Heavy Rain - Review

Started playing Heavy Rain with SL on Boxing Day. It started off a bit weird as we had to get use to the new style of controlling the characters. But as soon as we started to get into the story it was brilliant! Everything that happens between save points is kind of like real time so you have to respond like you're really going through the events.

Throughout the game you will be playing the roles of 4 characters to try to work out who the origami killer is and try to save Shaun. The graphics is stunning especially the part when you play FBI Norman Jayden and he is analysing the evidence collected so far.

Every choice you make in the game contributes to the final storyline. Making it gripping to play.

Its can be easy for those new to PS3 and a good challenge/entertainment for those who are are more familiar. If your looking to play a new game over the holiday period this would be an interesting one to pick up!

Bargain at Westfield - Levi, Pull and Bear and Marks & Spencers

Decided to brave the crazy boxing/bank holiday sale at Westfield yesterday.

Managed to grab a few bargains.

Levi's

Unisex converses for £25 down from £35. Comes in khaki green, medium grey, light navy, black and white. The designs quite unique, sizing wise I would suggest getting a size smaller than normal. I tried on a size 4 with thick woolly socks and still fitted (I'm usually a 4.5 or 5). A guy in store who is size 7 or 8 usually brought a size 7.

This is actually the khaki green pair but my phone went a bit weird and now it looks more like the grey/ navy pair they have......

Black pair I brought for SL. Its a really rich black sorry trying to take pictures at night not a good idea.

Pull and Bear

All Coats for about £40 - I didn't brave the crowd around that area... =P

I managed to find a cute doughnut light jumper/warm t-shirt top for £5.99 down from £16.99. (Sorry for the bad pic... I still haven't worked out how to take pictures of nice clothes to give them enough credit......)

P.s. They had the softest furry hoodie going for £19.99 down from £30 I think???? I didn't get it cause they only had grey, maroon or black... but if those are your colors definitely have a look!

Marks & Spencers

For fellow females who have chest measurements of 28D to 38DD M&S are doing a brilliant sale for most bras in stock at the moment. I grabbed a 2 pack bra set for £9 down from £16 - they fit brilliantly. There were other single bras going for £9 down from £18 or £20.

(Sorry no pics.... Marks and Spencers don't seem to allow links to their pictures.)

Pop Beauty Eye Pop Trio - No.2 Chelsea

Borrowed this eyeshadow set off my sister the other day and I love it! Usually dark purples like this make me look like I have a bruised eye but the combination of colors in the set can be used to make a really nice smokey eye that is dramatic for night and subtle for the day.

The eyeshadows come in a small magnetic opening palette box. soft material but solid box so your shadows stay safe in you bag. 

 There's the dark purple to line and smoke the eyes with, the lighter purple to do the lids and then the pink to do the lids or highlight.

This is one touch of the colors

The colors are all very pigmented and easy to blend or apply. But they stay put once your finished applying. Even without a primer they color was still pretty rich at the end of the day and no smudges.

They usually £12 a palette (there's other trios in their range). My sister got her's at the sale on ASOS. They are on available online at Debenhams so maybe they might go on sale on Boxing Day or New Years?

MAC Select Cover-Up NC20 review

Been trying out my first concealer from MAC for a month now. I think I've found my good value for money + good quality concealer I've been looking for.

I found it's quite multifunctional and you can use it in so many ways. A little pea size drop you can cover quite an area. You can use it as it is and layer according to how much coverage you want - I found that I can use this by itself even though I have dry skin as long as I moisturise my face before I use the concealer by itself. Or you can mix it with your moisturiser before you apply it so it becomes more of a foundation/light cover - another way to apply to dry skin, prevents drying or flaking.

Rubs into skin really well - very natural

I usually use nearly equal amount moisturiser to mix or less depending on how thick I wanted the cover and how dry my skin felt that day.

Amount for 1 eye if I don't mix  with moisturiser or 2 eyes if I do

Its a really good consistency not too thick or thin by itself and also sets very nicely - doesn't tug the skin and you can't really feel you have makeup on. But its quite long lasting and resistant to transfer (always a plus when you wearing white). ^_^

                            Before                                     After

                                                       NC20 amount used

At £12.50 for 10mL its quite a good value concealer considering you don't actually have to use that much compared to other concealers so it'll actually work out cheaper in the end. Its been a month and I haven't even used 1/4 of it (still very full tube). The tube design is also very handy, compact but sensible you can easily control how much product you want - more hygenic as well.

At the MAC store they said my skin tone is NC20. I think there is one shade lighter than that available and loads of other darker shade so it might be worth going in to test them out to find your exact shade. I did try all the other concealers at MAC in the store but settled for this one as the others were either two tight on the skin or too powdery/watery or not enough cover.

I was told the Moisture Cover would have been better for me (dry skin) but I think I made the right choice going with the Select Cover which had more ways you can manipulate it. So that I can use it as I want depending how my skin felt that day.

Blanco sale 50%-70% off everything in store at Westfield!

Went shopping with J today at Westfield we were there from 5.30pm to 11pm!!!!!! So many sales going on but the best one worth mentioning is the sale at Blanco.

The clothes in there are quite decent. Prices are usually reasonable already. With the discount going on you can grab a nice pair of basic jeans for £7.99. I brought the skinny low rise navy jeans. They feel great. Skinny but flexible. Though I would suggest trying on their sizes cause I turned out a 6 in their range. But the fitting is great, tucks and flatters really nicely.

My mate brought a lot of jumpers for about £10 each cute designs and warm. So if your up for early bargain it might be worth stopping at this store. Its on the second level of Westfield in London.

I also grabbed a new diary from Paperchase! So cute only £4.50.

Early Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!

The Takeaway Secret by Kenny McGovern - Review

Went on the maddest mission today to find my bf's requested xmas pressie. The Takeaway Secret by Kenny McGovern.

You would have thought this book would be easy to find in London book stores! Nope, it was rarer than gold! Was out of stock on Amazon. After calling up most of WHSmith/Waterstones in town and visiting too many bookstores to remember, turns out last two available! I grabbed one of those before they vanished as well... >_<

I didn't quite understand why this book was out of stock (a book about takeaway food.....????!!!!)... that was until I read the recipes. I know fast food can be brought when you want it and some people would say its unhealthy blahblah. BUT the author of the book totally catches the idea of the guilty pleasures from fastfood can only get better when you can actually reproduce them at home yourself!

I've flipped through some of the recipes and they sound absolutely mouthwatering yet strangely healthier with the tweaks that are offered. The book is simple to follow and has loads of handy tips to reproduce that right taste. Fair enough its not your everyday cook book but for those who like a little dirty food once in a while this seems like the perfect recipe book! ^_^

RRP £5.99. Online at Amazon and WHSmith going for £3-4.

Paul & Joe Duo Powder refill for bargain price on ASOS

I was browsing the ASOS website and found the Paul and Joe Powder refill was going for £11-£14?

This compact powder looks cute and you can choose which adorable compact to buy to use the refill in (£5-8)!!!!!. If the shade 02 comes back in stock then I might give this a try (its pearl and matt duo does seem like an interesting powder combo to have and use depending on the effect you might want on the day)........

I haven't been able to find this refill on other sites that sell Paul and Joe Cosmetics (either out of stock or not there at all). If anyone has used this compact before give a shout, be nice to hear some comments (good or bad). If not then I might try this out later - loving the Clinique loose powder (to review later) but still want to find a compact to carry around... ^_^

Bourjois Powder Brush - Handy tool in your makeup kit! Review

I'm one of those who don't like to splash out too much on makeup brushes but I'm also very picky about the brushes that I do buy. Because I have dry and sensitive skin I only like brushes that are soft but sturdy. One of the best but value for money powder brush that I use is the Bourjois Powder Brush.

Excuse the leftover powder its due its weekly wash.

This brush has really soft bristles that makes great application for face powder. I've had this one for ages! I wash mine very week? And the bristles have stayed put and stayed soft. Its a really handy size but still gives great coverage when using on the face just as any of the bigger powder brushes would have.

Size compared to a normal vaseline pot

At £4.99 normal price its  bargain brush. Even better Superdrug and Boots are doing 3 for 2 offers at the moment so you can grab one of these for even less!

Random little gift - stocking filler

Was walking around Marks and Spencer and found this really cute and random audio splitter that allows you to connect two headphones to one Mp3 player!

Its perfect for those times when you want to share your music lazing in the park or on the plane. Plus its pink and heart shape you can't beat that for £4! Its a stocking filler for me mate so hopefully she won't see this post =P Lol.

Edit 22/12/10: P.s. Saw the same (very similar) thing going for £8 in Octopus!

Make use of the nearly out of date milk..... Get soft feets!

Ever found half a bottle of milk that's going to expire today and thought I don't want to waste it but I won't be able to finish it?

Well if you want to pamper your feet a little you can try soaking them in the milk for half an hour or more and you'll find those little patters come out softer than they went in. ^_^

No idea why it works but it seems to moisturise and refresh the softness like a good cream would =D

Hope this little home remedy works for you too. =D

Another offer for new customers at very.co.uk

Spend £60 or more and get £20 off and £20 Tony and Guy gift card

Order by 8pm 23rd December for Christmaas delivery. Use code ZZ636 for the offer. If you were planning to get something from very anyway this could be another code to look into using. Found in Metro this week.

Natio Clear Brow and Lash Mascara Review

During the summer I wanted a clear mascara to hold my curls but not look like I'm crying black tears if I went swimming with it.

I came across Natio's clear mascara at £7-8 a go I gave it a try (for some reason I didn't come across many clear mascara so made do with this one).

Excuse the build up of brow powder in the clear mascara - when new its very clear and clean. I've been using it a lot to seal my filled in brow so some of that products gotten into the mascara tube.

Unfortunately this mascara doesn't help those with straight lashes hold their curls, It'll hold them nicely together but over the day the curls you got from curlers will slowly straighten out. But I discovered it not bad as a brow mascara (its named for both). It dries quick and doesn't clump on the brows giving a really clear clean hold. You may want to be a little light handed when applying or it could feel stiff and becomes itchy at the end of the day.

So I would recommend it for those looking for a brow mascara but not for lash mascara if you don't naturally have curly lashes.

onesunnyafternoon: Ichigo ♥

I love me sister's handmade jewellery! Her latest Ichigo is just adorable. For those who like handmade and unique accessories or jewellery then it will be worth checking out her website and blog. ^_^

onesunnyafternoon: Ichigo ♥: "I love strawberries. Fresh, in tarts, as ice cream...mmmm. New charm using some adorable flat back strawberries, I tried to make the little..."

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss: 150 Peach Petal

I wanted a nude pink color but I didn't really spot the shade I wanted in lipsticks so I went for the Revlon Lipgloss in Peach petal. 

 If gives a really sheer pink color that doesn't dry out the lips. Its also got a really nice light vanilla smell that makes it so yummy you want to eat it.

It is on the thicker side for lipgloss (but good pigment not sheer can be worn alone) so I would say definitely put a layer of vaseline first to help it glide on more. I tend to eat away at it so I need to top up every 2hr or so but otherwise its got quite a strong stay.

Usually price £6.99. I got it on a promotion back in the summer for £2 at boots but I think there's a 3 for 2 going on at the moment so you can grab it as a freebie at Boots if you're getting something anyway?

Unchartered 3 - Drake's Deception!!!!!! 1st Nov 2011 - 1st Trailer.... Drake is back!

If you haven't played any of the Unchartered series then is about time you should pick one up and play! If you like adventure and action this is definitely one you can't miss. It has brilliant game play and story line as well as gorgeous graphics! The third in the series is out next November! Here's the 1st trailer for it:

Video Games | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Alberto Balsam - Juicy Green Apple Shampoo and Conditioner: Get Fresh for Normal/Greasy hair

Since letting my hair grow long again at SL's request I've probably tried most brands to try to find a shampoo and conditioner that won't break the bank and keeps my hair fresh and yummy. You name it I've tried it.

Because I have thin and long hair if the product is too heavy my hair feels limp and dirty. But if its too stripping I end up with a dried flaky head.

I tried the more expensive high street brands and nothing worked and then I thought lets give the Alberto Balsam range a go. Since they're usually only £1 per 400mL bottle or 3 for 2 for £2 (you can mix shampoo and conditioner) so even if it didn't work I wouldn't feel like I've wasted yet more money on something I can't use.

And voila! It worked magic! My hair feels fresh and clean but not dry, moisturised but not heavy and limp. Best of all it smells gorgeous! Summery apples! And at £1 a pop max. its a bargain!

The Alberto range is huge so if get fresh isn't what your looking for it might be worth testing out the other ones to see if they are jut as wicked for such a cool price tag.

Oh there is one downside though seriously don't get this stuff in your eyes when you rinse, it STINGS! Otherwise its a great product and so far so good (been using for more than half a year and no irritation or such).

London Walks - great fun day, there are little gems in London to be discovered!

Had my work xmas do on Tuesday. We went on the London Walk 'Inside the Ancient City'.

I've grown up in London but I never thought there were many interesting stories or history to be heard (history lessons at school weren't very in-depth). But after today I felt totally different. The tour guide Hilary we had was lovely she had the best route designed for us with bits of culture, history and quirky stories all linked together throughout the walk.

We saw so many hidden gems today, markets I didn't know we had, little details in the streets and roads and architect that we're usually too busy going to work to notice and appreciate. I really recommend going on one just for fun and have a whole new experience of the City and to learn some fun stories about the street and places we pass daily.

One of the stalls at Leadenhall Market! So Christmasy there! Lovely smell of Mull wine!

There is also the Jack Ripper tour which has THE expert giving the tour (next tour on my list to do)!

We paid £8 per person for the 2.5hr tour but it seems there are discounts and concessions available so worth looking into if you do decide you want a go.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 198 Azure (8mL)

Did a mini shop for goodies at Boots with their 3 for 2 party deal. Wanted a more wintery color nail varnish so I went for the Rimmel Azure.

Its a really gorgeous shimmering blue - kind of reminds me of the ocean. Its not the typical dark color you would see people wear in winter but if you want a brighter color that still has a wintery/festive feel, then this is quite a good color to have.

I'm wearing two coats at the moment. But you get quite an opaque color from just one coat anyway and it doesn't streak even at one layer (maybe because of the shimmering effect?). No chips so far. The brush is great only takes roughly 2 strokes to cover whole nail. The polish itself is slightly thicker than the other Rimmel polish I've tried but its not gloopy.

This color will good for summer or winter I reckon (shimmer is always good!) Lol......

Usually cost £2.99 per 8mL bottle.

Kiwi ...... To use against spots on the back

This is one of those home methods that I know someone has used and worked but don't really know why. But its a nice homely way to try to combat everyday blemishes.

My sister use to have really bad blemishes on her back whenever she got stressed etc. One way my mum helped to clean the break out up was to squash kiwi we had around the house and spread it over the area affected for a few minutes and then wash it off with water. Surprisingly this really does help it clean up and heal better (smooth skin again)!?

I wouldn't suggest trying this on your face simply because we've never tried it so not sure if it will be just as good or what. But if you have break out on your back and really want an easy home remedy to help clean it up then you can try this (left over skin with a bit of meat or squashed meat)? My mum use to do it for my sister either every week or every couple days after she break outs to control it.

Hope this works for you too!

P.s. My sister is the oily skin type

Metro offer spend £50 at very.co.uk get £50 back

In the London Metro yesterday I spotted an offer for shopping at very.co.uk. If you spend £50 you get £50 credit if you use promotional code XV989!!!!

I haven't tried this offer yet but if you are going to buy something from very.co.uk it might be worth looking up about this offer!

Happy xmas shopping!

Bourjois Glass File - so cute

I went to buy my first proper nail file (yes I never use to take care of my nails.....) I came across the Bourjois Glass File!

It is so cute! Just the right size not too big and not too small. Plus it feels really solid in you hand. Both sides of the white area is rough for filing. Apparently this should last for ages, so for £2.95 a pop its a bargain.

I haven't seen this being sold everywhere though. Online I think I've caught a glimpse of it on ASOS and instore on the high street only really random stores does it. Boots at Westfield does but Boots on bond street doesn't so I guess its just looking around and keeping your eyes open if you want it. ^_^

Lancome Hypnosis Gift Set

Its that time of the year of mad xmas shopping for gifts to give to loved ones. My mate's sister introduced me to a gift set from Lancome that is apparently a bargain considering its the same price as one piece of the items in the set.

In the Hypnose Gift set (for £20 usually, I got mine for slightly less due to discount) you get a 30mL version of the Bi-Facil Cleanser, a full size Hypnose Custom wear Volume Mascara and a mini Crayon Kohl in black.

This is quite a nice gift for anyone who is into makeup or you want to introduce them to makeup. I haven't personally tried any of these products (I brought this as a b-day pressie so I can't try the products out for you guys) but my mate's sister swears by them and looking at the other reviews online all three products sounds great.

This set would be a nice starter to try out 3 products for a fraction of the price as a treat for yourself or as a sweet gift for someone you want to show you love this Christmas. Of course you can always splash out using the Boots points you may have accumulated over then year or it could be something to look out for when or if they do deals on the Lancome counter.

Uniqlo HeatTech offer! Keeps you warm!

This range does really keep you warm. So far we've tried out a man's crew neck short-sleeve t-shirt and the knitted leggings. If the cold winter is getting to you investing in these would be a good idea!

You might want to check out the sizes cause they are a bit weird in Uniqlo..... I'm a UK 8 usually but I fit in their XS and S randomly through the UK shop.......

Dry Shampoo - Mark Hill Holiday Hair

I first got into dry shampoo to avoid the holiday hair you get after going to the beach or going to the swimming pool.

You know that dirty feeling of chlorine, salt and just muck from the day is making your hair unbearable but you either haven't got time to go wash your hair before you go out or you've got quite a while before you make it home/back to the hotel but you really want fresh clean hair?

I found using dry shampoo was a great way to stay fresh and have your hair smelling gorgeous at all times. Just a simple spray and you hair is good as washing it normally.

The dry shampoo I picked up was from the Mark Hill holiday hair range. I got mine for under £2 for 50mL (offer on during the summer)  think it usually goes for £3.49. This can is still lasting me even after using it all summer and occasional since. It has a very lush tropical sweet smell. I have dry and fine hair and it does wonders to detangley and soften as well as refreshing my hair so its light and fluffy again.

Cut out from holiday picture after being at the beach but used the spray (you can't tell my hairs been in sea water!):

Would recommend people try when its on offer to see if it suits their hair type. Definitely a handy little trick to have in your bag =D

Finally completed COD: Black Ops Campaign mode!

Finally got round to playing the campaign mode of Black Ops. ^_^

I played the easiest level obviously (I seriously can't shoot!). The story was really cool (won't spoil it for you but interesting how they did the story and if you pay attention there were always little bits in the game play that suggested otherwise).

The play was really active with a wide variety of control styles throughout the campaign. You got your standard first person shoot-offs and stealth missions. But you also got to pilot helicopter support, boats.... even that mysterious voice that tells you when to advance and what enemies are coming! (I found out I can't drive and shoot at the same time though >_<........) Lol.....

Finished the game in a day (this is with the backup support of SL to play the parts I found difficult and giveup after repeatedly dying - he made it look so easy >_<). The variation and quick story line makes it a really good game for beginners like me to get a good practise and taste of the game without stressing out completely cause its too hard or complicated - whilst also enjoying the story line.

The graphics and style of control and movements are cool and easy to get after a few tries (I played it on PS3, though I do prefer the Xbox controller).

Would recommend this game to all new beginners who like a bit of action, adventure and a decent story line.

Here's a trailer from Youtube for a taste of what you get:

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara - Review

This came as part of the Gift set I got this summer for purchasing products from Clinique. I'd never used any mascara from Clinique so I didn't know what to expect from this product. Since it was called High Impact Curling Mascara, I was expecting it to have quite a bit of effect on on my straight Oriental lashes.

The brush for this mascara is quite cool, its a C shaped so that you can add mascara and curl by using different sides. The mascara went on smoothly without clumping but I would say the volume and lengthening was only average on my short sparse lashes compared to other brands.

Most disappointingly is the curling effect it gives when you first apply, doesn't last (not for me at least) so by the end of the day your back to straight lashes even with pre-curling your lashes with curlers. I have to say this doesn't smudge though.

At £14.50 for 8mL I wouldn't really recommend this particular mascara for those with short and straight lashes looking for something to curl and lengthening their lashes dramatically.

But if you have long/curly lashes looking for something that doesn't smudge to enhance what you have already it might be worth getting a sample version of this to see how well it works for you?

Recycle through Boots for extra points on treats!

If you have some random electronic that you no longer want or used ink cartridges that you're about the dump. Recycling through Tescos, Boots etc. You can earn so extra points to spend on treats in store!!!!!!!!

If you fancy using the Boots system you can find the link to the recycle site by clicking on the advantage card link on the main site and then the recycle sign on the next page.

Points you could be earning:

• 1 ink cartridge for 100 points
• Old phone could be 2000 points

p.s. it apparently takes 10 days after they say they have processed the items for the points to be available for collecting at the kiosks.....

Tiramisu! Value but absolutely delicious!

I love Tiramisu! They are just gorgeous desserts that don't require an oven to make which is perfect! One thing I'm really particular about them is the alcohol they use to make it with. Most of the time I'm cool with Tia Maria as it gives it the extra coffee flavour without the bitterness from alcohol.

If you like me and you want to enjoy this dessert for the lovely coffee and sweet taste but rather not have a strong alcohol after taste, the Tiramisu they sell in Lidl for only 80-90p (2 per pack) is perfect for a lunch snack.

Be warned the Marsala wine used in it doesn't have the typical bitter aftertaste BUT you can still definitely feel the alcohol in the dessert. So if your a light weight like me .......better eat your meal then have this little gem of a dessert. ^_^

Karas The Prophecy (2006) and Karas The Revelation (2007)

For mecha and action anime lovers. This is one to watch. This two part anime has really gorgeous fighting scenes which make up for the weird storyline that only makes sense after watching the 2nd half as well.

Never the less its one to watch.

Bourjois Smokey Eye Trios - Mordore Chic, Vert Trendy and Violet Romantic

With 3 for 2 at Superdrugs and Boots I had to grab myself these lovely eyeshadows from Bourjois. I'm a right sucker for eyeshadow even though I only wear it when I really want to make an effect. =P

There are about 8 different trios available but I picked these three to try and I love them. The shadows are very pigmented. For all the swatches that was only one touch. It stays on very well for the whole day even without primer. The powders are quite 'creamy' and blends very well. In each of the sets they have a dark liner color, an over color and a light highlighter color which is perfect for taking out to do smokey eyes without having a massive palette in your bag - well for lazy people like me anyway.

Mordore Chic

Has a rich mocha, light hazel and cream color. all shimmery. Pefect for everyday smokey eyes or just to give the eyes a light warm glow of color if using only one of the colors by themselves.

Vert Trendy:

 Has a deep 'seaweed' green, a rich forest green and a nice light cream green - all shimmery. Great for those with brown eyes or want a punch of color with an difference.

Violet Romantic: My favorite!!!!!!

Has a deep imperial purple, a light lilac and a bright pearl white - all shimmery. This is the best color, for really sexy eyes or cute fun look, great for all year round.

I definitely recommend to get with the 3 for 2 offers going on or discounted to £4 at ASOS at one point. They usually cost £7.99 each.

I'll probably try Gris Dandy next (Silver, Grey, Black). If I can get over my obsession for the Mermaid Palette from Frontcover.