NOTD ~ Cartoon Nails

[NOTD - nail of the day]

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hello everybody!

It's not easy deciding which nail art to try out but I've tried this cartoon effect on my sister so took it upon my self. There are some ways of doing this technique but I'll show one way of doing it.

Nails Inc in Lemon Ice Cream 307, Revlon in Sweet Tart 185, MUA in shade 5, shade 6, shade 9 and Rio Professional Nail Art Pens in Black and White

Paint one thin layer on each fingernail to avoid bubbles

Using the Rio fine brush in black carefully draw an outline of each nail

Switching to the Rio white nail brush draw on the side of the nail making a long exclamation mark (!)

Cartoon nail art done!

Instagram

Hope you guys have fun trying out this interesting and easy tutorial.

Mucho love,

Tofu x

NOTD ~ Galaxy/Nebula effect

[NOTD - nail of the day]

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hello everybody!

I've tried the sponging technique in the past but was unsure about the stickiness and it never occurred to me that the top coat would flatten the design as opposed to giving it a texture.

Instead of using a black nail polish as the base colour I decided to choose a dark sparkly blue to go along with the space theme

ripped off a corner of a cheap makeup sponge for this technique. To avoid getting a block colour on the nail it's essential to dab off the excess and continue onto the nail, sponging on more as you go along til you've happy with the cloudy effect you're after

I sponged on the white differently on each nail to create a wider aspect of the galaxy/nebula effect I'm going for

remember to leave space for the other colours when sponging onto the nail

slowly building up the colour palette but I've only chosen three other colours to add on top to avoid overcrowding and confusion

alternatively you could finish with just the sponging but I personally like to add speckles of stars in the background using a cocktail stick or bobby pin to add some depth to the nail art
seal with a top coat
et voila~

Galaxy/ Nebula nail art done!

My Instagram

Hope you guys have fun trying out this quick and easy tutorial as I'm sure there will be a few old sponges laying around for this technique :D

Mucho love,

Tofu x

August Favourites

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hello everybody!

Another monthly favourites! Autumn is slowly creeping in but still warm -phew-. I didn't use as much makeup in August due to my -ahem- acne ( ´Д`).

1. Boots Natural Collection LashCare Mascara - clear
I'm one of those people who usually doesn't bother with my eyebrows probably because I've never dealt with them before. However this clear mascara is perfect for simple grooming to keep the hair within the shape.

2. 17 Clear Definition Mascara
This clear mascara is another simple product like the first product mentioned but I only use this for my eyelashes and never for my eyebrows in case I've used eyebrow pencil. So this mascara is strictly for my eyelashes!

3. The Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner
 The Seaweed range from The Body Shop is perfect for my skin type (combination/oily) and I have to admit this toner has a refreshing smell and a feeling when used on my skin. Currently running low on my first bottle but bought two more when they were on sale for £1.50 from £3 each.

4. MUA Power Pout - Rendezvous
The moment these were released instores...immediately looked online to see which shade would suit me better. I'm huge on nude shades so Rendezvous was a nice one to try out.

5. The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream
This product came along to me when I was looking for the best mattifying cream for my face during the day. The sample was all I needed to know it was ideal for me. Plus the smell is refreshing as well as the cream itself.

6. No7 High Shine Lip Crayon - Daydreamer
A lot of these lip crayons/lip stain balms have become so popular this past year. I chose this shade which has a very subtle nude tone as opposed to MUA's Rendezvous.

7. The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash
I only bought this because I love the Seaweed range and so far this has been decent. Not something I would repurchase as I feel it's not working the way I want it to.

8. Miss Sporty Dr Balm - Glam Kiss SOS

I've mentioned this lip balm before and sadly I'm running low on this shade but fear not because I have the other shades from this small collection so I'm prepared before I go crazy haha... 

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9. Carex Hand Gel Moisture Plus
This hand sanitiser smells like fresh towel and definitely convenient to have around when you're out and about with no sink nearby to wash your hands. I keep tissues from cafes and fast food places so I'm not just smearing the dirt around my hands but wiping onto the tissues. No harm done and hands smell just as nice!

10. EOS Lip Balm - Lemon Drop

I was a little skeptical about this method of a lip balm as I dont know what would happen when it's near the end. So far this is quite nice but almost finished! It definitely moisturises my lips with a nice lemon smell.

Another month gone by! Now to look forward to the cold weather and cardigans :D

Mucho love,


Tofu x


Disclaimer: All products mentioned above have been bought with my own money and in no way have been given to me to provide a boost in the brand. :D
(I need to improve on disclaimers part hehe)

(> ˚ヮ˚)> 27/07/13 small weekend treat haul

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hello everybody!

Treated myself to a small weekend haul buying Company magazine August issue, Primark Home Single duvet cover set Moustache design and MUA's lipstick in Shade 4.

I love the whole moustache design especially from Primark. So far I own the moustache makeup case, moustahce fleece blanket, moustache pumps, moustache cushion and I happen to have seen another moustache fleece blanket design except it also glasses and a hat I think... should have taken a picture dang it!

*( ᵔᴥᵔ )*

Here's MUA Lipstick in Shade 4. At first I thought this was going to be like Barry M's lipstick 100 Baby Pink but ... it's sheer! For £1 I have to admit this was pretty decent and definitely affordable if no one is keen to spend more on sheer pink lipstick.

Looking forward to wearing this with minimal face and eye makeup on a sunny day.

*( ᵔᴥᵔ )*

Mucho love,

Tofu x

Lip stain swatches #1

There are different kind of lip staining products out there so I thought I'd swatch what I can at my local Superdrug. This post is solely for the purpose of comparing the brands and the consistency for each one plus the colours.

Rimmel Lip Stain collection (4):

For this product you would use the stain first before using the balm to seal the colour and moisture in. The colours are very dense and they don't rub away that easily so you can imagine how they maintain the "stained lips" effect :)

This is probably one of the brands that can get away with "loud" colours but that's my opinion. For me personally I'm not keen on the balm at the end of the stick as it reminds me of glue stick or glue gun sticks. The packaging does match with the tints as intended so that's a positive thing, however...it took me three days to have the denser colours completely off my hand (bath, soap you name it). For £5.99 it's not a budget brand for a student like myself.


Miss Sporty Dr Balms (5):

Left - right swatches: 02 Glam Kiss, 03 Gossip Kiss, 04 Heartbreaker Kiss, 05 Honey Moon Kiss and 01 Sweet Kiss

The swatches for the Miss Sporty range is clearly different from Rimmel but the consistency is almost clear. I bought Glam Kiss (02) and it is moisterising for my lips but doesn't show much of the colour however for £1.99 you can't go wrong. Also they smell nice, fruity and sweet! The product itself looks like a normal lip balm you would buy for rescuing your dry lips.


NYC Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stains (3):

Very soft to the skin but sadly as they were 'TESTER's the consistency was difficult to show for 498 Berry Long Time (middle)

The colours are lighter and softer than the packaging so it wouldn't be too harsh of a tone against your skin. I bought 490 Persistent Pink as my lips are quite pigmented as it is so I opted for the lighter shade. These were sold at £3.99 as the felt tip applicator would be perfect for precision. The colour of the packaging remind me of raspberry jelly but different tones but NYC are known for their vibrant colours throughout their makeup range.

Collection 2000 Colour Pout Lipstain (6):

Left - right swatches: Heartbreaker, Kiss, Flirt, Tease, Pout and Pucker. A range of colours shown here and each match accordingly to the swatches on my hand (except for the 4th and 5th).

The applicator is again a felt tip but at the same time the consistency is very runny so the swatches, particularly the red and pink, bled a lot on my hand. £4.99 each, six different colours but with pigmented lips I may have to use nude lipstick/gloss beforehand but the runny consistency doesn't entice me sadly. It's interesting how only the cap and the bottom tip are showing the colours reminding me of felt tip pens I use to have when I was a child in school, probably not the best design I could pick out of my makeup bag.


GOSH Long Lasting Lip Marker (4):

Vibrant colours!!! Swatches from top left - bottom left: 003 Berry, 001 Red, 005 Soft Rose and 002 Pink. There was a 004 Chocolate but that was dried out to the point where nothing can be swatch from that.

Unlike the Collection 2000 range the consistency is similar to Miss Sporty range but much better and at the price of £6.99 I think this would be worth it. The packaging is similar to a felt pen with the chunkiness but distinctive to the GOSH range with the black, sophisticated look.


MUA Kiss Proof Lip Stains (3):

Very light against my skin complexion as you can see with the swatches. Left - right: Fruitillicious, Kissalicious and Fabulicious.

   
MUA is renowned for their affordable range at Superdrug starting at £1 but recently expanding to MUA Professional. These products would be perfect for that soft stain effect and that's £3 for this lip stain. The packaging itself looks lightweight with the shiny text reflecting back at you but at the same difficult to see without the store lights waving over your shoulders.

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Now comparing these six brands I have to say that all achieve similar results but some lack in consistency others lack in packaging. However I personally feel some of them are very drying on my hand, making them impossible to rub off until a few days later. 

Questions: why are there so many of these lip stains to choose from I don't even understand the importance of this product for starters. Isn't a lipstick enough to give your lips a flush of colour or is it the fact that lipsticks wear off so easily it's a hassle to be retouching throughout the day? When did these lip stains become popular? Why are there so many complaints of the product drying out the lips and people wasting money, trial and errors are happening in the world of beauty, etc.

Why I numbered this as '#1' is because there are other brands out there that I haven't been able to swatch or they lack samples so I will pop into my local Boots for this opportunity.

My poor hand ~ sacrificing my skin for the sake of these swatches. If you personally have a favourite lip staining product please feel free to mention below in the comments or you want to give your opinion as to why these products are so popular, I need to know why as a fellow beauty lover. :)



Mucho love,


Tofu x 

MUA Gel Liner review and swatch

-gasp- I've been going crazy over Superdrug's MUA recently and here's a swatch of their gel eyeliner adding it to my collection of eye makeup.

£3 for this in shade On Move. You can see slight glitter effect inside the pot which is nice

swatches of the gel liner is buildable but the consistency is a bit wet so waiting for the first layer to dry is essential

Left: 9am applied the gel liner; Right: 7-8 hours later both my left and right eyes.

My left eye's crease had destroyed the gel liner but my right eye stayed perfect. Over all I quite like this and for £3 it is worth it. I might get different colours and swatch them all.

♥‿♥

Mucho love


Tofu x

October Haul 2012

Seems like my dedication to my blog has quickly dissolved...my bad! 

Been buying so much stuff this month I probably don't have time to edit them one by one so would probably chuck them 4x4. It's my favourite method for my post but with such a horrible timetable I have with uni I spend more time editing images/pages for projects than blogging...tis a shame. o(╥﹏╥)o

I've noticed how Superdrug's MUA range is BOOMING with new products almost every week! I admit I've now tempted myself to buy something from them every week whether it'd be a lipgloss, pencil or blusher. Literally affordable and worth the price for a student like me!

Superdrug's MUA Professional Pro-Brow kit & MUA's Nail Constellation in Leo

Superdrug's 2True Cheek 'n' Lip Tint in Blush Pink, NYC Big Bold Mascara in Extra Black and Mini Boo from Amazon

Free sample with InStyle Nov2012 magazine - Benefit's Cha Cha Tint.

Boots 3 for 2 offer - Boots Essentials moisturising lotion, Boots tea tree & witch hazel Night Treatment Gel and ChapStick lip balm in strawberry

Tesco's Eyelene Lashstudio in Heartbreaker and Eylure Superfix lash glue

TKMaxx - Colour Institute Blush and Shimmer set

TKMaxx - Pat Says Now kitty mouse and Orly in shade Jealous Much?

Literally buying something every week...bad habit hehe. Unfortunately I can't label the price on everything on this post (too much time plus too many receipt to look through etc...or I'm too lazy).






Mucho love,


Tofu x