Monday 12 May 2014

EBay nails

I've been wearing stick on nails for a while now as I love the ease of using the Primark pre painted ones (separate post on those soon) and I love that my own nail art doesn't chip in a few days.

These are my latest purchase 

 I got them from EBay, £6.25 for 600, Link! from a seller called Pinkcandy1005 They come in clear, natural opaque and white. I choose white as it makes bright colours look better. The nails are great quality and arrived within 2 days. As you can't seem to be able to get stilletto shaped nails in Boots or Superdrug, these are a affordable option. 

I also attempted to re-create a nail art look I'd seen on Instagram
The pink is from Sally's. I used a dotting tool to create the roses and outlined them using a black liquid liner. 
They are too long though. Typing at work was a trial today so I shall experiment with trimming them down next time. 

Wednesday 7 May 2014

New hair and Kardashian contouring

When I went to the hairdressers on Thursday I had 3 wishes:
1. Change my fringe up
2. Get it thinned
3. The most important- go lighter and blonder!


I took some steps to going lighter back in March and got some subtle blonde put through the end of my hair. This time I did a colour b4 to get rid of my red and dark dye and came out three shades lighter.  My hairdresser matched my roots to my new light brown and added a tonne more blonde to the rest.  Loads of layers and beginning of a side fringe later and it's looking a lot more like I want it to.  Khloe Kardashian is my current hairspiration but I'm taking it slowly as I'm not sure how blonde I want it yet.

Feeling very KK inspired, I did some heavy contour for a night out on Friday.  I much prefer a liquid contour to a powder- it looks far less stripey to me.



I use Collection lasting perfection concealer in the lightest and darkest shades (Fair and Dark, I think) and blend with a buffing brush.  Since using concealer is a heavy look, I find it looks best when skipping powder and foundation.  Blush and highlight are still key though.

Monday 28 April 2014

IKEA wish list- pastel living room

IKEA wish list- pastel living room



Rug













My flat is up for sale so soon it may mean that I get to decorate a whole house! Whilst I'm pretty certain on the theme for some rooms, I cannot decide on my living room. If I were to go for pastels, it would include all of these beauties from IKEA. 

Sunday 27 April 2014

Drink more water!

I'm currently following the Slimming World diet and to help with my weight loss, one of my April goals is to drink more water.





These cute cups are £2 in Primark and I love them so much that I have two! They aren't the biggest cups (they hold about 330ml so you need to drink 8 of them to get your RDA) however, the vacuum keeps water gloriously cool, and stops ice cubes melting so drinks are far more pleasant. I have one at work so it makes taking a drink to meetings less awkward than carrying a glass and sloshing water everywhere. 

I'm certain that milkshakes and iced coffees would be divine in them but I may save that for the warmer months! 

Saturday 26 April 2014

Friday night make up

I went on a spur of a moment night out last night and wasn't left with much time to get ready. Normally I'd go with neutral eyes and a bright lip in these circumstances but I tried something different last night.
Pop of orange! I hate the using pop in that way but I'm too lazy to think of anything else. 
I used Mac all that glitters all over the lid, Mac Vanilla for highlight and the orange is make up forever in no18. 
To make the orange brighter, I used a white pencil in the corner of my eye and layered the orange over the top. 
I really liked the effect, the balance of neutral with bright is quite cool. I've tried this with a shimmery turquoise which also looks lovely. Next on my list is a bright pink! 
On my cheeks is Mac Dollymix and I have Mac viva glam gaga on my lips. 
My lace top is from Primark. 

Friday 25 April 2014

DIY Easter decoration for under £5

This is the most basic of DIY(buy stuff, put stuff in stuff) but I thought it would make a nice start to DIY on my blog.

What you'll need:

A vase- mine was £2.50 from Holmes &Co
Easter chicks-18 for a £1 from Poundland
Easter eggs-Poundland 

Like I said, there's not much DIY involved. Put the chicks in the vase, followed by the eggs. The effect, however, is really pretty and they have happily sat on my coffee table for a week now. 

Edit: it's 5am and I have just swept the remains of this into the bin. Catsby knocked it off the coffee table so I had to get rid of the lot. You can't have anything nice in this house! 

Wednesday 23 April 2014

P.S nail polish review


I've just slapped some £1 Primark polish and was so impressed that I needed to write a review. 


I don't discriminate against a cheap polish and thought this lilac shade was pretty enough to try. Primark appear to have revamped its beauty range with the P.S branding but I can't work out what it actually stands for! The shade doesn't have a name but the code PS2484 appears twice on the bottle so I'm guessing that's its marker. 


The brush is really nice, wide and flat and the rectangular top comes off completely, much like a Chanel polish. 
I was mainly impressed with the formula.  I couldn't be bothered to remove the acid yellow from my toes but this covered it in two coats! It pongs terribly, as most cheap polishes do, but I can overlook that for the lovely shade. 

Forgive the quality of this last photo but no one needed to see my feet! The lilac is soft and leans toward the blue rather than pink. It also matches my Primark bunny nails quite well too! 


Sunday 16 February 2014

Why I don't like Valentines day

Prepare yourself, I'm going on a rant so you might want to skip this post if you're not in the mood for a moan!

I can't stand Valentines day. There. I said it. 

I can't stand its smugness, it's lack of any sentiment and it's ability to make amazing people feel less of a person for not being in a couple. 

I have been with my boyfriend for over eight years now, and we still say I love you everyday. We often go for meals and dates together. We often buy gifts and presents for each other. We don't need a day to validate any of this. That's what part of being a couple is all about. 


Sure, the day can be taken as light hearted and fun, but can also cause arguements if forgotten. The smugness of it can upset someone who is not part of a couple and I can't bear the idea of someone feeling bad or alone because they haven't received over priced flowers on one particular day of the year. 

I say, get rid of February 14th. Spoil yourself or someone else and make everyday like Valentines day. 

What Sian did #2

False nails:Primark

I'm finally feeling better! That cold hit me for a whole week, I hope it's my last for a while. 
I'm currently sat under a blanket, watching the Olympic Ice dancing and trying to salvage my skin with a face mask. I went out for a birthday last night and got home at 6am. I really am getting too old for this! I also need to start taking outfit photos for my blog. 
I've hung out with friends quite a bit this week, at the pub and for dinner. It's been quite a happy, quick week. 

New buys: B melting gel cleanser, collection lasting perfection concealer(2 shades for contouring) lilac jumper, Disneyworld collectors plate. 
New loves: ice skating. 
New loathes: being back at work! Rain. 

Sunday 9 February 2014

What Sian did #1



I've mostly been struck down with a returning cold this week (visit my twitter for regular moans!) and I don't handle being sick very well as it doesn't happen often. I had a day off on Friday but didn't manage to leave the house. 
Yesterday I went to London to see Wicked which was a Christmas present from my boyfriend. I really enjoyed the show and cried during Defying Gravity. I wanted to do a separate blog about the day but I was so grumpy that I didn't want a moan post (didn't like my outfit, couldn't taste my food at lunch etc) 
I ended up going out when I got back from London, a night out which included two pubs, a club and a strip club so not exactly the rest that someone who doesn't feel well should be having! 

New buys: a Next pink coat from EBay, Wicked mug for work. 
New loves: Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and balsam tissues
New loathes: having no sense of smell, having a messy flat. 

Saturday 8 February 2014

Cat nails



I really love these £1 cat false nails. There weren't enough of the same size in each pattern to do the same on each hand so I've just alternated all the way across. I don't hold much hope for lasting power- I can see a massive gap between the nail and my natural nail, however, I am trying a new glue (Nailene ultra quick) so I'm hoping that will extend their life for at least a whole day! 


Friday 7 February 2014

Everythingfivepounds!

I can't lie, I love a bargain. Www.everythingfivepounds.com sells everything at a fiver. It sounds rubbish but it has some surprisingly nice bits on there. I've not ordered from there myself but friends have given the site a good review. As I'm saving for a house at the moment, I might turn there when I need to cheer myself up (buy stuff!) on the cheap. 

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Pastel heels

I'm really loving pastels coming to shops early this year. Whilst shopping for something to wear on a night out, I noticed that the colours haven't filtered through to dresses yet. My compromise is to wear a black or white dress with a pair of pastel heels. 

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Monday poll

Back in 2009 when I started blogging, I used to adore doing a Monday poll. Just answering a series of pre made questions is strangely satisfying (I think it comes from loving Myspace bulletins) 
I assumed that the original blogger no longer did them but I found her easily on google and she still does! 
So, from http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/just-for-fun/makeup-beauty-blog-monday-poll-vol-309/ here's my first Monday poll in a few years:
1. Lately, my wardrobe staples have been: skinny jeans, glamourous jumpers and riding boots. 
2. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Neither, but creamy if I was forced. 
3. Do you make your bed every morning? No, my chap is normally still in it so he makes it. 
4. The best things in life take: time? 
5. What’s your favorite healthy food/snack? Smash pizza
6. Something unexpected? I'm going to see Wicked this weekend. 
7. What are things you like to do on the weekends? Not wear make up or get dressed and sit on the sofa with G and my cat. 
8. What are some things that inspire you? I find it really hard to get inspired by anything. I've never found the secret to it. 
9. Where do you go when you need to get away someplace quiet? My bed. 
10. Something you’re afraid to do? Fly long haul again. 

Monday 3 February 2014

Personal- The Great Catsby

If you follow me on twitter or Instagram (sianinsouthsea) you'll have seen my cat. I thought I'd dedicate a post to the new love of my life and give you some information about indoor cats.

If you haven't seen him, may I introduce The Great Catsby!

He is an Exotic Shorthair and a full pedigree. I always wanted a Persian as they are indoor cats and very placid but I found Exotics a few years ago through YouTube and have hunted for one since. He is is similar to a Persian but with short thick fur so he is easier to groom.

I found a breeder in my local area on Pets4homes.com and went to visit him. It's always best to visit a breeder in their home, see the environment and meet the parents before buying a pedigree.

Since we live in a flat in a very busy area, I was keen to get an indoor cat. Persians and Exotics are perfect breeds as they don't have the street smarts of other cats. He is very dependent, affectionate and playful. He comes when I call his name, loves being cuddled and sleeps with us at night.

As he's indoor, we clip his nails to stop him scratching the furniture, something he has had done since his was a baby and is fine with. I brush him once a week, whilst he's lying on my lap, but he it's currently a nightly affair as he's shedding.

We had him spayed just before he turned 6 months. Although there isn't a chance of him mating, the neutering stopped him starting any aggressive behaviour. He's perfectly happy and recovered very quickly.

As an Exotic, he cries when he eats. Actual tears. We have to clean his face once or twice a day and just use cotton buds and warm water to get right into the grooves of his face.

He is an utter delight and literally the best thing I've ever owned. If you're thinking of an indoor cat and are unsure of the breed, I fully recommend an Exotic Shorthair.