A little differet - Cupcakes!!!

Hey ladies,

I just wanted to post a little blog on the cupcakes i made today, they cost me a couple of scalds & cuts but are bloody worth it, so i thought i'd give you the recipe to try if you ever have an occasion which requires cupcakes (to me this is any & every occasion!! i got home from work - cupcakes! yay! hehe) What i found different from this recipe compared to others i've tried is that they're so light!!! so this is totally un related to makeup but hey i think you should share a recipe when they're good.
(if you follow me on twitter you'll have seen this pic already, i think you can tell the ones i iced compared to my cousin!!)



The recipe!!

Cupcakes
125g - unsalted butter, softened
125g - caster sugar
125g - self raising flour
2 - large eggs
2-3 tbsp - milk
1/2 tsp - vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade/gas mark 6. In a large bowl cream together butter & sugar
2. in a cup beat eggs with vanilla & 2 tablespoons of milk and slowly add to the butter & sugar beating thoroughly before adding more.
3. Sift in flour a bit at a time until fully incorporated but dont over beat so the gluten isn't overstretched in the flour which will stop the cakes being light & fluffy.
4. Add milk until the mixture is at drop consistency (if you hold some up on a spatula it should drop in a dollop (love that word)).
5. Split between cupcake papers & bake for 15 - 20 mins or until cooked & golden brown (to determine if cooked get a sharp knife & in the middle of the cake prod if the knife comes out clean with no mixture on it they're done) Makes approx 12 cakes

I normally split my mixture in 2, & leave the 1st half plain & then the second half add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa to taste (so determine how chocolatey you want it, good excuse to eat the mixture raw as well, or is that just me) & a little more milk so its still at the drop consistency & spread between the cases & bake the same amount as the plain ones.

Once the cakes are out the oven put on a cooling rack & then ice. with the plain ones i like to do a butter icing but the chocolate ones just a normal icing with cocoa in it so they're not too sickly!

Butter icing (half this recipe if you only do half plain ones)
175g - icing sugar
75g - butter
Food colouring if you're opting for fabulous cakes

Beat the butter in a bowl until its soft then slowly incorporate the icing sugar
It looks like you've got too much icing sugar but stick with it & it works out
Then add some colouring of choice & a little milk so its an easier consistency to spread over the cakes

Normal icing (same as above this is for 12 cupcakes so half if you're doing 6)
125g - icing sugar
1tbsp - water

Basically mix the two together again its hard to believe that much icing sugar mixes properly with 1tbsp of water but it does, & if you're making the chocolate icing replace a tablespoon of icing sugar with cocoa & then i add a little milk so its an easier consistency to spread over the cakes

And there u have it, i'm gonna make some extra special ones on friday/saturday for my best friend she deserves them!! so i'll put a pic up but off the top of my head i'm thinking spelling her name in iced cupcakes with sprinkles!! ... now wheres my piping bag (i'm 22 & have a piping bag i swear i'm a 40 year old housewife in an incredibly hot 22 year olds body haha! :p just kidding!)

So if you try it out let me know how you went on, they're so easy you could just shove all the ingredients in a kenwood barring the milk & mix & then add the milk gradually i love the long winded way personally because i enjoy baking!!

thanks for reading this non beauty item if you did
cya later
Nicola
xxx

I Need a little input if you would be so kind!!

Hello all my lovely ladies,

So this saturday i have 2 events to attend (get me!) they're both family related!! which as you know i love!! the first is a lovely little afternoon gathering, the new edition isn't getting christened so we're having baby naming ceremony (no idea what this entails but my family's there so they'll be booze involved) & then me & my lovely best bud/cousin are going for a night out! i dont drink too often but i want to get so drunk i cant remember my name, i need a celebration at the finish of exams & a bit of blurryness in my head!!

so my problem i need help choosing my outfit for the day event, i have 2 dresses to chose from & if i could have your input it would be very helpful!! For the night my cousin wants me to go as a hippy again!! & i have to say i'm quite tempted even though its not fancy dress, may wear the dress & hair the same but no headband!!








If i could have your input it would be brill as i really cant decide, both will be with hair down & my river island sandals i got a week ago!!

thanks for reading & what the hell happened to the weather in this country, i had to run with my hoodie on for pink food colouring for the cupcakes! the length i'll go to for pink cupcakes for my cousin!! i'll post a pic later!!

Cya later!!
Nicola

A Little Haul!!

Hey Ladies,

If you follow me on twitter you will know that i'm looking after my cousin this week whilst she's on half term & my aunts in Dublin, so today was our shopping day. I intended to just have a look round get a couple of bits as i've been a little naughty in my late night online shopping (i'll confess to that at a later date) but it turned out a little more but still restrained. I had to return a jacket to George so using my girly maths i only spent £15!! hehe!

So heres what i got!







I got a white cute dress from asda which was £16 which i'll pair with the belt also from asda for £5 as the waist is too big on the dress for me but i had to fit it to my boobs (the story of my life) so it needs nipping in at the waist.
I got some yoga style trousers from asda for £8, seriously girls get to george & get them they're so good for slouching in without the shame of wearing your PJ's all day & they're so comfy!
The ring which i'm in love with was from asda for £3!! seriously impressed by it!!

Finally couple more barry m paints in vivid purple 161 & bright pink 279 - 2 for £4.99
& a natural collection corrector stick in green for about £2 i think, normally dont need this product but my skin is rebelling at the moment so i need a corrector to neutralise the redness!!

so i think that was about it! had a lovely day with my cousin & will be making cupcakes tomorrow with her! & watching roxanne as i bought it as well today asda £2!! i love that film & shes never seen it! :) as for me i'm knackered i dont know how you ladies do it!!

Much love! & thanks for reading
Cya later
Nicola

Just to let you know!!

Hey ladies,

Just to let you know i've had a few emails now about the miu miu bag so i've taken down the post!!

Hope you're having a lovely day!

Nicola
xxx

Quick Little Review!!

Hey Ladies,

I went to sally's a couple of weeks back in search of some chi silk infusion (left with the knowledge that sally's wont stock them anymore, so if you get hold of some stock up!) & i spotted this bucket (classy) full of individual conditioner packets.




Ion Repair Solutions conditioning miracle - 99p from sallys
Microwaveable Deep Penetrating Treatment Pac
Repairs and remoisturises dry, damaged and over-processed hair.


So i thought i'd try this treatment after i coloured my hair, its gone far too blonde in the sun so thought i'd attempt to dye it a little darker to a honey blonde which normally never works & the colour stays the same, but it does seem to have taken tonight but i'm still undecided whether it has a slight giner tinge or not! i'll give it a few days & then decide!

Anyway, the instructions said to microwave it for 10 seconds & apply to towel dried hair, i dutifully obliged & scaled my fingers!! so watch out! left it for about 5 mins & rinsed!

Normally i leave deep conditioners overnight to get the full effect, but i was so concerned with the ginger hair situation that i left it slightly longer than it advises but quite a short time for me at 5 mins, basically it did nothing! my hair didn't feel at all conditioned and was pretty much useless and so for severe dry hair i think there are better products, but for slightly dry hair i think it would work well & for 99p is very cheap! it doesn't have much of a smell to it so if you left it on overnight you wouldn't be gagging every time you turned your head which i've had with deep conditioners before & maybe it would be more effective left on longer but my impatience got the better of me! need to be more zen about it next time!

Overall i will try it again perhaps next time not straight after colouring my hair so just to use as a pick me up for my hair.

Thanks for reading my lovelys!!
& i'll cya soon
Nicola
xxx

Keep an eye out for my giveaway, i'll try & post it tomorrow :)

Mineral Makeup! Yay or Ney? & review

Hey Ladies,

I started this post ages ago, but never got round to finishing it so i thought i'd do it now, better late than never! I had never tried mineral makeup properly before so i thought i'd order some samples from lily lolo and everyday minerals and jump on the mineral makeup bandwagon.

My lily lolo stuff




My Everyday mineral stuff



Bronzers & Blushes




Swatches



Top - Lily lolo South beach bronzer - very like nars laguna can make me look dirty
Middle - Lily lolo waikki bronzer - very metallic bronze, i love it!
Bottom - lily lolo stardust - light highlighter, too sparkly for me

Mineral Eyeshadow




Every day minerals - Leaps and bounds - pale green with gold undertones, such a pretty colour
Lily lolo - pixi sparkle - beautiful turquoise with silver speckles, it was love at first sight i use it with mixing medium for eyeliner & it looks amazing!


Lily lolo

Their delivery times are excellent & postage is quite cheap i think, everything is available in a wide range of shades and not badly priced.

Things I Love

Flawless matt finishing powder - £12 for 7g, really lightweight & doesn't settle into fine lines however for £3 more you can get mac prep & prime finishing powder you get 8g & its a much more finely milled powder & I prefer it. But the mac one is sold out quite a lot so the lily lolo one could be easier to get hold of.
Waikki bronzer - £12 for 8g - I love this, maybe not for everyday use but for a night out it gives your skin such a lovely bronzed slight metallic glow to the skin & i get loads of compliments whenever i have it on!

Things i don't love

Blush pots - £7 for 3g - There are some nice shades however be careful as some of them are very glittery which i dont like in a blush, i prefer a matt finish so if you're like me make sure you check its matt. There are new shades that are available now for £5 so if you're thinking of testing them nows the time!

Everyday Minerals

'Free' sample kit letting you chose 3 foundation shades, a blush & a concealer all you have to do is pay for the shipping which is reasonable worldwide. Also available custom kits allowing you to chose 6 or 12 full sized items for $34 or $50.

Things i love

Brow Powder - $6, i think this is one of my favorites, it looks so natural & because i have blonde eyebrows its such a pain to find a good brow colour without it looking too dark & that i've had my brows tattooed.

Things i don't love

Natural balm - i don't this is available anymore & i'm not surprised i didn't not like the smell, occasionally i can stand an unpleasant smell if its a good enough lip balm but this wasn't! enough said i think!

My view on mineral makeup is that its great, the products are all lightweight & you feel like you have nothing on, however the one thing people always love is the foundation, as you can see above i've not mentioned it.

My thoughts on mineral foundations are the same for both brands, they look so natural & feel great & with a lot of swirling, tapping & buffing i eventually got the coverage i require, however my skin seems to have suddenly got more oily than ever so i found that they didn't last very long at all which is my main aim after coverage from a foundation as i never touch up during the day. I would however buy the everyday minerals foundation for when i'm at home as its so cheap & the range is amazing with all the different finishes & is ideal for when i want to pop to the shop & want to look slightly more human than with no makeup!

If you girls have any tips on how to get the foundation to stay put during the day i'd love to hear them as i really love the look the mineral foundation gives me. As for all the other products that aren't foundation i find they work on top of my liquid foundation & so have slotted them in very nicely with my everyday makeup routine.

Overall - YAY! i do like mineral makeup!

Hope you're all well & having a lovely week, i had my interview thing on monday & it went well so i look forward to seeing where that goes & i'm loving relaxing with no exams to worry about the only thing i have to worry about is what book is next on my reading list :) .

Also look out in the next few days as i may have a little giveaway post! nothing major i was organising my wardrobe & instead of throwing something out i thought i'd ask anyone on here or twitter if they want it first!!

Thanks for reading & i'll cya soon
Nicola

Ins & Outs 2

Hey Ladies!!

I thought i'd do an ins & outs of the month for you all!!

Ins


Coral - coral clothes, coral jewellery, coral nail polish!! i love coral!! whenever i wear it i get loads of compliments & its such a summery colour.

A new strict skin care regime - stress has caused my skin to break out, which is hardly ever normally does so i am being naziesk & making sure it disappears as soon as possible.

Mac sculpt & shape powder - i loves it!! the contour colour is the perfect colour for me & the highlight colour the same!! i wear it constantly because it makes my face look extra skinny!! yay!

Freedom & relaxation - for the past 8 months i havent stopped with uni & lost about 3 stone because of all the stress & tiredness & finally i've finished, so i've got loads of lovely things to keep me busy, read books, clean & organise & spend time with my best friend which i havent been able to do since we went back to uni! i cant wait!

Out

Exams & uni - after 4 years of the shittest uni in the world, wanting to quit so many times i finally finished my final exams!! i will have to do resits so i'm not jumping for joy just yet but i'm so proud of myself for getting through it!!

My hair - after having it curley at the fancy dress, i want it that way forever, sadly my hair is unbelievably straight so i have to spend ages curling it! which i can never be bothered to do, i have heard about a loose perm that gives you beachy waves & i'm so tempted to ask my hair dresser about it!! let me know if you know anything about it! The main issues i'm having with my hair is that its too long & need a good cut, it grows so quickly & because i've not had time to have a cut it looks poo, so as soon as i can get an appointment i'm having a good old trim! cant wait!

My user name!! - need to go ladies so i need help, i'm far too stupid to think of one myself so all suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! & if i use someones suggestion i can send you a little treat for the help :)

So there we go only one makeup thing this time, i have been sticking to the same stuff really because i've only been putting makeup on when leaving the house which hasnt been too often with all the 'revision' i did so just shoving on bare minimum through sheer laziness!!

Hope you've had a lovely saturday!! i've had a very relaxing day of a bit of cleaning & organising but not too much, i dont want to do all my tasks this weekend & be bored by next week!!

I'll cya soon
Nicola xxx

I'm Back!! Yay!! & with a collective haul!!

Hey Ladies!!!

So i've been absent from my blog for more than a week!! i avoided blogging during my exam period so that i could 'concentrate' & i believe the word concentrate comes from the latin word to sit on my ass all day doing anything but revision!! in better news i have been able to reduce the time of me solving my rubixs cube to 10 mins!!

So on to my haul/beauty spree what ever u crazy kids are calling it these days





From www.allcosmeticswholesale.com
Mac Oil control lotion (old packaging)
Mac fast response eye cream (Old packaging)
Mac shimmermoss eye shadow

From Superdrug
Eyeko tinted cream
Eyeko pastel polish (awful for gods sake dont buy it)
Cosmopolitain Sponge wedges

From the pound shop!!
Revlon vital radiance brow fill-in



Sponge rollers from the pound shop
Cup from Next - £2
Nice & easy (need to dye my hair dark blonde before returning to spain otherwise it'll be platinum with the sun)
Laura Ashley drawers from WHSmith!!



Lots of revision treats! most have been munched already! (it was 2 weeks ago, dont judge)

Todays little shop


Sandals from river island £22
Shirt dress from republic - £20



OPI nail polish in Bet it all on opi from ebay for about £2
Barry M Paints 2 for £5
304 Mint green
54 Base coat/top coat
299 Racing green
296 coral 911 (very good dupe for the opi one)
Yes yes yes lip butter from the body shop £5
Sleek Pallete the original £5

In superdrug all teenage skincare is buy one get one half price!! so i thought i'd try
Garnier Pure Foaming facial wash
Garnier Pure Purifying toner - £4.83 for the both

So as for me, my exams are all done & dusted with thank christ!! so i'm gonna be spending a little time relaxing (apart from my interview on monday) & gonna organise & tidy like mad! i seriously cant wait! & i hope you're all well!! can you believe i've had that laura ashley drawer set & resisted putting my makeup collection in it! for like 2 weeks, i'm so proud of that achievement!! but the break of dawn tomorrow will be a different matter! i should do a before & after of my room, its an absolute tip!!
As you can see from the stuff i bought i have definitely jumped on a bandwagon or 2 or 3 for that matter, the eyeko tinted cream i love!! but the polish i did not, its so uneven on application, so i'd advise on staying away from it & trying a barry m paint instead they're great value & go on a treat! The sleek pallete is amazing, i'm so impressed by the quality for the price! I bought the skin care because my face has spazzed out big time with stress so i seriously need to rid it of my breakout!! i'll let you know how i get on with it, or do a facial routine blog, let me know if you're interested!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, i'll probably be blogging like mad now i've nothing to do!
Cya soon
Nicola
xxx

Getting to know me, getting to know you!!

Well the lovely faffaholic made this tag up & its such a good one! so i'll give it a go! i told myself i'd do it after my exam tomorrow as i had to revise tonight! ah well!!


What made you choose your blog/twitter/youtube username?
Well the Nicola part doesn't need explaining, the VC bit stands for Veronica Corningstone (anchorman) which was my ex manfriends nickname for me & 86 because thats my year of birth! you girls could do me a massive favour & think of a new username for me! i need the VC gone! we could make it a competition, the winning name gets a prize!! :)

What's your actual name?
Nicola Jayne

Do you have any nicknames?
Not really :( the only person who gave me nicknames was that nob head of an ex manfriend & then it was sweet cheeks or Veronica Corningstone. Otherwise its nics or nic! i need a nickname!

Apart from the obvious makup/ beauty hobby, what other hobbies do you have?
I love fashion & making/altering clothing! & i cant wait til i have some time to make proper clothes for myself something only i have!!
Otherwise i've not really had time for a hobby because of being so busy with uni ... is perving on sports stars a hobby?!

What do you do?
I'm a lazy old student but should be done in a couple of weeks! just need to fail a few more exams first!

What would you like to do?
In an idea world get married, pop out a couple of kids, be a kept woman & spend all day baking & blogging!! sadly i doubt this will happen so in the mean time i have no idea!!

Tell us something embarrassing, but you love doing?
I faux shop, this is when you browse a lovely website (i recommend asos if you're time wasting, theres loads of stuff on it!) You add all the items you want & then never check out! its like russian roulette but the only thing that dies is your bank balance if you hit the dreaded check out button! Its such a good distraction & time waster when avoiding revision! Am i a super freak for doing this or am i not the only one!? help me out here girls!

Tell us something that we don't already know about you!
I can do the splits!
Also i have tattoos on each wrist, they're both semi permanent & one has nearly faded so i'm thinking of getting another one :)
The other one is a Buddhist purification prayer (i can report i'm no purer since getting it, it may be faulty)
it means om mani padme hum

Om purifies pride & bliss
Ma purifies jealousy & Lust for entertainment
Ni purifies passion & desire
Pad purifies ignorance & prejudice
Me purifies poverty & possessiveness
Hum purifies aggression & hatred

What achievement are you most proud of?
When i passed my uni resits last year, i worked my ass off, sometimes i revised til 3 in morning & was convinced i had failed so much so i was applying for jobs & when i rang them to get my results i cried with happinss & had my best friend there with me to share it as well!


What do you most like about yourself
i like to think i'm kind, if i have something that i dont need & someone else needs it its theirs, a laptop, a phone, an ipod, money all these things I give away & i'm happy to do it if it helps a loved one!

What would you change about yourself if you could?
I'd be stronger, tell people when they've hurt me instead of shrugging it off & not crying at everything that upsets me.

If you could have anything in the world (that doesn't cost any money), what would you want?
Flawless skin! or to meet my granddad who died before i was born, i had 20 years with my other & he was amazing, so i'd like to meet my mums dad because he's a legend in my family & i'm sure he'd like to meet his granddaughter. Or have my dog live with me or just be happy!

How to fake it! A tan that is - Application & reviews!!

Hey Ladies,

I thought i'd share my thoughts on fake tan, aplologies for the tacky title i'm so into a bit of tackiness at the moment! :) (if at any point i sound patronising or stating the obvious in this post i apologise in advance) I am really lucky that my mum lives in Spain, i get quite a few holidays there this results in me have a little bit of a tan most of the year & so don't bother with fake tan often, mainly because i cant be bothered with the hassle!! but when i do make an effort & fake tan i have a tried & tested method that works for me & leaves me with an even lovely colour!

I think the key to good fake tanning is simple, good skin preparation & building the colour up gradually. I start off normally the night/morning before i intend to tan with a good exfoliating session, i use St tropez step one body polisher which is a bright blue paste & use it with scrub gloves & some body wash as it doesn't foam so makes it easier to do. This is harsh exfoliation so not for the faint hearted, but your skin is amazing afterwards so worth it!

Next i moisturise, i use a body butter something really rich if its the night before, or if its the same day as i tan something a little lighter that will absorb completely by the time you tan.

Next i apply the tan, i do my tanning over 3 nights usually to get the required colour, if you want a tan all the time then it will obviously be different but if i fake tan its for an occasion/party. So i start with 2 nights of boots holiday glow medium gradual tanner (i'll do reviews of products later on) Then for a final hit of darkness the night before the occasion i use St tropez step 3 auto bronzant lotion.

The next morning get in the shower & with a body puff thing wash the coating of st tropez off revealing a beautiful tan! :) & moisturise everyday for the upkeep! (something i never do & it doenst seem to affect my tan but if you've got dry skin a must)

My tips:

Use gloves even with the gradual tanner, its just easier. I got surgical gloves off ebay & they're brill!!

Start with one glove on & tan the opposite arm & hand first, by the time you've finished applying it to the arm the hand will be dry enough to put the other glove on it & then do the rest of yourself & when you're finished remove the glove from the untanned hand & apply the tan to the it!

I dont always but sometimes i mix the st tropez with a little moisturiser when applying to my hands, feet, elbows & ankles so the tan looks more natural.

Have a reasonable picture of how dark you can actually go without looking tangoed, if you're very pale you wont look right really dark & so i would advise sticking to a gradual tan & then you can control the darkness more than an actual fake tan. i've seen pictures on facebook of someone looking like an umpa lumpa & just wanted to tell her, its so easy to get fake tan right & so easy to get it wrong!

Finally invest in a tan remover, use it as insurance in case anything goes wrong, i know st tropez make one thats about £15 for 350ml. There is a method of lemon juice & salt that removes tan but when you're in a panic that your tanning has messed up i think searching the house for lemons & salt is a little more difficult than a convenient bottle of tan remover so may be worth investing a little money in one.

Products

Any prices i quote are from boots as of today so could vary in different shops!

My Staple Tanning stuff



Disposable Vinyl gloves from ebay! (i've put a link below & i dont think it was the one i used but it gives you an idea if you're after some)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Box-of-100-x-Blue-Vinyl-Powdered-Gloves-Size-Medium_W0QQitemZ250416343395QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM?hash=item250416343395&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

Please excuse the size of the st tropez bottels, they're not the regular size, an ex boyfriend bought them from a salon for me so they're the 950ml ones!

St Tropez Step one Body Polish - £15.50 for 250ml

Boots holiday glow in medium - around £4 for 250ml

I think this is a great gradual tanner, it soaks into my skin quickly & gives a lovely even tan & is really moisturising as well. When you apply it the smell isnt too bad but you do smell like biscuits after a while, something i've come across in most gradual tanners, however because i apply it 10 minutes before i go to bed i dont have to live with the smell for long, so i'm willing to put up with it because of the effectiveness of the actual product!

St Tropez Step three auto bronzant lotion - £18.50 for 120ml or £28.00 for 240ml

I had a look this morning & found a 950ml bottle on ebay for around £70, so if you're a hardcore user it may be worth looking into as its cheaper in the long run than the other options, just be careful that its the real stuff off ebay!
I really think this fake tan is worth the money, i did buy it before i got my massive bottle & tried the mousse one as well, i do prefer the lotion because it goes on so smoothly, you can see exactly where you're applying it because the lotion is so dark and i have never known it streak on me, in fact i dont think i've ever had a fake tan streak on me. It gives me the most natural tan i have come across with or without the Boots gradual tan as a base.

A Couple of other tanning products i have



Johnsons Holiday skin - £4.88 for 250ml
So i think everybody's tried this stuff out, as it was probably the market leader at one point but i think its probably not anymore, it stank!! the new odor free version still makes you smell like biscuits & so is no longer my choice of gradual tanners, its more expensive than others & doenst do anything particularly brilliant for me, it does what it says on the bottle but nothing more unlike the boots one, which is cheaper & leaves my skin like silk the next morning as well as a tan. this leaves me with a tan but not any more moisturised than before i applied it.

Garnier summerbody gradual tan - £3 for 250ml (on offer at boots at that price normally around £6)
I really liked this gradual tanner, it smells really nice when you apply (the main reason i bought it) does leave u with a biscuity aroma after a while but its not too bad & leaves you with a really nice looking tan & i would buy it again when its on offer like it is now, if its full price i'd just get the boots one as it does the same job for less money.

Nuress Tanning solution - £22.99 for 500ml
http://www.beauty-shopper.com/acatalog/info_NUR0005.html

This stuff i half inched from my mums house!! its meant for a spray tan gun that was available from argos a while ago, i did attempt the gun with it but it was way too much hassle. instead i got a pair of gloves on & applied it directly, its a liquid so can be a bit messy & is scary as you look like its stained your skin mahogany brown but when you have a shower the next day you're left with a lovely colour, it is darker than other tanners using this application instead of the gun but if you need a quick short notice tan this is the one i reach for & do it the night before or the morning before if i'm not leaving the house & it lasts a while as well.

So there you have it, i've tried so many brands other than these, i'll give u a quick opinion on a few:

Fakebake i found was awful for me i actually couldnt stand it, i thought it made me look like a glitter ball as it has a glittery finish to it which i find pointless as you wash it off the next morning.

Sun laboratories (i'm such a qvc sucker) was awful it dripped like mad & left splotches (is that a word?! it is now) on my skin so i wasnt impressed!

Xen-Tan Wasnt too bad! i would have repurchased it if i hadnt have gotten the giant bottles of St Tropez to get a better test of it, as i only had a couple of applications of it.

If you made it this far well done! & if you've got any questions/recommendations for me just comment or twitter me i love to hear what everyone uses.

Hope you're having a fantastic day & i'll Cya Later
Nicola
xxx

FOTD!! The day after the night before!!

Hey Ladies!

After waking up this morning without a hangover i thought result! however when i got to my feet my joy was cancelled out with the blinding pain in my feet & legs!! i think i may have partied a little too hard & i can barley walk today!! I was seriously nearly crying walking down some stairs!! Anyway i remembered i had agreed to look after my 9 year old cousin that night so needed to put some makeup on, i really wasnt in the mood or feeling creative so thought i'd give a toned down look a go!! (i never do toned down looks!!) as i need one for a job interview/meeting in a couple of weeks & here's the result!! i literally didnt own a brown eyeshadow til this morning but my lovely postman delivered me some pigments & hey presto i have one! :)





Eyes:
Mac rubenesque paintpot
Mac electric coral pigment (not eye safe but doesnt bother my eyes so i dont mind, i'll let u know if i go blind)
Mac cocomotion pigment
Mac blacktied eyeshadow
Bobbi brown long wear gel eyeliner in black

Face:
Rimmel recover foundation in sand
Bobbi brown creamy concealer
mac pro set powder
No7 Natural Blush in Soft apricot
Clinique true bronze in sunkissed

excuse the post late night complexion i think the recover foundation was quite an apt choice today!!


Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday if you're in the uk or lovely rest of the weekend if you dont have one!! i may be off to a bbq tomorrow so will do a summery look!!

Cya later & thanks for reading
Nicola
xxx

Fancy Dress Party!

Hey Ladies!!

So last night it was my aunts 50th fancy dress party finally! & it was just what i needed, i have the best family in the world & our parties are legendary & last night didn't disappoint so i thought i'd put some pics up, so you can all laugh at us!! i did attempt to take a proper pic of my makeup but it kinda failed with me being hammered so i'll put up a swatch pic that i took earlier for the colours!!

The night before i glittered up my toenails & fingernails! & i love them, they're so tacky!! ha ha!



So on friday night!

Step 1 - wash hair & make it massive! - Check!!
I went a little mental with products & used
Bed Head superstar blowdry lotion
Philip Kingsley maximizer
V05 Weightless volume whipped mousse



Step 2 - Curl & Pin Hair - Check!
Just used my ghd's to curl & pinned with bobby pins





Step 3 - makeup - check
For my eyes i used
Mac rubenesque paintpot
No7 True gold stay perfect eyeshadow applied with mixing medium
Mac Teal Pigment
Mac Dark Blue Green Pigment
Elizabeth Arden eye definer liquid liner in black
False eye lashes from ebay applied with duo
No7 Lash 360 mascara in black

Face
Mac Prep & Prime Skin refined zone as a primer
Chanel Teint Innocence Foundation in beige
Bobbi Brown creamy concealer in sand
No7 Natural Blush in Soft apricot
Clinique true bronze in sunkissed
Mac Cream colour base in antiqued gold
Mac Pro Set Powder

Lips
Burts bees lip balm
Mac cream colour base in antiqued gold

My swatch



Step 4 - hair down bit of back combing - check!

My final look - 70's disco glam




The rest of my family - my little bro as a smurf, his girlfriend rachel as a pirate & my dad as a pirate!




Me, my nan & my 2 aunts!



The new edition to our family Megan!



Me trying to steal Megan!



My Cousin/Best friend Becky & her Dad! (that has to be a little bit racist but my uncle specialises in racist fancy dress outfits)


The after party party!

The Team!!








there was literally hundreds of pics & they're great! i had a fantastic night & really needed it!!!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend & feeling better than me & my hangover, i'm looking after kids tonight which wont help!!

Cya Later
Nicola
xxx

A Quick Little Haul!! & discount code

Hello Ladies,

Though i'd do a really quick little clothing haul for you as i need to start getting ready for the party this evening! I was sat in my room this morning & heard my phone go off & i had a text sent from littlewoods, they were offering me £30 off a £60 spend!! it would be rude of me not to have a peek!! So i did & took them up on their very generous offer & this is what i got.

If you want to get the discount its only available today & just put zq265 into the discount voucher box!! & its free delivery & returns as well :D www.littlewoods.co.uk

Sorbet Boutique pack of 2 satin bras - £9.50

(sadly i dont think i'm going to look like either of these 2 girls in the bra but heres to hoping!)




Love Label 40's printed wrap dress - £28





Love Label shirt dress - £15





To make up the rest of the £60 i bought some new bedding, a nice plum coloured duvet set & a fitted sheet & valancein ivory!!

I love littlewoods & there is so much great stuff so take a look!! i love my bits i got today & could have got really carried away if i tried but i was strong & limited myself to spending £70 so i would only pay £40 with my money off!!

Hope you all have a lovely evening
& i'll cya later!!!
Nicola
xxx