Primark: A totally makeup-free post

So, I totally love Primark. It's cheap, and they're not bad quality for the most part (some exceptions. I have had dodgy leggings and vest tops from there before). I particularly love their underwear because it's comfy and they have some pretty decent designs.

I went in there during the week and had to force myself away from the underwear section so that I didn't buy everything (which there's no doubt I would if I had the money), but not before i had chosen a few pieces.

 

Random Smiley Objects and Animals

They're so cute! I think I like the ice cream best, although I don't know what flavour would be a green colour that dark...

I Need Cake

I love these ones so much too (okay, I love all of the ones I bought, otherwise I wouldn't have bought them!). I particularly like the elastic...yumyumyumyumyumyum...etc...

Be Nice To Nerds

Not entirely sure what frogs have to do with nerds, but theyre cool anyway.

Nerd Owls.

Yes, more nerd based underwear. But c'mon - Owls. In. Glasses. ...what more could you want?

Bows and Dice and Cherries...

....and keys and locks and little skulls in the middle of the bows! =]

Okay, I am aware that I've just posted my underwear on the internet, but I don't care. Here's something non-underwear related that I bought to cancel it out:

Sonic The Hedgehog. My new nightshirt from Primark. Not actually a nightshirt, just a mens top that I bought a couple of sizes bigger than what fits me. I do love Sonic. Then again, who doesn't?

Love B xxx

Nail Art

I'm going to keep this post (fairly) short and sweet, due to my limited internet access (my home internet isn't working, so I'm sitting in my local Wetherspoons with a glass of cola!)

Nail art. The latest and last thing we are learning at college. Really, we havent learnt anything, they just told us the times we have to keep to (30 minutes) and all of the specifications we have to cover (a lot, including: glitter, flat stones, rhinestones, spotting, stripes, foils, transfers, freehand, colours, etc.)

I practised a couple of designs on some artificial nails and have done one assessment so far (which I passed. Hurray!)

And here are my pictures:

Cupcakes!

Unfortunately since my client had very short nails, the gems looked a bit oversized. When I did the same design on my own (longer) nails, they looked alright. But there weren't any other sized gems, so the large ones had to do.

In the 30 minutes you get to do the nail art, there isn't really enough time to do a design on each nail. We were told that to pass, we had to do a minimum of one nail on each hand with the designs. So I painted the rest of the nails a block colour (O.P.I. - In My Back Pocket, which I got at professional beauty.)

On false nails, my first ever attempt at a cupcake and a bunny rabbit. The only issue is that the bunny would only be able to be used on very long nails.

A spider and spider web. This was my second attempt at this design. My first attempt went well, but I didn't have my camera to document it.

Love B xxx

Orange and Blue: The Alternative View

I have always been an avid fan of bright and bold lip colours, but I have never had the guts to wear them myself (apart from a bright red colour, which is more commonly accepted in the area I live.)

While pryng myself away from the more expensive brands in Superdrug, I came across a company called Sleek Cosmetics who stock a range of liquid lipsticks called "Pout Paints".
Within that range I found a bright orange colour and, even more unsually, an electric blue.

 The Colours

I bought them  far I've only worn the blue out of my home, but I have to say it went above my expectations.
The pigmentation is extremely high, giving a brilliant bright colour for those who dare to wear it so.
But also the fade was minimal (I re-applied it a fair few times, but that was because I was continually eating/drinking/talking and that is exactly what I do with any lip colour that is fading only the smallest amount). If I hadn't reapplied it at all, it would have still looked good enough to wear out: generally not the case for lip colours.

What surprised me the most though, was the price and accessability. For a small tube it cost £4.50 in Superdrug. Where I say "small tube", the tube was small but the amount of product you need to use on the lips in one go is tiny, so it's probably longer-lasting than some of the bigger lipsticks.
And then it's sold in Superdrug, of all places. A highstreet store rather than spending hours online (always a plus).

Pout Paint in "Lava"

 Pout Paint in "Peek-a-Bloo"

I know there are a few other colours I desperately want to try out (a purpley berry colour, a bright pink, and a white) but I am desperately hoping that they shall soon look at creating a few more alternative colours that you don't usually encounter on the high street (perhaps a black, green, yellow, etc?) Unlikely, but a girl can wish...

To anyone who is reading this, I suggest you watch out for this brand. I've never seen them before and they seem fairly new, but they seem to be good quality for a cheap price. I would sincerely suggest that you at least try them out, because in my opinion, they are amazing (so far)!

Love B xxx

Sheldon: I don’t know what color lonely is.
Raj: What?
Sheldon: Red is angry. Yellow is frightened. Green is jealous. And blue is depressed. Perhaps we can assign a color to lonely.
Raj: Nothing rhymes with orange. It’s probably lonely.
Sheldon: All right. Come in. You look positively orange with loneliness.  - The Big Bang Theory

Professional Beauty 2012

 As part of our college course, this year we got taken to Professional Beauty 2012.

My ticket. We had to get scanned everytime we entered the main room. 

What can I say about the show? Well, it was truly amazing. I've never seen so much makeup, nail polishes, fake eyelashes, beauty tools, etc in my whole life!

A snapshot of Professional Beauty 2012. 

It was incredibly busy and the room was buzzing (excuse the cliche but it really does fit the atmosphere well). There were so many stalls, most of which were selling various things (including a few selling various machines for fitness and weightloss which were cost £2000 upwards. I dont know whether they actually sold anything because it was students day and I cant see many students having the money to buy them!) but there were several purely advertising and information booths.

My classmates Kayla and Elle on fitness machines. They wobble and where your muscles have to engage to keep you steady, it gives you a workout. They do make you feel weird, with all your body moving side to side really quickly. I don't think anyone went on it and didn't come off it giggling.

It was interesting seeing what the world has to offer.
And the brands! I thought I had a fairly large knowledge of the different makeup/nails/other product brands within the beauty therapy industry, but now I know that it's very incredibly limited.

Less than 1/4 of China Glaze's nail polish stand. O.P.I.'s was even bigger. So much choice, so little money.

I think that I most enjoyed looking at the nail polishes. Despite the amount of different brand nail polishes there were, I was most drawn to O.P.I. and China Glaze.
Why? Because they're the two brands of polishes that I've always wanted but never been able to afford. But at this show, they were all heavily discounted so I treated myself to three different polishes:

- "Jade is the New Black" - OPI
            A lovely green colour. I picked up the last one before I totally decided whether I wanted it. But after I put it in my basket, there were people asking if there were any more left...which there weren't. So I bought it, because I knew that if I didn't and I had decided that I really wanted it, I wouldn't be able to get it. And I'm glad that I did, because it really is a gorgeous colour!

- "In My Back Pocket" - OPI
            A gorgeous bright orange that is just a few steps off being neon (although if I wanted neon, I could've got it. Neon seems to be the current "in" nail colour!) I have no clue as to the reasons behind the name, nor do I know why so few people had bought it, because it's lovly.

- "Ruby Pumps" - China Glaze
            My absolute favourite colour that I bought that day. The name is so relevant: they look as though you have taken Dorothy's shoes from The Wizard of Oz, liquidised them and turned them into nail polish. So, as you can guess, theyre a sparkly shiny bright red! Lush.

My Haul:

Nail art polishes x2, fairy nail art stickers, tweezers, hoof stick, wax heater pot, wax kit, OPI nail polish x2, China Glaze nail polish. Spent about £65.

         

                        

          

Total: about £65. Money well spent I think.

Love B xxx

I've got to let it go and just enjoy the show... "The Show" by Lenka