Kit - You get a 100ml Cleanser, 2x Muslin Cloths, Pouch, How-To Leaflet

What they say: (From Liz Earle.com) Our plant based cleanser has a two-phase action, phase one is the cleansing. Free from mineral oil, it has a rich and creamy texture and swiftly removes all traces of face and eye make up, even stubborn mascara. Phase two is the polishing. Polish off the cream using the pure muslin cloth to gently dislodge dead skin cells and help reveal clean, soft and radiant skin. Naturally active ingredients include eucalyptus and cocoa butter for smoother, clearer skin.

Price: £14.25 for the 100ml pump starter kit, which comes with 2 muslin clothes

1 Pump

What I think: I had wanted to try this for ages, especially after hearing everybody rave about it! So I was thrilled to have received this for Christmas from my parents. I have been using this every day since I received it - I use 1/2 a pump in the morning every day and 1 pump at night every other day (on days I don't use my Clarisonic).

The cream texture is nice and gentle on the skin. It doesn't sting if you get it in your eyes at all. Despite being a gentle cleanser, it does a great job at removing make-up and dirt. Afterall the evidence is on the muslin cloth!

I love how clean and soft my skin feels after using this. The buffing motion is a nice daily exfoliant to keep those pesky dry patches at bay, especially in the winter. I never feel like my skin has been dried out by this, nor does it leave a film on the face.

The cleanser has a mild eucalyptus (herbally) scent. For some reason, the scent kind of reminds me of Halls Soothers - Did anyone else find that? I really like the scent as it's nice and refreshing.

I really don't have any negatives to say about the cleanser. However I just wanted to point out a few minor negatives:
- You can't see how much product is left. I don't have a John Lewis near me and buying online means waiting for delivery, so it's hard to gauge how much you have left and when you're going to run out. So you may be cleanser-less for a few days, unless you're super organised and stock up in advance.
- It isn't particularly widely available. In the UK, you can only get it from Liz Earle stores, John Lewis, the Liz Earle website or QVC. I'm not sure about the rest of the world? But unless you have one of those stores near by or regularly shop online, it can be hard to come by. It's just so much easier to pop into a Boots or Superdrug and pick up a cleanser.

I love this cleanser and will definitely be repurchasing it! Have you ever used Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish? What did you think of it?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Getting Ready + OOTD for University

Today I have a quick video of my very simple everyday foundation/make-up routine and a quick OOTD for what I wore to uni. The make-up routine is so simple as I have been trying to wear less make-up and take less time getting ready in the morning. I bought a new Collection 2000 24hr Extreme Liner, because I love it so much and it's such a good price and I am still using my Rimmel Lash Accelerator, as I really dislike the new mascara I bought and I am literally scraping around the edges of this one! I hope you enjoy the video, I'd love to know what you think.


Thank you for watching. xoxo, Joy

Speed Review: Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Today's review is on a gift with purchase with an Estee Lauder purchase some time ago. I've decided to do it in a different format to my other reviews, which are usually in long paragraphs and can get a little lengthy. I'd love to know if you prefer short bullet point reviews or longer, paragraphed reviews.

The Good
- It is a very gentle product, as it doesn't irritate the skin around the eye at all. This makes it suitable for those with sensitive skin.
- It is oil free, so it doesn't leave the eye area feeling oily.
- It wiped off eyeliner with ease.

The Bad
- My eyes are pretty sensitive and I have gotten the product into my eyes a few times and it has stung like crazy.
- It doesn't remove mascara very well. I still had remnants on my lashes after use. I found that you have to use quite a lot of pressure to remove the mascara fully. Don't even get me started on how ineffective it was at removing waterproof mascara...
- The bottle top is huge, so loads comes out at each use and there is a lot of wasteage.

The Opinion
I'm glad this was only a GWP, because I would have been disappointed if I had purchased it. I won't be buying a full size bottle, as you can find much better eye make-up removers for less money.

What eye make-up removers would you recommend?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Recipe: Filo Parcels

I saw the recipe for some feta and mint filo parcels on Kelly's blog ages ago and thought they looked super yummy. I completely forgot that I'd seen that recipe until recently when I was trying to think up some imaginative dinner ideas involving filo pastry as I had some left over from something else and came across this in my bookmarks. It seemed super simple, so I decided to give it a go and I thought I'd share my result.

Check out the recipe here on Kelly's blog or from the original site. I'm not going to copy the recipe out, as it would basically be the same as the two links. But essentially the steps are:
1. Mix together the filling.
2. Brush oil onto the pastry, put the filling into the pastry and fold into a triangle shape.
3. Brush oil onto the pastry and put them into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

I didn't bother using exact measurements and played it by ear. If the mixture looked too leafy, I added more cheese and vice versa. I also used watercress, spinach and rocket instead of solely spinach and only used feta cheese, rather than feta and cottage cheese. This recipe is super simple and the great thing about it is that you can put whatever filling you fancy into it. I'm definitely going to try something else next time... Maybe chicken?

Ingredients.

I didn't have a big enough bowl to mix in, so I had to use a pan!

About to go into the oven. 

I tried to make pretty triangle shapes with the pastry, but completely failed, so I just gave up!

Dinner time!

I decided to eat the parcels along with the watercress, spinach and rocket salad with some feta cheese crumbled into it.

What have you been cooking recently? Will you be giving this recipe a go?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

No Heat Hair Care Routine

As you may or may not be aware, I haven't been using heat for the past few months and I have noticed a change in my hair. (You can read my posts here). It hasn't grown that much as I keep trimming it to maintain healthy ends, but it feels stronger and I have less breakage. I've also been loving the extra time in bed that I used to spend on my hair!

Today I have decided to share my current hair care routine with you. This is just the products I have been using lately. When I use heat on my hair on special occasions, I have other products and tools that I use, which won't be featured in this post.

First of all, I just thought I'd let you know my hair has a natural wave to it. It gets frizzy and dry easily and is quite fine. I also don't have much volume.

Shampoo and Conditioner
I have recently been using Aussie and I am loving the products. All Aussie products smell amazing! Aussie Volume shampoo gives your hair a nice boost of volume. I have noticed it works better when you use a hairdryer though. It cleans your hair well without stripping it. The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle works well as a conditioner and as a leave-in conditioner. It really moisturises your hair, leaving it soft and manageable. The scent from the 3MM really lingers on the hair too, I can sometimes still smell it the next day!

Deep Conditioner
I bought this massive Tresemme tub almost 1 year ago and I still have loads left! I use it once every 2-3 weeks and tend to leave it in for about 20 minutes before rinsing it out. It leaves your hair feeling so soft, without feeling weighed down or greasy.

Sorry about the state of the middle hairbrush! It really needs a wash!

Tools
I use the Tangle Teezer (left) when my hair is wet to get rid of any knots. It works amazingly for getting out knots painlessly and without pulling out too much hair with it. I love the Denman hairbrush (middle) for general styling. I prefer this one to the TT as the bristles are longer, so I find it easier to use. The comb (right) is from China and I just use it to find my parting and to backcomb my hair.

V05 Ultimate Hold Hairspray
This works really well. It doesn't leave your hair feeling crispy and holds the styles well. It smells lovely! It's also great value for money as you get such a huge can.

V05 Miracle Concentrate
This is a lovely leave-in treatment, which I gushed about in my January Favourites. It leaves your hair feeling moisturised and soft and stops the ends from looking all dry. It smells amazing too! You only need a small amount, unless you want your hair to be greasy, so this bottle will last ages!

The Body Shop Coconut Oil Hair Shine
This has also been in a previous favourites video. It's a waxy texture, which is nice for taming frizz, moisturising the ends and styling (to an extent). It's perfect for throwing into your bag for use on-the-go. The coconut smell is lovely, not as strong and sweet as some others, but still nice.

H&M Clip
I decided to feature this as I have been sleeping with my hair in a bun on the top of my head to give my hair some nice curl/waves. I was previously using hair bands to fasten the bun, but I recently watched a video on Youtube by Nikki Phillippi where she uses a clip, so I thought I'd give it a go and I have to say, I prefer it. I was initially worried about breaking the clip, but the bun is so high up on the head that you wouldn't be able to (unless you sleep on the top of your head).

What does your current hair care routine consist of? Are there any products you would recommend?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

March Wishlist

I have recently been trying to be better with my money (Although it doesn't seem to be working too well as you can see from my collective haul!). However, that doesn't stop me from lusting over things that I (don't) need!

Images: Forever 21, Google, Topshop, Mulberry, Jo Malone

Forever 21 nude blazer - In my eyes, every girl needs a nude blazer! It's a fabulous neutral colour which goes with everything and is a nice alternative to wearing black, especially in spring/summer. I love the black lapel contrast of this blazer which, in my eyes, finishes it off perfectly.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - I have lately been finding that none of the foundations I own last long enough on my skin. I went to the Chanel counter in Debenhams and got colour matched to B20 in the Vitalumiere Aqua. The lovely SA gave me sample to take away and I have fallen in love with this foundation. It lasts nicely on my skin and the finish is just lovely.

Topshop Polka Dot Bikini - This is so cute and I am adding it my holiday wishlist (even though I have no holiday booked for this year at the moment!). This one looks like it has a nice amount of coverage and stability, as I find triangle bikinis too flimsy, and how can anyone fault a navy/white polka dot print?!

Topshop Lipstick in Clueless - I saw this on the site while I was browsing the bikinis and it really caught my eye. I like the idea of using a lipstick pencil, as I imagine it would be easier and neater to apply. And this colour looks like a pretty, bright pink which will be lovely in the summer.

Mulberry Tamara Scarf - I totally blame Sarah for making me want this! She recently blogged about buying the pale pink version of this scarf and when I was browsing the Mulberry website, this lovely blue/grey one caught my eye. It looks super soft and luxurious and would be a lovely adjunct to any outfit the whole year round!

Sigma F25 - I have lately been contouring my face every day and although my ELF blush brush does a nice job, I can't help wanting something else. I've seen a few people rave about this brush for contour and the tapered point looks like it would fit perfectly into the hollows of the cheeks, without splaying and spreading the contour all over the place.

Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne - I was recently at the Jo Malone counter in Selfridges trying to find a perfect scent for my mum as a mother's day gift. However instead of finding one for her, I found one for myself. This has a nice fruity smell, which wasn't too heavy or sweet and after a while, the freesia scent comes through. I also like the idea that you can mix Jo Malone's scents and wear them together.

What have you been wishing for recently?

Thank you reading. xoxo, Joy

Jelly Shoe Obsession

Back in the day when I was about 5 or 6, as soon as summer came around my feet would be adorned with plastic jelly shoes (most likely from Woolworths or Barratts!). Did anyone else wear these when they were younger?

Something along the lines of these!

Image: Google

Fast forward to now and the jelly/rubber shoe trend seems to have taken a turn for the better, with designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jason Wu collaborating with Melissa shoes. I love the look of the Vivienne Westwood and Melissa flats, but can never bring myself to part with £80+ for a pair of flat shoes.

When I chanced upon these shoes in Kurt Geiger, I promptly snapped them up. I love the cut out details  around the heel and the inside edge and the big bows at the front just finish them off perfectly! They're super girlie and would look lovely in the day and at night :) The best thing about them is that they only cost £25! They also come in a bright turquoise and bright pink, however I stuck to black as I think that although it's not a particularly summery colour, they are more wearable and will go with more.

Link

Do you like jelly/rubber shoes?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy