Monday 30 April 2012

L'Occitane Supple Skin Oil

What can I say about this product after than its bloomin' gorgeous? I bought this on a whim after hearing Anna the ultimate enabler from Vivianna Does Makeup rave about it. After falling onto the skin oil bandwagon I made a cheeky purchase on Feel Unique and a few days later this beauty was in my hands. For £28 you do get a fairly hefty 100ml but considering I am already a quarter of the way through I can see this being an expensive addiction. I was just going to reserve this as part of my favourites but the more I use this the more I feel it deserves a post solely dedicated. 

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The oil formula has been described as having a distinctive marzipan aroma, and I can certainly relate to this by the subtle almond scent. The scent is certainly a grower in my opinion and although it didn't blow me away on first application, every time I use it I love it a tad more. The oil glides effortlessly into my skin without feeling clammy or oily and leaves a very subtle almost dewy glow to the skin. I love the fact that this is a pump as it allows absolute control over the application of the product. When applying to my legs I usually apply directly and then massage all over. The rest of my body i disperse 1 or 2 pumps into the palm of my hand and then rub all over. No need to wait for it try absorb, a couple of minutes and I am good to jump into my PJ's.

I can imagine this looking amazing over the summer slapped onto bare legs for a natural dewy glow. I tend to use this almost immediately after showering and find that it works best when my skin is slightly on the damp side. The results are gorgeous glowing, and hydrated skin. Now this actually promises to tighten and tone the skin which I can't say I have noticed but I will keep you posted on that one as I am not one to turn down a little bottom toning :-). I find this perfect for everyday use as its not too intense but I still dig out my Korres body butter once a week and slap that on for a more intense moisture surge. I have been contemplating getting the shower oil to compliment this which is a slightly more purse friendly £16 so watch this space as I feel another splurge may be due.

L'Occitane supple skin oil is available on the Feel Unique website for £28.


Sunday 29 April 2012

Essie | Merino Cool Nail Polish

When I first heard that Superdrug were launching a range of Essies most infamous nail polishes my ears immediately tweaked. This is a brand that has been doing the rounds on the blogging scene for some time now and has been on my radar ever since. Priced at a mid of the range £7.99, is now available in selected Superdrugs stores and online.

After a failed attempt to pick any up in my local stores *cue a huge wave of disappointment* I opted to purchase online. I am usually a little wary about purchasing makeup/polishes online before having seen them in person but I needn't have worried as the colours I chose were spot on when they arrived on my doorstep a few days later. The first colour I was eager to try was Merino Cool.

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Merino Cool is described as a muted purple grey and its colour varies from person to person. On me personally it looks distinctively purple with grey undertones, very understated but dramatic at the same time. If you recall the controversial 'meat dress' worn by Lady Gaga at the MTV VMA's in 2010 then this is the colour she chose to compliment the outfit. I am not so sure I shall be pairing it with the same attire anytime soon though :-). From previous reports I have heard people state that the only complaint with Essie polishes is the brush size, but being an Essie virgin so to speak I cannot comment on this gripe. What I wil l say though is that from initial inspection and application the brush has clearly been updated to a thicker more versatile brush which applies like an absolute dream. By this, I mean this applies ridiculously flawlessly, the brush basically glides over the nail bed and spreads out so you almost get a clean coat of colour in one swoop which is perfect for those with limited time. I applied 2 coats of this colour to achieve full opaqueness whilst setting it with Seche Vite's dry fast top coat which gave it a gorgeous gloss, if you do not already own this top coat then this is a must have for any nail polish fanatics. 

Merino Cool by Essie is available on Superdrug online for £7.99.



Tuesday 24 April 2012

LUSTS #1

























Ah, the things that I am lusting after this month. I think my boyfriend will agree I do have slightly expensive taste and sometimes 'shop' way above my station. This months 'lust list' is no different. #1 on the list is the L'Occitane shower oil. After making a sly purchase of the supple skin oil I fell in love, this is slightly more purse friendly therefore might have to be added to the 'collection' pretty darn soon. #2 is this absolutely gorgeous rose gold Michael Kors watch. Priced at £199 I think this is pretty reasonable for a designer watch. This could be dressed up or down. For #3 I have included the Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb perfume. This is a ridiculously popular scent but every time I go into House of Fraser I have a quick sniff and I love it, I don't tend to buy perfume for myself though. #4 is the Essie polish in Mint Candy Apple, I have been awaiting the arrival of these to Superdrug for what seems like forever. I confess I have already ordered this and 3 other colours so watch this space for upcoming reviews. Now I have saved the best until last. Let me introduce the Mulberry Evelina Hobo. At £795 this is not purse friendly but every now and again I pop to Mulberry or visit the website just to swoon at this beaut. I could never justify spending so much on a bag considering I get so bored easily. Maybe when my next bonus comes through though...

What are you lusting at the moment? 

Monday 23 April 2012

Style | New Look Gladiator Sandals

A little while ago I found my self browsing the shoe section of New Look. New Looks a shop I have a love hate relationship with. I always see people hauling and posting about gorgeous items they have picked up for ridiculous prices yet whenever I go there I always come out empty handed. Its never quite my style and I often find myself filling my wardrobe with Zara, Topshop and H&M etc etc. So I was excited to come across these little gems having been searching for some versatile gladiator sandals for some time after breaking my 3 year old well worn pair last summer whilst trekking through the park with the boyfriend :-(. Low and behold I came across these beauts. Let me introduce me new sandals.

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These are perfect for me. Black, check, gold detailing, check, slight wedge, check. These are rediculously comfy and for only £19.99 you cant really go wrong, so much so that I picked up the grey too. I was in so much of a hurry to get them that I even picked up 2 of the same size which the lovely but observant girl at the counter kindly sorted for me. So far I have only paired these with my black leigh jeans and pleather jacket for a more casual look but I think these are going to look fab with a maxi skirt in the summer which I am currently on the hunt for, being 5'3 means its a little hard finding one that I am not going to flip A over T whilst wearing.


Sunday 22 April 2012

Jemma Kidd Light as Air Foundation Review

A few months ago before I fell in love with the EL invisible fluid foundation I bought the Jemma Kidd Light as Air. I had heard some good reviews about this product and at the time I was searching for a lighter day foundation to replace my double wear. So I headed off on my mission to Space NK, but guess what? They had sold out. Despite this they still had testers on display so after matching myself I opted for shade 3 light/medium I made a sly purchase on the Feel Unique website and a few days later was the proud new owner of this little gem. This has been sat a little unloved in my drawer for a few weeks as I have been getting through the EL foundation like there is no tomorrow. But yesterday feeling like a bit of a change I dug it out and fell instantly back in love.
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Now this isn't the cheapest of foundations priced at £25 but is a pretty average price for a higher end foundation. Jemma Kidd is not a brand that I have used before so I am always excited when it comes to trying new products by a brand other than my usual. Packaged in standard black with a fuscia pink logo this does not scream high end, but on a whole its aesthetically pleasing on the eye. The name kind of gives it away that this is not a heavy foundation but what surprised me the most was how liquified this product really is, you have to be very careful when removing the lid as it has a tendency to escape on you if held downwards. I apply this as per usual using my real techniques buffing brush, but instead of applying to the back of my hand and then using product as and when I find that this product works better applied directly to the brush, I then stipple it over my face and buff it into my skin. The good thing about the consistency of the product is that the formulation means a little really does go a long way. And when you are spending 20 odd quid on a product you want it to last. The product blends well into the skin leaving a flawless finish without sinking into creases or looking cakey. I would say this is a medium coverage in comparison to the EL double wear which is a full on full coverage. But it gives enough coverage to even your skin tone and cover any minor blemishes whilst still allowing ones own skin to breathe. In hindsight I would of opted for the lighter shade as I do find that as the day progresses that this does have a tendency to darken. As for durability, this lasts pretty much all day bar the need to touch up a tad throughout the day whereby it has moved slightly, but I find wearing this over a good primer such as Benefits Porefessional does a good job in keeping it in place.

In a nutshell I was pretty pleased with this foundation although it has slowly been replaced by the EL invisible fluid as I do find that they have a more extensive colour range for which I was able to find a precise match. With the JK I feel that the colour range is a tad limited given that it is a higher end foundation, it is only available in 5 shades ranging from light to medium beige. With its high SPF of 18 this is not the best to wear on a  night out with flash photography, this is definitely more suited as an everyday foundation which I would highly recommend for those looking for a lighter foundation with maximum coverage.

Friday 20 April 2012

Hair care routine and products

Hair care is something that I am trying hard to be better at. Its not as though I am continuously backcombing my barnet within an inch of its life its more so that it needs a little TLC which it has lacked due to copious amounts of blowdrying, brushing and straightening. If you read my last hair post then you will know I have been trying to reduce the amount of heat applied to my tresses, which so far, touch wood has had a positive effect in the overall condition of my hair. So let me introduce you to my most current haircare routine and products. Like my skincare there is a hell of a lot of products used which upon initial inspection you might think is time consuming but I promise its not and the products that do take a tad longer such as masks and treatments I usually incorporate them into a pampering sesh which I love! 

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Firstly I start with the hair wash. I know that washing everyday is bad for your hair but sometimes my hair just needs it. I am currently using the Banana shampoo from The Bodyshop which not only smells pure lush but leaves my hair ridiculously soft and silky. Banana isn't everyones cuppa tea but its a scent which I actually crave so its pure heaven for me using this. In order to try to wash every other day I have invested in the Batiste dry shampoo which allows me to go an extra day whilst keeping oily roots at bay. The only issue I have with this is that it can leave a powdery residue and leave my hair feeling a little dirty. Before blowdrying or leaving to dry naturally I comb through with an extra wide toothed comb and then spritz over Paul Mitchell Strength treatment. This is a restorative spray designed to repair and strengthen whilst protecting the hair against heat damage. I have been using this along with the V05 miracle concentrate which I find used together makes the perfect formulation. 

Once my hair is completely dry I use a liberal amount of Paul Mitchell Hot off The Press thermal protection spray. This product is an absolute gem of a find which I highly recommend for heat lovers. Being a sufferer of a dry scalp means that I need to take extra care of it so once a week I give my hair a little detox by using the Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo. This clears up any dryness and gives my hair a good clean. Its not the most glamourous of products by far and you only get a small amount for the best part of a tenner but it does the trick. After using this I slather on a good golf ball sized amount of Umberto Gianni moisture mask once a week which I leave on for about 15 - 20 minutes  to give my hair a boost. If I am feeling super adventurous then I will leave this on overnight and rinse in the morning with extra cold water for a more intense treatment but this is only reserved for special occasions when I need to give my hair a little extra va va voom. 

At the moment although I hair is tons better condition wise, what it lacks is volume so if you know of any good shampoos for volume then please let me know in the comments. I have been lusting over the Ojon volumising products but is it worth the price? I will leave it in your hands guys :-).


Thursday 19 April 2012

LIFE #3

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Rain on car roof, It's Mario, Easter Lamb, Red Wine, Moleskine, Seaside, Packing, River Medway, Pub, Dinner, Going out, Nails, Rocking it, Tinkering, Brussel Boy, Hi-Vis

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram beckysmabblogs

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Another nail trend bites the dust

When it comes to my nails I am a simple type of girl. A quick couple of coats of my favourite nail colour and I am good to go. So when it comes to nail art of any kind its generally an epic fail. Don't get me wrong I love ogling other peoples designs and even having a dabble myself, I was rather proud of my water marbling attempt. But this latest trend intrigued me. Surely glueing small beads onto ones nails must be time consuming not to mention impractical right? But having seen the lashings of attempts flutter in my reading list I was keen to try, so after purchasing some beads from eBay, aptly named 'Caviar 1mm beads' due to their resemblance to the famous fish eggs, I set to work.

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After painting a coat of Barry M's grey (the closest I had to black) I allowed to dry. I then applied a second, thicker coat and dipped my coated nail into the beads and then pressed them down to help them stick. They did not stick too well, with areas missed but I persevered until all nails had been suitably coated before applying a slick of top coat to the tips. Now don't get me wrong, this would not look out of place in London Fashion Week, or for a fashion shoot. But for everyday practicality for the everyday girl, this is a big fat no no. For starters the beads started to fall off after only a small period of time, perhaps bad application? But it just looked a bit well messy for my standards. As for removal, give me glitter polish any day. This was right 'mare to remove - messy, very messy. After successfully removing it (almost immediately) I threw the cotton pad in the bin and had a quiet sigh to myself 'what a waste of some good beads'. In a nutshell I like the concept and idea behind it but I can't see this taking off other than for novelty value at best.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Korres Body Butter - Guava

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So originally I wasn't going to post about this product. Purely because I bought it on a whim at my local outlet for a fiver and wasn't sure that it was readily available in stores. I don't tend to or like to post about things that aren't available for you guys. But the other day I was browsing House of Fraser and this little beauty, Korres Body Butter in Guava was on sale so I thought what the heck I am going to tell you about it. As far as Korres products go I am a complete novice, its one brand that has never really caught my eye despite being hugely popular in the beauty community but even I know that to pick this up for only £5 is pretty darn good. As soon as I smelt this product I knew it had to be mine. In the fragrance 'Guava' this is the ultimate holiday scent. Described as tropical and sweet, this is just that. It reminds me of the Hawaiian Tropic oils I used to use on holiday or similar so as soon as I use it I am taken back to happy memories. This is the ultimate pick me up product I own. The formulation of this is thick, very thick. It distributes well but sits on the skin for a while before actually sinking in so this is def' an evening job not a morning, slap on and go type product. With that said, once it has absorbed there is no stickiness whatsoever just smooth, hydrated supple skin which leaves a slight sheen to the surface which is perfect for the summer when getting the pins out. Unlike a many fragrant body butters the scent actually lingers on your skin for sometime. Even after 8 hours plus sleep its almost as strong as when I first applied. If you like strong sweet fragrances then this is for you. Of course its not going to be everyones cuppa tea but with such an extensive range of fragrances there is bound to be a Korres body butter for everyone. 

After having a little hunt around for you guys, I am good to you :-) I have found that you can purchase it from House of Fraser online for £12.50 by clicking here. But if you have a shop around you can find it for ridiculously cheaper online.

Monday 16 April 2012

V05 Miracle Concentrate

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I was always the type of girl to avoid oil based products like the plague. Having a tad oily skin and a tendency for oily roots means that I am constantly fighting a battle to keep my over producing glands at bay. Yet, if you read my last skin care post here then you will know that I had a slight change of heart  terms of oil based products. Not only have I introduced them into my skincare but now my hair care too and soon to be body after  cheeky l'Occitane purchase on the Feel Unique website, oops!

For some time now I have been eyeing up Morrocon oil, a beauty bloggers favourite, but the hefty price tag has always put me off. So when I saw this cheeky little number in the form of V05 Miracle Concentrate for less than a fiver in Superdrug, I had to have it. V05 Miracle Concentrate promises to leave hair incredibly silky smooth, add shine and more importantly reduce damage caused by the effects of blow drying with its magic ingredient - Argan oil. Argan oil is fairly new on the high street hair market but has been slowly making a name for itself due to its restorative and strengthening properties. In recent weeks I have been trying to reduce the amount of heat I apply to my hair. So rather than washing, blowdrying and straightening in the morning, my new routine consists of washing the night before and allowing to dry naturally before styling in the morning. Whilst my hair is still in the damp stage I slather on about 1-2 pumps of V05 Miracle Concentrate which I find is ample amount for my shoulder length tresses. The formulation is that of any oil and it smells ridiculously nice, think salon treatment, fresh and lingering. 

In the morning my hair feels incredibly soft and manageable but also has a shine which it lacked beforehand. This lightweight serum is so easy to apply and does not leave my hair feeling oily, heavy or coated in product which some restorative treatments in my own experience can. This new routine has not only been a saviour to my hair but has also saved me a hell of a lot of time in the mornings (hello extra time in bed!) which I certainly can't complain about :-). The good thing about this product is that it can be used on dry hair too, a half pump smoothed over the hair after styling acts as a serum whilst adding a perfect shine to your hair. 






Sunday 15 April 2012

Montagne Jeunesse - Skin Heroes

Ah, I love a good face mask. Every week I set aside 'pamper' time where I will run a bath, grab a mag, slap a face mask on and just chill for an hour or so. Hence why I like to have a variety of different face masks stashed away for every eventuality.

Being a fan of Montagne Jeunesse masks in a packet I was interested to hear that they had just launched their 'Skin Heroes'* range of face masks. I have used this brand for years, in fact for a long time they were a big part of the going out ritual back in my party heyday. This new range is a carefully selected range of masks dedicated to solving a variety of skin problems, so whether it is oily, dry or combo skin you suffer from there is a mask for you. Having oily/combo skin means that I tend to use a plethora of different masks dependent on how my skin is behaving that week so when these little gems landed on my doorstep this week I was desperate to try them out.

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What Montagne Jeunesse says about the range -

Are you having a skin problem? Do you need help? The Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes* have landed and are ready to fight for your right to clear, healthy skin the natural way. Montagne Jeunesse face masques are your weekly essential for healthy, gorgeous skin. The new Skin Heroes range is packed with natural, beneficial ingredients to help solve & combat everyday concerns and work wonders for your complexion. 


I have to admit that when I first saw these land on my doorstep,  what jumped out instantly were the pore strips. I bloomin' love these little things. These are no different to any others you see on the market - wet nose, let harden and pull off, simples. For some crazy juvenile reasoning I get such satisfaction from this process! And regardless of there being no instantaneous results (for me anyway), it feels like you are doing your little nose some good. I used these whilst laying in the bath and they worked a treat, some brands refuse to dry when in contact with steam, not these however, they were as stiff as a board by the time I had finished but still removed painlessly and effortlessly despite leaving on a tad over the 15 recommended minutes. Onto the masks, the one which distinctively made eyes at me was the breakout mask. I don't tend to suffer from breakouts as such but being a lady and being that time of the month etc I am sure you can all empathise with the side effects so this came at the perfect time. Infused with tea tree and lavender oil, this felt amazing on my skin, in fact I almost fell asleep with it on due to the strong lavender aromas. This particular one is your typical clay mask which hardens and you pray no one makes you laugh once it has dried. Removing can be a tad messy so I use a muslin cloth to remove it all. Afterwards my skin felt immediately noticeably brighter and thoroughly cleansed without feeling dry which can be a problem with some products containing tea tree or other blemish fighting ingredients.

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L - De-clog pores strips R - Break-out mask

All of the masks are separated into 2 sections, with one being the mask and the second being a moisturiser to compliment the mask which is a nice touch for achieving a spa like treatment at home without breaking the bank. You do get a generous amount in both sections which would last you a couple of applications but me being me I like to slather the entire contents on my face,  more so on the problem areas and then sit back and allow it to dry for 15-20 minutes. What I love about these masks is the fact that they do come in sachets, so they are perfect for me to throw in my bag if I am going away or take on hol' without worrying about taking up too much space. It also means that you get to try a variety of different types depending on the condition of your skin that week for such a small cost.

The good news is that this range covers all skin types and problems so whether it is dry skin, oily skin or a problematic T zone then there is a mask for you. The shine control mask looks very interesting which I shall be intrigued to try as I do tend to get shiny skin as the day wears on and the T zone one well a peel off mask and tea tree is my dream combo, as for the moisture mask this has been kindly donated to my mum as I tend to steer clear of anything too moisturising as it can make my complexion a tad on the grease ball side.

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Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes range is suitable for vegetarians and is now available from ASDA and can be purchased online at www.montagnejeunesse.com http://www.montagnejeunesse.com for £1.49.


Have you tried these and what did you think? 


*PR Sample

Friday 13 April 2012

Clinique - all about eyes

Photobucket When it comes to preventing eye wrinkles and premature ageing then I am all for it. Bring on the anti-aging products, prevention is better than cure right? Do they work, well come back in 40 years time and I will let you know, I will most probably be cursing the products by then. For the mean time though I have been enjoying applying the Clinique All about Eyes cream religiously every morning. The light weight, fragrance free cream gives my eyes a little pick me up every morning when I need that little extra and nothing but sleep will cure it. I picked up the original, I say original as there is an alternative more richer, creamier formula. Having a tad oily skin I tend to steer clear of any really rich formulas on my face, even in the eye are but the richer version could be perfect for the more mature lady.

When applying this, I use my ring finger to pat a minuscule amount under my eye, allowing it to sink in and work its wonders. Rather than a serum this is more of a balmy cream formulation. It takes a little while to sink but once fully absorbed provides an excellent base for under-eye concealer whilst reducing circles and de-puffing the area. I am not a huge sufferer of dark circles which I can't complain about but I do get a tad puffy under the eye area in the mornings, even after several hours sleep. This product just gives me that kick start in the morning which I would usually only achieve with lashings of concealer. I now just dab some Touché Eclat over the top and I am good to go.

Clinique - all about eyes retails at £23 and is available from Boots and most department stores. 

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Barry M - Peach Melba

What is it with England and Bank Holidays? You can always rely on the great british weather to put a dampener (literally) on any plans. This Easter was no different and the heavens opened for yet another wet and dreary weekend. Being the ever optimist though I used this time productively and whilst inspecting my ever so shabby nails decided that they needed some TLC. Out came the files, clippers, buffers and anything else that you can think of and I set to work at bringing some life back into my poor, neglected talons.
Photobucket Ever since I heard that Essie was coming to Superdrug I have withheld from purchasing any more nail polishes. I am not one to splurge on nail polishes, but Essie is one brand that I have took notice of and although I won't be buying the entire collection I feel it my duty as a beauty blogger to have a dip in the water and see what all the fuss is about. After rummaging through my existing collection I opted for an old favourite but a gooden. Barry M Peach Melba. Barry M is my go-to brand, with this being a staple favourite shade. Its not the easiest to apply by no means, it takes at least 2 coats to achieve a decent opaqueness and can apply fairly streaky if you are not careful, but the colour payoff at the end is definitely worth it. As for wear, this lasts about 3 days before it starts to chip even with a top coat but I love this colour so much I am willing to overlook this little glitch. If you know of any similar colours then please let me know.

Monday 9 April 2012

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

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Ah, skincare, you either love it or you hate it. Me for instance, I love it. I love discovering new products, and generally doing all I can to maintain my skin at its best. But it comes at a price, as my bank balance will tell you, but I wanted to talk about one product that I am absolutely loving at the moment. 

The Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair is a product I had heard flying around the beauty community but never really thought much of it. Then, about a month ago I decided to give my entire skin care routine an overaul. My existing one just wasn't cutting it so I ventured to House of Fraser with my list in hand and came away with this little beauty and a few freebies to boot.  

This light weight serum is designed to be applied at night before bed prior to your usual moisturiser. The idea is that whilst you are sleeping the active ingredients repair the skin. After 4 weeks of using this product I can't claim it has worked miracles, but my skin definitely feels and looks much more hydrated and has a certain glow about it. One little squeeze of the applicator gives enough product to cover my entire face. I tend to work the product slightly between my hands and then pat into my skin. This leaves no oily residue and literally melts into the skin ready for you to apply moisturiser over the top. Sometimes I skip moisturiser and just apply this alone as having slightly oily skin using a moisturiser as well can sometimes be a little overkill and I find using this alone hydrates my skin just as well. Now this product is not cheap, priced at £41 for a mere 30ml. After 4 weeks, using every evening I am approximately a third of the way down the bottle which means I could be looking at replacing this every 3 months working out on average £164 per year. Which, when you look at it like that is pretty darn expensive right? But then on the other hand I look at is as an investment, I mean you only get one face, right?  When I purchased this in House of Fraser they had an offer whereby the Advanced Night Repair came as part of a set with a 5ml sample of their eye cream which will last an age. I've been using a generous amount of the eye cream every evening for 4 weeks and haven't as much made a dent. In addition to the eye cream was included a 15ml night cream which again is a fair sized sample and I also got a free gift of deluxe samples of their popular day products. Not bad eh?

Sunday 8 April 2012

Makup Essential - Lipcote

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Ok, so I use to be a gloss girl through and through but I think that phase has well and truly died a death. No more sticky lips, hair getting stuck to them in the wind not to mention my boyfriends complaints. I now have a new love, and that is lipsticks which I would have to say, as of late has completely overridden my collection aside from the odd stray gloss which I can't contemplate parting with. However, if I don a red lip I have to maintain it all night or else it looks bloomin' awful, agree? And that means endless touchups throughout the night. Thats where this product comes in to play. Originally formulated in the 1950's this is THE original lipstick sealer and for a brand thats been around longer than my mum it must be a gooden, right? For anyone favouring a bright/dark lip then this is a must have for your handbag, I just swish it over the lips, wait for it to dry and hey presto stay put lippy all night, well almost all night. OK, it does not smell too good, reminds me of nail polish remover, and the brush tickles when I apply but it does actually work. For a purse friendly £3.99 you get 7ml of product which does not sound a lot but believe me when I say you only use a tiny bit at a time. I bought this a few months ago and despite using it several times I have hardly put a dent in it.

Lipcote is available at most pharmacies including Boots and Superdrug and can also be bought online at www.lipcote.com


Saturday 7 April 2012

Portrait #1

While waiting for my boyfriend this morning I thought I would do a little cheeky post showing my current daily makeup. It was a little on the spot so apologies for the crappy background. None the less as you can see nothing too complicated here, I have taken my makeup back to basics and have been trying to stick to my basic products whilst mixing it up for the evening with more dramatic eye makeup. I have also been playing around with the old barnet a bit more, using the straighteners here to add a few loose curls and generally add some volume to my otherwise flat hair! If anyone knows of any good volumising products then please do let me know. It seems the longer my hair grows the flatter it becomes.
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Makeup - Estee Lauder DW, Laura Mercier Pressed Powder, NARS Laguna Bronzer, MAC Melba Blush, Cocoa Butter Lip Butter in Choc and Peppermint, Benefit Bad Gal Mascara, Clinique superfine pencil in soft brown.

Friday 6 April 2012

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush - Peachykeen

I love a new blush, almost as much as new shoes. Originally I had my heart set on Benefits Coralista after seeing some swatches doing the blog rounds, but I find that the box blushes aren't too travel friendly after my experience with Hoola. So off I trotted to the beauty bloggers favourite, MAC and had a mooch around for something similar. I wasn't looking for a dupe, although I had my heart set on a peachy/coral blush so when I spotted Peachykeen I knew I had to have it. This isn't a name that I was familiar with. Its a deep peachy, coral shade with gold undertones in the form of very fine gold shimmer. But don't threat as despite this being a sheer tone shimmer blush the shimmer is very fine and just gives a subtle highlight in the light so no looking like an extra from Twilight anytime soon.
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Sorry about my less than attractive nails in this photo...manicure due soon! 
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If you look really carefully then you can see the very fine gold shimmer in it. As with most MAC blushes the pigmentation is spot on and this one is no different. A light dusting over the cheeks gives a really healthy glow whereas you can build the colour up for a more dramatic evening look if you wanted to. I have to say I am loving the peachy, coral colours at the moment which are perfect for spring/summer.


Wednesday 4 April 2012

BB Cream - The Sanctuary

BB creams seem to be everywhere at the moment, with almost any brand worth their salt bringing out their own unique version. Blemish Balms, Beauty Balms or whatever you want to call them they all claim to do the same thing which is to conceal and hide imperfections. Always one to be quick to try any new products promising to conceal my imperfections you could say I have tried a few so I was intrigued when one of my favourite go-to affordable brands 'The Sanctuary' released their own version.

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I would class BB creams as makeup, verging on a tinted moisturiser with a more pleasing name. So when a brand that primarily focuses on skincare alone releases one, I had to wonder whether they can step up to the mark against other leading brands. Priced at £14.99 this product is a tad pricier than most BB's on the market, although fits perfectly with the pricing structure of a majority of their existing products which I would deem affordable. Available in only two shades its very limited but that seems to be the case with all BB's/tinted moisturisers. I opted for light-medium but fairer skinned ladies might want to avoid as it is fairly dark. With that in mind though, it did match my NC20 tone well when blended. The product itself resembles more of a paste, quite thick unlike standard foundations with shade and texture similarities to that of Benefit You Rebel tinted moisturiser. Despite the consistency it actually blends really well absorbing into the skin comfortably with only needing a small amount of product. The issue I did have is that you have to work pretty quick blending. If you spend too long playing around applying it then I found that the product can thicken slightly in the crevices of your face leaving tiny balls of product which I had to brush off with a kabuki. I'd advise using a makeup brush to apply this as you can get a more even application, just apply it as you would do a normal foundation. Whether you prime or not is entirely your preference however I like to slap on a bit of Porefessional beforehand for longevity and found that this enabled the product to glide on and sit better.

Having slightly oily skin means that I tend to steer clear from tinted moisturisers and the like as they have a habit of slipping and sliding around my skin throughout the day so the fact that this has oil absorbing properties is an added bonus and it definitely stayed put for a good few hours before it had worn off completely but had worn off naturally rather than leaving odd brown patches over my face. 

In a nutshell, although I like the concept of BB creams they just don't 'kick it' for me. But don't get me wrong I think if you have a tad dryer skin with little or few imperfections then this could work for you. Whilst I do not dislike the product I think in general and that is speaking for all brands which have released BB creams is that the 'one size fits all' isn't really cutting it and if they added a few more shades and accounted for different peoples skin types then it just might meet the grade.

The Sanctuary BB cream is available at Boots for £14.99



*PR Sample

Monday 2 April 2012

LIFE #2

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