Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer

If you don't already own one of the Apocolips Lip Lacquers then you will definitely have seen the advertisements with Kate Moss's super shiny lips making your own seem sad, chapped and decidedly lacking in colour. Now my first impression was that there was no way this product could give that intense a colour and be that glossy....how wrong I was!

It's basically gives the intense colour payoff of a lipstick but with the shine of a lipgloss in one product, what more could you want?!

The swatches above show just how bright the colours are (especially on the back of my pasty, sun-deprived hand!). Left to right they are - Galaxy, Apocoliptic, Big Bang, Luna, Stellar, Nude Eclipse.

I chose the colour Celestial which is a natural pink toned shade:

I love this product! The applicator gives just the right amount of product and allows you to make a really clean lip line. The colour is intense and lasts for a good few hours giving glossy lips that don't feel overly sticky! I may only have one colour now but I definitely intend to buy a few more of these! If your interested in trying one (or more) of the Rimmel Apocalips range they are currently £5.99 in Boots and Superdrug both instore and online.

Topshop Treats!

I've been super busy this past week (sorry for lack of posts) so I thought I deserved to treat myself with a spot of shopping! Topshop have got some gorgeous spring/summer pieces coming through and I did amazingly well not to buy everything in sight! Key pieces include dungarees, crop tops, cream lace and acid wash denim. I'm loving the new pastel shades starting to hit down - definitely more my style - but if you're into brighter colours there is a lot of crazy neon and comic inspired prints in some great designs.

I decided on this top to be the first new entry into my S/S wardrobe, perfect with some skinny light wash jeans and a biker jacket at the moment and when/if the weather gets warmer with denim shorts and tan sandals! It's currently instore and online at topshop.com for £26.

I wanted a pastel shade nail colour to wear with this so I thought the shade Chase would be perfect. It's slightly metallic and is a super shiny lilac/silver colour. I applied two coats and found it went on really evenly and dried smoothly. Not a colour I would normally go for but I actually really love it! It was £6 instore. 

Benefit- How to look the best at everything kit

Benefit products always appeal to me- the packaging is just too cute not to love! My all time favourite product of theirs is the POREfessional primer and when I ran out last week I went along to my local Benefit counter to repurchase and sure enough I got suckered into buying more! 

The kit I bought was the 'How to look the best at everything' in light for £24.50. I like the idea of buying kits from a brand as you can try all their products together and get a feel for them without splashing out on full sizes and then realising they're not for you. 

Inside the box is POREfessional PRO balm (7.5ml), Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation in 'cheers to me' champagne (7ml), Boi-ing concealer in 01 and 02 (2x 1.5g) and Hello Flawless powder in 'me vain?' champagne (4g). There's even a mirror in the lid and tips on how to apply- everything you need to create your perfect base!

As I said I already love the POREfessional PRO balm, it gives the skin a silky, smooth texture minimising pores and definitely allows my make up to apply more evenly and last longer. Also a little goes a long way so this mini version should last me a while!

The foundation is not the right colour for me (when will I learn not to trust the lighting in shops?!) however, for the sake of this post I went about my daily business with a slightly orange face to give it a fair review! Texture wise the consistency is quite runny and the coverage is light. I built it to a medium coverage as I found it applied patchy and needed to be evened out. It gave a dewy finish which bordered on oily looking so I definitely needed powder to set. This isn't a foundation I would try again- it would probably be more suited to dryer, blemish free skin. 

The Boi-ing concealer in shade 01 is a decent skin tone match for covering minor blemishes and when combined with 02 it combats under eye darkness well. It's a creamy texture which smooths on easily and I found it corrected the colour around my eyes nicely. The only problem I had with this is that after an hour or so it had creased and needed to be rubbed back in- not ideal!!

I applied the Hello Flawless powder with my own brush as I can't stand the kind of flat brush that comes in the kit- it feels like your drawing stripes down your face and I don't want to look like a zebra. Also I much prefer a bigger brush to push the powder into the skin otherwise you're just undoing all your concealing work by brushing it all over your face! It gave a natural finish without looking too powdery and lasted around 4 hours before slight oiliness started to show through and needed touching up.

Overall, I feel that these products would be best suited to normal-dry skin only needing light coverage. On normal-oily skin and just found them slightly too creamy/wet to set into place. Also  although this is classed as the 'light' version I wouldn't recommend it kit for fair skin, it's just too dark. If you've tried any of these products I'd love to know what you think!

Bioderma at Escentual.com

Now I don't know if I've been incredibly slow on the uptake but I've just spotted Escentual.com are now stocking Bioderma!!! I've wanted to get my hands on the cult favourite make up remover Sensibo H2O-Crealine (it's now solution Micelle formerly Crealine just to confuse you) for absolutely aaaaages now, but the difficulty of getting it in the UK has put me off. I know it's been available from leguidesante and gurumakeupemporium (most recently by the look of it johnbellcroyden has joined the list) but it's hard to justify the p&p costs when they're almost half the cost of the product itself!

So when I saw I could get 250ml for £9.99 plus £1.95 p&p (the cheapest I've seen and would have been free if I hadn't fought the urge to spend £30!) I snapped it up! Its due on Tuesday and I'm looking forward to sampling it for myself after reading all the rave reviews!

For those of you who haven't heard of this product (where have you been?!?!) I'll be posting a review on it when I've given it a try myself! 

New Camera!!

I am sooooo excited that I have just received my new Nikon D5100!! I can't wait to start using it, but I'm guessing its going to take a while to figure it all out. I'll keep you updated on how I get on with it - any tips let me know! 

Alpha-H Liquid Gold

I thought I should write a post about this product as it is one of my old favourites that I always come back to! Alpha-H Liquid Gold is essentially an overnight skin resurfacing treatment for normal/combination skin. I have to say at this point it is definitely not for sensitive skin (I once applied carelessly to a patch of excema and it was ridiculously painful). The glycolic acid works to exfoliate away dead skin cells while promoting collagen production which means Liquid Gold is also great for aging and/or acne prone skin.

You can apply the product in two ways. Firstly as part of your nighttime skincare routine- after cleansing apply with a cotton pad avoiding any sensitive areas and then when touch dry pop some moisturiser over the top. Or secondly as an intensive overnight treatment- leave the Liquid Gold without any moisturiser to get to work resurfacing your skin.

When using this product I think it's important to allow your skin rest days so that it can renew between applications. I'd recommend that if you are going to be applying Liquid Gold as part of your nighttime skincare routine then it should only be used every other night. However, I would be more cautious when using it as an intensive treatment and give your skin a two day break from Liquid Gold afterwards. 

Some people I've spoken to are scared to use this product and to be honest I was nervous at the thought of applying acid to my face overnight! My advice for this is when starting out less is more, let your skin get used to the product and don't freak out if it tingles- it's completely normal!

So the results- I find that when I'm using Liquid Gold 2-3 times a week I wake up with brighter, softer, firmer skin. Hurray! Blemishes are less frequent and when I do have them they clear up a lot quicker after an intensive treatment. It also tightens pores making the skin appear smoother.

So here's a couple of tips if you are going to try this out- make sure you wear an SPF as your skin will be more prone to sun damage after resurfacing treatments. Don't use an exfoliating face wash or Clarisonic on the same day as using Liquid Gold, over exfoliation will only damage the skin not make it more beautiful. Do not apply to damaged skin- it will hurt!

Alpha-H Liquid Gold is available on the Alpha-H website and from Beautybay.com (which is where I got mine from) from £31.50. You'll notice it's in a fancy new bottle, my 100ml is still going from around September and has plenty left so I'm going to be rocking the old packaging for a while yet!

Vichy Dermablend Foundation

I've been looking for a full coverage foundation for when my skin is not my friend and I need a lot of help to cover breakouts. I thought I'd give Vichy Dermablend a whirl as it states that it camouflages mild to moderate imperfections for up to 16 hours. It turns out that I'm really glad I did! 

I got two colours- 15 opal and 25 nude so I could combine and get the perfect shade match to my skin. I find it sets quickly so I've been buffing it in with my Real Techniques expert face brush and then making sure I blend it out. It gives excellent coverage which you can build up over problem areas without the need for a separate concealer (although if you have more severe blemishes you may need to conceal as well).

Having combination skin I find that some foundations can look patchy and dry when covering blemishes but this doesn't dehydrate my skin at all - it actually helps keep my skin hydrated but not oily which is a real bonus!

A little of this product goes a long way and although I expected it to feel quite heavy, as it gives such a high level of coverage, it's surprisingly light. It leaves you with a soft focus finish and actually looks more natural than some sheer foundations I have tried! After setting with powder I find it lasts me around 8-9 hours before it starts to look a little oily but the coverage is the same as when I first applied so with a bit more powder it's fresh again- amazing! 

This is definitely one of my favourite foundations and if you're interested in trying it out you can get hold of it from Boots for £15.50.

Rose de Courreges

I am incredibly picky with perfume - nothing too floral, too strong, too musky, too fruity etc - so when I do find one I like it is always exciting! Rose de Courreges by Courreges is infused with the key notes of peach, pink grapefruit, rose, violet, cherry blossom and musk. These combine to create a gorgeous floral fruity scent which I find subtle enough for the day but equally lovely for the evening. 

The bottle is really sweet with its pink tinted body and mirrored top which sits perfectly on you dressing table! But overall it is its fresh, feminine scent which sells this perfume to me. 

Rose de Courreges by Courreges is available from Selfridges at £38 for 30ml.

Review: Steamcream

I thought I would share this little gem with you as I've been using it non-stop since I received it in my Valentines beauty box. This moisturiser is handmade using natural ingredients by a company based in both the UK and Japan. I'm really impressed by Steamcream's ethical approach to this product, all materials used are sustainable and vegan while they also assure us that they do not test on animals and that they will not buy from other company's which do test on animals (I have a lot of love for this)!

The cream is promoted as a multitasker for face, hands and body- another tick in the ethical box reducing the number of packaged products you need to buy. The formula is really light, a result of the unique steam process they use to combine the ingredients (the name makes sense now doesn't it!) It melts into the face/body nicely and gives instantly super soft skin which I'm guessing is a result of the cocoa butter, yum! 

Other natural ingredients include chamomile- perfect for soothing the skin and jojoba oil which supposedly helps with acne as it keeps excess oil production under control! I have combination skin and I can't say I've noticed any difference in oiliness but as I use a mattifying toner I'm not surprised. I have however noticed really silky feeling skin and I love using it as a body cream as it feels like a real luxury product when applied. 

The only downside is the initial scent, when you open the tin the smell of lavender is strong, like really really strong and I do not like lavender! It seems strange to put something so heavily perfumed onto your face, it took me a bit of getting used to but once it's been on for a few minutes it just has a really gentle, soft scent which is lovely.

The tin itself is so cute, I have the 'Lucy In The Sky' design which was limited edition but there are so many different designs on the website- star signs, cupcakes, floral patterns, hearts, musical notes the list goes on! I think this would make a really unique gift (either for a friend or yourself!) and you can find Steamcream on its website here for £12.95 plus p&p.

Amaaaazing news!

Just a quick update to let you all know I've been accepted onto the Academy Of Freelance Makeup Total Creative Pro course this summer!! I am so excited but really nervous too. Before I applied I did a lot of research into different academy's and was really impressed with the continued support AOFM provides after your course has finished. Both this and the positive reviews I've read online made this the best choice of academy for me. If you've attended any of the AOFM courses it'd be great if you have any advice to share?!

Bobbi Brown Lilac Rose Collection

If you haven't already spotted this collection I suggest you take a look. Available in Selfridges this new SS13 Bobbi Brown collection looks gorgeous. The eye pallete has soft lilacs and dusty pinks for the daytime sat next to smoky darks perfect to transform your eye makeup in the evening.

The matte lilac rose blush seems the perfect spring pink to bring a fresh flush to the cheeks and the lipgloss shades would compliment the overall look perfectly.

If your interested in the Lilac Rose Collection you can find it now exclusively on Selfridges.com.

Review: Thick & Fast Mascara

I've never tried Soap & Glory make up before but as I love some of their body products (I'm thinking of Flake Away and The Righteous Butter!) I thought I'd give the make up range a go. I've been after a thickening mascara for a while now and while my Estee Lauder Double Wear is great for the more natural look sometimes we need a bit more oomph. Enter Thick & Fast False Lash Effect Mascara from Soap & Glory. 

Firstly the packaging - it comes in classic pink Soap & Glory styling and the box is super cute but I felt a bit let down by the actual mascara, you're not going to keep it in the box so I think the tube itself could have been more exciting. More importantly onto the application, when it says 'supersize brush' on the box it is not lying!

The formula went on easily with no clumping but the brush made it difficult to get the inner corner lashes and the lower lashes, needless to say you need a q-tip and some eye make up remover handy! I love the effect it gave, it really volumised and separated the lashes and I'm excited to see how it stands up to the test of a full on day out in London tomorrow.

I think I'll be trying some of the other Soap & Glory make up range soon! Any recommendations? 

New Season Neon Lips!!

With all the neon lips seen on the SS13 catwalks I've been dying to try it out for myself. The two tone bright lips MAC created for the Holly Fulton show were amazing.

Holly Fulton SS13

I loved the central orange colour but as I couldn't get to a MAC store (and was too impatient to wait) I thought I'd try and find an alternative. I wasn't overwhelmed with orange options but I did manage to spot this Models Own Matt Brite lipstick in Orangeade.

Because I wanted the shade to stand out as much as possible I neutralised my own lip colour before applying with some concealer and powder. I didn't find the lipstick particularly matte, once I'd swiped it over my lips a few times to build the colour it had quite a sheen to it. I didn't mind this as I ended up wearing a clear gloss over the top but I would prefer if something states it's matte for it to be matte!  This is how it looked on:

It was orangey but still wearable without looking over the top and I definitely think that a neon lip shade is a great way to get into the brights trend. You can currently get your hands on this lipstick for £6 in Boots.

NOTD: Kure Bazaar in Stiletto

This nail polish is the first product I have tried out from my Selfridges' Valentines Beauty Box and I LOVE it!

I'm not the biggest fan of red nails but the colour 'Stilleto' is super shiny and just the right shade of red to not look garish. It was so smooth to apply giving a really even coverage in one coat and dried fast which is always a good thing as patience is not one of my virtues.

I did a bit of research into the brand and was impressed to find that the polishes are eco-friendly with 85% of the ingredients being natural! The polishes retail at £14.95 and come in a wide range of colours, some of the pastel shades caught my eye 'Boyfriend' and 'So Vintage' in particular.

Review: MUA Make Up

When I was in my local Superdrug last week these MUA products caught my eye. I really liked the packaging of this brand - the clean and simple design gives the impression of an expensive pro product but at a fraction of the price! The MUA range starts at £1 which is amazing and I managed to pick these 4 items up for just £11.50. Matte Perfect foundation at £2, Cover and Conceal concealer at £1, Matte Perfect loose powder at £2.50 and the Pro-Base fixing mist at £5.

Since purchasing them I've done some experimenting and I find this routine seems to get the best out of the products. I start with applying a base of Benefit Porefessional Primer and then, using my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, buff the Matte Perfect foundation into the skin. I build the foundation in areas where I need more coverage around the chin, jawline and any areas of redness. Now the name of this foundation is HUGELY misleading- it does not give a matte finish to the skin at all, in fact it gives a really shiny, tacky finish. One benefit of this is the concealer then melts into the foundation and blends easily but powder is definitely your new best friend! 

The concealer gives a really smooth finish and covers minor imperfections, however when I used it to neutralise the redness around my eyes I found it creased after a matter of minutes and needed to be blended back in. I then use the powder to set the make up using a puff to push into the skin. The powder can be quite lumpy as it is not finely milled like more expensive powders so you have to be careful when picking up product so you don't overload your applicator and get an uneven coverage. This isn't a huge problem when using with the MUA foundation as it needs to be applied slightly more heavily than usual to give a matte finish. 

To finish I give a light spray of the Pro-Base fixing mist making sure to hold it about 30cm from the face or you end up soaking wet! I really like this spray, it gives a dewy finish to the skin while the fresh scent isn't too strong and I definitely found my make up stayed put longer with it on.

Overall:

I like the dewy finish I get from using these products all together and do find that they last all day although as I have combination skin a touch up of powder after about 4-5 hours is usually needed. The price is definitely another positive- £2 for a foundation? Amazing!

The downside is there are only 3 shades of foundation and I got the lightest 'fair'. This wouldn't be suitable for really pale skin so a larger range would be great. Also I find that my face remains slightly tacky even after powdering -  I guess I could powder even more but no one wants a cakey face!

Have you tried the MUA range, are there any products you would recommend from it?!

Review: Estee Lauder Double Wear Mascara

I felt like I had to write a review for this product as it one of my favourite mascaras and is virtually guaranteed to get you compliments!

Estee Lauder promises the following from this mascara:

• 15 hour wear
• Zero smudge 
• Extraordinary length
• Lash-Xtender brush seperates and surrounds lashes
• Suitable for contact wearers

But does it deliver?

The simple answer is that, in my opinion, yes it does. I regularly wear this mascara all day with no smudging and it definitely lengthens my eyelashes. One coat separates the lashes with excellent coverage and I find the brush slender enough to easily apply to lower lashes. The formula is quite wet though so it's best not too blink to hard immediately after application! 

One downside I have come across is that if you attempt to build the mascara with additional coats it becomes clumpy leaving you with thick, stiff  lashes (clumping is on trend for S/S13 though so this may well become a positive!). Personally I don't find this a problem as I use a volumising mascara for evening looks while I find the Double Wear is best to enhance more natural looks.

Another plus for me is the packaging - it looks and feels like a premium product with a slimline tube and gold detailed top. If your interested in trying it out for yourself the Double Wear mascara currently retails at £20 on the Estee Lauder website. 

This mascara is definitely on my repurchase list, I'd love to know what your thoughts are on the Double Wear mascara or do you have one you prefer?!

Review: MeMeMe Satin Lip Cream

This long wear satin lip cream by MeMeMe has been my absolute lip saviour over the past few weeks! The formulation of rich shea butter and vitamin E has been remedying my dry chapped lips which, lets be honest, are pretty unavoidable at this time of year. 

When applied the lip cream melts onto the lips giving instant hydration and sheen with good colour payoff. I've been wearing it on its own without liner or gloss throughout the day with only one reapplication but if you want to make it really shine a clear gloss over the top is perfect.

The packaging is unique to each shade with a different goddess on the box while the lip cream itself is encased in a matte black tube with a delicate swirl pattern on the bottom half. The swatch above is China Rose and is available in Superdrug at £8.50.

Have you tried any of the other shades? I've spotted the coral one and it looks perfect for spring/summer, I think I will be purchasing it pretty soon!

Selfridges' Valentines Beauty Box

Selfridges are back with another Beauty Box and after being lucky enough to get my hands on one of the original boxes last year I'm hoping to bag another one this time round. At £25 for a whopping £89 worth of product this is the perfect treat for yourself (if like me you will be spending Valentines Day in true Bridget Jones style) or maybe as a present from your very own Mr Darcy (leave this page open on his laptop hint hint)!

The box includes the following: Stila Lipglaze, Kure Bazaar Red Polish, Steamcream Pot Lucy In The Sky, Aromatherapy Associates Body Cream and Courreges Fragrance.

With only 1000 available sign up here to get on the mailing list to be the first to know when they're on sale. Let me know if you manage to get one and what you think of the products!!

# 1

First blog post = first tick on my New Years Resolution list! After being inspired by so many other bloggers I decided 2013 was the perfect time to try it out! It's taken a while to get going and to be honest with both my ancient laptop and zero computer skills working against me it's a miracle if you can even read this! (I've had a lot of help!) Anyway, I'll get onto writing some proper posts now, thanks for visiting x