Barry M Dazzle Dust

Barry M Dazzle Dusts are little pots of gorgeousness.

Every time I'm either in Boots or Superdrug, I tend to spend quite a long time by the Barry M make-up stand swatching the various dusts. They come in an amazing array of colours so picking a shade or two can be quite overwhelming.
Up to now I've only owned one dazzle dust in Bronze (nr 44) - when choosing I decided to opt for a "safer" more wearable shade.

I popped into Superdrug yesterday and they were having one of their 3 for 2 offers - hurray!
I decided to take the plunge and get 3 more dazzle dust pots. I use the phrase "take the plunge" as these dusts can be quite messy to apply and well...not for the sparkle shy.

The ones I got are - Tan (39), Toffee (24) and Gold Iridescent (27) - all very pretty and wearable shades.

Swatches (from left to right): gold iridescent, tan, bronze and toffee

It's best to apply them with a flat brush, packing the colour on after applying a primer. Also remember to tap excess product off your brush prior to application. I find that taking a bit onto your finger and dabbing it on works just as well if you're applying it onto your mobile eyelid. 

They're highly pigmented, beautiful and add lots of sparkle and sheen.

Do you own any Dazzle dusts? If so how do you like to wear them?

Two hair products I'm loving right now...

Hope everyone's had a good Christmas and is feeling well and rested!
I'm so glad that it's not bloody freezing here today in Northern Ireland.

I wanted to do a post about two hair products that I've really been enjoying using over the past month or so.

The first one is Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Nourishing Sheen Spray which comes in a huge 455ml can. I'm not really all that into sprays and hardly ever tend to use them, however I was swayed towards getting this particular one mainly because it contains olive oil which I'm a sucker for...actually I'm a sucker for any products containing any sort of oils as I just love oils, period.

Here's what it says on the can:
Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Nourishing Sheen Spray is  a non- greasy sheen enhancer created to restore the hair's natural moisture balance. A blend of Vitamin E, olive oil and herbal extracts provide new life to all hair textures. This product is free of fluorocarbons and drying alcohols. Won't fog or bead like other sheen sprays. 

Boy do I love this spray. In fact I've turned into a bit of a spray fanatic. I love the scent of this spray, can't quite put my finger on it but it's light, fresh and has a sort of  "baby product" scent to it.
It gives soft, shiny and healthy looking hair, making it feel really moisturised.
Apparently make-up artists tend to use this spray on those occasions when they need to make the model's skin look super glossy. I've tried spraying it onto the skin and found that it gives it a really nice sheen without leaving any sort of greasy residue as it sinks right into the skin. I think that it's going to come in handy during the summer season for accentuating a tan.

Also from the Organic Root Stimulator range, I purchased the Olive Oil Heat Protection Serum.

Olive Oil Heat Protection Serum provides heat protection for hair. It helps to straighten the hair while shielding it from heat damage caused by using hot tools including blow dryers, curling and flat irons. Infused with Coconut Oil and essence of Olive Oil to add shine and moisture, Olive Oil Heat Protection Serum aids in leaving the hair silky, shiny and smooth. 


This serum has a nice consistency which isn't thick or oily but you do need to use with caution. The first time I used this was a big flop. I had washed my hair and applied a handful of this serum. I didn't dry my hair properly nor did I brush it before going to sleep - I don't really fuss over my hair too much.
The next morning when I woke up my hair was one huge oil slick! Unfortunately I needed to go out and didn't have the time to wash my hair again and so was forced to wear a hat all day long.
This incident led me to lay off the product for a while but I went back to using it with moderation and am liking the results.
The way I use it now is just putting a tiny bit onto the palm of my hand, rubbing the product between my hands and working it through my hair before blow drying. The result is a glossy looking shine.

Trendy Nail Wraps Update

My last post was about Trendy Nail Wraps in Born To Be Wild. Just want to update that I've now had them on for 6 days and they're all still on and looking well! I do wear gloves for all my housework and when washing the dishes - I'm good like that:)
A friend of mine also mentioned that it helps if you put a top coat over them after application. I haven't got a top coat over but they're still holding on pretty well. I think that the key is to apply them to a clean, dry nail plate free of any oils or products that might act as a barrier.
Pretty impressed with the durability - wonder what all those people who said that they come right off were on about...

Trendy Nail Wraps

I've finally got around to applying my Trendy Nail Wraps in Born To Be Wild. I'd assumed that application would be a pain but they were rather easy to get on. It took me approx. 20 minutes to apply them and this included cutting them into a shape that fits my own nail bed as most of the sizes were too big for my wee nails.

Application for wraps:

• push back cuticles and shape the free edge
• wipe clean nail plate (don't use any liquids or cleansers) 
• select wrap that fits nail bed
• heat adhesive side of wrap for 2-5 seconds
• apply wrap on nail bed from cuticle to free edge and press down
• trim wrap to free edge and then file and shape 
• apply a thin coat of glue to free edge (this is optional) 

I did omit the last optional step of applying glue to the free edge - not really sure what sort of glue they're on about...

Anyway, here's how they came out:

I love how they look, especially the way in which they shine and glisten from far. I only applied them today so I can't really comment on their longevity but I'll be sure to keep you updated. I've heard quite negative opinions regarding their durability so I'm curious to see for myself.

Have you tried Trendy Wraps yet?

No7 Limited Edition Mirror Ball Eye Palette

How gorgeous is this palette?

As usual No7 has come out with some limited edition goodies - all sparkly and glam thus keeping in tune with the festive season - and I decided to as usual snap up the eyeshadow palette.

The palette contains four shimmering eyeshadows which have a very glamorous glistening effect.

The pale pink makes for a great highlighter.

Have you purchased anything from No7's Christmas Limited Edition collection?

E.L.F. Make-up brushes

It's good to finally be writing a post. I've been ill with the flu and spending most of my time in bed feeling miserable. Any strength I've had I've needed to use for preparing an assignment for college but luckily that's now done and dusted. I'm still feeling a little weak and lethargic due to a cough that's been daunting me for the past week - went to see the doctor today cause I've actually been hearing rattling sounds coming from my chest which freaked me out a little. I'm on a course of antibiotics so fingers crossed that I'll be back to my old self again in no time.

Anyway, about two months ago I purchased five make-up brushes from EyesLipsFace - the ones that I was particularly interested in were as pictured from left to right:
Blending eye brush & eyeshadow brush, both from the regular line and from the studio series - the eye contour brush, blush brush and powder brush.

The eye brushes from the regular e.l.f. collection were £1.50 each and the studio brushes are £3.50. Overall they're all amazing value for money.


Eyeshadow brush

Great for packing on colour. Picks up product well. The bristles are firmly packed together, soft and I like that the handle isn't too long. I use this one for applying colour either all over the lid or just onto the mobile eyelid.

Blending eye brush

I use it for applying eyeshadow to the crease and blending. It's soft and easy to work with. I have noticed a bit of shedding with it though. It seems as there's always hairs coming out whenever I pick at it - not a big deal though as you can't expect miracles for the price.

Contour eye brush

Super soft and great for applying eyeshadow to the outer v and along the crease.

Blush brush

I adore this blush brush. I like the fact that it's quite small as it allows you to have more control when applying blush. The almond shape of the bristles makes it particularly convenient for contouring as well.


Powder brush

Love it! It's like a flat topped kabuki and it's super soft. Great for applying powder to the face for the softest finish ever. This is the perfect brush for the application of my Chanel cream bronzer as it buffs it into the skin incredibly well and does not shed at all! I no longer need to lift irritating little brush hairs from my bronzer - happy days!

I'm very impressed with all five brushes and particularly the three from the studio series. I recommend that you give them a go if you haven't already as you can't go wrong for the price.
They are incredibly soft and there's been no shedding whatsoever!
I'm definitely going to repurchase another one of both the powder and blush brushes.

I've noticed that e.l.f. has also come out with a new range of bamboo brushes...have you guys tried them yet? Please let me know what they're like if you have.

St. Moriz goes Dark

Look at what I picked up yesterday at the chemist's -

Yes! St. Moriz Instant Self-Tanning Mousse now comes in a Dark version - how great is that!?

I only found out about this yesterday so if you already knew about St. Moriz in dark then many apologies - it's a new discovery for me - a great one at that and I wanted to share...

Here they are side by side - the original and the dark:

Now I have the two bottles, love them both but shall probably be reaching for the dark one more often and stick to using it from now on.
St. Moriz in dark is the same formulation as the original. There's only a slight difference in the colour result.
The original St. Moriz gives a natural looking golden tan whereas the dark one leaves you with more of a deeper bronzed result.

I squirted some out on the palm of my hand so you can see the difference between them:

Original on the left & Dark on the right

By the way, I now have two big stains on the palm of my hand:)

Curious to know - have you tried St. Moriz in dark yet?