Sunnyside Sunday :)

Hellllllo Beauties!

I went shopping yesterday and was ecstatic to discover a Lush store at the mall! Apparently it has been open since the beginning of December, so I'm a bit out of the loop there. But anyway, since I've been blogging, I have read so much about their products (especially at Miss Holly's blog) and had been seriously lusting after some bubble bars, so guess what I picked up?

Nom nom nom nom nom

Mmmmm glitter. This is the Sunnyside bubble bar; I bought it because of the copious amounts of glitter and the citrussy smell, which is described as "a bright, sunny fragrance" on the website. The sales assistant kindly double bagged it so the glitter wouldn't migrate, as it has a tendency to do:

I didn't want to use the whole thing so I cut it in half, then got down to the serious business of bath-time! It crumbled easily and immediately began to produce plenty of bubbles. I ended up with a long-lasting pile of foam roughly the height of a kindle (I measured).

 The only thing that disappointed me about this product was the colour it turned the water. It honestly reminded me of diluted blood, like when you clean a cut - gross. However, I guess it is mainly down to the golden glitter, so I can overlook this. I just can't emphasise enough how gorgeous the glitter is! It felt like I was in the middle of a billowing cloud of magic, undergoing a Cinderella-esque transformation into beautiful princess. Now where did Prince Charming go?

Whilst planning what I was going to report back about this bar, I realised that the smell was very familiar, and not just because I'd been sniffing it all day! Then it hit me; it took me straight back 15 years to my best friend's house (god, that makes me feel old!), and the scent of Imperial Leather soap. Can anyone who's tried this confirm that?

Anyway, let's return to the glitter :). After I'd drained the water, there was a residue around the bottom of the bath as you can see below, but it was very easily rinsed away - no scrubbing required! It also hung around on my skin and hair, although fairly subtly as the glitter is so fine.

I really enjoyed my first Lush bath, and even think I can get away with using a quarter of the bar next time, which is just as well at £3.50 a go! What others do you think I should try? I've got my eye on the Happy Bubble Bar, Karma Bath Melt and Mmmelting Marshmallow  :p

Lots of love,

Krystyna x

What's In My Handbag? + MUA shenanigans

Hi Beauties!

I am reaaallly looking forward to having a bath later with my new Lush Sunnyside bubble bar; I don't know what it is, I've just been so tired lately! Anyway, I thought that today I'd show what I generally lug around with me day-to-day, as I love reading these posts on other blogs (so nosy!). I bought this just after Christmas from Warehouse for  £45, in exchange for a £75 bag my mum got me that was too small (leaving me with £30 for some shorts :)).

I love it as it's big enough to fit an A4 folder and all of my other 'essentials', and is simple enough to go with all of my everyday clothes without being boring. On to the contents:

Sainsbury's Travel Tissues (£1.35) - I hate being without these, so I have packs in my bags, in my car, by my bed... everywhere!

Johnson's Baby Skincare Wipes, fragrance-free (£2.54) - I work with kids, who can be sticky, and I'm so clumsy I'm usually spilling something.

Purse - I don't know where this is from or how old it is as I found it at the back of mum's wardrobe, so it was probably a great-aunt/uncle's. I've been using it for years, so it's a bit tatty now, but it is the perfect purse and will be hard to replace :(.

JVC Pink Gumy Headphones (£7.99) - Not the greatest headphones in the world, but perfectly adequate, and easily available as you can just pop them in your trolley at the supermarket.

Vaseline Creme Brulee (£2.99) - This is so yummy! It tastes of spiced vanilla as well as having all the usual goodness of vaseline. Sadly, it's limited edition, so I don't know if it's still available!

Benefit Some Kind-a Gorgeous Lite (£23.50) - I'm not the biggest fan of this to be honest, but I will use it up. It changes from cream to powder, toning down my incredibly shiny face, but I find it can be quite patchy and obvious, and the smell is so off-putting!

Chocolate :) - For on-the-go emergencies.


River Island Sunglasses (£13) - These usually live in my car but somehow found their way out!

Water - Part of my 'drink more' New Year's resolution

Pencil Case - I love being at college because it means I can legitimately indulge my geeky stationery fetish again! This my everyday one, I have another filled with felt-tips and crayons for when I go to school.


Reading Stickers - I read with primary school kids, so I like to have these for when they do well :).

Carex Aloe Vera Hand Gel (£0.70) - This is quite good value, at 7p per use, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing it as it smells really strong.

Clinique Superdefense Moisturiser (sample) - For dry hands, sore noses etc. Really useful, I love it when you get samples, it's one of the major advantages of buying high-end products!

Listerine Antibacterial Mouthwash (£1.35) - Just in case...


Wrigley's Gum (£0.38) - I like coffee, but coffee breath is horrific, right?


Lancome L'Absolu Nu Lipstick in 202 Beige Rose (£19.50) - A perfect everyday lip colour which applies brilliantly. The smell reminds me of early childhood experiments with lipstick :)


Cherry Carmex (£2.69) - As much as I love vaseline, I find that carmex has the edge moisture-wise. Also, who doesn't love cherry lip balm?

Hair accessories - Another just in case essential.

Notebook - For my fascinating thoughts, doodlings and musings.


So that is what I cart around with me every frickin' day; curiously, I seem to have forgotten the kitchen sink. How odd. I also usually have my kindle with me, and obviously I took the photos with my phone, so whilst I could have improvised with a piece of paper saying 'phone' on it, I decided not to. I think it was a good decision.

Yesterday morning I received an unexpected package which thoroughly confused me. It was a duplicate of my last order from MUA, though without the glitter eyeliner as it was out of stock. Now I didn't request this, nor have I paid for it. So I tweeted them asking if they wanted it back, and they asked for my order number so I'm waiting to see what happens next... Included in the package though, was a copy of an order confirmation e-mail, which it turns out I'd accidentally deleted :/. So I really am very sorry for previously saying that I had had no correspondance from them. Bit embarrassing really.

I started writing this post yesterday and finished it today, so I'll be blogging again later, hooray!

Lots of Love,

Krystyna x

Versatile Blogger Award and NOTD

Evening Beauties!

I was so happy to have been given the Versatile Blogger Award by Leah over at Leah,Loves,Beauty and Fashion, so thank you lovely for my first award! Now, the rules state that I must offer up 7 interesting facts about myself and pass the award on to 15 more bloggers; to be honest, I'm not sure which is hardest! I'm not exactly the most discrete person in the world, so I'll try not to repeat myself in the facts.

I would like to pass this award on to:

• Tiffeny - Just Tiffeny
• Lauren - The Cosmetics Kitten
• Danielle - Tinks Tales
• Hannah and Zebedee - loveletters and snippets
• Michaela - Kla Dollface
• Puja - British Inadequacy
• Lizzie - Cupcakes and Cosmetics
• Onna - Onna's Little Blog
• Jemma - Bamboozle Beauty
• Tamsin - Little Glitter
• Rebecca - Oh! Panda
• Hannah - Away With The Fairies
• Charlotte - The Fairest Of Them All
• Cat - Reaching For The Stars...
• Eloise - I Need More Clothes 

 Some scintillating snippets:

1.  Both of my parents have been in the army - my brothers were both born in Germany, when Dad was posted there.
2. I had 3 different driving instructors before I passed my test... long story.
3. I'm a bit of a pyromaniac; I can't be trusted with candles.
4. My first word was 'scissors'. 
5. I wish I had a puppy :( I would love a little doggy friend.
6. I love scuba diving, but I really hate fish! They just freak me out.
7. I hadn't been to a hairdressers before the age of 13. My first haircut was performed in my dorm by a girl a few years above me.

 Thank you again Leah! Now it's time for a quick NOTD, featuring George in 'Smartypants' and Barry M Gold Foil Effects on the ring finger.

 The George nail varnishes are such good value! It's £1.75 for a bottle and there is a massive range of colours (55 listed on the website!). Also, they really are quick dry, like they claim on the label. I would definitely recommend that you pop into Asda to check them out.

It's my bed-time now, I'm going to college and into school tomorrow, and I can never get enough beauty sleep!

Lots of love,

Krystyna x

NOTD: Pink Diva

Ahoy Beauties!

I want to show you the polishes I bought yesterday whilst dashing around Sainsburys; nothing special, just a little bit of colour to brighten up this dreary weather we're having at the moment! They're both MaxFactor Max Effect Minis, available for £3.99.

These are actual size! From left to right is Pink Diva (12) and Diva Coral (09)

I think these polishes are quite good quality, as they apply smoothly and don't chip as soon as you do anything. However, you can see in the above left photo that the colour can be fairly streaky so they do need 3 or 4 coats for full opacity. I have heard people complain about the size of the bottle, but I hate waste and I've never used up a nail varnish, so for me, the size is a plus! It also means I can store more bottles in the same space, and with over 30 shades listed on the Boots website, I'm very tempted to try out some more :)

I haven't been doing much at all today, just catching up on beauty vlogs and blogs, and playing Temple Run! I installed it this morning and have been playing non-stop, it's so addictive. How have your weekends been?

Lot of love, 

Krystyna x

PS If you haven't checked out my mini shoe sale yet, take a look at the page!

Get Your Freak On! Tag

Hi Beauties!

I saw this on Toffee/moonbeamstarlight's blog, and knew I had to do it, as I have accepted the fact that I'm a 'freak' and always will be :p Hope you enjoy...

What's a nickname only your family call you? 

 Oh dear, embarrassing! My family call me ‘Ugh’ (said like the boots) because that was all I said until I was 3 years old… They got pretty worried there was something seriously wrong with me :s

 

What's a weird habit of yours?

 Hmmmmm I actually don’t know! Oh wait, I guess hugging your feet is pretty weird; I’m quite flexible, and sometimes I just like to have my feet up next to my face. Ok then, let’s make that very weird.

 

Do you have any weird phobias? 

 I really, really hate daddy long legs a.k.a. crane flies. I will scream the house down if one touches me.

 

What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone? 

 It depends what mood I’m in! Recently the Phoebe Buffay classic ‘Lather Rinse Repeat’ has been stuck in my head…

 

What's one of your biggest pet peeves? 

 Bad drivers! I loathe it as they’re putting everyone around them at risk as well as themselves. Learn to read speed signs, and what that thing with arrows sticking out next to the wheel is for.

 

What's one of your nervous habits? 

 Fiddling with my earring backs. Lost soooo many doing that.

What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

 Well I sleep alone *sobsob*, but it’s generally whichever is closest to the wall. It’s a side-effect of being a horror movie fan.

 

What was your first stuffed animal and its name? 

It was a lamb. Bet you can’t guess what I called it.  (Lambie :))

What's the drink you always order at Starbucks? 

I like lattes, the bigger the better, occasionally with vanilla syrup.

 

What's a beauty rule you preach, but never actually practice? 

 Errrrm I can’t think of any! I’m perfect :)

  Other than not putting a base coat on my nails. And washing my hair too often. And not using foundation brushes.

 

Which way do you face in the shower? 

 Away from the jet to wash my hair, towards for my face

 

Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'? 

 Well there’s the aforementioned flexibility. It means I can hold my nose with my toes.

What's your favourite comfort food that’s 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways? 

 I like white toast with spaghetti hoops (still a kid inside)

What's a phrase or exclamation you always say? 

Badgers. Occasionally that will become badger w**k, if I’m really really pissed off.

 Time to sleep, what are you actually wearing? 

 I wear pyjamas; a cotton cami and bottoms from somewhere like Crew.

So I may just have revealed far too much about myself, but I do tend to do that! Please don't abandon me

Do use this tag on your own blogs, and tell me so I can have a chuckle!

Lots of love,

Krystyna x

MUA Haul

Hi Beauties!

I have been absolutely swamped with college work for the past two weeks (why do they set all the assignments at once?) which left me way too exhausted to even think about blogging, so I'm really sorry I've been absent! Remember I mentioned a MUA order I made way back before Christmas? Well it finally turned up 8 days after I was told it would, and almost 3 weeks after payment, so having paid £2.95 for First Class postage, I am not at all happy with their website. I was also really surprised that they did not contact me at all, not even sending an order confirmation message, which is strange, as they had sent me 4 e-mails about my previous order.


Anyway, rant over. I will be buying their products again as they are fantastic value, but not through the website! I thought I'd show you what I bought displayed on my essay chair, as that's where I've been spending most of my time recently!

 It's a lovely little Victorian or Georgian nursery chair, so comfortable, and luckily, the fabric almost perfectly matches the gold toned eyeshadow I bought!

Pearl eyeshadow in Shade 29 (£1)

 No flash on the left, with flash on the right (throughout the post)

I can see this becoming my go to product for nights out, as I love rocking a golden eye. The glitter is intense, and although there is a bit of fall out, it's to be expected at this price.

Glitter Eyeliner in Shade 2 (£1)

This was a lot less full than I was expecting it to be: you only get half a tube. I think that's a bit cheeky, even at this price. It is so pretty though! I saw it on Rebecca's blog, in a Christmas eyes post and couldn't resist, seeing as Chanel is a bit out of my price range at the moment!

Swatches:

These were so difficult to take pictures of! I mean, I know I only use an iPhone camera, but the glitter just throws light all over the place.  The liner is towards the bottom of the photo, with the eyeshadow at the top.

Lipsticks - Bare Shade 14 and Shade 3 (£1 each)

 Shade 3 is on the left, Bare Shade 14 on the right

These shades are so natural I'm sure I'll be wearing them every day. They're also really moisturising, which is fantastic as Barry M lipsticks, which I posted about here, can be a bit hit and miss. However, they are very sheer, especially Shade 3. Here are the swatches:

I had to swipe several times to build up the colour, but I think the result is worth it :)

Out There Plumping Lipglosses  - Candy Pink and Peach Shimmer (£2 each)

 Peach Shimmer is on the left and Candy Pink is on the right

It has to be said that I don't really see any major plumping effects after applying this, despite an almost spicy tingling sensation. The colour payoff is good though, and leaves lips shiny but not sticky. You can see in the swatches that they're both blue based, ideal for my horrendously pale complexion!

If you are mathematically inclined, you may notice that the little lot above adds up to £8 exactly, which meant I received a free Immaculate palette! As I already have one, I'm going to leave this new one in immaculate condition (sorry, couldn't resist :p) to include in a giveaway at some point.

Anyone still reading? Bit of a long post, I know... Anyway, I have many more lined up, so I won't leave it so long next time! Please comment below, feedback is alwasy welcome :)

Lots of Love,
Krystyna x

Series: Blush, Bronzer and Highlighter Part Two

Helloooo Beauties!

So, it turns out I was being slightly optimistic the other day when I said I had a MUA package waiting to be explored... it was actually a book :s. It was an easy mistake to make, right? Anyway, as I can't write about those products yet, I decided to continue my BBH series which started in November with a blusher post. It's now time for the bronzers!

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Mosaic (£31.00), Topshop Bronzer in Radiance 1 (£8.00) and 17 Instant Glow Bronzing Powder in Light (£4.59)

As mentioned previously, I am INCREDIBLY pale (not so sure about the interesting part), so some of these may in fact be more suitable for you as a highlighter.


Swatches: flash on the left, natural on the right

I adore this Laura Mercier shimmer bloc, as it is not only gorgeous, but versatile. I think you could create a pretty decent eye look with the individual shades, and the lighter ones can also be used as a highlighter. In the swatches above, the colours are sampled clockwise from the top, then blended (which is super-easy). It has a silky texture and there is no fallout: definitely worth the price tag.

This Topshop bronzer is much more matte than the Laura Mercier, although it is still fairly glittery, and it has a darker range of shades, resulting in a natural mocha-toned effect. It is slighty chalky due to its more matte nature, but for £8 this is a good bronzer.

 As you can probably tell from my photos, this is the product I have had the longest! When I want to look like I have a healthy, everyday tan, I use this, and have absolutely no complaints. It has the most subtle shimmer of the 3, and doesn't make me look like I've been tango'ed! Obviously, it's not as versatile as the other 2 being a single colour, but has lasted aaaaaages and is a good basics product.


In the pan: left side photos are in natural light; right are with flash to show up shimmer :)

I hope you've enjoyed this post! I want to say a massive thank you to everyone following me - if you're a fellow blogger, you'll know how much of a confidence boost it is, and how lovely it is to read  comments <3

Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in future post :)

Lots of love, 

Krystyna x