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February 25, 2011

topshop sandstorm collection

I was lucky enough to get a few pieces from the new Topshop 'Sandstorm' collection sent to me the other day which I was super happy about. I've tried quite a lot from the Topshop make up range now and I really can't fault anything that I've tried so far. I love the cute and simple packaging that everything comes in and I'm always surprised at how everything is such good quality when it's all so affordable. On to the collection..


I love all of the colours and shades in the collection, I can imagine that with a pop of neon colour all of these colours will be very on trend for spring/summer this year. The packaging is great for this collection too and very different to most of their other make up, everything down to the bright gold/bronze detailing is well thought out.

Eyeshadow Mousse in Tundra


This is quite similar to an eyeshadow cream by Topshop that I reviewed a few weeks ago, but it has gold glitter instead of emerald, and is a mousse consistency. The colour pay off is absolutely excellent and when the light catches it the colour lights up and shines gold. In the shade it just looks like a gorgeous smoky green colour, perfect for just sweeping over your eyelid for a quick application. I also found that it didn't crease and had really good staying power.
Price: £8.00

Creme Lipcolour in Tawny


The lipcolour is one of my favourites out of the collection, down to the fact it has excellent colour pay off and despite that packaging is completely different to a gloss. I haven't ever tried a lip product before that has the same pigmentation of a lipstick and the creaminess of a gloss but with the feeling of a lip stain. I can't really explain but the way it applies on my lips I'd swap a lipstick for that kind of formula any day. I'd highly recommend that you buy one to try it out and I'm going to buy myself the pink version soon. 
Price: £7.50

Crayon in Equinox


My ultimate favourite out of the collection has to be this gorgeous eye crayon. The colour is basically exactly the same as the tube that it comes in, a beautiful metallic bronze/gold colour, absolutely perfect for summer. The pigmentation is equally impressive and after having a swatch on my arm all day it hasn't budged even slightly, an all round winner.
Price: £8.50

Semi Permanent Liner in Infinite


And last but not least on to the eye liner. Semi permanent are definitely the key words here with the lasting power of the liner being it's biggest selling point. I've had a swatch of it on all day now and I can definitely vouch for the fact that it still looked perfect all day, and when I had to really try super hard to scrub it off. The shade is pretty much a bluebottle/gunmetal smoky blue with a tiny amount of silver glitter running through, it definitely makes a great change to boring black eye liner that I usually wear. It is a little tricky to apply but with a fairly steady hand it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm looking forward to wearing it on my upper lash line and pairing it with baby pink lips.
Price: £8.00


So that's an all round resounding thumbs up for this collection, I love the whole concept behind it and all of the beautiful shades involved. If you are having a browse in Topshop soon then definitely have a play around with a few of the colours. Have you tried Topshop make up?

February 22, 2011

kiehl's creme de corps light

I've seen this body lotion raved about in magazines for a few years now but I never managed to fork out the £27.50 to have it in my possession. Thankfully a lovely girl working in PR for Kiehl's included it in a package for me, so I wasn't left penniless. Previously I've tried high of the range body moisturisers and low budget ones too but have never come across my favourite until now. I highly doubt that anyone likes the feeling of a heavy moisturiser on their clean skin so that's why I've just avoided it all together for a while, which is a daft thing to do in winter. However the Kiehl's Creme de Corps light-weight body lotion is totally different to that, hence the name. It just seems to have the perfect combination of a light feel on your skin yet moisturises your skin really well. As far as the scent is concerned it barely smelt of anything to me, which is always a bonus as you don't want the smell to clash with your perfume. It also has an SPF of 30 which is great and I guess some people may use it as a super posh sun cream. And of course it sank straight into my skin and left it baby smooth. It's a shame about the price tag but it is something that I'd repurchase and use sparingly.

KIEHL'S CREME DE CORPS LIGHT £27.50

February 19, 2011

chanel particuliere

After what seems like forever lusting after the famous 'particuliere' by Chanel I finally managed to get my hands on it a few weeks ago. I am more than aware that there are a few dupes out there of it but nothing beats having the original version. It goes with pretty much any outfit which means you don't have to swap and change your nail polish for days. Personally I like to wear it with a faded vintage pink coloured blouse which looks very classy. As with all Chanel nail polishes you only need to apply two coats and finished off with a good top coat it looks great. It is such an ideal colour to wear for work and I find myself wanting to wear it with every outfit.

CHANEL PARTICULIERE - £17

February 17, 2011

kiehl's lip balm

As we all know the harsh winter weather can really take a toll on our lips and leave them dry and chapped a lot of the time. I also find that having the heating constantly on in the house can make the problem even worse and the only answer is to find a nourishing lip balm. I've tried bucket loads of lip balms and treatments in the past most of which just worked as a quick fix. The difference about the Kiehl's lip balm is that it doesn't just coat a moisturising layer over the damaged skin but actually works to protect and treat my lips. The other great thing about it is that it leaves a gloss like finish on my lips without feeling sticky, so it's a winner all round really.


KIEHL'S LIP BALM - £9.50

February 16, 2011

models own juicy jules


This polish is the most amazing holographic type glitter worn on it's own, or it looks equally as gorgeous just one coat layered over other nail polish. It really reminds me of the famous Gosh holographic nail polish but in glitter form which I much prefer. I did have to use three coats but it went on easily and actually lasted ages on my nails. As you can see from the last picture when the light shines on my nails the glitter turns all different bright shades. Get it!

MODELS OWN JUICY JULES - £5

February 09, 2011

superdrug 'mua' make up

As I was browsing through my local Superdrug the other day I noticed a new stand with their budget make up range called 'make up academy'. Every item on the stand costs an amazing £1 each, be it mascara, eyeshadow or lipstick etc. Obviously with everything being so cheap the first question that popped into my mind was about the quality. So I got swatching and I was mega surprised that the both the pigment of the eyeshadows and lipsticks were brilliant. The eyeshadows feel silky to apply and the lipstick glides on with ease. Now baring in mind that Mac eyeshadows have 1.5g of product and the MUA eyeshadows have 2g of product, that really is amazing. The packaging of them doesn't come across as cheap to me either, it's kept simple and classy. This time round I picked up four colours but I will most definitely be going back to pick up some more shades soon. They also have a great range of blushers that I'm after as well. But don't worry if your local Superdrug doesn't carry MUA yet as you can buy the range online too. If I could recommend that you buy only one thing it would definitely be the white/highlight eyeshadow, it's actually amazing.

 Shade 2 (pearl), Shade 11 (pearl), Shade 14 (pearl), Shade 12 (pearl).

 Lipstick shade 1

Have you bought anything from the MUA range at Superdrug?

February 08, 2011

models own nail polish haul

Can a girl ever have too many nail polishes? I think not. From bright pinks to pastel blues and dark reds I could probably open a shop with the amount that I own. But for some reason it still doesn't stop me picking up pretty shades and buying a whole load when they are on offer, hence the reason for this post. I'm sure that most people were aware that Models Own were offering a free make up kit to fabulous magazine readers a few weeks ago which included a 25% discount code to their website which was too much of a good offer to resist. Roughly a year ago Models Own had a 50% discount offer which took the blogging world by storm and the haul that I did back then is still my most viewed blog post. Though I don't think people were aware this time round that if you actually bought 12 nail polishes with the current offers they have on their website too (buy 5 save £7) they actually worked out half price including shipping. So I ended up paying £30 including shipping for the 12 nail polishes! Ever since my first haul they have been my ultimate favourite nail polish brand both for range of stunning colours and price. Every season they come out with great new colours that are always bang on trend and very popular. I will be doing proper swatches of all the colours in the next few months but for now here is my haul..



Emerald City, Jade Stone, Bettys Blue, Coral Reef, Bubblegum, Pink Punch
Blue Moon, Juicy Jules, Gun Grey, Cherry Pie, Mystic Mauve, Dusty Mauve.

February 06, 2011

bumble and bumble hair products


THICKENING SHAMPOO - £17

When it comes to hair I'm pretty sure that most people believe the thicker the better. I am most definitely one of those people and always have a little voice in my head saying 'the bigger hair the smaller the hips'. They say to only use a small amount of this shampoo so that's exactly what I did, and surprisingly it lathered nicely and I ended up using half of the amount that I usually do with other shampoos. It smells divine too, basically just really fresh and lovely. Once I had blow dried my hair I noticed straight away that my hair was twice as thick as it usually is after a shower, it looked really healthy and full of body. I will be using this shampoo weekly as to not run out of it too quickly and also just when my hair needs extra 'oomph'.

CREME DE COCO MASQUE - £20

I'm sure that most people will have experienced a bad hair mask a time or two. They feel heavy when you apply them and once your hair is dry out of the shower you just want to wash it again as it's weighed down and greasy looking. Thankfully the hair mask works perfectly which makes the price tag worth it in my opinion. The first thing I noticed was the gorgeous smell, apparently it has a trio of tropical butters in, yum! It feels light weight yet nourishing when you apply it in the shower and they say that on average you should leave it on for 7 minutes, but you can leave it on for as long as you please! It was really easy to wash out and I was actually amazed with the results once I had dried my hair. It really did look a whole load more shiny and sleek. I'm only going to use it every two weeks or so which hopefully will mean it will last a while.

February 04, 2011

models own spring/summer collection


I'm sure that a lot of people who have been following my blog for a while now will know how much I love Models Own nail polishes. They are priced well, packaged really nicely and come in a beautiful range of unique colours. I was sent a few shades from the upcoming Spring/Summer collection the other day, so imagine how excited I was to not only try out some more shades but for them to be exclusive colours that haven't even been released yet! But don't worry you won't have to wait to long for them as they will be released on the 23rd February.


Blooboo
A very pastel baby blue colour with a very subtle silvery ice blue shimmer in the light. This colour definitely reminds me of Beths Blue but a warmer toned alternative. It will be great to wear with a dark tan in the summer for sure.


Bronze Rage
I don't think I've ever seen a nail polish before that is so metallic for a copper colour. The base colour reminds me of the same colour as a penny but the gorgeous gold glitter running through it makes it look expensive over tacky. 


Black Swirl
This colour has a very definite silver tinge that my camera hasn't quite picked up in the swatch but you can see a few pictures above. A very dark black onyx colour with heaps of fine silver shimmer running through. This one is another unique colour as I haven't seen many metallic black colours that look this great.


I hope you enjoyed that little introduction to the Models Own Spring/Summer collection, I definitely recommend picking up a few shades when they are released. I currently have my eye on Utopia, Concrete Mixer and Pink Fever. I am aware that Nyla Nude will only be available exclusively to River Island and Orange Sherbet will only be available to purchase online, but the rest will be widely available in Boots stores and on the Models Own website.

Price: £5 each
 Available from: Boots stores & Models Own website from 23rd February.

February 03, 2011

chanel black pearl

In a slightly rare occasion I managed to get hold of a product pretty much as soon as it had been released yesterday. My mum brought me the new Chanel nail varnish in 'Black Pearl' from the new Spring/Summer collection home from work with her. Apparently the sales woman told her they had only two left and wouldn't be getting more stock in for a while. I was so excited to review it that I painted my nails with it straight away and instantly fell in love. She also managed to pick up 'particuliere' for me which I was equally as thrilled about as I've been lusting after it for ages, but I will review that in a separate post. 


 The shade is a metallic black with a very green and slightly blue shimmer to it. The name is spot on as it looks just like a black pearl with hints of green. I'm sure that you all know that I'm not usually the girl who would recommend going out to buy a £17 nail polish but in this instance I really would. The colour is so unique and applies beautifully that is is worth every penny. Personally I only buy a Chanel nail polish every few months or so as a treat because they are so expensive, but I wouldn't say they are out of my price range for doing so. They also sing out to me while arranged next to all of my other nail polishes and look far superior in comparison to my cheaper collections. 
CHANEL BLACK PEARL - £17

February 01, 2011

liz earle cleanse & polish review

I did an initial review of the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser about a year ago now and as I have been using it ever since I thought I would share my thoughts on it once again.


''Cleanse & Polish is the original hot cloth cleanser and suits all skin types, colours and ages - if you have skin then Cleanse & Polish is for you! You can genuinely depend on Cleanse & Polish to deliver outstanding results, revealing softer, smoother and more radiant looking skin from the first use - it's truly tried, tested, approved and loved!''

In the standard Hot Cloth Cleanser pack you will receive a 100ml tube of the cleanser and two muslin cloths packaged in a little zip up waterproof pouch. The tube has a really handy pump that makes it really easy to control how much product that you want to use. For light make up I only need to use one pump but after a night out you'd probably want to use two.

I like to start off by warming the product up between my fingers and then pasting it onto my skin gently. I would describe the texture of the cream as being the perfect mid way point between light and luxurious, it basically just feels as soft as a moisturiser but draws out all the dirt in your skin and is thick enough to do the job properly but is in no way heavy or greasy. It also smells really fresh and as I like to say about all of the Liz Earle products 'like the spa'. Next I massage the cream thoroughly into my skin to melt my foundation off and lastly I move on to my eyes. Finally I take the muslin cloth and dampen it with hand hot water and wipe the cream away. The process really is that easy and it's the ultimate option for people that are lazy like me and don't like faffing around with time wasting methods.

The muslin cloth also has a big part in the routine as it gently buffs away all of the dead skin cells on the top layer of my skin. It's funny because my mum was talking to the Liz Earle woman in the shop about how her great grandma actually used a muslin cloth on her skin and people used to be amazed at how good her skin was for her age. So if all these years later muslin cloths are still being used by the masses then surely they must be good! You can also use it up to three times and then pop it in the wash and it comes out as good as new.

I think of the cleanser as one of those genius products that solves two problems in one shot; it not only removes make up perfectly but it also has such beneficial factors for your skin. It's rich in naturally active ingredients including purifying eucalyptus and skin softening cocoa butter. With all of those beneficial factors taken into consideration I can definitely see an instant change in my skin after using the cleanser, my skin appears glowing and youthful straight away. I also just wanted to mention for people that use face wipes how bad it can be for your skin, they are notorious for drying out your skin. And that is coming from someone that used them constantly for about three years in a row, so trust me on that one! So definitely chuck the face wipes in the bin and buy yourself a bottle of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is my advice. 

So, after a whole year of using Cleanse and Polish I can honestly say that I won't ever be using anything else to remove my make up. It has holy grail status in my bathroom, and my mum (who has the opposite skin problems to me) loves it just as much. I really don't need to push the product any more, as far as I am concerned it is a skincare must have and there is really no reason to not give it a go if you haven't already. The cleanser has also received a ton of awards, features and positive reviews if you need any more of an excuse to buy one.

Price list -
• 30ml sample tube - £5.10
• 50ml pump kit - £8.54
• 100ml pump kit - £13.25 (best selling)
• 200ml tube starter kit - £23.45

All of the cleansers are also sold separately for a cheaper price without the muslin cloths if you already have enough.


Rating: ★★★★★+
 Available from: Liz Earle