Orelia Jewellery

Everytime I go into Topshop, I always take a longing look at the Orelia stand, but as a poor student I can't afford a lot of the stuff that they sell. Their jewellery is so pretty, with a mix of crystals, beads and charms. I've also noticed a lot of use of cord and tassels.

I recently went on the Orelia website and noticed there was a section with items on sale. I actually squeed when I saw it! I wanted to buy so many things, but I was good and restrained myself to only 3 things. I was super happy, because all 3 items totalled up to approximately the same as 1 full price item, plus delivery wasn't too expensive at £2.95. My order arrived super quickly today, after only ordering the items on Saturday evening and was sent by recorded delivery, meaning that it was less likely to get lost in the post.

When I opened the packaging, the box had a cute polka dot ribbon on it. Isn't that so cute? I almost didn't want to open it. Is it sad that I've kept the ribbon?


Inside the box, all my items were individually cased in little plastic bags and they were all enclosed within some pretty white and gold tissue paper. There was also a little card with some information about the company. I ordered 2 rings and a bracelet. Aren't they all so pretty? I love them :D

I thought it was a nice touch to include a little card about the company and their jewellery.

Alexandra ring, Tilly ring

I was so excited to try them that I didn't even cut the label off beforehand. I think the turquoise ring has a vintage feel to it. I've been wanting a ring like this for ages. I love the diamante ring, it's so pretty and glamourous!

Nora bracelet

I think that this would be so cute layered with lots of bracelets and bangles or on it's own. I love versatile pieces like this.

I just wanted to say that I'm not being paid or sponsored for writing this. I was just super excited and pleased with my purchase and how quickly it was delivered, so I thought I'd share it with you. Have you ever bought any Orelia jewellery?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Favourite Lip Combination of the Moment

I just thought I'd share my favourite lip combination of the moment with you all. Since the weather is starting to warm up and summer is almost nigh, it's the trend to wear bright lipsticks. I've been wanting to wear some bright lipsticks, but alas I've been scared! So I settled for a happy medium, where my lips are brighter than usual but not as bright as the trends.

Left: MAC lipstick in To Swoon For, Right: ELF Plumping Lip Glaze in Oasis

Left: Oasis, Right: To Swoon For

The combination looks a little brighter and darker in real life.

What are you favourite lip combinations at the moment?

xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Spearmint

2 coats of W7 nail polish in 'Spearmint'
The flash from my camera has made the colour look brighter than it actually is.

I've been wanting a mint nail polish for ages and Spearmint is a gorgeous creamy colour, so perfect for spring/summer. The formula of the polish is very thin and runny. It applies very streaky and with 2 coats, you get a nice colour which tends to look a little streaky/uneven. I guess that's what you get for paying £1.50 for a nail polish... However, I was impressed, this polish didn't chip for days, even without a top coat!

Can any of you recommend me any other mint/turquoise nail polishes?

xoxo, Joy

Review: MAC Face and Body

I've been meaning to write this review for absolutely ages now, but I kept putting it off. I thought now would be the perfect time to get it up, since spring is officially here and summer is dawning on us and I think MAC Face and Body is a perfect foundation for these seasons.


What they say: (From MacCosmetics.co.uk) A water-based, water-resistant foundation that provides natural coverage for face and/or body. Ideal for all skin types. Face and Body Foundation provides sheer, natural looking coverage in an easy to blend formula. Available in a wide range of colours. Contains several emollients to help moisturise and condition the skin. It delivers professional looking results that meet the exacting standards of beauty photography and is ideal for perfecting the face and body.

Price: £23.50

Swatch:

MAC Face and Body in Shade N2

Slightly blended out. Hopefully you get an idea of how runny/watery this is.

What I Think: I absolutely adore this foundation! It gives a lovely, natural finish which looks like your-skin-but-better. It has low-medium coverage, but it is also build-able and can be layered to achieve a higher coverage. I've tried using a variety of brushes to apply this, such as the Sigma F80 and a regular foundation brush, but I really like using my fingers to apply this for a lovely natural finish. The foundation applies quite runny, but after a minute or so, it becomes tougher to blend in - Almost as if it has set or something. I have areas of redness around my nose and chin that require some extra coverage and although the foundation doesn't cover these up completely, I don't mind and a little concealer is all I need to sort it out. I just love how natural this foundation looks.

I am impressed with how well this foundation lasts. I set it with powder and it lasts pretty much all day. My cheeks tend to be quite dry, while my t-zone gets oily throughout the day, and I have found that this foundation is perfect for my skin. Since this is a water based foundation, it gives my skin the right amount of hydration.

Due to this being a water based foundation, an oil free moisturiser would need to be used with it, since water and oil don't mix. If you use a moisturiser with oil in it, the foundation will slip straight off. I didn't realise this when I first started using this and since switching to an oil free moisturiser, I have found that the foundation lasts longer. I wouldn't necessarily say this is a disadvantage, but it's something that I wanted to flag up.

One disadvantage of this foundation is the colour range. In comparison to the countless shades of foundations like MAC Studio Fix or MAC Studio Sculpt, Face and Body only has 13 shades. They are either warm (N) or cool (C). The MUA in MAC matched me to N2, which I thought was strange since I'm rather yellow-toned and usually wear NC15/NC20 in Studio Fix. However I have found that because this foundation is so sheer, it is quite forgiving if you do end up with the wrong shade or can't find one to match your skin perfectly and it will still blend in seamlessly regardless.

Another disadvantage (which I've not encountered myself, but have heard about from other people's reviews) is that the foundation can tend to separate. I understand that separation is inevitable, since the foundation is water based and you do get a lot of product, but I've had this foundation for about 6 months now and have not encountered any problems yet. Hopefully I'll finish it before it gets a chance to!

Although £23.50 is quite expensive for a foundation, it is worthwhile since you get a whopping 120ml of product! This works out at approximately 20p/ml (In comparison to Mac Studio Fix - £19.50 for 30ml and 65p/ml). It will last you for ages! I have used this pretty much every day (or at least 3-4 times a week) since I bought this and have only used approximately 1/3 of the bottle.

I would definitely recommend this to people that like sheer foundations and/or wear tinted moisturiser. I can see this being a foundation that I will always have a bottle of! :)

Have any of you ever tried MAC Face and Body? What did you think of it?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy