Lil Miss Made Up: Products I have been using recently :)

As I have a lot of makeup, I feel compelled to constantly change my makeup routine. Here are some products that I have been using recently:

 Products for the face:  

Can you see the difference between Mac C40 and C4?

 

A few months ago, I somehow managed to purchase the wrong shade of foundation. Instead of buying the MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in C40, I purchased it in C4. Unfortunately, I threw away the packaging so I couldn't even return it :( I did not want to waste the foundation therefore I decided to use it up, especially so as my tan has faded. I add bronzer on the contours of my face and blend it to my neck to prevent that 'two tone head and neck syndrome'. It doesn't even look bad in photos! :) The foundation on the left is in the shade C40, whereas the right is C4. C40 is more golden toned (it matches my skin colour perfectly) whereas C4 has more of a pink tone to it.

 The bronzer that I use to compensate the paleness of the foundation is Bourjois bronzer in no.51. I use the Mac 129 brush to sweep it across my forehead, cheekbones and on the jaw line! It adds a subtle warmth to my complexion. I really love this bronzer - it also smells of chocolates!

 I am definitely not into pink or red blushers - I prefer a more natural look and opt for warm bronze colours. You may have seen this in previous blog posts. I love the Mac Refined Golden Bronzer - it's got tiny particles of bronze in it to add a lovely sheen onto your cheeks. I actually apply this to the apples of my cheeks. This is the first cheek product I have ever repurchased! 

The next product I have been using a lot is the Garnier Roll on in the shade 'Medium'. I have had this for over 6 months and it is still going strong. The product doubles up as an eye cream and a concealer. It nourishes my under eye area and makes me feel more awake. The only problem is that the product does not stay on during the day, therefore I have to apply it again! When I had a tan, the product did look too light on me, so this colour is perfect for when my tan fades away.

Eye/ Brow products:

I have never been into brow products since an unfortunate event in 6th form. I used to wear brow pencil two shades lighter than my hair - and frankly, it looked ridiculous on me! I received the HD brows set in my Glossy Box. I did not use it for months, until I randomly decided to experiment with my eyebrows! The shades I use is the black shade (top, right) and the grey shade -(bottom, left) mixed together. I feel that the black by itself is too dark, therefore mixing it with the grey makes it more wearable. I only use it very slightly on my eyebrows. I have had a lot of compliments on my eyebrows since. I love this brow set so much! 

I haven't bothered with eye shadows recently - purely due to laziness. I simply wear Collection 2000 liquid eyeliner on the upper lid, lower lash line, add two coats of L'oreal Voluminous mascara, add a tiny bit of Daniel Sandler Mascara 'Baby Jet' on the outer lashes, and then add 'Art Deco eyeshadow in no.29' to my brow bones and inner corners (this is the only eyeshadow that lasts on my lids without any need for primer!)

 This is the Daniel Sandler Baby Jet mascara. It has a tiny, narrow wand which helps you lift up those hard to reach areas! It does not clump up my eyelashes, and makes sure that every eyelash has mascara on it ( I received this product in the Glossy Box).

Lip Products:

Did I mention that I love lipsticks? They can change your whole look! I have many MAC lipsticks, but I am starting to prefer my drugstore ones! Starting from the top: Revlon Lipstick in Pink Pout (A dupe for Mac Creme Cup). This lipstick is too light on my lips, so I add ' Max Factor Lipstick in 'Pink Brandy' to add a coral touch to it. The Max Factor Lipstick is my 'mixing' lipstick - I add it to different lipsticks to change the colour. It has a very creamy formulation and it pretty much lasts all day on my lips. The next lipstick I have been LOVING is Revlon lipstick in 'Cinammon Bronze'. I did not mention it in my Autumn products post, but this is the ultimate Autumn colour. It is a cross between red and orange on my lips - plus it is highly wearable.

Lil Miss Opinionated: Products I love, like and dislike from Sleek *

Today I am going to review some products from Sleek makeup. Sleek is a brand based in the UK which is aimed at selling products for people of all skin colours. I first heard about this brand in 2009 and I think it is definitely one of the best drugstore brands in the UK! I have tried and tested quite a few products, so here is my verdict: 

Products I love from Sleek:

 I absolutely adore the Original Palette from Sleek. This retails at £6.49 and has 12 highly pigmented eye shadows. I love the purple and the bronze colours - and I have used this palette on a night out once. Unfortunately, I accidentally dropped the palette which caused the gold colour to disperse! (Luckily, I don't use gold eye shadows!) The eye shadows are not as pigmented as my Mac eye shadows, but nevertheless the palette is more than worth the price that you are paying for. The only downside is that the eye shadows can look kind of 'crumbly' on the lids - therefore make sure you always tap off any excess product.

The next product I love from Sleek is the contour palette. Here is my review of it. This palette currently retails at £6.50. The brown colour actually defines my cheekbones. I purchased the shade in medium, which is quite dark for me, but once I blend it away it looks presentable.

The next product I love is the Sleek highlighting powder in Peach Shimmer. This product retails at £6.49. Unfortunately I did not take a photo of it because it is in a rubbish state (I have dropped it several times). This highlighter is very pigmented and shows up well in photos :) Here is my review of it.

 Products I like from Sleek: 

I really like the Sleek shimmer dust in Vintage. This product currently retails at £3.05. It is a gorgeous bronze with a taupe-y tone to it. It is such a beautiful colour which photographs very well. The reason I don't love this product is because it is not very pigmented - I had to apply two layers of it. Furthermore, the dust is quite thick - making it quite difficult to apply.

The next product I like from Sleek is the pout polish in Electro Peach. This product retails at £4.30. I love the colour of this product - it is great for the summer. It looks like a peachy-orange on my lips. The reason I don't love the product is because it is full of parabens - and the pout polish is likely to get swallowed once on the lips. The other reason is because the pout polish does not condition the lips - therefore if you have dry lips it will simply accentuate the dryness.

Products I am not too keen on:

 The Sleek Kajal eyeliner used to be my all time favourite, but it doesn't last very long. This product retails at £4.30. The product crumbled up after a few months and now I can't even take the product out of the container. The eyeliner is quite pigmented but I prefer the Urban Decay one for intensity.

 Sleek Pout Polish in Pink Cadillac is not one of my favourite products either. This product retails at £4.30.  The colour simply does not suit me - I'm sure it would look great on other people but the warm pink clashes with my skin colour.

Sleek Palette in 'Storm' is one of my least favourite products (surprisingly).This retails at £6.49. I have seen many blog posts raving about this product - but I have not been able to create a nice look out of it. The matte shadows are too pigmented, which make them difficult to apply. None of the light shimmery products actually suit me - I only like the Cranberry colour (first eyeshadow in the second row). 

What do you think of Sleek products?

P.S - all the prices are from the Sleek website. They might sell it cheaper in Superdrugs. 

I am not affiliated with Sleek and all products were purchased with my own money.

:) Lil Miss Pondering: In and Out =

I haven't done an In and Out post in ages - purely because I didn't know what to write about. I am back with another one - I think I will do these randomly! 

In: 

My untidy room - well untidy for me anyway lol!

TV - I love cosy nights in. I love how my favourite TV shows start during September - Vampire Diaries, Young Apprentice, Desperate Housewives and Pretty Little Liars (although Pretty Little Liars is on another break and will be back in January 2012).

Quinoa. I tried quinoa (a type of grain, originally from South America) for the first time this month and I loved it. I ate it with goji berries and apples and added some cinnamon powder to taste. It is a great source of protein and also has good iron content. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and you can buy it from most supermarkets. I will do a separate post on this!

Working out. After Zante and Morocco I stopped exercising and noticed a huge difference in my figure. I was no longer comfortable in tight fitting clothes as my stomach had become wobbly. I have been in denial about it for ages, but in September I decided to work out again. I am aiming to workout 3/4 times a week. My current favourite workout is 'No More Trouble Zones' by the lovely Jillian Michael's. This workout is purely strength based - it involves weights and I can feel a difference in my body the next day. I will definitely be doing a review on this workout!

Healthy eating - thanks to the 'My fitness pal app' I started eating healthily. I used to eat pretty badly before. Once I started using the app, I realised I was lacking iron, Vitamin A and calcium in my diet. Out came the carrots, spinach and yoghurt. I have noticed a big improvement in my skin (I usually break out once a week but I haven't had anymore *touch wood*) . My hair also looks shinier too. This just shows that nourishing your insides is just as important (if not more) as having a good skin care routine.

Being organised. As I have been working out hard and eating well - I feel that I am in control of my life. Conveniently, I have been more organised and life has been pretty stress free due to it! I always set my bag the night before, I am constantly setting myself reminders on my phone instead of trying to memorising things and I try to get up early to prevent rushing. The tough part is keeping everything up.

Candles. I have been loving lighting up candles lately. Personally, Yankee candles are far too expensive for me (I cannot fathom spending £15 on a candle) so I decided to snoop around in Wilkinson's; I found some gorgeous candles. The one I am currently burning right now smells of vanilla - and now my room smells delightfully sweet :) I can't wait to buy some more - they're only £3!

Out:

Eyeshadow. I have so much makeup yet I only use 10% of it. I haven't bothered with wearing eyeshadow lately - I simply cannot be bothered to get dressed up in the mornings anymore. I just wear eyeliner and mascara, as opposed to layering primer and applying several shades of colour etc. etc. I'm sure it's just a phase though ;)

Negative thinking. I am generally a very pessimistic person - I tend to worry too much about certain situations and I always expect the worst; I feel as if I focus my energy on the wrong things! A recent loss in the family has really made me re-evaluate my life. My aim is to look on the brighter side of things and to stop worrying. It will be tough, but being positive is just so much better for you!

What have your In's and Out's been?

Photos source.

Lil Miss Motivated: Can you beat the clock? :%

I am all for motivation, especially now that it's Autumn and all I want to do is laze around in my pyjamas. 

Here is a quick motivation tip that I do to get things done. I use it to tidy my bedroom, set my bag, do my chores and also do some studying. 

1) I set my timer to a particular time. I usually set it for 5 minutes.

2) I quickly tidy my room (or do the other things I mentioned). As I know it's only 5 minutes (or less), I feel compelled to finish the task.

 3) I usually finish before the timer is done (I then do some 'extra chores'). If I haven't, I simply set it again (for another five minutes!)

This tip might not work for everyone but it certainly gets me out of bed. I would consider myself quite the 'neat freak', but I can be lazy at times. I use this technique every single day - before work (when time is limited) and also when I come home. It really gets me motivated!

In regards to study, I set the timer for 30 minutes and reward myself to a 5 minute break. 

If you really want a challenge, you can even set it to 1 minute for tidying up and so on.

Hope this tip helps you!

You will be surprised with what you can achieve in merely 5 minutes!

Lil Miss Technologic: iPhone apps I love +

One of my obsessions in life is the iPhone. I have had the iPhone for over two years and it's simply astounding.  Last week, I finally upgraded to the iPhone 4s - which I love. I especially adore Siri, the new voice activated assistant, which will send messages, read emails, check the weather, search the web for you - all you have to do is ask  :)

Here is a recent conversation I had with Siri. It even has a sense of humour! 

I have already mentioned some of my favourite iPhone apps in this post, but I am going to mention some more in this post: 

An app which I have been using recently is called 'My Fitness Pal' (free)

This app is actually a 'calorie counter and diet tracker'. As you may know, I do not believe in diets or calorie counting, but I was ill with the flu recently and my apetite went. I downloaded this app to ensure that I was eating enough food. This app has seriously made me consider my eating habits - I have worked out that I lack iron, Vitamin A and dairy in my diet so I will eating more foods with these gems in them. I found out that one raw carrot has your recommend amount of Vitamin A for a day. I was completely lacking this in my diet so I'm glad I downloaded this app!

To use this app, you simply enter your details (your name, weight, age and so on) and enter what you've eaten, how much water you have drunk and the exercise you have done. My limit is 1500 calories a day, which I cannot follow as it's not enough for me. This app has motivated me to exercise though - so I highly recommend it to anyone in need of some motivation. 

Here are some screen shots:

I only have 311 calories left lol !

What I have eaten today.

 Another app which I love is called Instagram (free).  This is my favourite photography app and I use it to adjust the effects of a photo. It gives a lovely vintage touch to a photo. I love how interactive this app is; you can create an account and upload the photos directly on the app. You can also view other people's photos and like them. If you're into photography, you will love this app! 

You can change the effect of the photo.

Some of my own photos

  Another app I have been loving is called 'Voucher Cloud'. (Free). This app notifies you of the latest offers. Instead of printing out vouchers, you simply show your phone to the waiter. I always use this before going to restaurants - it usually saves me some money :) One time, I even got a coffee for free from Coffee Republic - all I had to do was show the voucher from my phone. Score!

 I am very interested in astrology, so having a daily horoscope is necessary to me. I have previously downloaded many astrology apps, however 'Daily Horoscope' (free) is the most accurate! My sister uses it and she finds it accurate too! This app even has a compatibility chart, as well as a Chinese and Druid horoscope.

The next app I love is called 'Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock'.(69p) This is basically an ''alarm clock that analyzes your sleep patterns and wakes you in the lightest sleep phase - a natural way to wake up where you feel rested and relaxed.'' Sometimes I have a problem getting up in the morning - this app just makes my life so much easier! You simply put it underneath your bed sheet whilst sleeping and it will wake you up at the appropriate time the next day. It analyzes your sleep pattern by judging your sleep movements. Pretty cool stuff, and totally worth 69p!

 

Moreover, Days Until (free) is a great 'productivity' and motivation app. It basically tells you how many days until a particular event. Yay only 61 days till Christmas and yay 86 days until my birthday. If I have an exam coming up I usually put it on the app and check the app to scare myself (a dose of reality is needed sometimes!)

Travel Deluxe (69p) is essential if you use London transport. I rarely take buses,but when I do I usually miss my stop (out of stupidity might I add). The London travel deluxe app allows you to enter which bus you are on and it tells you exactly where you are. Furthermore, it plans routes for buses, trains, tubes, coaches, DLR and overground.

 I have always loved Simulation games and Surviving High School (69p) is definitely one of them. You basically play a character in school and make choices. The choices could lead to happy endings - or rubbish ones. The game has new episodes every week (which are free), and you can also purchase them (but I never do). I love this app - it's really entertaining and slightly reminds me of the Sims.

 The next app I love is called 'iPint (free)'. This app was the reason as to why I purchased the iPhone two years ago! It's my party trick. All you do it fill up the beer on the phone and drink from it. It's amazing how the beer disappears! The only catch - you have to be over 18 to purchase the app lol.

Another photography app I love is called 'Water my photo' (free) which basically adds water to your photos! It creates such a beautiful effect! Here are some photos I 'waterized':

Hope you enjoyed this overly long post about iPhone apps! Remember if you have the Android or the Blackberry (not sure about other phones) you may be able to download some of these apps :)

What are your favourite apps?

Lil Miss Seasonal: Autumn beauty +

Autumn for me is probably my least favourite season - it's not as fun as Summer, as magical as Winter or as pretty as Spring. However - it is definitely beautiful in its' own right.

Now that it's Autumn I tend to wear different colours of makeup. Instead of bright, coral colours, I am now more attuned to colours such as maroons, reds, hot pinks, purples and nudes.

Here are the products that I've been wearing recently / will be wearing a lot more in the coming months:

Barry M Nail Paint in Vivid Purple, Ciate Paint Pot in Kitten Heels and Star Gazer Nail Polish in no.313

No names, but the last one on the right is called 'Extravagance'.

Mac Refined Golden Bronzer.

Mac Quad (Top Left to Bottom Right: Mac Tempting, Satin Taupe, Embark and Black Tied)

Victoria Jackson lip gloss, Mac lip gloss in Pinkular, Elf lipstick in Gipsy and Bobbi Brown lipstick in Carnation.

1)Barry M Nail Polish in Vivid Purple, Ciate Paint Pot in Kitten Heels and Star Gazer Nail Polish in no. 313 - these colours are so pretty and shimmery - PERFECT for Autumn.

2) Mini OPIs (unfortunately, none of these have the names on the bottle) but the first four are from the 2009 Christmas collection and the last one is called 'Extravagance'. All are such pretty colours for Autumn and Winter.

3) Mac Refined Golden Bronzer - this has subtle hints of glitter in it and you can wear it in ANY season.It's definitely more 'deep' and 'warm' than other bronzers.

4)Mac Eye shadows (Top Left to Bottom Right: Mac Tempting, Satin Taupe, Embark and Black Tied) - I tend to go for deeper colours during the Autumn and Winter months. I love Satin Taupe all over the lid and Embark on the outer corners for a 'Fall' look. I also love Tempting all over the lid and Black Tied on the outer corners for a simple smokey eye.

5) Victoria Jackson lip gloss (no name on it), Mac Lip gloss in Pinkular (2009 Xmas collection), Elf lipstick in Gipsy and Bobbi Brown lipstick in Carnation. The Victoria Jackson lip gloss is the perfect red for my lips. It really brightens up my face. The Mac lip gloss in Pinkular looks great on photos, the Elf lipstick can be a bit too much during the day but I tend to dab only a little bit on for a hint of hot pink on my lips and the Bobbi Brown lipstick looks good in all seasons. It's the perfect nude for my lips <3 

Is there anything you do differently during Autumn? 

Lil Miss Review: *October Glossy Box *

So I received my GlossyBox today and I actually despise it!! I've loved it for the last two months but I dislike every single product this month! If I'm annoyed one more time I will cancel my subscription. There are plenty of other subscription boxes on the market now so I'm not fussed anymore (and most of them are cheaper than GlossyBox!)

In this months Glossy Box you get a 6th extra product just because it's their 6 month anniversary.  You also get a bag to hold everything in (which I think is a nice idea). 

Here's everything I got.

Robert Pigeut perfume samples.

Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Polisher, Dermalogica Age Smart Masque and Dermalogica Age Smart Lip complex.

Leighton Denny Expert Nail polish in Baby Doll.

Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in Moray.

•  Robert Piguet Perfume Samples - I am not a massive fan of these! The scent is so strong and overwhelming - I actually feel a bit sick! I am VERY picky with perfumes. I wish you could un tick products you don't want to be sent - for me it would be skin care and perfumes.
• Dermalogica Age Smart products - right now, I'm not bothered about anti-ageing and these products will probably break me out. Furthermore, there's no ingredients or anything to tell me whether it's suitable for sensitive skin. I find this extremely irritating (yes it's a sample size but a mini leaflet could have provided??) I gave these straight to my mother!
• Dermalogica Age Smart renewal lip complex - I actually like this product the best. It's very moisturising and cured my dry lips straight away. 
• Leighton Denny Expect Nails - I actually like the colour and the finish of the polish. Too bad I already have a similar colour like this in my collection (of course, that's not GlossyBox' fault!)
• Stila Waterproof eyeliner - the colour is so, so pretty but I can't imagine it looking any good on me!

 So, was this worth £12.95?

Definitely not!

Lil Miss Unhealthy: Navratri and being ill. +

•  The photo above was taken before celebrating the Hindu Festival of Navratri. I had a fab time but I am pretty sure that the late nights contributed to my flu.

Here are some photos of the festival  if you're interested:

Please ignore my MASSIVE stomach - that's what a really tight sari does to you :P 

• Speaking of the flu, I have been suffering for nearly a week. Lack of appetite, feeling weak, having a sore throat etc. etc. The antibiotics I am taking are currently helping me recover but I still feel really dizzy and my throat is very sore. You may have noticed my constant moaning on Twitter (I'm so sorry - illness brings out my emotional side lol)
• I am going to start drinking green tea again - I haven't had it for months and whenever I used to have it I would rarely get ill! 
• I actually miss working out - can you believe it? I've also lost 2kg in weight - but it's due to loss of apetite (which is not good!)
• Hope you all bare with me - I will be trying to post more (as soon as I'm healthy again!) 

 Photo source