Product of the week #3

This week I have been loving 'OPI Cajun Shrimp'. The picture doesn't really show the colour well due to the lighting, and nor does the one on their website, but if you look at the two, the actual shade is somewhere in the middle! 

Not only do I love this colour, a sort of coraly, reddish, orangey pink; but I would just like to take a moment to announce how much I freaking love OPI polishes! They have a flat brush, which I love (why don't all nail polishes have these???), they're so so pigmented that you could get away with one coat if you're in a hurry (but I went for two just for the sake of it), and omg the application actually makes me enjoy painting my nails; a task usually resulting in me becoming incredibly frustrated from streaks, smudges and all round messy application! Last but certainly not least, these polishes are so durable, I went five days without any chips at all, a record for someone who can barely usually go one day. Their staying power is probably also down to being paired with my 'OPI Natural Nail Base Coat', and 'Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat'; two of my nail painting staples. I will definitely be extending my OPI collection, as I think they're worth forking out that extra little bit of money; and there are so many colours to choose from! You can always also find them a bit cheaper than the usual £11.50 online, so there's no excuse not to try them!

Do you recommend any shades, or maybe you have a brand of nail polishes you love? Let us know!

Bye for now! 

M x

Product of the week #2

It's fair to say I'm very lazy when it comes to lip products, forgetting to re-apply throughout the day; and I'm not at all daring with my choice of colours either! I very rarely wear a lipstick, often opting for a safe gloss, or even just a slick of tinted balm. So to ease me into the world of lipsticks, I have been on the look out for the perfect nude/pink 'your lips but better' colour for a long time. I've found it difficult to find the right one, especially with my extremely fair skin; often resulting in either the colour being too dark, or the 'concealer lips' look. But now I have finally found one I think I lurve! All hail Sleek True Colour Sheen Lipstick in Barely There.

Although I'm not entirely sure this can be called 'nude', it is very close to the colour of my lips, enhancing them without the use of a bold colour. I have heard many good things about sleek lipsticks, but sleek unfortunately isn't sold in my local superdrug *sob*! So, when I came across the brand slightly further afield, I couldn't resist a gander! Although the good reviews I've heard have largely been for the brighter shades, I didn't feel quite ready for that; and 'Barely There' sounds right up my street! For the £4.99 price tag, these are such a bargain, and I would definitely, definitely recommend them. They're long lasting, hydrating, and highly pigmented; I'll certainly be purchasing more colours from the range! Maybe papaya punch next? Who knows; I may become a bold lips lover after all with sleek!

Bye for now! 

M x

Hello Again!

So it's fair to say that the blog has been a little neglected recently, and no one feels worse about that than us *bowing our heads in shame*. But unfortunately those horrible little things known as exams showed their ugly faces and put our lives on hold! Then of course as I'm sure many of you will know, even the thought of any post exam mental activity (even writing an enjoyable blog post!) is not something that seems appealing for a good few weeks. However we are back, yay!!! And to be honest, bored of relaxing; so we're more determined than ever to share everything with you! We are going to get our acts together and plan all sorts of posts, from more beauty tips and product reviews, to more recipes, with a few lifestyle things thrown into the mix for good measure. So if you have any suggestions for posts, we would love to hear them; just comment below, or tweet us - @vanillavelvets !

Bye for now! x

(And we promise to have another proper post for you soon!)

What's in my bag...

I think a handbag can tell you a lot about its owner, and the things they can't go a day without! So, here's a peep inside mine! Enjoy ...

My bag is the Anna bag from stylistpick.com in black, and I bought it reduced from £35 to £15 in their recent sale... Bargain!!

I'm not one of these people who somehow finds the time to top up on make up through the day (as much as I wish I was) so beware, the make up in my bag is very very minimal!

Inside:

Body shop almond hand cream - this is super moisturising but drys quickly without any stickiness (my hand cream pet hate) leaving my hands super soft!
Body shop strawberry hand cleanse gel - this smells AMAZING!! Perfect for freshening up hands on the go!
Hugo Boss orange perfume - I love this fragrance, it's lovely and citrusy fresh but quite sweet at the same time, perfect for day or night
Rimmel stay matte powder - As I said, I don't tend to top up my make up through the day, but I do always carry a powder just in case I have any unsightly shine! Rimmel stay matte is my favourite, it's so cheap and does the job just as well as any more expensive powders I have tried
No 7 liplicious lip gloss - I always chuck whatever I'm wearing on my lips for the day in my bag, and this just happened to be today's choice. It's super shiny with a subtle pinky colour; a really nice everyday product!

Tissues - always a must have
Umbrella - we all know how unpredictable the English weather is, even now we're heading into summer, and there's nothing worse than spending ages on your hair only for it to get ruined in a surprise spurt of rain!
Chewing Gum - I always have some on me as it stops me from snacking unnecessarily and freshens breath
Bottle of water - saves me having to make a detour and by one when I'm thirsty, and water is good for you and your skin so drink up!
Sunglasses - as soon as the first hint of sunshine appeared these went straight in my bag!
Glasses - much to my dislike I have to wear them, but I do so as little as possible, which usually results in them sitting in the bottom of my bag whilst I squint to see things over the opposite side if the room
My phone - the most important thing in my bag!
My purse - from river island. Its nice and big to fit all my loyalty cards, coupons and the money I wish I had more of!
House keys

So, that's everything in my bag! I hope you found this interesting (especially if you're nosy like me), and don't forget to comment if you have any questions and follow us on twitter @vanillavelvets .

Thanks for reading! Bye for now! x

Beauty Bargains!

Beauty bargains, a controversial topic i know! and as i'm sure any of you who are beauty fanatics will know some are really worth it and some just aren't. Yes that lipstick might be only 3 quid, but thats 3 pounds wasted if its a rubbish formula or you don't really like the colour so it rots at the bottom of your makeup bag, and 3 pounds more that you could have put towards an amazing one...sigh mac, ahhhh yummy. However there ARE amazing offers that really are worth it like the regular Boots 3 for 2 on everything, or the everlasting No7 vouchers handed out by the till ladies.
The other day i heard someone saying that they were embarrassed to use coupons or things at the tills which personally i think is sad, theres no need what so ever to be embarrassed about saving money - we all do it to a certain degree! What would be much worse is missing out on that last promotional price mascara!
So, what i'm trying to say in a very round and about waffly way is that whilst theres no point in a bargain you don't actually really want, when you could have put that money towards something you will use and value, theres no shame in bagging a bargain, no one apart from the till (or self service machine if you really want) has to know!
Some little tips for good beauty bargains i know of (and these are just a few) are to look out for the Boots 3for2 which includes nearly everything! Also i don't know about anywhere else but my local savers often has lots of Rimmel make up all for under a fiver (a bit cheaper than Superdrug and Boots), also BarryM nail polish is often on some kind of deal if you buy more than one, and the other day i picked up a Benefit magazine (for free off the counter) and its got two free vouchers to have your makeup done at the counter, wowee!
so all in all you get the drift, beauty doesn't have to be mega pricey, and cost isn't everything!
Let me know in the comments if any of you have found some great deals!
bye for now! x x x