Saturday 29 December 2012

QUICK MAKEUP TIP - IF YOU HAVE ITEMS SUCH AS 'MAYBELLINE COLOUR TATTOO' OR 'MAC PAINT POTS', THEN ALWAYS BE SURE TO SET THEM UPSIDE DOWN IN YOUR STORAGE. THIS WILL STOP THEM DRYING OUT! (SAME METHOD APPLIES TO ANY TYPE OF FACE WIPES OR GEL EYELINERS YOU MAY HAVE)



























(image via Pinterest)

LUXURY BEAUTY WISH LIST #2


This is the second part of my luxury beauty wish list post. I actually could go on forever with items which are on my radar! That's the beauty of 'beauty', I suppose. 



3. No.7 - Deco Darling Eye Palette (I am STILL trying to get this! I've been constantly calling up my local Boots stores to see if they've had deliveries, entered the Lisa Eldridge competition, tried online, everything! )





8. REN - No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm (Recommended by the lovely YouTube Beauty Guru, Hannah Georgina24) 


(images via GoogleImages)

Friday 28 December 2012

LUXURY BEAUTY WISH LIST #1



These are some luxury beauty items I am dying to get! I've heard nothing but great things about them so I suppose I need to start saving!




4. Daniel Sandler - Watercolour Fluid Blusher

(images via GoogleImages)

FAVOURITE MAC LIPGLOSS X 2 (NUDES)


These are my two all time favourite MAC Lipglosses. Now, I do get quite confused with the different versions of the glosses, such as some being Dazzleglass and others being Creamsheen etc...but I do know that with that amount of variation on offer then you will always find one perfect for whatever occasion necessary. A lot of people go for the more pink shades of these glosses but I really like the nudes, I find they work the best for my everyday makeup, or to even compliment an evening dramatic eye look. 

1. MAC Lipglass in Nymphette - My good old friend. I remember first purchasing this when I was about 16 and got it duty-free from an airport - I was beyond excited! It was the most I'd ever spent on a lipgloss and it made me feel very grown up. This is a nude shade with pale pink undertones and also has some gold shimmer running throughout. I have yet to find a person this doesn't look good on. It is so beautiful and the shimmer adds a touch of elegance to my makeup. It has quite a sheer consistency so I use about 2 coats of this for full impact.

2. MAC Plushglass in Ample Pink - This is another nude shade with pink undertones but without any shimmer or highlighter. It is much more pigmented than the Lipglass version but is very naturally glossy. This looks good with on its own or on top of a lipstick. Again, this will suit most peoples' skin tones/colourings. Also, like all MAC lip products, these smell heavenly! 

LAURA MERCIER MINI LIP GLACÈ COLLECTION - RICH BERRIES


This is one of my favourite purchases of the year. I wanted to try out some more Laura Mercier lip products and thought the best was was to get a collection of mini's, so I could try a few different ones without spending too much £££. I got this set in SpaceNK for £31 (well, I did have a £5 off voucher, so it was really £26). It contains 5 mini sized versions of their berry-toned lip glosses, all of which are beautiful and completely wearable - Violet (my favourite), Rose, Cerise, Sangria, and Brownberry. Also, all of these smell delicious! Even better than the MAC lipgloss fragrances - a more sweet vanilla. Mmmm. 

M&S MAKEUP - 'AUTOGRAPH' PURE COLOUR MONO EYESHADOW


This is the first makeup item I've purchased from the Marks and Spencer cosmetics line, Autograph. The area around the makeup section was filled with predominantly middle aged to elderly women who were very happy with the products, however I thought that I should try and see if these would work for the more youthful market. 
Firstly, the cost of these was pretty reasonable, with my single eyeshadow being £7 and foundations at £12. I purchased the 'Pure Colour Mono Eyeshadow' in Burnished Copper. This caught my eye the most from the range as it is a really beautiful mid-toned brown shade with shimmer bits running throughout. When I did a swatch of this in store, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it looked against my skin and it really does blend out well. I've used this for the past week to give my natural, daytime makeup look a bit of Christmas sparkle and it looks really lovely against my green eyes. The only downside is that there is a bit of fallout when you are putting this on, so I have to do my eyes before my concealer/powder but that's not the worst. I did see a lovely nude, pink eyeshadow which I think I will purchase next - overall it really is a nice collection. 


Thursday 27 December 2012

NO.7 CHRISTMAS NAIL POLISH GIFT SET - 'STAY PERFECT'


You all must think I'm crazy for yet another No.7 'Stay Perfect' Nail Polish! What can I say? I must be an addict! This set of four mini-sized bottles was part of the No.7 Christmas line and was the perfect gift to give someone. These colours just scream "festivity" and are so warm and deeply toned. 

JIMMY CHOO EAU DE PARFUM


This is my new favourite perfume. By FAR! As I've mentioned before, I'm incredibly fussy when it comes to fragrances - whether it be a parfum or candle or even house spray - so when I first tried this, I knew I had to have it. So I'm so happy my lovely mother got me this for Christmas (in a LARGE bottle of EDP as well!). The smell of this is simply divine! I'm so not surprised that this is one of the best selling fragrances of the year and I've yet to meet someone who doesn't like it! It's just universally fabulous. It is described as follows;

"The house of Jimmy Choo presented its first self-titled fragrance in February 2011 (Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum). Eau de Toilette version of the debut is scheduled for January 2012, announced as “a dazzling aura of glittering femininity". The fragrance is dedicated to strong women full of confidence, who are also fun and playful.
Perfumer Olivier Polge created Jimmy Choo Eau de Toilette as a modern floral - fruity composition with deep woody base. Its opening bursts with vibrant freshness of ginger, pear and green accords. Exotic tiger orchid, which forms the heart of the original, is blended with tea rose to create a seductive floral aura. The base is woody, but unlike the debut it does not contain patchouli, it contains cedar and vibrant woods.
The fragrance is available as 40, 60 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette. Jimmy Choo Eau de Toilette was created by Olivier Polge and Veronique Nyberg." (fragrantica.com)


So that's the technical bit for those who know everything about fragrances. For me though, I can only explain it simply, this perfume will suit most women for most occasions. Being perfect for everyday and also evening, this scent is so feminine yet sexy at the same time and has a very womanly, fruity aroma about it. I'm also pretty sure this must have some pheromones in it to be THAT attractive to so many!

PHILOSOPHY 'SUGAR PLUM FAIRY' GIFT SET


This was one of the items I treated myself to this Christmas, it was just too hard to resist! The Philosophy lotions are revolutionary for bathroom products as each bottle has three main usages - being either a shampoo, shower gel or bubble bath. The 'Sugar Plum Fairy' Gift Set is perfect for this time of year and gives a really girly touch to your washing routine. The set contains a medium sized bottle of this purple, shimmery lotion and also a matching lipgloss. Both have the same sweet, floral scent and these come in a lovely little box that you won't want to throw away. The best part of this is the little phrases each Philosophy bottle has on the cover and on this one is a little rhyme about fairies - very sweet indeed. 


BOOTS 'ROYAL JELLY' HAND CARE KIT



























This was one of the lovely Christmas presents I got this year from one of my friends. It's so funny as I actually was on the lookout for a little soap and hand cream duo set to place in my bathroom, so I was thrilled to get this. I think Boots produce great quality products and this "Royal Jelly" Hand Care Kit is proof of this. This cute little gem-adorned basket comes with two large bottles of product - obviously one being the hand wash and the other the hand moisturiser - and both of these smell beautiful. Very fresh yet luxurious and with extracts of honey, meaning I will get a good amount of moisture from them. These will last ages and just add a touch of glamour to my bathroom.


















PHILOSOPHY 'DUPE' - POSSIBILITY RASPBERRY PAVLOVA



























I have seen that this dupe of the famous Philosophy product was available at New Look for £2 but I actually found this at a PoundShop for £1. Some people hate the idea of dupe products but I actually like having them - it's a great way to test if a certain manufacturer is blatantly ripping you off for something with the same ingredients as most others (see my blog post on the Morrocanoil dupe here as an example of this). To be honest, I rate the actual Philosophy versions of this higher as I find the smells more appealing and they really do clean my hair and body well. However, this is a lovely bottle to have in your bathroom, it does smell wonderful and makes a great bubble bath treat. I do like a gimmick or two! Very cute.





























ROBERTO CAVALLI 'SERPENTINE' EAU DE PARFUME


I had originally sampled this years ago in good old LDN, yet when I went to the Roberto Cavalli store on Sloane Street I was told that they had taken the product back off the shelves in order to reproduce it. I didn't sample the newer version but presumed it would just be a stronger scent, so I went ahead and ordered this online. When I unboxed this and spritzed it for the first time, I was SHOCKED at just how different this was to the original. This is a full on, mature scent which is along the lines of Opium by YSL and Obsession by Calvin Klein - basically, your mum would LOVE this. It is very strong and quite woody but it does have some lighter notes which will linger on your skin, it has been described as the following;

BENEFIT 'HERVANA' BLUSHER


I've finally gotten my hands on some of the Benefit blushers. I already have Hoola in my collection, which I use during the summertime, however I needed a nice, soft blush for all other seasons. This is the newest blusher by Benefit being described as follows;

"Seeking a flush of enlightenment? Swirl on hervana... Our goodkarma face powder! Four complementary shades, lucky shell, divine peach, heavenly rose & berry delight - blend together perfectly for an orchid blossom blush. What goes around,,,comes around!"  (benefitcosmetics.co.uk)

So, I suppose the main question is, how good is it? Well, I think this blusher is wonderful for my fellow pale-skins. As with most powder blushers, you only need a tiny bit of product on your brush to apply (and with this you can easily go overboard), and when you do, you need to lightly blend, blend, blend upwards and backwards of the cheekbone area. I love the fact that you defiantly can get different effects from this product depending on how you use you brush - you could swirl just a couple of the shades on a smaller blusher brush for example - thus giving you more or less overall colour. The little brush that comes with these blushers are quite handy and can be used, so always keep them in the box - handy for on-the-go makeup. The only downside I can say about this is that it costs £23, which is pretty steep for a blusher but I suppose you are paying for the unique, iconic packaging and a great quality product so, why not splurge a little?*


*(I really love my handy photo-work in the image below, I somehow captured my Pop Art picture on my wall and reflected it into the little mirror in the box. I think it's impressive!)

CUTE LITTLE SOAP TIN FROM M & S



























When I was out doing my Christmas shopping last week, I picked up this little beauty in Marks and Spencer. I've started to collect tins and I find them really useful - this tiny one will fit my hair pins in perfectly. Inside is a gorgeously, christmassy scented rose soap, which I will probably keep for decoration in my room. This cost less than £5.00 so I think it's a great little purchase. 






























Saturday 22 December 2012

WINTERLICIOUS TAG 2012


This is the first tag I've ever done for my blog. I just love Christmas so much that I felt this was the best theme for me to discuss;


Wednesday 19 December 2012

A SNEAK PEAK AT MY MAKEUP COLLECTION (NEW MUJI STORAGE)



























I thought it would be good to finally share a little bit of my ever-expanding makeup collection with the rest of the beauty-blogging-sphere'. A few days ago, I was literally jumping with joy when I had my delivery from Muji storage arrive at my house. Until then, I was using random tins and bowls to store all my makeup in but I had always longed for a bit of the famous acrylic-ness that so many others seem to have.

I decided on a couple of items to begin with, the first was a "2 Drawer, Wide" Box and the second was a "DVD Drawer". I had also seen that you can get 3 Drawer systems, however, they wouldn't be back in stock until the start of January. Anyways, I cannot tell you all how happy I am with these boxes, the first thing I have to point out is how sturdy they are! They are rock-solid and don't look like they could break easily at all! Next up is how deep the drawers are, I had heard that the 5 Drawer system wasn't the best as the drawers were too narrow but on the one I have, they are the perfect depth. They can fit any Benefit Blusher box, for example, and any Mac products.

For the DVD Box, I thought it would be good to store my skincare bottles, hairspray cans and general taller items in upright - and this box can hold a lot of them. I also decided to put my mugs which contain brushes, pencils, mascaras etc..into this box and I think it looks really good. (I especially like my Kate and Wills mug I got in a charity shop which now holds my most used brushes!)

Finally, I've kept my nail polishes in a beautiful glass bowl I got from a thrift store for about £1. It keeps them all together and I think it fits in with the look of my other boxes well. I do plan on getting an acrylic nail varnish holder from ebay soon, so watch this space for an update!






































NARS - ANDY WARHOL COLLECTION



























Finally, I've gotten my hands on some of this incredible collection from Nars! The Andy Warhol line was released a few months ago to rave reviews for its' beauty and quality. I have yet to find a collection of cosmetics as lovely as these, which also includes silver makeup bags and Warhol's infamous Pop Art picture embedded onto different eyeshadows. I plan on getting more of this line soon but for now I'm in love with this adorable box. The cover has 6 silver and black images of Andy Warhol himself which has been taken from some of The Factory's work in Photo Booth. Inside, you receive four medium-sized nail varnishes, which all have a ton of pigmentation;

1. Back Room - A true luxurious black shade with a lot of shine. 
2. Chelsea Girls - A nude shade with dusky pink undertones, this works perfectly with a natural look.
3. Soup Cans - A vivid red, this is a very bright, mature shade which will give your nails some "wow" factor. 
4. Silver Factory - Full on silver with a lot of delicate shimmer throughout. 

This set also comes with a little information booklet about Warhol's Art and the thought process of Nars boss, Francois Nars.





























Tuesday 18 December 2012

NARS DEEP THROAT - CULT BLUSHER



























I have finally gotten my hands on the infamous NARS Deep Throat Blusher*. If you haven't heard about this blusher then....you must be living under a rock somewhere! Only kidding! This along with it's equally famous sister-blusher Orgasm, is one of NARS most successful and iconic products. This is a beautiful pink shade with peach undertones which blends so beautifully giving you a healthy flush of colour. This shade is wearable both day or night making it the most universal coloured blush I own. I have also always adored the packaging for Nars products, it's such great quality (even though it can and WILL get a bit dirty). I'm in love with this!
Yes, the names of these types of cosmetic are slightly rude but it's all very lighthearted and fun.

STILA CHRISTMAS EYESHADOW PALETTE


























I purchased this along with my free gift from Space.NK that I got for my birthday. I was amazed at how beautiful the stack of Christmas Boxes was in the store - if I could've had everything I would've - however, I settled on this lovely palette first. I have seen this advertised quite a bit and to be honest, I think this is one of the stand out beauty gifts of the year. The Stila Christmas Eyeshadow Palette is shaped like a snowflake and contains 12 different eyeshadows, a mixture of both shimmer and matte colours. I think this palette has one of the best neutral colour arrays I think I've ever seen, the shades are just so wearable for all different skin tones. This cost £15 which I think is quite cheap for how good it actually is. I can't wait to start using it.





























CULT MAKEUP BRUSH - BOBBI BROWN POWDER BRUSH



























I've had this brush for about 6 years now and it still works just as well as the day I bought it. This is the Powder Brush which I used to use with my MAC Powder Foundation but nowadays, I can use this with so many other cosmetics from blusher to highlighters - making this an all-rounder item to have in you makeup collection. The brush is so soft and is a nice dome-shape, which makes application super easy and precise. Having this brush is so handy as it does all the blending for you with such ease. Love this.













LATEST NAIL VARNISH PURCHASES - ESSIE AND CUTEX



























I feel as though I've been going a little overboard with purchasing nail varnishes recently. My collection seems to have tripled in a few short weeks. These are the latest;

1. ESSIE Nail Varnish in Orange, It's Obvious - My first Essie nail varnish! Yay! I got this along with the other hugely-discounted products from cheapsmells.com. I have heard so much about these from other beauty bloggers and was so pleased to buy my first one in such a vibrant colour. This is as orange as you can get, it's very vibrant and dramatic yet looks so good on my nails. The consistency of this polish is brilliant, you only need one coat to get full impact, so that tells me it's very highly pigmented. The brush is verging on the thick side, which is my favourite brush style. Overall, I can see why people rave about these. I think this is only the start of my Essie love affair.

2. Cutex Colour Quick Nail Polish in 77 Gold Stripes - I got these Cutex polishes from my local charity shop, they had a bunch donated to them and they were priced at 99p each. This was the first colour that got my attention, it's a nice, bright yellow with some gold undertones which is very uplifting and fresh. Yellow reminds me of summertime and so this colour just brightens up my whole look. The brushes on these are long and thin which will give you more precision if you are not the best at applying varnish. I used about 2-3 coats of this to get the full colour.

3. Cutex Colour Quick Nail Polish in Cool Crimson 37 - A deep, musky red colour, this polish is perfect for christmas time. These polishes also dry very quickly. Great if you are in a hurry.

4. Cutex Colour Quick Nail Polish in Camouflage 78 - A great christmas tree green colour which is very unique and perfect for this season. This also has some shimmer which catches the light wonderfully.




























LUSH MINI HAUL



























I love LUSH. It's as simple as that. I love that smell that hits you as you are walking towards the store. I love the design and interiors and the generosity of the sales people. The samples? The cute packaging? The fact I can go on a bit of an ego trip as I feel I'm helping save the world through natural goods usage? All LOVE!
So, I have now decided that since I've tried probably every bath bomb, body bar and play dough there is, it was time for me to try some goods for the face. I was always rather scared to put this stuff on my face as I was convinced I would have irritation or that the product wouldn't do anything beneficial. Basically, I live by the motto "If it doesn't have salicylic acid, then I aint using it". However, I must admit I have been pleasantly surprised by these;

CALVIN KLEIN LIPSTICKS AND SWATCHES



























I have a confession to make. I think I've "beat the system" with getting these lipsticks. I only payed £2.50 for each (with free p&p) online at Cheapsmells.com! Before this review, let me tell you the utter pleasure it has been buying my christmas gifts from this wonder-website. I had originally heard about this site from that gorgeous model, Ruth Crilly**, who runs her own successful YouTube beauty channel, A Model Recommends. She said about some Agent Provocateur items you could get for over 60% off, so when I went to the site I was amazed at the utter choice of brilliantly discounted cosmetics they had! Thank you so much Ruth!
So far, I've bought these lipsticks, a 100ml EDP Jimmy Choo for 40%off (for my mum, shhh!), an 80% off aftershave for an uncle, a 70% off Essie nail varnish (review coming soon) and a few other things. They deliver so quick and there is no P&P to pay! I can only imagine how amazing the January sales will be on this site!

Now, onto the lipsticks. Besides Obsession, these are the only other Calvin Klein products I've ever bought but now I think I'm going to have to branch out even more. These are great lipsticks. First off, the packaging is so cool and sleek with the trademark "CK" on the top, which will make them stand out amongst my other lip colours. I've got two colours which are perfect for different looks and occasions;

FREE GIFT AT SPACE.NK (BIRTHDAY'S ONLY)



























It was my birthday a few days ago and as I was going through my emails, I came across one from Space.NK wishing me a Happy Birthday, which I thought was cute enough. Then when I opened said email I had a notice telling me that they would give me a free gift if I print out the email and take it to my local store. I don't think this has happened with any other company before, so I was so excited and made my way to Space.NK. When I arrived the lovely sales girls took my print of the email and quickly put my gift in a wrapped little box and I was on my way. When I got home and looked at the presents I was really happy,

1. WEI Royal Ming Firming and Hydrating Cream - Online at Space.NK the price for a full size of this costs £74! The website states;

"A rich and luxurious cream formulated with no less than 18 potent herbs that combine to deliver balance and a smooth, youthful luminosity to dry, ageing and lined skin. Dating back 600 years, women of the Royal Ming Dynasty used this herbal remedy to help maintain their silky, porcelain-like complexions. Today, its all-in-one formula firms and intensely hydrates with its restorative blend of active botanicals."


I have pretty high hopes for this little thing and I will defiantly use it sparingly!

2. WEI Tibetan Chrysanthemum Correcting Eye Treatment Pads - Online this retails at £46. These are like the luxurious version of putting cucumber over your eyes to reduce redness, puffiness and give moisture;

"The perfect antidote to a late night or hectic lifestyle - one application of these extract-rich correcting eye treatment pads diminishes puffy eyes and dark circles. After just ten minutes eyes look noticeably fresher and brighter, and ready to face the world."


I will save these for a special occasion, for when I'm looking to give my eyes the Royal Treatment - so to speak!

Overall, I'm so happy at these gifts. It really made my birthday extra special and I think it's a fabulous PR/marketing move for a company - as I did end up buying a little something else from the store that day. More places should have this concept!

LATEST FROM SOAP & GLORY



























I've been continuing in my quest for a bigger and better Soap & Glory collection. This time is a little travel sized bottle of their shampoo, Glad Hair Day. It claims to be a daily shampoo, which would give me the impression that it is gentle enough for everyday use and shouldn't dry out my hair. I've used it once and it works well, the best part is the smell - divine - as is all of this brands products! Recently, I have been doing a double shampoo to really deep clean my hair and I think this would work perfectly for that. I will use it all up and then do another review.

ANOTHER AMAZING CHARITY SHOP FIND! LAURA MERCIER



























Yes, I found this little gem in a local charity shop! And it cost me £2.00! Such a lovely, little decadent item in a beautiful glass jar. And it comes with the little wooden spool which will give my bath time just a little bit more luxury - perfect after all this Christmas shopping madness!
I have a feeling that in January there may be an increase in unwanted boxed beauty gifts going straight to the local Oxfam's et al. I will be on the lookout...



























I HOPE SANTA BRINGS ME A NEW CAMERA FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR... I'M SO JEALOUS OF HOW AMAZING MY FELLOW BEAUTY BLOGGER'S PICTURES ARE!

Monday 10 December 2012

No.7 HAUL - WITH 'DECO DARLING' GIFT SET



























I did a little pre-christmas shopping yesterday and decided to treat myself to some of the No.7 'Deco Darling' products. These are limited edition cosmetics which have been created by the wonderful Lisa Eldridge. I have been lusting after the eye palette, however, when I tried to to get it both online and in-store I was informed that it was SOLD OUT everywhere! NO! I really hope it comes back in stock soon as I MUST HAVE IT!
Instead I settled for one of the collection's nail polishes along with a No.7 basic polish and, with the current offer at Boots, when you buy ANY two No.7 items you get a free 'Deco Darling' gift worth £26. That defiantly made up for not having the palette. (well, almost)



























1. No.7 'Stay Perfect' Nail Colour in Speakeasy - I'm a fan of the these large-sized bottles of this (10ml) meaning you will definitely get your moneys worth. Costing £5.99, these nail polishes are great quality, the brush is quite thick making application easier and more even. I usually need two coats of these to get full impact. I really like the colour of this polish, it is a very dark grey rather than a full-on black and is filled with shimmer. This will give your nails a decadent look for Christmas or New Years.

2. No.7 'Stay Perfect' Nail Colour in Milan - This was the second item I selected so I could claim my free gift. I haven't got many pink shades of polish and this is a beautiful colour. It's a very mature shade of pink, a dusky rose colour, and also contains more of that lovely shimmer.



























FREE 'DECO DARLING' GIFT SET

As I've said, you get this free gift with any two purchases at No.7 and I'm loving them more than my polishes!

3. No.7 Eyeshadow - This is a teeny little compact which will fit perfectly into a clutch bag, making it handy for touch ups when you're at those upcoming parties. This is very dark, an almost-black-but-not-quite-black black shade. It has some dark green undertones which are very unusual but incredibly unique and this also has lots of pigmentation. The glitter in this means you should take extra care when applying it in case of fallout.

4. No.7 Extra Definition Mascara in Black - Another small, travel-sized product, this mascara has a very different type of wand that has longer bristles on one side but very small one on the other. It's great for getting all the lashes - right into the roots - and especially the under eye lashes.

5. No.7 'Stay Perfect' Lipstick in Classic Rose - This is my favourite item of the whole lot! This gorgeous full-sized lipstick is a beautiful colour, a pink with subtle peach undertones, and goes on so so smooth. I usually layer up a couple of coats of lipstick - blotting in-between each - to make it last longer and this works great in that way. It's quit sheer as well so you can build it up or wear it very thinly. Even the packaging of this is very chic, I'm in love.

6. No.7 'Stay Perfect' Metallic Eyes Pencil  - This matches the eyeshadow in the gift set and so, when these are used together, you will have beautiful dramatic looking eyes. The liner will work well on its own as well though. Definitely a nighttime liner.*

*I was also given a little "How-To" card with my purchases which shows me how to use the 'Deco Darling' palette as well as the liner! I will search far and wide for this palette! I WILL!




























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