The Beauty Drawer

Friday, 27 December 2013

Shopping Spotlight - Oh My Love

I recently came across a little shopping gem I found on Unidays - Oh My Love. I get bored (sometimes) of the usual online shopping websites like Topshop and Missguided that I'm fovever refreshing, so it's nice to come across something new.

Oh My Love have tons of beautiful party pieces and accessories, as well as comfy day time outfits and much more in between. Everything is reasonably priced and at the moment their post Christmas sales are kicking off with up to 70% off - students are also promised a generous 20% off when they register with Unidays.

As per usual I've created a (never ending) wishlist of my top picks...

Top Row, Left - Right

Silver Cuff Earrings, £8 | Gold Stack Rings, £22 | Unicorn Horn Necklace, £32 | Turquoise Stone Knuckle Ring, £17

Bottom Row, Left - Right

Lace Skater Dress, £45 | Metallic Pleated Dress, £39 | Crop Fluffy Jumper, £35 | India Ink Shaggy Jacket, £39 | Lace Trim Camisole, £35

Are you in love with Oh My Love?

BLOG • INSTAGRAM • BLOGLOVIN • LOOKBOOK

Motel Rocks - Party Season Discount

If you're not feeling especially festive this year then Motel's latest look book is sure to get you excited. No one does sequins quite like Motel, and a few of these shimmery pieces will have you feeling like the belle of the ball.

Use exclusive discount code 'thebeautydrawer' at the checkout to receive 10% off your order - even more reason to treat yourself to a little somethin somethin before NYE.

P.S how cute are Motel's models?

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Back to Basics

If you're like me, you love being comfy in what you wear. In my opinion there's nothing worse than too tight jeans or an bra that promises to boost your cup size and crushes you in the process. Here are just a few comfy basic buys on my current wish list that you'll wear again and again.

Slub Jersey, £7.99, H&M

Moto Black Joni Jeans, £36, Topshop

Welma Oversized Jumper, £21.99, Missguided

Floral Sheer Triangle Bra, Various Prices, eBay

Full Length High Waist Leggings, £8, ASOS

House of Jam, on ASOS Market Place usually put their model in black jeans (top right) - proving they go with almost everything. From the high waist, stretchy look I'm guessing they've used Joni Jeans from Topshop. Joni Jeans are more like jeggings but with extra thickenss, I've a pair in dark blue and they're normally never off me (between that and black leggings). I love how they fold up the bottom and team them with black boots for added edge.

Other items on my wishlist include slub tops from H&M which can be worn casually or smartened up with heaps of jewellery and heels for a night out. H&M are the king of basic buys, with a wide range of tops in a rainbow of colours, their prices just can't be beaten. I've also chosen a thin knit jumper from Missguided, who have a great knitwear range, and a triangle bra from eBay. I've got two of these bras in black and white and they're now my go-to comfy underwear - although they're unpadded and not underwired they still provide support (if you're not blessed in the boob department, like me).

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MAC Dark Side Swatches and Review

As I've mentioned in my previous post I was treated to the lovely MAC Dark Side lipstick as a 20th birthday present. I made sure to swatch it in the MAC store and new straight away it was the one for me; I've been wearing it on night outs and loving the dark eye and lip combo at the moment. Dark Side is a deep burgundy shade and has an Amplified Creme finish. This finish means it's creamy and soft but has the lasting power that MAC are known for. It's well pigmented and shows up great on the lips, it's definitely my favorite lip colour right now and I definitely recommend it.

My lovely sister Chloe modelled Dark Side for me

Do you agree with this review? Will you venture to the Dark Side?

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Temporary Tatts - Love/Hate?

I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only child who covered myself in temporary tattoos much to the dismay of my mum. Who else remembers the little comic book tattoos that would come free with candy sticks or chewing gum? - 90s nostalgia at it's finest. Well... I was doing the usual Saturday night online window shopping when I came across a transfer tattoo pack on Regal Rose. Forget the tacky childhood tattoos and think small simplistic designs. I also happened to find photos from a 2010 Chanel show which featured temporary tattoos, which I had no idea existed!

Chanel Temporary Tattoos from 2010

I don't have any tattoos myself, not that I don't like them but I'd be afraid I'd hate them years down the line. I'm the most indecisive person so when it comes to putting something permanent on my body, it's a no-no. Temporary tattoos are the perfect substitute and great for summer when we're all bearing a little bit more skin that usual!Tattly.com is a great site that offers a huge range of temporary tatts from various artists. They're made in the US but ship worldwide, the prices are reasonable and the pictures suggest high quality results! They even have glow in the dark ones. Clockwise from Top Left:

'Just Smile', $5 for 2 | Tangy Lemon, $5 for 2 | Triangle, $5 for 2 | 'X', $5 for 2 | 'Live Today', $5 for 2

Similar to Tattly other temporary tattoos can be found from sellers on Etsy at great prices. Other stockists of temporary tatts include Boots, Topshop and Regal Rose.

Love it or leave it?

Hannah x

♥

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"Get Your Apples and Pears" - ASOS Marketplace

I've been a huge fan of ASOS since forever but shamefully I've only discovered how great their Marketplace section is recently. Personally I thought it was only for people selling one off items of clothing, but I've discovered so many boutiques with great collections. I love falling in love with something that I know not many people have, it makes it feel extra special! Here are my favourite boutiques and some hot picks from their collections...

#1. House Of Jam
"On trend reworked vintage and handcrafted designs, for divas on a budget"

1. Handcrafted Flicked Paint Effect Fringed Kimono, £48 | 2. 80s Vintage Tea Dress, £36 | 3. 90s Grunge Oversized Denim Shirt, £24 | 4. Vintage 90s Shirt in Purple Animal and Floral Print, £24

This is by far my favourite boutique on ASOS Marketplace - I love the model, the styling and most importantly the clothes! P.S that 1st kimono needs to be in my wardrobe, like now.

House of Jam Blog | House of Jam Twitter | House of Jam Facebook | House of Jam Pinterest

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#2. Cats Got The Cream
"Imperfection is beautiful. Re-use, restore, stand out"

1. 80s 'Saved By The Bell' Oversized Tshirt, £22 | 2. 90s Vintage Wrangler Mom Jeans | 3. 90s Vintage Grunge Skater Tshirt, £25 | 4. 90s Oversized Hawiian Shirt, £22.50

This boutique has given me a bad case of nostalgia - if only we could go back to the days of 'Saved By The Bell', mom jeans and tacky graphic tees. I never want to buy clothes made after 1999 again.

Cats Got The Cream Blog | Cats Got The Cream Tumblr | Cats Got The Cream Facebook

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#3. Yatt
"Graphic Tees"

1. Kiss Tshirt, £21 | 2. Carpe Diem Tshirt, £18 | 3. Dangerous Tshirt, £21 | 4. Los Angeles Tshirt, £21

I'm a lover of graphic tees and this Spanish boutique definitely seems to have it sorted! Plus all the lighting effects are making me feel warm and sunny - sigh.

Yatt Blog | Yatt Twitter | Yatt Facebook | Yatt Tumblr | Yatt Pinterest

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#4. Gone Retro
"Selling silk to buy the milk"

1. Nike Crop Top, £20 | 2. Vintage Levi's Fur Lined Denim Jacket, £50 | 3. Vintage Blue Ibiza Festival Shirt Dress, £20 | 4. 90's Navy Baseball Jersey Tee, £28

You just can't beat vintage - everything about this boutique makes me think of 'This Is England' in the nicest possible way.

Gone Retro Blog | Gone Retro Twitter | Gone Retro Facebook

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#5. Goldie

"Picked and styled by Goldie on the streets of East London"

1. Lydia Skirt in Black, £20 | 2. Cassia Jumper, £44 | 3. Serena Dress, £15 | 4. Aryia Skirt, £20

This girl can put a mean outfit together! Goldie boutique doesn't have a huge collection, but you know what they say - quality over quantity.

Goldie Twitter | Goldie Facebook | Goldie Tumblr | Goldie Pinterest

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Have you ever used ASOS Marketplace? What's your favourite boutique?

Hannah x

♥

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Products I Regret Buying

As annoying as it is, we all buy products that we regret. I'm a serial offender. It's either the advertising doesn't live up to its claims, it's ridiculously overpriced or I just generally hate it. Here's a list of products I'm not likely to buy again and why...

1. Got2b Volumising Style Powder

This powder claims to be made of 'virtually weightless microparticles designed to help texturise the hair's surface'. No, just no. Even though it did add a little volume, it left my hair feeling sticky and dirty - trying to run your fingers through it once it's been applied is basically impossible. The powder also left some white residue in my hair making it appear dull. I applied it to my hand first rather than directly onto the hair, but this made little difference - blondes may not notice this as much. To give my hair a boost between washes I'll definitely be sticking to my Batiste Dry Shampoo, sorry for ever being disloyal - love you!

2. ELF Studio Radiance Enhancer in Golden

I think I bought this because I thought it'd be a dupe for Benefit's Moonbeam Highlighter but sadly, I was wrong. I normally love ELF's products, especially their Studio Brushes and when I'm making an order online I'll usually throw in a few impulse buys because they're prices are so reasonable. This enchancer wasn't a good look for me, I found it too glittery and it just didn't look natural at all. I'm yet to find a use for it!

3. Avon Pro Brow Enchancer in Dark Brown

My aunt's an Avon Representative so I'll regularly order makeup from their catalogue. A lot of my everyday beauty products come from Avon, but this brow enchancer just seems likes some sort of gimmick to me. I'm all about the brows, so anything that claims to enchance them means - I'm sold! This however, is basically a clear gel with bits of hair through it. I honestly don't see the point, it's tricky to place the hairs where you want, and it doesn't 'fill' your brows in the slightest. It's no longer available with Avon, probably due to the bad reviews it received from customers.

4. Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in Ivory

After running out of my usual Bobbi Brown concealer I picked this up in Superdrug to do for the meantime since there aren't any Bobbi Brown stockists near me. I'm a fan of Rimmel's Match Perfection Concealer so thought I'd love this too, and as a concealer stick I expected maximum coverage. The coverage isn't the best and it's staying power, even with powder, isn't all that great. My skin isn't usually that dry but this concealer made my blemishes and under eye area look so cakey - any blemishes I had just stood out more. From reading other reviews I understand that women with fine lines around their eyes thought that this product highlighted them even more too.

5. Bourjous Magic Nail Polish Remover

If you've read my review on this nail polish remover then you'll not be surprised to see it in this list. I thought it made the nail polish removing process a lot more complicated than it needs to be. Foam built-in rather than using cotton wool? - such a hassle. It provides very little grip and doesn't allow for all of the nail polish to be removed properly. That '1 second' rule is nonsense in my opinion.

Have you bought any of these products? What's on your regret list?

Hannah x

♥

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Riri For River Island

As one of many million Rihanna fans I'm using this blog as a perfectly good excuse to talk about her. Over the years Rihanna's style has changed dramatically and she's come far from her 'Pon De Replay' days transforming into a style icon. I regularly stalk her Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, just to see what's look she's rocking next. From her latest Terry Richardson shoot to those pictures, the woman just oozes sex appeal and boasts the confidence we all wish we had. I'm not saying we should all go about flashing our nipple rings but I just love her 'I don't give a phuck' attitude and how she's comfortable with her own body (which anyone in their right mind would kill for).

Picture tweeted by @ElleUK

This years London Fashion Week saw Rihanna debut her own 120 piece Spring collection for River Island which unsurprisingly received great reviews from anxiously awaiting critics. Crop tops, varsity jackets and thigh-high splits were among some of the styles that reflected Riri perfectly. I also spotted most of the models wearing body chains similar to the Jacquie Aiche one that Rihanna never seems to take off.

The models wore barely there makeup minus MAC 's Ruby Woo lipstick, very Rihanna-esque. Elle tweeted a picture of the models getting prepped backstage (left) which just added to the anticipation.

Also, am I the only one lusting over Rihanna's hair right now, long ombre waves, what's not to love? It's seriously making me want to reach for the hair dye. I went for a DIY ombre look before Christmas and although it turned out well, I got bored of it quickly. The dye I used to cover it is no doubt wearing off and you can notice the dip dye look peeking through in my first outfit post.

Below are a few of my favourite looks from the collection that reaches River Island stores on March 5th - definitely a shopping day to mark on the calendar! What did you think of her Spring pieces? Will you be rushing out to buy them?

Shirts tied at the waist, crops tops and caps? Rihanna's 90's grunge style needs to be in my wardrobe.

Pictures taken from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

Someone get me a pair of Manolo Blahnik 'Chaos' sandals ASAP.

Pictures taken from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

If, like me you weren't invited to sit front row at River Island's show then you can catch up with the video below:

Oh, you're welcome.

Hannah x

♥

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Babyliss Thermo Ceramic Rollers Review

For Christmas I was given the BaByliss Thermo Cermaic Rollers as a surprise present from my mum, I'm guessing she'd listened to 'I want rollers' enough times to end up buying me a set! I'd wanted rollers for a while now but just never got round to buying them, so many brands and I wasn't sure what to go for.

The last time I owned something from BaByliss it was their Trio Crimper in the mid 90's so at first I was a little sceptical then I realised things have moved on alot since then. My housemate Natalie asked me to put them in for her before she headed on a night out, so I of course I used the opportunity to blog.

Before & After

The BaByliss set comes with 20 heated rollers of 3 different sizes, large, medium and small. 10 'super' clips and 20 metal pins are also included to keep the rollers in place.

I found them really easy to use - you simply plug them into the mains, switch them on and adjust the dial to your preferred temperature. I used the maximum temperature to ensure tighter curls and left them for approximately 10 minutes to heat up; one roller comes with a heat sensor that turns white when they're ready to be used.

Natalie's hair is a similar length to mine and normally I'd use 16 rollers for my full head; large rollers on top and gradually getting smaller to obtain a voluminous look. I started with the top of Natalie's head, securing the large rollers with the 'super' clips, working with the medium rollers around the mid section then eventually the smallest at the end. Normally I'd wash and straighten my hair the night before using these to reduce frizz however, Natalie's hair was still damp from the shower. BaByliss recommend using these on either damp or dry hair so we sprayed some Pantene Pro V Heat Defense Gloss Spray for Fine Hair and got started.

For easy application I placed the roller half way up each section of hair and wound the ends around it before rolling it to the scalp; this means that shorter pieces of hair are less likely to fall out.

Natalie kept the rollers in for 20 minutes, this is 5 minutes longer than the recommended time but helps the curl to last all night. I sprayed hairspray whilst the hair was both in rollers and out; because of Natalie's length the curls need all the staying power then can get.

After combing through a couple of curls with my fingers, here is the end result:

Personally I think Natalie's hair ended up looking better than mine ever does, the results are amazing. In the past if I wanted curly hair I would have used my GHDs but these are so less time consuming, I can put them in and have my makeup done before I take them out... because of this I've been wearing curly hair on a daily basis now.

If I had to rate these I'd give a solid 5/5, I just can't fault them. They're easy to use, heat up quickly, come with clips and most importantly give great bouncy curls - plus they're only £29.99 in Boots.

Rating: 5/5

♥

Friday, 27 December 2013

Shopping Spotlight - Oh My Love

Saturday, 21 December 2013

Motel Rocks - Party Season Discount

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

Back to Basics

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

MAC Dark Side Swatches and Review

Sunday, 14 July 2013

Temporary Tatts - Love/Hate?

Sunday, 23 June 2013

"Get Your Apples and Pears" - ASOS Marketplace

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Products I Regret Buying

Monday, 18 February 2013

Riri For River Island

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Babyliss Thermo Ceramic Rollers Review