2011's Favourite Products: Part 3 - Lip and Nails

2011 was definitely the year of the lipstick for me. I purchased over 100 new lipsticks, spent a whole month wearing a different lipstick every day and really got into wearing bold, bright shades that I used to shy away from. So let's have a quick rundown of this year's favourite lipstick - in no particular order.

Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks have become one of my favourite lipsticks and this year out of them all Garconne and Girly, the two bright autumn shades were my absolutely favourites. Garconne is the most perfect red lipstick for me, and Girly is a fun bright pink shade.

Guerlain Rouge G in Girly (left) and Garconne (right)

Keep reading to see which other lipsticks made it into my favourites!

2011's Favorite Products: Part 2 - Face

To continue from yesterday's favourites post I have the face products I loved the most this year to show you. Like I said in yesterday's post, it's hard to compose these lists because current favourites can easily make it in there even if you were using something  else for 11 months. Despite me not wanting to include products that have only recently made it into my most used and well loved products, I have gone against it and included a couple of products that are very new to me but have become firm favourites. Read on to find out what they are.

First up is my favourite face primer, Guerlain Meteorites Perles Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer. It smells amazing and gives a smooth base, it's not slimy and slippery like some silicone based one, love it. I have reviewed it, so click on the link above.

Keep reading to find out which other face products I loved this year!

2011's Favourite Products: Part 1 - Eyes

As 2011 is drawing to a close, I decided to do a series of posts about my favourite beauty products of the year. To be honest though, I do find it quite difficult to do posts like this, because a year is a pretty long period and I often find if I think of my favourites of a certain period, the latest favourites will most likely be included rather than the ones I was crazy about 6 months ago. But I will try to be as objective as possible. I'm not doing detailed reviews on everything since I have actually reviewed a lot of these products, so I will just link them back to the posts if they've already been reviewed.

First up are base products. My favourites are in no particular order: Barbara Daly (for Tesco) Even Smoother Eye Base, Mac Paint Pots and Rimmel Colour Mousse 8hr eyeshadows. Click on the links for the reviews. The only one of these three that I haven't reviewed yet are the Mac Paint Pots. I don't know why, I've just never got around to doing it. I actually own a lot of them, having bought 10 with the last 2 Mac collections and also the permanent ones, or older limited edition ones that I'd already owned. They can be used as primers as they don't crease at all or just on their own for a subtle (or in some cases not so subtle) colour. My only problem with them is that my older ones are beginning to dry out, even though I keep them upside down and sealed properly. They are the most expensive of the bunch at £13.50 for 5 g.

Keep reading to find out what other eye products made it into my favourites this year!

Festive Nails: China Glaze Luna

Okay, so I know, Christmas is over, but there's still New Year's Eve, and in any case, you don't even need an excuse to wear a gorgeous glittery nail polish. China Glaze Luna is a beautiful icy blue nail polish with lots of shimmer and holographic glitter that shimmers in every colour of the rainbow depending on how the light hits it. Absolutely stunning.

With flash

My only problem with glitter nail polishes like this is that they chip and peel off very quickly. I like painting my nails the night before a party or meal out, and often with glitter polishes I have chips within a matter of hours. I actually had to stick back one nail back as it completely peeled off (just the nail polish, not the nail obviously). Of course there's always the pain of removal of course, but I'm starting to get used to it now. I also found this to be a bit thick, so drying time was a bit long, but just look at it, still very much worth it!

I got mine from the US on eBay, but in the UK you can get them from Sally Express for £6.49 each. You get 14 ml which will certainly last you a good while.

See more pictures after the jump!

Laura Geller Smoke & Ice Collection Review and Swatches

I bought this Laura Geller set on QVC because I really like her eyeshadows and highlighters, but I have to say this one is a really funny one. The set contains Eye Elements Baked Eyeshadows and Highlighter in Smoke & Ice and lipstick in Nice-n-Nude.

You get 3 silver/grey/black eyeshadows and a highlighter which is a sort of ashy pink colour. Although the eyeshadows didn't swatch very well, once I applied them on my eyes over a primer, they were actually very nice with good colour payoff and lasted very well without creasing. The highlighter is a funny one, it's a ashy light pink colour. You will see in the pictures below, it doesn't really show up on me, which is probably for the best because it's not a very flattering colour at all. You also get a very brown nude lipstick which I haven't actually swatched because I know I will never wear it, so will probably sell it eventually. The set cost £25.20 plus £2.95 delivery cost from QVC.

All in all I don't think it was worth it, although the eyeshadows are good, the rest are just not suitable for me. I can see the highlighter work on my browbone as it has a grey hue to it, so it would go well with the eyeshadow trio, but on the cheeks it's too ashy.

See more pictures after the jump!

Festive Nails: China Glaze Ring In The Red - The Ultimate Christmas Red

Sorry about the slightly fuzzy picture, I took it on my mobile. But you can still see what a gorgeous sparkly red nail polish this is, just perfect for Christmas. This was part of China Glaze's holiday collection, Let It Snow (same as Champagne Bubbles).

It is a really fabulous red nail polish with red glitter in it which is quite fine, so it doesn't feel gritty at all. It took 2 coats to look even, but I did 3 for an even nicer finish, plus Seche Vite top coat. Unfortunately a couple of nails chipped after just one day, but sadly that is not unusual for me at all. It did at least dry pretty quickly, so if I have to reapply, it won't be a big deal.

I got mine from the US on eBay, but in the UK you can get them from Sally Express for £6.49 each. You get 14 ml which will certainly last you a good while.

What is your favourite Christmassy nail polish? Let me know in the comments!

See more pictures after the jump!

Mac Metal-X Cream Eyeshadows Review and Swatches

Despite hearing bad reviews about these and saying I won't buy them, once I swatched these eyeshadows at the Mac counter I decided to pick up a few anyway. I can't explain why, just that the colours looked pretty and that was enough to suck me in.

Palladium, Fusion Gold, Cyber

I got Palladium, Fusion Gold and Cyber, and I have to say, that despite the bad reviews I'm actually quite happy with these. They seem quite dry for cream shadows, they are certainly not as creamy as I thought they'd be. As a result actually, they are very hard to apply with a brush, so I just use my fingers to apply and blend them. I used them over two different bases (Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin and Too Faced Eye Shadows Insurance Policy) and I have to admit, they still creased. But I didn't think they were that bad, I mean yes, it's not great that they crease, but there was really only a faint line, not a massive big area on my lid. And since my eyes are quite hooded and I don't walk around with my eyes closed, I think the creasing is not at all noticable. I suspect it would be worse with the darker colours, but these light ones are fine.

My favourite ones of the bunch are Fusion Gold and Cyber, I love the pinky gold shade of Fusion Gold and the silver glitter in Cyber. Thankfully there wasn't any glitter fallout from it, and it is so pretty. Palladium is a nice highlighting shade. I have not tried these with powder shadows layered over them, not sure if that would help with the creasing, but I didn't buy them as bases, so it doesn't greatly matter.

Mac Metal-X Cream Eyeshadows cost £15.50 each and they are 2.4 g, so the larger pan size. They seem to have sold surprisingly well considering their bad reputation because Debenhams only has a few shades available, although on the Mac webiste only Vintage Coin is showing as sold out. Debenhams did have a long running 10% off beauty sale, so maybe that's why they've sold more of them. Anyway, while I don't think these are that great, I don't hate them and I don't see why some bloggers say they're so awful.

Have you tried these eyeshadows yet? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

See more pictures after the jump!

17 Blemish Balm All In One Magic Make Up Review - This One Is Good!

After the disappointment that was the Garnier B.B. cream I swore I wasn't gonna buy another one, but somehow I ended up getting the new 17 B.B. cream. I actually like this one though, so it wasn't a waste of money.

The formula is much thicker than the Garnier one and as a result provides a much better coverage. They claim it's full coverage, but I wouldn't go that far, however you certainly get a decent medium coverage. It feels more like a foundation than a tinted moisturiser to me actually. I got the light shade and it's a very good match for me, but I suspect it will be too dark for those who have a lighter skintone (I'm a Mac light medium (NC/W20-ish) in winter). I think this only comes in light and medium, so there won't be a match for everyone for sure. It lasted very well on me, and I only had to touch up my oily bits once, but that's the same with other foundations too (if I'm lucky). This certainly doesn't make my face look oily or dewey like the Garnier one did, so that's a major plus too. It also hasn't made me break out which that did, so another plus goes to 17's B.B. cream.

I still don't like the use of the word magic in the title because quite frankly it's not. It's a decent tinted moisturiser/foundation, but I see nothing magic about it. It's great that it has SPF25 as I'm lazy about my suncream in winter, so that gives enough protection for me. I can't really say if it's moisturising, but it's certainly non drying, and I would also disagree with the weightless formula because it actually feels a bit heavy on my skin, but like I said, at least this way it gives a good coverage.

You get 30 ml for £6.99 which makes it more expensive than the Garnier B.B. cream, but it's on par with 17 foundations, so it's fine (plus I'd much rather pay more for a better product anyway). So all in all I would recommend this, but I really need to add that this is in no way a miracle product, so as long as you're not expecting one, you'll be fine.

See more pictures after the jump!

Festive Nails: Mac Rain Of Flowers With 17 Nail Xtras Glitter Top Coat

I have another festive nail idea for you. I actually wore this to the school mums' Christmas drinks as I had a blue dress on. While it's not strictly Christmassy (as in not red, green or gold), I think it's a nice glittery look.

It was actually more purple than in the pictures, but my camera has trouble picking up pinks and purples, but you get the idea. I was very pleasantry surprised by the 17 topcoat as I was afraid it might not have much glitter in it, but two thin coats produced a good amount of multicoloured glitter, so I was pleased.

Do you like this combo? Let me know in the comments.

See more pictures after the jump!

FOTD With Barbara Daly Satin Swirl Eyes Eyeshadows

This is the look I did with my new Barbara Daly eyeshadows, Navy Reflection and Cinder Shine. I used Cinder Shine all over the lid and Navy Reflection in the crease.

Here's a list of all the products I used to create this look:

Eyes:
Barbara Daly Even Smoother Eye Base
Barbara Daly Satin Swirl Eyes Eyeshadow Cinder Shine all over the lid
Barbara Daly Satin Swirl Eyes Eyeshadow Navy Reflection in the crease
Chantacaille La Baleine Bleue Eyeshadow Palette light grey shade on the inner corner of lid and above crease
Chantacaille La Baleine Bleue Eyeshadow Palette highlighter shade on browbone to highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero on waterline
Gosh Velvet Touch Waterproof Eyeliner in Cool Mint on lower lashline
No 7 Exceptional Definition Nutrient Enriched Mascara in Black
Mac Brow Set in Show Off

Face:
17 Blemish Balm (will review this soon)
Guerlain Radiant Butterfly Meteorites Voyage Powder
Chantecaille Blush in Laughter
Chantecaille La Baleine Blanche Face Palette

Lips:
Chanel Rouge Allure in Belgravia

See more pictures after the jump!

Barbara Daly Satin Swirl Eyes Eyeshadows Review and Swatches

On a recent trip to Tesco I discovered these new eyeshadows by Barbara Daly and decided to give them a go. I was sucked in by the pretty swirly wavy design (as usual), but it turns out these eyeshadows are more than just a pretty face.

I bought Navy Reflection, Taupe Ripple and Cinder Shine, but I think there's another 3 shades in the range (I did see a highlighter colour, and I think there's a purple and green one as well which were out of stock). They cost £8 each, but there was a 3 for 2 offer, so got 3 for £16 which I thought was okay. £8 each is a bit expensive in my opinion for a supermarket brand, but having said that, these eyeshadows are really good quality. I will definitely keep an eye out for the other shades.

As you can see in the pictures, the eyeshadows have a wavy pattern which is actually raised, so it looks pretty cool. It reminded me of the upcoming Estee Lauder gel eyeshadows (to look at), but these are definitely powder, not gel/hybrid. I was very pleasantly surprised when I swatched them, they are very pigmented and smooth. I have worn Navy Reflection and Cinder Shine (will be posting the FOTD soon) and they lasted really well, they applied beautifully and were easy to blend. They honestly feel like high end eyeshadows to me, they have a very nice texture and the colours are lovely too. My favourite of the three is Taupe Ripple, it's such a gorgeous taupe with a hint of sheen (not shimmer). You get 2.5 g per pot which is a good amount. I can happily recommend these eyeshadows and will be looking out for more shades myself.

Have you tried these eyeshadows yet? What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

See more pictures after the jump!

Festive Nails: Color Club Sugarplum Fairy

I have another holiday nail polish to show you, this is Color Club Sugarplum Fairy from the Beyond The Mistletoe collection. It's really full on, lots of holographic glitter in a light purple base. Very pretty and very sparkly.

Formula is a bit thick, although that means it's opaque in two coats, actually it's pretty much opaque in one, but I applied a second one to even it out. Unfortunately it chips very quickly and in fact one nail completely peeled off witin 24 hours. I stuck it back on with a base coat and it was alright for another day, but by the end of day 2 it didn't look good. Removal was easy in that I managed to just peel it all off, which is probably not the best for my nails, but hohum.

I bought this as part of a set from TK Maxx for just £7.99, but sadly it's not available there anymore. However, you can find it on eBay for not much more (i've seen it for just £2 per polish on eBay). You get 15 ml in a bottle.

Do you like glitter nail polishes like this one? Let me know in the comments!

See more photos after the jump!

Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Waterproof Mascara in Acid Blue

I've been meaning to review this mascara for ages, but never got around to doing it. To be honest, I don't even know if it's available anymore or whether it was part of Givenchy's fall collection (feel free to let me know if you know). But in any case, this is a gorgeous mascara, so I need to tell you about it.

Givenchy Phenomen'eyes mascaras are one of my most favourite mascaras, they work really well for me and I now have them 4 colours (black, purple, turquoise and blue). They make my lashes longer and fuller, don't flake or smudge, and the tube doesn't seem to dry out even after several months' of use (yes, I had one open for over a year and it was still fine, just started to run out by then, but still as good as new). I have reviewed them a few times on the blog, so feel free to do a search and read more about them.

This one is called Acid Blue and as you can see in the picture above, it is properly neon blue. Which makes it show up really well on my dark brown eyelashes, something not every coloured mascara is capable of. This is also waterproof, so will be perfect for the summer for a splash of colour by the pool. I know some people think coloured mascaras are so 80's, but I love them and use them regularly. I loved the 80's anyway, it was certainly the best decade for rock music for me. Anyway, Givenchy Phenomen'eyes mascaras are available from counters and online for £20 (ouch, I know) and you get 7 g for your money.

See more pictures after the jump!

Festive Nails: China Glaze Champagne Bubbles

I've bought a lot of nail polish lately, including lots of glittery ones from the current holiday collections, so I thought I'd do a little series featuring some of them. First up I have China Glaze Champagne Bubbles from the Let It Snow holiday collection, a yellow gold with silver glitter. The glitter is very smooth and not very noticable, but it's a nice twist on regular gold nail polish.

Taken with flash

I've only worn it for a day, so can't comment on how longlasting it, although I have 2 small chips already which is not unusual for me. The formula was a bit slow drying with 3 coats, even with Seche Vite on top, so I actually managed to put some small dents into it on my right thumb. I got mine from the US, but in the UK you can get them from Sally Express for £6.49 each. You get 14 ml which will certainly last you a good while.

What do you think? Do you like it? Is this the sort of colour you would wear during the festive season? Let me know in the comments!

See more pictures after the jump!

More Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick Swatches - 100, 163, 164

You might remember that a while ago I swatched all my Guerlain lipsticks including the new(ish) Rouge Automatique ones (you can find my post here). Well, since then I have acquired a few more of them (including the two Holiday Collection Rouge Automatiques which I reviewed here), so I thought I'd do a quick post on these. If you want to read more about the formula and packaging, please check out this post.

100 Apres L'Ondee, 163 Rose Bengale, 164 Chamade

I have shades 100 Apres L'Ondee, 163 Rose Bengale and 164 Chamade to show you. Apres L'Ondee is a nude pinky brown, Rose Bengale is a pinky rosy colour and Chamade is less pink, more rosy brown. I know, I suck at describing shades. Anyway, see for yourselves what the swatches look like. 

100 Apres L'Ondee, 163 Rose Bengale, 164 Chamade
Taken with flash

100 Apres L'Ondee, 163 Rose Bengale, 164 Chamade
Taken without flash in direct sunlight

Do you own any Guerlain lipsticks? Which ones are your favourites? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

Clinique Lash Power Mascara

I have a sample size of Clinique Lash Power Mascara that I've been using quite a lot and I thought I'd tell you about it because it's a good little mascara. It makes my lashes look nice and long and gives them good volume too, so really what's not to like? It has a much more straight forward brush than the No 7 mascara I reviewed a little while ago, and the brush is quite small, so would probably suit more people. I have Black Onyx and it's a nice black shade, but it also comes in Dark Chocolate for those who prefer brown mascaras.

The formula is called "long-wearing" and according to Clinique it "vows to look pretty for 24 hours without a smudge or smear" and also "lasts through rain, sweat, humidity, tears". This is true, and I was actually wondering if it is actually waterproof, and I tested it in the shower, which it isn't. In fact according to Clinique it "removes easily with warm water" which I have to disagree with, you need a good make up remover to remove it, although some of it will come off with warm water in a non-waterproof kind of way. You know what I mean. Now I don't need it to last for 24 hours and I also don't mind it that it's not a waterproof mascara, so the long-wearing bit is not that important for me, but obviously it's great that it doesn't smudge as I sometimes wear this when I go running and I don't end up with panda eyes.

So all in all, this is a great mascara and I would certainly recommend it. It costs £15 for 6 g which is not too bad for a high end mascara (or is Clinique more middle than high-end?). Have you tried this? Let me know in the comments!

See more pictures after the jump!

A Tropical FOTD With Famous Festival Palette

I don't stick to many rules when it comes to make up, I will wear any colour I like at any time of the year. I even match my make up to my clothes sometimes (shock horror)! So that is why I'm showing you a yellow, orange and bright pink tropical look in December (I actually wore this is November, but still)! It was a sunny day and I felt like doing something sunny, so I ended up with this. I even went to the supermarket like this, although that day I did wear my glasses instead of my contact lenses because my eyes were a bit sore, so they hid the brightness a bit.

I used my old Famous eyeshadow quad in Festival to create this look. By the way, whatever happened to Famous? It used to be sold in Superdrug, but then the Famous stand was replaced by MUA. I quite liked it, the products were cheap, but not bad quality. I have quite a few quads and a couple of trios. I also got some lipglosses and a face kit that was a bit rubbish though as the highlighter bit smashed into little pieces. Anyway... I do like this quad a lot, it's very cheerful.

So I used the yellow in the inner corner, the orange on the lid and the bright pink in the crease and blended them together. I added a light pink highlighter (also from Famous, from the infamous face kit) and Laura geller Angel baked eyeshadow on the browbone. I used Urban Decay 24/7 eyepencil in Zero on the waterline and Asphyxia on the lower lashline. I added Mac Dollymix blush on the cheeks and one of my Famous lipglosses (it's cherry red, but the writing has come off the tube, so no idea what shade it is). Ta-da!


What do you think? Do you wear bright summery make up in winter? Perhaps dark vampy lips in summer? Let me know in the comments!


See more photos including the quad after the jump!

NOTD: BeYu Nail Polish no. 397

Firstly, I would like to say that since this is a very busy time of the year for me I expect that the blog will not be one of my first priorities in the coming weeks. I've already been very busy with shopping for Christmas gifts, now we've got the children's Christmas performances coming up, there's the school Christmas fete, you name it, we have it. None of my Christmas cards are written yet and the list goes on. Also, I haven't really bought much make up lately, so I've been a bit uninspired.

So when I was trying to work out what to post about, I actually dug out some pictures I took back when it was lovely and sunny in October, so it's not a very wintery product to be honest. But it is so pretty, I really wanted to show it to you.

In direct sunlight without flash

This is BeYu nail polish in no. 397 (no name). I bought this in a shop called Beauty Base in Westfield, it was a strange shop with both high end brands and cheap brands. I did mention it in my London Make Up Haul Video if you want to hear more. The photos don't do it justice, this is a really gorgeous holographic pink glitter, it shimmers in every colour of the rainbow. Quite sheer when used alone, I think the picture shows 2 coats, but still, it's stunning. I think it cost something like £2 and you get 8 ml.

See more pictures after the jump!

Laura Geller Eye Elements Baked Eye Shadow And Highlighter in Sahara Skies

As you might know by now I'm a big fan of Laura Geller's baked products, be it eyeshadows, blushes or highlighters. So it's no surprise that I have yet another one of her products to review today. This time it's a 2-in-1 (well, really 4-in-1) product that contains 3 eyeshadows and a highlighter. Same concept as the Eye Elements Baked Eye Shadow And Highlighter in Amethyst Skies, just different colours. I believe this was part of the Lightness of Beauty Collection, but as I mainly purchase my Laura Geller make up from eBay, I didn't get anything else.

I love this product. The eyeshadow colours are plum, shimmery gold and brown, they are well pigmented and apply and blend easily, plus they stay on well without creasing. The highlighter I believe is called Portofino (according to the eBay listing), but I forgot to swatch it against my other Portofino highlighter, sorry. It's a lovely champagne colour highlighter, quite subtle and not at all glittery. The compact is 8 g, so a very reasonable size and this retails around $20 I believe. I haven't seen this for sale in the UK, but I would expect it around £20. 

See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Finished! The November Edition

I managed to finish a lot of products this month, so I'm pretty pleased with that. Of course most of them are skincare products as usual, but I did finish two pieces of make up, so it's alright.

First up is the most expensive face cream I've ever owned, it's Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale Exceptional Complete Care Cream. This is a 50 ml size and it currently retails for £255. No, I've not gone mad, or maybe I have! I didn't pay nowhere near as much as this was actually a tester that I bought on eBay and the lid actually looks pretty worn, although don't know why because the cream inside was untouched. I've had this for quite a while, especially as I tended not to use it in the summer as it doesn't have any SPF. Also you really only need a tiny bit, so it does last forever. It's really lovely, but I don't know if it's 25 times better than my Nivea face cream that I've also finished. So I won't be repurchasing this for now, although I do actually have about 15 samples of it as well for travelling, so I'm okay for now anyway.  

See what other products I've finished after the jump!

The RapidLash Challenge 3 Months On - This Stuff Actually Works!

Okay, I take it back, this stuff does actually work. I can now see real difference in my lashes after 3 months of RapidLash use. Not only my eyelashes are significantly longer that they were, but also thicker, so they show up more, especially my lower lashes. Although I'm pretty sure I'd never want to leave the house without mascara because I still don't have a proper full, luscious lashline and I don't think I'll ever have, plus my lashes are quite light and don't frame my eyes properly. I think maybe if I had then tinted, I would be okay with going mascaraless, but otherwise I will still stick to wearing mascara every day. I am happy with the results though.

I do have one criticism, the name RapidLash is really quite misleading and has actually made me be disappointed early on in the process. If it takes 3 months to see proper results, then this product is not rapid. I'd call it Moderately-QuickLash, but I do realise it doesn't have the same ring to it. I do also need to add that for the past 4 weeks I've also been using L'Oreal Lash Renewal Serum in conjunction with RapidLash, but to be fair I don't think the improvement is do to the L'Oreal serum because I have used that in the past and it didn't do anything for me. But since I still have half a tube left I thought I'd try it with RapidLash.

I still have some left in the RapidLash tube, not sure how long it will last, and I'm also not sure if I will repurchase it. Do you actually have to keep using it to maintain the length of your lashes? I will buy it if I have to, but I might reduce usage to every other day since it costs £41 and that is quite a lot of money.

Okay, you wanna see the astonishing results (well, sort of)? Keep reading after the jump!

FOTD: Chartreuse, Gold and Brown

This look is a bit different from what I would normally wear, firstly I don't often wear greens and certainly not chartreuse, but I was playing with my Frontcover loose powder eyeshadows and decided to do this look. My inspiration partly was the Models Own Golden Green Beetlejuice nail polish, I actually wore this look at the same time.

It wasn't this bright and in-your-face in real life, maybe it's the flash, I don't know, but it does look a bit scary, especially the full face pictures. Oh well, nobody stopped me to wipe it off my face, so I guess it was alright. Feel free to let me know what you think (but please be kind)!

To create this look I used the following products:

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Frontcover Pigment Powder in Lime Lime inner part and middle of lid, and under lower lashline
Mac Vintage Gold pigment in outer part of lid and above crease, and under lower lashline
Frontcover Pigment Powder in Saddle Brown in crease
Frontcover Shimmer Powder in Desert Dust on browbone to highlight
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero on waterline
Clinique Lash Power Mascara in Black Onyx
Mac Brow Set in Show Off

Face:
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse foundation in 030 Sand
Mac Truth & Light Magically Cool Liquid Powder
Mac On A Mission Beauty Powder Blush

Lips:
Avon Ultra Colour Rich Moisture Seduction lipstick in Mocha Plum

See more pictures after the jump!

My Ever Growing Nail Polish Collection Part 3 - GOSH, Models Own, Dior, Chanel

As promised, here's the third and final part of my nail polish collection overview. If you missed part one and part two, you can check them out here and here.

So let's just get on with it shall we? Any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments!

My GOSH nail polishes

See more pictures of my collection after the jump!

My Ever Growing Nail Polish Collection Part 2 - Zoya, Color Club, Mac, Nails Inc.

Here's the second part of my nail polish stash post, if you missed part one, you can check it out here. And don' forget to come back soon to see part three!

As you will see below, a lot of my nail polish sets are still in boxes, this is partly because I haven't used them yet (Color Club), or because they are actually more convenient to store like that. I apologise for being too lazy to remove them from the packs. If you really want to see detailed pictures, let me know in the comments and I'll see what I can do.

First up are my magnetic polishes, I only own these 3, and actually didn't like them much, so won't be buying more of them. I might just sell thm actually.

Nails Inc and 17 magnetic polishes

See more pictures of my stash after the jump!

My Ever Growing Nail Polish Collection Part 1 - OPI, China Glaze, Orly, Mavala

I had some requests to show off my nail polish collection, so here it is. I'm going to do it in 3 parts because I have a lot of nail polishes, so make sure you check out part 2 and part 3 as well!

Some of my nail polish stash

Would you believe it that just a couple of years ago all the nail polish I owned fitted into this box?

Wanna see what's inside? A bit boring really, but here you go:

A bit samey, all pastels and hardly any colour. I just wasn't into nail polish, mainly because my nails are really thin and bendy, so nail polish chips off within a matter of days, and I couldn't be bothered to repaint them all the time, so I just used barely there shades. What's changed? I realised that there were some really gorgeous nail polishes out there from brands I'd never heard of! I also realised that nail polishes come in seasonal collections like make up, which of course made me buy even more so I don't miss out. And suddenly I don't mind painting my nails every 2-3 days. At the last count I had 130 nail polishes, which is really crazy, especially as some (most of them are large 15 ml sizes). I will now have to stop buying them and be sure to use them all, although that will certainly take a while. I'd say about 75% of the nail polish I own has not been used yet, so I'd better get cracking!

Without further ado, here are the detailed pictures. I haven't put the shade names down simply because it would take too long, but if you have any questions, just ask in the comments! Enjoy!

Guerlain Spring 2012 Collection - Rouge G #72 Rose Innocent Swatches and Review

Guerlain Rouge G #72 Rose Innocent is one of 4 lipsticks coming out with Guerlain's Spring 2012 Collection. It is in fact the lightest shade of the 4 and it appears to be the one Natalia Vodianova is wearing in the promo picture. The lipsticks actually have "Rose Collection" written on the outer box althoug that's not the full name of the collection.

Rose Innocent is a light bubblegum pink shade, it's semi opaque with a nice sheen, which actually makes it a lot more wearable to me. I don't really do bubblegum pink lipsticks, but I find this one suits me well. The formula is great, although this shade you isn't as long lasting as some of the other Rouge G lipsticks, I probably got 2.5-3 hours out of it which is still not bad. It's moisturising and feels very comfortable on the lips. It has a floral/rose scent which I really like, but it might not suit everyone.

You get the very heavy signature Rouge G case with a mirror included which is nice, but to me not necessary. I'd rather it was £10 cheaper and have a normal case, but Guerlain is a luxury brand, so you get luxury packaging too. You get 3.5 g which is the average lipstick size.

Rouge G lipsticks currently cost £28.50, but not sure if the price will stay the same come January (probably not).This collection also includes 3 more shades: #75 Rose Barbare, #74 Rose Piquant, #73 Rose Ensoleillé, and I'm really looking forward to buying them as soon as I can.

For now, see more pictures of Rose Innocent including arm and lip swatches and a FOTD!

Guerlain Spring 2012 Collection - Ecrin 4 Couleurs 12 Les Aqua Swatches and Review

There will be two 4 colour eyeshadow palettes as well as one 6 colour eyeshadow palette released with the Guerlain's Spring 2012 Collection and I have #12 Les Aqua to show you today.

As the name shows, this palette contains blues and greens. You get a silvery white highlighter, a turquoise shade, a teal-blue colour as well as a grey shade with subtle blue shimmer. The highlighter is quite frosty, so might be better for inner corner rather than brow bone highlighting. The teal and turquoise shades are a lot less frosty, mainly just shimmery, but not glittery, the teal especially has a lovely sheen. The grey shade is quite matte but it has some very fine blue shimmers that are more apparent in the pan than in swatches. I haven't worn them yet, I only just received the palette yesterday and this morning was too manic for complicated make up looks, but from past experience Guerlain eyeshadows are very smooth, long lasting, they don't crease or fade. These shades are all well pigmented based on the swatches.

If you thought this was similar to the Holiday 2011 palette #10 Les Ombres de Nuit then you're not wrong, however these shades are definitely lighter and less frosty (except for the highlighter shade). I've included a side-by-side comparison photo and swatches at the end of this post, be sure to scroll all the way down. There's also a blue palette that I don't own which could be similar, but that doesn't have a highlighter shade.

The palette is the same as all the other 4 colour palettes, housed in a gold coloured shiny compact, you have a mirror in the lid and a double ended applicator is included too. You get 7.2 g which is pretty good and these retail for £37 at the moment, but I'm pretty sure it'll be more come January.

See lots more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Guerlain Spring 2012 Collection - Meteorites Cruel Gardenia Highlighter Swatches and Review

The star item of Guerlain's upcoming Spring 2012 Collection has to be the new Meteorites Cruel Gardenia Illuminating Iridescent Powder. It is so beautiful to look at and it is absolutely gorgeous on as well. Unfortunately mine arrived slightly dented, but I'm actually grateful for this, because I often don't use pretty powders like this because I don't want to ruin the design, however this is already messed up, so I dived right in. And I'm really happy I did, because I discovered a gorgeous highlighter. I still might buy a second one just for the design though.

The powder comes in the usual black outside packaging, and the compact has the same flower pattern as all the Meteorites. The compact is actually the same as the Poudre de Perles Illuminating Perfecting Pressed Powder's (which you can see at the bottom of this post). It's basically a plastic cylinder shape with screw off top. It is a bit bulky and you don't get a mirror in it either, so it's definitely not the most luxurious or best Guerlain designs, but what counts is what's inside.

And what is inside is a gorgeous flower shaped pearly pink highlighter. The powder is domed and it's beautifully crafted, a real masterpiece. It looks quite frosty, but it is certainly not shimmery and once applied it gives a lovely sheen. It gives enough colour to be used as a subtle blush on lighter skintones, otherwise it makes a lovely pink highlighter. In the pictures below I'm wearing it on top of Mac Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre, but today I've applied it as a blush and it shows up pretty well (I'm a light medium in Mac MSF Natural, I'm guessing that's an NC/W 20-ish). There is no overspray on the powder, so what you see is what you get. It actually feels a bit like a cream highlighter, although it's definitely a powder, but not powdery at all, if you know what I mean. Unlike regular Meteorites it has no scent as far as I'm aware.

I know a few people have noticed that the design looks suspiciously similar to the new Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous face illuminator, but I have swatched them both and they are actually very different. The Laura Mercier one is darker and more bronze, whereas the Guerlain one is lighter and definitely pink, not bronze. You can see comparison pictures at the bottom of the post.

You get 9 g of powder and I suspect the price will be in the region of £33-35, but I don't know yet as I bought mine from eBay. EDIT: It will retail for £41 - ouch! I believe the collection will be available in January, but again, not sure exactly when.

See lots of pictures and swatches after the jump!

Guerlain Spring 2012 Collection Sneak Preview!

I have three items from the upcoming Guerlain Spring 2012 Collection (for details see here) to show you, I will try to put all the reviews up tomorrow, but for now here are some pictures to drool over. Sadly my pretty Cruel Gardenia powder arrived damaged (no thanks to a not very nice eBay seller), but it's still pretty and I love it very much! More details tomorrow!

EDIT: You can find the detailed reviews by clicking on the links below:
Guerlain Meteorites Cruel Gardenia
Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs 12 Les Aqua
Guerlain Rouge G 72 Rose Innocent

See more detailed pictures after the jump!

Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Paillettes Glitter Topcoat in Plum Sparkles

I wore this mascara top coat in my previous post, so I thought I'd show you in a bit more details. It's part of Givenchy's holiday offerings and comes in 3 shades: Plum Sparkles, Gold Sparkles and Black Sparkles.

Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Mascaras are one of my favourite ones, so I was hoping this topcoat would have the same qualities, but sadly, no. I tried wearing it on its own, but the formula is too runny/thin for that and it hardly made any differenc to my lashes. On top of another mascara it adds some very hardly noticeable sparkles, but no volume or length. The sparkles were just not obvious enough to justify paying £20 for a topcoat, so I'm quite disappointed with this product. I haven't tried the gold shade, maybe that's a bit more blingy, but this plum shade is certainly very subtle.

Otherwise, it has the same brilliant brush as the regular Phenomen'eyes mascaras and you get 7 g which is a good size for £20. I think I will just stick to my regular Phenomen'eyes mascaras, they have never disappointed me.

See more pictures after the jump!

FOTD: Stila Naturaleyes Eyeshadow Palette Neutral Look

Following on from my review of Stila Naturaleyes Eyeshadow Palette here's the look I did with some of the shadows. I used Kitten, Bare and Sunset to create a neutral look which was very well complimented by Damsel Smudge Stick. Let me know what you think!

To create this look I used the following products:

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Stila Naturaleyes Eyeshadow Palette:

• Kitten all over lid 
• Bare in inner corner and on browbone to highlight
• Sunset in outer corner and crease

Stila Smudge Stick in Damsel on lower lashline
L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara in Black
Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Mascara / Top Coat in Plum Sparkles
Mac Brow Set in Show Off

Face:
Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation in 02 Lys Rose
Mac Truth & Light Magically Cool Liquid Powder
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Peony as blush

Lips:
Guerlain Rouge Automatique in 170 Nuit D'Amour

See more pictures after the jump!

Stila In The Light Naturaleyes Eyeshadow Palette Swatches and Review

It seems every brand is coming out of their version of Urban Decay's Naked Palette and today I have Stila's Naturaleyes (why one word?) palette to show you. I bought this online a couple of months ago for £22.50, but literally days later I noticed that it had gone up to £25. I'm glad I managed to snatch it up for less. :)

You get 10 eyeshadows, 4 matte and 6 shimmery ones. The colour selection is really good, you get a couple of highlighter shades, and as well as lots of neutrals, you also get grey and black, so you can create a nice smoky eye as well. All of them swatched nicely, and I'm sporting a look today I did with 3 of the matte eyeshadows and they applied and blended easily and their colour payoff is very good too. You also get a smudgestick included which I'm also wearing and it has stayed put on my waterline for hours now (6 hours and counting). It's a plumy colour, so less harsh than black, but still dark enough. You also have a small booklet with ideas for looks included which is a nice idea.

My only complaint about this palette is that you don't get a mirror in the lid, instead you have some quote from someone I don't know that I quite frankly could do without. I feel that at this price and considering that this palette is supposed to be a portable, contain all you need for your neutral looks, it really really should have a mirror.

Other than that I am really happy with it and I think it's a nice alternative to Urban Decay's Naked Palette. It's also quite a bit smaller, so should be easier to carry with you, if only it had a mirror too... The palette cost £25 and you get 14 g eyeshadows and 0.28 g eyeliner.

See lots more pictures including swatches after the jump!

NOTD: Models Own Beetlejuice Golden Green

This is the second shades I have tried out from the Models Own Beetlejuice collection. (You can read my review on Aqua Violet here.) This is the only shade as well as Pinky Brown that's sold out already, I think a lot of people might have thought it was a dupe for Chanel Peridot that also sold out very quickly. I thought it was too, but it's not. Firstly it's hardly even duochrome, on me it's mainly light golden green, sometimes a bit darker from certain angles, but I don't really see the duochromeness you see in the bottle (and even that isn't that great).

With flash

Peridot is more gold with definite green and even some blue duo(multi)chrome. Anyway, I didn't buy Golden Green because I wanted a Peridot dupe, I bought it because it looked amazing in the promo pictures. It's nice, but not that special. This also chipped on me pretty quickly, similar to Aqua Violet, but I'm used to that. All in all, a nice polish, but don't expect it to be that amazing duochrome you've seen in the promo pictures.

What do you think of the Models Own Beetlejuice polishes? Did you buy any?

See more pictures after the jump!

Want It! Guerlain Spring 2012 Collection - Les Roses Et Le Noir

I know, I know, it's not even winter yet and I'm already talking about spring collections, but of course as we all know, cosmetic companies bring out their collections very early into the previous season. Guerlain's spring collection is due to be released mid-January and the official photos have already appeared on the internet.

My first impression of the collection: love it and want everything! You think I'm joking? Come January you will see my haul review post, and find that I am serious. It's all so pretty and very springlike. The promo picture, as usual, features the gorgeous Natalia Vodianova. The star item of the collection is the flower shaped highlighter / iridescent illuminating powder, Meteorites Cruel Gardenia. It is just absolutely stunning.

Guerlain is also releasing a new mascara, Noir G de Guerlain that comes with the same compact as the Rouge G de Guerlain lipsticks and is refillable. It looks wonderful and I will definitely give it a go, especially as one of my most favourite mascaras is from Guerlain (Le 2 Mascaras).

Other products in the collection include 2 new 4 colour eyeshadow palettes, Les Aquas and Les Roses, and a new 6 colour eyeshadow palette, Tailored Harmonies, 4 new shades of Rouge G lipsticks, 75 Rose Barbare, 74 Rose Piquant, 73 Rose Ensoleillé, 72 Rose Innocent, and 4 new KissKiss lipglosses.

They are all so pretty and I can't wait to get my hands on them. January cannot come soon enough (although I am rather looking forward to Christmas in the meantime, so it's all good). Are you interested in anything from thsi collection? Let me know in the comments!

See lots of product pictures after the jump!

FOTD: FrontCover Eye Popping Eyeshadow Palette Cover Look

As promised, here's my attempt of recreating the cover look of the FrontCover Eye Popping Eyeshadow Palette that I reviewed yesterday. This is something I don't do very often, partly due to lack of time and partly due to lack of interest, I prefer doing my own thing. But I do like the cover look on the palette and wasn't too sure what to do with the bright green shade in the palette, so I thought right, I will try to do the look.

So here it is, what do you think? I was quite pleased with it, although I need to add that it's not a look I would wear on an average weekday as it was brighter and darker than in the photos. It's good fun though and I did this last Sunday, so I didn't get many funny looks (other than from my family, but they are used to me wearing bright make up by now).

Keep reading to see more photos and find out what I used to create this look!

FrontCover Eye Popping Eyeshadow Palette Review and Swatches

Every year with Christimas comes a new bunch of limited edition FrontCover sets and I usually can't resist and end up buying a few, despite already owning a good number of them (you can check out my collection in this post). As there's usually a 3 for 2 offer in Boots, I often end up with 3 of these sets at a time. This year, among others I purchased the Eye Popping Eyeshadow Palette which I'm going to show you today.

Housed in a plastic two-tier compact you find 18 eyeshadows in pretty much every colour of the rainbow. They are all quite frosty, so if you like your matte eyeshadows, then this is not the palette for you. A couple of them also have small glitter in them, although it's not too obvious, especially as those are the darkest shades. The top tier contains 12 eyeshadows in blues, purples, greens and a couple of highlighter colours, and the bottom tier contains 6 pink/peach/brown shades arranged in a slightly different format like a shimmer brick. You get a double ended brush and a small face/blush brush as well, plus there's a nice large mirror in the lid.

The fact that there's a face brush next to the 6 pink/peach/brown shadows made me think they're also intended to be worn as blush, swirled together as the strips are too narrow to be used alone, but to be honest, they are way too frosty for that. I did try to recreate the look on the cover and used the bottom 6 as blush, but it did not look very good. And they're too dark for highlighter, so I would stick with them as eyeshadows.

Pigmentation-wise the shadows are pretty good, some better than other, but the bright ones really do pop and the dark more matte (well with glitter) ones aren't too chalky either. Over UDPP they didn't crease or fade at all. There was some fallout during application but not while worn, so I was pretty impressed. All in all you get 23 g which is massive for £16. The case is rather heavy, so that makes it less travel friendly, but it's not bulky and you get so many shades that you really don't need much else. The brushes provided are pretty naff, but that's normal with sets like this I think. What's great about FrontCover sets is that you get useful hints and tips on how to create certain looks. I have tried to recreate the cover look and will be posting my FOTD pictures soon. The cover is pretty cool actually with the image changing from open to closed eyes depending on the angle you look at it, I can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

There are lots of pictures including swatches after the jump!

NOTD: Models Own Beetlejuice Aqua Violet + Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal

A little while ago I was browsing as usual and found the most beautiful nail polish I had ever seen, Sally Hansen Nail Prisms in Turquoise Opal, a gorgeous duochrome (or rather multichrome, if that's a word) that transforms from pink to purple to blue to pretty much every colour of the rainbow. Having done a quick search on eBay I realised that it was a very coveted shade and was retailing for quite a lot of money. Bummer. About 5 minutes later I found out that Models Own was coming out with a new nail polish line, Beetlejuice, that also offered gorgeous duochrome nail polishes. So I excitedly waited for the 1st November to be able to get my hands on what looked promisingly similar to Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal.

And here it is, the lovely Aqua Violet. A turquoise shade that changes to blue and purple depending on how the light hits it. In direct sunlight or under bright indoor light it is mostly turquoise, but there is definitely some blue and purple in there. Perhaps not as strong duochrome as I hoped, but a nice shade nevertheless. The formula is pretty good, a little bit on the runny side, but easy to work with, it dries quite quickly. On me it chipped after 24 hours, but I always add that everything chips on me within 48 hours, so it's not necessarily that bad. Of course some are better than others and this little beauty was certainly on the worse side for chipping. It costs £5 for 14 ml which is very reasonable and is currently only available from Models Own website.

Of course I ended up buying the Sally Hansen nail polish on eBay and it turned out to be so gorgeous, it actually spoilt Aqua Violet a bit for me. It just couldn't live up to my high expectations. Before owning Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal I probably would've loved Aqua Violet, but it has been overshadowed I'm afraid. It still a pretty polish and definitely my favourite of the Beetlejuices, so I can recommend it wholeheartedly.

Have you tried the new Beetlejuice nail polishes? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

See lots more pictures of Aqua Violet and also Turquoise Opal after the jump!

My Mac Glitter and Ice Collection Haul

Every year Mac ropes me in with their mineralize eyeshadows, so of course once again I have given into the temptation and purchased half their holiday collection. Do you want to see what I got? Here it is!

Packaged in shiny silver outer boxes (which are fingerprint magnets) and white plastic compacts and tubes.I think it's pretty nice, certainly makes a change from the usual Mac packaging. I ended up buying all the mineralize eyeshadows, both beauty powders, three lipsticks, two dazzleglasses and all 3 paint pots. I have close-ups of everything below, plus swatches of the eyeshadows, so keep reading.

Just want to mention, Winterized mineralize eyeshadow was super hard to find as it's been showing as sold out/out of stock on every website and none of the counters I tried had received it (same thing happened with Rare Exotic mattene last month actually), but I managed to order it from Mac mail order directly. It's very pretty, so I'm glad I tracked it down.

I also bought a few sets from Ice Parade and Dazzlephere! collections, but I didn't include them in here. I bought all 3 crush metal pigment sets, the mineralize brush set and also Rocking Iced Delights Nail & Lip Bag which contains Kanga Rouge lipstick that is absolutely beautiful. I also picked up Hot Gossip lipstick which is included in one of the exclusive face kits and Trax eyeshadow which is included in the Sultry Snowglobe eyeshadow palette, both of them are permanent. Phew! I'm all Mac-ed out.

Did you pick up anything from Mac's holiday offerings? Let me know in the comments!

See more pictures and swatches of the mineralize eyeshadows after the jump!

No 7 Exceptional Definition Nutrient Enriched Mascara Review

I have a love-hate relationship with No 7 mascaras. Some I love, some I hate (Lash 360 I'm looking at you). I also think that generally the brand is overpriced, especially when it comes to their mascaras. To me No 7 is a high-street/drugstore brand, not high end, but it feels like Boots think it is high end. At £12.50 this mascara is only £1 less than most of Mac mascaras!

Anyway, let's see what it's like first, shall we? I have to say, I love this mascara. It really does give really good definition to my eyelashes, makes them much longer and gives some volume too. If you've been following my blog for a while you will have seen how short, thin, sparse my lashes are without mascara. When I apply this, I actually have rather nice eyelashes.

The wand is a rather strange one with different bristles on every 4 side, ranging from short and stumpy to long and spiky. Each side is supposed to have a function, volumise, separate, define, etc., and there is a video on Boots' website to show you how to use the mascara, but to me that's rather too much effort. It works for me though and the end bristles are especially good for reaching lashes in the corners of my eyes. The end result is long, separated, defined lashes. It also doesn't flake or smudge. The formula also supposed to be enriched with nourishing vitamins and proteins (cashmere keratin, vitamins and hydrolyzed soy protein according to Boots), but of course I can't really comment on that. It comes in Brown Black and Black, I personally prefer Black for more definition (and haven't actually tried Brown Black).

So like I said, this mascara is £12.50, when I bought it last year I had a £5 No 7 voucher plus there was a free eyeshadow palette to tempt you in as well, but to be honest, I would definitely consider purchasing this again even at this price. However, since Boots almost always have a £5 No 7 voucher offer going, it's worth waiting for one if you can.

You can see me wearing this mascara in this FOTD picture and I also put a couple of photos of me wearing it at the bottom of this post. Have you tried this mascara? Let me know in the comments!

See more pictures after the jump!

Garnier Miracle Skin Protector Daily All-In-One B.B. Cream Review

I hadn't even heard about BB creams until just a few months ago (I know, call myself a beauty addict?), but once I read up on them and realised that there were a few coming out in the UK, I thought it was time for me to try them out as well. So I bought Garnier's Miracle Skin Protector Daily All-In-One B.B. Cream (from now on just BB cream). As my skintone is light to medium, I picked up the colour light which actually suits my skintone pretty well.

My problem with this product, that once the word "miracle" is in the title, it's hard not to expect just that. Having heard that BB creams are these fantastic all-in-one cream/foundation/primer/magic potions, I had huge expectations for this one. Did it live up to them? Sadly, no.

I mean, it's not a bad product, it's a decent tinted moisturiser, but I'm afraid it did not live up to all the claims. It's supposed to immediately perfect my skin, giving an even skintone and healthy glow, blur imperfections, hide redness, smooth the appearance of fine lines, hydrate for 24 hours and protect the skin with SPF15. It is hydrating and it does give a glow (ie leaves my face shiny), but it did not cover up any imperfections on my face whatsoever and my skintone was not evened out in the slightest either. Once I set it with Mac MSF Natural, it looked fine, but to be honest, my skin would look the same with normal moisturiser and Mac MSF Natural. The coverage is so light, I really can't say it's an all-in-one product, because I still need a concealer and foundation to cover the redness and imperfections. I also has some breakouts while using the product, but I can't say for sure whether it was related or not.

It's not too expensive at £9.99, but equally not that cheap for something that doesn't actually live up to its claims. You get 50 ml, and little goes a long way, so it will last you for a good while, but I just can't see myself reaching for this regularly I'm afraid.

See more pictures after the jump!

FOTD: Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette

Following on from yesterday's review of Bobbi Brown's Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette, here's the look I created with all 4 eyeshadows. Let me know what you think in the comments.

To create this look I used the following products:

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette all 4 shades
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Rockstar on lower lashline
Clinique Lash Power Mascara in Black Onyx
Mac Brow Set in Show Off

Face:
Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-in-one BB Cream in Light
Mac Truth & Light Magically Cool Liquid Powder
Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Maui on cheeks
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Platinum Pink to highlight

Lips:
Mac Dazzle lipstick in Snazzy

See more pictures after the jump!

Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette Review and Swatches

After buying a lot of Bobbi Brown palettes last year, I swore I won't be tempted by any of them this time around, but since I love her Sparkle eyeshadows so much, I gave in and picked up this little beauty.

The Black Ruby Sparkle Eye Palette contains 4 sparkly, almost cream like eyeshadows in the following shades (left to right, top to bottom): Pink Rose, Crushed Silver, Black Ruby and Onyx. The eyeshadows, as the name suggests, are very sparkly, but it's not chunky glitter at all, just very very sparkly shimmer. They apply slightly sheer, but they're buildable and there isn't much fall-out from them despite all the shimmer. There's some during application, but I didn't experience any after that for a good 10-12 hours, but then that's usually the time when my make up starts to melt off my face anyway. There certainly wasn't any shimmer on my face, lips, etc. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion on my lids as a base and there was absolutely no creasing even after 10-12 hours of wear.

For £34 you get 8 g worth of eyeshadow which is reasonable I think, especially considering that Bobbi Brown single eyeshadows cost £15.50 each and they're only slightly bigger than the ones in the palette at 2.8 g. You also get a teeny tiny eyeshadow brush with the palette, but in all fairness, it's so tiny, I can't really be bothered to use it. There is also a mirror in the lid of the palette.

I will post the FOTD I did with this palette tomorrow, so be sure to check back. For now, I'll leave you with lots of pictures and swatches.

Blog Sale Is Back!

I have added loads of Mac pigments to my Blog Sale, so if you are keen to find some bargains, make sure you check it out. Either click HERE or on the Blog Sale tab on the top of the page.

Finished! The October Edition

Firstly, sorry about neglecting the blog these last few days. I've been very busy with shopping (the new Mac collections are out as well as Dior, Chanel and those gorgeous Models Own Beetlejuice nail polishes) and also updating my blog sale (nearly done). Plus little everyday things like children and cleaning and washing and cooking... You know.

Anyway, another month has gone past, so here's another post about all the products I've finished last month. Only five though, sadly, however there are quite a few other ones just hanging by their teeth. Just like this first product was, I thought I'd never finish it.

It's Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub. Couldn't wait to finish it off. Firstly, it's not a scrub. It's a creamy cleanser with some very soft bits in it. It does not scrub, nor it does exfoliate. It is not a deep cleansing scrub like it claims. It did nothing for me, my pores are still there, clogged and as big as ever. Waste of money. (Can you tell I didn't like this?)

Find out what other products I finished after the jump!

The RapidLash Challenge Day 56 - The Results

8 weeks ago I started using RapidLash in a bid to try and get my thin, short, sparse eyelashes look better, and here are the results so far. I was hoping to end up with lashes that would look okay without mascara, because at the moment I always wear mascara as my eyes have no definition without them. I wasn't expecting to have lashes that look like I'm wearing loads of mascara, just long and thick enough not to scare young children or be asked if I feel okay because I look ill if I don't wear any.

The result? I can certainly see that my lashes are longer, this is especially apparent when I'm wearing mascara. However, when not wearing mascara, my eyes still lack the definition that I was hoping for. Yes, my lashes are a bit longer, but they are still thin and sparse and not that visible naked. I still wouldn't leave the house without wearing mascara, and to be honest, I don't think I ever will.

So yes, there is some improvement, but in my opinion it is not £41 worth of improvement. My lower lashline is stilll barely there, despite using RapidLash on the lower lashes too. I will continue using the product because I would be mad to throw it out at that price, and will report back in another 4 weeks or so. But for now I would say it's not worth the money, at least not for me.

Keep reading to see lots of comparison pictures after the jump!

Happy Halloween!

If you celebrate it, of course. I didn't grow up with this kind of Halloween celebrations, but my children are very keen to put on their witch/spider costumes and go trick or treating tonight. We've also carved out a few happy pumpkin faces. Here's our family of pumpkins:

Enjoy your day whether you celebrate Halloween or not!