30 April 2012

Exciting News and the iFabbo Blogging Conference in London

Hello,
On many levels, today has been a bad day for me. However, I'm excited to tell you that I have some fantabulous news.
I will be taking the official photographs for the iFabbo Social Media Blogger Conference which is being held at Kettners in London on May 26th.
I was excited enough when I heard about the conference so I was over the moon when I was approached to work with iFabbo on the big day.

On the day of the conference 5 panels will be held with the aim of helping you to maximize your blog. There will be information on how to build, brand, expand, market and monetise your blog from some of the top people in the field including industry professionals and experienced bloggers.

As well as being a great and informative day where the main aim is to learn a lot about both beauty and fashion blogging, there will also be an afternoon tea where you can relax and indulge yourself a little and a cocktail hour where everyone will be able to mingle and put names to faces. And don't forget the iFabbo gift bag that will be on offer to all delegates (I've heard from one of the organizers herself that the swag bags are looking incredible)

I'll be dapping around taking lots of photos of all the goings on so grab me and say hi and I'll be sure to take a lovely photo of you enjoying yourself :)

Will you be going to the iFabbo conference? What are you most looking forward to?
Hope to see you there!
Annie x

29 April 2012

Yay for Blog Awards

Morning!
I'm gutted that the weather is STILL rubbish and that I seem to have picked up some sort of new and incredibly annoying illness but my morning was brightened up by being awarded two shiny new blog awards.
I was nominated by Maggie who writes a lovely blog that you should go and check out. Her posts are great and she gives lots of interesting insight. Thank you Maggie!

The awards I received were The Leibster Award and the Tell ME About Yourself award.

Liebster means darling in German and the award is sent to blogs with less than 200 followers with the aim of showing them that whilst their blog may be relatively new, people still think its fabby. The aim is to raise the profile of these blogs and gain a little extra exposure.

The tell me about yourself award is one I haven't seen before but apparently it is awarded to blogs you enjoy and want to learn more about the person behind the blog.

Rules:
1. Link back to the person who awarded you.
2. Proudly display your awards.
3. Share 7 new bits of information about yourself.
4. Award 7 more bloggers and let them know.

My Seven Facts:
  1. I make pizza for a living.
  2. Since a holiday to Mallorca two years ago, I cannot stomach dark rum any more :(
  3. When I was 5 I went to Lapland to visit Father Christmas.
  4. My favourite food at the moment is poached eggs and bacon on a bagel.
  5. Daniel's pet name for me is "mugwai"
  6. All you have to do to cheer me up is show me photos of small fluffy animals
  7. When I'm down I tend to go shopping and buy too many pairs of pants.
I nominate:
  1. Hanna from Violet Lulu
  2. The Edge of Beauty
  3. Jade from Jetley Mess
  4. Gazzy from Miss Beauty Licious 
  5. Celeste from Life as Twiggy
  6. Becca from BDP
  7. Emily from Burntredd
Thanks again to Maggie for my two awards :)
I think I'm a go back to sleep now to try and battle off this illness before work tomorrow...or maybe bully Dan into making me some lunch :P
Annie x

28 April 2012

FOTD- Spring Pastels

Hello,
Is anyone else really fed up with all of the rain and grey weather we're having? I'm so desperate to start wearing all of my pretty summer dresses or even just a little cardigan rather than a thick coat!
Alas, for now I'll just have to channel the summer vibe through my make-up. Today I've been wearing pretty pastel shades.
I seem to have pretty big eye bags here after my night of not much sleep last night but other than that, I was really happy with todays look.
What I used:

Face:

  • Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Foundation in 1NW2
  • Calvin Klein Long Wear Clarifying Powder in Light
  • Benefit The POREfessional
  • E.l.f Healthy Glow Bronzer in Luminance
  • Benefit Dandelion
  • E.l.f Natural Radiance Blusher in Coy
Eyes:
  • Chilli Pepper pastel eye palette nude and teal
  • Rimmel Londond Eyebrow Pencil in Black/brown
  • Rimmel London Scandaleyes in Extreme Black
Lips:
  • Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub
  • Collection (2000) Cream Puff in Cotton Candy
I really like light, fairly natural looking make-up so these are all products that I reach for pretty often. I know there has been a lot of disagreement over Cream Puff amongbeauty bloggers recently, but I personally love it. It might be that I happen to suit this colour better than some people do, but I haven't found any problems at all. The smell and taste is yummy, the consistency creamy and the pigmentation high quality.

What do you think of todays look? Have you tried Cream Puff?

Annie x

27 April 2012

The Latest Haul

Hello,
TGIF eh?
I'm rubbish at saving money, no matter how often I tell myself that I will. So I have another haul to show you today from the last couple of weeks. I haven't been too naughty but when I went for a Benefit make-over things all came a little unstuck when it came to saving.
First up, heres the beauty bits. The E.l.f goodies and the false eyelashes I mentioned in my payday treats post last week. I finally got around to collecting the E.l.f package from the sorting office today and was really happy with all four products. I got a mineral lipstick in Natural Nymph, a kabuki brush from the studio collection, a clarifying pressed powder in Ivory and a natural glow bronzer in Luminance. I can't wait to try all four out properly. The brush is so wonderfully smooth. The false lashes are thicker than I normally like but they're for use in stage make-up so they won't look too much. And then there was Benefit :P I went for a make-over session to try and cheer myself up a bit since my depression has been playing up rather badly recently and I came away with Dandelion, one of their classic blushers. I honestly can't fault any Benefit product that I've tried, they are all completely wonderful and this blusher is no exception. The colour is a pretty pink and looks nice on my fair skin. I'll be writing a full review on this soon for sure :) The funky print in the background of the photo is a little slouchy top that I bought in the New Look sale for around £4 to wear with leggings or my black dip hemmed skirt.

(Sorry about the poor quality of this photo, it was taken in a dusty mirror then hugelyyy cropped down) Also in the New Look sale I bought a lilac vest top to wear under loose fitting tops etc for £2 which I was wearing in this photo but its covered. And finally I bought this cream top which is made of really soft material and is nice and baggy for relaxing in. I really like the feel of it and the soft striped pattern. I'm also weirdly into the cut out shoulders.

And last but not least (pictured badly using my webcam) is this fabby buho top from TK Maxx. Isn't he cute in his big white glasses? I also cannot believe how young I look in this photo. This top set me back £8 and I already know it will get a lot of wear.

What have you been hauling recently? Have you been as bad at saving money as I have?
I'm off to eat too much ice cream and watch Russell Howard to chase the blues away a little.
Annie x

26 April 2012

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub Review

Hello,
Isn't the weather awful today?! And to top it all off I'm feeling pretty manky too. Oh well, positive thoughts people!
I really love Lush products at the moment. They smell and feel sooo indulgent and I love the company's ethics too.
A couple of weeks ago Daniel was sweet enough to pick me up a pot of the bubblegum lip scrub because he knew I was fascinated and it has now become one of my daily essentials.
The texture of the lip scrub is exactly as it looks really, just like caster sugar. There are very few ingredients so no worrying about plastering your lips with nasty chemicals.
A little goes a long way with this scrub so be careful not to put too much on. The tub comes filled up to the brim and I've been using it daily for a couple of weeks and there's hardly a dent made yet so this will last a nice long time. At £4.95 the price tag may seem initially high for something that you don't really need but I assure you, it is sooo worth the money. Every morning I use this before putting on lip products and it makes a huge difference to the look and the longevity of lipstick.
To use the scrub, all you do is dab a little sugar onto your finger and transfer onto lips. Gently, using a clean finger, buff in little circles all over the lips until they feel silky smooth and any dead skin has been removed. When you're done you just lick the yummy tasting sugar off for an extra little treat before carrying on with your normal routine.

I honestly love this lip scrub and I can't thank Daniel enough for picking me up a pot.
Have you tried any of the Lush scrubs? What do you think of them? When this pot eventually runs out, I will definitely be replacing it, maybe in a different flavour :)

Annie x
ps, I would love your help. Answer three little questions for me and win yourself some lovely little prizes.

Kreativ Blogger Award

Hello,
Last night I was excited to read that Kel had awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger Award which is the first award I've received for Three Little Buhos. Thank you so much to Kel and everyone should go and look at her lovely blog :)


Rules:
1. Post a link to the blogger who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions.
4. Pass to 10 bloggers.

Some Random Facts...hmmm
  1. I have a scar running across my forehead in a Harry Potteresque way from an accident when I was 2.
  2. I have another scar going up from the left side of my lip from a different accident when I was 2... I was a clumsy child
  3. I still cuddle a teddy in bed every night. He's called Oliver Oscar Humphrey and I love him to bits :)
  4. I love it when Daniel speaks in Spanish to me because I find it really calming.
  5. I can't swim.
  6. If there's no one around to talk to, I talk to myself instead.
  7. Due to years of depression, I still have a tendency to talk myself out of doing things I really want to do just because it's "easier"
Annnd the 10 Questions

Favourite song at the moment? Nicki Minaj- Starships
Favourite Desert? Churros and chocolate sauce :)
What drives you insane? Not knowing where my pens are, all the time!
When I'm mad? I'm a right sarcy cow.
Favourite pet? I love all pets but I can't imagine life without Lolly the Grumpy Kitty so cats.
Black or White? White.
Biggest Fear? Falling over the balustrade on the landing and failure.
My daily attitude? It can very but usually cheery and motivated.
What's perfect? Cosy toes, cuddles, laughter and happiness.
Guilty pleasures? I eat way too much chocolate to be healthy.

I nominate:
Ami from Ami Marshall...Eco Goddess
Chrissy from Ramblings of a Rusty Mind
Jess from Craftiness is Not Optional
Lola from LolaStar Hearts
Celeste from Life as Twiggy
Amy from New Nostalgia
Meredith from One Sheepish Girl
Lauren from Calico Skies
Becky from Milk Bubble Tea
Mandy from Miss Indie

These ladies all have wonderful blogs that I read every time they post. They write about all sorts of interesting things and I never get bored of what they have to say :) 

Thank you again to Kel.
Annie x

25 April 2012

NOTD Malibu Mojito Manicure

Hello,
I've been playing around with some pretty nail designs today because I picked up some new manicure guides from ebay the other day.
I was sooo excited by the look of the Malibu Mojito manicure I created using my very favourite Nails Inc. colour. What do you think?
The manicure guides themselves are pretty simple but I think they're a little too sticky because I've had trouble with them pulling off varnish already on the nail when I apply the "tip" coat but onplain nails they're great and I really like the effect :)

Annie x

Fraulein 38 10pc Brush Set Review

Hello,
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get the chance to try out the Fraulein 38 10 piece brush set for review. I love make-up brushes and trying out new ones as I'm always playing around with new looks so I jumped at the chance. This set usually retails for 14.99€
I have to say, I have been holding out a little on posting this review however because I found the brush set to be a bit of a mixed bag and over all, rather disappointing Not terrible, but disappointing definitely.

The set comes contained in a faux leather case that zips closed which is handy for traveling, and there are three seperate pockets to store the brushes in as well as a removable mini bag in the middle which can be slipped into your handbag containing a couple of the brushes for touch ups during the day. I do find that when I transport the whole set though that the brushes work their way out of the loose pouches and are all over the place when I go to use them, for this reason, I am not a big fan of the case. It also looks a little cheap and doesn't hold its shape very well.
On to the brushes:
In this ten piece set you get a large flat brush, a domed powder brush, blush brush, foundation brush, eyeshadow brush, small shader brush, large shader brush, media shader brush, eyeliner brush and eyebrow brush.
To make things simpler I've split these into two groups; the large face brushes and the small lip and eye brushes.
First, we have the large brushes.
These are the brushes that I'm most torn on. A couple are wonderful but the others are simply awful.
The blusher brush is really lovely. The bristles are soft and the brush picks up powder well but not in a way that packs too much colour onto the face making the effect garish, I now use it every day. Likewise, the foundation brush is very effective as it is nice and dense meaning that it picks up products well and doesn't give a streaky finish. On the other hand, I have a real problem with the quality of both the large flat brush and the powder brush. The amount of shedding I have experienced is truly awful and I am left with dark black hairs all over my face every time I try to use either brush. I know this can happen with new brushes but even after two thorough washes using brush shampoo it is still a problem and they are almost un-usable. Finally in this group we have the media shader brush. I don't have any problem with this brush but I also don't really like it. It took me a while to find a use for the brush as it is a strange size that is too small to use across the whole face but too large to use on eyes or lips. I decided to use it as a cheek contour brush and it does do a fairly good job but again I have noticed a fair bit of shedding. I also have a problem with the hairs refusing to all stay pointing the right way, even after washing so its far from perfect.

Now for the small brushes.
I am a lot happier with the lip and eye brushes in this set. I use a lot of different colours around my eyes especially so I make good use of nearly all of these. In fact, the large shader brush is currently my favourite brush because it works so well, not only for shading around the eye, but also to pack a lot of colour in a very thin line (more so than the eyeliner brush...) The small shader brush works as you would expect and I have no complaints at all. The eyeliner brush is also very good at its job, but it comes with a lid to protect its bristles and keep them in shape which is a great concept... however, in practice, this doesn't work at all. The lid mis-shapes the brush no matter how hard I try to make sure that no bristles are bent back. It is simply not avoidable so I just don't use the lid. I am fairly keen on the all over shadow brush, it is a good size and it picks up product and applies very well. Unfortunately, it is another shedding culprit so I am hesitant to use it so close to my eyes which seem so great at attracting all manner of unwanted rubbish because I know I'd end up with hairs in there. Finally we have the eyebrow brush which is the only brush I haven't really used. I have tried it a couple of times but its simply too soft for what I want to use it for. It is difficult to use as the bristles are very soft and don't pick up enough product to shade my dark brows. Because it is so soft, it also likes to creep outside of my thin brows so I end up having to neaten up the lines which can be avoided by just using a brow pencil instead.

Overall:
So, like I said to begin with, this set is a rather mixed bag. I simply cannot happily recommend this kit, even to beginners because even though some of the brushes are lovely, there are other budget sets that are better all round quality.
However, what I must say is that there has clearly been a lot of thought put into the design of the brushes because they are all the perfect length to handle for their job which cannot always be said for other brands so I think that with a little work on the shedding problem, Fraulein 38 could really make this into a great, good quality set.

Annie x

ps. please do me a big favour and take a couple of minutes to leave me some blog feedback *here* and you could win some lovely prizes.


*this set was sent for review from Fraulein 38 but I have been 100% honest as always

Mini Giveaway Details

Hello,
Isn't the weather today awful?! I was meant to be going into town but I really can't be bothered to battle the elements!
Last night I wrote a post asking for your feedback on Three Little Buhos. As a little thank you for your help I am hosting a little giveaway for those who comment with their feedback. So what could you win? Here's the prizes.
On offer I have a bottle of my very favourite E.l.f nail varnish shade which is Mint Green, a tube of Nivea Glamorous Gloss which is a great treatment for lips as well as looking very pretty, and a sampled sized tube of Clarins Hyrda-Matte Lotion which is an amazing face cream that also works wonders for keeping shine at bay during the day.
This isn't a big giveaway I know but is instead a thank you for those who take the time to give me a little feedback. I have a proper, larger giveaway planned for when I reach 100 followers.

So here's what I want to know:

I'd like to know what your favourite posts are to read on Three Little Buhos and what you'd like to read more of. I'd also like to know what your very favourite beauty product is and why you love it.


Thats it, just a couple of little answers and you could win yourself some cute little goodies. The only rule is that you must be a UK follower of my blog and need to let me know what platform you follow on as well as answering these three little questions.


Originally I planned to only run this giveaway until 6pm today, however, I have decided to extend this until 6pm on Friday 27th April.


Good luck, and thank you :)
Annie x

Looking for Guest Bloggers

Hello,
A late post because I have finally decided what to do with my blog on Tuesdays when I am simply too busy to write a decent post myself.
What I am offering is the chance to guest post on Three Little Buhos.
If you are a beauty or lifestyle blogger and are looking to expand your audience then I would love to hear from you.
You can post about anything you wish as long as it is in-fitting with the content usually published on Three Little Buhos.
You could write a review, talk about a favourite product or company, promote a giveaway or special feature on your blog, or answer the "Girl Behind the Blog" survey I am going to be putting together to tell us all a bit about you, what your blog is about and why you love to write it. Anything you want really, just let me know. If I think it would appeal to my readers then I will set you a date :)

If you'd be interested in writing a guest post for me and promoting your blog then pop me an email at:
threelittlebuhos@hotmail.co.uk

Hope to hear from you soon,
Annie x

24 April 2012

The Best in Beauty and a Mini Giveaway

Hello,
It's filler post day! This week instead of showing you a video of a cute cat I wanted to ask you your opinion.
I am so thankful to have so many followers of my blog and I want to make sure you're happy with what I am writing so today I'd like to know what your favourite posts are to read on Three Little Buhos and what you'd like to read more of. I'd also like to know what your very favourite beauty product is and why you love it.

As a mini incentive, I have a little gift to giveaway to one commenter who will be picked at random using the trusty random.org. The only rule is that you need to be a UK follower of my blog :)
I will pick the winner at 6pm tomorrow so get commenting :)

I couldn't quite manage to not post a cute photo at least!

Annie x

23 April 2012

The Great Sample Survival Experiment Week Three

Hello,
I have had a pretty rubbish day today so its lovely to get home, sip on a large glass of wine, light a scented candle and just relax.
I'm still going strong with my Sample Survival Experiment and I'm really enjoying it. I've discovered some really nice products and found myself loving a few that I never thought I would.
This week I have been working my way through 6 different new samples as well as finishing off my Benefit Facial Emulsion which has kept me going for nearly two weeks now with daily use!
This week's samples:
Palmers Olive Butter Formula
Sisley Ecological Compound Day and Night
No 7 Body Polish
Charles Worthington Brilliant Shine Shampoo
Charles Worthington Brilliant Shine Conditioner
Comfort Zone Tranquility Cream
So we have a bit of a mixed bag this week but I think it has been the first week where I have really liked everything I've tried.
The Reviews:
Palmers Olive Butter Formula: I wasn't expecting to be keen on this sample because over all, Palmers isn't a make I'm all that fussed about, but this has been my favourite product by them by far. Much like the Cocoa Formula that I reviewed in week one *here* you need to use a reasonable amount of the cream to cover your body, but I think this is because it honestly does provide instant hydration. I find that my skin just drinks up Palmers creams. The Olive Butter Formula rubs in to skin with little effort and does not leave skin feeling at all greasy unlike the Cocoa equivalent. The smell is also very nice. It reminds me of holidays to Mallorca although I can't quite put my finger on why. Daniel says it smells like sun cream so that may be it. Over all, I rate this 4.5/5

Sisley Ecological Compound Day and Night: I am unsure about this product. Maybe I'm naive and just don't fully understand what it does, but to me, it seems to just be a face cream which you apply morning and night to keep skin looking young, well rested and revitalized. I didn't feel any sort of instant wow factor with this product and lost interest fairly quickly, partly due to not liking the smell, which was weirdly herbal. Although, that said, you need a very tiny amount to cover your face and when you have, the skin feels amazingly soft almost instantly. Over all, I rate this 3.5/5

No 7 Body Polish: My usual body scrub is Soap and Glory's Scrub Actually which has a rather abrasive formula so the softer feel of this scrub was a new sensation. The little scrubby particles are a lot smaller and more sparse than I am used to and the gel that they're contained in is nice and soothing which makes buffing comfortable and gentle. The smell is wonderful and even though the scrub is gentle, skin is left nice and soft. Rated 4/5

CharlesWorthington Brilliant Shine Shampoo: Another lovely sample. The Charles Worthington shampoo had a lovely smell that isn't dissimilar to Tresemme products. The shampoo lathered up quickly and easily in a way that some shampoos fail to do and left my hair feeling very soft as well as beautifully shiny. My only complaint is that I find the shape of the bottle rather annoying because I think it would be troublesome to get the last bit out of. Rated 4/5

Charles Worthington Brilliant Shine Conditioner: I have little to add to this that wasn't said about the shampoo. I find I usually need a large amount of conditioner on my rather large mane but I didn't need to use  all that much of this conditioner which was a nice bonus. I have the same issue with the bottle shape, but other than that, I adored this product. Rated 4.5/5

Comfort Zone Tranquility Cream: This is another sample from the Comfort Zone set that came with this month's She Said Beauty box. This set has really made me fall in love with Comfort Zone. The Tranquility Cream is an indulgent body cream that can be used all over the body. The formula applies as a cream but turns milky as you massage it in which feels ultra indulgent. The smell is a little strong but it is a relaxing, sweet scent that isn't unpleasant. Because the formula is milky, you don't need much product each time so the sachet is lasting me a nice long time. Rated 4/5

So, as you can see, a week of positive reviews and some lovely products. I feel like my posts are a little samey when I am enjoying all of the products, but I guess thats more important than whether I'm sounding a bit like a broken record in my weekly round up.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you been using up this week?
Annie x

22 April 2012

FOTD 1920's Flapper and a Photo Shoot

Hello,
I'm posting this a lot later than intended after a lot of drama last night led to spending most of the early evening asleep. Anyways, today I have another FOTD post for you although this is definitely not a look I drag out often. Today was the promotional photo shoot for a play that I'm taking part in during May. Set in the 1920's, Six for the Charleston and Two for Love is a musical comedy. Its a great play and I'm really looking forward to taking part in it.
I play a rather vampish flapper girl called Daisy who wears a lot of heavy make-up so here is the look that I went for. I decided big black eyes and bold lips worked best on me along with the characteristically pale face of the 20's.
The signature style of the 1920's involved the use of dark red lipstick that was applied in a way to accentuate the cupids bow. This was worn against very pale skin that was livened up with the use of fairly brightly coloured pink blush that would be used to contour cheekbones more than on the apples of the cheek. 
Flapper style also displayed a lot of heavy eye make-up with thickly drawn in brows that would frame the face by being extended out to the side, further than the width of the eye. In order to keep the look glamourous and not too heavy, smokey eye effects were created using a combination of greyscale shades with the centre shade remaining fairly light. To really make the eye pop lashings of mascara and thick false lashes were used to pad out and draw attention to the flapper.
What I Used:
Face:
  • Mac Studio Fix NC15 foundation
  • Benefit The POREfessional pore refining Primer
  • Calvin Klein Long Waer Pressed Powder
  • The Balm Hot Mama Blusher
  • Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Concealer
Lips:
  • Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub
  • Pixi Lip Blush in Love
  • 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Red Devil
Eyes:
  • E.l.f Cream Shadow Duo in Black Licorice
  • Bobbi Brown Pastel Eye Palette
  • MAC Smokey Eye kit
  • MAC Venomous Villains Mineralize Duo in My Dark Magic
  • Ted Baker Eyeliner Pencil in Black
  • Rimmel London Scandeleyes Mascara in Extreme Black
What do you think of the 1920's flapper make-up? Is it a look that you've tried? I've been told it suits me but I'm not sure I'm sold, what do you think? Here's an iPhone snap from the photoshoot to show you the rest of the cast too. I'm the one in the dodgy short black wig :P

Annie x

21 April 2012

FOTD Spring Time

Hello,
Just a little face of the day post for you today. I've had a lovely day out with my mum to try to counteract all the little annoyances that life is throwing at us both. I tried my very best to be good but I did end up buying a few bits and I treated myself to some new bras because I really did need those haha.

Today I went for a light, spring face. I used BB cream instead of my usual foundation and a nice light blushed to stay looking softly highlighted.

On my face I used Garnier BB cream in Light, Calvin Klein Long Wear pressed powder in Light, Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer in Light (haha, trend much?!) and The POREfessional from Benefit. I also used an unbranded blusher that I've had for years to highlight my cheek bones and E.l.f Natural Radiance blusher in Coy to contour the cheek bones.
To create the eye effect I used my Chilli Pepper palette which I'm trying to pan at the moment. I used the nude shade which is almost all gone all over the lid and applied the dark grey along the lid near the last line. On the waterline I used a soft Ted Baker eyeliner pencil before finishing off with one coat of Scandaleyes mascara.
My eyebrows I filled out with my Rimmel London brow pencil in Black/Brown.
I used my Lush lip scrub to remove any chapped skin from my lips before using Pixi lip stain in Love before topping with a coat of Barry M lipgloss.
Finally, I set the look using my E.l.f mist and set spray to make sure the look stayed in place all day :)

As you can see, I'm still loving the bright lip look :P I'm sorry for the repetition but I have another FOTD lined up for you tomorrow to show off the 1920's style make-up that I will be wearing during a play in in during May. We have the promotional photo shoot tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that!

What have you been up to so far this weekend? Have you posted today? If so, link me up, I'm looking for some new reading material :)
Annie x

20 April 2012

Payday Treats!

Hello,
Thank goodness for payday, eh? It feels nice to have some money in my account again! I spent wayyy too much last month so this time round I am going to try to be good. I have bought myself some payday treats today but for the next four weeks I am going to be as good as I can and only buy essentials...although I will not be held responsible for any TK Maxx or Home Bargains goodies that may happen to fall into my hands!

Today I have treated myself to these goodies:
1. Chocomania Beautifying Oil from The Body Shop: Strictly speaking I bought this last night during the flash sale and paid just £4.39 despite the £9.00 RRP so I regret nothing!

2. E.l.f pressed powder in Ivory: As part of my month of behaving, I have done my shop for this month's beauty bits on e.l.f instead of the usual combination of boots, Benefit and Estee Lauder. My Calvin Klein pressed powder is running out so I actually needed this so I'm not sure it can be classed as a treat?

3. 10 pairs of Thick Natural False Eyelashes: These I needed to buy ready for a play I'm in later in 17th-19th May where I play a flapper girl (FOTD to come on Sunday) and I managed to grab 10 pairs for just over £2 with free delivery. I'm not expecting much from them but I'm looking forward to having some new falsies :)

4. E.l.f Minerals Lipstick in Natural Nymph: Ok, I had no need for this but thats what treats are all about. I've wanted to try the e.l.f mineral lipsticks for a while and I adore this colour.

5. E.l.f Kabuki Face Brush: I have a mini kabuki brush from Bare Minerals and I love how well it applies make-up so I decided to try out the larger one from e.l.f. According to the website this brush is dense enough to apply both liquid and powder products so fingers crossed for a nice, high quality brush.

6. E.l.f Healthy Glow Bronzer in Luminance: I have been on the hunt for a nice fair bronzer that will suit my skin tone for quite a while and this is the lightest I've seen so I thought I'd give it a go for spring :)

7. 12 Nail Art Pens: I picked these up on Ebay for around £7 after trying the Stargazer ones in Just Beauty. I like that there is such a nice range of colours that I can use to make pretty designs. They come a lot cheaper than the Models Own Wah pens but that may reflect in the quality. We'll see! A definite review to come.

So those are my payday treats to myself. Hopefully now I've had my mini splurge I'll be able to be controlled and relatively good for the rest of the month because there truly is nothing else at all that I need!

Have you been treating yourself lately? What have you been buying?

Annie x

The Horror of Thinspo

To be honest, I feel a little weird writing this post because I have spent the last couple of hours looking into a world so far from my own that its hard to believe.
This morning I received an email from Pinterest letting me know that someone had tagged me in a pin on a board labelled inspiration. At first I was flattered, thinking it would be something to do with blogging or something similar so I popped over to have a look. I was shocked to find myself on a "thinspo" or "thinspiration" board full of photos of malnourished and incredibly thin women all being labelled as inspiration for people who want to lose weight.
My first reaction was, of course, to be offended that some bright young spark had thought it "helpful" to link me to such a board. As someone who admits that I am overweight and could perhaps do with losing a few pounds I find it incredibly offensive that someone who is aspiring to be something so unhealthy herself is trying to tell me how I should be.
But then I spent more time looking into the world of thinspo and that anger and offense was replaced with worry for the girl.
There are literally thousands of sites dedicated to thinspiration and they are all full of images that depict dangerously slim women with jutting bones, washboard stomachs so slight that you can see ribs through the skin and legs with "that gap" between the thighs. There are also numerous thinspo quote images which boast sayings like "KEEP CALM and the hunger will go away" or "Food will never taste as good at skinny feels".
Even after just spending a couple of hours looking through some of these sites, I can see exactly how someone could get sucked into that world which is full of pro anorexia supporters, especially those who are easily influenced, because the people who write the blogs or publish the "inspirational" photos are so passionate about what they are saying. They truly believe that what they are doing will improve them as a person.
Down the right of this post are just a few examples of the chilling quotes that I found on just the first couple of pages of a google image search and it saddens me that such harmful material is being spread so readily around the internet where anyone can find it.

I know it can be incredibly hard to see when someone has a weight issue, even those who are close friends or family, but what I do ask of you is to keep an eye on the ones you love. Maybe you've noticed that they have a pin board full of exercise tips and slogans similar to these. What we need to remember is that whilst the increase of internet and Pinterest use can be damaging, we can also use it as a way to help people and find out important information about the people we care about that we would not otherwise notice.

I wanted to share this post to raise a little awareness of what is fast becoming a big issue, especially with the success of Pinterest growing and the amount of people using blogging tools and Tumblr rising, making it ever easier to find yourself being drawn into a community like this.

And finally, I want to say that I promise you that you don't have to be skinny to feel happy. I am 5ft6 and a UK size 16 which makes me larger than what is seen as the perfect size, but I am currently the happiest I have been in a very long time. I look and feel good in what I wear, I have fantastic boobs and I have a partner who loves me just the way that I am. So rather than spending your life aspiring to be something that you will never be, or will drive your motivation into the ground, spend your time loving yourself the way that you are, because the time it takes you to slave away on body beautiful is time that could be spent doing something you really love. And in my humble opinion, people care a lot more about having a great time with you and seeing that you are a passionate, rounded person than what you look like. Try to relax and everything will be okay.

Annie xx

19 April 2012

Talk to Me Ladies!

Hiya,
Just a quick post to let you know that I now have an email address set up for Three Little Buhos especially for you lovely people to get in touch.
If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions you'd like to make for posts or even if you just fancy a natter then simply pop me a message on that address :) I'd love to hear about what you want to see from my blog in the future.

Similarly, I am always looking for content that I think my readers will enjoy or find relevant to their interests so if you would like me to share information and or videos about a product release, review a product for your brand or host a giveaway then I can also be contacted on this address, I will be happy to discuss it :)

So pop and say hello to me on the new email address of:
threelittlebuhos@hotmail.co.uk

Hope to hear from some of you great people soon :)
Annie x

The Body Shop New Release!

Morning lovelies!

Yesterday I was excited to find out that The Body Shop are releasing a new product in May. What is it? An all over beautifying oil that can be used on face, body and hair for an instant hydration boost leaving skin looking radiant and silky smooth with a little shine.
The collection is being released in 11 different flavours which are Strawberry, Moringa, Mango, Chocomania, Shea, Olive, Coconut, Sweet Lemon, Pink Grapefruit, Satsuma and Cocoa Butter.
Being as obsessed as I am with the Chocomania range, that is the one I am crazy excited to try.


For £9.00 you get 100ml of the oil and as with most Body Shop products, I have been assured that it will last a nice long time as you need very little to go a long way.
As well as this, for 24 hours only you can pre-order any of the oils for a special price of £6.75 with free delivery *here* which is pretty dandy and definitely something I will be doing :) The offer is valid until 11am tomorrow so get grabbing that oil :)

I will have a review posted on this shortly, no doubt in the flavour Chocomania.

Will you be investing? Are you as in love with The Body Shop as I am?

Annie x

ps, I should probably mention that I am in no way affiliated with The Body Shop and haven't been asked to write this, I just really love the brand and the products they sell and am uber excited for the release of these oils :)

Update: You can also use the code "trial35" to get a further 35% discount on any order with no minimum spending limit :)

18 April 2012

NOTD- Nails Inc Emerald Street

Hello,
Now the weather is cheering up, I am loving bright nails so I was excited to try out one of my new polishes; Emerald Street by Nails Inc.
And I wasn't disappointed! The colour is a beautiful deep green which has a gorgeous sparkle to it. I was also happy to see that it applied opaque in just one coat which is a bonus for people as impatient as me who just cannot bear waiting for coat after coat to dry.
Over the top of Emerald Street I applied a generous layer of my favourite Bourjois glitter polish. Its part of their one second application range so hasa wide brush that you just sweep across the nail once and bam, instant whole nail coverage :)
I have to say that I wasn't overly inspired by this combination so I have now removed it and replaced with Maliblush from the Nails Inc Cocktail Collection topped with a pretty coat of Carnival by Technic. When I get paid I'm thinking about investing in a set of nail art pens so that I can channel a little more creativity than just applying glitter over a base!

In other news, have any of you heard about the first iFabbo conference and meet up in London which is taking place in Kettner's on 26th May. I will be there and am already so excited. Will any of you be going along? It would be great to meet some of you lovely ladies who's blogs I read and put a face to the names :)
Annie x

Sharing Love for the Bunnies!

Hello,
Whilst I may have chosen a rather light hearted title, todays post is about a serious matter that means a lot to me and should do to all you other beauty lovers out there.

As we all know, there is a lot of animal testing that goes on in the world of beauty. Both with finished products but also with the ingredients that they are made with. This is wrong. Why should a rabbit, mouse, guinea pig or any other creature be harmed due to the human desire to look beautiful? I care for two incredibly well loved pets; Florence who is my little roborovski hamster and Lolly who is my uber grumpy kitty (she doesn't like having things poked in her eyes, I know, I've had to give her eye drops in the past). Would you ever allow someone to try out their new mascara or facial peel on a pet? Of course not, so why is it ok for those things to be tested on any other animal?

This has been the general opinion for many years now. During the 80's and 90's animal testing in cosmetics was a wide spread practice and as it happened behind closed doors, many buyers had any clue about what was happening. When it finally came to light there was a complete public outcry and huge numbers of people approached Members of Parliament demanding laws be passed to put an end to the cruelty. This led to some cosmetic companies adopting their own voluntary code and publishing their own set of animal testing policies. However, because this wasn't a necessary step many companies still tested their products and ingredients on animals, and the animal cruelty stayed as wide spread as ever.

Then, in 1993 finally the people had victory. A legislation was passed by the European Government to control the use of animals in cosmetic testing. This legislation bans the act of testing both ingredients and finished cosmetic products on animals, as well as banning the sale in Europe of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals.

So why has this not happened?
When the original legislation was passed, companies wire given a five year period to prepare for the ban to be put into place on 1st January 1998. However, some of the biggest players in the cosmetics industry repeatedly lobby for the implementation date to be moved back again and again. Whenever the date draws near they petition again for another delay to the starting date. This has now been happening for 30 years.

What can We Do?
The current implementation of this legislation is due in 2013 and there is currently a request for yet another delay, this time of 10 years, being considered by the European Government. To stop this request being granted to the money obsessed, heartless companies who do not already protect animals of their own accord, what we need to do is let our government know that we all feel just as strongly about this as we did 30 years ago when the fight began. To do this, all you have to do is sign the petition to show that you are against animal testing for cosmetics.

You can find the petition *here*. Please sign and show your support. The law has already been passed, all we have to do is raise our voices and enforce it.
Will you be signing?
Annie x

17 April 2012

Two Little Cuteys!

Hello,
I'm afraid its a filler post today because as if you're a regular reader you will know that Tuesday is my "busy" day with work 10am until 7pm and then a play rehearsal between 7.30pm and 10pm. Maybe I should start writing Tuesday posts in advance. Light bulb moment!
Anyway, my offering for you today is this cute little buho photo that Dan sent me. I don't know where he found this (probably reddit) but I think they look uber adorable :) Thanks Daniel!


What have you lovely ladies been up to today? I have a couple of regular posts lined up for you tomorrow so see you then!
Annie x

16 April 2012

The Big Sample Survival Experiment Week Two

Hello,
Another Monday out of the way and another week into my Big Sample Survival Experiment.
This week I have used very few samples because I wanted to wait until the skin on my face fully recovered from the allergic reaction I suffered before risking the use of any other products on it. My skin is now fully mended (thank god! No more flakey eyebrows!) and I will be back to sampling a few more products, although I am still a little scared to use them.
Anyways, back to this week. I have managed to test 6 different products and I have to say, its been a fairly good week. I have used:

  • Bee Kind Moisturising Shampoo
  • Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion
  • Molton Brown Revitalising Shampoo
  • Garnier Fructis Conditioner
  • Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Make-up Remover
  • Percy and Reed Hydrating Mask
The Reviews:

Bee Kind Moisturising Shampoo: A bit of a mixed verdict on this one. My first impression was good; as soon as I squeezed the product out, I was greeted with a refreshing citrus smell and a shampoo that had a good consistancy. Straight away I could tell there wasn't enough to cover my huge mane of hair but it made a valiant effort. I found that this left my hair feeling rather heavy for some reason but when it had dried, my hair was beautifully soft and shiny. Over all I give this a thumbs up and rate it 3.5/5

Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion: I'm a big benefit fan so I was excited to try out this sample from their new skin care range. This cream is wonderful. The scent is lovely and reminds me of something that my mum used to use when I was young. I do find the formula a little runny so its easy to use more than I would ideally like, but it makes skin wonderfully soft and hydrated instantly and is refreshing on skin thats tired from harsh weather conditions. There's also the added bonus of SPF15 coverage in the cream so you don't need to worry about using a sunscreen or SPF packed foundation. A big thumbs up and a rating of 5/5!

Molton Brown Revitalising Shampoo: There isn't a huge amount to say about this lovely little shampoo from Molton Brown. The formula is nice and thick, lathers up well in hair and feels nice an luxurious. My hair was left feeling soft and smooth although a little less bright than usual. A little torn over the product so rated 3.5/5

Garnier Fructis Conditioner: Definitely the most disappointing sample of the week. The conditioner was weak and watery and did absolutely nothing for my hair. The scent was lovely but that would be a lot more useful if the product actually did something and didn't need to instantly be topped up with a different conditioned. Very disappointed so a thumbs down and 1/5

Lancome Bi-facil Double Action Eye Make-up Remover: When I first started using this product I wasn't sure about it. I've always disliked oily make-up removers but I take that back. This is the best eye make-up remover I've ever used. It is soft and soothing, even on delicate skin and whilst oily in the bottle it doesn't look or feel oily in use. The formula removes make-up quickly and easily with no scrubbing required which means that despite the high RRP it will last a nice long time making it worth the money. Rated 5/5

Percy and Reed Hydrating Mask: Another fabby product. Percy and Reed are known for their high quality products and this hydrating mask is no exception. The formula is indulgently thick and creamy making it very easy to apply. After leaving it on for 10 minutes my hair was soft, shiny and full of volume. Its the healthiest looking that I have seen it in a long time. But, on the flip side, I do think this product is rather pricey for what is essentially a deep hydration conditioner so I rate it 4/5

Wow, sorry for the wordy post. Does anyone have any idea how I can make these shorter? Have you tried any of these products?
Annie x

15 April 2012

Benefit- The Porefessional Review

Hello,
Today has been wonderful. I had a lovely day in Bath with Daniel. We went for a yummy brunch at The Cosy Club before my very patient Mr let me look around all of the cosmetics shops in town and didn't complain once. I was very restrained and managed to only buy one little bath bomb from Lush and nothing else :)

A few weeks back, after wonderful service from a lady working on the Benefit counter, I picked up a tube of The Porefessional, one of their most recent offerings. The Porefessional for those who don't know, is a pore minimising primer that you dab on to areas where the pores are visible to instantly hide them. Its like magic!
The primer is designedto be used both on its own to boost confidence on non make-up days or to be worn under/over foundation for an ultra polished look.
The formula is very thick and creamy and you only need a very small amount to cover all problem areas. I'd say I only use a pea sized amount each time (the swatch above would last two days) and that is enough to completely hide any visible pores. Silica in the cream also means that the cream sits in a way that is completely smooth on the face and allows foundation to glide on like a dream over the top without making the area look greasy or unnatural.
At £23.50 per tube this is a pretty pricey purchase but after wearing this primer under my foundation every day since purchasing, I have yet to make much of a dent in the tube so I am confident that The Porefessional will last me a nice long time even with regular use which makes it more than worth the price tag in my mind.

Have you tried The Porefessional? I swear by this primer, do you think it's as good as I do?

Annie x

14 April 2012

Bobbi Brown Pastel Eyeshadow Palette with Swatches

Hello,
I've spent a lot of the afternoon listing shoes on ebay so if you want to take a look, find me here.

The other day I posted showing the lovely new Eye Palette that I picked up from Bobbi Brown so today I wanted to tell you a little more about it and what makes it so very lovely :)
I went into The Cosmetics Company Store looking for a nude shade to fill the void that had been left after my Chili Pepper nude had run out and when I saw this set I knew straight away it was everything I wanted and more. The shade I needed was "baby pink" which is the second shadow along. This is the perfect colour to apply as a base all over the eyelid. I also use "ivory" every day to highlight the brow bone which is the first colour in the palette.
This palette contains seven shades in total; three matte shades and four shimmer shades. Depending which brush you use to apply the colour, the shimmer shades can look very sparkly or a light shimmery colour which is useful for people like me who don't always want to look particularly glittery. It also makes it very easy to carry the colours in the palette from day to night with little effort.
sorry for the light swatches, the camera had a job to pick the subtle colouring up.
The Colours:
From left to right we have Ivory, Baby Pink, Champagne, Quartz, Platinum, Iced Blue, Rockstar and Mahogany

Ivory, baby pink and mahogany are the matte shades in the set and all apply very pigmented even with a small amount. Mahogany is probably the only colour in the set that will receive little use because I find dark browns too much on my fair skin, even with a smokey eyed look.
Champagne is a soft golden shade which us beautiful for highlighting the brown bone and for applying as the base for a smokey eye.
I think my favourite of the metallic shades however is rockstar which is a fairly light silver gray shade that is packed with glitter. This colour is great for using in the crease of the eyelid to add depth to a look and if applied with a small brush, also looks very pretty on the bottom lash line as a subtle liner to widen up a dark rimmed eye

The Brush:
Included in the palette is a double ended eye brush. There is a soft, fluffy brush which can be used to apply a base colour all over the lid and to smudge in darker shades, and there is a small, stiffer brush which can be used to apply with more precision along the base of the lashes, on the bottom lash line and in the crease of the eyelid. Together these brushes allow you to create some lovely effects using the colours in the palette so this is a great addition that I am grateful for. This also makes the palette that little bit easier to use on the go as you don't have to lug brushes around with you getting them dirty in the bottom of your handbag. There is also a mirror inside the lid covering the whole surface area of the palette which is big enough for you to use properly without only being able to see a tiny part of your face.

The Verdict:
I honestly adore this palette. The colours are gorgeous, the brush is useful (and not made of sponge!!!) and the longevity of the colour is great. You can comfortably wear every single shadow in this set knowing that the colour will stay put all day with no creasing and still look as pretty at the end of the day as when you apply it. I would thoroughly recommend this kit to everyone and also believe that it is a great example of getting the value that you pay for. The perfect pastel palette.

Annie x

The Lush List and a Bit of an Incentive :)

Hello,
Where has the week gone? I can't believe it's Saturday already.
Recently I have developed a bit of a Lush obsession and have become crazy keen to try everything they stock. Because I think these would bulk out my monthly Lust List a little too much, heres my Lush List of goodies I simply must have in my life.

1. Honey I Washed the Kids soap- I had this when I was younger as a gift and loved the smell.
2. Mint Julips Lip Scrub- Smells and tastes wonderful and makes lips so smooth.
3. Oatifix Face Mask- Smells like breakfast time and makes skin silky smooth.
4. It's Raining Men Shower Gel- Shares the same great smell as the Honey I Washed the Kids soap and is uber hydrating.
5. Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar- Produces Mounds of bubbles and smells divine!
6. Cupcake Face Mask- Chocolate...thats good for your face. Need I say more?
7. Butterball Bath Bomb- Well known for being the most luxurious bath bomb for those with dry skin.
8. Lush Legends Gift Set- Way out of my league but who wouldn't want to own this set which contains all of the Lush best sellers? Imagine the sense of smugness that would over come you when opening this gift :)

And now on to the little incentive. I'm so excited to see the popularity of Three Little Buhos grow, it makes me so happy to see that people enjoy reading what I share in my little part of the internet. Last night my page views crept over 10,000 (almost 5,000 of which have been in the last month!) which is a milestone for a little blogger like me. I had planned a little giveaway to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog and helped reach my little milestone buttttt, I had also planned a mini giveaway for when I read 100 followers so as a little incentive to help creep up to 100 followers, I have decided to combine the two and host a bigger, better giveaway for reaching the big 100 mark.
I will be offering lots of lovely beauty goodies that are either personal favourites of mine, or bits and pieces that I would secretly love to keep for myself so spread the love for Three Little Buhos and lets help me achieve my next milestone and I will reward you with the chance to win lovely presents :)

What's your favourite Lush Product? Have you tried any of the goodies on my Lush List?

Annie x

13 April 2012

The Body Shop Candied Ginger Hand Cream Review

Hello!
Has everyone had a good day? I went on a trip to Ikea with mother dearest and she was lovely enough to buy me a lovely present of a large canvas picture of Three Little Owls (Búhos in other words!) I'll put up a photo after I've hung it tomorrow. Thank you mum!


On a trip to Swindon the other day I picked up a tube of The Body Shop's Candied Ginger Hand Cream. This was brought out as part of their Christmas range and can't be bought in full priced Body Shop stores at the moment, but it is floating around in a lot of their outlet stores and is definitely worth a buy.
The 50ml tube is the perfect size to keep in your handbag ready for re-applications during the day and the scent makes it a right treat when you do. The scent reminds me of the Bath Christmas market because it smells of ginger, spices and general festive goodies, along with a hint of Barley Sugar.
The formula itself is a very thick and creamy consistency which is rather hard to get out of the tube so I'm not sure how easy it will be to get out when its running low, but it does mean that a little goes a long way and the hand cream will last a nice long time. The cream sinks in to the skin beautifully leaving skin soft and instantly moisturised, a feeling that lingers for long time, even after washing hands which is something that I look for in a hand cream because my job requires a lot of hand washing which really dries out the hands.


I will admit that the smell will probably put some people off because it is strong but I personally love it and so does Daniel who I plastered in it earlier because he gets freakishly dry hands. Other than the smell however, I simply cannot knock it.


Have you tried any of the Cndied Ginger range? What do you think of the products? Do you find the smell over powering or love it as much as I do?
Annie x