Sunday 29 July 2012

FOTD with Shiseido Patina and LMdB Come One, Come All

We practiced quite a lot of product layering to create different textures on the BECCA course and I was inspired to give this a go on the eyes using Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colour in Patina as a base. Patina applies as quite a yellow based green on my eyes and I wanted to temper the yellow a bit, so I applied the silvery grey-green from the Come One, Come All Kaleidoscope. I put some of the peach just above the crease but in retrospect, I probably should have given this a miss!

I'm trying to get into the habit of curling my lashes. I still need to improve my technique some more as I frequently end up with a right angle rather than a curl and more bend in the centre of the eye, rather than the outer corner where I really need it. I find curling them before using the Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara* does make them look more dramatic and I get better separation if I use the bristles at the tip of the wand.

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Here are the products that I used for this look...

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Face
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland
Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer*
BECCA Shimmering Powder in Nefertiti
MAC Cubic Blusher
Shu Uemura brow pencil H9 Seal Brown

Lips
Lancome Rouge in Love lipstick in Rose Thé*

Patina+FOTD11

Eyes
Shiseido Patina applied with finger tips just passed the crease
Kevyn Aucoin Basic Black liner along the lashline*
The taupey grey colour from the LMdB Come One, Come All Kaleidoscope applied over Patina and the black liner
The peach shade from Come One, Come All applied above the crease
Kevyn Aucoin Lash Curlers*
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara*

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* Denotes PR Samples

Saturday 28 July 2012

What's in my Mum's Perfume Archive?

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I embarked on a little treasure hunt when I visited my parents at Easter. The house where my parents live, used to belong to my grandparents. Despite my Mum's best efforts at space-clearing (she's really a 'keep it, just in case' kind of gal) there's evidence of my Grandma everywhere. There's also quite a lot of 'stuff' that belonged to both my sister and myself. We never lived in this house but my parents have dutifully held on to our things through their various moves. Which is quite impressive considering they've changed continents, as well as houses, since I left home!

One passion that the ladies in my family share, is a love of perfume. I was certain that if I did a little digging, I would find an eclectic mix of perfume bottles in the house, both old and new. In fact, I found quite a lot more than I expected, including a couple that might have found their way into my suitcase before I left. There are too many bottles for me to try talk about them all individually, particularly as I didn't get chance to sniff them all, but I have tried to list as many as possible. Of course, some of them really do merit a special mention, particularly from a nostalgic point of view.

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Yardley Lace // Yve Eau de Parfum by Giovanni Barrini // Ylena by Giovanni Barrini // Accent Solitare // Multiple bottles of Cachet by Prince Matchabelli // Courant Eau de Parfum Mist by Helena Rubinstein // Yardley Gold Deodorant // Panache Perfume Cologne Spray by Lentheric // Four bottle of Yardley Laughter // First Lady by Dadi // Le Jardin Fleur de Rose EdT by Max Factor // Avert Avert Ypres by Constance Carroll // A Touch of Class by Faberge Cologne // Amando Noir Aftershave // Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop Ltd

The collection above is dominated by bottles that belonged to my Grandmother and I was unsurprised to see a lot of Yardley fragrances. You will notice multiple bottles of Yardley Laughter. This was my Grandmother's signature scent and once it was discontinued, the whole family was under instructions to purchase bottles should we spot them. It reminds me that the irritation of discontinued favourites isn't an especially new phenomenon.

Another perfume that I found in multiples was Cachet by Prince Matchabelli. I remember this perfume well and I'm pretty sure one of these bottles once belonged to me. If memory serves me correctly, the USP for this perfume was that it allegedly smelled different on everyone. Although the name Cachet is well known, I don't think I've come across the name Prince Matchabelli before and I had assumed that Cachet was produced by a different fragrance house. Apparently, the Prince Matchabelli name was once owned by an arm of Unilever.

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Perfumes2

Shiseido - Relaxing Fragrance // Tendre Poison Eau de Toilette by Christian Dior // Tuscany Per Donna Eau de Parfum by Aramis (not pictured)  // Miss Dior Parfum by Christian Dior // Cacherel Eau de Toilette pour L'Homme // Roger & Gallet Vetyver Eau de Cologne // There's also more Yardley Laughter and other Yardley body sprays in the top picture.

Out of this group, I think the Miss Dior perfume was the most interesting find. I'm sure a perfume expert would be able tell me approximately how old this bottle is but I would guess from the packaging that it is a truly vintage bottle. I couldn't resist giving it a try and thankfully it hasn't gone off. I should mention that my Mum is careful to store her hoarded perfumes in a cool dark place, in their original boxes where possible. Even if she can't remember exactly where she's hidden them...

The Cacherel aftershave I know for certain is one of my Mum's purchases. I've often known her to wear fragrances designed for men, one of her particular favourites being Eau Sauvage by Dior. Although it isn't pictured here, I gifted her my bottle of Molton Brown Singosari, as I knew she would love it. Singosari is a unisex fragrance but seems to share some of the notes of the male fragrances that appeal to her.

The Shiseido Relaxing Fragrance was entirely new to me and I hadn't realised until discovering it that Shiseido made perfumes. It's a rather lovely fresh, green scent and, if I thought my Mum wouldn't have missed it, this would have found its way home with me too.

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Chanel Allure Eau de Toilette // Yves Rocher Nature // Cabotine de Gres Limited Edition Eau de Toilete // Aftelier Perfume and For Strange Women samples in the tin

With the exception of the Yves Rocher Nature, which is an old bottle of mine, these are my Mum's newer acquisitions. Although my Mum loves perfume, she does struggle sometimes with a scent triggering a migraine. In recent years, she's become quite adept at mixing perfumes in oil form with a body cream so that she can custom blend the strength. Knowing this, I was pretty certain she would appreciate the oils and solid fragrances from Aftelier Perfumes and For Strange Women. Hence, her acquisition of my tin of samples.

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Perfumes9

Talking of samples, here's a set of my Mum's that I covet. My Mum and Dad have spent a number of years living in the Middle East and this is how she discovered Amouage. She's benefitted from sales and special shopping events and I believe this is how she came by this little sampler set. She also has some Amouage oils which I have never seen in the UK.

Perfumes15

I thought I'd leave you with this photo of Miss MB 'helping' me. It would seem that she's poised to carry on the family tradition, maybe not in her desire to wear perfume but certainly in wanting to run off with someone else's!!

Thursday 26 July 2012

A Sneak Peek at my Week

I know I promised there would be posts about my adventure this week, but my little brain is so full of information and excitement from the week, that I'm not able to start putting it all down just yet.

I didn't want to keep you in suspense any longer about what I have been up to, and if you follow me on Twitter you probably have an inkling anyway. For part of this week I've joined a Makeup Artistry course at the BECCA Academy. It's a five day intensive course and today we were taught about Fashion & Editorial Makeup by guest tutor, Clare Read. It was a real privilege to spend time with Clare, as she was truly inspirational and it's clear that she genuinely loves her work. I furiously scribbled down and absorbed as many tips as I could, which I hope to share with you over the coming weeks.

As a little teaser, I thought it would be nice to give you a peek at the space I have been working in. Of course, I know most of your eyes will probably home in on the table housing the complete BECCA collection. Am I the last to know that BECCA has released a new shade of Shimmering Skin Perfector?

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Tomorrow, my fellow students Sarah and Olivia will be doing a photoshoot as part of the final day of the course. I wish them both the best of luck and really can't wait to hear how it goes. There will be more about my time at the BECCA Academy coming very soon...


Disclosure: I was invited to attend the course as a guest of BECCA Cosmetics.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Help! What do I need from France that I haven't already tried?

As usual, I have left important decision making until the last minute. My parents are returning from France this weekend and I need to put my order in now for any beauty related items. My mind is drawing a complete blank though.

Last year when I was on holiday, I bought the following items: Bioderma face wipes, Bioderma Crealine Cleansing Water, Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentré, Gemey Eye makeup remover, Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, Sanoflore 24H Sans Concession Deodorant, MUFE Smoky Lash Mascara, BcomBio Organic Intense Triple Action Eye Contour, Mavala Nail Polish Remover and Avibon Vitamin A Pommade.

French haul2

I used up the Bioderma face wipes, Klorane dry shampoo and Mavala polish remover all quite quickly. Both the Klorane dry shampoo and Mavala are worthy of re-purchasing but you can buy both of these in the UK and I know that I can purchase the nail polish remover in a larger size online. The deodorant, MUFE mascara and Avibon ointment are things I wouldn't purchase again, so they are instantly off my list.

I've recently finished off the Bioderma micellar water and Gemey eye makeup remover. I loved the Gemey remover as it's really gentle and feels very much like a cleansing water. However, I bought this in duplicate so I don't need a replacement for it yet. I'm a bit more ambivalent about the Bioderma. It's ok for cleansing when you're feeling lazy but I always have to wash my face after I've used it as I dislike the sticky feel. It is great for touch ups but I do wonder whether it would be worth trying different micellar water cleansers? I do have the travel size bottle left too.

I rate both the Embryolisse cream and the BcomBio eye serum and think these were my best pharmacie purchases. I've not run out of either of these yet and I don't feel I need backups at the moment. If only the Embroylisse contained an SPF, it would instantly be re-purchase worthy.

What french fancies am I forgetting? I'm sure there must be an important must-have or two that I have missed? I am particular interested in skincare items but my Mum should have opportunity to go into Sephora at Cite Europe, so makeup is a possibility too.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Monday 23 July 2012

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher Brush (002)

I've had the Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher Brush (002) for quite a long time now. I mentioned it when I reviewed the RMK Cheek Brush last year and fully intended to post a review soon after. At the time, I'd added a number of blusher brushes to my collection and this one got a bit side lined. In fact, my love of this brush has been quite a slow burner but I do think of it as one of my favourites now.

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Top to Bottom: RBR Contour Brush, RBR Blusher Brush and RMK Blusher Brush

The RBR Blusher Brush is a super soft, paddle shaped brush. It doesn't provide resistance like the contour brushes that I generally favour for blush application and this is probably why it took a while to grow on me. Instead, what it is excellent for is adding a sweep of vibrant or shimmery colour. I pick up this brush when I want to apply a colour like NARS Orgasm, Desire or Illamasqua Morale. It feels so beautiful to the touch that I do have to fight the urge to go overboard with the colour!

I haven't experienced any shedding with this brush, like I did with the RBR Face Contour (012) brush. As with my other squirrel hair brushes, it does give off an animalic smell when wet but this fades once dry. I find it keeps its shape well through washing and storage.

The Rouge Bunny Rouge face brushes are expensive but I would say they are quality tools and comparable to Hakuhodo and RMK brushes, so worthy of an investment. I use both 012 and 002 to apply blusher, despite the fact that the 012 is designed for applying contour. If you're trying to decide on one rather than buying both, I would say that your blusher choice and/or style of application will dictate your decision somewhat. If you use mostly neutral pink or subtle blushers and like to work the colour in, you'll get on well with 012. If you like a sheer veil of vibrant colour, go for 002.

The Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher Brush is available from Zuneta and costs £47. Rouge Bunny Rouge is also available from Beautyhabit.com for those of you in America.

Disclosure: PR Sample

Saturday 21 July 2012

Beauty Spotlight 21/07/12 (plus a little ramble)

It's time for another Beauty Spotlight Team roundup. It's also the start of school summer holidays for me, which means six weeks of entertaining three small children or lion taming, as I prefer to call it. I'm not sure whether this will mean I am a little quieter post wise for the next few weeks. If I'm organised (the chances of this are slim) I will write in the evenings once the small people have gone to bed. I will be doing some very exciting blog related stuff next week which I'm bursting to tell you about, so I promise there will be at least a couple of posts next week.

Anyway, enough about me. Let's find out what the rest of the team have been up to this week. I'm sensing that I need to pay a visit to a GOSH stand!

The Pink Sith’s July Birchbox has arrived. This month's theme is the 5 senses. Does that make sense?

Is your holo polish not holo enough? Not to worry, Jessika from polish insomniac shares with us the return of GOSH Holographic!

Pammy Blogs Beauty channels her inner "Palette Princess" as she embarks upon a new Palette Review Series with her review of Jemma Kidd's Backstage Palette.

There’s a new natural brand on the market, Visionary Beauty look’s at what the raw, pure, skin and body care range from Ambre Botanicals has to offer.

Buying makeup online can be a tricky game. Modesty Brown tries a Shiseido Perfect Rouge lipstick and finds that, although the colour isn't perfect, the formula is!

Is the Yves Saint Laurent Palette Couture really the star accessory for autumn? Check out her review for Perilously Pale’s thoughts on this much anticipated release for Fall 2012.

L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows keep getting prettier and prettier. Beauty Info Zone wants to share some of the Fall 2012 shades to see if you'll "fall" for them too.

Prime Beauty continues her love affair with Kiehl’s. This time it’s the new fragrant Aromatic Blends that has her swooning.

London MakeUp Girl reviews Soapwalla Deodorant Cream, an all natural blend of oils, powder, clay and essential oils that promises to keep your armpits smelling fresh. Does it work? Read her review!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed loves a tinted lip balm during hot weather - moisture and colour that won't melt off your face! Check out the swatches of what she's been sporting on these lazy, hazy summer days!

If you have thought about doing your own gel polish manicures at home, Paula from Older Girl Beauty, shows us what is included in the "Mally Beauty 24/7 Professional Gel Polish System" as an example of one kit.

Friday 20 July 2012

Jo Malone celebrates all things London

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It has been a busy year for London, playing host to the Jubilee celebrations and, of course, the Olympic events just around the corner. Jo Malone have come up with a novel idea to pay tribute to the city and it's cherished landmarks.

On selected dates from 27th July, artists will be available in Jo Malone Boutiques in the capital, to customise boxes with your favourite London landmarks. There is no extra cost for the service and as you can see above, the sketches look really striking on the signature cream and black gift boxes. There's no doubt that this would make an extra special gift for someone.

Inside my box there was a pot of Lime, Basil & Mandarin Body Crème (£48) which smells deliciously fresh and zingy. I'm a fan of the Jo Malone Body Crèmes and have previously owned the body crème in Nectarine Blossom and Honey. I find the creams are a good way for me to wear the fragrances that might otherwise be too strong for me. Of course, they're good for layering too.

You can find a list of London boutiques on the Jo Malone website. Unfortunately, I don't have more details on the specific dates that artists will be available.

Disclosure: PR Sample

Thursday 19 July 2012

L'Oreal Miss Candy Color Infallible Eyeshadows

Today, we're going to pretend that the wind has dropped, the threatening grey clouds have gone and the (warm?!) sun is shining. For the L'Oreal Paris Miss Candy collection require sunshine in order to be truly appreciated. As luck would have it, I did manage to take pictures in a small window of light, so this makes the pretense a little easier.

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There are three new Color Infallible eyeshadows in this collection: Innocent Turquoise, Sassy Marshmallow and Naughty Strawberry. Innocent Turquoise is a beautiful sparkling sea green, Sassy Marshmallow is an icy silver grey and Naughty Strawberry is a fuchsia pink with hints of lilac. All three colours are cool with a frosty finish. They're also more sheer than the other Infallible Color eyeshadows that I have. Even when you layer the colour, they do retain a slightly transparent quality.

Innocent+Turquoise
Innocent Turquoise

Sassy+Marshmallow
Sassy Marshmallow

Naughty+Strawberry2
Naughty Strawberry

My favourite of the three is Innocent Turquoise. I find it easy to add this to my usual neutrals palette for a little pop of colour. Sassy Marshmallow gives quite an 'Ice Queen' look when worn on it's own and is possible a little too cool for my colouring. Although extremely pretty, I have to confess that Naughty Strawberry scares me in the same way that the fuchsia pink in the Guerlain Rue de Rivoli palette does. I don't wear pinks on my eyes, even pale pinks, and I think we can thank the 80's for this aversion. I'm sure those of you that are more colour confident would find an interesting way to wear this as an accent colour.

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L-R: Sassy Marshmallow, Innocent Turquoise and Naughty Strawberry

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L-R: Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turquoise and Sassy Marshmallow

As with the other Infallible Color eyeshadows, I apply these with my fingers and find it easy to get an even finish this way. I apply over an eyeshadow primer and do not experience creasing or fading.

The L'Oreal Miss Candy Infallible Colors are available now and cost £6.99 each. They're available from Boots and Superdrug, I also spotted them online on Feel Unique. The collection includes several lipglosses and nail varnishes which I will show you in another post.

How would you wear these sorts of colours? Are you managing to pull off summery looks despite the weather or are you already looking forward to the autumn collections?

Disclosure: PR Samples

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Venetian Rouge

Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Venetian Rose (RS711) is a recent purchase. I've been keen to try the Shiseido lipstick formula for some time but was unsure about which colour to go for. Although the reds looked enticing, I was after an everyday colour. There aren't a lot of online swatches available, but based on KarlaSugar's swatches of the line, I decided my choice was between Venetian Rose and Titian. Although I picked Venetian Rose, I think on reflection, that Titian might have been the better choice.

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Venetian Rose is a dusky rose which pulls mauve on my lips. For a full face picture, please see my recent face of the day post. I was looking for an easy to wear, 'my lips but better' kind of colour but this is too cool and, dare I say it, purple for me to slap on without thinking about it. In my head, Venetian Rose is similar to MAC Modesty but I must get around to buying a new Modesty lipstick in order to check how accurate my memory is.

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Although the colour isn't exactly what I was after, the texture of the lipstick is excellent. It has just the right amount of slip and feels comfortable and moisturising on the lips. The lipstick is richly pigmented, wear time is reasonable and the moisturising feeling lasts well. Texture wise, I feel it's similar to the Rouge Bunny Rouge Colour Burst lipsticks and the original Edward Bess formula (minus the fig scent). It also has the lovely lip hugging shape to the bullet that I like about the Rouge Bunny Rouge lipsticks.

I would really like to get another of the Perfect Rouge lipsticks but I will hang on until I can visit a counter to swatch the colours in person. I bought Venetian Rose from Feel Unique where the Perfect Rouge lipsticks cost £21.50.

Sunday 15 July 2012

20% off French Brands at Cult Beauty

I spotted this offer in my inbox this morning and thought it might be of interest to a few of you. You can get 20% off French Brands at Cult Beauty today using the code BEAUTE. This includes cult favourites Caudalie Beauty Elixir and Embroylisse Lait Creme Concentre.

French Brand Offer

As ever, the link I've included is for information only and I do not profit in any way.

Saturday 14 July 2012

What's in Pink Sith's Emergency Kit?

The Pink Sith is in the process of transferring most of her makeup to her new Helmer and purging old cosmetics to give away to her family so her makeup organization looks...well not organized at all. However, the one thing that she always has organized is her "Emergency Makeup Kit". She carries this kit with her at all times. She figured she would show you the kit because she's always looking for suggestions on what else to carry in there! She would love to hear your comments and suggestions at the end of her post.

PinkSithEmergencyKit

Friday 13 July 2012

Face of the Day with Burberry Rosewood Eyeshadow

I finally had opportunity to wear Burberry Rosewood eyeshadow today. I had a moment of guilt as I spoiled the pristine surface but that soon disappeared as the the joy of applying a new silky smooth taupe eyeshadow kicked in! The Burberry eyeshadows are more pigmented than you would expect from something called 'Sheer Eyeshadow' but because of the colour and finish, Rosewood does have a slightly transparent quality when applied. As I suspected, the colour is similar to Solstice Halcyon but Rosewood has more of an obvious iridescent sheen quality to its finish.

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Burberry+Rosewood+FOTD3

I kept everything else pretty simple but as ever, I probably look a bit more made up in real life than I do in the pictures. Here's a complete breakdown of the other items I wore today:

Face
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland
Perricone No Concealer Concealer* applied to undereye area
Shu Brow Pencil H9 Seal Brown
Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Cheek Colour in Rose

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in Rosewood
Annabelle Smudge Paint in Sludge applied with Louise Young liner brush
No.7 Lash Adapt mascara*

Lips
Voltaic lip gloss from the Aurora LMdB Lip Kit*
I changed to Shiseido Perfect Rouge in Venetian Rose later as I fancied something a little darker

Rosewood+Venetian Rose

* PR Samples

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Obsessed With Accessorising

I seem to be on a bit of a shopping kick lately. I've bought new clothes for myself (unheard of), bought things for the house and my latest obsession seem to be accessorising. I have ordered a couple of makeup items but beauty products are playing second fiddle to everything else for a once. In the interests of over-sharing, these are the items that have been filling up my internet cache...


Accessory Lusts

Athena Procopiou Galactica Scarf \\ Net-a-porter \\ £185
10m2 Chunky Bracelet with Three Circle Charms in Hot Pink \\ Orit London \\ £90
Hultquist Double Cord Bracelet \\ Stripes Fashion \\ £19
Day Birger et Mikkelsen Day Yoconda Cuff \\ Stripes Fashion \\ £14
Todo Joia Stripes Cuff \\ Orit London \\ £195
10m2 Double Chunky Tube Bracelet in Black \\ Orit London \\ £80
10m2 Single Ball Bracelet in Taupe \\ Orit London \\ £65

I really like the Day Yoconda Cuff on the bottom right and I found it on sale on both my-wardrobe.com and Stripes Fashion. Unfortunately, both sites charge £5 for p&p. I can't tell you how many times I've shelved a purchase because of £5 postage (I'm looking at you, SpaceNK). Spying Hultquist jewellery on Stripes, reminded me how much I used to covet the 10m2 cord bracelets which lead me to Orit London. I really like all three styles that I've posted here and the hot pink version was Miss MB's personal favourite. In the end, I went for the Double Tube style in black and hopefully it will be with me tomorrow.

I cannot stop thinking about the Athena Procopiou Galactica Scarf, the fact that it takes centre stage probably gave that away! It reminds me a little of the gorgeous Black Milk Galaxy leggings that London MakeUp Girl posted about. £185 is more than I have spent on a single item of clothing, never mind accessory, in a very long time. I think it might be nice enough to justify a bit of girl maths. Price per wear, anyone?!

Scarf+Envy

I realised after I'd assembled the images above, that I had forgotten to include the Blue Leopard Spot Scarf from Scarf Envy. I'm often drawn to animal prints (you've already seen my bag) and I particular like the blue colour in this scarf. Of course, I can't be the only one as this colourway is out of stock.

Hypnose+Star

One of the few beauty items I'm lusting after at the moment is Lancôme Hypnôse Star mascara. It's due for Nationwide release from 15th July but I signed up for the waiting list on Feel Unique and I received an email letting me know I could order from today. I admitted on Twitter that my interest in this mascara has more to do with the inclusion Betty Boop in the adverts, than anything else. Boo boop be doop!!

What are you lusting after at the moment? Are you good at accessorising?

Tuesday 10 July 2012

The Olympic Torch Relay

Yesterday, I took my family along to see a local leg of the Olympic Torch Relay. We don't have tickets for the games, so I thought this would be a good way to help the children understand that the Olympics is really happening here in the UK and not just somewhere in magical TV land! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed seeing the parade and torch myself.

I hope you will forgive me for sharing a few pictures from the occasion. We watched the parade pass through the pretty village of Waddesdon (home of Waddesdon Manor, for anyone who has ever visited). The torchbearer for this leg of the relay was Tina Read, who was touchingly nominated by her friend to carry the torch. Until yesterday, I was completely unaware that people had been nominated and I assumed all the torchbearers were athletes and celebrities.

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Olympic torch

My children really enjoyed themselves and even my youngest really got into the flag waving. Apparently the highlight for them was seeing Wenlock the Olympic mascot. I suspect they have been learning about the mascots at school as I had no idea there were two different mascots (one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics). They've even made some animated shorts starring the mascots. Who knew?!

Wenlock
Wenlock waving

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Miss MB and Son2

Olympic Torch Parade1

Have you been to see the Olympic parade in your local area? Will you be going to watch any of the games in London?

Kai Body Glow Spray

I hadn't come across the brand Kai before but it turns out this is a bit of a cult perfume and body range, with a number of A-list fans. Founder, Gaye Straza, created the fragrance as a means of capturing the scent of her childhood holidays in the tropics. I can't attest to whether this accurately captures the exotic white blooms of the tropics but I do love the scent. My very untrained nose picks up jasmine and honeysuckle.

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Body Glow is a dry body oil spray and has turned out to be a bit of secret 2-in-1 product for me: not only does it help me moisturise when I haven't got time to apply body cream, it makes me smell like I've remembered to apply perfume before stepping out of the door. Win! Have I mentioned how lazy I am before? It's also packaged in a slightly squidgy plastic bottle, so there's no fear of smashing this on the bathroom tiles.

Kai Body Glow doesn't feel greasy on my body but I do find I need to wipe my hands after applying to my legs and arms. The formula does include silicones, so if you're trying to avoid silicones, this isn't one for you. I've included the complete ingredients list below.

Ingredients: cyclomethicone, caprylic/capric triglyceride, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, parfum, glycine soja (soybean) oil, aloe bardensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, chamomilla recutita (matriaca) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) extract, linalool, hydroxymethyl-pentyl-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde, isoeugenol, benzyl benzoate, citronellol, hexylcinnamaldehyde, 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl) proprional.

Kai Body Glow costs £25 and is available from Cult Beauty and Beauty Works West

Disclosure: PR Sample

Monday 9 July 2012

Hourglass Script Liner

Hourglass Script Liner in Jett is different from the other pen liners that I own in terms of its size. The nib is considerably smaller as you will see from the comparison below. This is good news for anyone who struggles to get a fine line with this style of pen.

When I use it, I don't particularly aim to create a finer line than normal. Instead, I find it allows me to be more precise as I build up the line in layers. If I wasn't so lazy, I suspect I could master a decent flick with this pen.

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Liner Comparison2

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Top - Script Liner, Bottom - RBR Raven Glaze Lacquer Liner

Don't be fooled by the swatch above. It does create a good black line (this pen only comes in black) but I used a single swipe in the image above to show the relative difference in thickness you can achieve compared to a standard sized nib.

I think if you have lots of similar style pens which you already get on with, you don't really need to add this to your collection. However, if you find you struggle with this sort of liner or you haven't used this style of liner before and want to give it a try, Script is probably a good place to start.

Hourglass Script Liner costs £23 and I bought mine from Liberty. I'm pleased to report that Hourglass Cosmetics have increased there presence even further in the UK and are now available from SpaceNK as well as Liberty and Zuneta.

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