My natural makeup style is really conservative, as you probably already know (hello, taupe eyeshadow and dark rosy lipstick!). However, in my teens, I had a secret desire to copy the hair and makeup of the goth girls in the year above. I thought they looked so cool and interesting whereas a lot of my friends just thought they looked strange. My dress sense was always a little quirky and that's probably still true now but I do wish I hadn't wasted the opportunity to be more expressive with my hair and makeup whilst I was younger.
Anyway, I guess that's a rather roundabout way of saying that Halloween gives me an excuse to be a bit different without having to really explain myself. The look that I just posted here was inspired by Pixiwoo's Vampire makeup and watching this set me off on a long binge of Youtube viewing. I was especially engrossed in videos by Sokolum79, Hollywood Noir Makeup and Letz Makeup but there were many others too. If you're looking for inspiration or you enjoy theatrical makeup, I'd highly recommend checking them out. Personal favourites include Pixiwoo's Miss Argentina Makeup, Sokolum's Hunger Games Capitol Makeup and the Victorian Gothic Circus by Hollywood Noir Makeup. I really want to have a go at this Lisbeth Salander look too.
In terms of deciding which look to re-create for this evening, I was somewhat restricted by which items I could purchase locally with my half-term entourage. My local Claire's didn't have any long black wigs or the Snazaroo Face Paint set that I was after, so that was my witch, vampire and Miss Argentina ideas out of the window. Instead, I picked up a neon pink wig and some two-tone fake lashes. After several failed attempts at copying Michelle Phan's Cyber Gothic Anime, I decided to have a go at re-creating Sokolum's Wide Eyed Doll.
This was my trial run from last night but I suspect I will make some adjustments today, like getting hold of some eye drops as bloodshot eyes wasn't part of the plan! I wish I could have justified some circle lens contacts as I think that really helps achieve the creepy doll-eyed effect.
Will you be dressing up this evening? Do you like to be more adventurous with your makeup given the right occasion?
Wednesday 31 October 2012
Vampiric Smoky Eyes with Dark Lips for Halloween
I've made good on my promise to play with my makeup more and for the last few days I've been preoccupied with looks for Halloween (more on this in my next post). After getting the children ready for a party at the weekend, I thought it would fun to have a go myself. I don't think it looks as OTT in the photographs as it felt in person, it's hard to know whether that's my conservative nature to blame or the flash! I love how the eyes and the lips turned out but I know I couldn't bring myself to wear the pair together ordinarily.
Face
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl mixed with Avene moisturiser
Illamasqua Skin Base in 06
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Delirium as contour
White portion of the Laura Mercier Tourmaline Shimmer Bloc as highlighter
Hourglass Vol 6 palette, brown and black mixed as brow powder
MUFE HD Powder to set
Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Dirty Greasepaint Stick from lash to crease
Illamasqua black eyeshadow in Obsedian from lash to crease and blended out
Annabelle Studio Pigment in Karma pressed over the black on the lid
Pink eyeshadow from the Guerlain Rue de Rivoli palette to blend out at the crease
White eyeshadow from the Suqqu Lilac Allure palette on brow
Iridescent white/pink from Guerlain Rue de Rivoli over the white on the brow
Kevyn Aucoin basic black pencil on waterline and lash line
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara
MAC eyelashes - I'm not sure of the number as these came from an event but I would guess they're #33
Lips
MAC Rebel lipstick
Butter London lipgloss in Chancer to add a bit of extra dimension
Disclosure: This look was created using a mixture of items purchased by myself and press samples. The Butter London Lippy in Chancer is a recent sample.
Face
BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl mixed with Avene moisturiser
Illamasqua Skin Base in 06
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Delirium as contour
White portion of the Laura Mercier Tourmaline Shimmer Bloc as highlighter
Hourglass Vol 6 palette, brown and black mixed as brow powder
MUFE HD Powder to set
Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
MAC Dirty Greasepaint Stick from lash to crease
Illamasqua black eyeshadow in Obsedian from lash to crease and blended out
Annabelle Studio Pigment in Karma pressed over the black on the lid
Pink eyeshadow from the Guerlain Rue de Rivoli palette to blend out at the crease
White eyeshadow from the Suqqu Lilac Allure palette on brow
Iridescent white/pink from Guerlain Rue de Rivoli over the white on the brow
Kevyn Aucoin basic black pencil on waterline and lash line
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara
MAC eyelashes - I'm not sure of the number as these came from an event but I would guess they're #33
Lips
MAC Rebel lipstick
Butter London lipgloss in Chancer to add a bit of extra dimension
Disclosure: This look was created using a mixture of items purchased by myself and press samples. The Butter London Lippy in Chancer is a recent sample.
Sunday 28 October 2012
Beauty Spotlight Roundup 28/10/12
15 Minute Beauty shows exactly how she gets her amazing lashes.
Looking for a serum to fight aging? Pammy Blogs Beauty finds a great one with StriVectin SD Power Serum for Wrinkles!
Want to know more about The Best of Beauty Award winners? Check out Lola's Secret Beauty Blog's exclusive interview with Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor Sophia Panych!
Modesty Brown shares her Sunday morning skin saviours.
What do you and Faith Hill have in common? You both wear the same fragrance thanks to Prime Beauty! Enter to win ALL 3 of Faith Hill's fragrance collection at Prime Beauty!
Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed feels that her fall nails need more colour and loves the lacquers from the Mary Kay Hollywood Mystique collection - come check out her swatches and see if your life (nails) need more colour too!
Beauty Info Zone loves to discover new brands. When the brands are cruelty-free, gorgeous, and fun to use like Whip Hand Cosmetics the fun is magnified. Come learn about the brand with us.
A powder to "fill wrinkles, pores and imperfections to leave the skin even and flawless", who wouldn’t be tempted by the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder, unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for Visionary Beauty.
Don't you hate it when you finally pick out a polish to wear and the bottle won’t open? Check out polish insomniac’s trick to unstick a bottle of polish!
London MakeUp Girl has a guest post on SciArt Colour Analysis on her blog this week, written by a reader who has recently had this done in London. Read all about it at Guest Post: Colour Analysis with Nikki Bogardus.
Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, has a hard time getting over a bad hair coloring when she uses White Sands shampoo and conditioner to help her out.
Perilously Pale continues her love affair with the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Waterproof Liquid Lip Colors with the shade #2 Rosewood.”
The Pink Sith has fallen in love with the nostalgic looking and violet scented brightening powder from Besame Cosmetics.
Looking for a serum to fight aging? Pammy Blogs Beauty finds a great one with StriVectin SD Power Serum for Wrinkles!
Want to know more about The Best of Beauty Award winners? Check out Lola's Secret Beauty Blog's exclusive interview with Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor Sophia Panych!
Modesty Brown shares her Sunday morning skin saviours.
What do you and Faith Hill have in common? You both wear the same fragrance thanks to Prime Beauty! Enter to win ALL 3 of Faith Hill's fragrance collection at Prime Beauty!
Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed feels that her fall nails need more colour and loves the lacquers from the Mary Kay Hollywood Mystique collection - come check out her swatches and see if your life (nails) need more colour too!
Beauty Info Zone loves to discover new brands. When the brands are cruelty-free, gorgeous, and fun to use like Whip Hand Cosmetics the fun is magnified. Come learn about the brand with us.
A powder to "fill wrinkles, pores and imperfections to leave the skin even and flawless", who wouldn’t be tempted by the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder, unfortunately it didn’t quite hit the mark for Visionary Beauty.
Don't you hate it when you finally pick out a polish to wear and the bottle won’t open? Check out polish insomniac’s trick to unstick a bottle of polish!
London MakeUp Girl has a guest post on SciArt Colour Analysis on her blog this week, written by a reader who has recently had this done in London. Read all about it at Guest Post: Colour Analysis with Nikki Bogardus.
Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, has a hard time getting over a bad hair coloring when she uses White Sands shampoo and conditioner to help her out.
Perilously Pale continues her love affair with the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge Waterproof Liquid Lip Colors with the shade #2 Rosewood.”
The Pink Sith has fallen in love with the nostalgic looking and violet scented brightening powder from Besame Cosmetics.
Labels:
Beauty Spotlight,
Roundup
Friday 26 October 2012
FOTD with my new Hourglass and RBR purchases
I bought a few new things from Zuneta recently and today was my first opportunity to have a play. I don't seem to have been experimenting very much with makeup recently. I think it's partly because I'm still restricting myself to using up the items I talked about in this post but also because I don't have as much time to myself. I decided that buying something colourful might help me out of this rut and Rouge Bunny Rouge Mysterious Tinamou eyeshadow is certainly outside my usual taupe comfort zone.
Today, I used Mysterious Tinamou as an accent colour alongside some favourite neutrals. I also gave my Hourglass Illume compact (Sunset) its first outing. Both items are pictured below alongside the other colour products that I used.
Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Compact in Sunset // Kjaer Weis Eyeshadow in Wisdom // RBR Eyeshadow in Gracious Arasari (depotted) // RBR Eyeshadow in Mysterious Tinamou // Hourglass Femme Rouge in Fresco
Face
Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex*
Max Factor Second Skin foundation*
RMS "Un"Cover Up in 11 on undereyes, around nose and on blemishes
Hourglass Illume compact in Sunset, I used both the bronzer and the cheek colour here
Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
RBR Gracious Arasari from lash to crease
Kjaer Weis Wisdow in the crease
RBR Mysterious Tinamou along top and bottom lash line
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara*
Lips
Hourglass Femme Rouge in Fresco
Scent of the Day
Aftelier Perfume Patchouli Spice Body Oil & Hair Elixir - I applied this to my hair today and it smells beautiful, I get little wafts of scent as my hair moves. As you can probably see, I've decided to let my roots come through in a bid to see if I can embrace the grey. They do need taming though as hence the need for bit of hair oil.
Disclosure: I have labelled press samples with an asterisk, all the other items were purchased or won by me.
Today, I used Mysterious Tinamou as an accent colour alongside some favourite neutrals. I also gave my Hourglass Illume compact (Sunset) its first outing. Both items are pictured below alongside the other colour products that I used.
Hourglass Illume Creme to Powder Compact in Sunset // Kjaer Weis Eyeshadow in Wisdom // RBR Eyeshadow in Gracious Arasari (depotted) // RBR Eyeshadow in Mysterious Tinamou // Hourglass Femme Rouge in Fresco
Face
Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex*
Max Factor Second Skin foundation*
RMS "Un"Cover Up in 11 on undereyes, around nose and on blemishes
Hourglass Illume compact in Sunset, I used both the bronzer and the cheek colour here
Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
RBR Gracious Arasari from lash to crease
Kjaer Weis Wisdow in the crease
RBR Mysterious Tinamou along top and bottom lash line
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara*
Lips
Hourglass Femme Rouge in Fresco
Scent of the Day
Aftelier Perfume Patchouli Spice Body Oil & Hair Elixir - I applied this to my hair today and it smells beautiful, I get little wafts of scent as my hair moves. As you can probably see, I've decided to let my roots come through in a bid to see if I can embrace the grey. They do need taming though as hence the need for bit of hair oil.
Disclosure: I have labelled press samples with an asterisk, all the other items were purchased or won by me.
Labels:
Femme Rouge lipstick,
FOTD,
Hourglass,
Kjaer Weis,
RMS,
Rouge Bunny Rouge
Clinique Chubby Sticks Intense in Mightiest Maraschino and Heftiest Hibiscus
Clinique are releasing a new intense lip colour formula in their popular Chubby Sticks format. There are eight new colours, including lots of seasonally appropriate rich berries and reds. I have already shared a lip swatch of Heftiest Hibiscus (04) which you can see here. I also have the colour Mightiest Maraschino (03), which I have to admit is my personal favourite of the two.
The Chubby Sticks Intense formula provide richly pigmented, opaque colour with a glossy finish. They still feel as comfortable and moisturising to wear as the other sheer Chubby Sticks that I have tried. Wear time is pretty good and the balm feeling lasts a long time on my lips. The colour does transfer easily and I label quite a few mugs as 'mine' whilst wearing Mightiest Maraschino!
Heftiest Hibiscus is a vibrant orange red which I suppose some would describe as coral but I think it would need a hint of pink to be a true coral. On my lips it's quite bright and summery. Mightiest Maraschino is a beautiful cherry red and I can get away with minimal makeup when I wear this as it's such a face brightening shade. I haven't had opportunity to do any comparison swatches but do let me know if you would find it useful. I have a feeling that I have some other lip colours which are similar to Mightiest Maraschino.
The Chubby Stick Intense Lip Colours will be available from selected Clinique counters from mid November and will cost £16 each. You can find links to swatches of the other shades below.
Curviest Caramel - Really Ree
Chunkiest Chili - Lipglossiping and Dutchess Roz
Plushest Punch - London MakeUp Girl and Dutchess Roz
Roomiest Rose - Beauty Geek UK and The Sunday Girl
Broadest Berry - Really Ree
Grandest Grape - British Beauty Blogger
Disclosure: PR Samples
The Chubby Sticks Intense formula provide richly pigmented, opaque colour with a glossy finish. They still feel as comfortable and moisturising to wear as the other sheer Chubby Sticks that I have tried. Wear time is pretty good and the balm feeling lasts a long time on my lips. The colour does transfer easily and I label quite a few mugs as 'mine' whilst wearing Mightiest Maraschino!
Heftiest Hibiscus is a vibrant orange red which I suppose some would describe as coral but I think it would need a hint of pink to be a true coral. On my lips it's quite bright and summery. Mightiest Maraschino is a beautiful cherry red and I can get away with minimal makeup when I wear this as it's such a face brightening shade. I haven't had opportunity to do any comparison swatches but do let me know if you would find it useful. I have a feeling that I have some other lip colours which are similar to Mightiest Maraschino.
The Chubby Stick Intense Lip Colours will be available from selected Clinique counters from mid November and will cost £16 each. You can find links to swatches of the other shades below.
Curviest Caramel - Really Ree
Chunkiest Chili - Lipglossiping and Dutchess Roz
Plushest Punch - London MakeUp Girl and Dutchess Roz
Roomiest Rose - Beauty Geek UK and The Sunday Girl
Broadest Berry - Really Ree
Grandest Grape - British Beauty Blogger
Disclosure: PR Samples
Labels:
Bold Lips,
Clinique,
Lip Swatches,
Lipstick,
Swatches
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Skin Pampering Favourites
On Sunday, I tweeted about a trusted few products that helped perk up my skin and I thought I would share this here too. The majority of these are products that I have been using for a while, they are from a mixture of brands but the combination is a good one and guaranteed to make my skin look better immediately.
I started off with a thorough facial massage with Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm* (if you haven't read Face Goop's recent review, you really should). There's something about the texture and scent of this balm which encourages me to take more time over cleansing that I normally would. To remove the balm, I used a hot flannel which I left on my skin for a moment before wiping everything off. Rinse and repeat.
I followed up my cleanse with a spritz of Live Native Essential Mist MSM Toner*. I've been using this twice a day for a few months now and it's an absolute pleasure to use. It's refreshing, hydrating and smells beautiful. I find the Live Native concept of using raw ingredient in their skincare absolutely fascinating and it makes a lot of sense from a scientific perspective. There are some skincare ingredients that I assume are biological inactive (or unavailable, like collagen) once they hit your skin but oddly I'd never considered the impact of heat during the manufacturing process. It's certainly more food for thought.
With my skin still slightly damp from the Essential Mist toner, I applied a pump of Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator*. I still really rate this and find it does a good job of softening my fine lines, although the fishy smell does limit its popularity. I have to confess that last month I made a terrible mistake whilst using it. In a sleep bleary state I slapped it on moisturiser style, taking it down my neck and decolletage. Later that day, the skin on my chest was covered in fairly large bumps which took over a week to disappear. There's no doubting that the active ingredients in the Activator really are active!
My skin felt really good after using the EH Cleansing Balm, Live Native Essential Mist and Face Firming Activator and I consider these three to be a golden combination for my skin. Alongside the massage and the hot flannel, of course. Although my skin felt well hydrated at this point, I finished off with a moisturiser out of habit. I've just started using the Antipodes Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream so I will refrain from my making any comments but I will say that its scent did an excellent job of masking the post-Perricone smell. I also used the Zelens Triple-Action eye cream* which I previously reviewed here. Job done!
Do you have any trusted face favourites?
* PR Samples
I started off with a thorough facial massage with Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm* (if you haven't read Face Goop's recent review, you really should). There's something about the texture and scent of this balm which encourages me to take more time over cleansing that I normally would. To remove the balm, I used a hot flannel which I left on my skin for a moment before wiping everything off. Rinse and repeat.
I followed up my cleanse with a spritz of Live Native Essential Mist MSM Toner*. I've been using this twice a day for a few months now and it's an absolute pleasure to use. It's refreshing, hydrating and smells beautiful. I find the Live Native concept of using raw ingredient in their skincare absolutely fascinating and it makes a lot of sense from a scientific perspective. There are some skincare ingredients that I assume are biological inactive (or unavailable, like collagen) once they hit your skin but oddly I'd never considered the impact of heat during the manufacturing process. It's certainly more food for thought.
With my skin still slightly damp from the Essential Mist toner, I applied a pump of Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator*. I still really rate this and find it does a good job of softening my fine lines, although the fishy smell does limit its popularity. I have to confess that last month I made a terrible mistake whilst using it. In a sleep bleary state I slapped it on moisturiser style, taking it down my neck and decolletage. Later that day, the skin on my chest was covered in fairly large bumps which took over a week to disappear. There's no doubting that the active ingredients in the Activator really are active!
My skin felt really good after using the EH Cleansing Balm, Live Native Essential Mist and Face Firming Activator and I consider these three to be a golden combination for my skin. Alongside the massage and the hot flannel, of course. Although my skin felt well hydrated at this point, I finished off with a moisturiser out of habit. I've just started using the Antipodes Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream so I will refrain from my making any comments but I will say that its scent did an excellent job of masking the post-Perricone smell. I also used the Zelens Triple-Action eye cream* which I previously reviewed here. Job done!
Do you have any trusted face favourites?
* PR Samples
Labels:
Antipodes,
Emma Hardie,
Favourites,
Live Native,
Pampering,
Perricone MD,
Skin care,
Zelens
Saturday 20 October 2012
Beauty Spotlight: What's In Lola's...
It's time for the Beauty Spotlight Team to wrap up the "What's in her…???" series with Lola's Secret Beauty Blog. In this final installment, Lola has packed her regular makeup bag for a last minute out-of-town trip for a couple of days, and decided to travel light and pack all of her beauty needs into this single bag. Can you guess how she managed to to fit all of her skincare and makeup products in here? Click on this link to find out!
Labels:
Beauty Spotlight,
What's in
Friday 19 October 2012
Hakuhodo B214BkSL Highlighter Brush
For a long time the Hakuhodo B214BkSL has sat neglected in my brush roll because, in all honesty, I wasn't sure what to use it for. I know many use it to apply undereye concealer but I always forget to use it for this purpose. I tend to use my fingers or the LMdB concealer brush for this job.
So, I recently decided to give it a try with a highlighter, specifically the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc. Ordinarily, I apply this with a fluffy brush which creates a sheer veil of highlighter but the way the B214BkSL picks up the powder produces a much more intense and precise application. I suspect this brush would be great for use with any powders that you feel are too sheer or take a lot of effort to pack on. I wish I'd had this brush when I still owned MAC Belightful pressed powder as I might have had more success with it.
Although I haven't tried it on my eyes, I am tempted to test it out with some of my more tightly packed eyeshadows. I did experiment with a couple of different brushes using the same eyeshadow on a piece of tissue (you can blame the dull weather today for the lack of accompanying image) and this definitely picks up more powder that my paddle shaped lid brushes. I was a little worried that it might feel stratchy on the eye area but it does suggests that it can be used for eyeshadow application on the Hakuhodo website. I will let you know how I get on if I give it a try.
I bought my Hakuhodo B214BkSL before the price increases at the beginning of this year. The B214BkSL costs $26 from the Hakuhodo website and although they do offer international shipping, the value (based on the current exchange rate) is just a shade over the UK VAT waiver so you could incur customs charges to receive it at this end. Boooooo!
So, I recently decided to give it a try with a highlighter, specifically the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc. Ordinarily, I apply this with a fluffy brush which creates a sheer veil of highlighter but the way the B214BkSL picks up the powder produces a much more intense and precise application. I suspect this brush would be great for use with any powders that you feel are too sheer or take a lot of effort to pack on. I wish I'd had this brush when I still owned MAC Belightful pressed powder as I might have had more success with it.
Although I haven't tried it on my eyes, I am tempted to test it out with some of my more tightly packed eyeshadows. I did experiment with a couple of different brushes using the same eyeshadow on a piece of tissue (you can blame the dull weather today for the lack of accompanying image) and this definitely picks up more powder that my paddle shaped lid brushes. I was a little worried that it might feel stratchy on the eye area but it does suggests that it can be used for eyeshadow application on the Hakuhodo website. I will let you know how I get on if I give it a try.
I bought my Hakuhodo B214BkSL before the price increases at the beginning of this year. The B214BkSL costs $26 from the Hakuhodo website and although they do offer international shipping, the value (based on the current exchange rate) is just a shade over the UK VAT waiver so you could incur customs charges to receive it at this end. Boooooo!
Tuesday 16 October 2012
September Empties
I know this is a little late for a September post but I had a computer meltdown recently that meant a lot of my prepared blog photos were held hostage on a hard drive that my laptop was failing to recognise. I was surprisingly devastated about the loss of these pictures as September was a particularly prolific month for empties. Thanks to my local Apple Genius and a new hard drive cable, I've been re-united with my precious photos of empty bottles (don't say a word)!
Melvita Berry Body Wash* // Neal & Wolf Daily Cleansing Shampoo* // Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Odette // Apivita Baby & Kids Mild Body Was in Lavender and Honey* // Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Samhain // Lise Watier Foaming Face Wash // Tresemme Naturals Conditioner
I won't write about all the items in detail as there are too many to talk about in one post, instead I will focus on the most notable mentions. The Melvita Berry Body Wash* was a delight to use. I love berry scents and this has a slightly tart edge which prevents it from smelling too synthetic or sickly. It didn't leave my skin dry either which is essential for a good shower gel.
I set myself on a mission to use up all of my stray pots of Haus of Gloi with the promise of a new full size pot of Samhain once I was done. Of the two pumpkin butters pictured above, Samhain is my favourite. I can't claim to be any good at describing it so I will point you in the direction of London MakeUp Girl as she is infinitely better at these things and always spot on. Odette was described as a clean linen smell on the HoG website and I think this is pretty accurate. I liked the scent best when first applied as one of the notes seemed to develop on my skin after a while and become a little over-powering, losing that initial clean fragrance.
I have been meaning to talk about the Apivita range for children for ages and now that the range is more accessible in the UK, I feel less guilty raving about it. My children absolutely loved having their own shampoo and shower gel to test for me. Fortunately, they weren't terrified by the strange looking girl's head with saucer eyes and the body of a bee either (just me then!). I loved the gentle scent of this Lavender and Honey body wash* and it made them smell positively angelic just before bed.
Rouge Bunny Rouge Sketches on Water Tinted Moisturiser // Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover // Organic Surge Peach Passion Shower Gel // Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Sample
I was very sad to finish my RBR Tinted Moisturiser as it's been one of favourite bases for a long time. I purchased it in the shade Adansonia which at times I felt might be a little too light, however it always blended in extremely well. I have tried samples of the RBR foundation (you can request samples from Zuneta) with a view to purchasing a foundation as replacement but I actually prefer the coverage of their tinted moisturiser. I suspect I will re-purchase in the future but I need to finish up a few more of my foundations and tinted moisturisers before I can justify any more purchases.
Both the Botanics Soothing Make Up Remover and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer are worthy of mention as products I didn't really get on with. I'm still a bit 'meh' about the Hourglass Primer as I expected to love it and I believe it's one of their bestsellers. It didn't seem to do anything for my skin or the lasting power of my makeup, I have a suspicion it was the cause of a small breakout on my forehead too. I didn't get on with the Botanics remover at all. It's a bi-phase remover and I should realise from past experience that I find these way too greasy on my skin.
Avenoo Hand Cream // Haus of Gloi Spring Tonic #1 Whipped Soap // Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Hearth // Lady Mitchum Roll-On Anti-Perspirant
The Avenoo Hand Cream and Lady Mitchum Anti-Perspirant are both staples in my life. My hands turns painfully dry soon as we hit mid-September and the Avenoo is the only cream that really repairs and protects them. I've already re-purchased a tube as I can't be without. I realise that anti-perspirant is not the most glamourous beauty item but an essential nonetheless. I've been using Mitchum for years and it's failed me on very few occasions.
I loved using the Haus of Gloi Spring Tonic #1 Whipped Soap as I mentioned in my recent Shower Favourites post. It was gone all too quickly and I'm tempted to try more of the whipped soaps when I place my next HoG order. One item I won't be rushing back for is the Hearth Pumpkin Butter (Christmas release). The fragrance didn't suit me at all and Mr MB would always know when I'd applied my 'cake cream' as it scented our whole house. Of course, I martyred myself finishing it up rather than putting it in the bin like a normal sane person.
Thanks for reading if you managed to make it this far. You'll be relieved to hear that October's Empties won't be anywhere near as product heavy!
* PR samples are indicated with an asterisk
Melvita Berry Body Wash* // Neal & Wolf Daily Cleansing Shampoo* // Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Odette // Apivita Baby & Kids Mild Body Was in Lavender and Honey* // Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Samhain // Lise Watier Foaming Face Wash // Tresemme Naturals Conditioner
I won't write about all the items in detail as there are too many to talk about in one post, instead I will focus on the most notable mentions. The Melvita Berry Body Wash* was a delight to use. I love berry scents and this has a slightly tart edge which prevents it from smelling too synthetic or sickly. It didn't leave my skin dry either which is essential for a good shower gel.
I set myself on a mission to use up all of my stray pots of Haus of Gloi with the promise of a new full size pot of Samhain once I was done. Of the two pumpkin butters pictured above, Samhain is my favourite. I can't claim to be any good at describing it so I will point you in the direction of London MakeUp Girl as she is infinitely better at these things and always spot on. Odette was described as a clean linen smell on the HoG website and I think this is pretty accurate. I liked the scent best when first applied as one of the notes seemed to develop on my skin after a while and become a little over-powering, losing that initial clean fragrance.
I have been meaning to talk about the Apivita range for children for ages and now that the range is more accessible in the UK, I feel less guilty raving about it. My children absolutely loved having their own shampoo and shower gel to test for me. Fortunately, they weren't terrified by the strange looking girl's head with saucer eyes and the body of a bee either (just me then!). I loved the gentle scent of this Lavender and Honey body wash* and it made them smell positively angelic just before bed.
Rouge Bunny Rouge Sketches on Water Tinted Moisturiser // Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover // Organic Surge Peach Passion Shower Gel // Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Sample
I was very sad to finish my RBR Tinted Moisturiser as it's been one of favourite bases for a long time. I purchased it in the shade Adansonia which at times I felt might be a little too light, however it always blended in extremely well. I have tried samples of the RBR foundation (you can request samples from Zuneta) with a view to purchasing a foundation as replacement but I actually prefer the coverage of their tinted moisturiser. I suspect I will re-purchase in the future but I need to finish up a few more of my foundations and tinted moisturisers before I can justify any more purchases.
Both the Botanics Soothing Make Up Remover and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer are worthy of mention as products I didn't really get on with. I'm still a bit 'meh' about the Hourglass Primer as I expected to love it and I believe it's one of their bestsellers. It didn't seem to do anything for my skin or the lasting power of my makeup, I have a suspicion it was the cause of a small breakout on my forehead too. I didn't get on with the Botanics remover at all. It's a bi-phase remover and I should realise from past experience that I find these way too greasy on my skin.
Avenoo Hand Cream // Haus of Gloi Spring Tonic #1 Whipped Soap // Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Hearth // Lady Mitchum Roll-On Anti-Perspirant
The Avenoo Hand Cream and Lady Mitchum Anti-Perspirant are both staples in my life. My hands turns painfully dry soon as we hit mid-September and the Avenoo is the only cream that really repairs and protects them. I've already re-purchased a tube as I can't be without. I realise that anti-perspirant is not the most glamourous beauty item but an essential nonetheless. I've been using Mitchum for years and it's failed me on very few occasions.
I loved using the Haus of Gloi Spring Tonic #1 Whipped Soap as I mentioned in my recent Shower Favourites post. It was gone all too quickly and I'm tempted to try more of the whipped soaps when I place my next HoG order. One item I won't be rushing back for is the Hearth Pumpkin Butter (Christmas release). The fragrance didn't suit me at all and Mr MB would always know when I'd applied my 'cake cream' as it scented our whole house. Of course, I martyred myself finishing it up rather than putting it in the bin like a normal sane person.
Thanks for reading if you managed to make it this far. You'll be relieved to hear that October's Empties won't be anywhere near as product heavy!
* PR samples are indicated with an asterisk
Labels:
Apivita,
Aveeno,
Empties,
Favourites,
Haus of Gloi,
Hourglass,
Melvita,
Organic Surge,
Rouge Bunny Rouge
Sunday 14 October 2012
Book Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Shadow of Night is the second part of Deborah Harkness's All Soul's Trilogy. The series certainly isn't one that I would universally recommend and this review is probably best suited to anyone that read the first part, A Discovery of Witches and is undecided about reading whether to read Shadow of Night.
My main frustration with A Discovery of Witches was the really unsatisfactory ending. After wading my way through 500+ pages, I was frustrated to find the story stopped almost mid-air. I realise the book is part of trilogy meant to be read in sequence but I feel strongly that each book should work as a standalone piece too. As you would probably anticipate, Shadow of Night picks up exactly where A Discovery of Witches ends and, yes, unfortunately this book also suffers from a lack of satisfying ending.
Shadow of Night is a fantasy novel, weaving historical figures and events into the tale of time-travelling, star crossed lovers, Matthew the 1500 year old vampire and Diana the spell-bound witch. Deborah Harkness manages to keep the characters believable rather than ridiculous, however, this isn't always consistent and at times I found the dialogue really absurd. On more than one occasion, the 'love scenes' between the two main characters stray into Mills & Boon territory which really detracts from the rest of the book. If you're going to write about a vampire and witch having sex, it's probably not the best moment to become too coy. For a pair of creatures, the couple have a surprisingly vanilla sex-life!
Whereas A Discovery of Witches was mostly set in the present, the plot of Shadow of Night plays out in late 16th Century Europe with the occasional tie-in to the present. At times, the narrative is griping and I found the depiction of Elizabethan London and Prague during the rule of Rudolf II very entertaining, even if I can't vouch for the historical accuracy.
There's a reasonable amount that unfolds over the 574 pages but I suspect that if you're not a devourer of books, you could get a little bored in parts. There's more history than science in this second novel and probably more focus on character development and romance. There was sufficient repetition for me to suspect that they could have cut at least 100 pages without compromising the story and my preference would have been for greater focus on Diana developing her magic. I will admit that I found it overly schmaltz and at times the brooding vampire/academic Matthew was reduced to a character better suited to Dawson's Creek.
Despite the flaws, overall it was an entertaining read and if you made it all the way through A Discovery of Witches (and you can face another frustrating non-ending) I would recommend it. I suspect I am never going to feel fully satisfied by the first two books until I read the final part of the trilogy.
Labels:
Book review,
Deborah Harkness,
Off-topic
Beauty Spotlight 14/10/12
Lola from Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog recently indulged in Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil, and now believes that this gorgeous golden elixir must have magical properties because her skin has never looked or felt better!
Prime Beauty finds palette perfection with the new Urban Decay limited edition Feminine Palette!
What says “Fall” better than vampy nails? Jessika from polish insomniac shows you her favorite Chanels for Fall.
Do you love collecting rewards points? Check out what Pammy Blogs Beauty got for her Sephora Beauty insider 500 Points Perk!
The Sample Society October box has arrived. See what they sent this month and if The Pink Sith is going to keep her subscription.
After a week of being in a bare-faced makeup funk, Modesty Brown rapidly remembers the mood boosting power of makeup.
Not one to resist a pretty design, Visionary Beauty shows us the Chantecaille Elephant Blush for Fall.
Beauty Info Zone has discovered Makeup Geek eyeshadows and can’t stop thinking about what they want to buy next.
Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed spent the day making that stupid pouty face you make when you swatch lipgloss and wants everyone tosuffer benefit from the ordeal - check out her favorite nude glosses that she thinks are perfect to pair with a smoky eye!
Perilously Pale shares a look with one of her current fave palettes the Dior 3 Couleurs Smoky Trio in Smoky Khaki. Come see why she can't get enough of this beautiful eye look.
15 Minute Beauty shares what her typical 10 Minute Beauty Routine actually looks like.
Prime Beauty finds palette perfection with the new Urban Decay limited edition Feminine Palette!
What says “Fall” better than vampy nails? Jessika from polish insomniac shows you her favorite Chanels for Fall.
Do you love collecting rewards points? Check out what Pammy Blogs Beauty got for her Sephora Beauty insider 500 Points Perk!
The Sample Society October box has arrived. See what they sent this month and if The Pink Sith is going to keep her subscription.
After a week of being in a bare-faced makeup funk, Modesty Brown rapidly remembers the mood boosting power of makeup.
Not one to resist a pretty design, Visionary Beauty shows us the Chantecaille Elephant Blush for Fall.
Beauty Info Zone has discovered Makeup Geek eyeshadows and can’t stop thinking about what they want to buy next.
Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed spent the day making that stupid pouty face you make when you swatch lipgloss and wants everyone to
Perilously Pale shares a look with one of her current fave palettes the Dior 3 Couleurs Smoky Trio in Smoky Khaki. Come see why she can't get enough of this beautiful eye look.
15 Minute Beauty shares what her typical 10 Minute Beauty Routine actually looks like.
Labels:
Beauty Spotlight,
Roundup
Thursday 11 October 2012
Makeup as a Mood Lifter
So, next time I feel like not bothering, I will remind myself that making that little bit of effort is really worth it in the end.
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Clinique Heftiest Hibiscus* putting a smile back on my face |
I wondered if you ever go through spates of not wearing makeup or do you always make a point of wearing it come what may? Do you find that wearing makeup gives you a confidence boost or are you the same person, with or without?
* Clinique Intense Chubby Stick in Heftiest Hibiscus is a press sample, the delicious macaroons that came with it might have put a smile on my face too. Don't tell my diet I said that!
Labels:
Mood Lifters,
Ramble
Sunday 7 October 2012
Beauty Spotlight: What's in Pammy's Shower?
For this penultimate "Whats in her...???", Pammy from Pammy Blogs Beauty is giving us a little peek inside her Shower. Pammy has a healthy obsession for shower products and is constantly on the hunt for deep conditioners for her long and highlighted hair. After a recent salon semi-disaster, Pammy amped up her conditioning routine and has found some really great products! What are her most used and most loved shower products? Be sure to click the link to find out!
Labels:
Beauty Spotlight,
What's in
Friday 5 October 2012
My Catwoman Converse and a Personal Ramble
Thanks to some excellent encouragement following this post, I decided to ignore sensible and go with my not-so-grown-up side. I'm very pleased I did as the Catwoman Converse are a thing of beauty (hello Cadbury's purple laces) and make my feet very happy! I bought them from Schuh online where they cost £50.
I'm going to be a bit less cheery for a minute now. I know quite a few of you follow me on Twitter and are probably already aware that things are still very difficult at school for my eldest son. We've had one good day this week and although I'm crossing my fingers that today will be ok, he didn't have the best start which rarely bodes well. I'm fighting the urge to pour my heart out on here but it's not really appropriate.
Unfortunately, I'm struggling to think about anything else at the moment and my usual blogging time is being eaten up with reading and online research to try and find ways to support my son through this difficult patch. I will endeavour to keep going but I may be a little quieter than normal. Hopefully my more chirpy side will return soon. In the meantime, I'll keep flashing my new shoes.
I'm going to be a bit less cheery for a minute now. I know quite a few of you follow me on Twitter and are probably already aware that things are still very difficult at school for my eldest son. We've had one good day this week and although I'm crossing my fingers that today will be ok, he didn't have the best start which rarely bodes well. I'm fighting the urge to pour my heart out on here but it's not really appropriate.
Unfortunately, I'm struggling to think about anything else at the moment and my usual blogging time is being eaten up with reading and online research to try and find ways to support my son through this difficult patch. I will endeavour to keep going but I may be a little quieter than normal. Hopefully my more chirpy side will return soon. In the meantime, I'll keep flashing my new shoes.
Labels:
Accessories,
Converse,
Personal,
Ramble,
Shoes
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Estee Lauder Thinks Pink...with a Splash of Blue
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and this year sees the 20th anniversary of the campaign. It's hard to believe the pink ribbon has been around for 20 years, although the current design now incorporates a touch of blue to represent the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed in men.
As with previous years, there are several limited edition items being released by the Estee Lauder companies, with varying amounts of the sale proceeds being donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The aim of the BCRF, founded by Evelyn Lauder, is the prevention and cure of breast cancer through research funding, as well as raising public awareness about good breast health.
The Dream Collection is a tribute to Evelyn Lauder's personal dream of eradicating breast cancer and includes the Dream Compact filled with Lucidity Pressed Powder (£55) and Dream Pin (£10). The full RRP will be donated for every Dream Compact and Pin sold in the UK.
The Dream Lip Collection (£25) includes a Pure Colour Lipstick in Candy and Lip Gloss in Pink Innocence inside a pink snakeskin clutch, a £5 donation will be made for every sale. A £10 donation will be made for every purchase of the limited edition Perfectionist CP+R serum with Pink Ribbon Keychain (£68).
Throughout October, Jo Malone will be supporting the campaign by donating £5 to the BCRF's UK research grants for every UK sale of the Red Roses Cologne 100ml (£76). Clinique have also released a special edition Chubby Stick in 'Plumped Up Pink' with matching pink cosmetic bag (£16) and £2 will be donated for every set sold from Clinique counters in Boots, Selfridges and Thomas Brown.
You can find out more about the 2012 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign on the BCA Facebook Page.
As with previous years, there are several limited edition items being released by the Estee Lauder companies, with varying amounts of the sale proceeds being donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The aim of the BCRF, founded by Evelyn Lauder, is the prevention and cure of breast cancer through research funding, as well as raising public awareness about good breast health.
The Dream Collection is a tribute to Evelyn Lauder's personal dream of eradicating breast cancer and includes the Dream Compact filled with Lucidity Pressed Powder (£55) and Dream Pin (£10). The full RRP will be donated for every Dream Compact and Pin sold in the UK.
The Dream Lip Collection (£25) includes a Pure Colour Lipstick in Candy and Lip Gloss in Pink Innocence inside a pink snakeskin clutch, a £5 donation will be made for every sale. A £10 donation will be made for every purchase of the limited edition Perfectionist CP+R serum with Pink Ribbon Keychain (£68).
Throughout October, Jo Malone will be supporting the campaign by donating £5 to the BCRF's UK research grants for every UK sale of the Red Roses Cologne 100ml (£76). Clinique have also released a special edition Chubby Stick in 'Plumped Up Pink' with matching pink cosmetic bag (£16) and £2 will be donated for every set sold from Clinique counters in Boots, Selfridges and Thomas Brown.
You can find out more about the 2012 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign on the BCA Facebook Page.
Labels:
Breast Cancer Awareness,
Charity,
Clinique,
Estee Lauder,
Jo Malone
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