Monday 29 April 2013

Uni Recipe | Nutella Mug Cake

Just to clarify I found this recipe HERE, I didn't invent it myself!
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I found the recipe online the other day, and as a student cooking in a mug is a godsend. No pans to wash up, no having to wait for the oven to heat up, just shove it in the microwave for a little bit. Student/laziness heaven.
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I was a bit disappointed because mine did rise nicely but as soon as I opened the microwave door it sunk - probably due to using crappy Lidl self-raising flour, and also instant hot chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder. Still it was nice to have pudding for a change which I never eat at uni (too much effort to make), I added honey and it was delish. The fact this is so easy to make is such a bonus! 

If you're interested in some more mug recipes take a look at THIS. I'm thinking of trying out mug quiche and mug french toast. xx
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Friday 26 April 2013

Outfit | Topshop sheepskin collar leather jacket, t-shirt dress

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Dress - Topshop - Leather Jacket - Topshop - Flats - New Look - Necklace - Ebay
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Lipstick - Topshop in The Damned

Wore this unaay last week. I do my extra module on ancient history and we spent our morning seminar in a museum looking at mummies and ancient Egyptian shiz, made a change from sitting in a classroom. I think this dress is going to be uber useful this summer as the material is quite light, want to try and style it up to be very cutesy next rather than dark toned as it is here, pass me my hello kitty accessories.Wanna see more of my outfits? Click the 'outfit' tag in the right hand sidebar. xx
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Wednesday 24 April 2013

FOTD #15 | River Nymph - pastel blue, winged eyeliner, diamantes eye make up ♥

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Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced palette 'The sure thing', Mememe eyeshadow in Marina, MAC Fluidline, Primark false eyelashes, random nail gems off ebay (affixed with eyelash glue), Max Factor Masterpiece waterproof mascara

Decided to match my make up to my hair, as you do. It fades to a stage where it's a middling pastel blue/green, probably needs a dye now as it's far more green than blue at the moment! I've wanted to utilise some diamantes (nail gems) in eye make up for a while and decided to start of small with a silver one by each tear duct, I may try using them to line the eyes at some point but don't know how well they'd hold up throughout the night.
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Monday 22 April 2013

Nailed It: Barry M Aqua Glitter

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Polishes used: Barry M in Aqua Glitter

I chose this colour primarily because it goes with my hair (when freshly dyed), and of course because I frigging love glitter. Aqua glitter is quite chip resistant and easy to remove for a glitter polish. I'm off to do my washing now, finding stain removal difficult but I will be investing in some good products that specialise in things like tea stain and blood stain removal. Hope everyone had a good weekend! xx
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Saturday 20 April 2013

Haul | Birthday Topshop voucher

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Topshop
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Skirt - Miss Selfridge - Top - H&M
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Pinafore - Primark - Dress - H&M
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Lipsticks in The Damned and All About Me

Popped into town after uni as I got a Topshop voucher for my birthday and also picked up a few other bits and pieces. I had been wanting to get the pixelated flower midi skirt for some time and I think it has an even better fit than my other toppers bodycon midi so yay! I picked up the barbie body mini skirt as anything colourful or shiny I will tend to buy, but now I have to idea what to wear it with - ideas guys?! Also love the H&M top with the cats on, they have faux gems sewn on their foreheads and everything. Tried out the Barry M nail pen as soon as I got home as you can see from my nails, I'll review it at some point, it's very different other ones I've tried. xx
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Thursday 18 April 2013

Outfit | Topshop denim circle skirt, Jeffrey Campbell Padua Peacock

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Jacket - Primark - Hoodie - Primark - Top - Mum's handmedown - Skirt - Topshop - Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell Padua Peacock

Wore this to uni the other day. It was sunny enough to not wear a coat - the excitement! Finally found a way to style my JC Paduas that isn't too overwhelming, this is the only pair of shoes I have that have such a bold print - and are also so bright, the picture doesn't do them justice as they are VERY green. Going to start taking outfits here now by our flat's fire escape (glamorous), maybe one day will pluck up the courage to drag my tripod outside; we'll see! xx
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Tuesday 16 April 2013

Nailed it: Models Own in Pink Fizz and Jessica nails in Starry Night

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Nail Polishes used: Models own in Pink Fizz, Jessica in Starry Night

Beginning to really adore Models Own polishes, especially the glitter ones, as they hold up so well chip-wise. xx
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Sunday 14 April 2013

University tip #2 Shampoo and Conditioner don't need to be expensive

Wanna know something? My shampoo and conditioner together costs less than £2. Before I came to uni all I used was Pantene which is about £8 for both shampoo and conditioner, but since dying my hair blue I have to buy dye as well so here are some cheaper alternatives I have discovered.
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I love the Alberto Balsam shampoos and conditioners. My favourite is the strawberries & cream flavour which smells exactly like that, so yummy. I find the shampoo lathers just as well as a more pricey brand like Pantene and my hair feels just as silky with the conditioner. I've also tried Lidl shampoo (shock horror) and found that worked fine as well.

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What you save:

Pantene Colour and smooth shampoo and conditioner: £4.69 + £4.69 = £9.38
Alberto Balsam Raspberry shampoo and conditioner: £1 + £1 = £2 (often 2 for £1.80 though)

So if you find yourself sticking to slightly expensive hair care products just because that's what you've always used, don't be afraid to try cheaper ones when you're on a student budget ^ ^

Also try...changing where you shop
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Over double the price for the same product - honestly Boots. Another tip: to keep your university house or flat smelling good try using fresh fragrances in the form of air freshener or by burning scented candles, especially in student kitchens! Want to see more university tip posts for students and those on a budget? Click 'uni' in the tags section in the sidebar :3 xx
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Friday 12 April 2013

Uni Recipe | Pork Stir Fry ☆

I'm going to start posting easy student recipes on Sequins & Beads, cheap and easy meals perfect for a student or person on a budget. The blog is going to become more lifestyle-y I think! I made this this other day for dinner and it was a bit experimental as I've never actually cooked pork at uni before, (or made stir fry for that matter) but it was pretty delish.
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Ingredients
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How to
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Sorry this was not one for the vegetarians, however future recipes will be sans meat ^ ^ Hope you guys enjoyed this post! xx
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Friday 5 April 2013

Review | MAC Liquidlast VS Fluidline ♥

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Left: Liquidlast Right: Fluidline

Until recently all I used was MAC Liquidlast liquid eyeliner, but considering I had never tried gel liner and the Liquidlast tubes do not last long; I decided to give MAC Fluidline a go. My everyday eye make up look is winged liner and mascara, so I need something that will last without: smudging/flaking/running in rain or with watery eyes; but will give that cat eye look. Also please forgive how shite my eyeliner skills are in the photos :/


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Liquidlast £14
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-opacity and blackness
-staying power
-dramatic look
-waterproof
-cheaper than Fluidline

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-difficulty to remove
-difficulty to correct
-difficult to use on waterline

Liquidlast's both strongest and weakest aspect is it's staying power. As it says on the tin it does LAST. Once you have applied it, it won't be coming off without a good scrubbing with a make up wipe/some eye make up remover. So on one hand, during the day your eyeliner is not going to budge, but on the other hand it is not fun to scrub your eye like a madwoman to get your eyeliner off (especially if your eyes are sensitive).


Also, if you make a mistake while applying Liquidlast, dipping a cotton bud in some make up remover and trying to correct it is not going to work. A good scrubbing is the only thing that will remover the eyeliner, and takes off your foundation/eye primer around the eye area with it. So I would not recommend Liquidlast for a liquid eyeliner novice.

Another positive is the sheer 'blackness' and opacity of Liquidlast. It's nice and black without being too shiny or too matte, it's perfect for the typical winged/cat eye look. When I was working in retail I actually once had a customer compliment me on how the liner looked and ask where it was from.

Fluidline £14+brush cost
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-easy to remove
-able to use on waterline
-more subtle
-glides on easily

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-less opaque and pigmented
-does rub off
-more pricey
-more expensive than Liquidlast as purchase of brush is necessary


First thing about Fluidline is I'm pretty sure you get more product for the same price as Liquidlast, and as you can control more easily how much product you put on the brush it will last longer too.  It glides on smoothly and any mistakes you make can easily be corrected with a cotton bud (sans remover, you won't need it). I also find I can make way more shapes/control my lines better with Fluidline (although I find it more difficult to make my wing tips as pointy as with Liquidlast) and because the product isn't liquid or difficult to remove like Liquidlast I can use it on my waterline and around the tear duct.

However, Fluidline does not have the same opacity and 'blackness' that Liquidlast does, it's much better for subtle looks were perhaps you want your eye shadow to stand out more than your liner or you just want your eyes defined a little. Also technically this product is more pricey because you need to buy a brush to use with it. I was offered the MAC eyeliner brush when I bought Fluidline and it costs 16 POUNDS. Ridiculous, my Sigma foundation brush cost less than that. I bought the Real Techniques eyeliner brush which does the job perfectly. 

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Hope this review was useful! I don't have a preference between either as they both have advantages and disadvantages. However if you are an eyeliner novice definitely go for Fluidline. Do you guys have a favourite MAC eyeliner or what brand is your favourite liquid/gel liner? xx

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