Monthy Favourites - May 2012

Time for the monthy favourites (I'm a bit late again), these are products that I have been using all month/rediscovered or have stood out for me.

1. Paco Robanne Lady Million EDP

This is one of my favourite perfumes, I just love it but I hadn't worn it in a while. I got it out again and I still adore it. It is sweet with some floral notes and makes me feel special. I'm not overly fond of the bottle design but I do kind of like how the spray works. I just wish I could figure out how to decant it into a travello.

2. Lush Rehab Shampoo

I have used this shampoo before but stopped using it when I started colouring my hair. Now that my hair is it's natural shade again, I can use it. I went to Lush to get some toner but decided to find out if they sold a shampoo that will reduce build up from dry shampoo - which I use a lot and end up with quite a bit of build up. This stuff is great. It clears my scalp of all the crap left on it after a couple of days using dry shampoo and leaves it so much fresher. 

3. MAC Lovecloud Blush

This has been my go to blush this month. I'm not sure if it is still available as it was a limited edition colour. I really love it, it is so easy to wear and can be applied sheerly or built up. It is a pink with some coral in there to warm it up and works really nicely on my skintone. I also love the satin finish because it is so soft and natural looking.

4. Origins Vitazing SPF 15

This is basically a really sheer tinted moisturiser with SPF in it. I took this on holiday with me in case it was hot and I didn't want to be wearing foundation. Plus foundation wasn't really needed. It has these little greyish dots in the moisturiser which burst as you rub it into your skin and release a tint. This tint is supposed to be suited to all skin tones but I think very fair skins and dark skins might find it either too dark or light. Light to medium skin tones should be okay and it might even be okay for skin that is a bit darker. You don't get a lot of coverage with it but it does help to even the skin out somewhat and then a bit of concealer will cover the rest if needed.

5. SensatioNail Starter Kit (I have the red) - review to be posted soon.

Now this is a little gem! I love this piece of kit! I wont go into it too much because I will be doing a full review on it with lots of photos of it freshly applied and then two weeks later. If you don't know what it is, it is an at home soak off gel polish kit which includes everything you need to get started, including the lamp and one colour (either red or raspberry). It was quite dear when I got mine but the price has gone down a lot now so if you are interested, it is worth a go. I applied this for my holiday so that I didn't need to polish my nails while away and hopefully protect them better than regular polish would from working the locks and narrowboat. It held out brilliantly, as you will see in the upcoming review :D

Jennifer xx

April Favourites

I haven't done a monthly favourites post in a while now so it is about time that I did one. These are the products I've been using a lot during April - a bit of a neutral and coral theme running through it.

1. Illamasqua Cream Blush - Lies
This is a very light frosty pink shade which is really a highlighter. It is a lovely colour and works really nicely. I dab it on with my finger and blend it out across my cheek bones. I've been really liking highlighting recently, it makes my skin so glowy. I find that this blush lasts pretty much all day for me but I do have dry skin so if you are oily then it might not last as well on you.

2. Illamasqua Brow Cake - Thunder
I think I've found a really good product and colour for my brows, I love using this. You can see the area that I've been using the sealing gel on, this way I can still use the product dry from other areas. I've even used this as an eye shadow to deepen the crease.

3. Illamasqua Sealing Gel
I've been using this with my brow cake. I first used the brow cake dry and liked it then decided to try the gel and it makes a much crisper brow and makes it last all day. It can also be used in the eye liner cakes.

4. Topshop Blush - Head Over Heels
I LOVE the Topshop blushers. They are creams but they set to more of a powder finish without looking like powder. They give a glow to the skin and just look really nice. They can be subtle or built up for a more dramatic effect. I have most of the colours in the range and hope they bring more out in the future.

5. MAC Eye shadows - (clockwise from top) All That Glitters, Naked Lunch, Amber Lights
I've been quite neutral on my eyes recently. I've been loving these colours, they are very flattering and can be worn with any other makeup without worrying if it will match.

6. 17 Wild Curls Mascara
I've been using this every day. I did a review about it for Liloo at Le Petit Jardin de Liloo here.

7. MAC Lipsticks - Jazzed (top), Ever Hip (bottom)
Coral is one of my favourite colours to wear on my lips. Jazzed was my first MAC lipstick so it holds a special place in my heart and I hope they repromote it one day. They are quite similar but Jazzed has more of an orangey tone whilst Ever Hip is more pink. My pictures don't really show the difference accurately, it is more obvious on the lips.

Left column - Illamasqua Brow Cake Thunder
Middle column top to bottom - MAC Amber Lights, MAC All That Glitters, MAC Naked Lunch,
Topshop Head Over Heels, Illamasqua Lies
Right column top to bottom - MAC Ever Hip, MAC Jazzed

Jennifer xx

October Favourites

This month it took me a while to choose my favourites as I've been switching between products quite a lot. I'm fickle like that haha. Also, apologies for the quality of this photo, you may notice them not coming out so bright for the time being, I just don't get a chance to use daylight at the moment unless it I do my photography at the weekend. I'm going to try to take lots of swatch photos during weekends when I can take advantage of the daylight so that I have them done for when I post during the week. Anyway, here is what I picked this month:

Urban Decay Naked Palete

You have probably seen this thing everywhere, all over the internet but I truly love it. The colours are so easy to use and work well together in pretty much any combination. It is a foolproof palette and is very flattering. It is a really good staple to have in your collection and many people will find that these are the only neutral shades they need... unless you are a hardcore makeup fanatic!

MAC Lightscapade

This came from one of the recent collections from MAC. Mine isn't one of the most beautiful pans of this but it is still lovely. It gives me a nice glow to my cheek bones and has made it's home in my everyday makeup bag.

Enchanted foaming sugar scrubs (Gingerbread Ghosts, from the Halloween line is pictured but I have been loving the scrubs in general). I doubt many people have heard of Enchanted Bath and Body, if you haven't, I suggest you head over to enchantedbath.co.uk and have a look. I've been a fan of Sarah's scrubs for a while, in fact a like a lot of her products. She is a one man band at the moment but she works amazingly hard to get her orders done to top notch quality. If you have heard of or are a fan of Isle of Eden, Enchanted makes a great alternative to anyone based in Europe. Sarah will ship further afield too however. The Halloween line will be discontinued soon so get in quick if any take your fancy. I will get a quick review of my latest order up soon.

Bronzer

I have been using bronzer to contour my cheeks a lot this month, mainly this one which is MAC's Golden. It is subtle and most suited to lighter skintones. It has a very subtle shimmer in it but is still fine to use for contouring. I've also been enjoying NARS Laguna.

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream

My skin especially on my legs is very dry. It gets worse after shaving but I normally hate using body moisturisers as they take ages to sink in and they make it hard to get dressed after using them which is not good if you like to wear skinny jeans like me. This one is different, it sinks into my skin so quickly even though it is so thick. You can hold the pot over your head and it wont come out. It has 25% shea butter in it which helps so much with my skin. My skin is much more supple and glowy than it was before and best of all, it no longer flakes!

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP

This was a birthday present from my Grandad. It is such a beautiful and sophisticated yet youthful perfume. I always thought that Chanel perfumes were a little too mature for my liking but I adore this one. If you have smelt Miss Dior Cherie, it is on a similar line to that but it doesn't smell the same to me. I find this one more sophisticated and elegant, not as sweet and the end of the perfume has a lovely muskiness to it. I find that it smells different on me every day, I never know exactly what I'm going to get so it makes it even more enjoyable to wear. Amazing thing, skin chemistry!

Jennifer xx

September 2011 Favourites

Here are my favourites for September, there was quite a variety of brands in there.

First up, a new perfume. One of my favourite bloggers, Vivianna from viviannadoesmakeup.com is a big perfume fan. I have noticed that we have quite similar taste in perfumes and when she said that this was her favourite perfume I decided to give it a go. It is Lady Million by Paco Robane. I would never have picked this up, the packaging isn't something that would have drawn me in, probably due to being a mega shiny golden diamond shape which doesn't really look very classy, although I do like it now for being a bit different. The perfume inside is gorgeous though, a typical 'me' type fragrance, floral and fruity with a bit of sweetness thrown in there for good measure. It isn't a headdy sweet or floral fragrance, I think it has a good balance. Top notes of Neroli, Lemon and Raspberry. Middle notes of Jasmine, Orange Flower and Gardenia. Bottom notes of Patchouli and White Honey. Yum!

Next there is VO5's Miracle Concentrate. I've seen this doing a little bit of the blog rounds with people saying that it helps with frizzy hair and keeping it looking glossy and healthy. I needed this. I use this after towel drying my hair then apply a few drops from the pipette into my hand and rub them together before running it down my hair. I focus it in the ends to stop them from flying away and then do the lengths and finally the top to smooth it all down. Then I blow dry my hair. It makes my hair dry quicker and always gives it a sleek finish.

I also ran out of my foundation, Chanel Vitalumire so needed to get a replacement but wasn't anywhere near a Chanel counter. I'd wanted to try Bourjous Healthy Mix after hearing a lot of good reviews so this was a good opportunity. Off I went to Superdrug and picked this up for £9.99, over £20 cheaper than my Chanel foundation! I found a really good match in Healthy Mix, better than the Chanel shade. It is a teeny bit lighter in colour and not as yellow. I really like this one, the coverage is a bit more than the Chanel one and it sets more so doesn't appear as dewy but still gives me a fresh complexion. I've been applying it with a MAC 187 and I get a really nice finish. I would definitely buy this again, I much prefer it.

The two eyeshadows are from MAC's MAC Me Over collection, I reviewed them here. The colours are Carbonized (the brown) and Mythical (the coppery colour). I've been using these a lot during September, they are so flattering and fit so well with Autumn. They go with a lot of my clothes too and are great for work. I've put them together in a few different ways and they always come out looking nice.

Underneath is MAC's Superslick Liquid Liner in On The Hunt. This is black and was in my favourites last month too. I've been using this pretty much every day. It is such a good glossy black and lasts really well.

Lastly, Blistex Intensive Moisturiser Lip Cream. My lips get ridiculously dry and chapped. I needed something intensive that was going to work. I saw this on Rachel's blog allthingsrachy.blogspot.com ages ago when she said that she gets very chapped lips when she has a cold and this is what she uses. I'd been meaning to give it a go and saw it in Boots one day and remembered her blog post so bought it. She was so right, it is amazing stuff! Seriously, if you get chapped lips and nothing else seems to be giving you the desired effect, go get this. It was relatively cheap at £2.59. It has a plastic slanted applicator so you can apply it straight from the tube. I tend to put a little on my finger and apply it like that so I don't put too much on, you don't need a lot.

Jennifer xx

My Favourites - August 2011

1. MAC Blush in Coygirl. This has been my go-to blush this month. It is a mauvy pink shade and gives a rosy glow. I've been using it just on the apples of my cheeks as I don't like it applied down my cheek bones as I normally apply blush, it is quite cool toned and can look a bit much on me like that. Used just on the apples it gives me the appearance of pinched cheeks.

2. Eyelash curlers (or as my boyfriend calls them, torture devices haha). These are from E.L.F and before this month I hadn't really used them much even though I've had them for a couple of years. I don't normally bother because I'm too lazy and I thought my mascara did the job on it's own. However I thought I'd try these again and I am really impressed with the difference they make. My lashes are much nicer looking when they have been curled and it is easier to apply my mascara. I've seen a lot of people raving about other eyelash curlers such as Shu Uemura so I wonder what the difference would be with them so might check them out when I'm next in town.

3. OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil. I've been getting quite peely nails for a while so I've been trying to look after them better. I've been using this a few times a day, especially at night to let it sink in. I have noticed an improvement, they don't seem to be peeling as much so hopefully the oil will be doing good things to the new growth coming though.

4. Sugarpill Chromalust - Goldilux. I've been trying out loose eyeshadows as I've never really gotten on with them before without making a huge mess so decided it was time to practice with them. I really like this one, it is a beautiful gold colour and really sparkly. I like it to add a little bit of sparkle to my eye makeup. It can drop throughout the day so needs a sticky base or to be applied with a mixing medium/wet.

5. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer. This product is becoming a favourite amongst beauty bloggers and youtube gurus. I can really see why, for a budget concealer it is fantastic... in fact it is pretty good for a concealer of any price range. It is one of the best concealers I have tried, it really does cover what it needs to and it does last really well. It dries down so doesn't crease around the eye area or look shiny but it doesn't dry the skin out either.

6. MAC Superslick Liquid Liners. I have three colours pictured here, the top one is Desires & Devices (khaki with pearlised pigments), the middle is Smokey Heir (purple with pearlised pigments) and the bottom is On The Hunt (black). These originally came out with Fabulous Felines last year but are now part of the permanent range. I used to use liquid liner all the time and then switched to gel liners but decided to use one of these one day and then remembered how much I loved them so ended up using them almost all month. They have a fine sponge applicator which allows you to get precise lines and flicks. These are definitely my favourite liquid liner formula. Other companies have released their own versions of these liners which are supposedly the same formula but I haven't tried them, some have their own unique shades too. Urban Decay, MUFE and Illamasqua are some of the brands with this type of liner.

7. OPI Avojuice - Hibiscus Blossom. This is a lightweight hand cream from OPI, I'm not sure if this scent is available in the UK as I got mine in a set from QVC which it was exclusive to at the time. It comes in plenty of other scents though. Even though it is lightweight, it moisturises really well, not well enough for when my eczema flares up but is good for a day to day hand cream which will not leave greasy marks anywhere because it sinks in so well. Avojuice is basically a whipped up version of OPI's avoplex oil so has all of the qualities of their cuticle oil but in a cream. This one smells gorgeous too.

Jennifer xx

Monthy Favourites: July 2011

Hello all! It's that time again so let's get started. These are the products I've been using a lot during July.

First up, my newest perfume, Viktor and Rolf's Flowerbomb. It is a lovely perfume, floral, hence the name but with a good amount of sweetness to it but not so that it is cloying. It is a bit powdery and has a hint of fruit. I've got the EDT version, it is quite a strong perfume so you don't need a lot.

Next, MAC Semi Precious Goldstone MSF. I need to get my reviews up for this collection still. I'm a big fan of mineralize skinfinishes from MAC, I have a few different ones and enjoy using them a lot. I love the glow they give and their ability to highlight, blush and contour all in one (if it is a colour which isn't too light) The MSFs in the Semi Precious collection are quite special because they come with a splodge in the middle of a different colour. Goldstone allows you to use the middle to highlight and the outside to contour or use as a bronzer. Or you can mix them together and get a soft warmth to your skin. I love using this mixed on my cheeks and into my temples. It gives me a little bit more colour and makes me look like I've been on holiday.

Sleek's Monaco iDivine palette is next, if you have seen my Sleek look posts you will know that I have been getting good use out of it. It is a really fun, summery palette and has some gorgeous well pigmented shades in it. It has converted me to Sleek and I'm really looking forward to whatever future releases bring.

In the bottom row, the first product is Crazy Colour in Fire Red. I've had my hair coloured red at my hairdressers a while ago and she recommended using this when I washed my hair to prevent fading. For every other hair wash, I mix some of this with my conditioner and leave it on my hair for 10 minutes then wash out well. It boosts the vibrancy of my hair so that it doesn't look faded. Definitely something to try if you have coloured red hair as it tends to fade quite quickly. There are a large range of colours from Crazy Colour, blues, violets, greens etc so whatever colour your hair has been dyed, you colour probably find a suitable shade to use to 'top it up'. No peroxide is needed so it is easy to use.

Next to that are two L'Occitane products, one is a hand cream - this one is the Cherry Blossom one and the other is the Shea Butter lip balm. I always use L'Occitane hand creams, they are my favourite and work so well. The only one I dislike is the honey version because I don't like the smell of honey. They do have different consistencies but they are all lovely and moisturising. The Shea Butter one is the thickest and the Verbena is the most gel like. If you have dry skin or eczema, like me, try these out because I really find they work. The tube pictured is just a 15ml mini size but they do 30ml and larger sizes. I have a 100ml tube of the Shea Butter one for when my hands are horrendous.

The lipbalm is a really good product, the one I have is a trial size, it only has about 1cm of product in it but it is enough to realise how good this is for my lips. I tend to have dry lips but this deals with them so well, I will be repurchasing this when I'm out of it.

The lipstick is MAC Gem of Roses, another product from the Semi Precious collection. This is my perfect 'my lips but better' shade. It has a lustre finish so I find it quite moisturising although they never last very long on lips. It never looks bad when it fades though because it merges in with my natural lip colour anyway. I like this for days when I either can't be bothered to put much on my face or when I have a lot on my eyes.

Lastly is Benefit Benetint. This is a fantastic product for summer, once it is on, it just does not budge. It gives a perfect healthy flush to cheeks and looks so natural. You can use it on lips as well but I'm not really a fan of it on me because I find it quite runny so takes a while to get it looking even and it does fade unevenly from my lips throughout the day as I'm eating. For my cheeks though, I love it.

So there we go, has anyone else tried these products? What do you think of them?

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Jennifer x

June 2011 Favourites!

It is the end of the month again, I can't believe we are half way through the year already! So these are the products I have been enjoying during June.

I've recently gotten into NARS, the blushes are such a cult favourite and I can totally see why, they are Divine! I have been using the Blush/Bronzing duo which contains Orgasm Blush and Laguna Bronzer. I'm loving bronzer at the moment, I like using it to add a subtle contour to my face as it helps give my cheeks more shape and definition. I also use it through my temples and then lightly across my forehead, down my nose and on my chin. Laguna is such a pretty bronzer, it is not orange at all and can be built up (you do need to lightly tap the brush into the product as it is so pigmented). I love the shimmer in it, it is very subtle but when the sun hits your face, it looks so pretty. The Orgasm blush is one of NARS' cult products and since getting into beauty blogs I have seen this pop up all over the place. It is a gorgeous shade of pink and has subtle gold shimmer through it. Again, quite a pigmented product so a fluffy or duo fibre brush is best to help blend.

The Urban Decay Naked palette has been in my favourites before but this month I have been favouring neutral shades over brights. This palette is perfect and so handy. I've also been taking it to my boyfriend's house when I stay over as it gives me a choice whilst there of different colours to choose from and it is quite compact that I can just slide it down the side of my bag without taking up lots of room. Mine came with a double ended 24/7 pencil but I have taken this out to put a brush in it instead for when I travel.

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover. I saw this featured in one of Loveislikemusic's videos on Youtube (Love Daisy's chanel by the way, she is so creative!) and it just blew me away at the ease of use. You can watch the video about it here. It is such a fantastic makeup remover. It is a duo phase type cleanser where you have to give the product a good shake before using it to mix the oily half with the liquid half. I put it onto a cotton pad and hold it on my eyes for just a couple of seconds and it melts all of my makeup away with such ease. It doesn't sting at all, is so gentle and never dries out my skin. Really great product.

For lips, I have been into nudes and light pinks. I've been using the NARS Turkish Delight lipgloss which is a beautiful milky pink shade which goes with everything. I have also been loving MAC Shy Girl lipstick which is a nude peach cremesheen. I think I have found a really good nude for me, it is warm enough not to wash me out and is another colour which I can wear with anything. I love the finish too, it gives a nice glossy finish and is moisturising. Finally MAC Angel lipstick. This is quite similar to Creme Cup but the finish is different. Angel is a frost but it really isn't very frosty, it is a flattering light pink and would work for both warm and cool skintones. I think it is one of the prettiest pinks that MAC does. You can also go a bit Kim Kardashian and use it with NARS Turkish Delight on top to get her signature lip combination! I know barely anything about her but I do really like how she does her makeup lol. Please note that the photo above is not very accurate colourwise for any of the products, it was a bit dark when I took it. If you would like accurate photos/swatches, let me know :)

What are your favourites this month?

- Jennifer

May 2011 Favourites

Hi everyone, I hope you have had a good weekend, mine has been pretty wet here in London :( Sorry this post is quite late! These are the products I have been using a lot during May.

Top L-R: Chanel Imitable Intense Mascara in Noir, Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation,
MAC Fix+, MAC Stereo Rose MSF
Middle: MAC Sun Blonde Eyeshadow, L'Occitane Shea Butter Handcream
Bottom three products: MAC 222 brush, MAC 239 brush, MAC Spiked Eyebrow Pencil.

Yep, there is quite a lot this month!

Firstly, Chanel Imitable Intese Mascara. This mascara has become my favourite one I've ever tried. My eyelashes always look lengthened, volumised, they hold their curl, it is dark black, it doesn't flake/smudge, it doesn't clump, all of them are separated well. Yes, I just love it and it is perfect every time.

Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation: This gives a lovely dewy finish to my skin, it makes me look healthier and awake. It doesn't give much coverage but I am lucky enough to have skin that doesn't really get spots often and my skintone is quite even so I only need minimal coverage. I apply it around my nose and across my cheeks then up towards my forehead where I need a little coverage and then anything that is left gets blended over the rest of my face. I find it nice and moisturising and it doesn't cake or oxidise at all and looks good all day. I only need half a pump for my whole face so I can see this lasting a good while for me. The colour match is perfect too.

MAC Fix+: This can be used in a few ways, some people use it under their makeup, some use it over, some use it to refresh their face in the day, others use it on their makeup brushes before applying eyeshadow to make the pigments more vibrant. I like to use this over my makeup as I find that it makes everything look finished well and takes any powderiness away from the areas I have applied powder to. It also helps to make my foundation last better and seems to prevent it from transferring too much (like if I was to blow my nose). Some people hate this product so I think it depends on what you want to use it for.

MAC Stereo Rose: Yes this makes another appearence. I don't need to say much about it really as I've featured it before. I have really been loving this over the last few months, it is such a pretty colour and I really understand why it is such a 'cult' product.

MAC Sun Blonde Eyeshadow: This is from the Surf Baby collection and I've really enjoyed wearing this. I've put it with blues, greens, gold, coral and white and I think it is a very flattering shade of yellow. It looks fun and Summery.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Handcream: This is a savior product for me. My hands have been quite dry and sore with ezcema and this is my favourite handcream. It is so thick yet absorbs so well. It is literally like a drink for my hands. I really like the smell too, it reminds me of baby powder but I'm not sure what it is actually scented with, probably soft white florals. If you are looking for a really good quality, rich handcream, definitely have a go at this one.

MAC 222 brush: I'd been using my 217 brush and wanted a new blending brush so I had a second one for when I'd used it with dark colours and didn't want to get muddy eyeshadow with light colours the next day. I thought I'd try this one out and I really like it. I find it blend much more softly and it also allows me to get deeper into the crease area for more precise application due to it's tapered shape. I still feel that the 217 is useful and I sometimes use both of them together.

MAC 239 brush: I needed a better brush to apply eyeshadow over my whole lid. I saw that Temptalia used this one a lot so bought it. It is just right, it picks up so much colour and makes it easy to pat/sweep it on and get the full colour. You can put less on the brush and use it to sheer out colours too. It is a good size and does it's job really well. I have since bought a second one so I have one for light colours and one for dark colours (I am too lazy to wash my brushes after each use).

Finally, MAC Spiked Eyebrow Pencil: Obviously if you were buying one of these, you would pick the colour that was right for you. I've been getting better at using this and now can make my eyebrows look pretty neat and crisp. You can use it lighter if you just want to fill in the sparse areas or use it a little heavier to get a really good shape. I like it because I can draw in each hair and it looks real as it's nib is very fine. The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't wind it up to see how much is left and then wind it back down because once it has been wound up, it can't be put back inside! Don't forget that if you get one, you will end up with the 'lead' sticking out and not being able to put the cap on! - I haven't done that by the way lol!

I hope you enjoyed my favourites this month :)

- Jennifer

Bronze Corail Soliel Tan de Chanel Review - Summer 2011

There are two versions of bronzer in Chanel's Summer 2011 collection, Bronze Corail and Bronze Rose. I chose Bronze Corail because I always tend to prefer corals over rose colours and I'd been using my MAC Stereo Rose MSF a lot so wanted something else corally but I'd also been into bronzers, this seemed to fit the bill.

It is a striped palette, it reminds me a bit of Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks (but much less shimmery). It has four shades of powder, a bronzey brown, a pale peach, a deeper brown and a pink coral. All of the colours are on the warm side so definitely more suited to warmer skin tones. They can be used alone if you want, the thin rectangular brush supplied allows you to pick each shade out individually. You could also use two colours together - the lighter brown with the peach for a subtle highlight effect, the peach with the deeper brown for a subtle bronze or the deeper brown and coral for a bronzed blush. Or you could use the top three shades together to get a beautiful bronzed look and then the coral alone as blush. You could even use the shades on your eyes if you wanted or was travelling light. When all of the colours are mixed together they create a subtle bronze with a champagne sheen, and light coral tones. Very pretty and hard to mess up as it is so subtle, yet buildable. However, if you want something more pigmented, this wont be for you.

L-R: Bronze Corail, Bronze Corail blended out.

The brush supplied is okay, not my favourite brush ever but it does the job. I found it a little difficult to use because I ended up with a bit of a stripe the first few times I tried it but after a few goes, I got the hang of it. I still prefer using a round brush with it however. I tried my MAC 129 brush, mine is quite rough unfortunately, it probably needs a good conditioning, but I found this buffed the colour out too much so I went for a softer brush instead. I chose the MAC 168 to diffuse the colour more gently so I still had it where I wanted it but could blend it better. This was also handy because of the angle in it so I could use the bronzer in other areas of my face such as around my temples with ease. A stippling brush might be a good choice too.

The compact is sleek as per Chanel's usual standard and it contains a very handy mirror in the lid which is the same size as the compact and allows you to see your whole face easily without having to do your makeup at arms length. You also get a nice suedette bag to keep the compact in so it doesn't get scratched and to minimise fingerprints all over the glossy black casing.

The quality of the powder is so soft so whilst it blends beautifully on the skin, it can kick up a lot of dust which I found annoying and made the compact very messy after each use so be careful when using it. Another downside is the price, it costs £32.50 for 14g/0.49oz so it costs £2.32 per gram compared to a MAC bronzer which costs £17.50 for 10g/0.30oz which works out as £1.75 per gram. So whilst you do get a lot of product and it is more versatile than a MAC bronzer which only contains one shade, if you are going to use it swirled together all the time, unless you really love the colour, consider something cheaper instead.

- Jennifer

Les Fleurs D'Ete De Chanel Summer 2011 Collection - Mimosa & Morning Rose Review

Hiya! I hope everyone in the UK is enjoying their start to the Bank Holiday weekend, sucks if you are working though :( Thankfully I am staying at my boyfriend's house which is nice to have a little break from London for a few days.

L-R: Morning Rose, Mimosa

L-R: Morning Rose, Mimosa

Today I have a review of two of the Chanel Summer nail polish colours, the highly anticipated Mimosa and beautiful Morning Rose. There was also another shade released called Beige Petale but that didn't appeal to me at all, I loves my bright colours! As soon as I saw the press releases for these I just loved the yellow shade. I only had one yellow polish, Barry M yellow - do not recommend unless you want to have finger that look like they've been dipped in a pot of American mustard... bleugh, not a good look and I was actually told by somebody else that is what my nails looked like :( Chanel's offering looked much more flattering.

I recently did a post on OPI's Fiercely Fiona which is a really pretty yellow but Mimosa is quite different, it is brighter and is shot through with a pretty golden shimmer which gives the colour some depth so it doesn't look flat. Chanel are very good at putting trendy colours out there but making them flattering.

Morning Rose is a jellyish colour and again shot through with gold shimmer although bigger particles in this shade. I wouldn't say it was a proper jelly because it is quite opaque but you can see the shimmer floating within the polish just like in a jelly finish. I found capturing the glitter difficult for both of these colours because the sun refused to come out and it has been horrible in London for the past few days so I couldn't re shoot the photos unfortunately. The pink is a nice flattering shade, it is a medium pink and has slight peach tones in it. Both of these colours are perfect for Summer.

Application was smooth on both, Mimosa needed a third coat to get true bottle colour and I used a third coat of Morning Rose because I didn't paint the second coat very well but I think a third coat gives it a bit more depth with the extra shimmer going through it. The polishes retail at £17 so they are expensive but Chanel often bring out really unique shades which you can't get elsewhere. The bottles hold 13ml/0.4fl oz of lacquer.

Here are a few pictures at different angles, hopefully the shimmer is visible in some of them. Mimosa isn't quite as bright in real life, I'd say one shade lighter but Morning Rose is pretty accurate on my screen.

L-R: Mimosa, Morning Rose

L-R: Mimosa, Morning Rose

L-R: Mimosa, Morning Rose

Mimosa

Morning Rose

I think they are sold out online now which is a shame so if you would like these colours I would call/visit your local Chanel counter to see if they have it there.

- Jennifer

Oooops! A few extra MAC Surf Baby bits...

I said I wasn't going to buy them in the first place, they just didn't appeal to me... but then came the swatches... Oh dear, well I completely changed my mind.

Whilst I was in Tumbridge Wells with my boyfriend a couple of weeks ago, I saw that they had My Paradise in stock. I'd seen numerous bloggers and Youtubers swatching this and it just looked really pretty, not how I'd imagined it. I told myself to stick to not buying it because it has an overspray but then I found out that it was quite thick and when it runs out that Gold Deposit MSF would do as a substitute to put over the blush colour - more about that later. I swatched it on my hand in store and bought it.

My Paradise

My Paradise

My Paradise

It is a very pretty colour, when mixed with the gold overspray it turns into a gorgeous shimmery golden peach. The blush colour itself is very coral and matte/satin - I'm not sure but there doesn't appear to be shimmer in there. It would be a great colour for Summer skin (well duh, it is a Summer collection lol) and is surprisingly wearable. I've seen it work nicely on fair skin too but it would be worth checking in person. It is sold out online but you might come across it in store. Temptalia has some dupes listed on her site, NARS Luster appears very close to the mixed blush.

My Paradise: L-R Base blush colour, overspray colour, mixed, mixed blended

Then I noticed that Debenhams had 10% off beauty. I'd seen swatches of Short Shorts (frost) and Saffron (Satin) and thought they were nice. Whilst at the MAC counter I noticed that the MAs were wearing Sun Blonde with Saffron and I loved it but they didn't have it on display. When I saw the Debenhams sale I ordered them both along with my concealer and correcter which I was running out of.

L-R: Short Shorts, Saffron

L-R: Short Shorts, Saffron

I'm really glad I did because they are beautiful. I can't get over how pigmented the eye shadows in this collection are, they are amazing. I really hope that MAC continue to make them like this from now on. I didn't have a terracotta shade before and I was a bit scared of how it would look on my eyes but it is actually very flattering and versatile. I've used it with Sun Blonde so far which makes a lovely yellow-orange-terracotta gradient. I'd also use it with neutrals, pinks and browns and I think it would be fun to try with blues and greens.

Short Shorts

Saffron

L-R: Short Shorts, Saffron

So like I said, I read that you could dupe the gold overspray of My Paradise with Gold Deposit MSF, well I'm not sure. My Gold Deposit hasn't got much veining in it, it is mainly a deep gold copper colour with very little gold in it. I did swatch the gold area against the overspray of My Paradise and they are very very close. If this is what you want to do, I would suggest going to MAC and picking out your own Gold Deposit with the most gold veining and then swatching it against My Paradise to check how it looks. I'm not going to buy another one to use over this blush but the one I have would still look good over it although a little different. You might even be able to find an eye shadow in the same colour to use over the blush instead. Or you could just accept, like me, that once the overspray has gone, it is gone. I might go to buy NARS Luster at a later stage to replace the mixed My Paradise colour and then use My Paradise as just the base colour.

So there you go... a little bit of naughty extra shopping :P hehe!

- Jennifer

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Island Oasis Eyeshadow Palette Review

Outer packaging.

Hiya! I bought this palette from the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Collection about a month ago-ish. It contains six shades plus an applicator and a mirror in the top. It retails for £31 but Debenhams have a sale on at the moment so you can grab it for £27.90.

Actual palette

The description for the palette is:
Shades of paradise.
Highlight, define and dramatize your eyes with the shimmering metallics and sunlit satin shadows of summer.
Luxurious compact contains 6 complementary shades to wear alone or together–the possibilities are endless

The shades in the palette are a blackened olive with bronze/gold shimmer, a yellow gold, a bright turquoise blue, a pink golden bronze, a copper and a greyed blue silver. The colours have different finishes, mostly shimmers apart from the blue which is matte and the silver which is frosty. All colours are well pigmented and the shade range work well together. I particularly like the yellow with the olive shade on my green eyes. The pink bronze seems like it has a subtle duochrome effect as it appears to change colour from a pink bronze to a gold pink in different angles according to how the light hits it. It is a very pretty colour. I think this palette is universally flattering on all skintones and ages and it is perfect for Summer. You can use it for subtle looks of brighter and more dramatic looks so is a good all rounder.

  

The packaging is nice, it is sleek and sophisticated, classic like all Estee Lauder products. It should appeal to all ages. The outer is made of a faux leather feeling material in a coppery orange shade, and embossed in gold. The applicator is useless to me, as all applicators are. If you do like the applicators in palettes, this one has a little brush on the other end for blending.

Value wise, I think it is worth it, you get six colours for £31 so that is just over £5 per shade. Considering that they are well pigmented and I have got a lot of use out of it, I am glad I bought it.

- Jennifer

April Favourites!

I am soooo soo soooooo sorry for not posting in so long, I just haven't been in the mood for blogging (in other words, just plain lazy) and I had a cold so didn't want to post pictures of my awful blotchy face and crusty nose haha. Anyway, I'm back now and I have attempted to organise myself a bit better, I had a tonne of photos in my Photobucket account and I was getting confused as to where to start with them so I cleared it all up so it makes more sense to me so hopefully I will be able to get through them and finally post them here. So today I have a belated April favourites and later on I will be posting a review of some Bobbi Brown lipsticks. Tomorrow I have the latest OPI Today's Special Value from QVC that I recieved today. I will also post a review of the Illamasqua Toxic Nature nail polishes (old news now but they are permanent) and next week I will post a review of the cream pigments. Also the new MAC collection - Surf Baby which I had planned to do this weekend but it hasn't arrived yet. Let's get started!

This month I have been using all sorts of things, just playing around and trying to use some of my older products which have been neglected a bit. Therefore, there hasn't been much makeup that I have repeatedly used. These are the things I have really enjoyed using.

Firstly, Philosophy's Hope in a Jar moisturiser. I got this in a Philosophy gift set for Christmas and have been using it quite often along with a couple of other moisturisers. This month I have really noticed how nice my skin has been since I started using it both day and night every day. It is such a gorgeous product and I have hardly used any. It sinks into my skin really well, no oily residue at all. I don't get flaky skin like I used to and my skin tone has been getting more and more even where I barely use any foundation now. It also leaves my skin feeling soooo soft and plump and dewy and smooth... ahhh I love this stuff. I have a small size but the full size is £34 for 56.7g which I am willing to pay because it works so well for me.

Next is my MAC MSF in Stereo Rose which I have featured before. I really love this and it works so nicely in the summer, the perfect corally golden sheen to my cheeks.

Miss Dior Cherie EDP. This is my favourite perfume, I love it and wear it most days. It is so sophisticated and girly and feminine at the same time. The bottle is so pretty too. It just makes me feel pretty wearing it. I will do a full review on this soon.

Chanel Imitable Intense Mascara. This is a new product for me and quite frankly, the best mascara I have ever used. I had these awkward lashes that just would not curl up even using eyelash curlers but this has made them right. It doesn't flake or smudge and the brush is fab. It makes my eyelashes really defined and voluminous, a definite repurchase for me.

Lastly, another Chanel product. Rouge Coco Shine in Romance. This has become one of my favourite lipsticks and I really want to get a couple more colours from the range. They are so moisturising on my dry lips and they look so sophisticated. I like that they are sheer and glossy. The colour range is great too, something for every skintone. Expensive, yes, but I think they are worth it because I really enjoy wearing this.

- Jennifer

March Favourites and Harvey Dog!

Happy April! I hope everyone had a good month, it was my boyfriend's birthday at the end of it and we had a great weekend doing things around the town he lives in and in Eastbourne :) I got to see the gorgeous Harvey dog who kept us both very occupied playing with him in the garden, he likes to jump on the trampoline! (photo at the end) I made birthday cupcakes and we went out for a yummy Sunday lunch.

Here are five products that I've liked over March.

First, in the top left, we have Sally Hansen nail polish remover for dry brittle nails. You might be thinking that it is just a nail polish remover but it is a really good'n. My nails like to peel and break and since using this my nails have been pretty good... apart from the one I banged so it bled and now has a lovely crack in it. Other than being very gentle on my nails and conditioning them when I use it, it makes removing nail polish a doddle. Even glitter comes off easier than any other bottled remover I've used. I got it from the 99p Store. BARGAIN! I'm going to stock up on a few bottles as they are so cheap in case they stop stocking it. It is also sold in Superdrug (along with other removers for different types of nails) for £2 odd.

Next to that is Batiste Dry Shampoo in Dark and Deep Brown Hair. I bought this before I got my hair dyed to see if I could get on with it as I didn't want to wash my hair as often as I used to. It is pretty good. It comes out an ashy black/dark brown so completely dissappears into my hair which is great. I've always been put off dry shampoo as they are usually white and having dark hair it would show. This is good for me to get an extra day before shampooing again. I don't know if I'd get any more than that because my hair can get quite lank if left longer than two days when using normal shampoo, so I get three days before the next wash out of this. It doesn't make my hair feel as nice as when it has been washed but it is fine, it looks okay and I can put it up and it wont look greasy. Thumbs up.

Underneath is the Urban Decay Naked Palete. I'm not going to bother saying much about this, it has been reviewed so many times all over the place. If you want swatches, Temptalia always has good ones. I've been reaching for this more often than usual, just to get quick neutral eyeshadow done. It is great if I'm in a rush to get to work (always happens) and has some beautiful colours. There are so many possibilities in this palete and you can add a single brighter colour to change it up a bit. I like to use green... surprise surprise. I love Virgin for my brow bone and Sin is one of my favourite eyeshadows, it goes with everything and great for brightening the inner corner. I also really like Baked and Darkhorse, I use them a lot.

Bottom left is MAC My Highland Honey Blush from the Tartan Tale collection. This has been a bit neglected so I decided to pull it out one day and then ended up wearing it pretty much all month. It looks a bit orangy but isn't, it gives a nice warmth so my cheeks.

Finally, Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Liner in Espresso Ink. I absolutely love this. I'd wanted a brown eyeliner for ages but browns are often too light for my taste, I wanted something very dark, verging on black but wouldn't look so harsh if I wanted more subtle makeup. This is perfect. I love BB gel liners, the formula is great and they last so well. I often use this with neutral makeup, like in the Naked palete and also with greens as it looks more subtle. Definately a staple for me.

...

Anyway, here is the photo of Harvey on the trampoline that I promised. He is a seven month old Springer Spaniel and is just crazy. He loves to get in everything and since he discovered the trampoline you can't go on it without him trying to climb up haha. He runs in circles and pounces on you if you sit down and he likes to catch balls on it.

And here is one where he isn't leaping into the air so you can see his pretty face. I love him. This is his favourite spot in the garden. He is holding his newest toy, the peanut.

- Jennifer

February Favourites!

Hi all! Another month gone so it is that time again. February seemed to go so quickly and yet it seems like it was ages since this year began... wierd. Anyway, these are the things that I've been liking this month, my concealer and corrector from Bobbi Brown are still firm favourites for me but I wanted to show some other things instead.

MAC Stereo Rose MSF, MAC Dalliance Mega Metal Eyeshadow,
Lush Smitten, Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, Benefit So Hooked on Camella Eau de Toilette

Firstly, MAC Stereo Rose MSF (Mineralise Skin Finish). This was one of the first products I bought from MAC when I started buying from them last year. I thought the swatch picture on MAC's site looked quite nice and then I did a little google to see what it looked like on. This was before I was aware of the beauty blogging world so only had google pictures to go on but ended up going for it as so many people were saying it was nice. I thought it was really pretty in the pan at first but it just didn't seem to show up on me. When I bought my MAC 129 brush I realised that it wouldn't show up due to the crappy brush I was using before. It got shoved away because I still wasn't in love with it and then I thought I'd try it again last month and found have been reaching for it loads now. It just gives me a nice glow and adds a lovely colour. It is shimmery so it isn't something for everyone but I do love it now and I'm glad I purchased it.

MAC Dalliance Mega Metal Eyeshadow - You can see my review for these, including this shade here. This colour is lovely and works so well as just a wash over the lid area when you just want a bit of subtle colour. It is quite a versatile shade and would work with a nice range of colours. I've used it with green, cranberry, brown and turquoise so far (all mega metals). It also has a great texture.

Lush Smitten - This handcream is a funny one for me as I actually dislike the smell. It smells of almonds but more towards the marzipan side but not all the way there (if it did smell exactly like marzipan, I wouldn't use it... bleugh!). I suffer from ezcema and have done for years. It isn't terrible but it can get bad at times, especially in cold weather where my skin can become so dry and end up cracking so it bleeds. I got this product in a Lush hatbox and thought I'd try it out before giving it away as I didn't like the smell and found that it is actually a pretty decent hand cream. At the moment my hands aren't their best due to the cold weather we have had in London over the past few days and it takes a lot for a moisturiser to keep up. However, my skin is better than it would usually be. They are still sore but they are soft except for around my knuckles and between my fingers. Hopefully they continue to get better :D

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat - I am rubbish at keeping my nails looking nice after painting them. I always seem to bump them on something and smudge them. They always seem to take forever to dry and I'm just unpatient and sods law I need the loo or something straight after! I'm so glad to have read about this product and decided to buy it. It is just brilliant and dries my nails in 5 minutes. It penetrates through each layer of lacquer to dry and seal them. It also gives an amazing glass like shine finish.

Lastly, So Hooked on Camella Eau de Toilette from Benefit. I am rubbish at describing perfume but I really love this. I do smell vanilla and coconut in it and it is a sweet creamy sort of smell. Benefit have the base notes listed as Vanilla, Sandalwood and Amber (I often choose these for my perfume as I love how they smell on me) the middle notes as cyclamen, peony and tiare flower and the top notes as grapefruit, lemon and rhubard. Wierd how I smell coconut... I don't even like coconut but I do love this perfume. I think some people may say it is cloying but I don't find it to be, there is something there taking the edge off the sweetness for me, might be the florals or the zingy fruits cutting through it. This perfume lasts and lasts and lasts on my skin, something that rarely happens. I can still smell it on my scarf/coat a few days later when I haven't worn it. Also, the packaging is gorgeous, it is like a cocktail shaker which I think is really fun and the box is made of a thick cardboard and designed like a house with the front flipping down to reveal the interior. This is definately a repurchase for me and I'd like to try the other Benefit perfumes to see how they fare.

- Jennifer

January Favourites

My first favourites post! These are some products that I've really liked through January. I tend to mix and match a lot of things because I like to try out different products but these things I've used quite a lot.

At the top we have Benefit's Powder Time Lover. This was a Christmas product which I got in the Debenhams January sale. It contains 3 mini versions of Benefit's boxed powders in Dandelion, Dallas and Coralista. I think they are really nice powders and have enjoyed using them and trying out some of the colours Benefit has to offer.

Next, in the bottom left is MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study. It is a really pretty colour, a kind of pale gold. I like this to use for days when I can't be bothered or don't have time to do eyeshadow so just quickly apply this instead. You can't really get it wrong and it is lovely to brighten tired eyes.

The two skin toned products are Bobbi Brown Corrector (pinky colour) and Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (yellower colour). I adore these products, the best products I've tried for concealing my dark circles and I am really glad I've tried them. I use the corrector to neutralise the dark circles and then the concealer to cover them up and blend them into my skintone.

Lastly, MAC Fluidline in Dark Diversion. This is a great colour, I like it as an alternative to black and it really flatters my green eyes as they seem to look greener against the plum colour.

I will be doing full reviews for the Benefit powders and the Bobbi Brown Corrector and Concealer soon with swatches etc. Swatches for the two MAC products can be found in my Cham-Pale paint pot comparison and my Stylishly Yours purchases.

- Jennifer

Purple & Green Sparkly Eyes

This is a look that from Temptalia which is inspired by the Disney character Maleficent using some of the MAC Venomous Villains collection. I loved that collection and have wanted to do this look for a while but only got around to it on Sunday when I went out for the evening with friends. I love the colours and it is really different to my usual makeup. I didn't use all of the products that Temptalia did, I had to subsitute a few things. You can view the original Temptalia version here, Christine looks fantastic wearing this look.

Products used:
Face - MAC Prep and Prime Face, MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 in NC20, Bobbi Brown Corrector, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Beige, Benefit Dandlelion on cheeks.
Eyes - MAC French Quarter Greasepaint Stick as base, MAC She Who Dares Mineralize eyeshadow (green side), MAC My Dark Magic Mineralize eyeshadow (violet on lid, dark purple in crease), Urban Decay Graffiti 24/7 eyeliner, Urban Decay Heavy Metal liner (silver), Bobbi Brown gel liner (black ink - to tone down the glitter), MAC Plushlash Mascara.
Lips - MAC Violetta Lipstick, MAC Revenge Is Sweet Lipglass

I really enjoyed doing this look and the eyeshadow wore really well over the greasepaint. The eyeshadows are some of the prettiest eyeshadows I've seen, the green looks really cool when used wet. I'd like doing this look again, it makes a change from my usual makeup although it is only suitable for going out in the evening for me.

Photos (excuse how large my nose looks in these photos - it isn't actually that big haha... also excuse the unfinished bathroom!)

- Jennifer