Review: Barry M Nail Paints

Hello :)

I've always heard great things about Barry M but had never got around to trying out any of the products myself. I made my first Barry M purchase while on the search for a good crackle polish and have been a little addicted to Barry M nail polishes ever since. I currently have 6 Barry M nail polishes, two of the original Nail Paints and four of the nail effects/limited edition nail polishes.



The two original Nail Paints I have are Peach Melba, a beautiful peach, and Mint Green, a 'does what it says on the tin' mint green. I have featured both of these nail polishes in previous NOTD posts.
Barry M Nail Paints cost just £2.99 and they are amazing value for money. The colour of the nail paints are really beautiful, strong colours and are very true to the colour in the bottle. The consistency is great, they are easy and quick to apply and you could even get away with just one coat, although two is probably best. The polish does begin to chip after about 3 days but you can't expect perfection for just £2.99! I am very impressed with the Barry M Nail Paints and will definitely be purchasing more in the future.



I mentioned already that my first Barry M purchase was a crackle polish. I currently own two of the Instant Nail Effects Crackle nail polishes in Black Magic and White Frost. As these are the only crackle polishes I have tried, I can't compare them to any others. I never really felt the need to try any other crackle polishes as I am very happy with the effect that this gives. The polish is easy to apply and the consistency is quite good. The crackle polish last a lot longer than I had expected, at least 3 days without chipping, even without using a topcoat. I have heard a few people giving these polishes negative reviews compared to other crackle polishes. I, however, probably won't even try another crackle polish as I am happy with the effect these give. They are also a lot more affordable than most other crackle polishes at just £3.99.



I also have two other Barry M nail polishes. I have a limited edition nail polish in Silver Glitter and a Foil Effects nail polish in Silver Foil.
I picked up the Silver Glitter nail polish because I couldn't resist this lovely bottle of sparkles when I passed it in Boots. I was a little bit disappointed with this polish. I don't know what I was expecting but I was not overly impressed when this polish turned out to be nothing more than a glitter topcoat. To wear it as a glitter polish without a base coat under it, you would probably need 4+ coats. I don't know about you but I just cannot be bothered with all of that effort. However, if it was to be worn as just a glitter topcoat, it is a perfectly good polish.
The Silver Foil nail polish was also a bit of a disappointment. I didn't really know what to expect from this polish but I liked the idea of having shiny silver nails. I originally swatched this polish on a nail wheel and I was very impressed. The polish didn't let me down when I wore it for the first time either. The application was really easy and it only took one coat to give a really nice look on the nails. The major disappointment came when the polish began to chip quite badly after just one day! For just £3.99, I can't really complain too much and I might possibly try out the new Lilac Foil Effects some time soon.

Barry M Nail Paints are available here for £2.99.
Barry M Instant Nail Effects - Crackle are available here for £3.99.
Barry M Instant Nail Effects - Foil are available here for £3.99.
The Barry M Silver Glitter is no longer available but they have a range of glitter nail polishes which are available here for £2.99.

Sophie :)

Tag: How Much Does Your Face Cost?

Hey :)

I saw this tag a while ago and thought I would give it a go. The idea is to add up the prices of your 'everyday' makeup to see how much your face 'costs'.



Foundation: Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation - £8.99



Concealer: Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer - £5.99



Powder: Natural Collection Loose Powder - £1.99



Eyeliner: Rimmel London Soft Kohl Eyeliner Pencil - £2.99



Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - £4.99

How Much Does My Face Cost? £24.95

As you can see I'm clearly a big spender! I don't wear a great amount of makeup ever day so I suppose if I included things like blush, eyeshadow and lip products it would definitely come to a lot more!

So, how much does your face cost?

Sophie :)

Top 10 Study Tips

(image: weheartit.com)

Hello :)

So I promised that I would do some more school/university related posts since my blog has been overrun with beauty related posts recently. As it is exam time just now or coming up to exam time for some, I thought I would share my top 10 study tips. I'm currently in the middle of studying for exams so these are tips that I am currently using while I'm studying.

ONE: Find a study method that works for you!

I have gone through both Standard Grades and Highers (those who don't know what these are can find out here) while experimenting with study techniques to find what works for me. It has taken until this year for me to find a method that I find works for me which I shared in this post. I would definitely suggest trying to find a method that works for you as early as possible.

TWO: Study what you like least first!

If a certain subject that you are studying for has an area or topic which you like least, study this topic first. If you start with what you don't like, you are less likely to just not bother studying it. I often find that if I study the areas of a subject that I enjoy first, when I come to study the areas I don't enjoy I give up and don't bother studying that area. It's easier to study what you like so leave that until last.

THREE: Take regular breaks!

There is nothing worse than studying for hours on end and doing nothing else. Study for a couple of hours then take a break for a good half an hour to an hour to give your brain a rest. Try to avoid things like going on a computer or watching TV as they can often distract you for hours or even the rest of the day.

FOUR: Get help!

Ask a teacher of tutor to give you a help with your studying. You could ask them to sit down with you to go through the work if that works for you and they are willing too. I find it helpful to get a teacher or tutor to mark sample questions/essays or past paper answers to give me an idea of what I need to do. If you don't really want to go out of your way to go in to your school to get them to mark something, ask for an email address and email it to them. Teachers want you to pass your exams just as much as you do so will be willing to help you out.

FIVE: Eat healthily!

I know it's often very tempting to eat nothing but crisps and chocolate while your studying, and I am terrible for this, but try to eat healthier snacks. Healthy snacks are better for your brain, or so they say, so make sure you have some food available that is easy to snack on but good for you as well.

SIX: Don't cram the night before!

Do not leave all your studying to the night before! When you cram for an exam you don't take in as much information as you would if you study over a longer period of time because you are trying to force yourself to learn information. Spread your studying out over at least a week to make sure that you have time to learn everything that you need to learn.

SEVEN: Reward yourself!

I always find that I am much more productive when I reward myself for studying. I often set myself a target of what to do and if I reach my target I reward myself with something. You could reward yourself with anything like seeing your friends or watching your favourite movie, whatever motivates you.

EIGHT: Take days off!

While you're studying, you need to be aware that your brain will need to rest occasionally. Set aside one day a week that you can have as a day off. It doesn't have to be a whole day if you don't feel you have time for a full day off, it could just be an afternoon. However, don't use days off as an excuse not to study. One or two days off a week is perfectly enough, don't push it and take more!

NINE: Make note of what you struggle with!

During your studying, make notes of the things which you are struggling with. Spend a bit of extra time each day looking over the things you are not sure of and make sure to look over them again before the exam. If you still are not sure of some things after spending extra time on it, ask a teacher or tutor to go over it with you.

TEN: Have a good study space!

Make sure you have a good area to study in when you are preparing for exams. A good study space will have a decent sized area for you to study with space for all your books and equipment. You should study in an area that is quiet and you won't be distracted.

I hope you find these tips helpful and for those sitting exams soon, good luck!

Sophie :)

The Lipstick Tag

Hey there :)

I was a little bit bored tonight and fancied something fun to do so I thought I would find a few tags that I could do and put away in my draft posts for the days when I am far too busy to write a sensible blog post.

I found this tag, 'The Lipstick Tag', on the blog Peaches and Blush, here.


(image: weheartit.com)

When you were a child, did you use your mother's lipsticks?
My mum has never been into makeup. In fact, on the very rare occasion she does wear it she's the one using mine. I do remember sneaking into my grandmother's bedroom a few times when I was younger to steal some of her lipsticks though.

How old were you when you bought your first lipstick?
I had been given a lot of lipsticks in makeup gift sets before I actually purchased my first one myself so I think I bought my first lipstick when I was around 15 or 16.

Pink or Red lipstick?
That's a tough one! I would probably have to go for pink because I feel like that's a bit more wearable than red most of the time.

The most expensive lipstick you have ever bought?
A MAC lipstick.

And the cheapest?
A Natural Collection lipstick.

What's the most bizarre thing you've ever done with a lipstick?
As boring as it may make me, I don't believe I have ever done anything other than wear a lipstick.

If you had to recommend a lipstick, which brand would you recommend and why?
It would have to be MAC. For me, although they may cost a little bit more than a drugstore lipstick, they are completely worth the price. The choice of shades is amazing and they last forever on your lips, I love them!

Sophie :)

Review: Natural Collection Loose Powder

Hello there!

I have a bit of a beauty rave for you today, rather than just your average review.

If you haven't already met, I would like you to meet my dearest friend, Natural Collection Loose Powder.



I was introduced to this product by a friend and, although we are not exactly the best of friends anymore, I am so glad I found it! I have repurchased this product about 5 times and I will continue to happily repurchase it for as long as I can.



Although this just appears to be your average loose powder, it is somehow so much more. I often find that a powder can make your makeup feel heavy and it is powders like that that cause my skin to break out. This powder feels the complete opposite, very light on the skin, and doesn't cause my skin to break out.



The powder is available in neutral, warm and cool translucent and I have found that Neutral Translucent is just perfect for me. The powder gives a beautiful matte finish and sets makeup very well.

Natural Collection Loose Powder is available here for the amazing price of just £1.99 and is almost always on 3 for 2 at Boots.

Sophie :)

NOTD: Green Foil

Hello there!

Another nail polish post for you today. I've been experimenting with some new Barry M nail polishes, as you may have noticed from the last NOTD post, and I will be reviewing them for you soon.


(Apologies for the messy work, I was in a rush)

Again this picture has been edited but it is still true to life.



On all nails but the ring finger I have Barry M's Foil Effects nail polish in Silver Foil. This nail polish is available in Boots or here for £3.99.



I have Barry M's Mint Green on my ring finger. It's really hard to get a true-to-life picture of this polish but it is a lot more like the colour in the first picture of this post than in the picture above. You can buy this nail polish in Boots or here for £2.99.

For those of you who are more intersted in the school/university related posts, there will be more coming soon!

Sophie :)

Tesco Haul

Hello.

I picked up a few things in Tesco the other day and I thought I would share them.



Cleansing Wipes -
I always take my makeup off with wipes before I cleanse my face and often just choose the cheapest or whatever wipes are on offer. I bought these Tesco Sensitive Cleansing Wipes for 99p.

Concealer -
I'm running low on my Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer and decided to repurchase the Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Concealer. This is available here for £6.12 but I'm sure I paid slightly less.

Concealer -
After reading this Foundation Routine, I decided to try out Hannah's method of concealer. I bought the Rimmel London Hide The Blemish Concealer to try out. This is available here for £4.49.

Foundation -
As I have mentioned before, I am currently on the search for the perfect foundation. I picked up the Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation as I am a fan of Rimmel London's foundations and this was the cheapest there. This is available here for £5.99.

All makeup is currently on offer for 3 for 2 at Tesco.

Sophie :)

NOTD: Peach Sparkle

Hello there!

I thought it was about time to share another side of me. As well as being a 'soon-to-be law student' and beauty fan, I am a complete nail polish addict! I have quite an extensive nail polish collection of around 60 nail polishes which is ever growing.



The picture has been edited slightly but it's still fairly true to life.



I have Barry M's Peach Melba on all fingers but the ring finger. You can get your hands on this lovely nail polish here for £2.99.



On the ring finger I have Barbara Daly's Candy. Barbara Daly make up can be purchased in Tesco stores for £3.

Sophie :)

Review: Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer

Hello!

Another beauty review for you today! I am continuing with the theme of my 'everyday' products with the concealer I am using at the moment, Rimmel London's Match Perfection Concealer.



I first bought this concealer a while ago when I first tried out the Match Perfection foundation. I repurchased this recently when I was on a budget and this was the least expensive in the shop.

This concealer is not the best I have tried, although not the worst. The formula is a bit more of a liquid-y cream for my liking and I'm not a huge fan of the packaging.



The squeezy tube often results in too much product coming out and not being able to go back in. I really hate the little brush as well. It is a lovely home for germs and bacteria and not great for those with problem skin.



The range of shades for this concealer is pretty appalling. There are only 3 shades available and, even though the same shade in the foundation is perfect, I have found that the shade 'Ivory' is a little too light for my skin. The next darkest shade, however, is too dark!

As well as the shade range, the coverage is also slightly disappointing. Although the coverage is a bit better than many other concealers I have tried, it still isn't the best, especially as I have bad skin.

I am going to be trying out a different method of applying concealer, inspired by this foundation routine, so I will see how this concealer works using that method and may update you in the future.

Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer is available here for £5.99.

Sophie :)

Review: Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation

Hello lovelies!

I have decided that if I stuck to just school/university related topics on here this blog may end up being quite boring. For that reason, I have decided to share my love, and sometimes hate, for beauty products too. You don't mind, do you?

I thought that the best products to start with were my 'everyday' products so expect quite a few reviews over that next couple of days.

I decided to start with my foundation, Rimmel London's Match Perfection foundation.



As you can see from the worn bottle, I've been using this baby for a while. The one I currently have is my 4th/5th bottle so I have used this sufficiently enough to review it.

Considering the amount of times I have repurchased this foundation, you would think that I am in love with this product. However, I am currently on the search for the perfect foundation.

Don't get me wrong, I do think this is a good foundation. The formula is good; it isn't too thick so it feels light on the skin and not like a mask.



One difficulty I have with foundation is finding a shade which matches my skin tone well. I was really impressed with this foundation as I did match my skin tone well, which is probably why it's called 'Match Perfection'.

The only thing that disappoints me slightly is the coverage. I have pretty bad skin so I need a foundation with good coverage. Unfortunately, the coverage of this foundation is just OK.

I would highly recommend this foundation to anyone with fairly good skin but for those with problem skin, the coverage is not quite as great as you would need it to be.

Overall, I do think this is a good product but I will have to move on in my search for the perfect foundation. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation is available here for £8.99.

Sophie :)

Study Tip: Past Papers are a Studiers Best Friend

Hello there!

For those of you here in Scotland you will probably be aware that it is currently exam time. I have no motivation at all to study just now considering my next exam isn't for another 2 weeks and I have an unconditional place at university. However, I have managed to force myself to study a little over the past couple of weeks and I have found a method of studying which seems to work quite well.


image: weheartit.com

I've always been told that the best way to study is to use past papers. For that reason, I have bought past papers for all of my subjects every year. SQA Past Papers are published by BrightRed and are available to buy online or can be downloaded from the SQA website here.

I have spent the past two years working through the questions and boring myself half to death and I'm still not convinced that that was the best way to study. This year I decided to mix things up a little and find a better way. Here's the method I have found to be useful.

First, I divide the paper into sections. For example, in this past paper, the first section would be question 1 of the 'Crime & Punishment' section, the second section would be question 2 and the third question 3.

Next, I answer the questions in the first section. For the first couple of papers I may use notes or a textbook for help but I will then go on to doing the questions without help.

Then, using the marking scheme, which is also available on the SQA website, I mark my answers.

Lastly, I use the marking scheme to create note cards for each question.

Then I do it all again for the next section.

I find this method helpful because not only are you answering the question, you're learning the correct answer.

Hopefully someone found this helpful.

Sophie :)

What I Have So Far

Hello there!

Since I accepted my university place back in January/February, myself and a few family members have been on the lookout for a few things which I will need when I move into my accommodation in September. I haven't actually started properly shopping yet but I do have a little look at the Home section whenever I'm in Tesco to see if I can find a bargain of two.

Over the past few months I have picked up a few items that I thought I would share with you before I start buying more. I have categorised all of the items into the headings that I mentioned in my last post about Bed, Bath & Beyond which you can find here.

Eat



My ever-so-practical mum picked up these kitchen utensils while she was in Tesco. I have a 'Solid Spoon', 'Slotted Spoon' and 'Turner'. I'm unsure how much these cost but they are available for a reasonable price at pretty much any supermarket.



Again a purchase made by my mother, a 'Bottle and Can Opener'. This is also from Tesco and I think it cost around £3.

Sleep



My university provide bedding which they will launder for free. However, I don't really fancy the idea of using bedding which other people have used and so I plan to use my own bedding even though that means I have to launder it myself. This, like everything else so far, is from Tesco and again I'm not sure how much this cost.



The theme for my room is blue and brown so along with the blue duvet set I got a brown sheet and some brown pillowcases. The sheet and pillowcases are also from Tesco and both cost around £5 each.



Keeping to the blue theme, I got some cushions to go on my bed. These cushions are also from Tesco and I think they were originally around £7 but were reduced when I bought them.



My lovely grandmother decided to treat me by buying me John Cotton duvet. I'm unsure where she got it from or where you can purchase the John Cotton brand. I do know that it cost £8.99 for anyone interested.

Wash



Lastly, I have two face cloths and a bath mat. I'm hoping to get a room with an en suite bathroom so the bath mat was a bit of a 'wishful thinking' purchase but I'm sure I'll find a use for it even if I don't get my preferred accommodation. Both the face cloths and the bath mat were from Tesco (do you see a theme appearing?). The bath mat cost around £7 and the face cloths cost £1 each.

Today is a very appropriate day to be posting this as I have just applied for my accommodation! I will be keeping you updated as I go through the application process and as I continue to buy all the things I need for university.

I apologise for the length of this post and the amount of pictures. Hopefully you found his helpful or enjoyable.

Sophie :)

The Bed, Bath & Beyond Checklist

Hello there!
For those of you who, like me, are preparing to move away from home and into University accommodation, you may be wondering what exactly to take. I've found it difficult to think off the top of my head of things that I need to buy so I have been searching the good old interwebs for some help.
Students in the US (and maybe other countries, I'm not sure) are always mentioning the store Bed, Bath & Beyond when talking about shopping for university supplies. While searching for inspiration and helpful lists, I had a look on the Bed, Bath & Beyond website and came across a very helpful checklist.

(Click on the picture to go to the website)

Although the list is aimed towards US students and many of the items on the list are either provided by my University or not allowed, I have found this checklist very helpful. I find that using this checklist and the headings it uses along with other lists has been a great help.

You'll propbably need to change this checklist to suit yourself, as I have, and may need to add items to it if you decide to use it. I will be using the headings used in this checklist in future posts as this is how I have organised the items which I have already purchased.

I hope you found this helpful and makes buying things for university a little bit easier.

Sophie

Student Cooking: A Head Start

Hello there :)

I know I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself since I'm not actually a "student" yet but I'm planning on starting a series of cooking related posts. I have never really cooked before, although I have tried my hand at a bit of baking, so I thought this would be a good way of sharing my experiences as I learn to cook for myself and to help out anyone who is in the same position.

On to the first, if slightly premature, in the Student Cooking series...

Last night I was feeling a little peckish and, since my mum is ill at the moment with what we think may be another lung infection, I decided to try a little recipe I found here. I know I can't take any credit for this, and as Khila says, neither can she, but I thought I would share it with you anyway.



I present to you...the Nutella Mug Cake!!

This is possibly the easiest thing you could ever make and here's how you do it. You may notice I used less of the ingredients than Khila give in her recipe and there was still sooo much of it!

You'll Need:

• 2 tablespoons of self-raising flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable/olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 2 tablespoons of nutella

The Steps:

1. Find a decent sized mug, the one I used was pretty much a bowl with a handle, and put in your wet ingredients. Your egg, oil and milk should all be in and then mix them up a little.
2. Then add your dry ingredients. I added the flour first and then the sugar. I then added the cocoa powder (or mint hot chocolate powder which was all I had, it tasted so good) and two huge tablespoonfuls of nutella.
3. One you've mixed you're ingredients up so that they're quite smooth and like cake batter, stick it in the microwave. Khila's recipe says two minutes but I found mine needed a bit longer so you'll need to use your own judgement.

I topped mine with another big spoonful of nutella and some cocoa powder and I was done! It's super easy, quick and tastes really good!

There are so many variations to this recipe online so why not experiment with it and see what you can come up with.

Sophie

I suppose i should introduce myself...

Hello there!

I figured I should probably share a little about who I am before bombarding any future readers with completely random post about university or just pointless crap!

My name is Sophie and if you have been smart enough to read the little profile bit at the side you would know that I am 17. I just left school...on Friday! During the next 4-ish months, I will be preparing to leave the comforts of my home and live where my mummy can't look after me 24 hours a day! I am off to the world of university in September. I will be studying a joint honours degree in Law (BA not LLB) and Criminology, for those of you who are interested. Now before anyone jumps to conclusions, and trust me, many people have already, I am not doing the BA course because i was too lazy to meet my conditions for an LLB or because I'm not smart enough to do the LLB. At the university I had my heart set on attending, the LLB course is purely 100% law! I could not cope with that! I find that if I am only learning about one thing (even though there are many different types of law and all that jazz), I am very close to dying of boredom. Therefore, I decided that maybe a joint honours would be a good idea for me. Luckily, my dream university does offer joint degrees for the Law (BA) degree. This seems to be pretty perfect for me and so I chose to accept my unconditional for the BA course. The conditions for the LLB were achievable, I just didn't want to do the course! Okay? Rant over :)

What else is there to know about me? I'm rather special, and not in a good way! My friends would all agree with that! I have some of the best friends in the world and they mean everything to me. I love my friends, family and boyfriend more than anything and I couldn't survive without them. My mum is my best friend and I tell her everything! She is the only person in my life who has always been there. She is the person who celebrates with me in the happiest of times and comforts me in the worst. I don't know how I will cope without seeing my mum every day when I move out!

Since this is not a post about the amazing-ness of my mum, I shall move on. I found this little questionnaire on a forum and thought I would give it a go.

General info:

Name: Sophie

Age: 17

Star sign: Capricorn

Siblings: None
Do you have a religion: Yes, I'm a Christian.
Hobbies: Spending time with my friends, family & boyfriend, being on my computer for hours, watching youtube videos and reading blogs, baking, listening to music, meeting new people :)

Uni info:
Course: Law and Criminology

Halls (yes/no): Yes

Know anyone going? No, but my best friend is setting up a meeting with one of his friends who is also going. She is also the daughter of one of my mums colleagues :)

Want to make friends beforehand? Yes

Fave things:
Fave colour: Pink

Fave food: Pasta, I could live on the stuff!

Fave saying: Eh...I don't know :/

Fave bands/singers: Don't laugh...The Wanted, One Direction (I like my boybands), Boyce Avenue, Olly Murs, The View, loads more.

Fave type of music: I'll listen to anything

Fave films: Life As We Know It, Letters To Juliet, The Last Song, The Vow, Monsters Inc, too many to name!

Fave TV shows: The Vampire Diaries, The Voice UK, Friends, Two and a Half Men.

Fave Song: That's really hard! Just now I would say it's Where We Used To Run by Landon Austin or anything from Olly Murs' second album :)

Do you……..?

Have a Job: Yes

Believe in Santa: Yes, I'll hold on to Santa for as long as I can!

Like marmite: Never tried it

Have any interesting party tricks: Not really

Believe in love at 1^st sight: Yes

Believe in Magic: No

Smoke: No

Drink alcohol: I shouldn't but I'll have the odd drink now and then

Have you ever....

Took part in an extreme sport? No, I'm scared of everything!

Been abroad? Yeah, I love to travel

Think you know me well enough now? I should think so! Thank you for taking time to read this, it means a lot :)

Sophie