Weekend Essentials - Back to Basics!

Hey everybody! How are all of you lovely people?? 

I thought I'd share with you today my "weekend away essentials". These are what I would consider the must haves for a weekend away or even for a holiday. I think these items (give or take one or two) would also suffice as a beginners essentials. So lets get into it! 

My first item is an ingenious one, and it comes from The Collection (formerly collection 2000). 

It's their Cover & Go Foundation and Concealer Duo. It's a lovely medium coverage foundation, available in three shades, and it comes with a little compartment in the lid that has concealer and a small mirror in it. This is great because I think its better to have as many multitasking products as possible! 

My next item is a mascara. I've gone with NYC Big Curl. But of course you can choose whatever one you like! This mascara has a huge want to give maximum volume - and very affordable. 

You could leave it at that if you wanted to be super minimalistic, but I've chosen a couple other optional must haves. 

I always use a setting powder for my foundation, I find it prevents it from rubbing off on clothes etc., and also gives my skin a smooth appearance. At home I use Essence Fix & Matte Loose Setting Powder, but loose powders can be extremely messy so aren't ideal for travelling with. I chose a pressed powder from The Natural Collection. These are the least messy and I really like the formulation of the Natural Collection's powders. 

Another optional that i've chosen is liquid eyeliner - classic cat eye never fails! You could also go for a kohl or pen eyeliner. I don't favour gel or cream liners for travel as they can be a bit fiddly with brushes and that. 

Finally something that I personally love to have with me is a lipstick. Generally a muted, your-lips-but-better shade does the job for me. If you're not a lippy person something that I always have x10 of in my handbag is a tinted lipbalm, perfect for a hint of colour!  

One other thing that is probably only relevant if you want to bring powder is a brush of powder puff. I have one from primark which is perfect size for traveling - and it's amazing for the price! Seriously love it, especially as its pink!

That's it for my weekend away essentials!Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know in the comments if you have anything you would add to the list. What is your number one item that you cannot live without no matter where you go? 

Find me all over the web - twitter, instagram & She Said Beauty (these can all be found in the sidebar too!)

Ta-ta for now! xo

Update: Favourites, Wishlists & more!

What up everybody?!

Just a quick update on some plans for features I want to implament...

I've been spending more & more time (too much in some cases!) looking at youtube videos and other beauty blogs trying to pick up tips and ideas on weekly posts or something similar.

I have decided that I'm going to start doing a bi-monthly faves post and also a wish list post every couple of weeks. This will have all the items I really want to get my hands on and why I want to get my hands on them.

No. 7, 17 and more!

Whatsupeverybody!

I hope you are all in the spring spirit, I know I am!

Back to business! So today I went for a little shop as I got a Boots voucher from my Grandmother for my birthday. I don't normally get stuff in Boots, I don't know why..?? They have really good deals for what you get.



Pour example: Buy 2 No. 7 products and get a beautiful ballerina makeup bag with four little surprises (worth 34€) inside!

I was like oh my god. I really like No. 7, they have the best lipsticks in my opinion.

So my two bought items were No. 7 Stay Perfect Metallic Eyes Pencil in Purple, and No. 7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick in Lovely.




And inside the gorgeous ballerina pouch was:

• No. 7 Moisture Drench in Mulberry
• No. 7 Extreme Length Mascara
• No. 7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow in Mauve
• No. 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Cream

I haven't tried any of these yet, but I do plan to tomorrow! I'm very excited! 

But wait! There's more!? 

Yep, there is! It didn't stop there... I also got two 17 products as they were Buy One Get One 1/2 Price. Eep! Offers galore. 

So from 17 I got Instant Glow Bronzing Rocks, and 18hr Stay Time Concealer. Again, I haven't tried them yet but I will let you all know how it goes! 

Yeahh... Then I went to Primark and got the Essence Brow Set, Lash & Brow Gel, and a make up sponge. 

Here's the catch - it's a 'Beauty Blender' replica..?! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I've seen some comparisons between the BB and a Sonia Kushak Blender available in the US, and the BB came out on top. 

As with the rest of the stuff, it hasn't been tested yet. I did put it on water to see if it swelled up in size, and it definitely did - 3x the size! This was the major difference in performance of the BB and the Sonia Kushak one. It feels nice to touch but I still don't know what it will be like. 

The real ones are supposed to produce an "airbrushed" look to your foundation. Hmmm, we'll see I guess! 

If anyone has tried the beauty blender, or even a knock off version of it let me know in the comments below! 

Don't forget to check me out on Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram! 

Ta-ta for now!

Fizzy Bath Bombs!

Hey Everyone!

I love bath bombs and I think they're the perfect gift for valentines day for your boyfriend of girlfriend, add some candles and you're set for a beautiful romantic, relaxing night in.

So, let's begin with..
What you need (find these in chemist's/craft shops/health food stores):

• 2 Cups Baking soda
• 1 Cup Citric Acid
• 1-3 Drops of any essential oil (I like orange & ginger personally!)
• Witch Hazel (or Just some distilled water)
• Food colouring (optional)
• Spray bottle (diffuser)
• Wooden Spoon
• Mixing Bowl
• Egg Carton

Phew!

Now to the..

How to: 

1. Mix the Baking soda and Citric acid in your bowl (be sure to get rid of any lumps by sieving mixture)
2. Add a few drops of essential oil until the mixture smells sufficiently perfumed.
3. Add 1-3 drops of food colouring, or until the desired colour has been reached. 
4. Spray your witch hazel or water onto the mixture until it becomes damp enough to form pretty solid balls - not too much though!
5. Shape the mixture into evenly sized balls (or you can do small, medium and large sizes!)
6. Place them into your egg carton and leave to dry for 24 hours
7. Et Voila! 

You can decorate the egg carton with confetti, ribbon, glitter or anything you want to present them to your other half. 

Some essential oils you could try are lavender and rose, orange and ginger, peppermint, tea tree, patchouli, ylang-ylang or bergamot. 

Thanks for reading, and come back to see how to make Solid Perfume!

Ta-ta for now!

Super Easy Lip Plumper

So, today I'll show you how to make a super easy lip plumper. Perfect for valentines day or just as a little pampering for yourself. Use

What you need:

• Small plastic pots
• Cocktail stick/Chopstick to mix 
• 2tsp Vaseline (or enough to fill the pot up)
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

How to:

1. Melt your Vaseline in the microwave, in a microwavable bowl, for about 15-25sec, or until liquid. 
2. Add the ground cinnamon and mix thoroughly
3. Add cayenne and mix thoroughly
4. Add sugar and mix
5. If necessary, put in microwave for another 15sec to liquefy a little more and infuse everything. 
6. Pour/Scoop into small pots/containers and leave in fridge to set for 1 hour.

Voila! You're lip plumper is done! The cinnamon & cayenne act as a mild irritant to the lips and plumps them up. It also makes them feel pleasantly tingly!

Alternatively you can replace the cinnamon and cayenne with a few drops of rose oil (or any other essential oil) to make a scented lip scrub. Simply massage onto your lips for a 30sec then clean off with a tissue for smooth, hydrated lips!

Let me know how you get on in the comments section below! 

Thanks for reading and come back soon for another Valentines DIY.

Ta-ta for now!

Love is in the air!

"Is it hot in here or it just me? If ya know what I mean.."




Well hello there! 

It's getting awfully close to valentines, don'tcha think? (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge). And now's the time to consider gifts! 

I know it can be tough, queens (and toms!), but fear not, The Pretentious Kitten is here to help! 

I'm here to tell you all you need to know about creating the Purrrfect Pamper Package for your significant other. 

Rather than make this a big long post on everything, I'll break each of them up into their main components, so you can sift through them easier, then I'll do a post on how you can package it all up prettily! 

Each item is very diverse and you can tailor it to your SO's likes and preferences!


News Just In..!

If you haven't visited my Pinterest page yet, what are you doing??! 
Get on over there and check out my boards! You can find all sorts of things there from all over the place. 

Feel free to leave feedback in the comment section.

Thanks for popping by, and come back soon!
Ta-ta for now

It's not about the cha-ching cha-ching.. Well, maybe a little!

What's up everybody!

Sooo, seeing as I'm a poor college student I applied for a grant (the government gives me money so I can attend college), in August and it took forever to get it buut it's finally here! And that means I can buy all sorts of new stuff!

So on Friday I went shopping and bought a gorgeous  new pair of Jeans, similar to ones pictured here.

Along with those I bought a faux Gucci belt, which I still love!

It would go very well with a plain top such as a white camisole and a loose, long sleeved crop top over, showing off the belt buckle.

To go with the jeans or even as a dress on it's own I bought a long top, that can be hoisted up to look like a sweater. Shape similar to this, if a bit longer at the bottom.

I also bought a new dress, which is white with pale gold sequins diagonally across the top and diagonally across the bottom. I don't have any pictures yet, but I will definitely put up some soon. It's similar in shape to this dress, but it has a V-shape at the back.

And to go with it I got a long necklace with large pearls on it, in pale pink and creamy white on a gold chain. Same style as this one, and earrings to match.

Wear the dress with a pair of nude platforms and a pale pink clutch to finish it off.





Keep and eye out on Lookbook for posts of my outfits and new buys that I mention here, also visit my pinterest page for ideas/tips/fashion to inspire you! 
I'll be doing a review on the GOSH 22 Palette very soon, so keep a look out for that! Also don't forget to leave feedback & ideas in the comment section. 

Ta-ta for now! xo

Here's something I made earlier!

What's up party people?

Just a quick post I thought I'd put up of something I did.. 5 minutes ago.



Sooo, here is my unflattering face!

Aand this is how I did it...
I decided to mess around with some colour combinations, and I got this turquoise and copper look.
I stuck with more shadowy, dramatic shades for my lips and bronzer for contouring.

I used Colour Works Eyeliner for the turquoise, they're big fat eyeliner pencils so it worked perfect for the lid.

Then I used Bourjois Blanc Diaphane from right under the brow to the crease, and blended it with the turquoise just a little bit.

For the copper liner, I used Essence Eye base mixed with Essence pigments in Copper.
I did this along the lower lash line also, then used the turquoise on the waterline.

I did my top waterline with Kajal Kohl eyeliner.

For my lashes, I first used a little NYC Skyline mascara to thicken the base of my lashes, then went over them with Maybelline GlamEyes Volume & Lift mascara. Top and bottom. 

I used NYC Sun 2 Sun bronzer to contour my cheeks and jaw. 

Then applied a little Maybelline Brush Blush in Sweetheart Rose just on the apples of my cheeks and swept it up towards my temples. 

For my lips, I used an eyebrow pencil (Rimmel London profession eyebrow pencil in Hazel) to line my lips shading slightly around the outer corners inwards. I used the brown as it darkens the pink lipstick I used (Maybelline Water Shine lipstick in Rose Jam). I dusted with the gold powder from the NYC bronzer to set it and went over the liner a bit more. 

The pics aren't great, I was only using my bf's iPhone in bad light. But, I just thought I'd share this with my lovely kitties!

Feedback is appreciated!

Ta-ta for now! 

Christmas Update!

Hey Guys & Dolls!

News & Updates!

Apologies for not posting in the last few weeks! I've been swamped with college assignments but, fear not, only one more exam left and I'm finished my first semester! 

I'm super excited about next semester though, we will be doing bar & beverage studies, so we get to make fancy cocktails all day long!

Back to the fashion side of things though, cos I know that's what you're here for! 

I've seen so many awesome outfits lately, it's crazy, and either as soon as I get a cable for my camera or as soon as I get a new phone with a decent camera you'll be getting real life pictures! 

It's a feature that I've only seen on a couple of websites, and I have no idea why more people aren't doing it. Maybe they're afraid to go up and ask people or maybe they think it's rude - I don't know. 

(Personally I'd be flattered to have my picture taken because of my outfit/style).

I will be posting a set of DIY Christmas Gift Ideas for you soon enough, which will include how to make your own Bath Bombs, Body Mist, Toner, Soaps, Lip Balm and Scrubs. As well as how to put them all together in a Gift Pack for that special someone.

I can't wait to get started on it!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you everyone who has viewed my blog and read my posts, I've hit 360 views already and it's only been three months! It's probably not a lot to the people who blog regularly and have been going at it a long time, but as a first timer, every view or comment means a lot to me!  

Please comment on any post whether it's about the post's content or even constructive criticism on how I can improve things. Remember - we all start small, but it's with the help of others that we grow.

Ta-ta for now & I hope you come back soon!

New Clothes!

Hey everybody! 

Yesterday I went on a little shopping trip in my city and bought some new clothes plus some new make-up (more on that in another post - I know, I'm a tease)! 

I don't buy new clothes that often, but I loove clothes shopping. I didn't get anything too fancy, just some things to update my wardrobe. 

So, lets look at the clothes.. 

Navy Leggings (Primark)

These were my first buy as I only have one pair of leggings which I bought in New Yorker, in Lithuania during August, and they're a bit summer-y in my opinion. 

I've seen so many people in uni wearing these, it's crazy, and I definitely have my eye on some more. They make for a very simple look, but it can be veery flattering. 

Grey Cable Knit Socks (Primark)

Since the weather here is getting progressively worse and colder, I decided buying a set of new socks would be appropriate.

I got a set of 3 pairs, in grey, heather and a charcoal colour.

Seeing as leggings aren't the warmest of clothing, I wore two pairs of the knitted socks, layering the heather ones over the grey ones - the grey ones pulled up and the heather ones gathered just above my ankle. 

Aaand my final purchase was a new pair of shoes. 

White Sneakers (Primark)

I went for a pair of very simple pair of white sneakers. 

I found they suited nearly every kind of look, with jeans, leggings, or if you wanted to look kinda 'office chic with a twist', they even suit the dress shorts + patterned tights look, if you pair it with a loose, white/patterned blouse and a long, layered necklace.

Beige Jumper (River Island)

I wore these all together for the rest of the yesterday after buying them, and tried out a couple of different top combinations. 

But my favourite was definitely leggings, knit socks, sneakers and this soft beige jumper from River Island.

Come back very soon for my review on Essence Colour Arts Eye Base, Essence Blossom Girl Quattro and Essence Stay All Day 16hr Foundation.

Ta-ta for now!

And now for something a little different..

Time now to stray away from Hallowe'en and go back to reality - some charming little pieces from the internet! 

I give you the "double liner".

I've seen so many people sporting this look in the last couple of months, its awesome, I love it! Especially because it requires so little effort, and materials! 

Another look I adore is this black/gold smokey eye look. It's less harsh than an all black smokey eye and would look amazing on any eye colour.

Pair this look with one of those 'half up' hairdos and you've got yourself one very  sexy evening look.

Sticking with some gorgeous looks for your eyes here's a beautiful gold/copper shadow, with a thick jet black line over the top lashes. 

With this look, you can tone it down for a daytime look by using a matte, copper/gold colour instead of the intense metallic one. 

My personal favourites for these colours are:

Bourjois' 71 Or Rafinné

&

NYX Dark Brown

As with any statement eye look, I find it's always better to go for a nude lip colour. This gives one focus point on your face, and is much more of a statement than two, which can look messy. Be careful though, that you don't just plaster your lips with your foundation, giving you a 'no face' look. It's better to find a good quality lipstick in a peachy shade close to your natural skin colour and a very light lip gloss to go over it. 

 Here are my favourites:

NYC Pink Gold

&

No7 Liplicious in Pink

All of these are beautiful but there's always something else you can add to it to make it even more fabulous.
I'm talking  hair. Whether it's BIG hair you're looking for or something simple and classy, you'll always find something to suit you.

Here's the 'half up' 'do I mentioned in the second paragraph:
All that's required is a little patience and time! (and a tutorial if you really want it, found here!)

October tricks and treats!

Nails and Make-up...

Adorable little spider web nails. Very simple, but still very cute and hallowe'eny! 











Here is a little step-by-step pic of some skull nails that only require 2 colours! 

Another easy nail look! This can also be done with a glow in the dark nail polish over the white base coat for an extra spooky effect!







Glow in the dark nail polish is available from eBay, and from Claire's.

      

But enough of the nails, if you're looking for a more subtle, sexy but still spoookey make-up look for hallowe'en look no further! 



I love this look personally. It's so easy and basic, but the little diamantes add a touch of class to the whole look. 
It also gives the option to glam it up even more if you want, by adding some dark purple, or red eyeshadow. 

If you really want something freakish, here's the perfect thing for you! It still has the element of simplicity but it also has pizazz!




Maybe some of these have given you an idea for hallowe'en, or maybe they've been inspiration for your own spooky nail design! Whatever the case I'd love to hear from anyone who's tried them, or has found even more cute hallowe'en looks, in the comment section!

Thanks for coming and I hope to see you for the next instalment!

Ta-ta for now!