Human Fundamentalism - Illamasqua.

So, after I sadly missed the Illamasqua event in Leeds a few weeks ago, I was sent a few of the products from the Human Fundamentalism Collection from Illamasqua. This collection is beautiful and if I could afford to own it all, I so would. As always, the makeup by Alex Box is outstanding as are the images for the collection.

I was sent the powder eyeshadows in Pivot and Cancan. Pivot is described as a yellow green, and Cancan a bright lilac purple. I think the two shades compliment each other so well. They are both matte shades and the pigmentation is fairly decent for mattes which are notoriously never amazingly pigmented - they have a smooth finish and are definitely buildable.

The star of the show for me though, and what brings the shadows to life is the Sealing Gel.. This stuff is like magic, and wowed me as soon as I used it. It transforms pigments, shadows and powders into an insanely pigmented and long lasting liner, in the above swatch picture the liner swatches are the shawows with the sealing gel (Sorry the swatches aren't the best) .. you can see what it does for yourself! Oh, and let me tell you this, those lines were there all day, after numerous hand washes, it is amazingly long lasting. I finally removed it with an oil based makeup remover.  I cannot wait to experiment more with the sealing gel and other shadows.

What do you think of the new collection? Do you have your eye on anything? I really want 'Box' lipstick and the neutral palette!

Butter London - Artful Dodger.

Butter London: Artful Dodger.

This true teal is a show-stopper. High fashion and so unique, it’s the perfect way to wear this trend without over kill.

I love this shade. It just has me staring at my nails all day long, which is always a sign of a polish that I really, really like. It's a lovely bright teal that is a perfect eyecatching summery shade. Two coats give an opaque finish that is glossy and lasts on me for about 3 or 4 days without a topcoat.

Have you tried this brand before? I'd like to try some of their other shades for sure, I love the formula and the finish on this polish.

Mascara Monday On Liloo's Blog.

To see my review on the above mascaras, hop on over to Liloo's blog!


Enjoy!

Andrea Fulerton NOTD.

Just a speedy nail of the day post today!

I got a couple of these Andrea Fulerton layering polishes for Christmas from my Mum, who knows that I am a polish addict! Art attack is a vivid gorgeous blue shade that is stunning. Disco Diva is the perfect purple.

I love the two together. Blue and purple are a fave combination of mine.

The blue has a yellow sheer layering polish, the purple has the orange. I was temped to layer and see how they looked, but I loved them so much alone that I left them, so I can't say how they look layered yet.

Both shades were opaque within two coats, and have a lovely high gloss finish, I didn't use a topcoat.

Check out the range here.

Smokey Eyes With The Body Shop.

Hey Everyone!

At the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Autumn/ Winter 2012 The Body Shop's head make-up artist Lan Nguyen created some edgy smokey eye looks on the models. The body shop have a video on their you tube channel, and an interview with Lan, which is well worth a watch.

Here is the video with Lan.




Anyway, I was contacted and asked if I would like to create my own smokey eyes for my blog with the same products (which were sent to me*) that Lan used in the video. I love to play with makeup and create looks, so I said yes!

READ MORE >>

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows.

I was so thrilled to hear that we were finally going to be getting the Maybelline 24 hours Color Tattoo Eyeshadows here, after seeing them on US you tubers channels and blogs for the past few months. I have a couple so far, but love them enough to want all of them - these are seriously good.

• On and on Bronze: Just a pretty shimmery bronze shade, no glitter involved, just a gorgeous smooth bronze with shimmer.

• Permanent Tapue: I love this, just a matte taupey grey shade. It's a great base for so many looks and I can't wait to use it more.

My swatches are just one swipe of each colour. I didn't over swipe to build up the colour, so you are seeing the pigmentation as it is. They are really creamy and smooth, and blendable, tonly if you blend them before they set, because once they do they are not budging.

Do they last for 24 hours though? .. Not for me, no. I got about 6 hours wear before I noticed a tiny bit of creasing, but please bear in mind that I have oily skin and lids, and MAC paintpots crease in the same amount of time on me. I think with UDPP underneath, or powder on top (I didn't use either when I tested them) they would last much longer. The colour stays bright throughout the wear and they look great alone, or as a base for other shadows.

According to the Boots website we have only 7 shades available to us in the UK. I'm pretty sure there are more in the US (Sadface! WHY?!) .. I definietly want to pick the others up and have them all, they are really great and totally comparable to a MAC paintpot, at a fraction of the price.

What do you think of these, have you tried them yet?

These are just £4.99! You can get them here.

- Sleek Makeup Blusher, Pomegranate.

I loveeee Sleek as a brand so much. Their eyeshadow palettes are my faves, but I also love the other products they do. The blushers are definitely among my favourites. I have quite a few now.

Today I wanted to do a post on Pomegranate. This blusher didn't interest me when it first came out. I thought it looked too dark and just 'blah'. But when I saw it with my own eyes I realised I was wrong. It is a lovely pink deep berry-ish shade that is amazingly pigmented, smooth and blendable.

This is one of the shimmer blushes, and it is insanely smooth and blends like butter (I said that already, right?) .. You need to use a light hand, but it gives such a pretty glow and flush of colour.

How pretty? That is one swipe!

I love Sleek! You can see their website here. This blush is here and is just £4.30!

Mont Bleu Review.

I was recently sent some products from Mont Bleu to review. They are a company based in Prague. They have a great website and produce glass nails files as well as a selection of other products from tweezers, to costume jewellry .. Take a look here.

They were kind enough to let me choose a selection of products, and this is what they sent me.

First impressions were great, I love the delicate crystals that decorate the items, it adds a nice girly touch of glamour. Everything came packaged really well, and I had the package within a week of dispatch.

First up, their Heart Crystal Nail File. Now, I have never used a glass file before, but I had read lots about them, and know that they are better for the nails than regular files, they help to strengthen, and they last for years apparently (I don't know about that yet - but if so, great!) .. It was weird for me to use at first after being so used to normal emery boards, but this is definitely tons better. It is so sturdy, it leaves my nails so much smoother and they don't chip or peel very much at all. I figure the more I use this, the better improved my nails will become. I am definitely converted! The tiny crytals attached to it just add a nice touch of glam, which I love.

READ MORE ... >>

Schwarzkopf [3D]MENSION Anti-Dandruff Range.

One for the men today, or the man in your life!

My boyfriend has recently been trying some products from the [3D]MENSION* range for men from Schwarzkopf.

Here are his words, written by me (for him!) ..

I like the bold coloured packaging, it stands out.

• 'Schwarzkopf [3D]MENSION Anti-Dandruff Shampoo ' .. Clear your hair and scalp of dandruff with the Schwarzkopf [3D]MENSION Anti Dandruff Shampoo, a deeply clarifying yet gentle formulation.

The shampoo doesn't have much of a scent to it, which I like and prefer. It lathers well and a little of it goes a long way (about a two pence piece size)  and it leaves my hair feeling soft and clean. It is specifically designed for people with dandruff, and I notced after a a single use that I didn't have any atall, and my scalp felt more soothed.

• 'Schwarzkopf [3D]MENSION Anti-Dandruff Tonic' .. Instantly relieve your itchy, flaky scalp with the Schwarzkopf [3D]MENSION Anti Dandruff Tonic, a deeply clarifying fluid that boosts the efficacy of the Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.

The tonic was a weird one for me. I am normally used to washing and going, but Sophie explained that I was to put it on after the shampoo and leave it in. I really like this, it has a stronger scent than the shampoo, but it is a manly, afstershave like scent, that is not overpowering. This is a gel that is applied to the scalp and it instantly cools and soothes my scalp. I really like it.

So there you have it. I think he liked it! He is definitely interested in trying other things from the range, and will definitely repurchase these items, they have really got rid of his dandruff so well. (Which pleases me!)

What's their secret? .. John Frieda Full Repair.

More about the new range here.

I'm pretty sure if you're in the UK that you will have seen the adverts for the new range from John Frieda.. It is designed for damaged hair that is over coloured and/or over styled. I was sent the range and I am currently trying out the products (so far so good!) to do a review on in a few weeks.

Here is a short clip from the John Frieda You Tube.

Neäl & Wølf: 'Everyday Indulgence.'

I love hair products, and I am always, always trying new products and things on my hair. I have recently been trying out some Neäl & Wølf * hair products, this brand and range was very new to me, and I had only heard of them briefly before.

Neäl & Wølf is the brainchild of Neil Capstick. Having worked in the hair industry for over 20 years, he has used his extensive experience and understanding of professional salons and stylists to create this exciting debut range.

I've been trying the shampoo, intensive treatment, volumising lotion, super shine spray and the hold and shine spray and I have really enjoyed them all. The packaging for the products is very luxurious looking, and all the them smell amazing, and it's a scent that lasts on the hair until the next wash, which I always enjoy.

......READ MORE......

My Current Product Love!

Shampoo: John Frieda Repair & Protect.
Conditioner: John Frieda Repair & Protect.
Hair Mask: Aussie 3 Minute Miralce..
Styling products: John Frieda Repair & Protect Styling Spray.
Shower gel: Soap & Glory, Clean on me.
Body moisturizer: Aveeno creamy oil.
Face Mask: Liz Earle.
Cleanser: Cetaphil.
Foundation: Boots No7 BB Cream.
Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte.
Concealer: Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection.
Blush: MUA Mosaic Bronzer (Sunkissed Glow).
Bronzer: The Balm 'Bahama Mama'.
Highlighter: Prestige Baked One (The light one!)
Eyeshadows: MUA, Sleek, Urban Decay.
Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion.
Eyeliner: MAC Blacktrack Fluidline.
Mascara: Revlon Grow Luscious.
Lashes: Girls With Attitude 'Wild & Flirty' Lashes.
Lipstick: MAC Rebel.
Lipgloss: Not much at the moment.
Perfume: Stella, Stella McCartney. I love it.
Nail color: None at the moment. They are all a nice length too, but I have a split in one, so they're gonna have to go. *Sadface*

What are you all using right now?

- Scarlett Necklace and Yummy Mummy Week!

Hey Everyone!

Today I have something a little different for you. I don't often write about jewellery, apart from the odd haul with some cheap Primark costume jewellery or whatever, but today I want to show you a beautiful piece that I have from Scarlett Jewelry.

They recently approached me and asked me if I would like to be sent a piece from their 'Yummy Mummy' collection.

In the run up to Mothers Day they are having a Yummy Mummy week. This is where Between the 18th February and Mothers Day on 18th March 2012, Scarlett will be donating 15% of the sales price from all pieces on their Yummy Mummy page to Clic Sargent. Clic Sargent is an amazingly worthy cause, which helps children and young people who have cancer. A very worthy cause, I am sure you will agree.

The pieces are just beautiful, and I am sure that any Mother would love a meaningful piece that is also helping a charity when purchased.

.. Continue Reading ..

- Japonesque Makeup Tools. ♥

I LOVE Makeup Brushes. They are one of my obsessions, and I believe you can't have too many! I think I have close to 100, which I know is ridiculous, but I love them sooo much! I especially have a thing for eyeshadow and crease brushes, but I love them all.

I have recently been playing with these lovely Japonesque Makeup Brushes*. I had never heard of the brand until quite recently when they were popping up on lots of blogs, after being made more available in Boots and John Lewis.

Here are the brushes I have.

1. This brush is cute! The travel sizes have a reasonably lengthed handle that is easy enough to use. This brush is small, and I found that it worked well for lining the lower lash line. It's too small and stiff to lay colour down, but is great for smudging out liner.

2. Oh how I love this brush! It is large and fluffy, as the title suggests! It is great for a wash of colour on the lid, or my personal favourite, which is highlighting the brow bone. The soft bristles lay the colour down and blend it perfectly. This is also large enough for the face and I love it for highlighting my face too.

3. The crease brush! I told you I love crease brushes. This brush is soft, tapered to a perfect small point for precise crease work, and is lovely and dense, so it picks up just the right amount of colour. I am so happy to have this addition to my brush collection.

4. Hmm. The lash placement kit. What to say? .. I saw a review of this somewhere once where someone raved about it, and I really wanted to see how it performed. Now, I don't struggle with lashes that much, but any help is always welcome. I'll be honest, this was a fail for me, but I have seen so many positive reviews that I am not going to give up. I'll just practise more!

5. Believe it or not I do not own a fan brush, and never have. I really wanted one though, so was excite about this. The bristles are lovely and soft, and I love to use it for a light bronzer, blusher, or highlighting my cheeks. It's also great for sweeping away fallout from messy eye shadows. A lovely brush!

 I do have another brush which isn't photographed because it was dirty and I wanted them all clean for the picture. I will review it separately though, it is one of my faves of them all!

So all in all I really like these brushes, they feel very sturdy and are high quality, they wash really well and I haven't experienced any shedding whatsoever with any of them either, which is always a good thing.

It seems that Japonesque brushes are a little hard to find, but I am sure if you go into a larger boots store they will have a better selection than the website. Here are some of the places online where you can purchase them.

John Lewis, Boots, Cocktail Cosmetics, Love Makeup.

Batiste Cherry - The Cherry On Top!

Yet another new *Bastiste, this time in Cherry flavour.. or scent, whatever you want to call it! (I prefer flavour, much to my boyfriends annoyance!)

I pretty much love all of the Batistes that are available, they get the job done, refresh my hair, give it a bit of oomph even when it doesn't need refreshing, and they smell good. This one is lovely and fruity, the scent is lush and it lingers on my hair too!

The packaging is super cute, it's cheap, and it smells good. I can't recommend this enough, or any others from the Batiste range for that matter.

This is just £2.99 from Boots.

February's Glossybox!

I am late with this. Super late, I know! I have been a bad blogger lately, but I'm still not better and I haven't been in the right mind set to blog. I do feel I am getting there now though, so more posts to come.

So anyway, The February Glossybox*. (I know you've all probably seen it already, but if not, or if you want to know my thoughts, read on.)

Meh. That was my first thought when I opened it. The only things that caught my makeup addict eye were the eyeshadow from BM Beauty, and the DuWop Gloss (which I slapped right on my lips!)

Sure, there was a magic soap, and a body lotion, but I feel like there always is something like that.

Anyway, I've tried everything now, and I want to share my thoughts.

-Let's begin with Dr Bronner's Magic Soap. This stuff is the king of multi tasking, claiming to work on the body, your face, hair and even for house cleaning and god knows what else. It is all organic, and is said to dissolve dirt. I have only used it a couple of times for my hands, just to test it. It smells nice, creates a nice lather and leaves my skin feeling smooth and hydrated. Definitely an intriguing product.

-Como Shambala Invigorate Lotion. This is nice, but I have so many body lotions, and I already have faves that I use, so I wasn't that excited by this. It smells lovely though, and doesn't take ages to soak into the skin nor feel greasy. It's a great little travel size.

-Paul Mitchell Smoothing Serum. I haven't tried that many Paul Mitchell products, so I was excited to give this a go. I know some boxes had a curling serum, but mine is the straight hair one, which is a shame, as I have curly hair. Anyway, I used it when I straightened my hair ... it smelt good and hair was sleek and shiny looking afterwards, but I'm not sure it was much different to when I use drugstore straightening balms, that cost lots less.

-BM Beauty Eyeshadow in 'Her Majesty'. This is gorgeous, but not a colour I can see me wearing on my eyes. It's a good cheek colour though, and is a very pigmented and smooth blendable powder. I have tried it as blusher a couple of times, and it reminds me of Sleek's Rose gold. It's very pretty, with a lovely gold sheen. I would like to try more from this brand, which Kimberley Wyatt (former Pussycat Doll) runs with her friend I believe.

-DuWop Lip Venom Gloss. This was exciting, I have heard of this brand loads, but never tried anything. I put this on right away and the tingle started! It has a sweet/spicy taste to it, and it tingles so much, but not in an uncomfortable way (though that's a matter of opinion.) .. I asked my other half if my lips looked bigger, and he said they actually did.. So I scooted off to the mirror to find that they did look more plumped - not amazingly so, but slightly. It's a nice nude shimmery shade called Buttercup. I will definitely use this up, and consider purchasing a full size.

And because I am so late with this, you are probably all aware of the Mystery March Box already.. Exciting stuff though!

Check out GLOSSYBOX here.

MUA Professonal Goodies!

I am absolutely loving some of the products from the MUA range at Superdrug. I especially love the palettes and really want to purchase some more of them, but here is a quick review on a couple of other items I picked up.

 The primer is a gel like consistency, and it doesn't feel overly slippery when applied. It sets to the skin quite quickly, and gives a smooth surface which makes for a lovely smooth foundation application. Unfortunately though, this didn't work for me, it did not keep my oily skin at bay, and my foundation slid off my skin (which is quite oily) after just a few hours.

The mosaic brozer is great! I am in love with this product, it has great pigmentation and gives such a lovely visible flush to the cheeks without needs a ton of product. My own small complaint is that when you swirl your brush into this you get quite alot of dust residue, but for the price I sort of expect that. It's a great product though, and I need more colours. The mix of all of the shade swirled together give a lovely look, I didn't find that this wore off quickly, it lasted as long as any of my MAC blushers do, and had more pigmentation.

Mosaic Bronzer £2.50
Primer £4.00

Have you  tried either of these? Do you have any other MUA recommendations?

Review: (PMD) Personal Microderm.

 

Hi Everyone.

I was recently offered the chance to try the *PMD (Personal Microderm) system to use at home. I was very excited to try this. I don't know a great deal about Microdermabrasion, but I know that it is pricey and can have some amazing effects. I was excited to be able to try it for myself at home. I had also seen a few reviews on you tube before, and everyone always spoke quite highly about it.. I was a bit nervous too though!

The PMD system comes with a DVD that you must watch to make sure you do the treatment correctly. It is pretty straight forward, but is a must see before you start. The box includes spare dermabrasion discs, which are colour coded for the more/less abrasive ones.

Training Video (this is the same as the DVD.)




I do have a before and after image (below), but the before image was a couple of weeks before I got the PMD. I had major bad skin and had to wait for those nasties to clear up before I used the device. I think the after shot speaks for itself. I mean, you can hardly even see the scars from the spots that were in the before picture. You can see more Before and After shots on their website.

(Note, you cannot use the PMD on actual flared up/open spots, wait until they are healed before you use it on that area, like I did. And you must not hold it in one area for any length of time, it needs to be constantly moving, otherwise it can cause scabbing.)

So the idea is to start with the smaller less abrasive disc to start (blue), and that you only use it once a week (5/7 days).. Here is my little diary from my first few uses:

(Click to continue reading..)

Three Weeks Makeup Free FOTD.

Hey everyone.

I'm still recovering, and haven't had the drive to do any blogging. Mainly because I have tons of products to post about (I am so behind!) and I need to take pictures. I'm still not that agile, but I am getting there a little more each day.

Anyway, I am three weeks post op now, and last weekend was my first dip back into makeup. It's funny, I was worried I may have forgotten, but it was like seeing an old friend again, and it perked me right up too! I don't think I've gone that long without makeup in years.

I went for a smokey look with some copper tones, and glitter. Here it is!

I didn't take note of everything I used, but it was basically coppery toned shadows on the lid, with a deep matte brown on the outter corner and crease. The glitter is a copper one from Beauty UK which I love - they deserve posts of their own!

For the lips I used a red on the outter edges, and blended in Barry M #147 (Peachy Pink).. I like the shade they came out. Such a bright coral shade!

That's all for now. I think I'll do an update post soon, about what's going on with me and everything.. I'm just not ready to write about it yet, I also have a few reviews to come too!

Have a great weekend!

PS: As an extra added note, can you tell I had my hair cut? My Mum came for the week after I had surgery to look after me, and she cut and layered it for me, it is much more manageable. Thanks Mama! :)

.

February Carmine Box!

My apologies for the lack of photos. My camera is currently missing and I don't know where I have put it. I will try to add images soon. But you can see the products on Gemma's blog. The only difference is my nail colour.

For me this months Carmine box* is a keeper! I am so impressed by the Carmine box, for every one I have had I have been super happy with. This one is no different. There is a whole variety of products and there is something for everyone I reckon.

This months box includes:

Andrea Fulerton Nail Polish: I love this! I got a pale sheer shade with a shimmer to it called 'Matthew' that will be so perfect for layering over more opaque shades. I like the quality of these polishes, I got some for Christmas and love them.

Steam Cream: This is so cool. It comes in such a groovy tin that looks like earth and stars. This is a multi purpose moisturising product for body, face, and wherever! I wanted to love this because the packaging is amazing, but I can't stand the smell, it smells very strongly of lavendar. I gave it to my BF, with instructions to give me the tin back when he is done!

Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick: I got the shade 42. From the swatch shades on the sample card it looks like a nice deep red-ish shade, but it isn't, it's more bronze and not a shade I love. I do love the opacity and quality of the lipstick though. It is super pigmented, and moisturising. I'd like to delve deeper into some products from this range.

Whiteglo Toothpaste: This was an odd, but welcome addition for me. I am forever on the hunt for products to make my teeth whiter! This is said to be the choice for actors and models. Well, if it is good enough for them, then it is for me too! I'll report back.

Balance Me Bodywash: This is a full size moisturising body wash. It smells wuite citrussy to me, and is pleasant to use, it lathers wekk and does leave my body feeling really smooth, and it's nice to not have to bother with body butter sometimes - this is great for those days!

Yardley Perfume: This smells like a bunch of flowers to me. I don't hate it, but I wouldn't buy it. My sample was only half full too. I'm not excited by the scent atall. It just isn't 'me'.

Check Carmine out, and subscribe here.