Simply the best

Recently lots of ladies have been mentioning what lovely skin I have. Which is always lovely to hear, but I'd feel abit of a cheat if I didn't tell them my secret. I have to reassure them, 'it's not my skin, my foundation is actually magic in a bottle'.
My skin is pretty average actually, its not great, I struggle with it and I do get quite a few breakouts. The only people who tell me I have good skin are the ones who never see me make-up-less!!

Chanel Vitalumiere foundation is my no 1 beauty hero. If I had to pick 1 product and quit all the others, I would pick this. That's saying a lot coming from me!

Honestly though, this is the best foundation I have ever had the pleasure of using. It has amazing coverage, without looking to heavy. It sets well onto my skin. The shade is perfect, it brightens me up without being orange. It gives me that dewy "I haven't tried hard" look, without looking greasy, which I love. It makes my skin glow and feel fresh. It lasts ALL DAY (I'm talking 12 hours +). It makes me feel radiant. It smells beautiful. The bottle has a pump so its sanitary and presice, and lasts for a couple of months, at least. It also has sun protection spf 15. I could literally go on and on complementing this foundation.
Of course I try others (that's my job to trial and review :) ) but nothing ever seems to come close, and it may sounds sad, but I actually look forward to applying Vitalumiere, its like a daily treat. It transforms me and makes me feel so much better about myself. 

I know £32 (30ml) is a lot for some of you to pay for a foundation, but as you beauties know, I would always push you to invest in your basics. And this it just that, an investment. I've said it before, good skin care is the most important beauty rule. You don't want to be putting just anything on your skin. Chanel is the best of the best, what the stars use.


So next time you are looking for a new simply amazing foundation, give yourself a star treat, this gets 11/10 from me. Quite possibly my favourite product ever.
Xx

Tuesday's Tips and Tricks

Good evening beauties, brrr what happened to the gorge weather?! I even had to wear a scarf in London town today, it was chilly. Bring the sun back please :)




Today I spotted the cutest little dog on my tube journey, it kept me entertained the whole way from finchley to South Kensington (it's the little things in life).
I even took a sneaky snap for you beauties...








It looks kind of ratty like in the photo... but was super cute!










I was pretty proud of my stir fry pasta combo last night too....

Seeing as usually all I can make in the kitchen is a mess!! 

I'm really into taking pictures of pointless things at the moment(sorry about that), it helps me remember the days, they all seem to merge. God, I'm getting old.





So, down to Tuesday's tips my beauties. I guess we all need a few hidden tricks to keep us feeling gorgeous when we have to venture back to work...





1) Don't be scared to wear bright lipstick. Loud corals, reds and pinks are this springs look. A bright pout really makes a statement and actually makes your teeth look whiter too... Simples.










2) Make sure you wear your bright colours with a dewy base, we don't want to look too 80s with a matt base do we beauties?!




3) Combine brights with sun kissed bronze cheeks.




4)Before sharpening an eye or lip pencil, put them in the fridge for a little while to harden them up, this will prevent them from breaking. 




5) Apply your foundation with a damp sponge, you'll get a much more even, natural look. Using a damp sponge means you are less likely to get tide marks or look cakey. 




6) Always make sure you clean your make up sponges on a regular basis (a mild, fragrance free shampoo works best) and replace them monthly. 




Now, off to get the house tidy for the arrival of some amazing friends!! 

Xx

What a Difference a Brow Makes...

Hey beauties,

Hope the bank holiday has been fab for those of you who have been lucky enough to enjoy it! 

I had to work today, sob!




Anyway, my usual pick of eyebrow pencil is sadly being discontinued. Don't you just hate it when you are really loyal to a product, couldn't live without it, and then they decide to change it. Eugh. Worst. Thing. Ever.





So, this week I have been (reluctantly) trying out a new brow pencil by Clinique. To be honest with you dolls, it's a bit of a hit and miss product with me.











It has it's good points...

1) I love the shade, it's very natural and matches my brows well. 

2) The pencil itself is very soft, making it really easy to apply and meaning your brows won't look to harsh and heavy.





And it's bad points... 

1)Due to the twist top applicator, there is no way to sharpen the pencil, so I found it hard to get a precise look.

2)The highlighter on the end was far the cakey and much to pink for my liking, I only used it a handful of times before deciding it deffo wasn't for me. I really think clinique should have put a sharpener or brow brush on the end, it would have made much more sense. 




But for me, the bad definitely outweigh the good, and at £13 I wouldn't recommend this pencil to you beauties. 

And so, my quest for the prefect eyebrow pencil continues....

Now off to cook dinner (yes, I am actually cooking tonight), and enjoy a cheeky Pimms :) 

Tata for now xxx 

Ballerina Fever

Hey beauties! Hope you've all had a lovely Easter Sunday and enjoying the weather!

Iv'e been eating hot crossed buns on the sunny patio with my sister, and drinking wine in the sun with lovely Laura :)

So, why not treat yourself this Easter dolls? I have!! I've found the perfect gift for all of you.. too yourselves, of course...

Illamasqua cream blusher in 'sob'

 It was on my wish-list for a while,  and after last weeks traumatising hair nightmare, I needed a little pick me up. I found it quite hard to get hold of this product, no one near me sold it, so in the end I just ordered it off the website. It came really quickly actually and was beautifully packaged in black tissue paper shreds (it was almost a shame to open it).

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about trying cream blusher, because I have never used it before. But, I was sooo surprised how simple it was to apply, anyone could do it!

I just dabbed a little onto the apples of my cheeks and then blended it in. It's really easy to create a natural flushed look, or to build up the colour if you want something a bit brighter. 

For me it's the absolute perfect shade I was looking for, perfect for the 'doll-faced' or 'ballerina'  Black Swan inspired look. Its really gentle and pretty.

I don't think I will ever use anything else if I can help it. I find powder blushers really tend to sit on top of my skin now. Where as 'Sob' really sinks in to my skin, much like a liquid foundation actually, and looks much more natural. 

I know the price tag of £16.50 would put a lot of you off, but I just can't stress enough how absolutely gorge this blusher is. I don't think its a really extravagant price, the colour is to die for. I'd happily pay double the amount, and would recommend it to any of you beauties in need of a treat :)

Xx

D.I.Y nightmare.. I learnt the hard way, so you don't have too.‏

Yesterday I had a day off and thought, 'why not change my hair'? I was perfectly happy with it, just spontaneously fancied a change. You know how it is.

Instead of doing the sensible thing that most people would have done and just head to a reliable hairdressers, I decided I would go for it and D.I.Y my own highlights. Bad mistake. I mean massive fail. 

Firstly because my hair is so dark naturally, the colour turned orange. Not even ginger (I actually really like ginger hair)...proper orange. When I took the towel off my head and revealed the colour I actually said out loud Oh.MY.GOD.  

So I swallowed my pride, put on a trilby to at least try and make myself a little presentable, and went back up to the supermarket to buy a darker dye to cover over the mess I had made. 
Needless to say the same guy who had served me with the first box of hair dye had quite the smirk on his face when he saw me, less than 2 hours later with botched up hair. I seriously looked like Stripe from Gremlins.  

 So after applying the second coat of darker die, my hair refused to co-operate and was still an orange stripey mess. Nightmare. 
Consequently I spent the whole of this morning in tears down the phone to my sister, who has decided, quite appropriately that my new nickname should be Cilla (Black)...

After that there was nothing else for it. I had to go to the hairdressers and let the experts deal with it...  

Once I had found a decent hairdressers that could actually squeeze me in today, to add to my trauma, I had no idea where my bank card was. When I finally did find it, I got completely lost on my way to Toni and Guy. Bad luck comes in three, right?!

But it's all good now, £55 and a good 4 or 5 glasses of wine later (to calm my nerves), I am back to being a dark brunette, just the way I like it. I don't know why I even wanted the change!

So beauties, moral of the story, learn from my mistake and never try to go lighter D.I.Y style, its not worth the stress, believe me... 
I'd strongly advise you to trot on off to the professionals 
Xxx 

Mac's "Quite Cute" make-up range

Hey beauties, hope you've all had a smashing weekend? I'll quickly summarise my day for you in photo form...

Today I REALLY struggled choosing an outfit...

I went to Hampstead Heath with the dog and the boy...

Had a scrummy roast...

And planted some new flowers to add to my collection. Sweat-peas remind me of my mummy.

Anyway, yesterday I trotted off to Mac on my lunch-break, and spied their newest genius collection for face, lips, nails and cheeks "Quite Cute". 

I think it's just that, quite cute :) In fact, it may really be the cutest collection yet, playful pastel colours and hearts.

It reminds me of being a little girl and having 'play make-up'. It'll turn you all into princesses this spring!

I have fallen completely in love with the new lipsticks...

Mac quite cute lipsticks: Playing Koi, St Germain, Candy Yum Yum, Quite Cute, Playtime

I tried St Germain:

It's a lot brighter than it looks in the photo, but it's the bright shades seem to be flying off the shelves. Apparently Candy Yum Yum (the bright neon pink) has completely sold out.

The nail Varnishes are all limited edition too, so better snaffle them up quick beauties.

Our choices are:

1) Ice Cream Cake (a dark cotton candy pink)

2) Little Girl Type (light lavender)

3) Mischievousness Mint (mint green)

My personal fav is little girl type 

This collection could mean bad news for our purses, huh beauties?!

Xx

My Favourite Budget Skin Treats!

Hello beauties, so another scorcher today, huh? Loving it.

After all this sun we're getting, it's so important to remember to look after your skin and lock all that moisture back in! 

So, here are a couple of my favourite skin boosting treats I've used over the weekend:

Neutrogena 2-in-1 mask & wash, Crystal Mask, Sanctuary Spa Body Lotion

Over the past few days I have been on a mission to find something to fix my skin. Since moving to the big city, it seems to have a mind of it's own...

I've been having quite a few make-up free days (which I HATE doing), and trying out a couple of face masks.

First of all, I have to praise Neutrogena 2-in-1 face mask/ face wash. It has a lovely smell, smooth texture, gentle tingling sensation and  is actually really great as either the mask or the wash. It leaves you skin feeling revitalised and nourished. It's only £4.73 and lasts for a couple of weeks even when used every day. It also seemed to help calm down any breakouts and blemished after regular use. The only bad thing about this product is the ingredients list, after reading it, I wasn't so sure I should be putting this product on my face...

Now, onto Crystal Masque, Honey & Passion Flower flavour. 

I can't even begin to describe to you beauties how delicious this mask smells... oh my gosh. I just wanted to eat it. Soooo scrummy. The ingredients are mainly natural, which is fab, although there are 1 or 2 exceptions. 

The thing I loved most about this mask is that it had ex-foliating crystals in it, so when you rinse and massage it off, it gets rid of any dead skin leaving you feeling super smooth and fresh.

The best part is that it's cheap as chips, only 99p from Boots (I think other shops sell it too) and there is enough for 2 applications. It's great for a girls night in.

As you can see, I'm a huge fan of the Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Body Lotion. I got it as a gift, and have used it every day since. I can't get enough and am very upset it's running so low now. 

I love to use this after a day in the sun, it smells divine and is super absorbent. It feels really luxurious. It's such a bargain at £5.10 for a 250ml bottle that lasts for such a long time. Amoung many other non-natural ingredients, there was ginger root extract is combined with nourishing jojoba and pro-vitamin B5, which I think is what gives it such a nice smell. For the price, this moisturiser is really impressive. Definitely good for a cheap treat :) 

haha

Ta ta for now Xx

Blue My Mind!

Hey beauties, WOW how gorge is this weather? Long may it last that's all I can say.

Hope you've all been making the most of it, vitamin D makes you happy after all :D

I've had a lazy weekend so far, sun worshipping in my garden, eating ice-cream floats, and a sunny dogwalk...

Just though I would quickly share my new obsession with you beauties. Blue nails.....

Blue nails and spotty dresses <3

I've been searching for the  perfect blue nail varnish shade for a couple of weeks now, and I managed to snaffle my ideal shade right off my sister's dressing table.... mwahahaha

H&M "Blue My Mind" is the best pick of the bunch! 
It's from last years collection, so I'm not sure if they will have it this year in the exact same shade, but I'm sure they will have something similar. 
The best thing is it only costs about £2. Obviously for that price it's not too hard wearing, all I've done is the washing up and had a shower, it's chipped quite a lot already, but we can't expect too much for so little pennies can we?! And hey, I can work with the boho look for the weekend :) 

So beauties, why not update your spring nails?! This gorgeous colour would be perfect for the royal wedding weekend, don't you think?

I've read green is the new "it" nail colour, but I must disagree and say, I'm LOVING LOVING LOVING brilliant bouncy blue nails this weekend.

Xx

Let's Fake Bake it up!!

Good evening!!

This a post dedicated to all my beauties who, like moi, haven't been fortunate enough to have been out enjoying the gorgeous sunshine over the past few days :(

But never fear, I've heard the weekend's gonna be a sunny one too, better get your Fake Bake at the ready!

Apologies for the delay on this review, I wanted to test this out for a few nights before deciding if I liked the product or not.

For me there's nothing worse than white milk bottle legs at the beginning of summer. So I'm a big fan of fake tan. Actually it's not just in summer, who am I trying to kid?! I'm a faker all year around....

Fake Bake's Beyond Bronze is a refreshing alternative to my usual BBF (best beauty find) St Tropez. I have to admit, I was a little sceptical about trying a new fake tan brand, I have been using St Tropez for about 3 years now.... old faithful <3 

However, my beauty budget for the month has been dramatically slashed as I have a poorly pooch and a vet bill of BIG BUCKS! (For those of you who know Liza Maggs, don't panic she is still her silly self, just an old lady now who needs a little extra TLC!)

I bought Fake Bake 207mls on offer in Boots, it's usually £20.45, which is the same price I pay for St Tropez 120mls. This week I paid £13.61 for Fake Bake Beyond Bronze, plus I got points on my boots card too :)

So, my first experience of Fake Bake wasn't a brilliant one. It comes in a can much like a hair mousse can, and comes out the same way as hair mousse too. I'm not used to using hair mousse so I didn't realise how important it is to to SHAKE THE CAN!!!

Consequently... little brown spots all over my cream carpet and up the wall. Oh dear (luckily a generous smothering of Vanish and some nail varnish remover seems to have shifted my mess). 

I also didn't realise that the mousse expands ALOT, and a little really does go a long way. So at first I found it quite tricky and hard to get used to.

So, in a nutshell here's what you beauties need to know about Fake Bake....

The fab things:

• It feels nice and creamy, doesn't dry your skin out or feel sticky, and doesn't smell of anything really (some fake tans have a really sickly stench).
• You can see exactly where your applying, and it dries mega quickly.
• It doesn't streak, especially after you've had a shower it looks really natural.
• If you wash your hands with soap and warm water straight away it wont stain, so you don't need to use gloves or a mitt (I always think tanning products go on better when applied with hands). It's actually better than St Tropez for this. 
• It's a good one to use if you have really fair skin, it's not too dark on first application so you can apply more to get a darker tan. 

And then there's the not so fab things:

• Drying quickly can be a problem, it literally dries in seconds so you have to rub it in evenly as fast as you can.
• It wasn't as dark as I had hoped on first application. In fact, even after 2 or 3 applications, I still didn't feel "tanned". I was quite disappointed by this.
• The colour that I did achieve, didn't seem to last long, and after a couple of hot showers was pretty much gone...
• I didn't like the dispenser on the can, or the fact that the product expanded so much. It was also a little messy as the mousse carries on coming out of the dispenser as it expands, so don't put it down anywhere silly like on your bed (another lesson learnt by moi). But I also think this is just a case of getting used to it. 

Anyway beauties, sorry for the rambley review, I don't think it's one I'll be buying again or recommending to you lovies.

Xx

A Little Weekend Ramble...

Hello there beauties! Have you all had a wonderful weekend?

Mines been AMAZING, London drinks with good pals and tea-party times, dogs and babies galore :)

So, I'm not up to much tonight, (exhaustion from the weekend has kicked in) but I have a really quick tip for you lovies this evening...

If you apply moisturiser on your pulse points before you put your perfume on, it will help absorb it into your skin, and it'll last much longer :) 

So I've decided I'm going to try and mix things up a little more on my blog, I realise I tend to stick to reviewing the same brands all the time, bit boring for you beauties...

But I have got the that stage now where all my cosmetics are running low (don't you find everything tends to run out at the same time, eugh!!) and it's time to go for one painfully expensive but fun-filled topping up trip.

So.... I'm going to try some new things to find you some hot new favs! 

I particularly want to try Liz Earle skin products (I think my skin has got too used to clinque now), Fake'N'Bake and Make Up Forever.

So watch this space beauties, there could be some new BBF's (Best Beauty Finds) just around the corner!

Xx

You heard it here first!

Morning beauties, horah for another day of sunshine!
I'm on route to work at the moment, but just had to let you know some exciting beauty news!
Selridges (the department store) and InStyle magazine, are teaming up to collect all the best beauty tips from around the world! Including tips from some of our favourite celebs... Eeek!
It's early days so far, but eventually this will be made into a book, sounds like a great read to me, don't you think beauties?!
Personally I'm mostly excited about the celeb beauty tips and secrets!
Have an fab day Xx

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Middle Partings???

 Hope you beauties are enjoying the sunshine this arvo? 

I am writing this blogpost in the comfort of my cutesy little garden surrounded by flowers, with my face in the sun and a nice cup of tea, bliss. (I'm such an old lady at heart).

So recently I have been trying out the whole middle parting thing. I know a few celebrities have been wearing them for a while, but my fringe has only just got long enough to try it without looking like a Backstreet Boys reject.

It seems to work well for Rachel and Blake.

 I've had a side parting for ages, so trying out the centre parting was kind of a big deal, especially since the last time I wore my hair like that I must have been about 10.... 

So, I tried the "Lauren Conrad Plaits"

(Not my best photo, you'll have to excuse my eye-bags and lack of make-up)

I actually really like it, it's kind of geek chiq, don't you think beauties? Also I don't like using a lot of product in my hair so this is a really good low maintenance style for me, and quick in the mornings too. If you want to add more volume simply back-comb the roots near the crown of your head and spritz with some hairspray. Simples :)

Now, I also wanted to give the top-knot a go, I must have been pressing the snooze button on my alarm atleast 5 times every morning this week, and it was my hair that suffered the consequences.... so this was the quickest option really.

                                It ended up a little flat, I'd like to get a little more volume in there ideally, the irony being I usually make a much better job of it when I have just come in from work and absent mindedly stick my hair up on top of my head to get it off my face. How annoying is that hehe

I'm really struggling with my hair at the moment, I'm SO BORED of it. The problem being I can't decide exactly what it is that I want to do with it. Short, long, lighter,darker?! I really don't know. eugh. If any of you have any ideas for me, feel free to message me!

 Anyway beauties, w
ith these low maintenance doos, you beauties can say hello to good hair days! Xx 

My Nude Lipstick Lowdown

Hey beauties!

How are your days going? I've been having the perfect day off, after a quick morning check up at the vets with my gorgeous pooch, I've spent the afternoon so far sorting out my lipsticks and watching 90's films :)

I don't know about you beauties but I have been a fan of Mac lipsticks for a long time now, and one thing occurred to me  today whilst arranging my vast collection (which is, by the way, ridiculous), how much I LOVE the nude lip style.

Now I know brighter shades are this spring/summers beauty must have, but I just can't help returning to my all time fav, the nude lip, even if it is sooo last year. What do you beauties think? Should I get with the times?!

So today I'm wearing Mac "Satin Myth", a lovely creamy nude shade. 

One thing I do find with Mac lipsticks however, is that they do tend to dry my lips out and make them cracked. I wonder if any of you have the same problem? I haven't had problems with any other brand of lipstick. 

I still stick with Mac though, I love the shades and the price isn't bad (13.50). So, to combat this drying out problem, I tend to wear a gloss both underneath and over the top of my lipsticks. 

Today I'm the gloss I'm wearing is another nude shade my Barry M Glossy Tubes. I've used it so much that the shade number has rubbed off the side, and I know they have discontinued it now (sob sob), but I know they still do a very similar shade. These glosses are only £3.99, and great to slick on top of lipsticks or just wear alone, they smell gorge too, so perfect for all you beauties on a budget. They are easy to find and are sold in almost every Boots and Superdrug shops.

Mac Lipstick Satin Myth

Barry M Glossy Tube (unknown shade)

The Body Shop lip pencil 02 Beech 

Xx