I'm actually really pleased with how it came out, much better than my last attempt! What do you think?
- Jennifer
Sunday 12 June 2011
Cherry Blossom Nails - Take 2
Every time I look at my most viewed posts, my cherry blossom nails that I did a while ago are one of the top posts. Considering that they came out terribly, I've been wanting to redo them. I used Barry M Blue Moon as my base colour and then used my Rio Nail Art pens which I got from Amazon recently. I think they are excellent so far and I will be reviewing them fully in a few weeks once I've got to use them a few more times to try out different things.
I'm actually really pleased with how it came out, much better than my last attempt! What do you think?
- Jennifer
I'm actually really pleased with how it came out, much better than my last attempt! What do you think?
- Jennifer
This months magazine freebies!
A few magazines in the UK are giving away some nice beauty related freebies this month.
First up, Glamour magazine - £2
Glamour is giving away free Benefit products. You can choose from Benetint, Poseytint or High Beam. Each product is 4ml so they aren't full size but for £2 it is a great way to try them out before getting the full size. They will last ages too so you can't really go wrong. I picked up Poseytint. I already have Benetint in full size which is really nice and give a pretty natural flushed colour to your cheeks and lips, as if you have been out in the cold. Poseytint is a petal pink version of it (the texture is slightly different, more gel like for this one) and it gives a lovely pink glowy tint to cheeks and lips. They are both stains and will last all day. They are also good if you are wearing lipstick in similar shades and can use them underneath so that when the lipstick wears off you still have a colour stained on your lips. They would be fantastic for festival weather as they will last all day and not wear off. Make up remover takes them off with ease. I'm not sure what High Beam is so can't comment on that one.
Harpers Bazaar - £4.20
Harpers Bazaar are giving away a choice of three Leighton Denny shades. Those of you who have read my blog for a while will probably noticed that I am a big fan of Leighton Denny products and I have always wondered why they aren't featured more in the bloggingshere. I was really pleased to see them being given away on the magazine as they will hopefully get the exposure they deserve. The three colours to choose from are Supermodel (Leighton Denny's best selling colour), a pretty greige/taupe shade. Do Me A Flavour, a bright orange from the Summer Gelato collection and finally Viva La Diva, a classic bright red cream finish. All of the shades are cream finish polishes and full size. Leighton Denny lacquers typically are a great consitency which glides across the nails and is self levelling so it is so easy to get a perfect finish. They have a high shine gloss when they are dry and it looks like you already have a glossy top coat on (you should still use it to prolong wear although the polishes always last really well on me anyway). I bought Viva La Diva and Do Me A Flavour, I already had Supermodel (you can see a swatch of it here).
Leighton Denny actually has a TSV on QVC today (sorry for not posting this earlier but I couldn't get on the computer!) It is in it's last hour right now and will be available at the special price until midnight, after that it will go up to the regular price. It is almost sold out right now so be quick if it appeals!
Red Magazine - £3.80
Red Magazine is giving away free Jemma Kid lip glosses. There are three colours to choose from, a nude, coral and red. I got the coral. The glosses are quite sheer but very glossy. They would work well over lipsticks so you could see the colour underneath. They are non sticky and smell fruity. I however do not like the smell of them and it gives me a headache as it is quite sickly unfortunately. They remind me of the smell of Body Shop glosses which have the same effect on me. If you are one that doesn't like scented lip products, back away from these.
- Jennifer
First up, Glamour magazine - £2
Harpers Bazaar - £4.20
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| L-R: Do Me A Flavour, Viva La Diva. |
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| L-R Do Me A Flavour, Viva La Diva - look at the gloss on these! No topcoat was used. |
Leighton Denny actually has a TSV on QVC today (sorry for not posting this earlier but I couldn't get on the computer!) It is in it's last hour right now and will be available at the special price until midnight, after that it will go up to the regular price. It is almost sold out right now so be quick if it appeals!
Red Magazine - £3.80
- 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.
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
 |
| 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
Monday 6 June 2011
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.
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| 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
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