My makeup/beauty storage

The other day I went to Matalan with my mum to have a look about and I was surprised to find that the home range is quite nice! They've hooked up with Lawrence Lwellyn something... (the guy from Changing Homes...? Remember him??!) and he's designed a few affordable decor pieces. Now, there were two things that immediately caught my eye, one being a black jagged cup and the other a matching ice bucket thingy (sorry, i'm really bad with the names of things!). I really liked that it looks so unique and weird (it's got that boudoir glam thing going on) and it goes really well with the rest of my bedroom furniture. 

Of course I didn't actually buy it to put ice in - it's my little storage area for everyday essentials that I use regularly... as you can see from looking inside, it's quite big and fits a lot of stuff!

The cup is great for storing pens, combs, brushes, etc

In case anyone is interested here's a brief guide to how I store the rest of my stuff....

These little baskets are great for separating your stuff into categories (lashes, samples, hair stuff, etc). 

I got this vanity box from Argos and I use it to store most of my makeup. (I'd show you guys how it looks inside but it's sooo messy!). The only problem is that it doesn't fit much stuff in.

This little box was on sale in WH Smiths for 75p so I immediately picked it up, even though I had no use for it at the time. Now it's become home to my nail varnishes... I really wish I'd bought more of them!  

Finally, this little drawer is where the rest of my stuff live. Usually I cram whatever I'm not using in here and it gets forgotten :-S

So that's my makeup and beauty storage. It's nothing spectacular but it works for me. If anyone has any clever/unique storage solutions please let me know because i'm always looking for new places to store my stuff!

Sami xx

Barbie Nails!

As some of you may know I am a little obsessed with Barbie and pink. So when I got this Estee Lauder Pure Colour Nail Lacquer in Wild Orchid I was crazy excited! Now I don't know if it's my pictures or what but the colour you see here is not exactly true to real life. It's more of a disco pink with fuchsia glitter running through it - very glossy, in yer' face and a little tacky... but I like it :) 

The consistency is very easy to work with but it's quite thick and sticky which means two coats is enough. And the bottle just screams glamour... definitely a dressing table prop. 

I'd recommend this for those looking to get a luxury nail varnish (for £12 it is more of a treat then a must-have), as long as you don't mind looking like a six year old...!

The colour reminds me of these cute pink jelly sandals I used to wear as a child :-)

Side Note: this product was sent to me but that's not going to stop me from giving my honest opinion.

Summer Nails

I've been using Barry M's Pink Flamingo nail varnish for quite a while now and I still don't know how to describe the colour! During the day and in the sun it comes out like this gorgeous fluro pink but in some lighting it's more of a coral/peach tone... What I can say about the colour is that it looks different every time I look at it!

This picture doesn't do the polish any justice because it has soo much more depth to it!

Since discovering Pink Flamingo I've been neglecting my other nail polishes so I think I'll mix things up and try out something totally different today :- )

My first ever awards :-O

Today I was really happy to find that I had been given two awards from the wonderful Arabian Eyes aka Nada.... thank you!! I never imagined getting one let alone two so that was a surprise! Lol

Anyway, I'm not really familiar with how this works but let me give it a try.... I think I'm meant to pass these awards on to my followers.... so here goes....

For this award I nominate: 

Asian Beautifier 

Hi Fashion

Siamese

And for this award I nominate:

Hijabinista 

Princess Shabie Wabie

Bollywood Wonder

I've only nominated 3 for each category because I don't have many followers :$ 

Anyhu, enjoy ladies.... and thank you once again Nada :-)

Sami xx

Jai Ho Inspired Makeup Look

I know the song is old but I absolutely LOVED Nicole Scherzinger's makeup/outfits in the Jai Ho video so, during a boring afternoon I thought I'd recreate the makeup look, as you do...

Now, I'm not attempting to be like Nicole Scherzinger in any way (I realise she is way hotter and so my look is just a version from the vid!) But I'm sure you get the overall idea - lots of pink, bold eyes, bindi, etc....

Here's how to get the look:

Face: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona all over face. Barry M Blusher in Pink Orchid over the cheekbones. Ruby & Millie Bronzer below cheekbones as a contour and Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick on the top of the cheekbones as a highlight.

Eyes: Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion all over eyelids. Dark brown eyeshadow from Too Faced used to define and thicken eyebrows. Too Faced eyeshadow in Velvet Revolver all over eyelids (the Sin primer makes the colour come out really intense!) Gosh Liquid Eyeliner over the top lashline and slightly flicked out at the ends. Shu Uemura Gel Liner over the lower lashline (apply it quite thickly for a more intense look). Finish with  two coats of mascara (I forgot which one I used :-S) or you could apply falsies (I wasn't bothered). Add highlight to the eyebrows with Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick.

Lips: Mac Lipstick in Girl About Town lightly applied on lips (like a stained effect) and Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss for a fuller pout!

Extras: If you want to go for a more Asian/Eastern look add a Bindi!  

Dabbling with Lip Gloss

Ordinarily I wouldn't wear lip gloss because I don't think it really suits me but my sister gave me this Clarins Gloss Appeal lip gloss so I thought I'd give it a try.

What it says: A grown-up gloss for all seasons. Lightly almond-scented, this gloss hydrates, plumps, smoothes and protects lips.

I got the Orchid colour which is a deep raspberry pink with fuchsia glitter running through it. Now, my first thoughts were taaaaacky (it reminded me of something you'd find in a 8 year old's Barbie makeup set...) but once I applied it the colour came out quite sheer with very little glitter and sparkle. The texture was also really smooth and didn't leave my lips feeling sticky or gross. 

The Clarins Gloss Appeal was a pleasant surprise. It felt smooth on my lips and smelt of cherry drops... yum! I'd recommend this to lip gloss virgins as it's not too in your face, just the right amount of fun and glamour!

Sami xx  

Clarins Gloss Appeal, £14

My Goodies!

As previously mentioned I was lucky enough to receive a goody bag from the press event I attended. Here's a run down of the stuff I got

I haven't had a chance to try the beauty products out yet but I'll give it more of a review when I do.

P.S The chocolate is AMAZING! 

Sami xx