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June 30, 2013

sisley eye contour mask


If you are on a budget when it comes to beauty products then look away now as this product from Sisley is about as enticing as it gets for a high end skincare product. I certainly don't believe that you have to spend a fortune on skincare but every now and then a product comes along that is unlike any other on the cheaper end of the scale. If I've had a bad nights sleep or I'm feeling a bit stressed my eye area is always the first place to show it and they can also be sore from late nights and long days. So if there's one problem area that I like to take care of most it's this and for that reason I'm usually trying out one cream or another to combat signs of tired eyes.

The Eye Contour Mask by Sisley is half way between a balm and lotion, it applies to leave a hydrating layer and feels nourishing without being too heavy. A lot of eye creams and serums that I've tried in the past seem to sink away too quickly to actually get working on the skin which is why I've come to really like the idea of a mask instead. You can blot off any excess product after 10 minutes as directed but I prefer to leave it to fully absorb and don't ever find that there is any left to take off after much longer. I see the mask as a treat product that I only use on the rare occasion to give my eye area some looking after, perhaps once or twice a week. It's truly wonderful at hydrating the skin in the morning and will do the job like nothing else but it's also a great product to apply just before bed time to ensure you won't wake up looking like a zombie. It's definitely worth having a think about for any city slickers that are always on the lookout for something to perk up tired skin around the eyes, you only need to use the tiniest amount and given the size of the tube it should last quite a while. But however wonderful it is I do realise we can't all afford around £70 for a skincare product.

June 29, 2013

kerstin florian rehydrating neroli water


If a product ever claims to be rehydrating then it always gains interest from me due to my naturally dry and dull looking skin. I'm always reaching for products to give my skin a perk up and to give me the dewy looking complexion that I crave after, combine that with being too lazy to bother with applying face creams as often as I should and that's where the Kerstin Florian Rehydrating Neroli Water comes in. I've found quite a few uses for the spray including to wake up my skin first thing in the morning, to apply just before my moisturiser or to mist over foundation to give a more dewy finish. It just seems to give my skin an instant boost and is great for anyone who needs a quick and easy hit of hydration for their skin throughout the day.

June 28, 2013

glitter triangle half moon nails


Another nail art post for you all today, I'm starting to get quite good at this now! I painted a black base colour and then used striping tape (again) to create a triangle shape at the base of my nail and filled it in with a gold glitter polish then peeled the tape away to reveal the design and sealed with a topcoat. It was actually super easy to do and looks even more amazing once the light catches the glitter and is really well suited for wearing on a night out.

June 27, 2013

yves saint laurent parisienne


My most worn and loved perfume has to be YSL Parisienne, it's a beautifully powdery scent that reminds me of parma violets and is the most perfect option for daytime wear. I've got through around four bottles now and always like to have a bottle on my dressing table. If you are a fan of slightly sweet yet musky scents then you will adore Parisienne without a doubt, I may have more than a sensible amount of perfumes but I come back to this over anything else time after time. It would make a great gift too as it's so lovely that I doubt anyone could dislike it, but have a look at the 50ml version as it's much better value.

"Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne eau de parfum spray for women is a woody and floral scent, opening with top notes of cranberry and blackberry, which then flows into a heart of damas rose, violet and peony, all of which sits on top of a smooth base of vetiver, patchouli, musk and sandalwood."

June 23, 2013

vichy normaderm cleansing gel

Since my trip to Paris last year I've been getting familiar with all of the skincare products that I purchased and my favourite discovery of all has turned out to be the Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel. I keep it in the shower and have used it for almost a year now and there is still half left in the bottle and as my Mum uses it too I find that really impressive. The pump manages to give just the right amount of product for a full face and neck application which makes the process hassle and waste free. It lathers up brilliantly to form a silky foam like texture which feels soothing on the skin, it's definitely the softest face wash that I've ever used. It's fragrance free but still has a very subtle fresh smell that gently wakes my skin up. After coming out the shower my skin feels baby soft, clean as clean can be and fully prepped for skincare and make up application. I don't get blemishes so can't comment as to whether or not it helps with those but can certainly vouch for the fact it seems to balance out my skin. If you suffer with troublesome reactive skin (or if you simply want a gentle/kind to skin face wash) then I'd highly recommend trying this out, I will certainly repurchasing it in the future. I was lucky enough to get my 400ml bottle at a bargain price in Paris but you can still get the 200ml version in the UK for a decent enough price from Boots.


June 20, 2013

how to: black and nude caged nail art


I'm back with some more nail art today and this time I went for something really different and that I thought up myself without inspiration pictures. I painted Barry M 'Nude' as my base colour and then applied tape vertically to my nails and then horizontally to create a grid pattern as you can see in the photo above. I then layered a black nail polish over that and started peeling away the pieces of tape as I did in this blog post. It did take a while to complete all of the nails but if you haven't got the time this look would look really great on an accent nail or two. If you are bored with the usual nail polish looks then get creative with some striping tape!

June 14, 2013

mac cyber lipstick


After showing you all what I bought from Mac a couple of days ago, the lipstick in 'Cyber' seemed to get the most interest so I thought I'd put up a post today about how I got on with it. The colour is absolutely beautiful, it's a deep vampy purple but is quite tricky to pull off. The lipstick can be worn as a stain or built up for a deeper shade but can tend to be quite patchy and isn't long lasting which is a shame. All in all I'm in love with the colour of the lipstick but just wish it was easier to apply and wear all day.

June 12, 2013

recent buys from mac

Whenever I'm not feeing so great I always turn to a bit of retail therapy and recently I decided that a Mac order was on the cards. Mac is without a doubt my favourite make up brand, due to the never ending shades of lipstick and array of eyeshadows to play with, not to mention their false lashes and blushes to suit every skin tone. The prices may be too high for me to shop there regularly but it doesn't put me off having a treat every now and then. This time I decided to make an online order and pick up a few products that I've been eyeing up for a long time.


MAC BROW SET IN 'CLEAR' - £12.50: At the moment it's all about the brows for me, the bolder the better but equally I want to avoid them looking like two dark drawn on lines so I purchased brow set to brush up the hairs to make them appear more textured.

MAC EYE BROWS IN 'BRUNETTE' - £12.50: With the same mindset as purchasing brow set I thought a brow crayon/pencil would work well at creating finer strokes than using a powder product. I usually go for an ash cool toned colour on my brows so was a little disappointed to see that this is warm toned but we'll see!

MAC CREMEBLEND BLUSH IN 'SO SWEET, SO EASY' - £17.50: I've been after a new cream blush in quite a while and this shade was exactly what I was looking for. I have very dry skin so powder blushes never work out too well for me and I love the dewy effect created with cream products.

MAC LIPSTICK IN 'CYBER' - £14: I love dark purple almost gothic lip colours and since I have got on so well with 'Rebel' by Mac I couldn't wait to try out this deeper and more vampy shade.

MAC LIPSTICK IN 'CANDY YUM-YUM' - £14: Being no stranger to trying out the brightest of lipsticks next on my list has always been this one but it's been pretty hard to track down as it quickly goes in and out of stock on the website. I'm so happy that I have it now as it's different to all of my other shades and goes so well with my new hair colour.

I will be writing about all of the products in more detail soon and be putting up some photos of what they look like on too!

June 11, 2013

new launch: l'oreal neon pop nail collection


Summer is well and truly here and although the weather can't make up it's mind it's time to embrace bright colours and neon shades. Summer is my favourite time of year for makeup launches but I get most excitement seeing new shades of bright nail polish to add to my never ending collection. I had a very exciting package delivered a couple of days ago containing a balloon filled with bright shades of confetti along with the Neon Pop nail collection by L'Oreal. It's certainly one of the best deliveries that I've ever had and being the nail polish junkie that I am it put a big smile on my face. On to the nail polishes, there are four shades in total Acid Watermelon, Flashing Lilac, Wasabi Hint and Banana Pop. The formula of the polishes is quite watery so three coats is needed but the brush is absolutely amazing and only requires two strokes to complete a nail. My favourite colour is a hard one to pick but I'd probably go with Banana pop as it's completely different to any other shade that I own and is flattering to my skin tone which was a surprise. Although I'm a fan of the bottle design I noticed that these polishes only contain 5ml of product, and whilst Models Own have 14ml it's quite a let down that you pay the same price for around 1/3 of product. Overall I'd definitely recommend checking out the polishes but just be aware of what you are paying for.

The polishes will be available this month at a price of £4.99 each.

June 09, 2013

crazy for carmex


I know that most people will already be aware of how amazing Carmex lip balms are, but if not, here I am to inform you of just that! I often have pretty dry lips which are prone to getting chapped and sometimes sore, I'm not sure why but perhaps it's because I'm always wearing matte lipsticks and it dries them out. I've tried lots of lip balms and salves in my time, a lot of them don't actually work and just gloss over the problem as it were. A couple of days ago my lips were rather chapped so I reached for the Carmex and after a couple of days applying it my lips ended up super hydrated and soft. I'm in no doubt that Carmex Lip Balm Tube is the best lip balm in the whole wide world, the cherry version cannot be improved on. The Lip Pots are great too but don't give quite the same nourishment in my opinion but are a good alternative if you want to apply something lighter feeling, I use the pot version in the daytime and the tube version just before bed. Not forgetting the Moisture Plus range which come in Peach, Pink and Berry shades to give a hint of colour to the lips, these are perfect on days which my lips are too chapped for lipsticks. I know that I'm sounding like a fanatic of the brand but I just wanted to show some love for them as often I get sidetracked with fancier/more expensive products from time to time.

ALL CURRENTLY ON 3 FOR 2 IN BOOTS!

June 08, 2013

macadamia deep repair masque


I have typically very dry and frizzy hair which is a complete nuisance but perfect for trying out hair masks and seeing if they actually work. I don't usually do much to my hair, I used to straighten it almost everyday from the age of 12-16 as I hated wearing it naturally curly but I've gotten out of that habit now and just blow dry it so it has more texture. I also rarely dye it and try to only change the colour drastically around once a year so that it doesn't get too damaged. I think my hair is just naturally frizzy but luckily I'm finding products to help out and nourish my hair properly. Lee Stafford Breaking Hair Treatment is a favourite of mine and I always find really does do the job but just falls short of this Macadamia Deep Repair Masque, the reason of which being that this one is thicker and more nourishing. I like to use it on days that I have something fancy to dress up for as it works like nothing else to smooth out frizz. In the bath I apply a generous dollop all over my hair (you can just apply it to the ends if you have an oily scalp) and leave it on for as long as I can stay still for, usually being 20 minutes. I then rinse it out and notice how silky my hair feels straight away, it's also so much easier to brush through and my hair ends up looking amazing after being blow dried to the point I look like I've just come out of the hairdressers.

I'd definitely recommend the masque to anyone with dry and frizzy hair, it's one of the best that I've tried for sure. The tub does last a while if you only use it every now and then when your hair is at it's worst, but I'd say the results only last until you wash your hair next.

June 07, 2013

blueberry crush hair dye


So I've dyed my hair.. again. This time I decided to opt for the shade 'Blueberry Crush' by Schwarzkopf (it's those ones which you shake up and form a foam), purely because it was on offer in Morrisons. I was going to attempt a light brown with violet streaks in the ends but I'm going to do that another time. I really like this shade as it's a very cool tone and looks indigo blue in the sunlight, although it was a real pain to apply. I know that it certainly isn't a Summery shade but I was pretty bored of having a natural looking hair colour and fancied a big change. Most importantly it matches well with all my favourite lipsticks and seems to compliment my skin colour well, I'm wearing Lavender Whip lippie by Mac in case any of you were wondering.

June 05, 2013

vertical black and white striped nails


I'm back with more nail art, and this time I went for black and white vertical stripes which made my nails look like little mint humbugs. I used the same striping technique that I did with this post but used the tape vertically rather than diagonally, although if you don't have striping tape you could just use a nail art brush if you have a steady hand.