navigation

30.3.12

London Haul!

Hi everyone!
I have just returned from a lovely weekend in London courtesy of my boyfriend who took me away for my birthday! I always love heading down to London, especially for the shopping which I managed to do quite a bit of whilst I was there. I thought you guys might like to see a few of the bits and pieces I bought as I always enjoy reading hauls and thought you guys might find it interesting as well :)
Pink blazer – River Island £35

I’m loving the pastel colours which are everywhere at the moment and the pink colour of this blazer really suits my skin tone.
Clinique Almost Powder Makeup - £22

I have used the Clinique powder before and really liked it but unfortunately I managed to lose it somewhere between home and the hotel in London so I had to buy a new one.
Makeup Bag – Primark £3

  
I really wanted a small makeup bag which I can throw in my handbag when I’m off out. I had been just chucking my makeup into the bag but this is how I was losing things! I had seen a nice one in River Island but found this one in Primark which was £10 cheaper!
Makeup Bag – Primark £4

I also wanted a sort of wash bag to keep my face wash, moisturisers etc in when I go away. Although this wasn’t exactly what I was looking for I thought this was a nice, cheap option from Primark.
Blusher in Lustre – Nars £21



This blusher from Nars has quickly become one of my favourites and I have had quite a few compliments on it whenever I have worn it!
Highlighter in Sunbeam– Topshop Makeup £9

I saw this highlighter whilst having a nosey round Topshop and thought the golden colour of it would go well with the Nars blusher I had just purchased. I think the two complement each other really well and give a nice golden glow which will look lovely with a tan in the summer.
Scarf – Oasis £20

I have been a bit obsessed with scarves this winter and just had to have this one which I found in Oasis.  Although summer is coming up, I think I will still be able to wear it while the weather is a little cooler as it is quite light weight.
Dress – Topshop £20


I have this dress in black as well but thought the floral print will add a bit of colour for spring time. It was also reduced to £20 so was too hard to resist!
Shoes – Primark £12



I don’t really have any shoes from Primark and these ones look like they cost a lot more than the £12 I paid for them. I love the ruffle and bow detailing on the front and the wedge heel makes them easy to walk in!
Mac Lipstick in Angel – Mac Store £13.50

 I picked up this lipstick from MAC and really love the colour. Apparently it is Kim Kardashian’s favourite lipstick which I didn’t know at the time but I can definitely see why she likes it so much!
Lipstick - Kiko £4.50

This was definitely my least favourite purchase from the trip. The colour looked quite nice in the shop but when I’ve got it home this shade doesn’t really show up on my lips very well and I’m just not a big fan of it overall. It was difficult to photograph the colour and it's a lot more sheer than it appears to be in the photo.
Gosh Eyebrow Kit – Superdrug £8

I was trying to find the Sleek Eyebrow Kit in Superdrug but they didn’t seem to have it so I opted for the Gosh one instead. I haven’t tried it out yet so I’m not sure whether it’s any good or not but will keep you guys posted!
Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray – Boots No.7 - £8.75

 I had a Boots No. 7 voucher and decided to go for this dry oil body spray to help keep my skin moisturised. I love the smell of this spray and it’s not greasy at all.

So that’s pretty much everything I think. I didn’t really buy that many clothes on this trip and it was mainly makeup and beauty products that caught my eye. Have any of you guys picked up any beauty products which you love recently? Or have any of you tried any of the items I purchased?
Hope you’re all well and thank you for reading :)
BBx


22.3.12

Avon - Ideal Flawless Foundation


Hi Guys!

As I mentioned in my previous post on my favourite and least favourite Avon products, I have recently purchased the Avon Ideal Flawless Foundation.  I was really looking forward to trying this product out as I have heard a lot about it and although I have tried quite a few Avon products in the past, I hadn’t used any of their foundations.

Avon promotes this foundation as one that will provide you with full coverage whilst also maintaining an invisible appearance, making skin appear natural with an even tone. This is an oil free foundation with an SPF15, which are features that I always look for in a foundation and at £12 it’s also a good price. There are an amazing sixteen shades to choose from in this range so whatever your skin tone, you’re sure to find a good match for you. I do find it difficult choosing a shade just from the swatches in the brochure or online but luckily I think I got it right first time. You can also return your Avon purchases if you are not happy with them on arrival.

When it comes to looking for a new foundation, Avon hasn’t really been a brand which I would go to so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this product. However, having tried the foundation out for a good week or two now, I have to say I am very impressed. The texture is light and reminds of that of a mousse foundation and it is also very easy to blend making the skin look and feel wonderfully natural. I’d say the coverage is more medium than full, but you can very easily build it up to help cover any blemishes or imperfections. I always struggle to find foundations that last throughout the day on my skin, but this foundation had excellent staying power and was still going strong long into the evening. I also really like the simple and stylish design of the bottle and it definitely wouldn’t look out of place alongside some of the high end brands.

Overall I love the light weight feel of this foundation and would definitely recommend it as a worthwhile purchase. It is also on offer at the moment for £7 so it’s a good time to try it out! I have decided to try the Ideal Flawless Pressed Powder as well as I was so impressed by the foundation. I will keep you guys posted on what it’s like!

Have any of you guys tried the Avon Ideal Flawless range? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the products and which ones you would recommend!

Thanks for reading :)

BBx


18.3.12

All That Glitters





Hi guys,

I recently picked up these glitter nail varnishes from Barry M and thought they were a really good purchase. I got the silver and the multicoloured hologram ones but there are a few different colours available to choose from including red, blue, pink and gold. It takes a few coats to get a really full on glitter finish, particularly with the silver one, but the end result is definitely worth it. At around £2.99 each they are extremely purse friendly and a good alternative to some of the more expensive ones out there.

The only disadvantage to these nail varnishes, as with most glitter ones, is they are quite difficult to get off! Having said that I have used ones which have been harder to remove and I find it helps if you use a good base coat first. The flip side is that they don’t chip very easily so you get at least a few days wear out of them.

Overall I would definitely recommend these polishes if you like a more sparkly look. I picked up these ones at Boots and Topshop but you can also get them online from the Barry M website.

Have any of you guys tried the Barry M nail varnishes? Are there any other glitter polishes which you would recommend?

Thanks for reading :)
BBx

15.3.12

The Harrods Glossybox


 Hi Guys,


I have just subscribed to Glossybox and received the highly anticipated Harrods edition this week. I was so excited when the parcel came in the post, although I had read a few reviews which meant I knew roughly what was in the box and that did spoil the fun a little bit.


 
If you haven’t heard of Glossybox before, it’s £10 a month plus postage and packaging (so about £12.95) and each month you will receive a selection of beauty products to try out. Most of the products are sample size but you do also get some full sized products from time to time. You can sign up on a month by month basis so you can cancel your subscription at any time or you can register for three, six or twelve months.




So here are the products which I received in my Glossybox this month….

-  Valentina perfume sample by Valentino
-  Molton Brown Vitalising Vitamin AB+C Bath and Shower wash
-  SKII Skin Signature moisturiser
-  Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara
-  Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream
-  Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil


My favourite product in this selection is the SKII Skin Signature as I have wanted to try out some new moisturisers recently and this one feels really nice on the skin. Even though it is only a sample size, I feel like I could make this product last quite a while as well which is always good. I also really like the Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream and again the sample is a decent size allowing you to get a better idea for the product.

Overall I did really like some of the products in this Glossybox but there are some others which I would rather have received, such as the Burberry lipstick and the Lancome foundation. I have only just signed up to Glossybox so I am looking forward to next month’s edition. There are some other boxes out there though which I have my eye on including the She Said Beauty Box and no doubt I will be trying these ones out in the near future.

What did you guys think of the Harrods Glossybox? Over hyped or one of the best?

Hope you are all well and thanks for reading

BBx

11.3.12

A Step Back in Time




  Hi everyone,

I hope you are all well! As we celebrated International Women’s Day this week I thought I would take a look back at how women’s use of makeup and fashion has changed over the last few decades and what influenced the looks of the time. Starting with the 1920’s I thought I would write a series of posts, each focusing on a different decade and including my favourite parts of the look from that time. I hope you find it interesting and maybe it will inspire you to recreate some aspects of past trends yourself!

                              Foundation / Powder

Foundations became increasingly more natural in the 1920’s as opposed to the pale powders of previous times and sun lamps were occasionally used to develop a tan by people that couldn’t afford expensive holidays abroad. This trend was inspired by Cocoa Chanel who supposedly developed a tan after falling asleep in the sun whilst on holiday. I don’t tan very easily so if this happened to me the look would have been more lobster than tanned goddess!

 
Rouge / Blusher

Popular colours for rouge in the 20’s were orange, fuchsias and berry colours which were applied liberally in a deliberate circle shape to the apples of the cheeks. Creams, liquids and even paper rouges were available but powder became the most popular due to the invention of the compact. I have seen some very bright blushers around at the moment which would be ideal for recreating this look. The 'Blush by 3' palettes from Sleek, particularly in Pumpkin and Lace, are very bright and daring colours which would work perfectly for putting a modern twist on a 1920’s classic.
  
          
 Lipstick

A signature look of the 20’s and one of my favourite aspects of makeup from this time is the cupids bow in bright red lipstick. Maurice Levy invented the metal lipstick container in 1915 allowing for more precise application and the popularity of lipstick increased from there on. Red was the only colour which was readily available and so is key to this feature of the 1920’s style. If you want to create this look a little more subtly why not try emphasising your cupids bow but bringing the lipstick to the edge of your lips rather than stopping dramatically as they did in the 20’s? Mac lipstick in Russian Red or Revlon Super Lustrous are good ones if you’re recreating this trend.


                     Eyes

Dark eyes are also vital to achieving a 1920’s look as Kohl was often used to outline the eyes and then smudged outwards to create a dramatic finish. Mascara came in the form of a block which was heated up and applied using a stick, often teamed with a pair of false lashes which were also popular during this time. Eyebrows in the 20’s were worn extremely thin and sometimes women would even pluck out the entire eyebrow and redraw it on, higher than the original brows. Smoky eyes are very much still around today and I love experimenting with dark eye shadows and eye liners for a night out. The Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palette is a favourite of mine and is great for creating a dramatic finish.


Nail Varnish

Painting the nails became highly popular in the 1920’s and it was custom to match your polish to your outfit or accessories. Nails were grown long and only the centre section was painted leaving the cuticle and the tip of the nail natural. Painting your nails in this way is a subtle and simple way of including a hint of the 1920’s influence in your everyday life. If your hand isn’t so steady try using two nail guides across top and bottom of your nails and painting in between them.

 
Advances in the production of cosmetics combined with changes in the way makeup was viewed socially, meant that the 1920’s saw big changes in the way women used makeup. Cosmetics were more readily available and advances in production meant that beauty products were far safer and easier to use. Instead of hiding their makeup away women wore it proudly and openly. I love the 1920’s style and think you can easily adapt aspects of it to include it in your look today.

Thanks for reading,
BBx

Images taken from:
Nail Polish - Old Rose nail polish hues from Cosmopolitan Magazine, December 1936
Cupid's Bow - http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-do-1920s-style-makeup
Clara Bow- http://chexydecimal.com/2010/07/birthday-clara-bow/
Flapper Girl - http://www.oodora.com/fashion/fashion-history/1920s-fashion.html

TEMPLATE BY PRETTYWILDTHINGS