New Phone!

So, even with the cold weather being back with a vengeance, (it was bitterly cold this morning as demonstrated in the pic above courtesy of my dashboard) a parcel was waiting for me when I arrived home.

To my complete surprise it turned out to be my new phone. Not to shocking apart from the fact that I only ordered it on Saturday evening and it was delivered Monday (even with heavy snow on the ground!).

Now I just have to work out how to use it!

November Favourites

My favourites for this month are a mixture of beauty and non-beauty items.

The Beauty Items are as follows:

Eye shadows, mascara and eyeliners
Mac Phloof
Mac Satin Taupe
Mac eye khol in Phone Number (a soft, wearable, alternative to black.)

Lip gloss and lip liners
Mac gloss in Purr
Mac lip pencil in Dervish. (i haven't used a liner in years but this was recommended to me and I've noticed a difference in the lasting power of my lipstick / gloss.)

Perfume
Balenciaga Paris eau de parfum

Nail varnish
Barry M nail effect. (i get loads of complements every time i use this)

And now for the non-beauty items:

Books
True Blood series by Charlaine Harris (not quite as racy as the TV show, but not far off!)

Drinks
Starbuck's Egg nog latte.

TV show

Castle. (can't get enough of this one!)

Snow days and makeup.

So on days like these when the desire to hide under the duvet is extra powerful, makeup suddenly becomes way down on my list of priorities.

It's at these times that i tend to rely on my trusty lip balm and mascara to see me through the day.

At the moment these are my summer fruits EOS egg shaped lip balm and my Diorshow black mascara.

I cannot say enough good things about these products.The lip balm (once you have gotten past the cute packaging) is possibly one of the best lip balms i have ever used.

It glides on effortlessly and stays for ages. It tastes as nice as it smells and is not drying on the lips. I've also found that it makes a great lipstick primer.

The Dior mascara has been a favourite of mine for a long time. It is one of the very few that i have encountered that i do not have a reaction to. (trust me, it is not funny when your eyes feel so tired you could cry 30 minutes after you've put your mascara on!) i find that it defines and separates really well and is not too clumpy.

Now, if I can just find something to sort out my hair.......

Snow days and Master Potter's birthday

This weekend saw the first batch of snow for the year. This event was both fun and inconvenient at the same time.

Plans were cancelled, Christmas shopping was put on hold but one good thing did come from this severe weather. I got to slow down and just enjoy spending the day with my family. An event that hasn't, it seems, happened for a very long time.

On top of this it was Harry's 9th birthday and the spoilt little pooch enjoyed even more attention than normal. He had the time of his life playing across the chase during his walk and even decided to pose for this adorable picture!

Home laser hair removal....help!

After having to hide my icky legs under trousers or tights this month I have decided I need something more permanent than shaving, waxing or epilating. This leaves me with laser hair removal. Getting it done at a salon / clinic is out of the question due to cost. So i need help. Has anyone tried this? Is it safe? Can anyone recommend any specific machine?

Topshop Makeup - A massive fail?

Has anyone else had any problems with Topshop's makeup range?

On Saturday I purchased 2 of their cream eye shadows and an eye liner.

When I came to try them at home, the cream eye shadows were awful.

'Heavy Metal', which, on my hand looked like a dupe for Laura Mercier's 'Alloy' cream eye shadow, was a glittery mess with no real pigmentation.


'Darkness' gunked up and did not apply evenly.

The best product out of this particular haul was the the gel eye liner in 'Steely' which is a pretty blue.


I'm absolutely gutted as I really wanted to like this range. After all, the prices are reasonable and the packaging is kind of cute!

I would be interested to know if anyone else has encountered these problems or if its me doing something wrong?

I'm back!!

Omg where to start.

I had such a good time, saw so much and went to so many different places! It really was the trip of a life time for me.

I went to Boston, Niagara Falls, The Finger Lakes, Lancaster County, Gettysburg, Shenandoah National Park, Washington and New York. (These being the places that I can remember!)

I think my favourite part was Washington which surprised me a little as I have been to Manhattan 3 times before and I've always loved it. Niagara was just incredible with the sheer power of the water coming over the falls. The Blue Ridge Mountains were so vast they almost didn't seem real.

Obviously I brought loads of goodies and I will hopefully get some reviews up this week!

3 days and counting...Trip of a life time!

Only 3 days to go and I'm really getting excited now!

Packing is a nightmare. What do I take, what don't I take?!

Who would have thought trying to buy a new camera battery and memory card would be so stressful!

7 days and counting...Trip of a life time!

I know my posts have been a bit thin on the ground this month. The reason for this is because I have been busy planning my 3 week trip to America's east coast!

I cannot begin to tell you just how excited I am about this trip.

So far we have agreed on going to Boston, Niagara Falls, Washington, Philly and finally New York!

If anyone has any tips or suggestions on places to visit, please let me know.

July Favourites

Products I have been loving this month are:

Perfumes

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy. This one just smell like summer to me and since we haven't been having much of one here in the Uk, this one helps my imagination!

Balenciaga Paris. I've been wearing this one in the evenings and the scent lasts for ages on me.

I also seem to have rediscovered Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle. I can't for the life of me decide why I stopped wearing this in the first place but it could definitely be making a come back as my signature scent!

Hair and Body

Moroccanoil Treatment. I love both the smell and the way it makes my hair feel.

Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite lotion. This one smells great (but is very strong smelling) and is not as heavy as previous lotions I have brought from Lush.

Facial Skincare and Cosmetics

Benefit's It Stick. I got this free with my Glamour magazine and at first I wasn't particularly impressed as it seemed really heavy, so I'm at a bit of a loss (scratches head!) as to how much I now seem to be using this. I obviously need to get more sleep so that I can revert to using my Touche eclat!

Neal's Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisturiser. I seem to have developed really dry skin and this seems to be the only moisturiser that can calm my skin at the moment. (I'm open to alternative suggestions if anyone has any?)

By Terry Baume de Rose. Incredibly expensive but definitely a guilty pleasure for me.

Dior's Diorshow Extase Mascara. I was given this as a sample when I purchased the original Diorshow mascara and it is one of the best evening mascaras that I have tried. It actually makes my lashes so dark and full that I could be wearing falsies! I will definitely purchase a full size one when the sample runs out.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Facial Wash. Guess I'm a bit of a sucker for advertising here! I love the smell and it leaves my skin feeling really refreshed.

Mini Haul and a Makeover!

So... I was happily driving down the road the other day when I received a call (don't stress, I have handsfree!) from a lovely lady at Space.NK in Birmingham. What did she want? She wanted to know if I would like to go and meet their visiting Laura Mercier make up artists for a complimentary makeover.

Being a fan of that particular brand, I jumped at the chance and so Wednesday I toddled along to Birmingham. As always, I was made to feel very welcome.

I was introduced to their new colours and left looking appropriately made up for my evening at the cinema with my sister (god bless orange wednesday!).

The silver and peacock green eye shadows were beautiful on me but I didn't think that the lip colours were anything particularly special. Has anyone else seen them? Thoughts?

I also took the opportunity to do a bit of shopping whilst I was there and this is what I brought!

Days out: Stratford Upon Avon.

So this week I managed to visit another place that I had not been to since I was a child.

First impressions were that everything was a lot smaller than I remember but then I had not been there for 25 years!

I was pleased to find that it was really easy to park and that the attractions that we visited (Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's Birthplace etc) were really fairly priced.

About time...!

Yay! I finally managed to upload my first video to Youtube this week.

Hope you enjoy it. It was taken at the Kelly Clarkson Concert at the O2 Academy in Birmingham in February.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fykpnO-3jHo

June's Ins and Outs

In

Tv series that I've recently discovered, in particlular Castle and Lie To Me.
I could quite hapily watch either of these all day at the moment

Sunbathing. Yep, its that time of year again when I become a complete sun worshiper!

Books. Kind of comes hand in hand with the sunbathing thing and it seems that they have to be crime novels at the moment.

Christian Dior Diorshow mascara. One of the few mascaras that I've been able to wear all day everyday for a long time!

Out

Last series of 'The Hills'. Although Kristin Cavallari is growing on me she is still no LC!

Skincare products that, in this weather, seem to either dry out my skin or make me oily.

Lipgloss Queen

Are you like me? Do you find that when you look through your lip gloss collection (painful as that may be considering the money it represents) it becomes apparent that the majority of them are pretty much the same shade?


I made this discovery about myself recently. I was looking to follow lollipop26's lip gloss ban in order to use up some of the vast collection that I already have. (well we are in the middle of a recession so it makes sense, right?)


When looking through this vast collection, it became very clear that when it comes to lip gloss, I fall into two very distinct camps. Peachy Nude or Baby Pink.

So, I thought, why not pitch these many different brands but extremely similar colours against one another and see who comes out on top. This way when I do get around to purchasing another one I will know which counter to head to.



If you are interested keep reading for my results!



The contenders for this round are as follows:

In the Peach Nude corner we have
Mac lipglass in Prrr
Nars lipgloss in Orgasm
Benefit lipgloss in Life on the A list



In the Baby Pink corner we have
Chanel Cristalle gloss in N0 13
Jemma Kidd Make Up School Hi-Shine Silktouch Lipgloss in 06 Candy (bit of a mouth full!)




I will be comparing the following aspects: packaging, smell, how long the product lasted, if it made my lips dry out and last but not least, would I buy it again?


Lets get started!

Mac lipglass in Prrr - The packaging is fairly basic but still quite sleek. The applicator is fairly standard. It has a slight 'fudge' smell to it but its not over powering. The product applied well (it is fairly runny in consistency) and gave a nice, very shinny colour. It was a little sticky but did last a fairly long time (may have been due to no eating or drinking taking place during the test). I found that it was a little drying on the lips.


Nars lipgloss in Orgasm - As with the Mac lipglass, the packaging is fairly basic but still quite sleek and the applicator is fairly standard. It had no real smell or taste to it. The product was not particularly sticky and out of all the lip glosses tested had the most pigmented colour.



Benefit lipgloss in Life on the A list - The packaging on the Benefit lip gloss was super cute with a slightly different but still very effective (even though it is a little bendy) applicator. The product smelt (and tasted!) nice. However, if you are someone who is against fragrant products, this one is definitely not for you! The product is a little sticky when first applied but this didn't seem to last and it gave a nice hint of colour.

Chanel Cristalle gloss in N0 13 - The packaging on this lip gloss is basic but cute at the same time. Once again, the applicator is nothing particularly innovative. There is no real smell and the product isn't sticky but it does feel a little like it is going to slide off your lips and end up all over your face! The colour itself is very pretty, multi-faceted with a wet look finish.

Jemma Kidd Make Up School Hi-Shine Silktouch Lip gloss in 06 Candy - Apart from having the worlds longest name for a lip gloss the packaging, much like the Mac and Nars products, is unremarkable. Unlike the other two just mentioned, this product feels very plastic. It has a slight smell and taste to it but as of yet I have been unable to determine what it is. The colour itself is a pretty good dupe for the Chanel lip gloss and is obviously much cheaper.

In conclusion, If I were to purchase any of these products again I would probably choose the Mac Lipglass and the Benefit lip gloss. I think that the Mac product provided the best colour and durability and that the Benefit product came out best for appearance (and which girl doesn't want to pull something this cute out of her purse!)

Days Out: Warwick Castle

I hadn't been to Warwick Castle since I was a child so, when it was mentioned as an option for light Bank Holiday Monday entertainment, I jumped at the chance to go.

Walking through the gates of the castle is like stepping back in time. There was jousting and knights a plently!

The only way the day could have been any better was if I'd have had a small child to take with me to the 'Princess tower' so I would have looked less conspicuous in the long queue!

Days Out: A Trip to Oxford

Yesterday, after many weeks of talk of going, I actually made it to Oxford.


I had a great time visiting the places I have seen so many times on tv shows such as 'Morse' and 'Lewis'.



Have a look for yourselves and see how many you recognize!

The women who influence my style.

I've been thinking a lot just recently (mainly whilst lying in the garden in the glorious sunshine!)about the people who have, and still do, influence my wardrobe, hair and makeup choices. My 'Style Crushes' as it were.

Obviously there will always be the obligatory mention of my mother and sister at this point as their presence is always constant in my life.

But what of celebrities and other people?

I must a admit I'm terrible for following people around shops then approaching them to ask where the item that has caught my attention is from, but mainly my 'style crushes' these days are celebrities and who can blame me when you can't walk into a shop without seeing one of them looking glam, advertising the latest 'must have' item.

So, after much thought, (what else is there to do whilst sunbathing?) i came to the following list of people who influence my hairstyle, makeup and fashion choices:


Cheryl Cole


Jennifer Aniston


Emily Deschanel


Lauren Conrad


last but not least my most recent style crush is Stana Katic

I'd love to know who other people look to for their inspiration!

Who said chocolate was bad for you?!!

As a girl who never seems to win anything, I'm still a little shocked that when I entered the code from the inside of the Cadburys Flake wrapper into the little box on their website, I was told that I had actually won!

This is the lipgloss I picked out of a choice of about 3 lipglosses and several lipsticks.

Thank you Cadburys and Benefit!!!!

Yet another make-up haul

These are a few of the goodies I picked up whilst helping my sister re-vamp her makeup bag.









I've wanted Mac's Blacktrack fluidline for a while but the other two items were very much impulse buys.



The 'Plumful' lipstick by Mac was just a really pretty pink and a bit of a change from the nude lips that I seem to have been favouring just recently.



The 'Dusk' eyeshadow from Laura Mercier is a really pretty, shimmery pink colour that will hopefully become a makeup bag staple (or at least I hope it will as £18 is rather a lot of money for a single eyeshadow!).

Yet another mini makeup haul!

I may have gone a little crazy today whilst wandering the beauty hall in Selfridges as I started hemorrhaging money like there was no tomorrow!

This is all I have to show for it!!




I've heard really good reviews about the Mac Prep and Prime Finishing Powder so I thought I would give it a go. (I'll hopefully do a review of my own soon to let you know if it lives up to those previous reviews!)


The two lipsticks I brought are really beautiful. I saw them recommended (can't remember where) as a good combination for a day look and I definitely agree. They work really well on their own:

or layered like this:

The Laura Mercier 'Bronze' tint adds a sparkly dimension to Bobbi Browns 'Honeysuckle' creamy lip colour.

April Favourites

My April Favourites are as follows:

Skincare:

Clinique All About Lips

(I'm still on the look out for a good moisturiser if anyone has any suggestions)

Makeup:

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

Mac Lipstick in Shy Girl

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette

Perfume:

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Nails:

Opi Princesses rule

Hair:

Tigi Catwalk Your Highness Collection - these all smell absolutely Divine!

Moroccan Oil

A return to forgotten products.

Just recently I have been rediscovering products from my past. This has, in many ways, been brought on by some of the disastrous reactions I have had to new products in the last year which in turn got me thinking about stuff I had used successfully in the past.

The most recent product of this rediscovery phase I have entered is Clinique's 'All about lips'. I don't wish to rave too much about this one, but I can't remember why I stopped using it because it seems to work so well. I apply it in a morning just before my lipstick and not only does it appear to moisturise my lips better than anything I have used in recent years, it also makes my lipstick or lip gloss stay put longer as well.

Lucky Girl!

Just a quick post to thank my friend for the really cool t-shirt she brought me whilst on her travels in the states.

It was a complete surprise and I absolutely love it! If you read this, thanks Manda you rock!

My-Wardrobe.com

So I finally got around to ordering from this website after months of resisting the temptation of all its designer goodies.

I have to say the overall process was fairly painless (except that is for the payment part!).

I had a discount code that gave me £50 off my first order if I spent over £150, which, if you have seen all the wonderful stuff on this website, is not hard to do!

This is what I ordered.

Not only am I over the moon with my purchases, but I'm really impressed with this website.

I ordered my goods on Thursday and, after paying only a little more, they arrived on Friday. I elected to have the deluxe packaging (for no extra cost) which was really cute. I sometimes think that it is these little daft extras that make all the difference.

I also found the customer service to be extremely friendly and helpful as when my goods first arrived I wasn't sure about keeping one of the pairs of shoes. With a bit more consideration I decided that i would keep both pairs, but the response to my emails was quick and I believe that had I actually returned any of the items the refund would have been issued just as quickly.

This was a very stark contrast to the disaster I had with ASOS.com!!

I would definitely recommend this website and will hopefully be using it again soon....may have to wait until next time I get paid though!!! lol

Mac 'Give Me Liberty of London' Haul

Whilst wandering around the beauty hall in Selfridges this weekend I came accross the new Mac collections. The 'Give Me Liberty of London' and 'Art Supplies' in particular caught my eye.




I was a little disappointed with what they had to offer, the best thing about the new collection was the packaging! The 'Give me Liberty of London' packaging was so cute that I knew that I had to find something from it. The beauty powders (speciffically the 'Shell Pearl') caught my attention but had unfortunately sold out!

In the end I chose the 'Blooming Lovely' lipstick which was a pale purple shade, (shown below) which was something that I hadn't tried before.

The second product I chose was the 'Runway Ripened' colour Pro Long Wear Lipstain Marker from the 'Art Supplies' collection. I have had lip stains before but never from Mac so i'm interested to see how this one works out.

The third item I brought was a little unusual for me, it was the small makeup bag from the 'Give Me Liberty' collection. I don't tend to go for their makeup bags as I find them over priced for what they are, (hence I restrained my self when the Hello Kitty collection came out) but this time I thought this particular one was so cute that I would 'throw caution to the wind' and break a habbit of a lifetime!

The other product I picked up that day was the Yerba Mate Tea Cleanser by Kiehls. I believe this was mentioned by Lollipop26 in one of her monthly favourites videos a while back and having tried a sample I thought I would give it a go. I will hopefully get around to doing a review of this product soon.

Eve Lom Cleanser

I've been putting this review off for some time as I really do believe that if you haven't got anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all!

I had extremely high hopes of this product, especially with all the hype I was given by the ladies at the Space Nk counter in Harvey Nicholls.

I purchased the Eve Lom Starter Collection at the beauty event in Birmingham and I have to say it was the biggest mistake of my life!

The cleanser left my face sore and blotchy (and yes I had used it exactly as directed by the packaging and the ladies at the beauty counter). Apparently it wasn't just me being hyper sensitive to my appearance either, for when I wondered down stairs the following morning I was met with 'Oh my goodness, what on earth have you done to your face?!'

Not a great start to any morning!!

Being the fool that I am, I then decided to give the product another try because after all the reaction might just have been because I was 'not used to it'.

Again I had a bad reaction. Suffice it to say it will not be getting a third chance!

It has been over a month now and my skin has just started to settle down. My usually combination, fairly tough skin is now hyper sensitive and red.

If you are planning on using this product I would definitely urge you to do further investigation first.

40 Questions

Skin Care

-How many times do you wash your face daily?

Once. In the morning, at night i use cleansing wipes.

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)

Combo.

What is your current facial wash?

Kiehls Yerba Maté Tea Cleanser.

Do you exfoliate?

1 to 2 times a week.

What brand do you use?

Mac microfine refinisher.

What moisturizer do you use?

Clinique Superdefense.

Do you have freckles?
Yes and they come out with a vengence inthe summer!

Do you use eye cream?
Yes I use Garnier Nutritionist Caffeine Eye Roll-On

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Not really, although I do get the occasional breakout.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
Nope.

Makeup

What foundations do you use?
Nars Sheer Glow and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser

How about concealer?
Laura Mercier

Do you know your undertone color?

nope!

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
Ive never had to try them, I have long thick dark lashes so I guess Im rather lucky.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, but knowing it and doing it are 2 very different things! lol

What brand of mascara do you use?
Chanel Imitatable

Sephora or MAC?

We don't have Sephora in the UK so I guess it would be MAC!

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?

Nope, although it would be pretty cool if i did.

What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
My Mac and Bobbi Brown brushes.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

Yes, I use Urban Decay Primer Potion.

For the face?

I have the Laura Mercier one but I don't use it every day.

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Actuall I don't think I could narrow it down to one but I am loving my Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette at the moment.

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
I use both.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
They tend to be very pigmented but are also very messy.

Do you use mineral makeup?
not really, mainly because I haven't found anything that I like yet, not because i have anything against it!

What is your favorite lipstick?
Mac 'Shy Girl'

How about lipgloss?
Nars Orgasm or Mac Purr.

What is your favorite blush to use?
Mac Orgasm or Laura Mercier Coral

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
once, never again!

Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
Yes, but only very occasionally as both stores that i know to are quite far away

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
No

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
No, I'm Ok.

Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Caked Makeup and foundation when you can actually feel it sitting on your skin!

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Both. It really depends on my mood & where Im going. Mainly neutral for work

Which celebrity always has great make up?
I think Cheryl Cole who always looks stunning. (especially this morning on the live lounge!). I like Lauren Conrad's Eye liner and Jennifer Anniston for the whole 'girl next door' look.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Lipstick, as i think it makes you look like you have 'bothered'.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
I do all the time!

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line.
I don't think I could pick between the following 3: Mac,Nars and Laura Mericer.

What do you think of Makeup?
I Love it, even though I actually don't wear that much of it!

Yay!

I've finally done it, I've finally gone and joined the 'Mulberry Club'.


I've wanted one of their bags for ages and this weekend I finally found the right bag at the right price.


Take a look at this little beauty!!

I saw this at Christmas but couldn't justify the money at the time, but this weekend I finally took the plunge and i'm so glad that I did! I can't stop smiling! (kind of pathetic really considering it is, after all, only a bag but what the hell!)

Meadowhall and Internet Haul

I may have gone a little crazy this week. After what feels like a massive draught I hit the shops and the internet like a crazy woman!

My first indulgence was a pair of calf high Dr Martens and I'm actually surprised at just how excited I got about this particular purchase. This may, in part, have something to do with the mini reunion at a friends house the week before, where I sat with a few people that I adore but have only seen a handful of times since I left school just over 10 years ago. (Guess life gets in the way!).

One of the things that came up in conversation (daft as it may sound) was Dr Marten shoes and how they were so 'cool' when we were at school and how they seem to be 'back in' at the moment. So, of course, when I spotted these in Schu I was compelled to buy them!


My second purchase was a cute 'Alice in wonderland' locket from the Disney couture
collection. (I'm still waiting for this as ASOS.com messed up my order!)


Then at the weekend I spotted this in Debenhams in Meadowhall and was absolutely hooked.

Palette £28

The packaging is so cute and the colours (most of them) seem very wearable. I might find I have a few problems with my sister with this as she has spotted it and that generally means it will be disappearing when my back is turned!

Think I may have to spend some time on You Tube looking for some inspiration and tips on how to use the more extravagant colours so they don't go to waste.


My last indulgence, last but not least, was some goodies from Hollister. I have to say that I was surprised when I came across this store in Meadowhall as I wasn't aware that this company had outlets in the UK.

They say sounds and smells can transport you back to a certain time or place and the minute I walked in to this store it was like being back in the Abercrombie and Fitch store on 5th Avenue in New York (good times).

Tshirt £20, Flip Flops £14