April in Instagram

 neon pink miss selfridge scarf / hello kitty easter / ps i love you cocktail / more hello kitty easter egg

unconventional easter egg / floral nail art / naughty gilly hicks purchase / lusting after the mulberry easter bayswater ;)

 missguided online spree / severn bridge / dream ikea kitchen / inka kola treats from peru / pressies from peru

playing house in ikea / toby carvery heaven / models own minis / loving the new iphone / my motto with uni work

 tropical runner / healthy maccy d breakfast / making cakes / my poorly little man 

tgi yummyness / barnamint baileys / me and timbo with my new straight gnashers 

 all smiles / its love / nandos bliss / pitta and houmous / chicken burger mmm

classic burger and onion rings / strobe lighting at lostprophets / amazing hotdog / frozen yogurt heaven 

Hello lovelies, now i would say that april has gone quick but it really hasn't ive spent a ridiculous amount of mind numbing days writing my dissertation and all other uni work but friday and the dissertation can finally be handed in and then im two assignments away from finishing uni forever (scary stuff). However i have eaten alot this month (the work is my excuse) and looking back is making me slightly hungry. 

So how did you spend your april?? hope you all have a fab may!!

Happy 1st Birthday Hint of Sparkle

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 Hello lovelies, i hope your all well, this post was really meant for yesterday, but iv'e had a busy and lovely weekend in Cardiff with the boyf, so a year ago yesterday i sat down in front of my laptop and decided to write a blog. Many bloggers say that they read blogs for years and then decided to write their own but i really didn't. After beginning to read Maria Fowler from Towies blog on her beauty tips i decided to click one of the little faces that appeared on what i now know as "followers", and ended up on the wonderful gem from flutter and sparkle page, and immediately became hooked on the glitter filled page before me with lovely reviews, hauls and pictures, from then on i would look back now and again at her new posts and began to click those teeny faces on the right which led me to sophia and corries blogs. Realizing that their were others just as obsessive with makeup as i was i decided to write my own blog , and now one year, 181 posts and 250 followers later here a hint of sparkle is. My uni course doesn't give me the creative outlet that i crave, such as taking photos and being all girly and that's something my lil blog has given me, aswell as developing my writing skills dramatically, id hate to see what my older posts were like. In a year ive learnt some wonderful things, have become even more obsessed with makeup and cannot bare to walk past a MAC counter anymore haha. 

I seriously cant believe that i have 250 wonderful followers who leave just as wonderful comments, and i would just like to say a massive thank you to all of you. Blogging has become a very fun hobby for me, and i get excited to wack my camera out and write a post or two!!! 

My Journey to gaining straight teeth

 Okay so this is a bit of a different post today, and although i know most people have braces etc i thought id share my personal experience, with having braces not once but twice. For a long time before having braces my crooked teeth were a massive problem for me, knocking my self confidence aswell as affecting my eating due to the poor bite. I got teased tbh for my appalling teeth, some people moan about crooked teeth whereas in reality on or two teeth are a bit on the wonky side. my teeth were HORRENDOUS, infact all of my front teeth were completely twisted (hence why no photos cause i hated my photo being taken). For a while i was given a take out brace, which in all honesty spent most of its time in its box, however i persevered for a year and my front teeth began to move a little (top two photos are my teeth after a year of a take out brace). Then finally D Day arrived and i was told i could have a train track, finally a brace that would straighten my problem gnashers more than my silly take out one ever would. These were placed with a cost, being both a needle phobe aswell as a dental phobe, i had to face my fears and have 6 teeth out under anesthetic (im to scared to sit in a dentists chair and have it done). and finally in 2008 my train tracks were fitted. 

I had no problems with my train track, okay my teeth bloody hurt when the wires were tightened, but the massive noticeable difference in my teeth kept me going (two photos on middle row were taken during my time wearing train tracks), and excitedly in October 2009, i had my braces removed. I was given a retainer very similar to my take out brace, and every 6 weeks i had to go back to have the retainer tightened. However merely 6 months later my local orthodontics closed and i was left waiting to hear from orthodontics elsewhere, during that time my teeth began to move quite a bit, which i just thought was normal, which was until my normal dentist turned round and said my teeth had rapidly moved within two months and that i should pester the orthodontics to check my teeth. (bottom photos, first taken when brace was removed and second when they began to move) So in August last year i went to the new orthodontics, hoping that my retainer would be altered, to find the orthodontist and consultant saying that i had a problem with my bite which had never been addressed, which was the cause of my teeth moving back. So in September last year i found myself visiting the orthodontists chair once again to have train tracks fitted, this time i found the whole process of having them fitted slightly traumatic, with thick blocks of cement being placed on my lower back teeth to prevent myself from closing my teeth together whilst altering my bite. This time around i had problem after problem, with wires snapping and brackets breaking off, but i persevered once again, knowing that the end result would be worth it, and today, well i finally got to see the final result as my braces were finally removed (hopefully for the last time), and all i can say is that i cant stop smiling, this time around ive been given retainers that fit around my teeth (almost like a gum shield), so now hopefully the teeth ive waited so long for will finally stay that way :) 

For those who already have braces or are thinking about having them, all i have to say is its totally worth it, theres times when you want to rip them off, the brackets might snap, wires might dig, but each time the orthodontist tightens those wires and you watch those teeth move, just think of the end result and how worth it, it will be!! The photo on the right was taken this morning and all i can say is that im a very happy bunny!!

Have you had braces? how was your experience with them??

Benefit Boo Boo Zap...

As mentioned in my previous post, with all the stress of uni work my skin has been pretty naff as of late, the biggest problem no doubt has to be the break outs ive been getting, so i decided to invest in benefits boo boo zap, this was a slight whim purchase whilst looking for anything that would possibly reduce my spots other than my beloved Sudacrem, but with all the hype of the benefit skincare range, aswell as seeing how lovely one of my friends skin looks from using the products i decided to invest. Like all benefit products i absolutely love the packaging, in what seems like a china tube with a faux cork screw top, this beauty looks lovely on my dresser, however i have a slight gripe in terms of application, with no pump or swab etc i almost have to tip the product onto my face which results in using more product than needs to be. Aswell as this due to the lovely packaging its hard to tell how much product is left. In terms of the spot treatment itself its really lovely,ive been using the product for two weeks and ive noticed a massive reduction in the amount of spots. Boo boo zap is said to dry out spots and reduce 'acne related redness' aswell as preventing further spots, i dont think it necessarily does the latter but the first bit is definitely true. 

Boo boo zap is pretty expensive at £13.50, it is definitely worth it so far, but there are certainly more affordable options with the same results. Its just nice to use something a little fancy during a time of essay consumed days. 

have you tried boo boo zap?? Any cheaper spot removing alternatives?? 

French Fancies

 Hello lovelies, i hope your all well!! apologies for the lack of posts, my final deadlines for uni are growing extremely close so it doesn't give much time for anything but reading and stressing over the dissertation, but seeing as though ive given myself a day off ive taken the time to write a few posts!..My skin at the present time due to stress has been completely all over the place, and my current skincare routine just isint working for me anymore, so ive decided to invest in some new products. With all the hype going around the YouTube and blogosphere, its not surprising that i would finally cave in and invest in these two french gems ( i think my skin deserves something fancy with all this uni stress ha). 
iv'e only literally road tested these items twice so by no means can review them but so far so good. Bioderma is a makeup remover and cleansing solution. With no scent and gentle ingredients, this solution is said to be kind to the skin, all i have to say about it so far is that it is a BRILLIANT makeup remover. I spend most evenings looking like a panda after using eye makeup remover, that does nothing but smear eyeliner and mascara across my face. This however with one swipe removes all traces of eye makeup and i can safely say i awoke this morning very fresh faced!!
Caudalie beauty elixir has been a fan with most across the blogosphere, aswell as Victoria Beckham (come on it must be good ha). Caudalie beauty elixir is said to tone the skin whilst tightening pores, with the likes of grape, orange blossom and mint aswell as a lot of other lovely ingredients its no wonder that this has a very spa like, luxurious feel to it (it literally smells like a menthol steam room, ahh bliss). i cant say if this did anything to my skin, but it left it feeling cool and refreshed, perfect for the morning. 

Have you tried any of the french skincare crazes??

Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask (REVIEW)

 Hello lovelies, when i was probably around the age of 15 my mum treated me to my first facial during a trip to center parcs, during the treatment the beautician applied the elemis fruit active mask on my face, and the gorgeous, fruity smell immediately hit me, after the treatment my skin felt amazingly soft (this lasted for a good week) so i decided to purchase it as you do. I used this beauty at least once a week till the end of my first year in uni (yes from the same tube purchased in center parcs, i know your meant to bin products etc but it lasted)..that was until my housemate at the time decided to bin my beloved face mask. whilst browsing through ASOS etc, i never came across the elemis mask, and during a return visit to the aqua sauna i still didn't spot it, so i went about trying different face masks, but nothing pulled me in like my beloved fruit mask. four days ago during a random browse on feelunique.com i finally spotted it. The first thing i did was purchase it, and ive got to say i love this beauty as much as i did the first time i used it. the smell like previously mentioned is absolutely divine, i wouldn't say its the most grown up scent but i love it. the product itself has a clay like feel to it and once applied begins to tighten on the skin (i absolutely love this feeling, weird i know). once washed off my skin feels ridiculously smooth and deep cleansed. 

the Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask is a little more pricey than when i first purchased it, it was a mere £16 to the now £26, however a little definitely goes a long way, so this will last a fairly long time. If looking for a similar but cheaper alternative the good things five minute facial face mask has a similar texture and smell, aswell as leaving the skin feeling fresh!!

Have you tried the elemis face mask?? whats your go to face mask?? 

Pixi Glow polish in Pirouette

Hello lovelies, i hope your all having a good week so far! my week has been spent doing uni work, aswell as distracting myself from it, which has meant a bashing for my bank balance due to lots of internet shopping and plenty of food that's definitely not good for me. Anyway onto the polish, before i go any further i have to say that my photos DO NOT give this polish justice to the extent of how bright it is, its alot more neon in the flesh. After seeing many posts about the new pixi collection, and being the obsessive of Disney that i am, i couldnt help but admire the collaboration branded with Tinkerbell. Its safe to say that i have been lusting after bright neon pinks lately so when i spotted pirouette, i had to have it. Colour wise this polish is absolutely gorgeous, a fluorescent pink with hints of gold, its a polish perfect for spring/ summer, however i wouldn't say its a unique colour, but its lovely none the less.

 my only qualm with this polish is the application, i found the formula to be very streaky, and it took three or four coats to get the streak-less effect i wanted. However i would say that the results are worth it, as your left with a lovely matte finish.

As i said before the colour is very neon in the flesh, perhaps too bright for myself, so i decided to add a few flowers on the nails, with my models own nail art pens, i love the effect and it makes the polish look less in your face.

Altogether i would say its a gorgeous shade with lovely gold tones to it, which leaves the nails with a lovely matte finish. In terms of the packaging, its gorgeous with a picture of Tinkerbell emblazoned on the front. However for £8 im sure there are dupes out there, without the packaging but none the less with the same gorgeous shade. 

 Have you tried the PIXI Polish?? what did you think?? any similar dupes out there??

March in Instagram..

i luckily won catherinesloves giveaway / mothers day flowers for mam / krispy kreme white chocolate and raspberry hot chocolate / Harrods glossybox / Easter krispy kremes / skull bracelet love / ben with my tangle teaser 

hunger games (my newest addiction) / tgi cocktails / M&S macaroons (seriously yum) / barnamint baileys / benji on Skype / finally got to see the hunger games 

flying high / drunken photo / billy on Skype / polish bar that looked like something out of moulin rouge / hotel ester / abbycake / lamb and gnocchi with orange and raspberry sauce / moncherry cocktail

chilling in the airport / treble clef in the soup / sweeties / meals with the boy / old town Krakow / a cheeky sephora purchase / hotel balcony / hot chocolate with cream and strawberry mousse

 Hello lovelies, i hope your all well!! apologies for the non existent posts this week, i have spent a relaxing, drunken and intellectual week in Poland. As part of my uni module we had to visit Auschwitz, definitely a harrowing and emotional experience, aswell as the Schindler factory (it seriously changes your perspective on life) the rest of the time was spent drinking with friends, shopping and sightseeing, i seriously could quite happily live in Krakow  due to the very yummy and CHEAP food & cocktails ;)..i seriously cant believe another month is over, yet another short month and uni will be over (argh il have to enter the real world)..my month has mainly been spent doing uni work, but i have managed to fit in lots of meals out and plenty of retail therapy (i personally blame the uni work ha). 

So what have you been up to in march??