Birthday beauty treats

Writing a beauty blog means that no one normally dares to buy me make-up or in fact anything beauty related; this I guess can be a bit of a double edged sword sometimes. On the one hand I'd love someone else to be splashing the cash on my out of control obsession, but then on the other I'm pretty picky and would no doubt end up swapping it anyway.

Like the card says, a well adjusted women should know exactly what to exchange it for just in case, right?

Wise words indeed, although they didn't apply to me this year because not only did I receive a bucket load of great beauty bits for my birthday, which BTW was last week, I also haven't needed to return any of them. Yay!
 

Check out my latest acquisitions above, are you drooling? I am from just looking at all my new things to play with. As you can tell new make-up makes me happy, it makes me very happy indeed, especially since it's been gifted too.

I was ecstatic when I opened my present from the BFF, she knows me better than anyone and always gets it right. This year she completely spoiled me with Red Carpet Manicure's Starter Kit, it's something I've wanted for yonks but just never got around to purchasing.

This gel nail kit is an at home Shellac/CND type set which allows you to get a similar finish to the salon 2 week manicure but without leaving your sofa! Needless to say I LOVE it and a full review will follow soon!!

So what else did I get?


Babyliss Big Hair - a heated, rotating brush that mimics the salon blowdry technique used by hairdressers to create an effortlessly groomed look. How did I live without this for so long? Such a fab product.

Escada Rockin Rio - Escada makes the best summer scents and this is one of three they have released this year. If you like super fruity smells that edge towards the tackier side then you may like this as much as I do. It's my guilty pleasure.

Benefit lashes in Starlet Lash - If your looking for some falsies then check out Benefits selection, I had no idea how nice they are until I chose these corner lashes. I wore them at the weekend and they will now be my lash of choice!

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emervielle - This has long been on my lust list and using some birthday cash I just couldn't resist it any longer. It's a very 'me' shade and my new everyday lid essential.


Sleek Eau La La eyeliners - Not one but three of these bad boys are now mine, all brown and all beautiful. Shades are Cocoa, Molasses and Nutcracker.

It's been a while since Mac has been featured on my blog, I kind of lost interest with the multitude of collections they keep bringing out but having said that the new Tres Cheek blushers caught my attention.

A post is to come on both as quite frankly they deserve some blog space to themselves and some kind words from me, but if you can't wait the shades I gift hauled were Pink Tea, a neutral pink and Immortal Flower, a true baby peach. 

FOTD/OOTN

Like any excited birthday girl I of course had to put everything on all at once so when I went out on Saturday night for cocktails and comedy I wore all of my new things!

On my face:
- Foundation - Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24hr
- Contour - Mac Harmony
- Bronzer - Nars Laguna
- Blusher - Mac Pink Tea
- Eyeshadow - Chanel Emerveille
- Liner - Sleek Cocoa
- Lashes - Benefit Starlet Lash with a tiny amount of Clarins Wonder Perfect
- Lips - YSL Lingerie Pink with Estee Lauder Vanilla Truffle on top (perfect combo)

What I wore:
- Jeans - Gap Legging Jean
- Top - Asos Studded Grecian style top - Link
- Blazer - Warehouse waterfall
- Necklace - Monica Vinader - Link
- Shoes (also a gift) - Paris Hilton, yes, Paris Hilton from TKMaxx - Link

Phew! This was one long post and very picture heavy, sorry about that but I just couldn't wait to share all my new gifted goodies with you! Let me know which products you'd love me to review below if anything caught your eye :) xxx

Don't sweat it - Dove's Maximum Protection

Eeek!! Had I been using a normal deodorant I might just be breaking into a sweat right now at the thought of blogging about a personal hygiene topic, but seeing as I'm wearing Dove's new Maximum Protection that won't be a problem, phew!

Not to worry I won't be getting too intimate on here, this is a beauty blog after all, but I just wanted to lightly address the problem that is sweat. Ok, perspiration then, sounds much nicer doesn't it?

We all do it, it is a natural bodily function (!!) and one that at times can be quite a sensitive subject for some; while I'm no Sweaty Betty, I am human and therefore do perspire.

Well, I did, until I purchased Dove's new 48hr dream cream. Gentle but thoroughly effective, Maximum Protection has surpassed all of my expectations; the days of the dreaded damp patch are long gone, now that I've finally found a deodorant that actually does the job.

I honestly can not recommend this more. I love everything about it, the fresh scent, the non sticky formula that absorbs in an instant and of course the fact that it leaves my armpits completely dry.

Compared to other anti-perspirants this is pricey at £5.10 but in my mind completely worth it, I'd never go back to aerosol after using this and I guess if you could put a price on being sweat free and fresh all day then this most certainly would be it!

Has anyone else tried Maximum Protection? Are you as impressed as I am?
xxx

Caresse your lips with L'Oreal

My new lipstick love is no surprise to those of you who watch my videos (link), but for those who don't, say hello to my latest obsession; the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks.

I spotted these while browsing in Boots about a month ago and seeing as they were on 3 for 2 I picked three of the shades up. Risky I know for an unknown product, but from what I could tell from in store swatches I just knew I'd love them.

Luckily the risk paid off, and all three haven't left my make-up bag since. As far as hybrid lipsticks go these are certainly one of the best I've tried and I've tried many, most much pricier.

So what is a hybrid lipstick?

It isn't their official title I don't think, but to me it makes sense to label this new species as that, seeing as they're the result of some jolly good cosmetic cross-breeding in my opinion. Think the hydration of a lip balm, the colour of a light lipstick and the shine of a lip gloss all in one.

For a lazy girl like me who likes to get ready with as little fuss or faff as possible they are perfect and the easiest lipstick formula to wear on a day to day basis. Although they don't offer the colour coverage of a traditional lipstick they do impart a subtle shade that enables you to look polished in seconds.

Application wise these really are foolproof, no mirror necessary. The formula is meltingly soft and they glide on like silk, very similar to the feeling of YSL's Rouge Voluptes in fact, when applied.

Due to this lightweight formula they don't last the longest time on the lips but for me a smooth application always outweighs the longevity of a lipstick, it makes me actually want to reapply it throughout the day, something I don't often want to do usually (I told you I was lazy)!

For an affordable product, they cost £7.99 each btw, the packaging really is very nice. The modern clear/silver casing is almost reminiscent of a cross between the Dior Addict lipsticks and the Shu Uemura Shine Supremes, both of which are also great hybrid lippies.

The casing is well made, cleverly designed (the lid won't budge) and feels much more expensive than it is, a big thumbs up from me!

How about the shades?

I thought I'd leave the best till last in this review, because for me the best aspect of the Rouge Caresse lipsticks is the colour range which made choosing only a few almost impossible. I'm sure my next visit to Boots will no doubt end in more purchases of these as a result.

03- Lovely Rose

Probably the most wearable of the bunch, Lovely Rose is a mid-tone girly pink. Although it looks quite bright in the tube when applied it is more subdued leaving a glossy rose wash on the lips.

FYI if you'd ever considered purchasing the Dior Addict lipstick in Singuliere (here) this is almost identical in shade.

101- Tempting Lilac

Much darker than I would usually go for, something about Tempting Lilac appealed to me. In the tube the deep mauve shade doesn't look like anything special but when applied it transforms into the prettiest 'my lips but better' shade and I love it. The shine and shade leave my lips looking healthy and natural.

401-Rebel Red

I've been looking for an easy to wear true red for ages, I'm colour shy as you know but I do enjoy wearing more daring shades when I'm feeling brave. The great thing about hybrid lipsticks like these is that you can get a wash of colour without it feeling/looking too OTT. Rebel Red is perfect for me and leaves a cherry red stain when applied.

Obligatory hairy handed swatch!

Top-Bottom - Rebel Red (401), Tempting Lilac (101) and Lovely Rose (03)

Considering these are on the lighter side as far as lipstick formulas go they aren't as sheer as you'd think, all the shades I swatched offered a good amount of pigmentation. Not as full as a traditional lipstick but more than a tinted lip balm, a great inbetweener!

I'd really recommend checking the Caresse range out if your looking for something lighter for the summer months or are after an introduction to colour, they'd be a great place to start.

Have you Caressed your lips yet?
xxx

A few days in London

I'm loving this recent surge of ' a week in my life' posts that I keep seeing in my timeline (thanks Instagram) from bloggers I like to read. There's only so many lipstick or foundation reviews I can take and I guess it's a nice way to get to know the blogger behind the blog.

Ok, so I don't have Instagram but I still wanted to share some snaps with you from a recent trip to London. I spent a few days in the capital as a kind of pre-birthday treat with my BFF Helen, amazingly we didn't shop much but opted to soak up some culture instead.

We went to the National Portrait Gallery to see the Lucian Freud exhibition, took long walks around Chelsea which was where we stayed and snapped up theatre tickets for a tenner thanks to lastminute.com.

Pre-theatre we met my dad and my brother, who is pictured below btw wearing one of his own Cones and Hole T-shirt designs for dinner at the St.Martins Lane Hotel restaurant, Asia de Cuba.

Breakfast at Pret, lunch and a cheeky snog (frozen yoghurt) on Kings Road was followed of course by Afternoon Tea. Instead of sticking to the traditional we opted to try the ultra modern Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the Sanderson which was set in their Japanese garden, stunning!

Seeing as London is probably the best place for a shopaholic to shop you'd assume I'd go mad with the plastic every time I visit, but oddly whenever I go I never buy anything really. I think it's the crowds or the pressure to the splash the cash, just puts me off.

However, having said that I did buy two things, the cream studded jumper (link) above from Topshop which I'm obsessed with and my new favourite accessory, an Elkin skull bracelet from Kabiri (link).

Oh and just because, I decided to throw in a random London OOTD too.

Jeans - Gap Legging Jean
Blouse - Zara cream ruffle, this one is similar (link)
Jacket - Warehouse waterfall front blazer
Wedges - Bronx grey suede raffia wedges
Watch - Micheal Kors
Cuff - Accessorize
Bracelet - Elkin
Scarf - Primark (amazing)

Most people live in the city and go the country at the weekend, and that's posh and aristocratic, but actually to live in the country and come to London when you can't take it anymore is different. (Damien Hirst)

xxx