MAC Lipstick Collection

Freckletone, Myth, Innocence Beware, Viva Glam V

Angel, Ravishing, Vegas Volt

Hibiscus, Toxic Tale, Impassioned, Speak Louder

Miss BB

My Big Distraction

I know you all know but I had a baby recently. I haven't posted any pictures of him here and thought I would for those who haven't seen him yet. I've already blogged and vlogged about him here and here so you can check that out if you're interested. He was born on 15/11/11 and he we named him Milo. He is 100% of the reason my blog posts have been lacking in frequency and perhaps lower in quality lately...you can imagine it's hard to get anything done with a cute baby around to play with. He is the best behaved boy, though, so I really have no excuse for shirking my blogging responsibilities. He sleeps well and generally doesn't like to bother anyone.

I have managed to film a few non-baby related videos for my beauty YouTube channel since Milo was born but here are his YT debuts...

Thank you to everyone that has sent kind messages since his birth. I am doing much better and he is perfect, 2 weeks old tomorrow and life is just about returning to somewhere near normal.

Usual beauty blogging will resume shortly!

Miss BB

Really Relevant Read

I first discovered Lindsey Kelk about this time last year when I was commuting to work on the train and found myself with a lot of spare time to read. I found I heart New York and had to buy it given my obsession for all things NYC, I've since ready I heart Hollywood and I heart Paris and loved them all. If your a fan of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series you will definitely enjoy this one. Another reason to love this author is that she's a fellow beauty blogger. You can find her blog, Beauty Mecca, here. I was online yesterday browsing for stocking fillers when I saw I heart Vegas, it was like she had read my mind! We're planning a trip to Vegas in March, we were originally going to get married there (read about that here) but it will now be our honeymoon. I was willing her next book to be in Vegas and I just can't quite believe it is.. 

I've already ordered my copy, it's not due for release until 8th December but you can get yours here. 

l know this wasn't a beauty related post but I nearly missed this so wouldn't want you to 

Miss BB

Free Shipping From Sigma!!!

I got an email yesterday from Sigma letting me know that their annual Black Friday Free Shipping was back. I had to blog about it for those of you not signed up to their mailing list that might have missed the offer! For today only they are offering WORLDWIDE free P+P so for those of us in the UK that would normally be stung by their huge international shipping prices.. now's the time to buy!!!

Visit Sigma Here

Enter Code : BF2011 at the checkout

It's as simple as that! 

You could pick up this full brush kit for $89 which is around £58! Bargain!

There are so many things I want from Sigma, what will you be getting while free shipping is on?

Miss BB

Winter Skin Favourites

This is something that was requested AGES ago so apologies that we are already into Winter by the time I'm actually posting. There are lots of things I switch up when the colder weather approaches but moisturising products are the number one, I tend to choose thicker, richer formulas to protect me from the elements and treat dryness. Here are some of my favourites...

Garnier 7 Day Cocoa Butter Body Lotion £2.99 (not pictured)

This is a fantastic everyday body lotion. It sinks in super fast so it can be used in a morning before you get dressed without having to wait around for it to dry and it really does leave me feeling moisturised for longer than an average lotion. There are loads of formulas to choose from ranging from sensitive to normal to extra dry, all with different scents.. I love them all but the cocoa butter is my favourite. 

Body Shop Shea Body Butter £12.50

I've never been a big lover of these cult body butters. I know everyone revs about them but I just don't think they're great value for money. I bought this one on a deal recently so only paid £1 and I've been really pleasantly surprised. The Shea Butter version is much thicker, it's almost balm-like in consistency, smells divine and goes a really long way. I would absolutely repurchase! 

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula £3.25

This is a must have for everyones body care arsenal. I am never without a tub on the go, it's the solid formula I'm talking about not the lotion. It can be melted to an oil to use on the skin or as a deep conditioner and what I love most is that you can rub it in indefinitely without getting those rolly bits you do with a lotion. Perfect for a much needed foot massage after a day of Christmas shopping.

Hand Therapy Concentrated Hand Balm (unable to source online)

I couldn't find this online so I'm not sure whether you can still purchase it but I'm sure there are equivalents out there. This is a Superdrug's own brand hand balm. It's super thick and leaves a protective layer which is great for combatting the cold and even better for those of you that can stand to wear gloves for the occasional overnight hand pampering. This never leaves my handbag.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream £25.00

I doubt I really need to say much about this best seller. I'd tried samples many times over the years but only recently purchased a full sized tube. I use it on my lips, I use it as a moisturising face mask once a week, I use it on my elbows or any dry areas and even on the ends of my hair. It is one of my more expensive products and so I don't go crazy with it but it really does the job when nothing else will.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector - Light £9.99

Okay so this isn't exactly skincare but I just love it and It's transitioned in to winter when I really didn't expect it to. I thought I'd return to full coverage foundation but this stuff leaves my dull winter skin glowy and fresh. If you feel you need a fuller coverage I'd still recommend this as a base as it does boast some skincare properties as well and every little helps.

MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner - Petting Pink £11.00

I've looked high and low for the best lip treats and this is one of my all time favourites. It has that delicious MAC lipstick smell and taste (yes, taste!) stays on my lips that little bit longer than your average balm and offers a subtle tint of colour. I always carry this with me and although it might not be the most moisturising lip balm it's a joy to wear and I never mind applying more... yum!

So I hope that helps any of you out there that are looking for some winter skin treats. These are some of the best I've tried but I'm always on the look out for bigger and better so please feel free to share your own favourites in the comments. 

Miss BB

Lush Little Lashes

I. Love. This. Fact.

I received this in a recent Glossybox and didn't think much of it.. in fact I was a touch envious of those that received the Jumbo Jet version as it looked to give more impact but this was absolutely perfect for me. Excuse the lack of lash shots but I can never remember to take the before pictures so sharing the after's always seems pointless as you can't really see what it's done. I am blessed with stubby, light coloured lashes and struggle to get anything special out of them even with high end products but this mascara is designed specifically for lashes such as mine. I thought it was a bottom lash mascara but it would seem it's actually just for short lashes. It gets as close as it can to the lash line without smudging all over the place. That of course does make it ideal for bottom lashes but anyone would find it a great addition to their makeup bag. You could start off with this at the root and layer your favourite mascara as normal. I love when a product I'm not expecting much from me by surprise and this is one such product!

Daniel Sandler Baby Jet mascara can be bought at feelunique.com for £12.75

Winner!

I am so terribly late in announcing the winner of the Chanel Bronzer giveaway but I hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be to get my hands on the prize. Next time I'll plan ahead, promise! So without further ado the winner is...

vampire_princess00

get in touch with me via email missbudgetbeauty@hotmail.co.uk or via twitter @msbudgetbeauty

Thanks to all those who entered..

I will be running another giveaway very soon.. something festive!

Miss BB

xxx

My New Go-To

With a new baby you don't always have time to dedicate to making yourself up every day. I actually am blessed with the best behaved baby in the world and have as much time as I could need but with lots of visitors and lots to do I don't want to look or feel plastered with makeup. These are my new every day essentials for achieving a natural face that I think goes a long way to replacing a full nights sleep where beauty is concerned. It's quick and easy and I've already had so many comments on how well I look for Milo being just one week old. You have to fake it til you make it!

Garnier BB Cream in Light

Maybelline Superstay 24 Concealer in Light 2

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in translucent

Gosh Natural Blush in Rose Whisper 

Bourjois Eyeshadow in 08

Benefit Silky Powde Eyeshadow in Soft Shoulder

Gosh Long Lasting Brow Pen in Dark Brown 001

2True Easyglide Khol Pencil Eyeliner

Maybelline One by One Mascara

Sigma Duo Fibre F50 Brush 

Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush

I love the eyeshadow combination, it's not the best lighting but it's they go so beautifully together, I like the subtle shading to the crease. It's my new favourite quick look that's for sure.

For baby updates remember to check out my baby blog!

Miss BB

November Glossybox

First off I'll admit I was a touch disappointed when I first opened Novembers box. They've spoiled recently with full sized "samples" and real luxury brands so this month was a bit of an anticlimax. I got over that pretty quickly, however, when I looked at what I'd got. I should mention that at the time of writing this I haven't seen another review and have no idea what other products were received so I can't compare my box to others, I generally avoid reading other Glossybox posts as I'd like to think I got the best selection and if I didn't I'd rather not know. So.. here's what I did get...

Arbonne Ultra Hydrating Hande Creme 

Dead Sea Spa Magik Delicate Boosting Mask

Illamasqua Freak Eau De Parfum

Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

Now that last one... that really turned me around on this months box. I love any kind of hair treatment and this one looks a bit special. It's an "Intensive, super moisturising pre shampoo treatment for all hair types. Adds elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine." Who wouldn't want to try that? Its a 40ml sample and a full sized 500ml tube would set me back a whopping £52.10 so it's definitely a try before you buy kind of product. I'd very much doubt I'd shell out that kind of money unless it left my hair feeling virgin-soft but it will be a nice treat for my first post-baby pamper. 

The  hand cream.. it's always nice to have travel sized hand creams for your bag, right?

The perfume sample.. I'm not sure about yet... there may be a follow up review on that.

The nail wraps.. I haven't used the last ones I got in my glossy box yet but as these are leopard print they're more likely to get worn.

Lastly, the spa mask. The last sample I got from the Dead Sea Spa range was a huge disappointment. It was the exfoliator sachets and they stung my skin so badly (I don't have particularly sensitive skin so I was surprised at the reaction) so I'm a bit dubious about this one but I do love a face mask so I will definitely try it out.

**********************************************************************************

The little info card that came with this months box said that November and Decembers selections would be aimed at products to add to your Christmas wish list or gift to others. I like that idea in theory but let's be real.. this box is no different to any other month, the items are not particularly festive or "gifty" but it's a nice marketing spin on the last 2 boxes of the year. I am very interested in the new Mens Glossybox they are launching which was also advertised and will be ordering one for the man in my life for sure.

I love the sample box idea, he will appreciate little bits to try almost as much as I do and the thought of little grey glossy boxes stacking up next to my pink ones has me sold. 

Miss BB

The Secret To Super Clear Skin?

In the late stages of my pregnancy I wasn't sleeping so well, I spent hours watching YouTube videos on the widest variety of topics imaginable but one I randomly stumbled upon I actually found really useful. I love Ruth at AModelRecommends.com but I'd never watched her videos before. I trust her advice when it comes to product recommendations as she's tried so many different brands and seems to really know her stuff. I will link said video at the bottom of the page, it's really insightful but as she says she has combination skin and is 30.. not everyone's skin will react the same way to the products she uses. I am not 30 but I'm not teenager and children definitely take their toll so I think what she recommended will work for me.

I have recently started using my Liz Earle cleanse and polish again after writing it off as too much hard work and not really seeing a marked improvement in my skin. I have used it for about 3 weeks and in that time the closest I've come to a breakout is a little, rash-like patch of blemish "threats" on my chin which never developed in to anything. I have always suffered with hormonal breakouts and they are usually around my chin so if this cleanser can prevent those it is absolutely a winner in my book. Of course the true test will come now that I am no longer pregnant and benefiting from all of those lovely hormones that give you glossy hair and great skin... will it continue to work so well? I am ready to persevere.

Anyway... Ruth mentioned Liz Earl as one of her favourite deep cleansers, suggesting you leave it to soak for several mites before buffing it away with a muslin cloth or Clarisonic (I wish). She attributes her clear, healthy looking skin to this daily deep cleanse and one more thing...

Overnight Exfoliants.

I'll admit I am a total skincare novice. Just as I think I have it sussed I hear something like "overnight exfoliants" and realise I am still so far from well educated in that field. There were a few bits and pieces she mentioned that I was already aware of, one of which was that if you totally strip your skin of oil it will then over-produce more to compensate.. leaving you with a much higher chance of break outs. It took me a really long time to realise how important it was to replenish the moisture in your skin even if you are oily. I am so used to my night-time moisturiser that the thought of using anything that leaves my skin feeling tight or dry is definitely out of my comfort zone but if a model recommends, what can we mere normals do but follow, right?

The main point Ruth was trying to get across in the second half of her video was about cell renewal. As we get older this slows down and leaves our skin looking dull. Since she's used exfoliants she has found it appears brighter and her other products are allowed to penetrate her skin more deeply and therefor work more effectively. The exfoliants she talked about were all Glycolic acid based. Now as i said.. I'm no expert (which is why I am linking her video) but I've seen a lot of products on the market recently trading off this ingredient so I was already semi-aware of the benefits. Lot's of bloggers have reviewed the Sanctuary's peel off mask (part of a 30 day skin renewal system) which I've been dying to try and after Ruth's video I am absolutely convinced it's what's missing from my routine.

I am probably going to start off with that as it is a mask and allows me to still wear a regular moisturiser to bed but if I see any results whatsoever I am almost certainly going to have to try Ruth's "Hero Product", Liquid Gold. She had already raved about it on her website and for those wanting her full review as well as great places to buy you can find that here.

I understand I'm not giving you any new information here, it's a lot of regurgitated recommendations really but for those of you that don't follow amodelrecommends.com I couldn't let you miss out on her fantastic advice, you really must get over there for yourselves! I also wanted to let you know this is the new skincare I will be following over the coming weeks/months (we'll see how it goes) so if you see a great improvement in my skin you'll know why. I will of course review the routine once I have first hand experience but for now.. here's what I'll be using...

As it is I use my Liz Earle and alternate my Clean and Clear moisturiser with Soap and Glory's Wish Upon A Jar so the only changes I'm making are introducing a facial brush (I don't feel the muslin cloth really leaves my skin as smooth as it could be) and the Glycolic peel. I am very interested to try the liquid gold but I'll start with the Sanctuary mask and see how I go. 

*for stockists click on the photos to be taken to the website*

Here's Ruths video as promised...

Have any of you tried Glycolic Acid on your skin?

Miss BB

New face of MAC

Studio Sculpt Foundation £23.00

Studio Sculpt Concealer £13.50

I was given a sample of this foundation to try about a year ago and I loved it. I really liked my Studio Fix but it broke me out after using for only a week. When I questioned the MAC MUA she recommended I try Studio Sculpt for a medium to full coverage that wouldn't be too heavy for my skin. It's a gel-based formula and unlike anything else I have. It feels so strange on application, it doesn't blend all that easily but the finish is worth the extra effort. The first time I tried it it was midday before I realised i had forgotten to put on powder and I wasn't oily at all, really great for my combination skin. It lasted the whole day and felt weightless, I haven't been wearing it long enough to say whether it will break me out yet but I really don't think it will. It's so light, I don't see how it could. 

Now the concealer... that was an impulse purchase. I knew I wanted to get the foundation and it just came out... "and I'll take the concealer too" ... this may have been a mistake! It's a very different texture. Somewhere between Benefits Boi-ing and Erase Paste. It's very thick so for those wanting a high coverage concealer it is great but it's a little chalky. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a cream to powder but it feels that way. I haven't discovered a way to apply it lightly yet so it's too cakey for underneath my eyes but I think it will be ideal for covering redness and blemishes. My skin has been fab (touch wood) in recent months but I'm sure it will find a way back to  to how it was and this will come in handy then.

Do any of you use either of these products? 

Miss BB 

Guest Blog Post - Shabby Chic Storage

Who glams up in a room like this? Shabby Chic style make-up storage ideas

Hi girls! (and boys!?)

I’ve had a love for shabby chic for around 2 years now. Living at home with my mum in a tiny bedroom, the closest thing I got to exploring the French elegant style boudoir was by looking at photos on websites and dreaming, but I knew one day I would definitely turn those dreams into a reality.

Fast forward 2 years and I find myself moving into my own house with my boyfriend (July of this year). I definitely made sure it had 3 bedrooms; one for us, one for him and his toys (i.e. PS3!) and one for me and my shabby chic-ness!

On the run up to moving house, I thought about ways of storing make-up and hair products, and began collecting little things on a weekly basis. There are various types of shabby chic styles.. I decided to go for white furniture with a hint of pastel colours to add a pop of colour to the room but also keeping within the theme.

So, without further ado, here is my own little parlour, full of everything a woman would need in her life!

The make-up brush holder that you can see on the left of my dressing table is actually a metal cutlery caddy that I bought from Wilkinsons for a mere £2. I was lucky enough for my mum to give me the dressing table, however they can still be found on ebay here (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/French-Shabby-Chic-Dressing-Table-Swing-Mirror-NEW-/180730409505?pt=UK_Bedroom_Furniture&hash=item2a145f3221).

What sits on my chest of drawers?

 

I thought this was a perfect way to store nail varnishes… in a glass fish bowl type vase! They are inexpensive to buy (a mere £2), can store lots of varnishes (I have 20+ in here) and they are quite funky to look at too, don't you think?!

I found this little beauty in TKMaxx. Ok it’s not exactly shabby chic, but the pastel blue matched my room. It’s a metal mesh type drawer set that was found in the stationery section. It cost me £4.99 and is now home to most of my hair accessories – hair grips, hair bobbles, headbands etc. I’m not a massive hair person so they all fit in here nicely. For those that were wondering, on top is a giant rose scented candle that was purchased from Matalan a few months ago for £6.

This sits by the side of my chest of drawers and holds a mixture of products. As you've probably guessed it's actually a metal cakestand, but again, because of its style, I was drawn to it. I found this in Homebase for around £6.

This drawer tower matches the dressing table. Unfortunately I can’t find it on eBay right now, but this is what I store all my make-up in, minus palettes. On top I have a shabby chic floral tray which holds my perfumes, and the taller object behind that is a slim vase that holds all my chunky bangles. I find that wide costume bangles consume a lot of space so stacking them is perfect.

The majority of you will recognise the smaller boxes, yep, that’s right, good ol’ Glossy Box! I do have a lot more of these boxes but they are home to other things in cupboards all around my house! I think they are a great idea to keep to store things in, and they match with my room which is a bonus! I keep things such as camera leads/chargers and sample/travel beauty products in them.

This is my jewellery corner. I have stacks of costume jewellery but keep my most used items on these. The earrings are pierced through a canvass board. I got the idea from Youtube, however I think I am changing this soon because once you’ve pierced the earring through, getting them back in the same hole and making them stay there is another matter! Either way, a canvass can be picked up from most stationery stores for a few quid. My necklace holder I think is super cute. I bought it from BHS for £4, reduced from £12, I love a bargain! It is metal so strong enough to hold a fair few of my heavy duty necklaces ;-)

Below my jewellery stands this 4 tower wicker drawer set. This was actually purchased from Argos in the bathroom section to, yeah, you’ve guessed it, be used in our bathroom! However we had more storage than we thought, so it made itself at home in my room instead. This holds a lot of hair products and deodorants. Although the size of the drawers are not great, so only smaller products can be kept in these.

So, that is my little make-up room that I get ready in every morning!

It’s not exactly how I’d like it (I did want the carpet ripping up and the floorboards painting white, and the walls to be painted white, but I got a bit lazy/impatient!).

Have you got any unusual make-up or jewellery storage tips?

I just want to thank MissBudgetBeauty for letting me take over her blog for a day, and I wish her all the best with her birth!

Please come and check out my blog, I do reviews, OOTD’s, recent buys, competitions and random life updates!

http://aworldfullofprettiness.blogspot.com

Thanks for reading,

Kate x

About Todays Guest Blogger

I started doing YT video's last year, and absolutely loved it however I stopped filming around a month ago for a lot of reasons, but mainly because I didn't have a good quality camera and recording equipment, and because I've recently moved into my own house and have far less time on my hands now. I've known about blogger for some time now, but have only being blogging myself for a couple of months. I can honestly say I'm (sadly) addicted. I check it at every spare opportunity, even at work (the amount of time's I've had to quickly click off because my boss has walked in I've lost count!). I get so much inspiration from reading blogs (not all good inspiration, may I add, the amount of times I've gone shopping shortly after reading someones review on something... so easily influenced! haha). Its a lot less time consuming than YT and to me its like an online photographic diary. I know its something I'll stick with for years to come. I think it's a great little concept, knowing that you are making little recordings of your life, both beauty wise and personal life, and having these to look back on in years to come. I know this blog will be with me for a long time and follow me through many stages in my life :-)

(http://aworldfullofprettiness.blogspot.com)

Guest Blog Post - My Mother & Her Clothes

My mother and her clothes

What my mother wears is fast becoming the bane of my life. Every morning before I go to school I have to check she is wearing an ‘age appropriate’ outfit for the day. When we are out shopping I constantly have to remind her how old she is and that lycra is NOT appropriate. Now, I am all for people having individual styles, but honestly mum, purple cotton trousers with a green trim is taking it a bit far. I think she sometimes forgets she is representing me as well as herself and people will judge me for what she wears. If she comes to collect me from somewhere and is wearing something horrible then I have to run to the car before she gets out and embarrasses me.

One of my mums greatest loves is her work shoes. Why on earth she felt the need to buy the clumpy, black horrible shoes for work is beyond me. Not only that, she then wears theses shoes when she is not at work! She wears them with jeans, skirts and the worst of all, tracksuit bottoms. She looks like she has just got out of bed and pulled random items out of her very own dressing-up box.

Another one of her treasured items is her flannel shorts. Why, why, why?! This material should have never left the factories never mind found it’s way into shops. My mum’s pair are grey and she wears them every single year on holiday, I am sick of seeing them. If I say to her “Why don’t you buy yourself a nice new pair of shorts this year?” She says “There is nothing wrong with these!” Mother, I can think of hundreds of things wrong with them.

My mother’s accessory of choice is her woolly hat. She looks ridiculous in it and I have tried several times to ‘dispose of it’, but sadly our dog keeps digging it up. This hat is black and really bulky, it is possibly one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. Not only that but hats really don’t suit my mum so she looks a million times worse in it. Her excuse is “It’s only for walking the dog in” Yes mother, but just because you are walking the dog it doesn’t make you invisible to everyone else, they can still see the monstrosity you have on your head, I’m surprised the dog isn’t embarrassed.

I think the reason my mum has so many vile clothes is because she shops in places that I would never dream of going in. The kind of shops that are lavender scented and have a ‘no skirts above the knee’ policy. It seems that if you buy a top from one of these shops you have to buy the matching trousers, handbag, fascinator, necklace and broach, all in the same colour – lovely. All her friends shop their too, I bet between them they own the the whole stock, their most used phrase is “Oh! I have that top too!”.

When I have children I am defiantly not going to embarrass them as my mother does to me. Then again, I went shopping today and I saw a lovely beige suit.

 

About Todays Guest Blogger

My name is Sarah and I am a teenager living in England with a dysfunctional family and an ill- disciplined dog. I like dancing and shopping, much to my dads despair. My blog is basically an outpouring of all the frustrations that teenagers have. It is quite new and it would be really nice if you could give me some feedback. Hope you enjoy.

http://saharasteenagedaze.blogspot.com/

Guest Blog Post - Blue Ombre Nails

I don't know about any one else but i'm always switching up my nail polish. No matter how lovely the colour looks or how long i've spent making them look nice, within a few days i'm bored and want something new. I've always liked nail art but spending hours on intricate details to remove it all a few days later seems silly!

This design is quick, easy and cheap(and did i mention really pretty too?!)

To get Gradient nails(or ombre as some might call it!), where the polish goes from light(less opaque) to dark(highly opaque) or dark to light(whichever you fancy) all you need is one nail polish. I've seen this done(and attempted it very badly) with multiple polishes but that's where it starts getting a bit tricky!

When doing this with a single polish it's best to use one that is thin and that isn't very opaque. This allows us to create thin layers that we can gradually build up.

I chose Barry M's Silver Sea. It's a lovely silver ocean blue with a bit of glitter that really adds another dimension to the gradient. It's perfect for the cold Winter season that's coming up. It's also a complete steal at only £2.99.

Seche Vite fast dry top coat, Barry M Silver Sea, Leighton Denny Sex Kitten.

The first step is to apply a very thin coat of polish onto bare nails. It doesn't matter how thin it is as we're going to build it up. It also doesn't matter how messy the layers are as this won't be noticeable once we've finished all the layers.

Bare in mind that my thumb and ring finger are already painted.

When this layer is nearly dry start slightly higher up the nail and apply another coat, still quite thin. 

Repeat step two higher up the nail again, making the coat slightly thicker

Apply another layer focusing on the top half of the nail.

Finally apply the last layer focusing right at the tip of the nail.

The tip should now be opaque and the colour should be gradually getting darker as it goes up the nail.

Once all the layers are applied, it's important to let them dry before finally applying a top coat(I used Seche Vites fast dry top coat). If they're not dry when you brush on the top coat it can smudge the polish and ruin the gradient effect.

It's such a quick and easy way to create such a lovely effect. You can also do this technique over a base colour like i've done below on my thumb nail for a more subtle effect. Firstly apply the base colour, mine is Sex Kitten by Leighton Denny(From October's Glossybox!) and then repeat the above steps on top of it when it's dried.

Zoe, xo

About Todays Guest Blogger...

My name's Zoe and my Blog is zozeze.blogspot.com

I'm a 17 year old who makes too many impulse buys and spends far too much money on superficial things.

I'm very new to blogging but i'm already obsessed! My blog focuses on make up, current trends and shopping but occasionally something about fashion and style might pop up!

 

I'm Having a Baby..

Unless this is the first post of mine you've ever read you're probably already aware I am due to give birth soon. The beauty of an elective C-Section is that I have been able to plan for my absence. I've scheduled about a weeks worth of posts to keep you occupied, some of which are from some lovely guest bloggers and some are my own. Either way I wanted to make you aware that the posts that are mine are not my usual typed-on-the-day posts so they will not reflect my post-baby mood (if you're with me)

Again..  I'd expect you'd already know this but I have a separate baby blog which chronicles everything from our struggles to conceive the little one all the way up to his imminent arrival and I will continue to blog there about his progress and all Mummy related topics I deem unsuitable for my beauty blog. 

All being well I will be posting his first baby picture there tomorrow so check back to see it or better still go and follow/subscribe to make sure you don't miss it!

I love blogging, it's my addiction so I will not be gone for long but while I'm not blogging here and while I'm not uploading my regular videos to missbudgetbeauty on YouTube I will be blogging at missbudgetbaby and uploading hospital and new baby vlogs to mekj1986 on YouTube (my second channel) So if you do miss me terribly you will find me there.

For now I'll leave you with my Baby Break video. I'd like to thank everyone who's wished us luck, the comments on that video were overwhelming. I appreciate every single one and in my nervous moments they've really helped keep me calm.

Miss BB

My New Hair

I love being brunette, it's healthier for my hair and it definitely suits me more than blonde... but sometimes it's a bit boring, y'know? That and the darkest dark shades I usually use tend to make me look even paler than I am (which is really pale). So I decided to lighten up as a pre-baby treat and this is the result.

What do you think?

A hairdresser friend of mine (she's actually StyleSoCoy's sister) came over and did it for me in the comfort of my own home which is always nicer when we're talking time consuming foils. I told her I wanted lighter blonde pieces in the underneath and overall highlights and I think it came out really nicely. When my hair moves you can see the lightest sections and dependant of how I style my hair it will reveal different highlight effects, it makes me boring brunette shade much more versatile. The damaged ends of my hair always fade quickest so it's evened out my colour too. I loved the glossy dark on top but the lower layers never matched so it was about time something was done and I really like how it's turned out. 

It's not quite the Lauren Conrad brunette I was initially campaigning for but over time I think I'll have more blonde in the underneath to achieve that contrast look. 

Before and After

You can't ignore the difference in skin tone and I swear this is the exact same makeup I'm wearing in both photos. Ok so the lighting's different but neither were taken with flash.. the warmer shade just really brings out the colour in me. It's perfect for Autumn/Winter and most importantly I like it!

Miss BB