31 May 2012

Why am I Here?

Hello,
I'm sorry that recently I've been showing my blog a bit of neglect. I haven't been posting as much as I'd like because I have so much on my mind at the moment.
I make no secret of the fact I suffer with depression and anxiety illnesses but recently I've started taking a new kind of medication. It has really done wonders for my mood and I've been a lot calmer and happier which is like a complete breath of fresh air. I feel like my head is a lot clearer and things are looking up. However, with all pills there have been some side effects, and these are one of the main reasons for my disappearance. I've found that whilst my body has been getting used to them, I have been tired almost constantly. I sleep all night and then can happily sleep for hours during the day too, and when you slot working and attending interviews, doing day to day chores and everything else in, it hasn't left a lot of time to blog. I'm sorry for my lack of posts but for now I need to put other things first for a little while so I'll just be posting when I can. I do have some lovely posts lined up for the next few days though including some reviews, my May empties, May favourites and my thoughts on the latest She Said Beauty box.


The other reason I have been a little less active with my blogging is that since attending the iFabbo conference on Saturday I have felt a little lost. I write this blog purely because I love beauty, fashion and generally fun things and I really enjoy sharing those things with other like minded people. At the conference I realised that I was surrounded by so many passionate bloggers who wanted to achieve real success from their blog, whether that be through monetizing to make money, or by becoming professional bloggers who work directly with brands on collaborations or large promotions. There was a panel focused purely on making money from your blog, a panel about working with companies and another about extending your reach by utilising social media. Now, don't get me wrong, I found all of the panels incredibly interesting and I learnt an awful lot but the whole time I felt that maybe I didn't belong there. Gaining followers and being well known aren't important to me.
What I care about is writing good quality posts about the things I think everyone should know about and sharing them with the people who enjoy the same things as I do. I've never been one to jump on the beauty bandwagon; I don't own a Clarisonic, I think the Revlon lip butters are crap and give me Tesco deep cleansing lotion over Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish any day. When it comes down to it, I write this blog to stray away from all of those hyped up items. If I write a review for something it is because I really love it and I think my readers will too.

For a few days I've been thinking this over and I've felt like a bit of an invader because what I'm doing as a hobby, some people are desperate to do as a career and I've felt like I should back off and let the big fish battle it out. But now I've realised that no matter why I write Three Little Buhos, and even if I only receive 300ish views per day at the moment, if there is someone out there who finds my blog interesting or helpful then that's what counts. I enjoy writing every single post and as long as there is someone out there who enjoys reading my blog then that is all I want to achieve and I will carry on blogging away and sharing my love for all things beauty...just don't expect to be reading about the Bourjois 1 Second Nail Varnish Remover on here any time soon!
Don't stress the small stuff and just enjoy writing, for what ever reason you choose.
Annie x

29 May 2012

Birthday Antics and a Lush Review

Hello,
Today has been another lovely sunny day here in Bath. It has also been my lovely mummy's birthday so we've spent the day together having some fab girly time. We shopped, we went out for lunch, we had cake and have spent some time this evening pampering ourselves. Its been really nice :)
On our shopping trip we spent some time in Lush and picked up a couple of goodies; Lovely Jubblies cream for the neck and bust and a pot of Love Lettuce face mask.



Love Lettuce is a face mask that uses almond shells to exfoliate skin as well as drawing out any excess oil and leaving skin beautifully soft thanks to the use of almond oil and a bit of mud :) Its best used on normal to oily skin and worked really well on my combination skin. Because all of the ingredients are natural this only has a shelf life of four weeks and needs to be kept in the fridge. In this weather using it fresh from the fridge was soooo nice because it was so cool and soothing.

Cue much hilarity as we sat smearing green stuff all over our faces.
So as we sat there with green goo all over our faces it began to slowly set and feel a little tighter, especially around the mouth. One thing I liked about this mask is that it smells softly of lavender which, whilst not my favourite smell, is nice for keeping you feeling relaxed whilst you sit there waiting for it to work for 10 minutes.
When dry we agreed that it looked a little like mushy peas or finely chopped up spinach which, as everyone knows, is incredibly sexy...so maybe avoid using this around your boy/girlfriend.
Removal took a pretty long time and we both keep finding little bits of almond shell even now but it really did leave our skin feeling beautifully soft and exfoliated. Around my mouth feels a little sensitive but that is from a little over enthusiastic scrubbing so be careful to take it easy around sensitive areas :)
Over all we both really liked the effects of this mask and would both happily use it again.
Lolly the Grumpy Kitty looked a bit over heated so I thought she'd enjoy the cold pot on her back. She looked like a little table :P

Have you used any of the Lush face masks before? Which is your favourite?
Happy birthday mum, I love you loads!
Annie x

28 May 2012

iFabbo Social Media Conference

Hello,
As you probably know, I attended the iFabbo conference in London on Saturday. It was a great experience and I think we all learnt a lot about how to make the most from our blog. Every single panelist spoke brilliantly and their love of what they do was clear and it was an honour to get the time to speak to them all and hear about their success.
I also met so many lovely fellow bloggers which is one of my favourite aspects of blogging events. One of the downsides to blogging is that unless you live in a fairly central location, you never get the chance to meet most of the ladies whos blog you follow so it really is lovely to match up the name with the face and have a proper face to face conversation.
My main job was to take the photos for the iFabbo team to use so I spent most of the day snapping away happily. Heres a few of my favourite photos from the day.








I just want to say a huge thank you to the ladies from iFabbo who put together this amazing event and also for giving me the chance to be there. It was more than worth the 6am start to the day!

Did you go the the iFabbo conference? Which was your favourite panel? I really enjoyed the PR relationship panel and the Social Media utilization panel.
The complete collection of my photos can be found on the iFabbo facebook page, here :)
Annie x

25 May 2012

The Time Has Come

Hello,
So guys, the countdown is over and tomorrow morning I will be heading to Kettners in Soho, London for the first UK iFabbo blogging conference.
Its all been a bit mad this evening to be honest. The "chunky cam" (as I like to call it) is on charge ready to take the photos, a more suitably sized handbag that actually holds all of my things has been selected and my outfit has finally been chosen. Now I just have to paint my nails and be excited :)

I have to drag myself, half alive, out of leave the house at about 6.50 in the morning to get my train so its going to be a pretty long one and I doubt I'll be awake enough to blog when I get home, but I'll be sure to fill you all in on Sunday.

In other fab news, I have a trial shift in an LK Bennett store on Wednesday. How perfect would that job be for me? Everyone knows I can't resist a good pair of shoes or a fancy handbag!

Are you going tomorrow? If you are then grab me and say hi! I'll be the one who looks like a clown after having to apply her makeup in the dark at 6am :P I'm uber friendly though and would love to catch up with all of you lovely ladies who are going, and I'll even take a lovely photo of you for the iFabbo website!

Annie x

ps, heres a fun photo for you as I'm in such a good mood :) I honestly cried with laughter when I first saw this picture. Toast = true love

24 May 2012

Boux Avenue Bath Grand Opening

Hello,
Today has been a really lovely day. I went to the press preview of Boux avenue, did four hours at work and then sat and relaxed with Kassi drinking iced coffee. Bliss!

Boux Avenue is a lingerie business owned by Theo Paphitis who you probably know as being one of the dragons on Dragon's Den. The concept behind Boux Avenue is providing a boutique experience but with prices that are easily affordable. You are offered an amazing customer service experience, lots of choice and price tags to suit a wide range of budgets.
Today was the grand opening of the 12th Boux Avenue store and I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the press preview this morning from Laura of Fluorescent PR. I met Laura at the event and can honestly say she was one of the friendliest ladies I have spoken to in a long time :)
We were all given a tour of the shop, including the changing rooms with their famous light settings of daytime, dusk and night. There is also a button you press to make a phone call to ask a sales advisor for different sizes without having to pop your head out of the door in your undies in a vehr embarrassing way like some stores.
As well as the usual underwear, swimwear and pj's that you'd expect from a lingerie shop, there was also a fairly wide range of gifts and accessories for sale which were all beautifully laid out on tables making them look gorgeous. I really loved the frilly bags that are in the above photo :)
Everything was beautifully presented all through the store and straight away you can tell how much time and effort has been put into making the store look as brilliant as it does. All of the accessories are colour co-ordinated, the underwear neatly presented and the bras all hung perfectly. Even the pairs of giraffe pj's looked fairly classy in their setting :P
Perhaps my favourite thing about Boux Avenue is the clever way that the products are stored. Instead of battling your way through racks and racks of sizes that aren't popular to get to your size, products are kept in draws according to size and you simple slide it out and find what you're looking for. Ultimate win!
As part of the service in store you can ask for a free bra fitting. I decided to do this because my boobs are a nightmare at the moment and I wanted to find out for sure what size I should be buying. I was seen by a lovely lady called Alie who was super friendly and made me feel completely at ease. A lot of people worry about a bra fitting being really intrusive and awkward but it was perfectly fine. Youd do NOT have to take your bra off to be fitted and thanks to Alie I found out I'd been wearing the wrong size and I now own a bra which fits me perfectly. She showed me how to make sure that a bra is the perfect fit and recommended styles to flatter my boobs (they're rather large and heavy so balconette styles are best for me). It was a really good experience and I would definitely recommend getting a fitting because so many of us get our sizing wrong.
We really were spoilt by the lovely Boux Avenue girls. As a final treat we received incredibly generous goody bags, not having been to an event like this before, I was amazed. In my bag I received a pair of pretty knickers, a tube of hand cream, a pot of lip balm, a memory stick (perfect for blogging when I'm not at home!) and a £20 gift voucher. This was all beautifully packaged in scented fabric rose petals, tissue paper and then sealed in a big box. I already used my voucher to buy my lovely new bra and the lip balm and memory stick have gone straight into my handbag.

Thank you so much to Laura for the invitation and thank you to the girls at Boux Avenue for a great time. I really enjoyed myself.
Have you ever been to a Boux Avenue store?
Annie x

23 May 2012

Summer Wardrobe Inspiration

Hello,
recently I've been looking for new jobs because it feels like its time to move on from Sainsburys. I've been called for several interviews now but what I've found really tricky to put right is how to look stylish, professional and yet not over heat in this uber warm weather. I think I pretty much have this down to a tee now but heres a spot on inspiration.
Seriously, if money allowed, I would own this outfit, so so me!

Dress: How gorgeous is this pink dress from French Connection? Its 100% cotton which will allow your body to breathe a lot better than other fabrics. Choosing a bold colour will make you stand out to your interviewer. Its always beneficial to stand out from the crowd.

Blazer: I love mustard yellow paired with hot pink, its a combination that just works. This Topshop blazer is perfect for throwing on over the top for a professional look and can easily be removed if you feel yourself getting a little warm.

Shoes: Skyscraper heels may make you look and feel amazing but during a job interview the last thing you want to be worrying about is having uncomfortable feet for the whole time. These sturdy heeled T bar shoes from Office are practical, look great, and will stay a lot more comfortable for the whole day.

Necklace: I always think a piece of jewellery finishes an outfit nicely. With the high necked dress this lovely gold statement necklace from Accesorize works perfectly.

Handbag: Finally, as such a handbag fanatic I had to add one to the outfit. This gorgeous bag from Fiorelli is large enough to fit any important documents without the need to bend them such as CV's or training packs and I personally think that a leather bag always looks more professional than any old bag you may happen to be using at the time.

So thats my summer job interview inspiration outfit. What do you think? I love warm colours such as fuschia and dusky brown for summer, they make everything feel brighter and make me feel so much more confident.
How about you? What would you wear to a summer interview?

Annie x

100 Follower Giveaway Winner!

Hello,
How has everyones Wednesday been?
I had to take Lolly the Grumpy Kitty to the vets this afternoon so shes scratched me to pieces. Poor thing had to have bright orange dye put in her eyes so now shes a funny colour :P

Anyways, my 100 follower giveaway is now closed and I used good old random.org to pick out the winner and I'm happy to say that the lucky winner isssss...
Alicia!
I've sent Alicia a message so if you're reading love send me your address and I'll post your goodies :)
Congratulations.

Thank you to everyone who entered, I'll be doing another soon for either 150 or 200 followers so keep an eye out!
Annie x

22 May 2012

Guest Post by Cuti-CLUE-les- Pretty Summer Nails


Hello,
its Tuesday once again and that means another guest post on Three Little Buhos :) This week we have some fab nail art from the lovely cuti-CLUE-les who has some of the longest, most impressive nails that I've ever seen. Check out he blog for some amazing designs and I hope you enjoy her gorgeous summer nail post, I really love how the final manicure looks :)

If you'd like to write a guest post for Three Little Buhos then pop me an email over at threelittlebuhos@hotmail.co.uk and we can sort it out.
Annie x

Hey all!

I am so excited to do this post for ye all today. I love guest posts so when Annabel said she was looking for bloggers I emailed her straight away to lend a hand :)
I decided to go for both my top 5 summer nail polishes and at the same time I incorporated them into my favourite summer nail art by free handing the tips! Hope ye all enjoy it!



1)So to start of this manicure I would recommend using a base coat. I have one coat of Stargazer 114 as my base coat

2) Pick a sheer polish to use as a base colour. I went for Essence Toffee to go from their Nude Glam collection.
 One coat of Toffee to go:

I put on another coat as it looked a bit too streaky for my liking.


**Quick tip: If your base colour is opaque and you can't see your tips anymore, hold your hand up to the light and you will see your tips! No fear of having to start all over again**

3)For my Index finger I went for one of my all time favourite polishes. This is Barry m Berry Ice cream, the perfect lilac polish. This needed three coats to become perfectly opaque but you can get away with two. It dries fairly quickly so no worries about smudging. 


4)On my middle finger I chose Catrice Salmon and Garfunkel. This is a peach colour that is opaque in 3 coats.Peach is perfect for summer and spring and really brightens up your entire outfit!


5)I used Catrice Meet me at coral island for the tip on my ring finger. I love this colour! It's coral but it leans slightly more towards pink.It's almost neon and it is just amazing. This is almost opaque in one coat. I mainly use this for pedicures but it makes a really bright and fun manicure. 


6)I think minty blue is a gorgeous colour so I picked out Catrice Sold out forever (the new version) for my pinky finger. I didn't think this polish would really suit my skin tone but it works! This is opaque in 2 coats.


7)Finally on my thumb I went for Catrice Birdy reloaded! Yellow polish tends to scare most people off,especially one as bright as this, but when used for tips it is fun without being too bright and daunting.


Here is how my manicure turned out:


I really like the way it turned out especially as it was my first attempt at free-handing the tips. I would suggest using the side of the brush when doing the tips. I used the top of the brush which made the lines a bit harder to perfect. I am delighted with the look of it though. I really hope ye all enjoyed my little post : )  Thanks Annabel for letting me post today! I really enjoyed it :D

21 May 2012

Create the Look: Pride and Prejudice Inspired Make-up

Hello,
this is a post that I wrote a few weeks back for a make-up website who wanted a Pride and Prejudice bridal make-up look, she later decided that instead of a tutorial she wanted information instead. Rather than let this original post go to waste, here it is :)


Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austin was set in the turn of the 19th century, a time where subtlety was the key to beauty. Only the more well off could afford cosmetics so the look that I have created is soft and neutral; designed to simply enhance your natural beauty whilst looking effortless and elegant.



Creating the Look:

Face: Wedding day complexion plays a big role in how you will appear in your wedding day photos. A good base will look smooth and blemish free without looking caked or unnatural. Here I have used a primer all over the face to create a smooth surface to apply foundation over. Using a primer in your bridal makeup is important because not only will it even out complexion and create a smooth canvas for the rest of your make-up, but it will also increase the longevity meaning that you will be able to enjoy the day without worrying about touch ups during the day. Instead of using a heavy foundation I opted for a BB cream which sits more softly on the skin and gives a more dewy finish. Dab a small amount of concealer over any blemishes and then blend in carefully. Use a light dusting of powder to set the face, taking care to focus on areas you know are prone to breakthrough shine. Finally, using a blush that is similar to your natural flushed colour (for me this is Dandelion from Benefit which is perfect for a very fair complexion) lightly sweep across the apples of your cheeks and up towards your ears to create a soft rosy glow. Make sure not to be heavy handed and instead build up the colour slowly.

Eyes: The aim of the game here is to brighten your eyes without looking as if you are wearing make-up. Use matte shadows for the most natural effect. First, use an eyelid primer to ensure that your eye make-up is long lasting and stays smudge free during your wedding. Use a nude shadow that matches your skin tone to cover the whole eyelid. This will even out the skin tone and make the look more polished. Next, use a slightly darker shade to contour the fold of the eyelid and along the lash line. This will add depth to the look. I then used a soft pencil liner to faintly line the lashes along the lid, although this is an optional step and is only advisable if you have dark hair and lashes. Smudge the liner softly into the lashes to soften the effect. Finally apply one coat of waterproof mascara. As Bryony has mentioned in a previous wedding makeup post, waterproof mascara is a must in bridal makeup because you are almost definitely going to shed a few emotional tears and a normal mascara just wouldn't be up to the job. In my experience, waterproof mascaras are less effective when it comes to giving lashes volume so you ladies with shorter lashes may benefit from using eyelash curlers to maximise the look. However, remember that we are going for a natural look so don't go mascara mad!

Lips: Lipstick can be a nightmare during the wedding day as it requires a lot of maintenance. Instead, my recommendation is to use a lip stain. A stain is perfect for this look as the effect is much more subtle and doesn't have the same heavy finish as many lipsticks, instead leaving you with "just bitten" looking lip colour. First of all, use a lip scrub to remove and dry skin on the lips (if you do not have a lip scrub then gently buffing with a soft toothbrush will work well too). Next, using a stain that is of a likeness to your lips when gently bitten, dab across the entire lip gently, making sure to blend using a finger to avoid a hard line around the edge and let dry. To make lips look fuller I have also dabbed a small amount of a darker lip stain in the center of the bottom lip which just fills the look out. Finally, top with a little lip balm to lock in moisture.

And there you have a Pride and Prejudice inspired bridal makeup tutorial. One last step that I always advice, is to set the look with a spritz of makeup setting spray because this will seal the look for longer.

As for popular hairstyles, during that period, it was the height of fashion to sweep hair into an updo, full of furls and volume whilst leaving a few strands loose to frame the face. These would be curled into tight ringlets along with the rest of the hair. Fresh flowers made a readily available hair accessory and were often used to add interest to hairstyles.


Natural beauty and purity are key to this look and make you look every bit the blushing bride.

Annie x

Handpicked Community

Hello,
Just a little post for now to say yay!
I'm happy to say that I'm now part of the Handpicked Community.
It's always so exciting to become part of a new community and I'm really happy that they've accepted me.
Knowing that people enjoy reading my blog and regard what I write as being good enough quality makes writing it even more rewarding.
I enjoy everything about blogging and can't wait to get back to writing lots of posts now I have some time again :)
*lots of happiness and cheerfulness being sent out on this sunny Monday*
I'll be back later with a proper post for you to enjoy :)

Annie x

ps. don't forget to enter my 100 follower giveaway and win yourself some fab goodies from Topshop, The Body Shop, Nivea, Boujois and others.

18 May 2012

Popping up for Air

Hello,
Remember me? I'm being a naughty blogger this week but I'm so busy.
Theres been job interviews, essays, tidying and doctors appointments and then my evenings are all being spent at the theatre performing so I just haven't had any time to blog for the last few days and I must say, I've really missed it!

A couple of exciting things have happened this week as well though. First of all I'm starting a new job tomorrow which I'm thrilled about. Its only an 8 hour contract at the moment on top of the job I already work but every little helps.
Also, you may have noticed from the button on my sidebar, I was approached by The Party Works and told that they would love to have me as a featured blogger and I was really happy to accept their offer. This may mean more Weekly Wedding Fix posts and maybe some party planning posts too once a week, we shall see :)

Finally, on Wednesday, I tasted my first ever Reeses Cup milkshake and oh my goodness, it was wonderful! Best way ever to turn my favourite chocolate treat into a fab drink :D

Heres a cute little buho photo to get you through friday afternoon.

Annie x

15 May 2012

The Buy Now, Pay Later Revolution


Hello,
todays guest post is a sponsored post from Isme,  a large online retailer similar to the likes of Very and Marrisota. They offer a great range of products and are well worth a look :)
Annie x
*I haven't been paid to publish this article but feel that it is something that may be of interest to you lovely followers :)

The ‘buy now, pay later’ revolution

Most people will be keenly aware that money is a little tight right now. Most of us have had to make a few sacrifices, cut back a bit and keep a slightly firmer grasp on those purse strings.
To make matters worse, spring and summer can be especially wallet-stretching times of year, between holidays, barbecues and updating your wardrobe to reflect the warmer temperatures – and more often than not, our budgets simply won’t stretch to accommodate these extra expenses.
There are alternatives, however. Isme is just one online retailer that offers a handy buy now pay later service, which means that you can have your cake, eat it, and not pay for it until 2013!
With ‘buy now pay later’ purchasing, there’s no need to empty your pockets all at once when you want to buy something. Rather than paying up-front for that must-have new frock or state-of-the-art laptop, you can defer payment entirely for 12 months – or alternatively pay off what you owe in small, manageable chunks over an extended period, so that you needn’t feel the pinch of your purchase.
The process itself is incredibly simple. Once you’ve browsed the online range and chosen what you want, just put your choice in the basket and head for the checkout. There you’ll be given the option to defer payment or spread the cost of your order over a longer time period – it’s a convenient financial solution, especially when it comes to the bigger buys.
Using the buy now pay later method, you simply need to make small, regular payments each month (which can be arranged easily via Direct Debit) which means you can focus on enjoying your purchases rather than stressing over the expense – it could revolutionise the way you shop.
Why not take a look at the range of fab products available at Isme? With everything from stylish furniture to the latest on-trend clothing styles available online, you can take advantage of the site’s buy now pay later service and enjoy stress-free shopping.
*Addition: I feel that I should mention that after checking the terms and conditions on the Isme site, you also do not need to pay interest on purchases which was my first query*

13 May 2012

E.l.f Kabuki Brush Review

Hello,
Just a quickie review tonight because I'm home earlier than I thought and blogging is clearly the best way to use my bonus evening :)
I've always been someone who applies foundation with my fingers because I don't get on with foundation brushes and none of my other brushes were really suitable for for years I just got on with it. Recently though I've been getting so fed up with not getting the perfect finish that I want that I started having a look at alternatives. Initially the obvious choices were the buffing and stippling brushes from Real Technics but after looking at them in Boots I decided they just didn't excite me. They were a lot smaller than I was hoping and I didn't like the design of them. Instead, I was drawn the the kabuki brushes which were bigger, just as full and, in my opinion, had a much better shape. Not wanting to shell out too much I came home and had a look on the E.l.f website at theirs.
I chose the studio kabuki face brush and haven't looked back since.
The brush is perfectly sized. Not too small and not too big. You can also get a body kabuki brush which I was tempted to buy because I like face brushes to be nice and big but I'm glad I picked this one as it is just the right size. The bristles are made of synthetic taklon which makes the brush vegan friendly which is an added bonus. Instead of a long handle, kabuki brushes come with a short base which I prefer as it allows more control over application and is also easier to buff in circles which is the way to get that flawless finish.
As you can see in the photos, the bristles are incredibly dense and are shaped into a light dome. This means that the brush picks up products really well and gives a lovely flawless finish. What I really love about this brush though is how wonderfully soft it is. My previous powder brush become so well used that it started to get rather scratchy but this brush is super soft and if perfect for applying both liquid and powder so I use it for foundation and setting powder.
The other great thing about this brush is that I've not had any shedding at all, not a single hair which is brilliant for sure a low cost purchase.
You can buy this brush *here* for just £5 and at that price I think everyone should own one, its amazing :) Have you tried any of the E.l.f studio brushes? I'm tempted to pick up their stippling brush in my next order.
Annie x
Ps, don't forget to enter my fab 100 follower giveaway *here*

Six for the Charleston and Two for Love

Hello,
I have a pretty busy week coming up so I apologize in advance if some days this week I don't get a chance to write a post. Its because I'm going to be performing with The Bath Unity Players in Six for the Charleston and Two for Love which will be showing 17th-19th May at The Rondo theatre. Its a comedy set in the 1920's (with a very long name!).

 I'm the one in the very short wig with my boobs hanging out. The things you have to do for the theatre eh?
Seriously though, its a great show full of hilarious characters and it's definitely worth coming to see if you live in or around Bath.

For more information about tickets you can call 01225 427108 or 01225 463362. Hope to see you there!
Annie x

12 May 2012

100 Follower Giveaway!- CLOSED

Hello,
I hope everybody is enjoying this lovely sunny Saturday. I treated myself to a fab new pair of shoes ready for the summer which I'll show you sometime soon.
I'm so excited that today I have reached 100 GFC followers. I know blogging isn't about the numbers but it's so amazing to know that people enjoy reading my blog. Thank you so much for showing me support, I love writing my blog and I've got to know so many lovely people at the same time.

To Say thank you to my followers, I've put together a little giveaway for you.
I'm giving away these lovely goodies to one follower. Included is two Bourjois nail varnishes, a Nivea lipgloss (one of my favourites!), a Superdrug deep cleansing face mask, a 17 ombre eyeshadow palette, a Body Shop two tone eyeshadow palette and a cute heart shaped topshop ring.

The Serious Bit:
To be in with the chance of winning these goodies you need to be a follower of my blog using google friend connect, I will check :P

For one entry you need to leave a comment on this post telling me... your favourite drink (mines strawberry flavoured fizzy water :) ), your GFC name and what you love about Three Little Buhos :)

For one extra entry can follow me on twitter and tweet "@AnnabelleJohn I've just entered Annie's  fab 100 follower giveaway on Three Little Buhos. Enter here: http://annieshomemadeheaven.blogspot.co.uk"

I'm afraid this giveaway is open to UK residents only and I will be running the giveaway until midnight 22nd May so you have 10 days to enter :)

Good luck,
Annie x

11 May 2012

My Evening Routine

Hello,
Sorry I've been neglecting my blog a little over the last few days, I've had a lot going on so needed to focus on other things but all should be back to normal now :)
Until recently, skin care is something that I knew fairly little about. I would always remove my make-up each night with a face wipe and bung a little moisturiser on but after so much slap dash care my skin hit back at me rather and got too prone to breakouts for my liking. Definitely time to start treating it to some proper tlc!
Now I make sure that every night I remove make-up, cleanse, tone, moisturise and generally do everything I can to keep my skin happy and blemish free.
Here's how:
I always use eye make-up remover pads, Tesco deep cleansing lotion, Nivea 2 in 1 cleanser and toner, Neal's Yard daily moisture and Tri Pentox eye serum. My skin is normal to combination and I have never had a problem with any of them breaking me out, not even a purging period so if you have slightly oily skin, these might be worth a try.


  • First of all, I use eye make-up remover pads to clear around my eye area and also remover eyebrow pencil.
  • Then I use the deep cleansing lotion from Tesco on a cotton pad to clear the makeup from the rest of my face and most of the daily grime. This is a pretty abrasive cleanser so if you have sensitive skin go easy!
  • After this I use the Nivea 2 in 1 cleanser and toner to calm the skin and remove any stubborn dirt that might still be remaining. I apply this with my fingers and rub in little circle motions all over the face before removing excess with a cotton pad.
  • Using my Neal's Yard rehydrating rose daily moisture I then dab a small amount onto cheeks, the tip of my nose and my forehead and rub in. This is one of the best moisturisers I've ever owned and I would recommend it to anyone. It leaves my skin feeling amazingly soft and refreshed.
  • Finally, I use a little Tri Pentox eye serum under my eyes to keep puffiness and dark circles at bay :) This is another miracle product that I will always love.
So thats my evening routine. Do you have a set group of products you use religiously on your skin? Are there any products you'd recommend?
Annie x

9 May 2012

FOTD- Red and Gold Eyes

Hello,
Isn't the weather miserable today? I decided to brighten my day up with a little colourful make-up.

My eye bags appear to be alarmingly large today so apologies for that!
I've noticed recently that I've moved away from colourful eye make-up so I've decided to make a conscious effort to get back into the habit. I used to have big bold eyes everyday so I'm not too sure what happened.
As the base I've just used a small amount of Garnier BB cream topped with my trusty Calvin Klein pressed powder and a sweep of a light blusher across the cheeks. On my lips I used my Lush Lip Scrub and a light pink Barry M lipgloss.

To get the look on my eyes, first of all I used an eye primer to keep the colour looking bold and crease free. Using a flat brush I applied the gold shadow to the inner corner of the eye, blending it out towards the middle of the eye. I did this on the top and bottom then, after cleaning the brush, I lightly built up the red around the edges, blending it inwards until the two colours meet and blend together in the middle of the eyelid. I extended the red a little along the crease of the eye to give more depth. Next I used a waterproof black pencil in the water line to enhance the lower lashes and finished off with a coat of Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara and a spritz of setting spray.
Et voila!
Do you like the bold eyed look? Does anyone know when this gloomy weather will end?
Annie x

8 May 2012

What is Beauty? Guest Post by Maggie

Hello,
Its tuesday and that means that its time for another guest blog. This week the lovely Maggie from "Finding Myself" is writing for me. Her blog is full of wonderful, insightful posts that you should take a peek at :)
If you would like to write a guest post for Three Little Buhos then feel free to send me an email at threelittlebuhos@hotmail.co.uk and I will get back to you.
Anyways, over to Maggie!
Annie x

Hello Three Little Buhos readers!  My name is Maggie and I tell stories & make lists at Finding Myself - a little blog with a lot of honest reflections about myself.  At any rate, not so long ago Annie put out a little feeler post looking for guest bloggers.  Always eager to share, I volunteered.  =)

Annie, being such a fabby girl, took a peek at my blog and gave me a topic she thought I might have something to say about.  So, what's the topic then?  You can't handle the suspense anymore, right?

What My View Of Beauty Is

images

Well, I have to admit this prompt took a fair amount of thinking over.  As I write this, I'm still thinking about it... what is my view of beauty?!?  Certainly, it's easier for me to determine what my view of beauty isn't.  But, that wasn't the question at all, was it.... Hmm....

To me, beauty is a lot of things.  A great pair of shoes, a great hair day, a compliment from a total stranger.  But a lot of those things are superficial, aren't they?  I mean, it's certainly easy to feel beautiful when people tell you that you are.  When the make-up counter girl finds your perfect shade, when you finally save up enough money for those shoes you've been lusting after for weeks and they look amazing.  

But, more then any of those things, I think beauty is confidence in yourself.  Admittedly, I'm usually lacking in the self-confidence department... Oh, I have my days when I think I'm looking pretty foxy.  But mostly, I feel like I just only look alright.  But, I have a pretty tremendous amount of confidence in my abilities.  I bet if I could look at myself doing some of my favorite activities, I'd get a totally different set of reinforcements to my persona.  

Beauty is good posture & scented body lotion.  A great perfume & someone telling you that you did a good job at work.  A smashing summer nail color & an unexpected surprise in the mail box.  Beauty is deep belly laughs with your best friend & messy sobs when bad news comes.  

So that's my view of beauty.  It's so much more then a great outfit or a perfect face.  More then attitude and positive reinforcement....but I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly...

P.S. I googled "pictures of beauty" and all I got were pages & pages of images of perfect, flawless faces.  Somehow, I just can't agree with that...

NOTD- Nails Inc Marble Arch Candy Stripes

Hello,
How was everyones bank holiday? Since I'm under doctors orders to do very little and rest I did exactly that and it felt amazing :)
I'm really loving nail art at the moment, its such a fun way to add a little new life into nail painting. Today I've gone with a candy stripe pattern using Nails Inc Marble Arch as the base colour and then my white nail art pen to create the stripes.
Am I the only one that finds that doing the notorious "other hand" even more tricky when using a nail art brush? I swear I am so left handed its unreal, I can hardly even hold the brush with my right hand!
Anyways, what do you think of the candy stripe idea? Its pretty easy when you aren't as ridiculously one handed as I am and I think it looks pretty funky too :) Is it a design you'd use?
Annie x

7 May 2012

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara Review

Hello,
I love the look of false eyelashes but find that I don't wear them as much as I'd like because I find them such a hassle to put on and keep in place. Stupid as it may sound but I've never really considered using false lash effect mascaras before because I haven't heard great reviews about any of them, however, my mum had this Max Factor mascara and didn't get on with it so I gave it a go.
First up? Wow! I was totally amazed by the effect, even just after one coat.
The wand is a thick plastic design rather than a brush which is something I'm not usually keen on but it does allow full coverage right from the very base of the lashes. I applied two coats of the mascara and didn't experience any clumping at all.
The proof is in the pictures as they say :) In the first photo I have no mascara on at all and in the second I am wearing two coats of Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara.

The difference is pretty extreme but I was very happy. I dont think this is one to use every day but I think you could definitely wear this out for an evening and be confident that your lashes look just as full and beautiful as they would with false lashes.

The complaint that my mum had with this mascara is that it runs all over the place as soon as you get water anywhere near it which seems a pretty bad design for a product you wear so near to your eyes but I personally haven't found this to happen yet so we'll see.
You can pick up a tube of False Lash Effect for £10.99 at Boots and if you are as impatient as me when it comes to false lash application then I would definitely recommend it.

Over all, I think this is a great mascara and a sound investment and I will be buying again.
Have you used this mascara before? What did you think?
Annie x

Blog Hop :)

Hello,
Just a quick one to say that I've joined the weekly blog hop over on Blog Love Therapy. Its a great way to find new blogs that could be your new favourite reads.

Join the hop here :)


BlogLoveTherapy
Hope to see you there!
Annie x