Beautiful Aspect

Chanel Rouge Coco Chintz and FOTN

2012-01-16T12:34:00.002Z

Lately I have been buying lipsticks like they are going out of fashion and one of my recent purchases is Chanel's Chintz, a light peachy pink that I am absolutely loving right now! I really like Chanel lipsticks at the moment as they give a gorgeous satin finish and dont dry my lips out.

I have found this shade so hard to photograph with a lack of decent daylight so I may have to do this post again at some stage.

It is a lovely pale peachy pink, but on my lips it definitely pulls more pink. I thought I was going to end up with some kind of muted or nude lips, but that wasn't the case at all unless I heavily smothered it all over my lips. its nice and natural looking.

We just went out last night with a few friends to the pub, I didn't want to put too much effort into the makeup, so Chintz went very nicely with my look for the night.

I recreated this look this morning so you can see what it looks like in the daylight.

What Chanel lipsticks do you love or want?

Weleda Pomegranate Body Oil

2011-12-21T16:05:00.001Z

During the winter months, the skin on my body seems to really suffer and become dry and flaky, to combat this I prefer to use body oils instead of lotions or butters as I find they are lighter on the skin and give it a much more youthful appearance.

I have been favouring this particular body oil for a while now and I discovered this morning that's it is totally finished... How did I not notice that?! After a shower I normally put a but of this on, I try to use it sparingly but sometimes I always ended up pouring far too much out, which meant my skin was too 'glowy' for my liking. Also, I learnt by my own mistakes, don't let your hair down during the day when you have this on, if your hair touches your skin, it's going to get greasy.

Sometimes I prefer to put this on at night, when I wake up I have the softest skin I have ever felt! Until I shower of course. This is a regenerating body oil so over time it is meant to help with skin regeneration if your skin is looking a little less than glowing and beautiful. I love how my skin looks when I apply this, I would go as far as to make sure I put it on before a night out! with no glitter or agin met particles in sight, just my own moisturised skin.

I will definitely repurchase this oil, but until then I would like to try out a few more to see how they compare.

Do any of you wear body oils? Any recommendations for me?!

30 Day Ab Challenge! Results...

2011-12-01T15:58:00.000Z

Yea so I tried my best.... I am not where I want to be but with a bit more healthy eating and working out I can get there... I know I can!

30 Days of healthy eating and regular exercise leads to this.

Before:

Now:

I have noticed that my belly button is a bit more noticeable... my "muffin tops" are not so big and im getting a bit of definition. To me looking at this, I dont see much of a difference, but its showing in my jeans... I have room!

I have been eating healthy food, drinking a lot of water, eating plenty of fibre and trying to not eat carbs after 3pm... thats probably the hardest part, I dont know what to eat thats not potato or pasta related for dinner. I have been 'cheating' by eating rubbish every now and again as I dont want to go all out healthy, lose weight then ease back into eating the foods I really like and put on all the weight again.

I have been upping my cardio more than anything as it is the one thing I struggle most with and doing Tracy Andersons Mat Workout regularly, around 3-4 times a week. It is simply amazing, the shape of my body is totally changing, I cant believe it! I give all the credit to her workout to help trim down my hips and muffin tops.

Now Christmas is looming, its going to be tough to keep this belly where it is... too much food flying about. Its Ambers Birthday first then Christmas and Boxing Day. I am learning now to recognise when I am full, but both sides of our families make MASSIVE amounts of food I know I will end up offending by hardly making a dent in my food. Has to be done though.

How do you all survive the Christmas period? Do you eat then just work it off afterwards or eat less?

FOTD: Christmas Shopping!

2011-11-30T22:03:00.000Z

I went shopping today to get the majority of my Christmas presents for family and their kids... is it just me or does anyone else find it really difficult to buy for their Grandfathers?

We were going for Lunch then spending the rest of the day shopping, Im not sure Amber appreciated being in the buggy most of the time, but it had to be done!

My face was pretty simple today, I didn't want to over do the eyes in case it rained (its been bucketing here lately) but we spent most of our time in Fairhill shopping centre, Ballymena is a great shopping spot though you can get everything you need in one place... Camerons. Most of Ambers Santa presents have been bought and more is on the way. Having her Birthday and Christmas so close together is such a hassle!

Face

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B30

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Natural Tan

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC20

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus

NARS Bronzer in Laguna

MAC Blush in Plum Foolery

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

MAC Eyeshadow, All that Glitters

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner, Zero

MAC Eyeshadow, Carbon

Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara, Black

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Lips

ELF Lip conditioner in Peaceful Pink

Very simple and my makeup stayed put all day despite almost getting getting blown off my feet and rained upon, Double Wear mascara is great if you really need a mascara to stay put, but its a bitch to remove at the end of the night, I am not looking forward to that.

I am also loving plummy cheeks at the moment, the last few weeks I have been wearing Plum Foolery regularly.

I have to say though that my love for new makeup is dwindling... Absolutely nothing is catching my eye at the moment, it saddens me. My collection has grown so large though that I fear I might actually have to hit pan/finish something to regain my love and excitement of buying something new. I am enjoying using products in my collection though that I originally overlooked.

Hows your Christmas shopping going? Have you even started? x

Current Workout DVD's

2011-11-12T13:31:00.000Z

As a bit of follow up to my 30 Day Ab Challenge, I thought I would do some quick reviews of some workout DVD's that I have on rotation at the moment and that I am absolutely loving!

Jillian Michaels

Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism

This is basically my cardio workout, I have only had this DVD for just over a week but in that time I have used it around three times. The first time I did it, it was so tough, like I was almost ready to pass out it was that bad. I have next to no cardio fitness to speak of so I think I found it more difficult than it should have been. I had to take around 4 puffs of my inhaler just to get through it! I did it though and I felt much better for it.

Jillians method in this DVD is a lot different, and better than, the 30 Day Shred, for one thing its twice as long (40 mins). She focuses a lot more on cardio using mainly kickboxing moves together with squats and no weights... yep... you use your own good old fashioned body weight to whip you into shape.

I can hear my heart in my ears, I am sweating like I have never sweated before and my lung capacity seems to have got bigger after the third time of doing this, it doesnt seem so much of a struggle, but its definitely still a struggle. A winner in my books and cardio is best for weight loss so I am hoping I will shed a few pounds while keeping fit.

Also something to mention... when I do this workout, I am absolutely STARVING by the end of it. The first time I worked out to this, I honestly couldn't seem to fill my belly. I worked out in the morning and I ate over 2000 calories during the course of the day, there wasn't enough fruit and veg in the house at the time so I resulted to a lot of carbs, probably the worst thing when im trying to not bloat out so much. So now I do it in the evening and have a really good breakfast.

Jillian Michaels

No More Trouble Zones

Another DVD that I have only had for a short period of time, I have used this once so there isn't much to report on, but there is plenty of weights, squats and Ab work used in this. This is a very good strength workout and one that I am dying to try again soon as I found that my muffin tops and arms benefited most. This is another very sweaty workout but it seems to be worth it, I don't want to do it too often though as I don't want to bulk up anywhere... man arms are not sexy to me! but at 37, Jillian looks amazing so I definitely trust her workouts.

Tracy Anderson

Mat Workout

I save the best for last. Honestly the best workout that I have ever found! Tracy uses your own body weight and hits you with completely different rotations that your not used to. Her goal is to pull in all of your larger muscles and use your smaller muscles instead to create a longer, leaner figure like a dancer would have.

First she warms you up with some ballet moves which aren't difficult at all then you move onto the leg portion where you stand behind a chair and do different leg lifts. It can get quite monotonous though, but if you keep your whole body moving and not just your legs it gets a lot easier and fun to do. Next is a standing Ab portion which is AMAZING. you basically move your abs about like your dancing, moving your ribs from side to side... its hard to describe but it really works!

The arms! oh god the arms... I have never experienced a burn like it! theres no bicep curls or triceps used, instead its just keeping your arms up in a "T" and moving them all about in different directions and dancing movements. My advice if you get this DVD is to keep your arms up, it really pays off *pain is temporary!*, also move your lower body as much as you can, it makes keeping your arms up a lot easier to cope with. She then moves onto an arm portion with weights which is a lot easier, but still hard.

Then you have a mat leg workout and then your abs, the abs are brilliant, it burns like mad but its so good afterwards my abs hurt so much the next day but at least I know my body is changing for the better. Tracy recommends that you do her workout 4-6 times a week to get the full benefit from it. As there is no cardio involved you dont have to wait aaaages after dinner to avoid a stitch, so its easy to take 40 minutes out of your day to do this.

Fitness isn't exactly my thing, I don't really know much about it, but I am slowly learning new things. Im sorry these reviews don't go into any technical detail, but I would definitely recommend these DVD's for general fitness and even weight loss.

30 Day Ab Challenge!

2011-10-31T10:35:00.000Z

Following my latest post, I will be taking part in a 30 Day Ab Challenge that I literally just found out about this morning! I hopped onto Thru The Blue and learnt all I could about it.

Basically its a 30 day Challenge to motivate you and make commitments along the way to firm up your abs or just to lose a bit of weight. People are posting "Before" pictures and also motivational pictures to help them along the way and I will be doing the same!

here is my Before picture:

I am hoping that posting this will motivate me more to achieve my goals, you are all following so I have no excuse!

My commitments will be:

1. To workout at least 5 times a week, cardio and strength along with yoga.

2. I will not make exceptions, as soon as my daughter goes to bed, I start working out.

3. I will be cutting down on carbs, but not cutting them out all together… im from Ireland, its impossible :p

4. I will stop eating junk food and getting take outs, instead I will cook healthy versions at home.

5. I will be getting more active with my daughter, going for plenty of walks and getting out and about.

6. I will go to bed earlier, a 12am bedtime is not acceptable for me.

7. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables.

8. I don’t normally drink alcohol, but my massive cups of tea around 4 times a day aren’t good, so green tea it will be from now on!

9. I will eat a healthy breakfast EVERY morning.

10. I will look after myself and not over do it, getting myself injured or ill wont help me any.

Short but sweet and they are realistic for me, I don't want to make all these massive claims that I am going to struggle with and fall at the first hurdle.

Motivational Picture!!

This is Tracy Anderson, her body is perfect to me! I am sure there is some air brushing there, but I just think her body looks so feminine and not bulky.

Are you taking part in the 30 Day Challenge?! Link me to your posts!

Getting my ass into gear.

2011-10-29T12:52:00.003+01:00

Lately I have been feeling absolutely horrible, having just got over the flu and just generally feeling really lazy the past few months/years I thought it was time to actually think about my general fitness and well being. I have been letting myself go since Amber was born, nearly 2 years of not doing any excersise and thinking that I could still eat whatever I wanted.

This is me around 3 years ago before I fell pregnant.
Height: 5ft3
Weight: 6.7stone, 42kg or 94lbs

I always felt I was a little too thin, but I always ate whatever I wanted and could never put any weight on no matter how hard I tried. Peoples comments of "oh I feel like I'm going to break you" or "do you not eat?" really got me down, you would never say to a larger person "do you ever stop eating?" would you now?

Once I became pregnant and didn't know it, I thought finally my metabolism was slowing down, but no I just had a baby belly. while I was pregnant I literally ate for two which was totally the wrong thing to do, I went from a mere 6 Stone 7lbs to 10stone 9lbs in the course of 9 months... Only around 8.8lbs of that was actual baby at the end. once I had Amber and lost all my water retention I was down to around 9 stone

After seeing a recent picture of myself after a meal out with a few friends I was actually horrified how much I didn't look like me any more.

Weight: 8.5 Stone, 120lbs or 54kg

I actually look like I have boobs...

Fair enough I am wearing a patterned top but I just look incredibly wide. My face, neck and chest look quite big for me. I simply just don't feel like me any more and I've lost some confidence along the way.

So now it's time to bust out the fitness DVD's and lose some of this flab and get some toning going on. I never want to go back to my former self, but I want to lose around 10-11lbs just to feel better about myself and my body. But I probably won't go by what weight I am, but how I look and feel about myself (without going overboard).

I hate the gym so all of my weight loss and toning is going to be done at home. Eating properly and regular excersise is key for me I think. Some of the DVD's I am currently breaking in are:

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

The Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout.

Zumba Toning and Cardio.

I also have an Eliptical Trainer which I will use in the mornings. I have also purchased a few more DVD's that I can't wait to use. Once Amber goes to bed its workout central in my house!

I will do some reviews on the DVD's to see how they are working for me.

Do any of you follow fitness DVD's or do you prefer the gym?

W7 Mega Matte Lip Gloss.

2011-10-13T19:45:00.003+01:00

After reading Perfectly Polished blog on 'The Matte Factor Liquid Lipsticks' from Miners it struck some curiosity in me and made me want them immediately. After trawling their website for these beautiful colours, I had to give up, I couldnt find them. So I did a bit of a search and a few blogs turned up with the W7 Mega Matte Lipglosses. I found them on Fragrance Direct for £1.99 each. Bargain!

Here they are!

Red

Coral

Rose

They feel so great on the lips, not drying and they wear off very evenly through a cup of coffee and a chinese meal. Just don't put a lipgloss over the top... they crack and go a bit gunky looking, but they are perfect if you are after a matte lip... its what their designed for after all!

I had to make the shade names up by the way as there is no shade names on the tubes, strange! I have noticed there is a lot of different names for each shade... so whatever, I will go for the simple names! :)

Do you love a matte lip or are you a bit of a gloss person?

YSL Rouge Voluptes in Rose Culte and Provocative Pink!

2011-10-03T10:02:00.001+01:00

Cheapsmells.com were doing a deal a while back on YSL Rouge Voluptes for £13.95 so I had to jump at the chance to order a couple and see what all the fuss was about.

I dont suit nude colours, I just find they really wash me out and I look a bit dead even with tan on, so I opted for two bright colours instead. Tommy doesnt like either of them... so I need your opinions on whether these suit me or not, and please be brutally honest!

Rose Culte

Provocative Pink

These are sooooo creamy! They just slide onto my lips and give such a massive colour pay off with one swipe. They wear really well too, well they practically stain my lips so they wear off evenly and last through 2 cups of tea!

What do you think? Do they suit me or should I have chosen a bit more wisely? Do you have any of these shades?

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre: Epatant

2011-09-30T15:36:00.001+01:00

At the moment I am craving green eyeshadows and once I had heard about the new Chanel Autumn range, I had to check out the new Illusion D'Ombre colours. I had read a few reviews on these before making a purchase and I decided to go for the colour Epatant which is a green/silver/taupe shade. Hard to describe but here it is!

The texture of these is unlike anything I have ever tried. They feel cool like a liquid, feels like a mousse and a powder all in one go. It feels absolutely gorgeous though! It comes with a small brush to use, but I prefer to apply cream products with my fingers on my eyes as it gives the biggest colour payoff.

Here is a quick FOTD using Epatant with satin taupe in the outer corner and crease and carbon on the upper lash line.

It looks a bit glittery, but I hate glitter and this looks to me a bit more metallic. Theres no fall out throughout the day which is a major plus for me!

Epatant is a dream to blend and blends very well with other shadows. Its great for the day as well as night, its a gorgeous shade of green. It lasts all day without creasing on me, but I tend to always wear an eyeshadow primer no matter what I have on my eyes, its just second nature now!

I will hopefully be purchasing Illusoire which is a purple shade or Mirifique, the black. Can anyone recommend which one to get?!

Did any of you purchase an Illusion D'Ombre?!

FOTD: Wannabe Blade Runner

2011-09-27T13:03:00.001+01:00

I have wanted NARS eyeshadow duo in Blade Runner for the longest time, after trawling the internet for hours I realised that I have similar colours in my collection.

For reference, this image was taken from Temptalia

The colours are more like a blackened emerald green and a mahogany/copper shade. Perfect for the autumn months coming in! So I hunted out the palette I used in my last FOTD from Estee Lauder and got to work.

Face

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC30

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer Natural Tan

Korres Multi Vitamin Powder MV2

NARS Laguna Bronzer

Estee Lauder Nude Nuance Blush

HD Brows Ash Brown

Eyes

Estee Lauder Sage Duo (the darkest green)

Estee Lauder Copper Penny

Estee Lauder Chocolate

MAC FLuidline Blacktrack

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero

Estee Lauder Double Wear Curling Mascara

Lips

Estee Lauder Lipstick in Elizabeth Pink

Here is a picture in daylight

Close enough to the colours of Blade Runner dont you think?! The Sage Duo you can still get from Lauder by the way, but in their new range of colours there is a very dark emerald green which would have been a closer match than the Sage duo in my eyes.

This green and copper pairing is a welcome change to my usual browns and neutral colours.

Do you have any favourite colours for Autumn/Winter?

FOTD: Mocha Cup

2011-09-25T09:35:00.002+01:00

I rediscovered an old Estee Lauder Palette that I have and in it is one of my most favourite eyeshadow colours Mocha Cup. It is unfortunately part of their old line of eyeshadows, but I think you can still get it in outlet places like their CCO or other websites. It is a beautiful all over lid colour and looks AMAZING on blue eyed folk. its a shimmery blue-brown colour, its just love.

Face

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC30

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer Beige

Korres Matt Powder in MV2

NARS Laguna Bronzer

MAC Stereo Rose MSF

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow in Mocha Cup

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow in Honey Drop

MAC Fluidline in Dipdown

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Whiskey

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Lips

MAC Lipstick in Sweetie

I looooove this shade, it looks so good on, but looks like nothing in the pan. Its a beautiful duo-chrome colour.

Is there any other great duo colours I need to try?!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation Review

2011-09-23T10:23:00.000+01:00

If you have been a long term reader of mine, you will know how much I love foundations. In my eyes if you don't have a great base the rest of your makeup just doesn't quite fall into place. I am always on the lookout for the best foundations out there to give me the best base possible. Recently I purchased my first Chanel foundation and Hanna (@girlabouttownx) requested a review of it, so here you go!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in shade B30 Beige Sable

As always, here is my 'before' picture, bare faced with a bit of self tan on it.

Sorry about that...

I had heard that the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation was quite watery, but to me it wasnt watery at all! You definitely need to give it a shake as it tends to separate, but to me its more like a gel texture than a watery one. The packaging states that this foundation works best when applied with fingers so I gave that a go first, even though I hate using my fingers to apply foundation.

The texture as I described is more of a gel texture, but it is so lightweight that I have to tan my face under it or it will basically take to the colour my skin is underneath. The colour I have here is B30 Beige Sable and my skin is around an NC30 at the moment with fake tan on.

Applied with fingers. 2 layers.

As I suspected I didnt like applying it with my fingers. Dont get me wrong, its a beautiful texture and blends evenly, but for me it just doesnt give the coverage that I like. If you have perfect skin, this method is for you!

Next I took off all the foundation and then applied it with my Crown Duo Fibre stippling brush, similar to the MAC 187.

Applied with a stippling brush. 2 layers.

Just the right amount of coverage that I love, making me look flawless without looking cakey. Theres a gorgeous glow from within that doesnt look at all greasy to start with. Throughout the day it does tend to look a little bit greasy around the sides of my nose and chin, even though I dont get greasy there with any other foundations. That was a bit of a disappointment, but a bit of blotting powder solved that easily. I would say this would be geared more towards the Normal/ Dry skin types as an oily skin type might notice a lot of oil breaking through.

The great thing about Vitalumiere Aqua is that it doesn't break me out! So many have in the past, clogging up my pores and making me look horrible, but this one is perfect, great for the days out shopping etc. I wouldnt wear this for a night out though, a bit too luminous and not full coverage enough for me!

I finished this foundation off with a bit of Korres Matt powder, some bronzer and blush and there you have it! You can also see my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua FOTD here where my skin is an NC20/25 showing that even if I dont have as much tan on, it will still blend easily and doesnt look out of place.

Have any of you tried this foundation yet? What did you think of it?

Laurens Way Tanning Mousse

2011-09-22T11:40:00.005+01:00

I love tanning, fact. I am currently stocking up on my tans for the autumn and winter months, the tought of an all year round tan sounds awesome! My skin looks better, I look slimmer, my stretch marks don't look too bad and I am always ready to go out on the town should the need arise!

I bought the Laurens Way tanning kit on their website around a week ago and I was waiting for my current tan (Xen Tan) to wear off before I could give this a real go.

The Tanning kit consists of a Lotion and a Mousse for £20... not too shabby! The mousse was the first to be tried out and I have taken the below pictures at night, in my room with the light and flash on as it was the only way that showed my skin true to colour. I didn't tan my face, hence the headless pictures.

BEFORE

This mousse is like no other I have tried, when I squirt it onto my mitt, it seems very dark... I was stupid enough to use two pumps for one arm. Dont make that mistake, its not worth it and your arm turns green because theres so much on there. I quickly had to try and even it all out before it dried. and it dries fast, I almost had a complete disaster. I had to change mitts half way thorough because the mousse seeped through my Xen Tan mitt and all over my hands... Damn you crappy Xen Tan mitts! Anyway...

DURING

Beautiful colour right? So olive toned and dark. I love my tan dark, plus I already have a bit of a left over Turkey tan. I will put the same top on to show you how the colour looks... gross I know, but in the interest of science... and this review, I'm going to do it.

AFTER

There is a definite difference in colour in real life, I have gone from an NC25 to an NC30/35, pretty good going!

My face is NC25 for reference, I could definitely do with it being darker.

At £20 for the tanning kit, this is an absolute bargain! I also used the code tan456 to get £5 off the tanning kit, so I bought 2 sets! Why not eh?!... Click here to go to her tanning products! I hope the code works for you... if not... Sorry!

FOTD: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

2011-09-21T12:13:00.000+01:00

I had lost the will to blog for a while. I had nothing to write about, looking at makeup didn't and still doesn't really interest me now. I have found my HG skin care routine and I bought a bunch of new foundations... that's all I really have to blog about. Sad really. I will probably write my skincare post tonight, but until then all I could think of was to do a face of the day.

I decided to give my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua another go, I used it with my fingers a few days ago and really didnt like the look of it. Today I tried it with a stippling brush, I really like the result!

Face

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B30 Sable

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Natural Tan

MAC MSF Natural in Medium

W7 Bronzer in Honolulu

NARS Blush in Deep Throat

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Shadow in Sin

Urban Decay Shadow in Toasted

Urban Decay Shadow in Hustle

MAC Shadow in Carbon

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Zero

Benefit Eye Bright

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Maxfactor Masterpiece Max Mascara

Lips

Chanel Rouge Coco in Camélia

So for me Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua definitely gives me better coverage and a smoother look with a stippling brush than it does with my fingers. I will do a full review soon though!

I also blow dried my hair today for the first time in over a year! I like the volume it gives... but I'm not all that fussed on the frazzled looking ends. I think I need a good heat protector, any suggestions?

FOTD: Smokey Eye

2011-09-18T13:02:00.000+01:00

It has been a long time since I have attempted a smokey eye, I don't think I have picked a very good time to do it because my left eye is all bloodshot and feels really bruised today! It feels like someone has punched me in the night... or elbowed me....hmm.

Face

Korres Silicone Free Primer

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC25

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer Natural Tan

NYX Blush Natural

Chanel Bronze Universal

HD Brows (Totally used the wrong colour)

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Buck, Hustle, Virgin

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil Zero

Maybelline One by One Mascara

Lips

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick Rose Pomponne

I think I should have bought the Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 instead of 25, its looking a bit light, but when I think about it I have fake tan over my natural tan so I am a little darker than normal on the body! Itll be grand for Winter hopefully! I am still trying to decide if I like this foundation or not... I cant get it to look as flawless/full coverage as most people which is annoying. I will keep trying though!

How do you apply your Studio Fix Fluid?

Wedding Pictures!

2011-09-12T18:26:00.001+01:00

I was flicking through some pictures from the wedding, I still dont have that many, but I have enough to make my own wee album. I thought you might like to see a few more from my special day!

This is a picture of the fireplace that we got married in front of. The fire was lit and it was so cosy and warm inside... I dont think Tommy would agree though since I was 15 minutes late down from my room! haha!

Amber wouldnt walk down the aisle with me, so I had to carry her the rest of the way then plop her down on the floor to run amuck.

Just a snap of my bridesmaid and me, I loved her dress... and mine of course!

This is my mum and little bro, he played the piano for us before and after the ceremony, it was absolutely beautiful! :)

Us looking at a few pictures of the day so far.

Our cake. There was a few issues with this, I wasnt very happy with the end result as it was nothing like I had described to the cake maker. She had to make last minute adjustments the night before as she managed to make the "pearls" bright fluro pink and they were absolutely massive! Not the ivory/beige small beads that I had wanted! But it was just going to get eaten, so whatever :)

I like this picture, even though I have the weirdest look on my face I like how my foundation looks. And Amber is being sneaky trying to get some coke.

And now for a few random snaps:

Thanks for looking! :) xx

Haul!

2011-09-11T14:39:00.000+01:00

I havnt written a haul post in such a long time, I have no idea if people still read these or not, but I will go ahead anyway!

Foundations!

My favourite thing to buy... and I bought a lot of them! too many probably... oh well!

By Terry Lumiere Volutée
I bought 2 shades in this as I wanted to use Sunny Beige for my wedding day and Natural Beige when I don't have fake tan on. I LOVE this foundation, seriously, you all need to experience this on your skin, it feels so amazing and you will look absolutely flawless! The only thing I will say is that it seems to run out very quickly!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

I gave in to the hype and decided to go for Studio Fix Fluid, I have heard that it breaks people out, but so far so good for me. I just need to work out how to apply it properly! I bought NC25 for when I fake tan, I hope I dont end up orange though!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua
This is another one that I have been dying to try properly, a sachet from a magazine doesn't cut it sometimes! B30 Sable seems to be a perfect colour for me.

Misha Perfect Cover BB Cream

With all the hype on BB creams these days, I thought I may as well try them properly with a brand that everyone seems to love. I bought shades 21 and 23 and I have to say they look quite grey to me? I will hopefully get to try them a lot over winter, but I love the fact they have an SPF of 42 in them!

Korres Bronzing Powder

I bought this in Sunglow Light as I was hoping it would be perfect for the winter months ahead. It is a really light bronzer, perfect for very light skin tones.

Xen Tan Luxe Face

I always like to tan my face, but I cant stand to tan my face with my body tanner, so I opt to always use one that is meant for the face.

Tweezerman Tweezers
I have a mini one of these already, but its somehow gone blunt, I hope it doesnt happen again with this full sized pair!

Love Letter Solid Perfume and Body Butter
This is such a gorgeous smell! Jasmine and vanilla, perfect for me! I bought these from The Green Grocery

Alpha H Balancing Cleanser
I have heard great things about this cleanser, I am currently using the Alpa H Triple Action Cleasner and I find it a little bit drying some days, so I am interested to see how this differs.

Alpha H Liquid Gold
This is a repurchase, I love this stuff! I will buy it again and again.

Alpha H Balancing Moisturiser and Gentle Exfoliant
I am finding the Rejuvenating Cream a little bit harsh for my skin, so I want to try something gentler and moisturising for the colder days ahead.

I bought my Alpha H products from Bath & Unwind, they have amazing customer service and they have a very wide range of products and brands.

I hope you enjoyed my wee post! I will definitely review most of these products for you.

FOTD: Naturally Bronzed

2011-09-09T15:30:00.000+01:00

I am holding onto my after holiday glow for all its worth! So plenty of browns and bronzers are being used with peachy cheeks!

The beachy hair is a must for me and this look, it is definitely my favourite! I just air dry it with some volumising mousse in it and scrunch it up a little bit.

Face

Ultrasun SPF30

Revlon Colorstay in Medium Beige

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Natural Tan

MAC Blush in Peachykeen

Too Faced Bronzer in Pink Leopard

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Eyes

MAC Paintpot in Painterly

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow in Chocolate

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Zero

Maxfactor Mascara (Sorry cant remember which one)

Lips

MAC Lipstick in Syrup

My skin is also finally starting to behave for a while thanks to Alpha H. I will definitely do a post on the products that I have been using before I move onto different ones within the brand. I am impressed with some and not so much of others. Have any of you been using Alpha H products?

This weekend I will be pretty quiet as a close friend of ours is off to Afghanistan for a tour so were spending as much time as possible with him before our only communication is letters.

I hope you all have a great weekend!! xxx

FOTD: Feeling Autumnal.

2011-09-08T13:45:00.001+01:00

We arrived home from our honeymoon on Monday evening, and I couldnt have been happier to see rain! It was around 45-47 Degrees every day... I honestly couldn't stick it. I like heat, but not that much! So as a result I spent most of my time in the shade so I didn't get much of a tan. Tommy on the other half is as brown as a berry, he just lay out and melted his way to a tan.

Today I am loving digging out my jumpers and buying new ones, I love Autumn, my favourite season! My makeup is a bit brown/mauve today which makes me feel all warm inside! Im still wearing minimal makeup as I am trying to show off the little tan that I have, haha!

Face

Nars Sheer Glow in Punjab

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Beige

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in Peach

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Eyes

MAC Paintpot in Painterly

MAC Eyeshadow in All that Glitters

MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero

Maybelline One by One Mascara

Lips

MAC Lipstick in MidiMauve

Its a minimal makeup kind of day today because my skin is still feeling a bit sensitive from the ridiculously hard water in Turkey, my hair suffered while I was away too! Massive frizzy hair every day, even Argan Oil couldnt sort it out! As soon as I washed my hair back home though it went straight to soft again... bliss :) Theres no place like home!

I think we took like... 4 pictures while we were on honeymoon, we were too busy at the beach most days, it was great just to relax instead of rushing round every day, it was nice to completely switch off and do nothing for once :)

I'm Married!!

2011-08-25T13:34:00.000+01:00

Well I am now officially a Mrs! It was a great day yesterday and we had great weather for our pictures. I cant wait to see our photographers pictures! My blog will be quiet for a few weeks while I am on Honeymoon in Turkey. I reaaalllyyyy cant wait!

Here is a couple of pictures that my mum took, none of me and Tommy together though! haha, typical!

We all had great fun on the day and Amber was able to stay awake for most of the evening do, I couldn't believe it! Im off to do some packing now! Laters my Beauties!

FOTW

2011-08-18T09:00:00.000+01:00

Lately I havnt been wearing much makeup I have been concentrating a lot more on my skin which doesnt seem to be getting much better, I think the stress of the wedding and suits and dresses not fitting people is making my chin break out more than normal... I really need to relax a bit more! I have also been using a new skin care system (more on that later) so that might also be doing something.

Face

Ultrasun SPF30 for Face

Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation - Sunkissed

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Beige

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NC20

Korres Multivitamin Compact Powder

W7 Honolulu Bronzer

Natural Collection Blush - Pink Cloud

Too Faced Bronzer - Pink Leopard

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Eyes

MAC Paint Pot - Painterly

Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara

Lips

ELF Lip Conditioner - Peaceful Pink

Yea... That still seems like a lot of makeup... aw well... at least I know the Youngblood Mineral Foundation is doing my skin good. I have started wearing SPF every day now on my face, I have started thinking a lot more about sun damage and ageing lately.

Do any of you wear SPF on a daily basis?

Rockstar Tan Review

2011-08-17T12:21:00.000+01:00

Recently I was contacted by Rockstar Tan to review their Groupie Self Tan Mousse to see if it would be suitable for my wedding. Of course being a bit of a self tan junkie I said yes!

I love the packaging of this tan, it looks good in my bathroom and the pump dispenser is perfect for a mousse, and the great thing is, unlike St Tropez or St Moriz, liquid doesn't fly out of it when its shaken up. It can get so messy that way so I am very pleased with it.

When I dispensed the mousse onto my mitt, it seemed quite a light colour, but the mousse is described as a Light/Medium colour so it didn't shock me too much. The application colour is lovely though, just enough so I can see what I am doing. It applies really quickly too and doesn't dry too quickly, the only downside is that you have to wait 10 minutes before dressing as I found it quite sticky, but it does dry matte after a while. I am a tan by day girl when I am in the house for the day so I don't end up smelling, but this surprisingly didn't smell bad, but it smells of marzipan which I happen to hate with a passion but it wears off throughout the day thankfully.

The other downside is that this tan develops in around 4 hours, but you cant shower for 8 hours so it does take a little longer than the likes of Xen Tan.

Before.

Just Applied.

Just before washing off, 8 hours later.

After a shower.

Sorry for the grainy last picture, but I think that it captured the colour the best. It isn't dark by any means, but just sunkissed. I prefer it to be a little darker on myself though. Rockstar wears off very evenly as well which is brilliant, but I make a point to use an exfoliating mitt every time I am in the shower and I also moisturise my body every single day and night, except when I am tanning obviously so most tans wear off very evenly on me. Lightly exfoliating with a mitt nearly every day means that tans don't last that long on me, I get around 4 days out of them, but it also means that I can tan over my previous tan.

The best thing about this tan is that it doesn't dry out my skin, it actually feels very moisturising when it is on and once it is rinsed off, it continues to feel very comfortable. Most tans will dry my skin out in a second so I am very glad that this has skin loving ingredients. You can check out the Website and the Groupie Tan, There are a number of stockists in Northern Ireland/Ireland, but I cant see any for England/Scotland/Wales so you may need to order from their online shop. This tan is definitely worth it if you need a moisturising and light tan.

Will you be ordering this or tried it?

By Terry Lumiere Veloutee Foundation Review

2011-08-08T15:50:00.000+01:00

Ok this will be my last foundation review for a while I promise! I am still obsessed with them, still want more and still look for them endlessly though. But this foundation just blows all other out of the water in my opinion... I mean it couldn't look more perfect on the skin...really.

I am sorry for the stock photo, but all I have is a sample pot with not much left in it for a swatch never mind my face :( By Terry Lumiere Veloutee has quite a herbal smell to it when I first opened the pot and took a whiff. It is quite a liquid texture, but not runny so that it would squirt out of its pump bottle (big plus). When I first applied this I expected it to be quite hard to blend as it is meant to be a matte foundation with 'a radiance from within', but I was so surprised how foolproof it is. I literally could not go wrong with it, it spread so easily all over my face with no caking in sight and it is very easily buildable. It is a true medium coverage to start off with and one more layer almost goes full coverage, but somehow it still manages to look like skin, I can still see my freckles.

Lumiere Veloutee is meant to camouflage wrinkles, hide dark spots and blemishes and sculpt the face with corrective coverage. "Its double anti-dullness and anti-blemish power offers a luminous, visibly rested, perfectly even and corrected complexion". They have totally hit the nail on the head.

Here I am with no makeup on and practically just woken up. Yes I have my Curlformers in, I slept in them last night.

Here I am with 2 layers of foundation on. BIG difference no!? I cant get over how good this foundation looks on!

And the finished look.

It photographs beautifully with a youthful glow while not looking oily... because it is a matte foundation. With this however I do need to make sure that I moisturise well underneath as it can feel a little drying and tight, another thing to note is that I have one or two blemishes that are nearing their end, so they are quite dry and this foundation accentuates those areas, you can see one tiny white dot down near my chin, but that is all. it will be gone tomorrow hopefully.

It lasts very well throughout the day as well with no patchy areas or settling in my smile lines like every other foundation seems to do.

The downside to this is... wait for it... its £63.50. Ouch. It really saddens me too, because I love it so much but in my opinion it is worth the purchase for completely flawless skin. Well my birthday is coming up... *hint hint Tommy*

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation Review

2011-08-07T08:08:00.002+01:00

Its no secret that I love foundations, I would have an entire room full of them and nothing else if I had the money. For the last few days I have been trying out the Face Atelier foundation to see how it looks and feels on my skin.

I bought 3 sample pots in 3 different shades from Cult Beauty for £2 each I think, it was quite long ago so forgive me if I am wrong. Cult Beauty were so helpful in helping me to chose a few shades to match the undertone correctly when I am wearing or have a tan.

The consistency is lovely, but I do need to shake it up before I use it as it seems to separate a little bit in the pots. I used two layers of foundation as normal as one for me never seems enough. There is no overpowering smell to this foundation either.

Each of these colours are warm colours with yellow undertones as far as I remember.

Stand by for my face without makeup! eek!

As you can see I have a couple of blemishes on my chin due to a bit of stress recently and some uneven skin tone around my cheeks and nose.

After 2 layers my skin is looking considerably better while still looking like skin (Forgive the random hair from my brush on my face) This foundation has silicone in it and I was extremely wary of trying this as anything with Silicone tends to break me out at the drop of a hat. Face Atelier however claims that their silicone is bigger than pores so it wont end up clogging them up, but will still give you a flawless look. Its also great to note that it is water resistant.

With a tiny bit of powder and some blush and I am good to go, I didn't even bother with concealer over my blemishes, just under my eyes where I tend to suffer the most.

This is a really great foundation and one that I am seriously considering for my wedding as it photographs so beautifully!

Have you tried this foundation yet? What are your thoughts?

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Lipstick in 43 Rosé Pomponné

2011-08-06T09:52:00.002+01:00

My Chanel lipstick purchase has set off a mad frenzy of lipstick buying, I popped into Superdrug yesterday and bought this little gem. I rarely would buy lipsticks out of Superdrug or Boots as I always think they are going to be rubbish, but I don't think so in this case.

I love the packaging of this lipstick, the little "button" just pushes up to release the lipstick tube, which is amazing when my 19 month old is trying to get into it! She hasnt worked out how it works... yet.

43 Rose Pomponne

The colour is gorgeous, a perfect shade of pink for me, nice and summery yet can still look great all year round. It feels soft on my lips and moisturising and lasts well throughout the day. Just what I need in an everyday lipstick.

I am definitely going to buy more shades! It retails for £7.99

Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

2011-08-05T18:47:00.000+01:00

I was approached by Benefit Cosmetics to try their new mascara that gives a false lash effect... It couldn't have come at a better time as I still havn't found that one mascara that will give me amazing volume for my wedding.

The packaging is lovely, not too bulky but enough that I know I am holding something, the only bad thing is I can see my fingerprints as it is quite shiny so could tend to look a bit grubby. It has a rubber wand which I absolutely love as it just catches every lash beautifully.

Because pictures speak louder than words:

No Mascara

2 Layers

3 Layers

No Mascara

2 Layers

3 Layers

No Mascara

2 Layers

3 Layers

Sorry for the picture overload, but I just had to show you how good this mascara is and it is definitely well worth the purchase! I didnt put any mascara on my bottom lashes by the way, I rarely do as they are so long I might end up looking like a painted doll! The longevity of "They're Real" is amazing, I can hardly get over it, there is no flaking or smudging in sight even after cutting an onion for dinner. That's impressive!

This Beyond Real mascara will go on sale from the 13th August! Are you going to purchasing this?!

My Wedding Lipstick.

2011-08-02T11:21:00.000+01:00

I have finally found my wedding lipstick... its just as important as everything else in my opinion... it defines the lips and just sets off the final look for the photographs. I don't mind showing all you guys early as I dont think any of my friends reads my blog and I am so excited to own a Chanel lipstick!!

Chanel Coco Rouge in Camélia

It is such a gorgeous colour! I want to wear it every day, but I probably shouldn't until after the wedding! I will definitely get a few more colours, this lipstick is so buttery soft and moisturising. Ahh... it is love.

What other colours do I need in my life?!

FOTD: Hen Night!!

2011-08-01T21:02:00.001+01:00

Ok so my Hen night on Saturday didnt turn out as planned. We had arranged for an Ann Summers party to take place at my house, then we were going to head out on the town. The only bad thing about my hen night was the Ann Summers woman didn't turn up and didn't tell us that she wasn't planning on turning up! Rude. That will be the last time I order a party from them anyway.

But here is what I looked like on the night before I got waaaaasted.

Face:

Nars Sheer Glow in Punjab

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Natural Tan

Korres Matt Powder

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel

Models Own Blush in Warm Glow

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Toasted

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Hustle

MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Zero

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Volume Mascara

Lips

MAC Lipstick in Sweetie

It was an excellent night, my friend came over specially from England to be there, I missed her so much!!

Wedding Look #5

2011-07-29T17:31:00.002+01:00

Only 4 weeks to go!! This is another wedding makeup look for you all as I was going for a dress fitting today!

Face

Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation - Honey

Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer - Medium

MAC MSF Natural- Medium

MAC Ripe Peach Blush

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

MAC Paintpot - Painterly

Urban Decay - Sin

Urban Decay - Hustle

MAC - Carbon

Urban Decay - Toasted

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner - Zero

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Volume mascara

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Lips

Benefit Posie Tint

NARS Matte Lipstick- Bangkok

Sorry my photos were taken on my iPhone as I forgot my camera, but this look is becoming a firm favourite of mine!
I'm also loving having a real tan! but the foundation matching becomes a little bit more difficult... And the Skin Illusion has made my face a little dry and has creased around my mouth a little. Sad times!

What do you all think of this look?!

Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation Review

2011-07-07T11:23:00.000+01:00

Recently I won a twitter/facebook competition with Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, and received a bottle of their Liquid Mineral Foundation in the colour Sunkissed. I was so excited to try this out as I love foundations to the point of obsession. Treatment foundations are my favorite type as I love to think that what I am putting on my face is good for me and not going to break me out or cause me any discomfort. This foundation seems perfect for me looking at the blurb:

"One of our most popular favorites, this lightweight deep-sea hydrating complex is rich in ocean minerals and nutrients for superior hydration. Pampers your skin with Calendula extract, Allantoin extract, Cucumber extract, Green Tea extract and Cactus Grandiflorus extract for a luxurious, hydrated, healthy glow."

I love my glowy foundations!

The packaging is a lovely simple design with a pump! I definitely prefer foundations with a pump as I find them more hygienic, but most of my foundations seem to not have any, I should really sort that out. The bottle itself is very light, when I picked up the bag that this arrived in, I had no idea that it contained this foundation, it felt like nothing! Not a bad thing as it will be good for travelling.

One pump on my hand. Colour - Sunkissed

The formula itself is very thin and runny. Almost similar to MAC Face and Body foundation. There isnt too much of a smell to this either, so it is very inoffensive.

Rubbed in with my fingers on the back of my hand it seemed to be quite uneven so I was dreading trying this with my fingers, but for the sake of this review, I did anyway. I always apply foundation with my fingers first and for me, this isnt the best way to apply it as the application becomes quite uneven so I had to go over it with a second and then a third layer of foundation with a brush. This foundation has a very light coverage so if you are a fan of medium or heavy coverage this may not be for you, I had to layer this up to get the coverage that I like.

Bare Skin, Natural Light No Flash

Natural Light, No Flash

In a darkened room, with flash

The great thing about this is there is that the colour isn't compromised when flash photography is used, it will be good for nights out or... my wedding! I used a light dusting of MAC MSF Natural in Medium over the top to set it and it doesn't seem to have altered the colour much. It has just made it not so dewy looking.

This foundation lasts really well even without a primer for me and doesn't cake up around the mouth like most foundations do. I have normal skin at the moment but I have realised that this wouldn't be for people with oily or combination skin as it does have quite a dewy texture and the foundation is designed for those with dry/mature skin. It will be amazing in the Winter for me!

A bottle of this will set you back £35, a bit of a hefty price tag if you ask me so it would be beneficial to get a sample, but unfortunately this foundation is only available online and in salons and if you have no salons that stock this near you it might be a bit difficult to try before you buy. It would be handy if they sold sample pots online but then again it would be handy if every company did that in my opinion especially for colour matching purposes.

I hope that this review has helped any of you wondering about this product! Have you tried any great foundations lately?

Hair Growth Update!

2011-07-06T10:22:00.000+01:00

Finally my hair is getting a lot longer! its been two months since my last update and there has been a couple of inches of growth!

My hair at the moment is a little dry and in serious need of a hair treatment, but I am happy to report that there is no split ends that I can see just yet!

This was my hair on the 20th May...

and this is it now...

Good progress I think! in another month and a half lets hope its longer again and my hairdresser doesn't get scissor happy... then I might actually cry.

I have to give most of the credit the Sea Kelp tablets I have been taking, it seems to have kick started my hair growth and my baby hairs seem to be growing a lot quicker.

I will update again when I get a very minimal (I hope) trim at my hair trial. I am actually preferring a longer fringe as well... I think it frames my face a little better? What do you all think?

St Moriz Dark Review

2011-07-05T11:03:00.000+01:00

I am always on the look out for new fake tans to try. I am becoming a little bit obsessed I think as I just don't like myself without a bit of tan on, especially in the summer months.

I love mousse formulas as they seem to spread so easily and dry really quickly. I didnt get on with the original St. Moriz at all, I barely got any colour from it and it wore of in about 2 days... not the greatest! It was good on my legs though, just not the rest of my body!

I have started tanning myself during the day now as I find that I get a more even colour that way... some how. I do wreck around in bed so that's probably why I end up with patchy hands sometimes. This tan spreads wonderfully when it is applied, it also layers nicely for a darker colour. The only downside with this is it smells of biscuits... blegh...

And this how it looks:

It still gives a decent colour... much more than the original St. Moriz and enough that I feel nice and healthy. I have had this on for a few days now and it still only lasts a few days, but as its so cheap I don't mind reapplying so often. A lot of this does wash down the drain though every time I shower.

I will repurchase because of how cheap it is, but I wouldn't use it if I need my tan to last any more than a few days.

What is your favorite self tan?

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask.

2011-07-04T11:45:00.001+01:00

I was sent this mask along with the Liz Earle Gentle Exfoliator and together they work brilliantly. In my previous post I explained I always have a problem with breakouts on my chin area but the rest of my face is normal. I think the chin area is a hormonal breakout zone... correct me if I am wrong though.

The smell of clay is quite strong in this product, I cant say I live the smell of this too much, but I don't mind it once it is on my face and it starts to dry.

"This highly concentrated clay and manuka honey mask helps draw out impurities and excess oil to leave skin balanced, calm and clear.

Naturally active ingredients include green clay to draw out impurities, soothing manuka honey and propolis and rose-scented geranium to help tone and balance."

The texture of this mask is quite thin so it is easily spread over the face. I however just use it on my chin area as when I put it all over my face my cheeks got a little bit irritated and dry. When the mask goes on and dries, the great thing is I don't feel like my face is going to crack if I talk or smile. It does look like its cracking when it has finished drying, but its certainly not uncomfortable.

Once the Deep Cleansing Mask is washed off with the sponge provided, any breakouts that I have look a lot better. The redness is reduced and my skin starts to look a lot clearer. I use this twice a week and my skin has started to look a lot better now in the long term. The sponge is extremely handy when washing off any mask, I will be getting more!

Another repurchase for me, Liz Earle doesn't seem to disappoint! A 15ml Tube costs £4.85 and the Starter Kit with sponges costs £12.75.

Do you have any favorite masks? Any others that I need to try?

Wedding Makeup #4

2011-07-03T09:07:00.005+01:00

Another wedding look for you all. This one is a peach look that I used with my Sleek Oh So Special Palette.

Indoors with natural light source no flash

Face

Nars Sheer Glow - Punjab

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Beige

W7 Bronzer - Honolulu

MAC Blush - Ripe Peach

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Indoors with natural light source no flash

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Sleek Oh So Special Palette:

Pamper

Bow

The Mail

Boxed

Noir

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner - Zero

Maxfactor Masterpiece Max Mascara

Indoors in a darkened room with flash

Lips

Nars Pure Matte Lipstick - Bangkok

I think I am leaning on NARS Sheer Glow again... I really think it gives such a gorgeous finish in photos! I do however have a Youngblood Liquid Foundation on the way so I really cant wait to give that a go and see how it compares! I LOVE my lipstick as well... its a perfect shade of pink in my opinion.

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

2011-07-02T08:00:00.002+01:00

I love exfoliating, its one of those things where I really notice a difference in the texture of my skin and I see it as a real essential in my routine. A while ago I received this from Liz Earle and I couldn't wait to use it, I cant believe its taken me this long to review it!

Having used this now for a few weeks, I really think it has helped with my skin. My chin always seems to get clogged up and needs more exfoliation than the rest of my face. If I ever leave it... it just goes mental so its definitely not over-exfoliation that causes my skin to break out so much in that area. During the Summer it seems to get slightly worse, I don't know if its the heat or air conditioning that does it.. or just hormones, but it just breaks out like mad. With my wedding coming up I need to do all I can to keep my skin nice and healthy looking with minimal breakouts...although I know it may be inevitable anyway.

The texture of this is quite thick, although when it is applied to the face it actually feels quite light. The smell is also something to note as the smell of eucalyptus is quite strong in this product so its probably not best to use it if you have sensitive skin. It has tiny jojoba beads in this product which feel amazing as they are not scratchy, they just slough away dead skin cells gently so there is no further damage to the skin.

After using this product I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin, it looks fresh and feels lovely and clean and soft to the touch. My chin has also calmed down significantly since using this product and I have not had as many flare ups meaning that makeup application is a lot easier to deal with! I use this 3 times a week to keep my skin in check.

This is a definite repurchase for me. You can purchase a 15ml Tube of this for £4.85 up to a 70ml pump for £12.50. A worth while purchase for clearer skin!

Have any of you used this product? what are your thoughts on it?

Liz Earle Skin Tint!

2011-07-01T08:48:00.004+01:00

I have just received a press release on Liz Earle's newest launch... the Skin Tint! I love when skincare brands start launching makeup as it always has your skins interest at heart. I for one cannot wait for this, it is ideal for holidays and those days when you think your skin just looks too good to slather in makeup.

You can receive updates on Liz Earle's new products via lizearle.com/Makeup.

Will you be signing up to get what I hope will be an amazing product?!

FOTD: Sleek Oh So Special

2011-06-30T14:13:00.002+01:00

There has been a lot of posts on the Sleek Oh So Special palette recently and I have to say that it is the only palette that has caught my eye from Sleek. I have never used any of their products so I picked the palette up recently. I love every colour in this palette!

Face

Nars Sheer Glow - Santa Fe

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Warm Ivory

MAC MSF Natural - Medium

Chanel Bronze Universal

Sleek Blush - Pan Tao

MAC MSF - Soft and Gentle

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Sleek Oh So Special Palette:

Organza

Boxed

Glitz

Bow

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil - Zero

Maxfactor Mascara - Black

Lips

Korres Lipstick - Natural Pink

And just in case you havnt looked at too many posts on this palette, here is my very own swatches for you:

Indoors, Natural Light, No Flash

Indoors with Flash

I love this palette, it will definitely be getting plenty of use! The shadows are buttery soft with a tiny bit of fall out, but I can cope with that as it isn't a lot. Are there any other Sleek palettes I should be considering?

What I ate Wednesday

2011-06-29T18:21:00.001+01:00

I saw this over on Lollipop Loves blog and thought it was a great idea, I'm nosey like that and I am trying to eat much healthier at the moment! It's a great way to get ideas. Jenn over at Peas and Crayons invented this as far as I know, so check out her wonderful blog!

Breakfast

Hovis Granary Bread and a cup of tea, 2 sugars and little milk... I have actually cut down on the amount of sugar I used to take (4 tsps!!)

Elevenses

Yoghurt coated raisins... I LOVE these! So yummy, I could eat the whole bag... But a handful did me just fine.

Lunch

Ryvita Crackerbread with a light spreading of Tesco Garlic and Herb soft cheese (low fat) Topped with cucumber, cherry tomato and low cal coleslaw. This lunch is full of flavour and is pretty good for you. The crackerbread fills me up nicely without needing to snack a lot. A light lunch is nice when its quite warm outside.
I had this with a glass of water.

Mid afternoon snack

Olive Ciabatta with cheese. I didn't eat all of the cheese as I think I put a bit too much on so I felt guilty. The third piece with nothing on it was Ambers, she took a nibble of hers before it was grilled!
I had another glass of water with this to fill me up a bit more.

Dinner

Tesco Organic wholewheat spaghetti, surprisingly it just tastes like normal spaghetti pasta! Over the spaghetti I have Quorn Meatballs cooked in Passata with basil. It's so delicious!

For afters I had a Muller Light Orange and Chocolate yoghurt. I didn't expect this to taste so good, it's not too orangey which I like.

Tonight I might do a work out as well, I really need to get in shape before my wedding, I've been such a slacker!

Link me to your What I ate Wednesday blogs or if your planning on doing them I can't wait to see them!

Wedding Look #3

2011-06-24T11:55:00.001+01:00

Sorry for bombarding you all with these, but I think for my own piece of mind I am going to do it so I have something to look back on. Today is a bit more of a simple look, not too much going on anywhere yet the eyes still stand out.

Natural Light Source Without Flash

Face

Graftobian HD Glamour Creme - Temptress

MAC Face and Body Foundation - N3 and N5

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Beige

W7 Bronzer - Honolulu

NYX Blush - Peach

MAC Blush - Pink Swoon

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Natural Light Source Without Flash

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Eyeshadow - Orb

MAC Eyeshadow - Wedge

MAC Fluidline - Blacktrack

Benefit Eyebright

Maybelline One by One Mascara

Indoors in a darkened room with flash

Lips

Benefit Posie Tint

MAC Lipstick - Sweetie

The foundation combination is still going strong, I love it! The simple eyeliner still makes the eyes stand out without looking out of place. In the above pictures I have tanned so I can see if my face matches my neck OK... and it does! I would have no problems looking like this in the evening. No flash face in sight! The key is to not use a foundation with any powders or SPF in it as they both bounce back light. I will continue trying out different looks and showing you them, the makeup for the big day is quite important as well as getting married of course... :p

Wedding Makeup #2

2011-06-23T14:12:00.003+01:00

I think I have found a better foundation combination for me. I have combination skin and get very frequent breakouts on my chin so I need a bit more coverage. A while a go I bought a Graftobian Warm Palette, they give HD results so look best on camera a good idea since I am going to be getting photographed all day! I mixed it with my Face and Body foundation by MAC to give it that extra staying power.

Face

Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation - Ingenue

MAC Face and Body - N2

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Warm Ivory

Matte Pink Powder for under the eyes

W7 Honolulu Bronzer to contour

Models Own Blush - Warm Glow

MAC MSF Natural - Medium

Korres Eyebrown Pencil - Medium Shade

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Painterly Paintpot

MAC Eyeshadow - Patina

Estee Lauder Double Wear Eyeliner - Midnight Blue

MAC Eyeshadow - Deep Truth

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner - Zero

Maybelline One by One Mascara

MAC Eyeshadow - Brule to highlight

Benefit Eye Bright

Lips

Benefit Posie Tint

MAC Lipstick - Midi Mauve

I think the blue in the eyeliner gives my eyes a bit of a pop and really makes my brown eyes stand out. This is more of a dark look, not very natural looking, but I still like it all the same!

EDIT: This look is already out for me... A little bit harsh for my wedding when the colours are all so soft. I will keep trying!
The foundation combination works very well, it lasts well and doesn't cake up around my chin area which is a real plus in the evening! I am a little worried though that wearing such dark colours will travel a bit with all the dancing so I will be trying out a lighter eye tomorrow!

Wedding Makeup #1

2011-06-21T12:06:00.002+01:00

I am STILL trying to figure out what way to do my makeup for my big day. although I know when it comes down to it, I will just do whatever I feel like on the morning! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated to make my eyes stand out, I was thinking maybe a navy colour on the upper lash line?

Natural Light No Flash

Face

Nars Sheer Glow - Gobi

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Lancome Flash Retouche - 01

MAC MSF Natural - Medium

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush - Delicata

Models Own Blush - Warm Glow

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Natural Light No Flash

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Paintpot - Painterly

MAC Eyeshadow - Orb

MAC Eyeshadow - Satin Taupe

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow - Chocolate

MAC Eyeshadow - Carbon

Maybelline One by One Mascara

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner - Whiskey

Indoors with Flash

Lips

Benefit Posie Tint

MAC Lipstick - Syrup

Its just a soft look... but when I think of it this is more an every day look for me... I want to make more of an impact without going overboard... I will keep experimenting and show you all in the coming days!

What look do you prefer to see at weddings?

Hei Poa Traditional Monoi Oil in Vanilla.

2011-06-16T11:13:00.010+01:00

Body oils are another love of mine and natural products are a firm preference. I am always on the lookout for a new and better body lotion to keep my skin well hydrated and young looking. When my Korres Vanilla Cinnamon Body Milk ran out I had to get something else quickly but I always want to try something different.

I turned to Hei Poa as I noticed that their oils were multi-purpose for the body and hair, when you receive the bottle the oil is in a solid state at room temperature so some heat by dipping it into warm water will help to return it back to normal.

I always keep this in the shower with me just at my feet to turn it to its oil form, once I am done I take it out of the shower, dry myself then start rubbing it in. This isn't what I expected of a body oil, its not easily spreadable so one tip onto my hand will only do my forearm. It takes a little bit more work and it tends to go down quickly. Once applied it feels gorgeous on the skin, so silky soft and the smell is a great bonus, I love vanilla but the floral notes from the Tiare flower blossoms seem to make it smell quite... fake? I might chose a different fragrance the next time, possibly the Frangipani one.

This oil moisturises very well and lasts into the evening, I still find that some days I need to apply again at night, but I really don't mind because the benefits in the morning are worth it as my skin just feels baby soft and supple. Monoi oil is extremely good as an after sun moisturiser as it deepens your tan and helps to keep it for longer. When we actually had a few weeks of good weather in April I used this and it worked wonderfully, it soothed and calmed down Tommy's slight sunburn and there was no peeling in sight.

You can also use this oil in your hair as a deep conditioning treatment for your hair and scalp. One way of using it is applying it while in the shower for 15 minutes and then shampooing and rinsing out. The other way is by leaving it in your hair overnight if your hair is dry. I don't have overly dry hair at the moment so I havn't tried either of these methods, but if any of you have please let me know what you thought of it!

At £10 for 100ml it isn't too bad, but considering it goes down quite quickly I am slightly hesitant to repurchase this again as I have used better.

Korres Vanilla Cinnamon Body Milk

2011-06-15T14:13:00.000+01:00

I absolutely love body products and body milks are my favorite as they spread so easily. While browsing through Bath and Unwind I noticed this Korres Body milk for £3. This is the travel size so it will be ideal for my holidays. I love warm spicy scents and this just sounded so perfect!

Upon opening the bottle the scent just hits you, it is so warm and sensual. It gives me the feeling of comfort and makes me feel calm, I can really smell the vanilla and cinnamon and they work so well together. Woody scents are the best that I have ever come across and ones that I prefer wearing even during the day, if it is your cup of tea I would give this a go!

Upon application it spreads so quickly and easily over my body, I was surprised how little did so much. I was afraid that this texture might take forever to sink in, but it dries to a powdery yet comfortable finish without it feeling dry or that I need to reapply. I have quite dry skin and this is just great at holding in the moisture that my skin really needs, so much so I didn't feel the need to put more on before I go to bed.

This is a definite repurchase for me, I will be buying another one to take on honeymoon/ holidays with me for the evening! at £3 for a 50ml bottle or £9.50 for 250ml I think it is well worth it as the 50ml bottle lasted me a good 3 weeks of morning use.

What body products are you loving at the moment? Anything I need to try?

FOTD

2011-06-14T11:36:00.001+01:00

Just a quick face for me today, im just about to start making brownies... the last batch I made were a complete sham... I may as well have made chocolate cake! I am hoping that this new recipe will work a lot better.

Face

Becca Cosmetics Foundation stick - Tahini

Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation - Warm Peach

Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Warm Ivory

Natural Collection Blush - Pink Cloud

Benefit Eye Brown Pencil - Medium/Dark

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Sin all over lid

Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Toasted in the crease

Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Hustle on the upper lash line

Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Virgin to highlight

Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Gunmetal on the lower lash line

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner - Graffiti

Korres Abssynia Mascara

Lips

ELF Studio Lip Conditioner - Mellow Melon

I am still liking mineral foundation over my normal foundation as I feel that my make up lasts a lot longer that way and it helps it look a little bit flawless and covers imperfections really well. I am still having a major breakout on my chin that just wont budge, I am getting so annoyed with it now! I have actually started taking Zinc supplements as I have heard that it helps skin stay at a regular balance hopefully that will work. Have any of you ever tried it?

Boots Botanics Overnight Hand and Nail Cream

2011-06-10T12:21:00.001+01:00

At any given time of the year my hands are always dry and tend to become quite flaky. Tanning doesn't help matters as I find it can dry them out even more, causing the tan on my hands to become quite patchy, does this happen to anyone else? I have tried quite a few overnight hand creams in my life, they always tend to be greasy and horrible.

This overnight cream is the best I have tried in a long time, it sinks in very quickly with no greasy film and I'm not afraid to touch anything. In the morning I am left with beautifully moisturised hands that don't feel tight. The moisture lasts well until noon (I am an excessive hand washer) before I have to reapply a hand cream. This is a definite repurchase for me and one that I would highly recommend.

I am still on the look out for the best hand cream for me during the day, Soap and Glory Hand Food just isn't cutting it. Any recommendations?

FOTD - Mineral over liquid foundation.

2011-06-08T12:04:00.003+01:00

Tommy and I are going to order our wedding rings today so a simple face would suffice as its looking a bit dismal outside. Yesterday I was tweeting that I didn't like mineral foundation because it didn't provide enough coverage and Kat suggested that it was good to use over a liquid foundation, so I did just that this morning.

Face

Revlon Colorstay - Medium Beige

Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation - Popcorn

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush - Delicata

Korres Eyebrow Pencil - Medium Shade

Eyes

Mac Paintpot - Painterly

MAC Eyeshadow - All that Glitters

MAC Eyeshadow - Carbon

Korres Abyssinia Oil Mascara

Stila Eye Kajal - Topaz

Benefit - Eye Bright

Lips

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain - Passion

MAC Lipstick - Syrup

I think mineral foundation does work very well over a liquid foundation, it gives a flawless appearance without looking overly powdery on the face. It also doesn't cling to any dry patches.

I am loving lip stains under lipsticks at the moment. It provides an excellent colour and it means you still have enough colour on your lips when the lipstick has worn off. It might be an idea for my wedding day!

Were off now to pick our rings! only 11 weeks to go! ah! :D

Curlformers Review- Long and Extra Wide

2011-06-05T15:30:00.000+01:00

After my previous post on the Long and Wide Curlformers I was so cuffed to try the Long and Extra Wide set. I used these last night and as my camera has now packed in, I'm having to resort to using my iPhone.

You get 24 Extra Wide Curlformers in each set with 2 hooks to use them with. 24 is more than enough, even when I had 3 layers in my hair I was still left with half the pack!

The picture above is the Wide and Extra Wide Curlformers together so you can get an idea of how much of a difference there is, quite a big difference if you ask me.

They are set to give loose barrel curls, much like beachy waves, after 2 previous attempts at trying this set, I got it right on the third try. The first attempt I took them out too early so my hair was still damp and the second attempt I tried sleeping in them which was so uncomfortable I woke up at 3am just to take them out.

Last night we were going out to a pub and I thought I would give them another go. I showered and didn't put any product in my hair.

I decided not to layer my hair with Curlformers this time, but instead I just lifted pieces of hair from the bottom as I just wanted curls from the bottom of my hairline down.

After blasting my head with the hair dryer, for around 30 minutes or so, this was the result:

Loose barrel curls that are so soft and natural looking.

My hair looks a bit messy, but that's because of the hairdryer. If I let it air dry it would be a lot sleeker looking. I also made sure I used the bright yellow Curlformers at the front of my face so they curled outwards.

The curls lasted very well through the night with a bit of hair spray. Even through a long walk home because Tommy didn't order us a taxi. He won't be doing that again though! haha! This morning however my curls are gone, but that is more than likely because I didn't put any product in.

I really like this size and will definitely be using them more often! They are a god send if your like me and don't get on the best with rollers and you want a heat free way to style your hair.

Curlformers Review - Long and Wide

2011-06-02T18:14:00.001+01:00

After hearing about these on twitter, I HAD to order a set. They are another no heat way of curling your hair... I'm in!

I bought two starter kits which have 8 Curlformers each in them and a curling hook. I thought that because my hair is so thin, I probably wouldn't even use 16 of them I was right, I only used 13.

I washed my hair last night, towel dried it then put in my Ojon Thickening Spray and scrunched in my Aussie Volume Mousse to the ends. I didn't want to put too much product in on my first try so it went crispy and unnatural looking.

They are simple enough to put in, there is no real fiddliness to it.

Basically you take your Curlformer and slide it over the hook so the hook part at the end is exposed. You take a section of hair and twist it at the top so it's tight enough to slot into the hook. Don't be silly like me and not do it tight enough so half is in and half is out of the hook... That hurts!! But once all is secure simply pull the hook with your hair in it through the curl former and you end up with something like this:

Your actually meant to push the Curlformer up while you slide the hook down, but I totally forgot to do that. So they are hanging a bit loose in this picture, practice makes perfect!

I then slept in these overnight, so around 12 hours they were in my hair and these are not comfortable to lie on. They are not foam or spongy material, they are plastic so not the best to sleep in. I am a bit of a Princess and the Pea kinda person though. As soon as I lifted these out of the way or lay on my back with the Curlformers all lined up they were OK.

The result?

A hairdo that would put Little Miss Muffet to shame.

It was a bit daunting at first, but my hair drops quite quickly normally so I didn't mind. I separated each curl to give it but more body so they didn't look as sparse:

3 hours later:

Much better! after running my fingers through it a few times, my curls have dropped to a better level for me!

6 hours later:

As you can see the curls hold very well (ignore the bit I missed...doh) with minimal product, coming from someone who's hair always fall flat after about 3 hours when I use my conical wand, that's very good!

A curly wurly 'do... It would be nice if you like full on curls all over your head, but for me I'm all about being curly just at the bottom and the top being volumised, so I will be trying that tomorrow night when I am popping out for a girly night!

Curlformers are sending me out the Long and Extra Wide packs to review for you all! I purchased the Long and Wide packs myself by the way. So a lot more curly haired posts to come! :)

FOTD

2011-05-31T12:26:00.000+01:00

Today is a bit of a lazy day just waiting for Tesco to arrive and then going out looking for a new dog bed for Jaxon. I didn't feel like doing too much with my makeup, but since I havn't posted a face of the day in a while today is a perfect day to do it.

Face

Origins Multigrain Foundation in Medium

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Concealer in Warm Ivory

MAC MSF Natural in Medium

Chanel Soliel Tan de Chanel

NYX Blush in Peach

Korres Eyebrow Pencil in Medium Shade

Eyes

MAC Paintpot in Painterly

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters

MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon

NYX Eyeshadow in Wild Fire

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Toasted

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero

Maybelline One By One Mascara

Benefit Eye Bright

Lips

Benefit Posie Tint

Maxfactor Masterpiece Max Mascara

2011-05-28T11:00:00.000+01:00

I heard good things about this mascara a while ago, the endless TV adverts had me wondering if it was any good but I just never got round to purchasing it. It has a rubber wand as you can see in the picture above, and in my experience rubber wands seem to really grip onto the lashes which I love as my lashes are quite long and get tangled up in each other easily.

Masterpiece Max has quite a liquid consistency, I found it transferred easily onto my brow bone and even the base of my lashes so it took a little longer to dry.

With 2 coats, it feels a little bit heavy on the lashes... I can tell it's there anyway! It curls my lashes beautifully and holds them in place by making them feel a tad crispy, which personally I like.

After 3 coats, it still hasn't managed to clump up or look too 'spidery' and 4 coats looked just fine... Nicely separated and they don't look like horrible crooked spiders legs.

4 Coats
It wears very well, it doesn't flake off or smudge and seems to do a great job at keeping the volume of my lashes as well as the curl.

A great mascara if your on a budget and want some volume and also have a bit of time to wait for your lashes to dry.

"Magic" Hair Rollers

2011-05-27T08:48:00.002+01:00

I have decided I hate heat on my hair... and anything that is going to give me some sort of groomed style without damaging my hair is going to be fantastic.

After hearing from my mum that a hairdresser in her church used rollers in her hair overnight I was quite shocked. I mean is that not like a Dot Cotton type of thing? rollers in your hair before bed...

So I decided to give it a go and try out a few different rollers.

The first ones I purchased were velcro ones... I hate them... My hair just catches in them and it pulls at my hair... I just outright can't stand them. So they have gone to the back of the drawer.

The second thing I bought was these 'Magic' hair rollers from China...

I bought these from eBay from this ebay seller from the UK. They are dead cheap, I only used three of these at a time, but I bought 12 since I have no idea how long they are going to last for considering I have broken one already.

They are so easy to use, Simply pop your hair in the slit and roll your hair up! et voila! The instructions said to put your hair in the slit and slide the roller down to the bottom of your hair and roll it up. But I found that this way the curl or wave doesn't work very well... its very uneven and not so nice. So instead I put my hair through the slit at the top, and curled my hair around the roller, securing it by putting the end through the slit and folding it over and fastening it. Sounds complicated but its not.

Here is the results of sitting with my hair in rollers for around 4 hours, I didnt sleep in them to make sure I knew what way my hair was going to turn out:

I really like the outcome of these! I will probably do two rows of three next time and actually sleep in them, I will probably show you the outcome of that very soon!

A nice product if you like wavy hair and don't like velcro rollers like me, and your not breaking the bank for £2.60 for 12!

Next I will be using sponge foam rollers... full on granny style!!

EDIT: I tried the granny rollers last night and they left marks from the clips... Fail.

Revlon Colorstay Foundation Review

2011-05-26T11:00:00.001+01:00

I am still searching for that perfect foundation for my wedding day. I really want flawless skin, even if my skin is acting up with stress or nerves. So I think a medium coverage foundation would probably suit me best.

I opted to buy the most coveted Revlon Colorstay as it seems to provide excellent medium coverage and claims to last up to 16 hours... better than Estee Lauder Double Wear in terms of lastng power!

I bought the colour Sand Beige as it seems to fit very well when I wear fake tan... I seem to be wearing tan more often, so I didnt see the point in buying a lighter colour of foundation.

It has a lovely creamy consistency and blends in very well, it does seem to dry a little quicker than other foundations that I have tried, but nothing my Everyday Minerals Flat Top Kabuki brush cant handle!

In my opinion this is the coverage that I have been looking for for a very long time. It covers every blemish nicely and still lets my own skin show through... i.e my freckles. I don't think you can even tell my chin is having a horrible breakout! I dont think this is as full coverage as most people say... I use a light hand on most foundations, so I don't have this problem.

Colorstay also doesn't feel too heavy on the skin, its something I could easily forget about and the plus point is it doesn't dry out my skin or make it look flaky in my breakout areas.

It has an SPF of 6... does it give me flash face in a dark room?

A little bit... but enough that I can see a difference between my face and my neck. I could probably mix in a darker foundation to combat this though as I always have a habit of choosing foundations that are a tiny bit lighter than my tan as I don't want to chance getting tangoed!

All in all, a great foundation and one that I will be using more often, and coming from a foundation snob like myself, that's pretty good! haha.

Maybelline One by One Volum' Express Mascara

2011-05-25T11:00:00.000+01:00

With ths 3 for 2 off in Superdrug on Maybelline, I had to try out new mascaras, a perfect opportunity to see if I can find 'the one' before my wedding day.

This has the most bendy wand that I have ever came across. It has a rubber applicator with maybellines "lash catcher" catches, coats and cleans' logo smeared across the back of the tube. The bendiness of the wand doesn't sit well with me, I felt like there wasnt enough stiffness for me to have full control over what I was doing.

This is two coats applied:

And three coats:

Not the most amazing mascara I have ever came across, it would be a great every day mascara, but not one if you want to make an impact! It separates lashes well, but there just isn't enough volume for me. It also wear well and doesnt smudge.

What are your favourite mascaras for volume?

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush - Peach

2011-05-24T11:18:00.000+01:00

After looking through the Superdrug website and noticing there was a 3 for 2 on Maybelline, I jumped at the chance to try out a few new mascaras and a blush. Being a bit of a blush addict, I had to try this one out after not getting on with the Dream Mousse Blushes.

In the picture above I have dipped into this with my MAC 109 brush so it looks a bit uneven, sorry! This is such a gorgeous formulation, light and feels a bit liquid and cold upon application, but it dries and feels very comfortable on the skin. There is no shimmer or glitter in this (thank goodness) so it makes my skin look flawless and nicely flushed.

The Dream Touch Blush in Peach is such a gorgeous and well worth the purchase! It wears very well throughout the day and on me didn't budge even though I had no powder on over my foundation. (Revlon Colorstay... loving it so far!)

I definitely have to get down and buy more colours of this!! at £6.49, its not to be sniffed at.

My Favourite...

2011-05-23T09:38:00.002+01:00

Bronzers!

I love looking bronzed and healthy looking during summer. To me when I have no tan on, I don't feel as good about myself, I look a little sick and my skin doesn't look as good... Hence why I dont really like Winter.

I dont over tan myself, I don't like the tangoed look, but give me a bit of colour and I'm happy! as long as it doesn't go patchy... But more on that some other day...

So here is a look at some of my favourite bronzers, and I have to say that I have NARS Laguna... But it's just not my favourite.

Too Faced, The Bronzed and the Beautiful
I'm not sure if this is a limited edition palette, but I can't seem to find this one in particular, instead I've been coming across a new palette, which evidently looks lovely! This is has my favourite bronzers in it nonetheless and I would use it on a regular basis.

Snow Bunny, Pink Leopard, Sun Bunny
Snow Bunny is an amazing golden colour that really gives me some depth and warmth to my face, I would use this mainly as a highlight as it is not very pigmented.
Pink Leopard is a gorgeous pink sheer bronze colour and is also great as a highlight or blush, it reminds me a bit of bobbi brown's shimmer brick in Nectar.
Sun Bunny is a proper bronze. It provides beautiful colour that doesnt look orange, but because it has shimmer I need to be careful not to contour with it and mainly just use it to warm up my cheek area.

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel
The best contour colour that I have ever came across is this one. It provides a creamy, mousse like texture that doesn't clump or look muddy when I apply it. It doesn't look orange, instead it gives a great depth of colour that simply looks like I've been on holiday for a while! I know the swatch looks a bit orange, but I can promise you it doesn't apply that way.

ELF Golden Bronzer
Such a gorgeous 'golden' shade, for lack of better words, and one that I really enjoy wearing all together instead of picking out individual colours. It is a lovely highlight shade as it is sheer enough to give a subtle amount of colour without over doing things. And it is so cheap as well... It's a steal!

NYX Cream Blush in Golden
It wouldn't be summer if I didn't stick on some cream blush every now and again! This gives me a gorgeous flush of colour that makes me look like I have just been somewhere hot... "what? I always look like this." I get so many complements when I wear this as it warms up the face beautifully and is suitable even when I am not wearing any tan!

what are your favourite bronzers during the summer months? Or are you an all year round bronzed babe?

Weak, Peeling or Brittle nails?

2011-05-22T13:42:00.001+01:00

Then look no further! I have discovered the two best products in my opinion for my nails, I don't have weak or thin nails by any means, but they are extremely prone to peeling and not even a crystal nail file seems to be solving the issue.

On one of my daily Internet searches for products that claim to stop your nails from peeling, I came across these:

Dr. Lewinns Renunail
Basically the one on the left is the nail strengthener and the one on the right is the nourishing oil.
I touched on these products lightly in a previous post, but I believe it needs a much more in depth review.

The price is a hefty one, with the strengthener coming in at a whopping £20 and the Nourishing oil being £10. The good thing is though, the Nail Strengthener is a 30ml bottle, so I honestly don't mind paying for double the amount of a standard nail polish.

Dr. Lewinns states:
Helps restore nails damaged from nail extensions.
Eliminates peeling, flaking and chipping.
Promotes stronger, longer and healthier looking nails.
Fortified with Calcium.
Can be used as a base coat and/or top coat.
Double sized bottle (30mL).

I thought it sounded a little far fetched and I knew it was designed for people that have has acrylics on and have really damaged their nails, so clearly it must be fantastic just for peeling nails?! When I first applied this, I could feel it working deep down into my nails and I have to say it was a little uncomfortable for the first few days, but the dull pain dies down and my nails felt so strong, like stone... Honest!

Honestly my nails have never been in such great condition. The peeling has completely stopped, and to be honest it was becoming a real problem when it came to nail polish as my nail polishes would have lifted a layer of nail up with it! It made for really uneven and dry looking nail tips which caught on anything remotely resembling fabric or hair and I had to forget about growing my nails out. This nail strengthener can also be used as a base coat, and it does a great job!

Now with my wedding coming up I really want amazing nails so the nourishing oil is a great way to condition my nails and make sure the skin around them looks pristine and moisturised.

Dr Lewwins States:
Contains soothing oils and herbal extracts to moisturise and nourish cuticles and nails.
Vitamins A and E, strong anti-oxidants.
UV filters to protect from harmful rays of the sun.
Promotes healthy nail growth.

Key Ingredients
Sweet Almond Oil
Apricot Kernel Oil
Olive Fruit Oil
Jojoba Seed Oil
Multi-Vitamins

I have to say this oil really does work and I am so happy that I bought both of these products!

I would definitely recommend these if you have problems with peeling or brittle nails.. They are a complete life saver and a sure fire way for healthy looking nails!

Hair Growth Update.

2011-05-20T11:37:00.001+01:00

This hair growing thing seems to be taking FOREVER! It doesnt help as well that I got my hair trimmed a while back and a good few inches was taken off... I could have cried...

So now that I am starting back at square one, I have thrown in a few new products or supplements into my diet that are helping a great deal!

Frederick Fekkai Protein RX Shampoo and conditioner

These have been a massive help when my hair has been feeling a little dry or the ends are starting to look a bit dull. They make my hair feel incredibly soft and light. I only use this once a week as using a lot of protein products in your hair can have the opposite effect and dry it out again! I would definitely reconsider repurchasing these.

Cosmetofruit Luxurious Hair and Nails

This is a drinkable elixir that has been a great help in keeping my hair and nails healthy and strong. It contains a high concentration of specially selected phyto-nutrients to regenerate hair cells and strengthen nail cells. I have noticed a lot of baby hairs since I have started to drink this regularly and it is a great addition to my hair growing treatments. The Biotin protects the hair formation from the inside and the Calcium Panthothenate helps provide softness and strength to hair, giving a healthy texture.

The elixir itself is very tarte, if you like eating a lot of tarte berries then this is for you! But it is only one 4ml spoonful a day and it comes with a handy measuring device made of medal so it is easily cleaned.

The whole product itself feels luxurious with its heavy glass bottle and I honestly think it is doing me a lot of good! It can be bought in Space NK for £50.00 and its worth it if your like me and any bit of stress makes your hair fall out a bit too much than you like! It helps keep my hair lovely and healthy.

Sea Kelp

This is another handy nutrient to have in your diet. I have to warn you though if you have any kind of thyroid problems you shouldnt be taking this because of its high Iodine content.

It contains Iodine as I mentioned, Magnesium, Zinc and B vitamins which all kick start your body into growing hair a little faster and it also helps with thin hair. Read up on it fully and do a bit of research before using it, but I love it and I honestly think its helping my hair grow a lot faster!

Cod Liver Oil

Its good for your hair and skin, and I like the fact that it is good for your joints too, its a great way to keep your body in check.

Ojon Hair Treatment

I mentioned this in a previous post as it is such an excellent hydrating mask for your hair. I usually keep this on over night and by morning my hair is really soft and hydrated without looking oily!

Eggs

The protein in eggs is amazing for the skin and hair as it helps repair any damage your body comes across. I eat 1 egg a day hard boiled and my hair grows lovely and soft and my nails have been a lot stronger as well! :)

These are just things that I have been using to try and get my hair in tip top shape for my wedding and to help my hair grow as long as possible! The "warmer" weather also helps a little, but I have noticed a BIG difference in my hair since using this routine.

I have also not been using any heat in my hair at all, so I think that is also contributing to its improved state. There are plenty of other ways to style my hair, I can leave it naturally now without worrying and curlers are a massive help some days! I will show you how I use those soon!

New addition to our family!

2011-05-13T18:45:00.002+01:00

I would like to introduce you to Jaxon! Our beautiful Labrador/Collie cross.

After wanting a large dog for so long, Tommy bit the bullet and bought be a puppy! he is absolutely gorgeous and already quite obedient, he is catching on so quickly to "come", "sit" and peeing outdoors! After only 2 days of having him I'm so smitten :)

Because he's so black he's hard to photograph when he sits on our black leather sofa... They are both so shiny! He's going to be a big lad, his paws are huuuge!!

I have a lot of time to dedicate to him so I hope im able to train him well! The most invaluable website that I have come across is Dog Obedience Training, toilet training him has been less daunting!

Blogging might be slightly less for a while! (even more so) but thank you so much to my followers that are sticking around!! Xxx

FOTD: Royal Wedding

2011-05-01T12:23:00.001+01:00

With the Royal Wedding still in my head, I had to do a face of the day based on Kate Middleton's stunning wedding makeup. Since I will be doing my own wedding makeup soon, I also thought it would be a good chance to see how quick and easy it is to do!

Face:

Origins Youthtopia Foundation- 02

Clinique Superbalanced Foundation - Ivory

Bobbi Brown Correcor - Light Bisque - Under eyes

Bobbi Brown Concealer - Warm Ivory - Under eyes

MAC MSF Natural - Medium - To set foundation

MAC Blush - Ripe Peach

MAC Eyebrows - Lingering

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Orb - All over lid

MAC All that Glitters - All over lid

MAC Satin Taupe - All over lid

MAC Carbon - On upper and lower lash line

Stila Kajal Topaz - On waterline

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Volume Mascara

Lips

MAC Shy Girl

I know that it is nowhere near as dark as Kate made her eyes, but I like it just the same, it is darker in real life and I wouldn't chance making it much darker on my wedding day. It is a lovely look and one I might consider! I am also debating on whether to wear fake lashes or not.

What did you think of Kates makeup? Too much blush?

Wedding Inspiration

2011-04-30T16:11:00.001+01:00

With my wedding day just under four months away, I am slightly beginning to panic. There is a LOT still to be done. Such as cake, favours, bridesmaid dress, flower girl dress, suits, invitations, seating plans (with trouble bubbling on both sides of the family), entertainment, shoes, and of course the wedding rings.

Yea... I'm screwed.

Here are some images that are spurring me on at the moment and helping me get things done:

My 'theme' is pretty vintage, our venue is in an 18th Century restored flour mill with loads of exposed beams, open fires, stone floors and walls and gorgeous vines wrapped around each supporting beam in the rooms, simply stunning!

The venue:

www.ballyduganmill.com

There are certain things about the wedding that I'm not overly fussed on... Like favours for example, simply because people just leave them at their backsides anyway!

Do any of you have any hints or tips of how to have a pretty yet budget friendly wedding? Anything I could whip up myself for the tables for example? This 'being unemployed' business is not fun when I have a wedding coming up! *sobs*

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks

2011-04-25T09:13:00.000+01:00

I have two newly acquired lipsticks that I have to share with you! I am sure you have seen them before, but I am just so excited to have them! They are perfect going out lipsticks or... in the car with my sunnies on wanting to look ravishing!

Cherries in the Snow and Wild Orchid

Cherries in the Snow

Taken with the Flash

Daylight

Wild Orchid

Taken with the Flash

Daylight

These lipsticks are so moisturising and are a dream to apply. Because they have such high coverage care does need to be taken to make sure they are applied smoothly and not all higalty pigalty like I have just done! I had no mirror...

Favourite Masks

2011-04-24T15:13:00.000+01:00

Lately my skin has been misbehaving (Aunt Flo arrived) and I decided to make myself a solid skin care routine which I have written out and stuck to my bathroom cupboard. I use a skincare mask three times a week and it is working wonders for me right now! The three I have been using are praised within the blogging community and I have to say I absolutely love them!

Soap and Glory: The Fab Pore Facial Peel.
My skin gets congested very quickly and this has been keeping those horrible spots at bay, I use this once a week... on a Tuesday to be exact and my skin is so baby soft after using it. I take a grape sized amount onto the palm of my hand and spread it all over my face until the little blue beads that are in there dissolve, it doesnt burn in any way unless my skin is broken, I should really learn to stop popping my spots! I leave it for around 15 minutes, read a book or something then remove it with a facial sponge. A facial sponge is a quick and effective way of removing any mask as it lightly exfoliates as well. My face looks fresh, healthy and my pores look lovely and clean!
I give it a 9/10, one mark off as I cant feel it working.

Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask.
I use this mask once a week when I need a bit of freshening up. It is a very lightweight mask, not like the thick ones that I am used to so I feel that it doesn't do as much to draw out any impurities, it smells a lot like clay which it should do as it is clay based. Not the best smelling mask, but it really does work! I use this when my skin is acting up for around 20 minutes and it leaves it feeling very clean and clear, any spots that I do have look so calm and redness is reduced so I don't have to use much concealer. I remove it once again with a facial sponge that comes with the Deep Cleansing Mask - a great perk to get with a great product.
I give this an 8/10 as the smell isnt very pleasant and it has a very thin consistency.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque
I bought this mask quite a while ago off ebay as I had heard great things from it when people had any break outs or any pesky blackheads to deal with. It is very cheap with the most expensive price I have found is around £7. The Mint Julep Masque has a lovely thick consistency and a thin layer is all I need to feel like it is really doing its job. It feels very fresh on the face and it dries to give you a cakey face, but the great thing about it is that you can actually see all of the impurities getting sucked out of your pores. In around 15 minutes I wash it off and have baby soft skin. I also use it on individual spots daily until it dries up and disappears which only takes a few days!
A fantastic Mask that deserves 10/10 because in my opinion it ticks all the boxes!

What are your favourite masks that ticks all your boxes?!

Ubertan- WARNING!

2011-04-22T00:34:00.003+01:00

I am sorry for not writing to you all in so long, but I am afraid that this post is quite a serious one.

It has came to my attention that a number of bloggers and people in general have been using Ubertan. Naturally I became interested in a nasal spray that gives you a tan without sun, a fake tan that is real? Count me in! Except... Tonight I did a lot of Googling and it turns out it's not all it's hyped up to be.

From my research I have discovered that this drug is not licenced, it is illegal and is not approved by the FDA or any European authority. It has not gone through any testing to see if it is fit for human use, it hasnt gone through the rigorous 10 year tests to ensure you don't end up in hospital or with aggressive skin cancer.

On quite a number or forums it is suggesting that this Ubertan is simply a repackaged Melanotan... Which did put people into hospital and has been featured in the news as an injectable tan, one that increases or stimulates the melanin in your skin. This Melanotan is the ONLY drug found that has been able to produce these kind of results. The fact that Ubertan has NO product listings anywhere online, and from what I am seeing within forums, on the packaging, leaves me highly sceptical and scared for peoples well being.

It is also very scary that the company Ubertan also has no telephone number, and any contact made by people was by email telling them bogus ingredients that do not relate to the side effects listed on their website.

It is also crucial to add that their website states that this nasal spray hightens the Melatonin production. Melatonin has NOTHING to do with tanning or your skin. So they clearly have no idea what their own product does.

I am aware that a well known blogger is also selling Ubertan to other bloggers and clients and when I tried to Direct Message her via Twitter, she unfollowed me so I could no longer DM her. Suspicious?

Please, please do not use this product without knowing how it will effect you long term. From reading about Melanotan, it changed peoples moles for the worst indicating skin cancer.

while the effects may seem great in the short term, in the long term it may have devastating effects to you're life and to those around you.

__________________________________________________________________________

Edit
It has now come to my attention that Ubertan have now changed their website, but this doesnt change the fact that they still are selling something that has not been tested and that is safe for use. As you can see from comments below, there has been a few side effects that people have noticed which could indicate skin cancer. But I am not here to contact Ubertan, I wont waste my time on that by being given false information like they do with everyone else.
I am simply keeping this blog post as a reminder to you all that Ubertan have no idea what they are doing and their product could seriously cause damage, just because they have changed the details and information on their website means nothing to me as they got it very wrong to start off with and you should all know that. Make an informed decision and you choose whether you want to use this product or not, just be aware of the side effects, after all, people still choose to smoke even when they know the risks.

Edit
You can read the Daily Mail article HERE
You can read the Mirror article HERE
Basically it can damage your heart or brain if you use his product.

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Ritual

2011-03-29T22:43:00.000+01:00

For the last month I have been using the Ojon Hydrating Thickening Ritual in a bid to get my hair to stop looking so ridiculously flat. As my hair is getting longer it is obviously getting a lot heavier and looking a bit lifeless, I really needed products that were actually going to work so I opted for all of these:

The Shampoo and Conditioner:

The picture above shows the trial sizes of these products. They lasted me a good two weeks before I needed to buy the full sizes. The shampoo has quite a gel-like texture, if you don't squirt enough onto your hand, it has a habit of sucking itself back into the bottle. It was getting a bit annoying for a while, and as I was nearing the end of the bottle it had me "effin and blindin" as we say here. The bottle doesn't have much 'give' to it.

The shampoo however lathers well and spreads easily through the hair... It should do though as there are sulphates in it. That would be the only bad thing that I have to say about this product, after trying for so long to stay away from sulphates in my hair care, my favourite product inevitably is riddled with it. The good thing though is that it has no silicones in the ingredients that I can spot easily. There is Ojon Oil within this shampoo which hydrates the hair to stop it from getting too dried out like most other volumising products, the idea is to leave the shampoo in the hair for 1-2 minutes and rinse. My hair feels very squeaky clean!

The conditioner is the second step in this ritual, you apply it after the shampoo and keep it in your hair for 2 minutes... like any other conditioner I guess. It has the Ojon Oil in it again to help keep the hair soft and hydrated while also thickening the hair. I have to say it works well, but with the shampoo and conditioner alone it can cause my hair to get quite static and fly away because it does get so soft.

Ojon state that you need to wash your hair every day with these products, and sure enough, I notice the difference when I leave my hair for a day before washing it again, its almost like starting all over again. My hair just doesn't feel as thick or bouncy.

Hydrating Thickening Spray and Styling Cream:

These two are also pretty essential in the fight for thick hair, they really are needed when it comes to the "Ritual" as I said previously just the shampoo and conditioner can cause my hair to become too soft and static and these pair just help to keep my hair looking and feeling thick.

The Thickening Spray is more of a treatment than anything which will help your hair become visibly thicker and I honestly believe that it has been working for me. On the packaging it states not to use any more than 4-5 sprays in your hair, but I found it quite hard to only use that much as the spray nozzle is not very fine and it seems to concentrate on areas. I now spray it on my hands 4 times and run it through my hair concentrating on the roots instead of spritzing it directly on my tresses. I don't know how... but it just works.

The Animated Styling Cream is also part of the ritual and is used for... well... styling the hair. it is a lightweight cream that helps de-tangle and provide some kind of a hold when I blow dry my hair upside down. I don't usually blow dry my hair so I don't always put this in my hair as it can make it a little bit greasy. A very small amount goes a long, long way! its very thick and your supposed to rub it in your hands until it goes clear... but its never gone clear with me, my hands are always ice cold so that's probably why, it is meant to go slick and more readily spread through the hair.

I have repurchaced the thickening spray, but I don't know yet about the styling cream, I still think there is better out there that I just havn't found yet. It will take me forever to finish it anyway!

Overall... The whole ritual is very good if you have the time every day to wash and style your hair as well as the money to keep it up as you would go through all of this pretty quickly. I do have a habit of washing my hair every day though, so I found it easy enough until I started incorporating other shampoos or conditioners and then it just stopped working. So they really do need to all be used together!

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Shampoo 250ml : £17

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Conditioner 250ml : £19

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Spray 120ml : £20

Ojon Animated Styling Cream 125ml : £25

It is a bit of a hefty price tag to keep up on a daily basis, but I think it is really worth it and it has been working for me.

Ojon can be bought on QVC and John Lewis.

New Beginnings...

2011-03-15T17:08:00.000Z

Just to let you all know that I am no longer working for the Estee Lauder brand

I am lucky enough to have been trained by them so this will hopefully open a lot of new doors for me! I am going to be doing a bit of freelance work while I try and find a new job so all is not lost. I have a photo shoot coming up so I am hoping to show you all a little bit of my work if it turns out well!

I am in the process of making a facebook page so I am hoping that it will get me a bit of business and build up my portfolio a lot more. Please 'like' my page, I will be eternally grateful!

Now that I will have a lot more free time on my hands I am going to be posting a lot more, theres always upsides!

A massive Thank You to my loyal and new followers!!

Wedding Make up Looks

2011-03-11T13:46:00.000Z

Ohhh I am getting soooooo excited doing these!! I am also going to be doing my Mums and my Bridesmaid's make up, so I will be a busy bee the morning of my wedding! I cant wait though, makeup calms me down :)

Look #1

Look #2

Look #3

Look #4

So what do you all think? Give me your favourites or any criticisms that you have. I am going for a vintage look, so I would love to hear what you guys would class as 'Vintage wedding' makeup!

Liz Earle Energising Body Lotion Review

2011-03-05T14:59:00.001Z

I am not a big body lotion fan, I find whenever I apply it I get greasy and putting on my clothes is difficult and they get clingy. I normally apply my body lotions at night, but when I take a shower first thing in the morning that sort of defeats the purpose. For the last few weeks I have been applying Liz Earle's Energising Body Lotion daily after my shower and I have to say I really like it!

It has a lovely light texture to it, but it isn't too runny which I like. I can apply this all over my body in minutes, whereas thicker lotions that I have used like the Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream take a little longer to work into the skin.

The citrus smell of this really wakes me up a bit in the morning, I find I can actually talk to people without snapping sometimes! Although that could be to do with the lighter mornings (thank goodness).

As I said before, I hate that greasy, clingy feeling I get when I apply body lotion in the morning but I find that this sinks in really well and I have no issues with pulling up skinny jeans or twisting long sleeved tops any more. The only downside with that is that sometimes it just isn't moisturising enough and I still get a bit of a dry itch on the backs of my arms.

This body lotion is great for firming and toning, I have really noticed a difference in my hip and thigh area and hopefully by summer I might have the confidence to wear a bikini! As this is so light weight it is easy to massage into the skin to help me lessen the appearance of my stretch marks and cellulite.

Liz Earle Energising Body Lotion retails at £16.50 for a 150ml tube or £4.75 for a 30ml tube. Perfect for travelling!

What body lotions are you loving at the moment?

Hourglass Film Noir Mascara Review

2011-03-05T13:28:00.001Z

With my recent purchase from Zuneta I received a sample size of the Hourglass Film Noir Mascara.

I was hesitant to try this as the wand looked a little bit... well... crap. I am used to large, thick wands and I thought this wasnt going to do much at all. I am so impressed by this!

1 Coat:

2 Coats:

There is some serious volume going on there! My lashes look so long and they look so thick at the base! They don't feel crispy and most importantly they don't create any fall out during the day.

This mascara also has added conditioners to keep them healthy looking and Polymers to help resist fading and smudging.

I am definitely going to be purchasing the full size product!!

This retails for £20, which isnt that expensive considering I needed very little to achieve a lot.

This is how it looks on both lashes:

Fuchsia Fever!!

2011-02-25T22:39:00.000Z

I just have to show all of you my new love!

As you may or may not be aware, Estee Lauder are launching their new Pure Colour Lasting Lipsticks and they are simply amazing!

I applied Fuchia Fever today, and I absolutely LOVE it!!

POW! Instant colour!

They are certainly long lasting as well, I applied this at 10am and didnt need to top it up until 3.30pm... and that was after eating when I just had to top up the inside where it had worn away. Simply amazing, especially with such a bright colour, it practically stained my lips.

It felt beautiful on as well, didn't dry out like most 'long lasting' lipsticks, I would go as far to say they trump the Double Wear Lipsticks!

Go and check out your nearest Estee Lauder counter for these, you wont be dissapointed!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Eyeshadow Base

2011-02-22T08:21:00.000Z

The one thing I always need is an eyeshadow primer. No eyeshadow lasts the distance for me when I don't use one, so I always have to make sure that I buy the best of the best.

Having been on the counter and seeing every customer rave about the Double Wear foundation I naturally assumed that the Eyeshadow base would be the same... lasts up to 15 hours and doesnt budge at all.

I was slightly wrong...

Here I am at 9am, with freshly applied make up:

On one eye I have the Double Wear Eyeshadow Base and on the other I have Urban Decay Primer Potion.

And here I am at 10pm.

Oh dear.... It doesnt look too amazing does it?! There is some visible creasing and fading on my right eye. My left eye looks perfectly fine though!

I dont think I will be using this product again...

Back from training...

2011-02-21T12:14:00.000Z

And feel a little bit brain dead! The last week has been so intense, from Tuesday to Friday I was at my Estee Lauder basic training and wow... there is so much to take in.

I have to say I really enjoyed myself, the girls were amazing, so much fun and so nice to chat to! And the best thing... not an orange face in sight! I know that I am afraid of tangoed beauty counters with the make up slapped on like there's no tomorrow, so I can see why a lot of people would be hesitant about approaching a beauty counter. Luckily Estee Lauder are more of a "makeup to be seen" kind of company, meaning don't tango your face but make a statement on your eyes and lips which I much prefer!

I feel a lot more confident now after going through my training, my brain is spilling over with new information about each product that I have learnt about (all of them!). So needless to say, if any of you have any questions about any Estee Lauder product, I will be happy to answer them in the form of a blog post or you can email me!

The last week has been full of trying out a lot of different products and I can wholeheartedly say that the products that have stood out to me are:

Advanced Night Repair

Idealist Pore Minimising Skin Refinisher

Powder Foundation Brush

Advanced Night Repair Eye

Idealist Dual Action Refinishing Treatment

Pure Colour Nail Polishes

Pure Colour Lipsticks

Pure Colour Eyeshadows

A lot of products have many different uses, and our Signature Service 2 minute touch ups are amazing! especially the "Invisible Foundation" technique, but I need to get the Powder Foundation Brush to show you all that.

I think I have found my love for make up again that's for sure!

Are there any products or services that you would like me to blog about or re-review? I can give my more expert opinion now and also my personal opinion on products and just hope my employers don't find my blog!haha!

When a hobby becomes a job...

2011-02-11T16:58:00.001Z

I feel like I am totally fading on my blog, I have no motivation to write at the moment. I think I have finally found out why after months of being a bit "meh" in the blogging world.

New collections no longer excite me, I no longer spend hours upon hours just looking online for a colour that looks amazing even though I probably have something similar already. I don't make any snap decisions any more about that new foundation that's just been released and I "may as well give it a go".

I have stopped looking at my make up and skin care collection as my pride and joy. I feel totally cut off now... Why?

Because I made my hobby a job.

What started out as me wanting to make every woman that comes near me beautiful, has turned into endless targets to meet, deadlines and "events" to draw people to our counter. If I don't make my target I get shouted at for not doing enough or not approaching enough people, which gets me on a bit of a downer because even if I do pull people in, it's more than likely we don't have the stock to even sell to them. Recession is a bitch.

A vicious circle I'm sure you'll agree.

Don't get me wrong I do love making people up and colour matching foundations will me invaluable for me in the future, but I am so miffed at myself for feeling like this now that I thought I had found my dream job. It's an anti climax that I hope I can shake off sooner rather than later!

Next week I will be in Dublin for my Estee Lauder basic training, so I am hoping it will inject some life into me and get me loving make up again, even if I'm not allowed to really entertain other brands into my daily routine when I am on counter.

Lots of love to you all, and thank you so much for those that have stuck around!

Have any of you befallen the same fate as me and regretted making your hobby a job?

Creme de la Mer Moisturiser Review

2011-01-28T18:23:00.000Z

This is the coveted moisturiser of celebrities all over the world... I obviously had to try this at some stage in my life... so why not now!?

Used with Sea Kelp which can only be harvested at certain times of the year, it can take months to make this 'wonder product' and it can only be made in small batches, which explains the very high price tag at £94 for a 30ml jar! This product was developed by Dr. Max Huber who worked for NASA and got himself some pretty nasty scars from an experiment gone a little wrong. He started to develop this cream to renew the look of his skin, it took around 12 years for him to perfect this moisturiser!

So onto what I think:

The packaging of this screams luxury, its heavy glass jar, plastic spatula and thick, rich cream inside is a joy to have in my cabinet. I really want to showcase it, but alas, there's no display pretty enough in my bathroom.

This is a very rich, thick cream. I can see why they provided a spatula as using just my fingers made it quite difficult to get out the right amount. You can of course use your fingers if you wish, but as my nails are quite long, it gets pretty difficult with such a small jar.

A little of this goes a very long way. The amount on the spatula would cover half my face in the day time, and I use twice as much at night as I really want to regenerate my skin. Once I scoop out the cream onto my fingers, I rub it in and it goes to quite a strange texture... like the cream is melting, it feels really lovely!

I simply just pat it all over my face, then smooth it over to make sure it is evenly distributed. It feels a little tacky if you rub it in too much, so I just go over my face the once. With this cream however I have to wait around 10 minutes for it to sink in before I can apply any foundation, or it will just slide straight off again! I don't mind waiting though, because it feels really soothing and hydrating on my skin, it hasn't felt tight in weeks, which is such a relief!

I don't know how much this is going to help my skin in the long run, as I have no lines or wrinkles yet, but as far as hydration goes it is really spot on. My skin looks plump and feels so comfortable all day. The only problem that I have is that it is not hydrating enough for night time as I still wake up with quite dry skin I have no idea what is going to solve that problem though as I really toss and turn most nights!

Is it really worth over £94 per jar?
Not really... I will more than likely purchase this again say.... in my 30's when my skin needs a boost and fine lines start to appear. But for now, once this is finished I wont repurchase for a while. It is however great for dry skin during winter.

I hope this review has helped anyone wishing to purchase this moisturiser!

Ripe Peach Dupe?

2011-01-18T00:26:00.000Z

I know a lot of people missed out getting MAC Ripe Peach blush, I for one hope they bring it out again but I am glad that I did manage to grab myself one at the time! I jumped on that bandwagon and enjoyed the ride!

Many have compared Ripe Peach to an Estee Lauder blush in Peach Nuance, but it it really similar? I know that Estee Lauder own MAC, but is it really worth their while releasing the exact same blush in a different house? So I bought Peach Nuance from Estee Lauder to compare the two and put my mind at rest.

Very pretty in the pans I have to say. Though it is worth the mention that with MAC, you get a LOT more product than Estee Lauder. I cant remember what I paid for Ripe Peach, but I know that Estee Lauder blushes are £23.50... it looks considerably smaller and I dont think I paid anything like that for Ripe Peach.

These are meant to be dupes? Really? ermm... no... in a heavy swatch Peach Nuance is considerably more pink and also doesn't have as much of a gold sheen to it.

Even applied with a brush they look quite different... completely different.

So any of you hoping to find a dupe in these... dont bother. They may have a similar look to them, but the outcome is very different, don't waste your money trying to find a dupe in these, but just appreciate how beautiful they both are and you wont have two blushes the same in your collection. They are stunning colours and make any face look alive and glowing.

On the subject of Nuances...

I also purchased Rose Nuance by Estee Lauder...

Simply gorgeous... This works amazingly on the apples of the cheeks, giving a simple flush that isn't too over powering.

What are your thoughts on finding 'Dupes'? Don't bother looking for them or trawl the internet to find your true love?

Sunday Fun!

2011-01-16T15:58:00.001Z

Today I had the sudden urge to make some cupcakes!

I also have an urge to make my own wedding cake, but I am starting to think that it might be pretty expensive to get all the ingredients and the accessories to go with it!

My Creations!

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes!

I just wish that I had some sparkly things to put on them to make them a bit more interesting, but they taste so good, if I do say so myself! :)

Happy Sunday!!!

xx

Wedding Chat!

2011-01-14T12:54:00.000Z

Well I have some amazing news! Tommy and I have chosen a wedding date and venue!!!

Our wedding will be on the 24th August this year!!

So in 7 months... I have to arrange everything... eesh... At least our venue is chosen and they are so friendly and cant do enough for us! It is in a renovated flour mill, so it is very rustic, with exposed beams everywhere, massive open fires, stone floors... I have completely fallen in love with the place!

I have no clue what style my wedding dress is going to be, or the colour scheme. I have a few ideas in my head but I have no idea what they are going to look like for flowers etc. I just want something very simple... no purple though!

What I am most worried about is my make up though... typical! So I am going to do a bunch of looks over the next few days and you guys have to help me choose or at least give me a choice of 2! I will put them all in one post so it doesn't get confusing.

I am soooooooo excited!! I have a lot of people helping me out to get things done quickly and on the cheap, but I am hoping the ambiance will make up for the lack of extras :)

How gorgeous is this cake?!

Source

A nice little haul!

2011-01-13T14:04:00.001Z

I went a bit crazy with my staff ordering... But I am over the moon with everything! :)

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadows - Left: Polished Platinum Right: Smoky Ember

MAC Eyeshadows - Top Left: Shadowy Lady Top Right: Satin Taupe Bottom: Patina

Ojon- Hydrating Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner and Volumising 2 Minute Mask

Bobbi Brown- Creamy Concealer Kit and Corrector

MAC - Mineralise Blush: Gentle, Mineralise Skinfinish: Soft and Gentle

Creme de la Mer- The refining Facial

I really cant wait to try these all out and review some of them! Im especially excited about the Creme de la Mer!

Foundation Mixing and some Favourites!

2011-01-11T13:21:00.001Z

Searching for the 'perfect' foundation, for me, is exciting. I am having to show some real restraint in buying them at the moment because I have so many!

Now though, I have found an amazing foundation combination, which is:

Origins Youthtopia and Nars Sheer Glow
The reason that I have been mixing these two recently is because Nars Sheer Glow tends to cake up a little bit on my chin, and Origins Youthtopia doesnt! These are both treatment foundations, so I am also getting the best of both worlds and my skin is really loving it! A match made in heaven... for now...

A picture with the mixed foundations on my skin:

Discovering an old love... and a few new ones!

MAC - Ripe Peach

such a gorgeous colour, I decided to use this today and I had forgotten how gorgeous it looks on the skin! I am wearing it in the picture above and it really just makes me look alive!

Nougat Nurturing Hand Cream in Fig and Pink Cedar -
Such a really beautiful hand cream, it sinks in instantly with no greasy texture and smells divine! The smell really lingers and I love catching a whiff of it. The sweetness of the fig and the woodiness of the cedar make for a heavenly scent.
MAC Lingering Eyebrow Pencil -
This is the perfect colour for me at the moment, It is helping me to thicken out my eyebrows a bit without looking totally fake. The ashiness of the colour looks very natural!

Have you tried and loved any of these products?

Ojon Intense Repair Treatment Review

2011-01-10T07:08:00.002Z

I absolutely love how long my hair is right now, I just cant wait for the day that it is below my chest! That may take a while though... but one can hope for it before Summer arrives.

I have been using this treatment in my hair for quite a while now, I got half a trial sized pot from a friend and instantly fell in love with it. I bought another trial sized pot (Staff order... sorry!) and whipped it on my hair tonight.

The amount scooped out here covered about half of my head, I used the rest of my other pot up in the same application. The idea is that you scoop out a small amount each time with the little comb that comes with the full size (I had no comb, so used a tea spoon), warm it up in your hands and it becomes an oil that you then smooth through your dry hair until it is saturated.

Something like this:

If it looks super greasy, you've done it right! You can massage your head so that the oil can penetrate and hydrate your hair from the inside out, but I missed that bit out. I then left it in for about 2 hours, they say 20 minutes, but my hair is feeling a bit parched at the ends at the moment! I have also left this in my hair overnight by just putting a towel over my pillow. This treatment smells a bit funny, it smells like a leather jacket that has been left at an open fire, is the best way to describe it. I do actually like it though!

I potter about the house for ages with this in my hair, then hop in the shower to wash it out. At the moment I am using the Ojon Hydrating Thickening Ritual, but I will review that another time.

Ojon® Restorative Hair Treatment is a hair rejuvenator that helps hydrate and improve the condition of dry, damaged hair - without weighing it down. After just one treatment hair is extraordinarily soft, silky and manageable. Restorative Hair Treatment contains our highest concentration of pure Ojon® oil.

Clinical tests show :
A 52% improvement in the condition of very dry, damaged hair after just one use.
A 64% improvement when left on hair overnight.

My hair has been feeling quite straw-like and tatty lately, which is'nt like my hair at all... my hair is naturally very thin with a very slight wave to it, I know when my hair gets dry as the wave disappears and it goes poker straight! these are the results:

It might not look like much, but it is a MASSIVE difference! I was starting to look a bit like a scarecrow!

I am so happy with this product, it has done more than any other hair treatment/mask that I have tried.

After seeing Amanda and Nicola's hair, I am desperate for a loose perm, although I may wait until my hair is a little longer. I really would like something low maintenance for the summer where I don't have to spend forever at my hair to get nice beachy waves in it!

NOTD: Mavala New York

2011-01-09T15:49:00.000Z

I have given up on the Nail Strengthening course for a while to wear some polish. There is only so much of bare nails that I can take! But I have to say I am extremely impressed as my nails don't peel anywhere near as much now when they are completely bare!

So on my talons (Look how long they have gotten so quickly!!) I am sporting Mavala New York, a perfect grey for the dark days. I only applied this last night and already there is a bit of tip wear... but I have been cleaning like a domestic goddess lately!

Products Used:

Nails Inc Caviar Base Coat

Mavala - New York (2 Coats)

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

I bought 3 Mavala polishes, they are minis so I think they will be used up quickly, the consistency of this polish is really lovely, I will definitely be wearing it again!

Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser Review

2011-01-07T23:38:00.000Z

Another moisturiser review! Skincare is always a favourite of mine to try out and review, so when I was asked to review this I was thrilled!! In past posts and twitter I had been moaning about the sorry state of my skin, it was just so dry and tight... generally uncomfortable.

For the last few weeks I have been using this day and night, and while it is very good I do still have an issue with it.

It goes on very smoothly and a little goes a long way with this, at night I always use a little bit more just to really hydrate my skin as much as possible. It smells nice too, quite fresh and I can really smell the rosehip in it which I was a little hesitant about as rosehip oil tends to make my skin feel quite dry. It is an amazing consistency as well very mid range so it isn't to watery and its not thick as you can see below:

The only problem with this is that it tends to sweat... sounds gross right? Well it kind of is... I apply a small amount of this in the morning after my shower and I can feel beads of 'sweat' all over my t-zone. This has never happened with any other moisturisers so it is a very strange feeling to have to dab your face of oil before applying any foundation. I should also note that it also sweats on the lid, like there is some kind of condensation going on in there... strange! This is for very dry/mature skin so that may explain the excess oil. Skin that is extremely dry may not have this problem because your skin would just drink it all up! I can imagine this moisturiser being a great relief for people who suffer from very dry skin!

Apart from the sweating though, it really has done wonders for my skin. My face no longer feels like its being stretched within an inch of its life, I don't have flaky skin and everywhere just looks more hydrated and plump. It is also an excellent point that it hasn't broken me out, which is amazing for me because my skin is so temperamental... a bit like me ;)

It is pricey, but worth it in my eyes! I love how Liz Earle does trial/travel sized products as well!
50ml - £33.20
15ml - £12.25

3 New addictions... I mean... Additions

2011-01-06T21:35:00.001Z

If you are a long time reader of my blog, you will know that blushers are something that I get ridiculously giddy about. I can never be without blush! I have bought three new pretties to add to my already overflowing drawer:

Estee Lauder - Nude Nuance

A perfect 'I am not wearing anything' blush that doesn't make me look like death and looks so perfect with a dark smokey eye!

Rouge Bunny Rouge - Delicata

The perfect balance of nude, rose and peach with slight shimmer, it really brightens up my complexion!

No7 Cheek Tint - Maple

A gorgeous satin- feel and it blends fantastically. I may need to buy the other colours now!

I have been going for the 'barely there' blush lately, that still gives me some dimension. With the nude colours they make me look alive and sculpted, like a very light coloured bronzer. The cheek tint was a must when I saw it... I can never say no to creamy colours! Be warned though, it is a cream to powder!

What kind of blushes have you been reaching for lately?

Backcomb in a Bottle... I hate you.

2010-12-24T11:57:00.001Z

This stuff is simply horrible... in my opinion. I know a lot of people love it, but I simply cannot stand it!

It does give amazing volume, ill give them that, but the texture is not to my liking at all. I may as well have stuck hairspray in my hair! Think crispy, tatty mess. Its ok if your into that, but I prefer my hair to look smooth but volumised, this just made my hair look greasy and crispy.

Above is me with Backcomb in a bottle in, it looks ok... but in real life I really don't like it. I am thankful however that it brushes out well without going white! I tried using a rat tail comb and spray underneath, then blowdried it upside down... still a horrible mess.

So I brushed it all out today... and put in my Samy Fat Hair Thickening Cream It volumises without being sticky, tatty or crispy. Not as much volume, but still enough for now until I get something better!

Also, I cut my own fringe, and now I am really regretting it!

Sorry for anyone that likes this... but its just not for me :(