Monday 2 September 2013

10 Uses For Vaseline

I'm pretty sure a pot of Vaseline 'Petroleum Jelly' can be found in most homes but it's never really given much thought. It's most commonly used on lips to soothe them and make them smoother. However, you may or may not know that it has oh-so-many more wonderful uses that will save you a lot of money, time and effort.


1. Moisturiser
This is great for moisturising elbows, knees and even you're face! It's a brilliant moisturiser and doesn't clog your pores (despite what everyone says).

2. Thickens and Lengthens Eyelashes
When I first heard this I was somewhat reluctant to rub vaseline on my eyelashes. However, I've been doing this before I go to bed so it's on overnight (you only need a small amount) and it's starting to work! 

3. Stops Nail Varnish Caps from Sticking 
I can't tell you the amount of times I've tried opening my nail varnish to find that the cap is stuck down by dried nail varnish. The end result is usually bits of dried nail varnish all over my floor and/or me dropping the whole pot and making a huge mess. This is a handy trick that just makes nail painting a little less stressful!

4. Maintaining Perfume Scent
This is so useful for me, especially when I'm out all day and I need my perfume to last. Before you spray it on your wrists/neck etc. just put a small amount of vaseline on and it really helps it last longer!

5. Mix with Lipstick to Make a Cream Blusher
I haven't actually had a chance to try this out yet but it sounds like a really good idea. Especially if you just want something subtle and it saves money!

6. Help Disguise Split Ends
You only need a very small amount but it just helps to temporarily hide your split ends until your next haircut. You can also rub some vaseline between your hands and scrunch it through your hair, it adds a bit of texture (again, don't use too much).

7. Removes Makeup
I was actually quite surprised by how well this works! If I just need to neaten up my eye makeup or there's a small amount that needs taking off I put a bit on the end of a cotton bud and it removes makeup really efficiently. You can use it to take off all your makeup, it's not just necessarily for neatening makeup.

8. Mix with Sea Salt to Make a Scrub
I love doing this as it's so easy and is a great alternative if you've run out of exfoliater/scrub. It's obviously quite basic but it moisturises and exfoliates your skin! 

9. Apply to Cheeks 
Other than moisturising, it also makes your skin/cheeks look naturally dewy and glowing. You only need a small amount though otherwise it could make skin look oily.

10. Taming Eyebrows
I find this really useful because my eyebrows are quite unruly so a little bit of vaseline (tiny amount) helps keep them in place. It also makes plucking easier and less painful.

I know there are a lot more uses so let me know what you think of this post and also if you have any other uses for vaseline! I would love to hear your feedback :)

Thanks! 

Friday 30 August 2013

August Favourites

So this month I've discovered (or re-discovered) a lot of products, some I loved and some I didn't. August is coming to an end and I'm going to share with you some of my favourite products that I have been using throughout the month!
Also, I have been loving the sleek face form palette (£9.99) but I have mentioned it before so I don't want to bore you all by rambling on about something you may have already heard me talk about!
My first item I've actually had for a while but I forgot about it until I was rummaging through my makeup bag and decided to start using again. It's the Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner. I really like it because it's so easy to apply and I like the felt tip. The colour is really vivid as well! 

£6

My next favourite is the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm with SPF 15. This product was recommended to me by http://myblondebeautylife.blogspot.co.uk/. It's so soft and it smells amazing! It has kept my lips moisturised and the shape is really nice as well. 


£1.89

I've just realised that Soap & Glory features quite a lot in this post so I apologise about that but I couldn't miss out this product! It's the Sugar Crush Body Scrub. I cannot put into words how 
good this smells! The description says it's 'smashed brown sugar, sweet lime, almond oil and macadamia grains'. I wish I could transport the smell through to your computer/phone screens but I can't, so you will just have to take my word for it! It's great for dry skin as well, I use it in the shower and it leaves my legs really soft.

£8 

The next product isn't really an item as such, it's a shop. I had been a few times before, but this summer I have become slightly obsessed with Primark to the point where I find it almost impossible to leave without buying at least two things. I don't know why I'm so late to properly acknowledge it but oh well, better late than never! It's so so cheap and I can buy 5 things for the same price as one thing in Topshop or somewhere similar. Having said that, I don't love their clothes as much as Topshop/urban outfitters but I think it's partly the novelty of having cheap clothes. 


A few things I've bought from Primark recently.

My next item has been so handy this summer. It's the Simple Hydromist Spray. It says it has a 'perfect blend of active ingredients and lotus flower goodness'. To me, it just feels like water but I'm sure it does good. In the hot weather it has been so handy as just a quick spray insantly cools me down and it doesn't smudge your makeup! I carry it around in my bag as it's quite small but also leave it on my bedside table if I get a bit hot at night. Simple claims that it gives your skin a boost but to be honest, I haven't noticed that it boosts your skin because I haven't been by a mirror when I spray it but it feels really fresh. 

£5.99

My next item is the Barry M Hi Shine Gelly Nail Polishes in 'Satsuma' and 'Dragon Fruit'. I bought these a while ago but have started using them again as the colours are summery and the nail varnish lasts a long time. I only need one coat of these and they look really shiny and the colour is really vibrant. I will definitely be buying some darker colours for autumn/winter! I think these are probably the best nail polishes I've tried. I especially love the orange colour as it's so bright and summery, they look good on my toenails as well! 

£3.99 each

And yet another Soap & Glory product! This is the last one, I promise. It's the big makeup bag which I bought at the beginning of this month after my old makeup bag could no longer fit everything in. This makeup bag is just the perfect size for all my makeup but it's not too big either. I love the design as well! On the inside, there's lots of space (it's black which is great as it doesn't show up makeup marks) and there's a pocket as well which I use for my brushes. 

£10 

My next item/items(?) have been very well loved this summer. They are my studded sandals from Office. I love these as they are perfect for the beach and are quite casual but can also be worn with a smarter outfit. They're so comfortable as well and I love the tan colour because it goes with everything! I'm going to miss wearing these very much in the winter. I can't remember exactly how much they were but I think they were around £35 - £40.  

(They're not in the best state, I know) 

My final August favourite is Mumford & Sons' album 'Babel'. I love Mumford & Sons and was totally obsessed with their previous album, 'Sigh No More'. This one did not fail to impress either and it has been my favourite thing to listen to this summer. I was lucky enough to see them in concert at the Olympic Park in June/July and they were insaaanely good! Couldn't recommend this album enough. 

£10 
A couple of snaps from the concert.

That's everything!
Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!
Let me know what you think about the items I mentioned, or any of your favourites this summer! I would love to hear from you :) 
Bye!



Wednesday 28 August 2013

Making a Macro Lens

Hi everyone!
So recently my friend recommended I made a macro lens for my phone after she made one and it was really successful! Just to clear up, a macro lens is just a lens from a disposable camera that you put over the top of your phone camera. From a distance, the photos are blurry but its brilliant for close up photos and views things in a lot of detail. Also, it's really simple to make!
The macro lens I made is so so basic it is literally blu tacked on my phone, but it works well anyway.
The disposable camera was £7.50 and they were buy one get one free at boots but you could use an old one as well.

What you need:
- Disposable camera
- Butter knife
- Blu tack

I started by taking the cover off and the batteries out so I didn't get a shock. To get the lens out you have to take the whole camera apart.



I then got the butter knife and just prised it open wherever I could. After a while, everything came apart and this is what I was left with!


Out of the pile, all you need is the lens. I then just put blu tack around the edge of the lens (also remember not to use glue or anything because you really don't want it there permanently).



That's it!
Here's some photos I took with it, I'm no good at photography so they're nothing special but it's just to give you an idea about the kind of things you would use it for :)




Thank you for reading! 
Let me know if this was useful for you/found it interesting, I would really appreciate it :)

Bye! 




Tuesday 27 August 2013

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoos

So I know I'm quite late getting these, I've been meaning to buy them for a while but never got round to it. But when maybelline products were on offer at 3 for 2 I thought that was my chance!
I bought the colours 'Pink Gold', 'On and On Bronze' and 'Permanent Taupe'. They were a good price at £4.99 per pot.




'Pink Gold' is a pretty, shimmery pale pink. I don't usually like pink eyeshadow but this is really subtle and I like to wear it with Mac Satin eyeshadow in 'Shale' but it goes with quite a few colours. It's a nice colour to wear during the day.

Pink Gold 

'On and On Bronze' is also a warm, shimmery gold colour. It looks really pretty and it brings out brown eyes as well.  It's a pretty colour to wear in the evenings.

On and On Bronze 

'Permanent Taupe' is a bit different as it's a matte colour which I think I prefer. It's a smokey grey/brown colour and I think it will look lovely on. 

Permanent Taupe

The colours are really pigmented and, although I've only tried pink gold so far, it lasted all day which is perfect! I know it claims to be creaseless, I found that there were a few light creases but better than other cream eyeshadows.

Overall, I would definitely recommend these! The colours are gorgeous, they're long lasting, easy to apply and really pigmented! I will be going back to buy more soon.


Thanks for reading!

I would love to hear from you, I really appreciate comments and would be happy to return the favour :) 

Ruby 






Monday 26 August 2013

Nail Pearls; 3d Manicure

I've been keen to try out 3d nail art for a long time now especially Nail Rock's 'nail cavier'. A few weeks ago, my little sister got a similar thing in her magazine and I've been keen to try it out!
They're called Technic 3d Manicure 'Nail Pearls'. Although I don't think they're as good as nail rock, they are similar.


I started by applying the first coat. For this I chose a shimmery blue colour from Topshop. 


Then, once they had dried I applied a second coat. This time I used a funnel to pour the beads onto the wet nail varnish. It was quite difficult to do as I had to be fairly quick and it was messy but I managed and I really liked the end result. 
I finished with Sally Hansen top coat to keep it in place and ta dah! They were done!



Please excuse my wrinkley hands :(


Let me know whether you enjoyed this post or if you have any nail products to recommend!






OOTD


Dress- Topshop
Kimono- Urban Outfitters 
Sandals- Office 
Nail polish- Barry M Gelly in 'Satsuma'

Let me know what you think! 

Ruby

Sunday 25 August 2013

My Everyday Makeup

I have A LOT of makeup, I probably don't need all of it but I like having lots of different things to experiment with!
I do change what makeup I wear but here is the makeup I use on a day to day basis.

1. Garnier B.B Cream Miracle Skin Perfector: For Combination to Oily Skin
I use this everyday and I don't know what I would do without it! I have very fair skin and struggle to find something light enough for me but this is the perfect colour! It's also great as it is a light coverage but still conceals spots and blemishes well (with the help of concealer). It's also lasted a really long time which I was quite surprised about, I've had it almost 6 months now and it's only just run out!

£9.99

2. Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer 
I love love love this concealer! It's really cute packaging and I love how there's two different shades for spots and for under your eyes. The setting powder makes it last longer as well. And it's got a mirror! My only problem is that the lid has fallen off but that's because I dropped it twice. 
£10 

3. Sleek Face Form Kit 
I bought this quite recently but I'm completely addicted. The packaging is really neat and it comes with matte contouring powder, highlighter and rose gold blush. The colours are really pigmented (especially the blush) but they still look really natural and subtle when applied. 

£10

4. Topshop Golden Aura Eye Palette
I've mentioned this before so I won't say too much about this, just that I use this everyday and the colours are so natural and warm. I also use the colours as an eyeliner sometimes.

£12 

5. Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner 
I bought this after I read so many positive reviews about it! I was a bit nervous about using gel eyeliner but now I've started I hardly ever use anything else! It comes with a brush which makes application so easy and it can either be built up to create a thick line or you can also create a really thin delicate line with it as well. Perfect for cat eyes! It lasts a really long time as well, it doesn't budge all day! It doesn't dry out either.

£7.99

6. Topshop Mascara
I don't think Topshop sells this mascara anymore and I got it for free in a deal (sorry that's really unhelpful) but I can really recommend Topshop mascaras in general. The wand is really good and makes application easy. It really lengthens my eyelashes and they still look natural. It's not great for volume though but on the whole, it's brilliant!


7. No7 Extreme Length Waterproof Mascara
I have a mini version of this mascara which I got in a deal boots had recently. The wand is quite thin so it's perfect for my lower lashes but I also really like using it in the summer as its waterproof so it doesn't budge in heat/humidity or in water (obviously)! It looks so natural and pretty and I will definitely be buying this again.
£12.50

8. Topshop Lips in Infrared
I've seen so many beauty bloggers rave about this so I thought I would give it a go! I'm not a fan of really bright pink lipsticks just because I don't think they suit me very well. I tend to opt for more natural, peachy colours or orange/coral colours so this was perfect for me! I love this lipstick so much as it can be worn during the day or in the evening. It's really pigmented as well! My only complaint is that it's not particularly long lasting so I do need to top it up regularly throughout the day. 

£8

9. Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer in  Luna 
I probably use this more than my Topshop lipstick because it goes with everything! I'm not a big fan of lip gloss so wasn't sure if I would like this but it's not sticky at all, it feels like there's nothing on your lips! The colour's really pretty and natural and I love the packaging. The only problem is the application is not particularly easy without a mirror and it takes a while to cover the whole of my lips. 

£6.49

Makeup bag, Soap & Glory , £10


Okay so that's everything! I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Ruby