Review: 17 Blow Out Mascara

 

When it comes to mascara, I expect a lot. I desire long fluttery lashes that are perfectly curled and volumised without being heavy and clumpy. I thought I'd found my 'holy grail' mascara in my Max Factor Masterpiece Max, but sadly it's time has passed so I was on the look out for a new replacement. Cue 17's Blow Out, with it's promises of 12x volume and 'bigger, bolder, bouffant lashes'.

 

 

 

The first thing I noticed about this mascara was, obviously, the packaging. It comes in a thick, easy-to-handle tube that's jet black with fun neon writing. It's certainly not the most aesthetically pleasing packaging I've ever seen, and it's by no means sophisticated but I quite like it, I think it's quirky.

 

 

 

I'm also loving the brush. It's a lovely thick brush that's very easy to use, even on bottom lashes. You'd think due to it's size it would be very messy, but I find it's super easy to coat the bottom lashes with the briefest touch of the brush. The bristles slick through my lashes perfectly, providing even coverage and no clumps.

 

 

 

 

The formula itself is also really nice, and is enriched with Vitamin E and Argon Oil for deliciously nourished lashes. This mascara is lightweight even when I'm wearing a lot of it, which is only needed if I'm going for a really dramatic look as it's so volumising even with the slightest bit! The difference between my lashes with and without this mascara just proves how good it is, and in these pictures I only applied one coat very quickly. It's also unscented, which is great as I find some that come with a faint scent always irritate me.

 

 

What do you think of this mascara? Have you ever tried it?

 

This mascara (as well as several other 17 ones) are currently on offer for £4 at most Boots stores.

 

xx

 

 

Review: Lush Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb

I've finally done it, guys.

I finally caved and bought the Dragon's Egg bath bomb after thinking about it for months and standing there for ten minutes smelling it in Lush, on Saturday I actually bought it. It's one of Lush's larger bath bombs, and retails for £3.25. It's actually really heavy, and I'm going to warn you it's super powdery and leaves your hands covered in it!

This bath bomb is a 'layered' bomb, which basically means once one amazing part of it dissolves another surprise comes up. I'm not going to go into too much detail as I think it's worth trying for yourself, but each part basically symbolises a dragon's egg cracking, complete with the snapping noises and swirls of fire. 

I am going to say though, I did have a slight allergic reaction to this! Not so much so that I had the puffy face thing going on (which I have had before), but sort of itchy and blotchy. I think it's due to the Lemon Oil in the recipe, as I've found that with in some lemon scented shower gels containing Lemon Oil I've been allergic too as well. The troubles of sensitive skin!
 

So, after watching the gorgeous, elaborate bath bomb dissolve in my bath (which took around 5 - 7 minutes, as it's quite a large one), effectively turning the water a shimmery, liquid-gold shade and plunging my hand into the deliciously soft liquid, I pulled it out to find my skin lovely and silky, but sadly very blotchy and itchy. The scent was gorgeous, though and filled my bathroom with it's lovely, lemon-y sweet perfume. To be honest, I should have worked out my to-be-irritations just by the smell, but it didn't even occur to me.

This bath bomb does exactly what it says on it's non-existent tin. Fiery swirls of colour and glitter and loud, random cracks of popping candy make this a cool bath time treat for adults and children alike. The scent lasted the whole time my sister was in the bath (which was around 30 minutes) and still lingered sweetly in the room for an hour or so afterwards.

I was so disappointed that I couldn't enjoy the bath as the water really was silky, but my sister took full advantage of my allergic reaction so at least one of us enjoyed it. I do have to say though, the softness of the water didn't really do much to her skin, so I think you'd still need to exfoliate and moisturise for pure silkiness.

Hope you guys are well!

xx



Back to College Haul!

 

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm not sure if a lot of people will agree with me on this, but personally I literally can't wait to go back to college! Everything's all exciting and new and starting my next course brings my new timetable (which, believe me, is all over the place this year), a new uniform and, naturally, a new excuse to buy stuff!

 

I'm going to show you guys some of the things I've picked up recently to go back to college with, ranging from stationary to shoes to perfume. I think I'm pretty much sorted for stuff now, but there's a few weeks until I start so I'm bound to 'need' something between now and then!

 

 

Sainsbury's:

 

My boyfriend and I took a walk down Sainsbury's last night with the idea of getting something to eat and I ended up buying loads of notebooks. I think I did mention in my last post that I have a problem with buying pretty stationary and I can honestly confess I didn't go in with the intentions to buy any! (Promise.) Buuut they had a half-price sale on so I physically couldn't resist dumping them into the basket. I well and truly nerded out though, guys, because I bought matching A4 & A5 notebooks and a lever arch folder. Is that super nerdy?! Let me know if any of you guys buy it matching to because my boyfriend found it hilarious. The A4 notebook was £1.99, the A5 notebook £1.99 and the folder £1.74. I also picked up this super amazing Marvel notebook, which was reduced from £6 to £2.99. I just couldn't leave it behind, I just couldn't. I would definitely recommend Sainsbury's for anyone looking for notebooks and folders, because there's so many pretty ones at such good prices!

 

Tesco:

 

Following my nerding out at Sainsbury's, I went to Tesco a few weeks ago with my Mum and (along with some Xbox games, hence the nerdiness) picked up a pack of 10 ball point pens for 59p! Bargain, anyone?! As you can tell there's only a few left in there because I have a thing about using a pen once and then putting it somewhere and forgetting it, but I thought they were worth a mention because they're really good quality, and they're really nice to write with!

 

Boots:

 

I think I mentioned my new Glee perfume in my last post as well, but it smells nice and it was half price so I can justify making such a random purchase! It was down to £5, and the scent is a lovely fruity, lemonade-ish scent that kind of reminds me of Impulse Tease bodyspray. It was a cheap and cheerful fragrance that no one at college has to know the name of :) I also picked up a bottle of Batiste's dry shampoo in the Tropical scent, which smells like coconut! I think it was around £2.99.

 

Primark:

 

I did actually pick up a few more things in Primark other than these shoes and hand sanitizer, but they weren't relevant to this post so I left them out. Let me know if you want me to post the full haul! I got these slipper-ish style pair of shoes in black for £4, simply because I can never have enough pairs of black dolly shoes. Just to let you guys know, I got these in a size 3 even though I'm normally a size 4 as they're a bit on the large-ish side so definitely try them on before you buy! I also picked up this small bottle of strawberry scented hand sanitizer for 60p, it smells amazing!

 

So there you go, guys, my 'back to college' purchases!

 

Let me know what your back to school/college essentials are, and what date you go back! I go back on the 2nd of September :)

 

xx

Liebster Award! (1 & 2)

 

Hey guys!

 

I am so so excited that I have been nominated for the Liebster Award twice! Once by the lovely Bea from Beatrice Sapphire and once by Stef from Scottish Stef's Nails. Both blogs are amazing, you guys should definitely check them out!

 

 

 

Also while I'm here being all appreciative, I thought I'd give a lot of love to my new followers & of course all of the followers I've gained since starting Mega Beauty. You guys don't even know how ridiculous I look with my huge smile when I see you've commented on/viewed/followed my blog! It literally makes my day.

 

I'm sorry this is going to be such a long post, but bear with me :). I would also just like to point out I was planning to do a DIY Sunday post today, but once again my camera and I are at odds so I'll definitely do one next week! So sorry :(

 

So I thought since Bea nominated me first (ages ago by the way, I'm so so sorry it took me so long to do this!) I'd go through her questions first.

 

How did you choose the name of your blog?

 

My blog was originally called something else but I didn't like it, so one day I was sat with my boyfriend trying to think of a name and he said something along the lines of "You say 'Mega' a lot, just call it Mega Beauty." and so I did haha!

 Why did you start a blog, did anyone inspire you?

 

My two biggest inspirations to start a blog were definitely Beauty Crush & Daisybutter. I followed their blogs long before I started blogging, and I still follow them now! They're my two favourites for sure. The other reason I started a blog is because I've always had a passion for the beauty industry but didn't feel confident in my knowledge so much, so when I started my Beauty Therapy course it gave me the confidence to share.

 How long have you been blogging for?

 

Since April 2013!

 What is your favourite high end cosmetics brand and why?

 

I don't think I actually have one! I use more high street make-up. But I do really really want an Urban Decay naked palette!

 What is your favourite high street cosmetics brand and why?

 

Rimmel or MUA. Rimmel's lipsticks and foundations are amazing & Make Up Academy's prices are insane!

 What is your favourite mascara of all time?

 

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara.. wow that's really hard to say.

 Who is your favourite blogger or youtuber and why?

 

Beauty Crush! I love her style and she seems so down-to-earth in all of her videos!

 What do you look for in a blog?

 

I'm such a bargain hunter so I always look for blogs that show budget products and ideas! With fashion blogs, I look for people who have the same style as me.

 What is your favourite fashion item at the moment?

 

I just bought a Wolverine comic t-shirt from Primark, I'm such a Marvel geek and I adore it! I'm actually wearing it right now.

 Which is your favourite shop on the high street and why?

 

I'm going to have to say Primark! I'd say River Island for bags, though.

 

And on to Stef's questions:

 

1. Do you prefer prints or block colour?

 

Prints, for sure! I love zebra print, leopard print, floral print, paisley print...

2. Are you creative, academic or both?

 

I used to be way more academic, but since starting my blog I think I'm more creative now than I used to be!

3. Name one blogger and their blog that you would recommend?

 

My all time favourites are Beauty Crush & Daisybutter.

4. What's your favourite song at the moment?

 

Do you know what, I don't actually know! Probably Miley Cyrus, We Can't Stop.

5. What would your ideal career be?

 

My ideal career would be to be a professional author!

6. What are your favourite American TV programmes?

 

Aahh, Grey's Anatomy! I'm such a nerd for it. I have every single season on DVD. Or Glee! ahhh I love Glee.

7. What is your favourite nail polish brand?

 

Barry M!

8. Skater dress or bodycon?

 

I'd love to say Skater dress as I love them but by body is pear shaped and they make me look so off balance! So I'll have to say Bodycon.

9. What is your favourite make up product?

 

I could not live without mascara! Close seconds would be red lipstain or concealer.

10. Boots or Superdrug?

 

Ohh, this is such a hard one! I'd have to say Superdrug.

11. Bright nail polish or nude nail polish?

 

Bright! I especially love reds and pinks.

 

11 Facts about me:

 

1. People don't realise how small I am. I'm 4' 11''!

 

2. I'm going to a wedding in a few weeks and still have no idea what to wear.

 

3. Along with blogging, I'm a 'novel' writer.

 

4. I have an obsession with buying pretty notebooks.

 

5. I'm such an Xbox nerd. I'm actually on xbox live with my boyfriend right now.

 

6. I have 11 books in my 'to be read' list at the moment.

 

7. I wear glasses! They're prescription glasses, but they look like Nerd Glasses so no one thinks they're real.

 

8. Whenever I'm in Topshop/Miss Selfridge I always go towards the sales first.

 

9. When I go to Nandos, I always order the same thing! (Plain-ish chicken burger with just lettuce, side of chips and sweetcorn and a Fanta).

 

10. I bought myself a 'Glee' perfume the other day, and my boyfriend terrorised me about it all day.

 

11. I adore doing nail art!

 

So there you go, guys!

 

I nominate:

 

Bea beatricenotyetlost.blogspot.co.uk

 

Stef Scottishstefsnails.blogspot.co.uk

 

Megan thebeautypier.blogspot.com

 

Weng ravesndramblings.blogspot.com

 

Sophie laviesophie.com

 

Laura misslaurabora.blogspot.ie

 

Rosie itsalljustrosie.blogspot.co.uk

 

Tasha hello-freckles.com

 

Zoe thecaribbeanflower.com

 

Helen http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3435025/pierre-le-cat

 

My questions:

 

What do you like most about blogging?

 

What do you like least about blogging?

 

What one piece of make-up are you obsessed with right now?

 

What one piece of clothing are you obsessed with right now?

 

When you're feeling down/ill, what's your go-to outfit/make-up look?

 

Describe your style in three words:

 

What's the last show you watched on TV?

 

Do you prefer stand-out make-up, or barely there?

 

What's your favourite high street store for clothing?

 

What's your favourite high street store for make-up?

 

Thanks for reading guys! xo

Step By Step: Floral Nail Art!

 

Hey everyone, hope you're all well!

 

As I'm sure some of you know I'm currently on my six week break from college, which leaves me with a hell of a lot of free time. I don't go back to college until the 2nd of September and I never thought I'd say this but I can't wait! I'm continuing my Beauty Therapy studies so on top of my small mobile business I've gained since completing Level 2, I'll have a few more qualifications under my belt!

 

Okay so I went a little off subject there, but my point was that since I have so much free time I've ended up experimenting a lot more with my nail art, partly to include in my portfolio, partly to share with you guys and partly because I'm so bored that I need to do something productive!

 

So here for you today I have a really simple floral print nail art! I swear, it looks so complicated but it's really not. Even you guys who think you're awful at nail art, I swear you can do this!

 

 

The one thing I will say about this nail art is that you do need a variety of colours. The basis it that you layer three tones of the same colour to create the illusion of the flower. I chose to use pink, simply because I have so many different shades of pink that it seemed like the easier option. I also chose to use a mint green background because I think the colours work together really nicely, but as always the colour options are up to you!

 

Difficulty: Beginner.

 

You will need:

 

Background colour of your choice. I chose Barry M's Mint Green.

 

Three tones of the same colour. I chose a hot pink by Bourjois (nameless), my Nail Fix medium pink and Barry M's Strawberry for the lightest shade.

 

A white nail varnish/nail art pen.

 

A dark green nail varnish/nail art pen.

 

What to do:

 

1. Paint all of your nails with your background colour. Leave to dry. (I had to do a coat of white nail varnish under the green as it's very sheer).

 

2. Using your darkest flower colour, using the tip of the brush draw large, irregular blobs in random places on your nail. Try to space them out evenly as you're going to need room to draw the leaves afterwards. This works best if you have hardly any nail varnish on the brush as it's easier to control the flow. Leave to dry.

 

3. Once the darkest colour is dry, apply a smaller blob of colour in the middle of it using your medium flower colour. Leave to dry.

 

4. Once the medium colour is dry, apply an even smaller blob of colour in the middle of the medium shade. Leave to dry.

 

5. Once you've finished your flowers and they're completely dry, you can draw little triangles on random edges of the flowers to create leaves. I did this using a nail art pen but you can use a nail varnish and a nail art brush if you prefer.

 

6. Now that you're finished with the flowers completely, you can choose what simple design to do on the rest of your nails. You can choose to leave them blank if you want, but I just dotted some white dots using a nail art pen on them.

 

7. Seal with a  top coat and you're done!

 

As ever with these nail arts, if you re-create this look then tweet me a photo at @laaurenpiperx as I'd love to see them!

 

I hope you all have a good week!

 

xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



DIY Sunday: Simple DIY Manicure!

 

Hello everyone!

 

Following last week's DIY Sunday Cinnamon Body Scrub post (here), I thought we'd put the product to good use and use it in a manicure! Of course all of the products I feature in this post can be switched out for your favourites, but I thought since I made the scrub I might as well use it.

 

 

I was taught how to do a 'proper' manicure at college where I studied Beauty Therapy, but you can choose to re-arrange or skip some of these steps to suit yourself. It's such a simple thing to do, and yet I feel so luxurious afterwards. I give myself a manicure once every 2 weeks or so, but in the winter I do them more regularly as my hands get so cracked and dry in the cold. Not nice!

 

You will need:

 

- A bowl filled with warm water (large enough to fit your whole hand in) and two towels.

 

- Bubble bath of your choice. I chose Radox's Relax.

 

- Hand Lotion of your choice - I chose Kaeso's.

 

- Nail file, hoof stick (the little white thing you push your cuticles back with)

 

- Nail varnish remover & cotton wool. I have Boots Nail Varnish Remover Pads, they're amazing!

 

- Body scrub of your choice. You can use a manicure scrub if you have one to hand. I'm using the Cinnamon scrub I made last week!

 

- Cuticle Cream/Lotion. This isn't essential as long as you do 'Step One' as the warm water should help soften your cuticles.

 

What to do:

 

1. Soak your hands for 2 - 3 minutes in the warm, soapy water.

 

2. Dry your hands off and get your scrub of choice. Massage a small amount of the scrub in circular motions all over your hands - don't forget in between your fingers!

 

3. Rinse your hands in the water and make sure they're super dry. Now you're going to file your nails. Make sure when you file that you pull the file in one direction only. Rubbing it backwards and forwards can cause nail splits and weakens the nail!

 

4. Soak again for a few seconds, then dry. Next we're going to work on our cuticles. Apply a small blob of cuticle lotion to your cuticles and massage in thoroughly. Rinse off. Now get your hoof stick (the little white thing) and gently push back your cuticles. If you don't have a hoof stick, you could twist a little cotton wool around the end of an orange wood stick, or even a cocktail stick.

 

5. Now that your nails are ready for painting and your skin is feeling soft, we're going to inject a little moisture with a hand lotion. Only apply a small amount so it doesn't create a film over your nails. Wipe your nails over with nail varnish remover just to remove the last of the oils that the previous products could have left.

 

6. Finally it's time to paint! I chose Rimmel's I Heart Lasting Finish in Marshmallow Heaven and topped it off with Rimmel's Matte Finish Pro for a textured look.

 

So there you have it! It literally takes not even fifteen minutes to do, I normally do this whilst watching back-to-back episodes of Glee (yeah, I'm a Gleek).

 

Look out for my next DIY Sunday post, as I'm going to show you guys how to do a 'professional' hand & arm massage!

 

xx