June Collective Haul

I know I am a little late...again on the end-of-month haul but I still wanted to show you what I got anyways :) I'll start with fashion related items first, then move on to beauty.

I bought this pair of wedges from Aldo shoes and I have already worn them countless times - they go with so many outfits and are oh so comfy!! I have also found this grey holographic clutch bag on sale and surprisingly, I have worn it quite a few times as well.

I got some tops and a pair of red jeans from Stradivarius during a trip to Valletta. I never seem to be able to leave the store empty handed and some basics never hurt anyone ;) I also got these two cute tops from Dorothy Perkins as I find them very versatile for summer when you need to smarten yourself a little but still keep it comfy :)

I went a little accessory crazy this month with this Dorthy Perkins bucket bag which I am totally in love with, a pair of sunglasses and some bangles and bracelets from Promod as well as more bangles and rings from Born Pretty Store.

Next up are the beauty items, most of which are nail related. I bought backups of the Nivea eye makeup remover and the Lycia makeup remover wipes, both of which I can't be without. I also bought an array of nail embellishments and tools from Born Pretty Store (some of them were actually sent for review purposes). I also bough Sally Hansen Nail Growth Miracle which totally works and I'm in love with and three Sinful Colors Pinata Blasts from ebay. The shades I got are Mamacita, Fierce Fiesta and Baila Baila.

Lastly, the boyfriend treated me to a new nail drill kit, some Oumaxi acrylic paints and an assortment of nail decorations :)

Pantone Colour of the Year 2015 - Marsala | Picks From My Stash

Pantone have declared Marsala to be the Colour of the Year 2015 and I couldn't have been happier as it is one of my favourite colours, especially during this time of year.

It is a very versatile shade and it blends seamlessly with a wide array of other colours. Here are the Marsala coloured products in my makeup stash :)

Face

Milani Baked Blush in 03 Berry Amore

Sleek Makeup Blush in Antique

Catrice Defining Blush in 060 Rosewood Forest

Eyes

Catrice Absolute Eye Colour 100 F'rosen Yoghurt

Lips

Max Factor Lipstick in 655 Lilac Wine

Liptini Stain in Pink Lady

E.L.F. Studio Glitter Gloss in Sparkling Wine

E.L.F. Studio Lip Liner & Blending Brush in Wine

Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick 340 Berry Bradshaw

Marks & Spencer Lipgloss in Dark Pink

Inglot Lipstick 184

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Gloss in Wine

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Lipstick in Grape

Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss in 020 Wood Of Roses

Essence Vampire's Love Trend Edition Lip Stain in 02 True Love

Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 030 Ginger & Fred

The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in 335

Nails

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 320 Raisin' The Bar

Essie In Stitches

O.P.I. Skyfall

Pupa Milano Lasting Colour Gel 015

Essence Home Sweet Home Trend Edition Nail Polish Gel Shine in 04 Berry Me Home

China Glaze Holographic in Not In This Galaxy

Essence Colour & Go in 72 Time For Romance

China Glaze Awakening

How do you feel about Marsala being Colour of the Year 2015? 

Brand Hits & Misses | Sally Hansen

I'm sure you have seen this kind of posts on other blogs but for me, this is actually a first, where from time to time I shall be picking a brand and show you my favourite products and the ones I definitely won't repurchase.

First up is Sally Hansen, which I'm sure you've all heard of by now. The US brand has quite established itself in the nail care market and it offers a vast range of products to enhance and care for your nails.

I have tried quite a few of their products and although there are more hits than misses, some products have really let me down. Here go the hits first and then the misses!

Hits

Instant Cuticle Remover - probably my favourite out of the bunch! This is a little miracle in a bottle and I am always in awe at its rapid action in removing excess cuticle and it makes an excellent prepping product especially for gel manicures as on a clean nail plate, the polish adheres better. Oh and it's boyfriend approved too ;)

Cuticle Rehab - another favourite is this little wonder product that I always carry with me in my bag. It is basically a nourishing gel that you massage into the cuticles and it restores them after just one application!

Extra Strength Nail Polish Remover - although this is on the pricier side when compared to other polish removers, it is one of the best ones and it is ace for removing glitter polishes and darker colours effortlessly.

Xtreme Wear glitters - I love the glitter pay off with these polishes and my favourite two are 510 Strobe Flash and 540 Glitter Gun. They are stunners both when worn alone or layered on another polish.

Xtreme Wear Nail Colors - apart from the glitter polishes, the Xtreme Wear range also comprises some nice solid colours. I'm especially fond of them as they provide excellent application and some are even good with just one coat. The shade 300 White On is an exceptionally good white for French manicures too.

Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish - I only have one of these polishes but I can already foresee my collection expanding with a few of these shades. They have excellent colour payoff and the formula is a pleasure to work with. The brand claims that you don't even need a base and top coat with them and I really like the glossy finish.

Insta-Dri Chip-Resistant Top Coat - the last hit is this wonder top coat. I bought it after seeing a good number of positive reviews on it and now I can affirm that it lives up to the hype. It provides a high shine finish and manicure is dry to the touch within seconds. On me, this lasts for roughly 5 days before I can see some minor tip wear. Highly recommended!

Misses

Insta-Brite Nail Whitener - I bought this a while ago so it could help maintain my nails to a healthy colour but it didn't really do much. On the contrary, it made my nails look even more yellow than they actually were.

No More Breaks Nail Strengthener - again, another product bought out of desperation. I was going through a phase where my nails kept breaking all the time - something which was new to me so I thought of giving this a go. I made sure my nails were clean and applied it according to the instructions but after just a couple of minutes it kept peeling off. I tried whichever way to make it work but sadly, nothing could get it to work.

No Chip Top Coat - the last miss is this top coat which I bought as part of my search for the perfect top coat. Contrary to the Insta-Dri Top Coat, it says 'no chip' but as soon as it dried, it just cracked and peeled off together with the polish underneath. I tried it another time on completely dry polish and it did the same thing. Definitely not recommended.

And that concludes my first Brand Hits & Misses post! let me know what you think about this kind of post and also, what you think about Sally Hansen in general :) Any other products you recommend from the brand? Which brand would you like me to feature next? 

August Collective Haul

August is one of my favourite months of the year - some might think I'm crazy to say such a statement but it's true! It's probably the only month where I don't feel cold (yeah even in out hot summer, I always carry a cardigan with me on evenings out) and somehow it's the only month where I get to enjoy summer properly.

 

Here's what I have been buying to make this month even more fun :)

Starting with beauty stuff, this month I have added some new nail polishes to my collection and I bought most of them from Gozo...and they are mostly Sally Hansen. They were €4.50 each for the Xtreme Wear ones (l to r: 540 Glitter Gun, 740 Carnival and 510 Strobe Flash) and €7.50 for the Fuzzy Coat in the shade 600 Fuzzy Fantasy. I have also purchased the Pupa Milano Gel Top Coat for €6 and a Montagne Jeunesse Sensitive Skin Masque for €2.31. The lady at the counter was also kind to throw in a sample of Max Factor Face Finity Primer which is my go-to primer in the summer months.

 

 

More Sally Hansen products, this time another nail polish from the Xtreme Wear range which was also €4.50 and the shade is 450 Ice Pop. I also bought this Cuticle Rehab pen which I shall be reviewing soon but for now I will only tell you two words...get it! It's the best €9.95 you will ever spend on your nails! I was looking for a good waterproof mascara as I swear by it in the summer and I decided to give this one by Max Factor a go. It is the False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara and all I can say is that I love it! I use it everyday and it only comes off with makeup remover - no smudging or budging all day! It cost €13.65.

 

Another nail polish which I added to my collection is Orly Rage. I have this in Gel FX form and I love it so much I decided to buy it in polish form for when I'm in a hurry to do my nails. It is a nice rose gold foil that goes with everything and I believe it cost me somewhere around €6 from Ebay.

 

 

More beauty purchases from The Body Shop! I have just used up a body scrub and so I obviously had to get a new one. I settled on the Vineyard Peach (€12.50) variety this time; will see how it performs. I also wanted to try the newly launched Instablur (€14) which is basically a sort of primer that evens out the skin and the likes. Since I had arrived to my fourth stamp on the 'Love Your Body' card, I have had €10 deducted from my bill and only ended up paying €2 for this Coconut Eau de Toilette which has become my favourite everyday fragrance (normal retail price: €12).

 

Sleek MakeUP have launched a new limited edition i-Divine palette, the Arabian Nights Smoke & Shadows (left) and I went ahead and got that along with the Snapshots palette (right). I really like Sleek palettes for their colour pay-off and the clever names they give to their eyeshadows. The palettes cost €9.99 each.

 

 

The last beauty purchases come courtesy of Kiko. I have only just discovered that the brands ships to Malta and I placed a small order to check the brand out as I have heard a lot of good things about it. I only paid €7 shipping as I spent over a certain amount and the order was here in 4 days I think. All was securely packaged and nothing broke on transit. Very impressed!

 

This is what I actually got:

Daring Game Limited Edition Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette 03 Elegant Ebony €14.90
Eyes 207 Brush €9.00
Life in Rio Limited Edition Face Brush Duo €11.80
Brush Cleanser €5.90
Smart Lipsticks in 904 Strawberry Pink, 916 Golden Beige & 911 Watermelon €3.90 each

Whenever I visit Gozo, I always make it a point to visit Pimkie since we do not have one in Malta and I really like their clothes. This time I managed to get my hands on this denim waistcoat which was on sale for €13.99 and I also got this pair of floral jeans from their new collection at €25.99. 

 

From Stradivarius, I got this oversize top and midi skirt which I instantly fell in love with! They are part of the new collection and I really can't wait to wear the skirt but since it's fabric is a little thick, I would have to weather till the weather cools down a little. The top cost €25.95 and the skirt cost €19.95.

From Calliope I scored this creamy yellow scarf for just €2 in the sale section. I really look forward to wearing it as scarves are my favourite winter accessory :)

 

Finally, finally, after years of searching for the perfect pair of silver occasion sandals, Aldo has answered my prayers! I badly needed a pair for weddings (in fact I just wore them for one last Friday) but they either weren't to my liking or they didn't fit. This pair, on the other hand is ace! And best of all, it was on sale for €45!

 

Accessorize really do offer a good sale and for the last few days, they put sale items on 70% off. I treated my self to this cute yellow bag which only cost €10.25 and this pair of daisy print sunglasses which were retailing for just €5.50. I also bought this pair of earrings which are part of their new collection for €9.90.

 



 

Lastly, from River Island, I bought this wallet as I needed a new one and I love the flowers and stripes print on them. They have a nice selection of good quality wallets and  paid €22 for this one and it has enough space for all my cards and the bits and bobs I usually carry in my wallet. I also bought this wine crop top as it was on sale for €14.

 

 

So, as I sadly wave goodbye to August, that is all I bought this month!

 

Monthly Favourites | August

August was all about having fun in the sun for me :) Starting the month right off with a weekend in Gozo and every weekend that followed was pretty much characterised by lazy days at the beach when I was not working. All along, I have been enjoying the following products throughout the month.

 

My favourite summer scent is Coconut, more specifically, the one that The Body Shop products have. Now I can carry this scent for a longer time thanks to their Coconut Eau de Toilette :D I got this for free the last time I went shopping there with the Love Your Body Card and I have been using it everyday since! It's got a nice scent that's not overpowering yet it still lasts all day :)

 

Another favourite smell that reminds me of summer is Mango and I have indulged in these travel sized shower gel, body scrub and body butter while in Gozo. They are all from The Body Shop as well and I really do recommend getting your favourite products in this format to save on space. They smell so good, you almost mistake them for the real thing! The same can be said for the Mango Sobet body lotion of which I have a sample and have been loving lately. It's definitely going in my wishlist!

 

The last The Body Shop product is their newly launched InstaBlur. It is basically a primer that can be used alone or under foundation. I love how the product melts into your skin and evens out the skin tone and provides an excellent base for any makeup, even in this heat!

 

Using sunscreen everyday is a must, more so in the hot summer days. I always make sure to protect my face with a high SPF factor so a little help to look tanned is always welcome. This year, my favourite bronzer is the Catrice Sun Glow Shimmering Bronzing Powder for Medium Skin in 010 Shimmering Bronze. I'm super pale skinned but this bronzer doesn't look dark on me. I like to use the light part for a subtle sun-kissed glow.

 

If you live in a place with a humid climate, you know it's an everyday struggle to keep makeup from sliding off your face. For my eyes, I favour waterproof mascaras during the summer and my favourite one is actually a new discovery for me...the Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara. It has an insanely black colour and it lasts all day without budging and it can only be taken off with waterproof makeup remover!

 

I have also been enjoying the Sleek MakeUP Arabian Nights Smoke & Shadows Limited Edition Palette. There are 12 beautiful smoky shades that I have been playing around with a lot lately and I love the different ways they can be combined together for unconventional smoky eye looks.

For lips, I have three Pupa Milano products that I have been wearing all the time. The Shiny Lip Fluid 001 Princess Nude is my favourite nude lipgloss and I wear this mostly during the day. For brighter alternatives I favoured the Navy Chic matt lipstick 001 Chic Pink and I'M Lipstick 206 Coral Dream.

 

Lastly, I have a few nail products. The Pupa Milano Gel Top Coat has concluded my search for the perfect top coat...I just love this one! It has a glossy finish, dries fast and makes manicure last longer. Next I have a selection of glitter polishes from Sally Hansen which I have enjoyed wearing alone or as toppers over other polishes. The shades are 510 Strobe Flash, 540 Glitter Gun and 740 Carnival. The last product is also by Sally Hansen and it is their Cuticle Rehab. This has been a cuticle saviour for me as it helps keep them moisturised and my nails feel as strong as ever with this new addition to my nail care routine!

 

The last favourite I have to share for this month is this manicure where I have used decals from Born Pretty Store. I like how it turned out to be and the results were totally worth the time!