Sunday 31 October 2010

Happy Hallowe'en!

Howdy my beautiful followers who have stayed with me! Mwah!

I ♥ Halloween

So I'd like to share a piece of my 2010 Halloween in photos

The Momiji Kitty pumpkin which my lovely bf helped carve especially for me
I ♥ my Momiji Kitty

His AWESOME Jack Skellington pumpkin!
We ♥ NBC


Chocolate apple! I prefer toffee/candy apples but don't worry, I have some of them too


 ♥ Toffee/Candy apple



 ♥ Halloween Monster Munch! ♥
I ♥ all my Halloween munchies!


The annual classic halloween DVD lineup!
(Beetlejuice would be included but I can't find it :( )
I ♥ Tim Burton






HAPPY HALLOWE'EN EVERYBODY!


What do you ♥ about Halloween?

Monday 14 June 2010

Just A Girl becomes The Pink Bandit

This is just a short post to say welcome to my newly re-named blog (and new blog header!)

I was previously Just A Girl:




I decided to change my blog name as 'Just A Girl' was inspired by one of my fave No Doubt songs 'Just a Girl' (duh). The lyrics of that song are packed full of sarcasm though and the song is about how she is actually so much MORE than 'just a girl'. Whereas I felt my blog title of 'Just A Girl' came off rather flat and actually sounded like I meant i'm 'just some girl', if you see what I mean.

Also, I've seen a few other 'Just a Girl' out there so wanted to find something more original.

Similarly, I've seen a lot of Zebra print backgrounds out there (even though I love it), I just decided to change my background fabric to make my blog that bit more unique.

I also have a new email and twitter (it's the same twitter re-named actually) which you can find in the 'contact me' section, if you need me.

My blog URL has not changed though because if you change your URL then your followers will no longer get the feed in their dashboard without re-following.

I plan on returning to blogging fairly soon but felt like I should inform you all of the name change before you wondered who on earth 'The Pink Bandit' was on your list hehe.

I've really missed catching up on people's blogs and I'm really looking forward to seeing what I've missed over the last few months! I hope you are all well.

L. xXx

P.S. I would like to say a big THANKS to More Make Up than Sense and Alice in a new Wonderland as I won competitions off them quite some time ago but haven't been around to mention them on here. Thanks girlies, you know I both loved the wonderful prizes.
P.P.S. Hope you like the new name/header.




Friday 12 February 2010

Eylure Dylash - The 45 Day Mascara

Firstly, I would like to say a great big THANKS to everyone. I've now passed 200 followers and I'm so grateful to you all for reading and commenting. Mwah!

Now on to a review of a product I recently discovered which I LOVE!

Dylash by Eylure - 45 Day Mascara

The product claims:

"Long lasting colour for dark, glossy lashes and brows. Easy and safe to use. Up to 12 applications."

I think the term 'mascara' is a little misleading as this product is actually a permanent dye for your eyelashes (and brows) which is supposed to last for up to six weeks.

I have naturally dark hair but very pale (but long) eyelashes and the roots of my eyelashes are blonde so without mascara my lashes are practically invisible. So I googled for information about eyelash tinting at Salons and found that it is typically around £10 for just one visit. I've never had this done before but I felt it could get expensive as your eyelashes fall out and replenish themselves within a 2-3 month cycle so I googled to see if there was any D.I.Y. Eyelash tinting kits and came across DYLASH. I also came across 'Colorsport 30 Day Mascara' but all the reviews I've read seemed to say that DYLASH was better.

I chose the colour BLUE/BLACK as it is supposed to give a more intense and glossy colour than just 'Black', which gives a matte black finish.

Here's the contents:


Included in the kit are:
  • 10ml bottle of Activating Solution
  • 5ml tube of Cream Colour (in Blue/Black)
  • 1 white mixing stick
  • 1 applicator brush wand
  • 8 paper strips (to place under eyes).
  • A bowl shaped indent in the package to use as a mixing place.
Two other things which aren't included but you will NEED are Vaseline to spread around your eyes to prevent the skin from dyeing and gentle face wipes to wipe drips or product out of eyes etc.

So here is a picture of my eyelashes before I dyed them.

Before:


I was SO excited to try Dylash that I didn't want to waste time taking many photos but you can see the blonde roots of my lashes and how pale they are.

My experiences to note:

I left mine on for 20 mins, instead of the 10 advised as I wanted to give it chance to go dark and I was worried my tears would have diluted it lol!

I applied it on the underside if my eyelashes like normal mascara and also brushed it on the top of my eyelashes and left plenty on the roots. I think I made way too much of the dye though.

You are advised to close your eyes for the 10 minutes while the Dye is on but in my experience this was a big mistake as I had loaded the underside of my eyelashes with too much dye and when I closed my eyes I got a lot of stinging and watering like so:

Ouch!

If this happens then take your time and wipe the dye out of your eyes gently with a face/eye wipe. I think it's better to leave your eyes open but it's up to you.

Also, I found the applicator wand to be too small so I would advise just using and old, clean, mascara wand and brushing the dye on like a normal mascara as it will be much less likely to get in your eyes that way.

Use an old tray or towel to do this on as I did this on a white bedspread and dropped the wand with dye all over it, oopsie! Similarly, wear an old t-shirt or something just in case.

The skin on my face was not left with ANY dye on at all afterwards so that's good, just remember to use Vaseline.

Finally, it is very important that you NEVER attempt to dye your eyelashes with regular hair dye as they may contain ammonia etc which should not be put anywhere near your eyes! A sensitivity test is advised to be carried out 48 hours before you dye your eyelashes also.

So anyway, the process was a bit sore but will get easier with practice and now for the results pictures without a scrap of mascara on (I've used eyelash curlers though).
After:






Dylash, where have you been all my life?!

I'm SO SO SO happy with the results! Remember, this is a dye, not a mascara so it doesn't actually lengthen or thicken. Though in the process of darkening your pale lashes, I guess it does actually give the appearance of lengthening and thickening and even wearing a bit of eyeliner, if you see what I mean. They look really natural too!

My new-found dark eyelashes won't mean that I'm never wearing mascara again of course, but I will go without it more often like when just popping to the shops whereas previously I would NEVER leave the house without mascara. I feel much happier about the way I look without mascara now which is great! I'll still be layering on the mascara for important occasions obviously though hehe. But, in the mean time I'm so happy to have found something which has made me feel better and more confident and is a real time saver too!

Dylash is also ideal for those with pale lashes who may swim or go to the gym a lot and find that water-proof mascara just doesn't cut it.

Summing Up
 Visit their website here for more info

Price I paid: £6.99 from Boots (Amazing Price considering it could last you a year!).

Available: BLUE/BLACK, BLACK and BROWN.

Pros: Gives a permanent (while your lashes last!) glossy colour. It really works!

Cons: Can sting if you get it in your eyes.

Would I buy again? YES! I intend to use this FOREVER lol.

If you are already blessed with dark eyelashes then this product may not be for you but if you have pale lashes (or roots) then this could be your new best friend!

L. xXx

P.S. I bought some new cutesy cake fabric to replace my Zebra background, cute huh? I will also be re-naming my blog and having a new blog header in the near future so look out for that :)
P.P.S. I have tags to catch up on but I will do them, thanks girls.
P.P.P.S. What does P.S. mean?

Sunday 3 January 2010

Some Seriously Cute Sales Purchases

Firstly, Happy New Year everyone!
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and I wish you all the very best for 2010!

I've been staying at my bf's parents for awhile over the Holidays and I'm still here so that's why I haven't been able to blog as I haven't got much of my own stuff with me.

Now on to the cute stuff!

I never used to be the type who got up early to go shopping on Boxing Day. But since I became a 'Lush' fanatic two years ago, I have been up bright and early on boxing day to head down to Lush to get a bargain in their Boxing Day sale. I did get lots of lovely Lush but this post is dedicated to the other sale items I picked up afterwards when I went to Accessorize and Next for their HALF PRICE (or less!) sales!

First up is this purse (or could be used as a make-up bag) which I absolutely LOVE!


It's was £4 reduced from £8 from Accessorize.
 It's very 'me' as I love multi-coloured, patchwork and unique looking items and I really adore this.



This cute Russian Doll coin purse was £3.50 reduced from £7 from Accessorize.
I have a thing for Russian Dolls and I thought this was very sweet.



Similarly, I thought these cutsie stickers were a bargain at just 75p reduced from £1.50 from Accessorize.


























This pretty bow ring was just £2.50 reduced from £5 from Accessorize and I love it.


Next is the items I got from Next (lol).


This Russian Doll Hot Water Bottle was £4 reduced from £10 from Next.
I think she's lovely and I got it because it's a mini hot-water bottle (around 25x18 cm) as I find normal size hot-water bottles can feel pretty heavy on your stomach when full with water so this is a lovely smaller size. I saw a very similar Pink Russian Doll HWB in Accessorize after which was probably a little nicer though.






























This Christmas stocking caught my eye. It was £10 reduced from £20 from Next.
It's very shabby-chic and I'd been after a pretty stocking for a while so I'm very happy with this. I would've paid £10 for the stocking alone but this actually contained a pyjama set (as pictured) so I got some nice red PJ's as a bonus!


And last, but certainly not least, is this little guy which I'm crazy about:




An Owl tape measure! He was £3 reduced from £6 from Next.
His left wing pulls out as the tape measure and there is a button on his back which you press to wind the tape measure back in. I like to measure things to give people more info for my blog and this little fellow will put a smile on my face every time I measure from now on :)

I do think both Accessorize and Next have a lot of overpriced items to start with but that their sales can be a great way to get them for less money. I  think the quality of their stuff is fabulous though and if you have the patience to shop in the sales then it can be a great way to buy next year's Christmas presents (or decorations) for half price! But the queue in NEXT was UNREAL. Still, I waited paitiently cuz no way was I going home without my owl tape measure!


Did anyone else brave the Boxing Day (or New Year) sales?

L.xXx