Boux avenue review

​Hi all,
Today I will be giving you an account of my boux avenue experience. For those of you who don’t know the company, Boux Avenue Ltd. is a chain of lingerie stores based in the United Kingdom. I would say it is middle / upper market as bras start from around £30 and up.  Of course this is maybe not as expensive as agent provocateur but remember I am only a student haha !
Being the bargain hunter that I am,  I checked out their sale and found it pretty difficult to find any good sales for my size. This is partly due to their website being really bad ( sorry boux avenue but you need to make it more user friendly !)  but also because bigger sizes seem to be less discounted.
So anyway once I navigated around their site and came across some affordable bras (in the 10-12 pound region) I decided to purchase a cute red bra.  Upon purchasing,  I was able to choose the free gift wrap option that promised beautiful wrapping paper and scented rose petals. 
When it arrived I was very impressed with the wrapping service but the scented rose petals were a let down as I really had to search in the packing to find them and their scent wasn’t very strong. 

However,  my bra fitted amazingly and the quality was really good. 
Overall rating:  8/10

No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil Deep Green review

 

 

Hi everybody!

I am back and today I will be reviewing the No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil Deep Green. No7 sells a set of pencils that come in five different colours, however I will be reviewing just the green one as this is the colour that caught my eye. I have blue eyes so it was interesting to see the result.

The look:

Colour & Pigmentation:

It is a metallic deep green, which I adore as it looks vibrant next to my blue eyes. I think it would also be a nice contrast for those of you with brown eyes.

Application:

According to the boots website ‘No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eye Pencils glide on easily and give intense colour that stays put all day ‘However the reality of using the pencil is rather different. Indeed the pencil is very difficult to apply as it’s hard  and so in order to get any colour, you need to press down on the pencil hard and drag across the eyes- I really don’t like doing that because the skin around the eyes is thin and delicate.

 

I have tried pressing the pencil softly but I hardly obtain any colour when I do this. When I have pressed hard on the point of the pencil and this has actually caused it to crumble or break off. Due to this problem, I also find these pencils difficult to sharpen because the crayon can easily break off or smear across the sharpener.

Packaging:

I rather like the packaging. The pencil is double ended- it comes with the pencil crayon on one side and on the other side, there is a sponge tip applicator which is used to blend the pencils and give a smoky effect.

Yet I do find that the packaging is actually very misleading because the pencil looks quite long, but there is only a tiny bit of product in this pencil since half of it is shared with the brush space.

Longevity:

Once applied, the pencil gives long lasting colour and I did not have to reapply at all during the day, which is fantastic since with other eyeliners I have to reapply every 2 hours.

Would I repurchase?

Yes! Although it is somewhat hard to apply it does deliver great results.

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo

What I Learned By Going Makeup-Free

Dear readers,

During the summer I have been wearing less and less make up every day. Funnily enough this has been quite a liberating experience even though the media continually tells us that we should be make-uped all the time. I know what you’re thinking: it’s not even possible to feel liberated without any make up as all your flaws are on show. Well, contrary to popular belief, life as you know it will not end if you skip makeup every now and then and opt for a fresh face.

A great artist that is taking this to another level is Alicia Keys who has decided to stop wearing make-up full stop. I love experimenting with my look so I’m not sure if I could go on a make-up ban but big up to her. Here I will share with you 3 things I learned by going make up free. Enjoy!

1. My skin got clearer and my eyelashes grew longer

Indeed, makeup Isn’t Necessarily Great for Your Skin even though it’s marketed as a product that hides your flaws and you can even get spot healing make up. The truth was after stopping wearing foundation and mascara I noticed changes.

I noticed that my skin became clearer. And without having to remove mascara everyday my eyelashes had the time to grow a bit (or at least seem like it) so that I would have longer lashes after putting mascara on after a makeup ban.

 

2. I saved SO MUCH money…

I am not saying that I buy Chanel make up or anything but even using affordable makeup products from brands like Maybelline add up if you use it every day.  And if you’re a student you know the struggle for cash. With the money saved up I treated myself to a restaurant outing with friends etc.

3. I was able to relax as I saved so much TIME

Everyone knows the rush of doing their makeup before work/school/ a date. Indeed, Putting on makeup can take anywhere from 10 minutes to upwards of an hour depending on how you feel about yourself that day. Whilst going bare, I was able to sleep in so much longer and there is the expression ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason right?

 

To conclude, I’m not saying don’t wear makeup every again, but just think of it as you’ll be doing your skin a good service if you choose a fresh face opposed to heavy makeup on a regular basis.  It’s important to have a balance of make-up and non-make up days.

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo

 

 

Date night: The Great Gatsby Eyes

 

Dear readers,

Today I will be sharing with you a date night look that was inspired by the Great Gatsby. If you haven’t yet seen the film I definitely recommend that you do because it is absolutely stunning and an absolute tear jerker! Hope you enjoy the look and don’t hesitate to share your own make up tutorials.

So from the girls in the film I saw that the make-up of the 20’s was super-smoky! This was because ‘King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in the early ’20s and the world went crazy for everything Egyptian, including Cleopatra’s famed kohl eyes.’ (< http://thebeautygypsy.com/great-gatsby-makeup/>).

To recreate the ’20s sooty effect, I am using the urban decay naked palette. Here are the easy to follow steps:

1.Apply the colour ‘buck’ to your crease

2.Apply colour ‘naked’ just above the crease for a smooth transition

3.Apply the colour ‘creep’ to the outer v and crease

4.Apply the colour ‘gunmetal’ to the lid

5.Then blend, add mascara and eyeliner

Final look:

So there you have it. Until next time…

Charlotte xoxo

Why I will never diet ever again

Hi readers,

Summer has been great so far but I have to admit to you something crazy that I did before going on my holiday to Turkey.

As I was counting down the days to my holiday I decided I would have to get fit super quick to get that ‘summer body ‘ and the only way would be to diet and do intense exercise everyday.   I went about this firstly by cutting down my food intake insanely by simply eating soup and bread for lunch and dinner. Then exercising intensely one part of my body then twenty minutes of cardio.

The soup diet only lasted two days as I quickly realised that, although the food wasn’t bloating me,  eating soup wasn’t giving me enough energy for my day.  Especially since I was working out intensely. Therefore I decided to change my soup diet to a balanced diet. This meant eating carbs again with meat but in small quantities. With this change I felt much better and didn’t feel hungry all the time and could workout effectively. I actually found some nice recipes and will incorporate these in my day to day diet regardless of whether I want to prepare for a summer body or not. Here are some pictures of my meals :

In regards to exercise,  it’s intensity wasn’t healthy for me even if it seemed in theory it was. This was because after 3 days of intense exercise,  even if I was focusing on different body parts,  just wasn’t effective when I was getting extremely tired from it.  The one rest day a week wasn’t enough and actually I needed two to be able to keep up to the level that I wanted to work out at. I then decided to workout 3/4 times a week and felt much better as well as feeling my workouts were more effective.

In conclusion,  I figured out that sometimes the best theoretical plans are not the best. Yes eating less and exercising more are key components to getting fitter or loosing weight for that summer body but it must be done in moderation.  Look after your body in the best way you can.  Being healthy doesn’t have to be yucky, you can actually have fun during workouts and eat tasty dishes.

Lots of love,
Charlotte xoxo

First impression of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish

Hey readers,

Today I will be reviewing Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polishes. As a girl who loves to paint her nails but often suffers from chipped nails I thought this would be a life saver as the product promises a 2 week life without any chipping.

The method involves you choosing your Sally Hansen Miracle Gel color coat thst you paint on then you use the Miracle Gel top coat over top.

My overall experience was not very good unfortunately.  I was told that I could have 2 weeks of chip free nails,  however I only got 4 days of that. Also,  the colour nail Polish takes ages to dry especially when applying layers so you can ruin your nails easily if you need to use your hands after painting your nails. Also, I found that the over coat kinda causes my nails to crack so I wasn’t too happy.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Have you got any other nail Polish reviews ? I would love to read them

My love-hate relationship with summer

 

Dear readers,

Those who have read my previous blog post will have noted that I hadn’t posted in a few days because I was feeling down. And here I write a post in order to explain why I have been feeling down. This post isn’t going to be easy to write but I think it’s important that I do this for myself if not someone else who is in the same position as me as has no one to turn to or to relate to.

I love summer as it is synonymous with fun and freedom. By April, most students will be done with exams and if not we will be shortly going on holiday and relaxing. But summertime does have some negativity attached to it, especially if you’re a girl. I will go into details as to why;

1. We are taught to hate ourselves and be super self-conscious

So as everyone knows summer is approaching and the propaganda for getting fit for the summer or getting that ‘summer body’ is everywhere. But what exactly is this summer body? It seems to impose a view on us that our normal bodies are not good enough and that we will be ashamed to show our bodies in the summer time unless we have worked to produce this ‘summer body’. This means that gyms start to get packed and people start to do extreme exercise, however I am really against this whole ideology. Not because I think it’s bad to exercise, but because I believe that we should strive to exercise and improve our bodies all year round not only during the summer months.

And it is exactly this ideology that has been making me feel down because for the first time in my life I have decided that I am truly fat even though I am naturally slim. I am honestly sick and tired of the media constantly telling us that we are not good enough according to society’s beauty standards. We should love our bodies and strive to get healthy and not simply to lose weight

2. Predators are out and about

Also, as it gets hotter, we wear less clothes and this is something NORMAL that we do. However, as a woman I have received quite a lot of backlash for dressing in a summer fashion and I know I’m not the only one. By this I mean men beeping at women in their cars as they walk past ones that they consider as ‘hot’ and men thinking that they can touch women inappropriately because they are dressed like a ‘slut’. I am so sick of this as well and I can only hope things change.

In consequence of this kind of behaviour I really don’t feel comfortable wearing dresses without leggings underneath or shorts unless I am with someone else or actually in a holiday resort where it is considered ‘normal’ (as it truly is) to be wearing summer clothes.

I guess I should feel more reassured since the British government started an imitative last year where you can text a number if you are harassed on public transport in London with the location where the incident happened and when it did. However, when I went on the tube I realised that there are no cameras on the tube compartments themselves so it is unlikely to protect us unfortunately.

Now I would like to end with a few words of wisdom:

5 Facts Every Woman Should Know:

1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over.
2. When someone tells you that you’re beautiful, believe them. They aren’t lying.
3. It’s okay to not love every part of your body…but you should.
4. No one has a flat stomach just after eating
5. Society’s beauty standards do not define how beautiful you truly are

 

I just had to get that off my chest and I hope that by speaking about it we can raise awareness about it to eventually get to a solution.

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo

 

On the search of nightdresses

 

As I have been spending many of my week-ends shopping, I have become addicted to looking for nighties.  This may seem banal but when looking in stores, I have found it extremely difficult to find nighties and when I do they are very expensive (over 30 pounds for something only to be worn at night!). In consequence I have had to order some online and not all of them have been exactly what I have been looking for. In this article I will review a few that I have ordered over the past two weeks.

Nightdress number 1: Ann summers Sylvia chemise

RRP £40, bought discounted at  £12

 

Pros:

Beautiful colour

Silky feel

Beautiful back décor

Just the right length

Cons:

There are too many adjustable straps on the back making it very oddly shaped

 

I was so sad that I couldn’t keep this nightie but the back messed everything up!

Nightdress number 2:  Ann Summers Women’s Alluna Chemise

RRP: £50, bought discounted at £15

Pros:

Sexy style

Built in bra for support

Cons:

Breast area is too see through so not ideal if you are living with parents or flatmates

Bust size does not correspond for my body size (slim waist but big bust)

 

 

Nightdress number 3: Rose High Apex Lace Slip

 

RRP: £20, bought discounted at £18

Pros:

Cute colour

Nice fit on body

Cons:

Completely see through – the picture is deceiving

Very thin so I would potentially be very cold in the winter

 

Nightdress number: Pour Moi Cherish Chemise

RRP: £35, bought discounted at £20

Pros:

Beautiful back décor

Nice body fit

Breast area nicely covered

Cons:

My only gripe is that it is not cotton so you can easily get hot when wearing it in the summer

 

Overall, I kept the pour moi cherish chemise.

Until next time…

Lots of love,

Charlotte xoxo

Urban decay naked palette going out eye shadow tutorial

Hey all, I hope you’re all doing great!

Today I will be posting my first tutorial using the urban decay naked palette, which I absolutely adore. I got this palette as a gift from my boyfriend and now I am addicted to using eye shadow.  This look is really great for going out so here we go:

The look:

Essential items for this look: urban decay ‘naked’ palette, an eye shadow primer (I am using a NARS one), any mascara and eye liner.

Step by step guide:

Step 1: Prime your eye lids using an eye shadow primer. This is essential to ensure that your eye shadow will last longer. With the NARS one I am able to keep my eye shadow on for the entire day.

Step 2:   Apply the colour ‘naked’ to about half of your eyelid. This will be the lightest colour, which will be blended with the other colours of the palette.

Step 3: Apply the colour ‘buck’ in a round line above the colour ‘naked’. Don’t worry if it is not neat as it is our transition colour that will be blended in to create the whole look.

Step 4: Next draw a small line in the middle of the colour ‘buck’ using the colour ‘gunmetal’. Try to make this as thin as possible as you don’t want this to be the main colour.

Step 5: Above all the colours add the colour ‘half baked’ up until your eyebrows.

Step 6: Blend all together and you have created this going out look. Blend as little or as much as you want to get your desired look.

Step 7: Add eyeliner and mascara

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Do send me links to any of your tutorials.

Lots of love,

Charlotte

xoxo

Caviar Nails Review

One of the hottest new nail art trends is the caviar manicure, a three-dimensional look created when tiny beads, called “caviar pearls,” are pressed into regular polish. I truly got hyped up about this trend of nail ‘caviar’ thinking that it would be super ultra.  However, I was really let down. In this article, I’ll give you a quick overview of my experience with the caviar nail polish.

 

Pictures speak louder than words so I will post a picture to show what I mean:

 

 

Apart from my wonky fingers, it is clear that this nail caviar does not provide the luxury implied in its title. It has been described as a ‘carpet’ texture by one of my friends and I just thought it looked fuzzy.

Also, the caviar pearls won’t last long on your nails as I had a few pearls pop off within two hours of application. I applied a top coat to make them last but actually all that happened was that the colour of the pearls came off and my nails looked awful

In summation, caviar nails are not my thing at all. By all means try it out and make your own opinion about it- you can’t go wrong when you can get about half a dozen different coloured nailed caviars for a quid in the pound shop.

 

Let me know if your experiences with nail caviar have been better than mine xoxo