Monday 30 May 2011

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-place Shadow-Cremes.

Along with the lovely palette I showed you a few days ago, I was also sent four gorgeous Double Wear Stay- in- place Shadow -cremes to have a play with.
There are a total of 9 NEW shades (4 are limited edition) that can be worn alone if your in a hurry- just slick it or and go! Or you can use them as a base to compliment an eyeshadow of a similar colour. I use them as bases, with a similar colour on top. It really makes your eyeshadows  much more vibrant and helps them to stay put!

The four I was kindly sent are;
Pink pearl
 Smokey twilight (LE)
 Gold dust (LE)
 Smokey Plum.
All four are really gorgeous shades, but for me Pink Pearl and Smokey Twilight are my absolute favourites! I have used pink pearl every single day since I got it. All four are really creamy, blend beautifully and most importantly don't crease on me - which I always worry about. Estee Lauder state that they will not; crease, fade, streak or change colour in heat or humidity. Now I can't test all these things out, but I can say my eyeshadow looks exactly the same when I take it off in the evening as it did when I first applied it. I also applied them on the back of my hand and went the whole day, cleaning, washing up etc and they genuinely did not budge - I think that is a pretty good test of their staying power because we don't clean up with our eyes do we?! I also wet my hand and scrubbed them 6 or so hours after I put them on my hand (pic below) and again they didn't budge.
The nine new continuous shades are; Golden Sands, Pink Pearl, Mochachino, Smokey Plum and Midnight Kohl. And the four new, limited edition shades are; Gold dust, Buttercream, Cafe Au Lait and Smokey Twilight.

I am really interested in checking out Mochachino, Buttercream and Cafe Au Lait!

These shades are available to buy at Estee Lauder and counters nationwide from today - 30th May! Priced at £15.50 each. They are also Ophthalmologist-tested and fragrance free.

What are your views on Creme shadows?

Thank you for reading
xx


(As I stated in the post, these items were sent to me for free. All opinions are my OWN and are 100% honest. x)

Sunday 29 May 2011

Nails Inc - nail wraps♥

I'm sure you've all heard of minx? Well I really want my nails 'wrapped' by them but a/ there is nowhere near me that does minx, and b/ it's about £30-40! Pretty expensive in my books.

Well, I spotted some nail wraps in Boots today, made by Nails Inc. As I have had nothing to do this afternoon, I purchased a packet to tide me over until BGT. They were quite cheap too - £7.99!

Here's the result...

You get 24 wraps- enough for a a set or hands and feet with a  few spare!

The instructions are printed on the back and are pretty straight forward;
  •  Remove nail polish and push back cuticles with hoof stick.
  •  File nails to desired shape.
  •  Gently buff nails to remove any surface shine
  •  Select nail wrap which is the closest size to your nail. Trim if need be.
  •  Heat the wrap for a few seconds with a hair dryer on a gentle heat. The wrap should start to soften and bend.
  •  Carefully place the wrap on the nail starting at the cuticle edge (colour side facing up), applying firm pressure, push the wrap onto one side of the nail and then to the other until the whole wrap is neatly applied to the nail.
  • Re-apply heat for a few seconds and push firmly over the entire nail for a secure fit.
  • Trim the end of the wrap and then file the excess in a downward motion either using a glass file or a wooden file with very fine grain.
I found it quite simple to do, although I didn't use the correct sizes because I was worried about the 'shaping' part, because of this I have tiny bits of bare nail showing on the sides of some nails. I definitely need more practice, I have little bits of creasing here and there. I will get better at it though, and when I do I will post them again :)

Thank you for reading
xx

Friday 27 May 2011

Review: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Island Oasis Palette♥

Like I said in this post, I was rather taken with the 'Island Oasis' palette, which is part of the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess collection. Well, I was really really happy when a few days later, I was very kindly sent it to review.

It is inspired by the Mediterranean - warm sand, blue seas,  seashell pinks and of course seaweed! It's the perfect palette for any bronzed beauty.
The main shades that stood out to me when I first saw this palette were the Champagne shade, the Bronze, and the Seashell pink with a gorgeous gold sheen running through it. They are all gorgeous though. The only shadow I noticed any fall out from was the champagne shade, but it was nothing I quick dusting wouldn't fix.

I'm a bit boring when it comes to eyeshadow, so I kind of dismissed the turquoise shade, but whilst I was having a little play, I decided to use it along the lower lash line and I really like it! Turquoise is one of the best shades to wear when you are 'bronzed' so I think it's fantastic that it's been put in this palette. The black with gold sparkles (which look green in some lights) is really pretty, and unlike some shadows I have tried before which have been similar, the sparkles actually show up!

(Sorry this is so shoddily done. I had two hours sleep thanks to my poorly niece so I was a bit blurry eyed, and not with it.)
 I used the 'champagne' shade on my lids, 'bronze' in the crease and on the outer part of my lower lash line and 'turquoise' lightly smudged over top.

Swatches
Overall, I really rate this palette. It is fab quality and perfect for summer!!

You can purchase this palette from Estee Lauder online, and counters nationwide. Its priced at £31.

Thank you for reading
xx

Thursday 26 May 2011

perfect summer lip♥

When I visited Meadowhall on Sunday I went for three things; Chanel-Mimosa, Chanel - 4 Facettes bronzer in rose and the Estee Lauder, sea star bronzer/blush. I managed to get these, but whilst my mum was talking to the Chanel lady, who was lovely might I add, I couldn't stop looking at her lips. Now I understand that sound's a bit creepy, but don't worry I'm not weirdo, she was just wearing the most gorgeous lipstick/lipgloss combo I have ever seen. I didn't dare ask what she had on so when she turned around, I pointed at my mum and growled 'lips!!!'. Thankfully my mum thought her lipstick/lipgloss choice was gorgeous too, so she asked. She wrote it down for me as I said I would get them next week, but I couldn't wait, so after a half hour wander around meadowhall I went back and purchased.. Chanel rouge coco '56 Teheran' and a Chanel glossimer in 'Venus 124'. They are both absolutely beautiful, especially layered.
'Teheran' is a bright coral with a little pink thrown in. It's not a million miles away from 'Costa chic' by MAC, which I have and love. I could have probably skipped this but I wanted 'Leannes' exact lip colour, so I just bought it.

'Venus' is my favourite of the two. It is a bright fuchsia with millions of different coloured sparkles, which make your lips look full, plump and juicy!. At this point I am wishing I had the 'skilllllz' to take good lip swatches, but alas I don't and if I did post the lip swatches I attempted, they wouldn't do these beautiful products any justice. Instead I have tried to recreate it on my hand.
Close up of the beautiful sparkles! The glossimer's feel amazing on the lips. Smooth, non sticky and have fantastic staying power, not that you would expect anything less from a £20 lipgloss!
As you can see when paired together they look gorgeous! What do you think? I think these two are going to be my go to summer lip along with these one's which I blogged about a few days ago!

What is your favourite Chanel lipstick/lipgloss?

Thank you for reading
xx

Tuesday 24 May 2011

lipsticks i'm loving♥

I thought it would be fun to do an updated 'lipsticks I'm loving' post today, as I did my last one ages ago!
L-R

MAC Bubblegum - I acquired this from Laura's blog after months, and I mean months of stalking blog sales and eBay for it. It is a medium pink, with a hint of purple and a fine golden shimmer. It is a Glaze finish which means it's not crazily pigmented, but it's not terribly sheer either. It is such a lovely, easy to wear shade, and it has been getting alot of love from me. If MAC ever re-release this little beauty, I will be sure to pick up a couple.

Loreal Color Riche 'Freshly rosy' - First things first, I hate the smell of these lipsticks. I can't even think of a word to describe it, other than sickly. No likey. The actual lipstick is gorgeous though. Freshly rosy is a light glossy pink with a teeny bit of frostiness to it, though this isn't really noticeable once applied. Great everyday shade.

17 Mirror shine 'peace' While this lipstick looks scary in the tube, in reality it isn't. It is quite a sheer, pinky/coral when you apply it, but it also buildable. I find that when I wear this my face as a whole looks alot more awake and refreshed!

CHANEL 'chance' I'm not going to say much about this one, as I feel it deserves its own post (coming up!). I will repurchase it time and time again, and possibly purchase more of the Rouge coco shines! Ab fab.

Swatchy bit

What lipstick(s) are you loving at the moment?

Thank you for reading
xx

Sunday 22 May 2011

chanel-mimosa♥

I have been wanting this nail polish for ages, after seeing it on Lisa Eldridge some time ago. 'Mimosa' is part of the Chanel Summer collection which is absolutely gorgeous! After what seemed an eternity, it was finally released a few day's ago. I was at 'MeadowhEll' dead on 11am this morning to purchase some pretties, it was all so gorgeous I could have gone for the whole lot! 

(I purchased items from Chanel, Estee Lauder and Dior so if you would like a post on that just let me know.)
(Sorry about the shoddy application and anyone notice how short my nails are compared to my last nail post? Yes, I picked my nails off without even noticing!! Has anyone else ever done that?)

At £16 Chanel nail polishes aren't cheap, but I was determined to have this colour as it is so up my alley I would have regretted it if I had left it behind. Mimosa is a bright summery yellow, with really fine gold shimmers running through it, although you have to look very closely to see these once you've applied the polish.
From my first experience using a Chanel nail polish I can safely say I am quite impressed. I don't think they are AMAAAZING quality. It applied quite streaky on the first coat but the second one glided on a lot nicer. There is still a little bit of streakiness going on but I think if I wasn't rushing like I was, two coats would have been perfect. Consistency wise it is just how I like it, not too thick or thin! Overall good, but nothing amazing! That being said, I would purchase another one if it was unique enough.

What do you think? Will you be rocking yellow nails this summer?

Thank you for reading
xx

Thursday 19 May 2011

maybelline purchases♥

I popped into Boots yesterday to prove to myself that I could leave empty handed....well apparently, I can't! I don't really mind though as I spotted some gorgeous new products from Maybelline that were just too pretty to pass up.
Peach and Berry

These are the new 'dream touch blushes'. I think these are brand new altogether, not just new colours. Maybelline have had 'mousse' blushes before which I really didn't like. These ones though, are gorgeous, especially 'peach'. They are buttery soft, none greasy, very pigmented and a bargainous £6.49 each. Full review to come.
I think there were 4, or even 5 new Color Sensational lipsticks. I wanted three, but showed some restraint and opted for 'Rosy dream', a soft, milky pink. These type of colour's don't tend to suit me, so we'll see how it looks when I have a play tomorrow. They had a nude one which was gorgeous! Think I might have to get that one tomorrow... £7.19
and finally I purchased two nail polishes. Deep violet and Hot salsa.

I'm not overly fond of 'Deep violet', I let my mum choose that one because I am very kind, he he. If you like it though, let me know and I'll do a NOTD. Hot salsa however, is a gorgeous bright coral red, with a hint of pink. I cannot wait to try this one out... maybe tonight! £4.09 each..

Swatchy bit
(sunlight)
(shade)

Of course I will be reviewing these products once I have had the chance to form a proper opinion on them.

Thank you for reading
xx

Wednesday 18 May 2011

notd♥

I have been loving really pale colours on my nails lately, namely - Bourjois 'Rose Lounge'.. you know, the one that Kate wore on her big day?

Well anyway, on Friday I was browsing the aisles of Asda and spotted the much coveted Maybelline express finish 'diamonds' nail polish. Of course I had to have it.

When I got home I put it on my nail rack and went on with my evening. It was past midnight, mid sleep when I suddenly remembered I'd bought it.. so what did I do? Put the TV on and painted my nails... pretty badly! (sorry)

I layered 2 coats of 'Diamonds' on top of Barry M 'indigo' and the results pretty much speak for themselves. Although I will say, my nails definitely look alot more sparkly in 'real' life. My mum said they look like, 'the night sky, with all the stars and STUFF?!'.

Overall for £4.09 this is a fantastic little nail polish, which I am highly impressed with. It is fully deserving of all the hype it seems to be receiving at the moment.

Thankyou for reading
xx

Tuesday 3 May 2011

current wishlist - fashion&beauty♥

For the first time in a long time I have made a 'wishlist' that doesn't include just makeup. I am really trying to break away from buying from every collection I see, and sometimes most of a MAC collection. I really want to start saving my money and buying nice things. Having lots of makeup is nice, but when you think how much that costs... I wouldn't be writing this wishlist because I would have it all already! Shameful. I'm not saying I'm never going to buy makeup again, because I would be lying.. for instance I know I'm going to go mad (well abit mad) for the MAC collection in July (Semi-precious I think?) but for now, I'm going to try and cool off and stop buying so much makeup.

Anyway onto the wishlist...

Marc by Marc Jacobs Multi coloured logo watch.
£125.00
I would be happy with either of these two gorgeous watches. Thinking I may purchases one when I go to London again.
Zara pleated dress.
 £49.99
Worn by the beautiful Kate Middleton on Saturday. I reallyreallyreally want it, she wore it so beautifully don't you think?

Marc by Marc Jacobs
Classic Q Natasha shoulder bag - Sahara. 'Ree' is gorgeous too!
£290.00
Such a beautiful, everyday bag. It's expensive yes, but will probably last a lifetime.

Marc by Marc Jacobs (Obsessed much??)
classic logo studs
£40
I want the white ones which I couldn't find a picture of, but these are just lovely, really tiny and affordable. Great gift idea too!
Zara - Pique blazer- fuchsia
£69.99
I love this whole outfit. I am loving blazers at the moment and this pink one is perfect for spring/summer. I would wear it exactly like pictured. Stunning.


Essie 'allure' nail polish.
 I want to be Kate Middleton god dammit. She wore this on her wedding day mixed with Bourjois 'Rose Lounge'. I went and bought 'Rose Lounge' straight away, but I'm having trouble finding Allure.
Clinique 'Chubby stick' wooping watermelon.
£14.00
I have seen these one a few blogs, and wooping watermelon is definitely my favourite.
Lancome Hypnose Mascara
£20.50
I have always wanted to try this mascara. My friend has used this for a long time and loves it, so I fancy giving it a whirl, although £20.50 does seem crazy for a mascara!

What's on your wishlist?

Thankyou for reading
xx