Midweek Post: What have I been up to?

I have been a bit absent from blogging recently for a few different reasons. Firstly I have been working three jobs which has obviously been taking up a lot of time, then the days off I have had I have wanted to spend with friends or Ben, or on the sofa watching films! Secondly, I've lost a bit of 'mojo'- I'm using lots of products but I am having a bit of trouble forming an opinion on most of them, so I don't want to blog about them as that would be pointless, so I think I might include more makeup looks into the blog as I like to do them. Thirdly, I have been really busy aside from working, but it's those bits I'll include below :-)

I popped down to London a couple of weeks ago to be a practice model on a makeup course held by celebrity makeup artist Louise Constad. She was teaching a one day shortcourse to a lady who is a hairdresser at the BBC and wanted to branch out into makeup too. I'm booked in to attend Louise's 'Mastering Makeup' Course in March and she invited me down to meet her and to be a practice model. I really enjoyed myself, she has a crazy mini poodle who was so small! In the morning we had coffee and went through different magazines like Harpers and Vogue and talked through different makeup looks and trends. Couldn't help but notice an abundance of bleached brows! In the afternoon they did a natural makeup look on me, which included perfecting foundation and concealer, how to contour, different ways to do brows and a natural lip. Then they created a more dramatic look on me with graphic liner and Lady Danger lipstick from MAC (which I much preferred to the natural look ;-) ) My skin was so sore by the end of the day because my makeup had been off and on and off and on and being removed with makeup wipes each time which don't really agree with my skin. I had a great couple of days but they were so exhausting, really excited to do the week long course with Louise, March can't come soon enough!

Last Sunday I drove to Birmingham after work to see an old friend. On Monday morning we headed into Birmingham to do a bit of vintage shopping, we started in Digbeth and looked around the emporiums there. There was so many awful christmas jumpers I had to resist taking photos of all of them! She also took me to a sack sale where everything is a pound, and if you fill up a sack you get the lot for a tenner. I only picked up a couple of bits but I'm really pleased with them and you can't go wrong for £1 each! Later in the day we went to the German Christmas Markets which was absolutley huge, stalls included foodie ones with gingerbread, chocolates, candied nuts, deep fried cheese, waffles, pancakes, pretzels, reindeer burgers! Alongside mulled  cider and wine stalls, and Baileys hot chocolate. Shame I was driving home that night becaue I could have easily got pretty tipsy and spent the day tasting the alcoholic delights! There was crafty stalls too with German woodwork etc as well as local businesses that had hired pitches. Finished off the day in the Art Museum at the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. I don't go to many exhibitions any more, but I should make more effort as I did a degree in Art History! I loved seeing Alma-Tadema's 'The Bath' in real life.


Right, I won't bore you with anymore, just thought I'd include the highlights from the last couple of weeks! Have you been to any christmas markets this year?

New Cid I-Gloss in 'Raspberry Kiss'

New CID I-Gloss Light Up Lipgloss in 'Raspberry Kiss', £13.59 from hairtrade.com. 

I was so excited to try this! I've been curious about New CID for a long time and having the chance to trial one of their lipglosses made me feel like a very lucky gal.

I'll start with the packaging. At first glance this lip gloss looks pretty regular- the tube is transparent so that you can see the shade inside, but on closer inspection you soon start noticing the interesting stuff. Not only does the lipgloss have a mirror alongside the tube, which is handy, but as soon as you twist off the applicator this bright white light switches on automatically. These two features make it a very unique lipgloss and the perfect accessory for a night out on the town- you're sure to attract some attention with a lit up lipgloss and it'll save plenty of toilet trips as you'll have your very own mirror and light all in one place to top up. It could also make a great impromptu torch, or glowstick, should a situation where you needed either of these arise!

The shade 'Raspberry Kiss' looks a deep red in the tube but transfers a beautiful sheer berry shade on the lips. The pigment has enough depth to it that it is great worn at this time of year- on it's own during the day or layered on top of a red lippy for night time. There's lots of microglitter scattered through it but this isn't very noticeable when it is on, and the glitter wears off naturally with the gloss throughout the day.

The consistency of the gloss is lovely- it's light and non- sticky. I find it lasts around an hour and a half before it needs topping up, but if you don't have time to do this it does wear down to a subtle berry stain. The only downfall I noticed was that it settled into the lines in my lips however I imagine thise wouldn't be as noticeable with their lighter shades. If it does feather, this could probably be combatted using a lip liner.

All in all, this is a fab product and would make an excellent Christmas gift because it's a conversation starter paired with a good quality product inside. I love the shade because it is so wearable and I imagine it would suit almost everybody, even those who are shy of colour as it isn't 'too much.'
I definitely want to try more shades of these, 'Coral Candy' looks like my perfect summer colour. You can also watch a demonstration of the I-Gloss and other New CID products by clicking here.

This product was sent for me to review. Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products. You can buy this product by clicking here.

Midweek Post: Limited Edition LUSH Shower Gel.

LUSH 'Snow Fairy' Shower Gel, £4.25 for 100ml. (Limited Edition)
LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel, £4.25 for 100ml. (Limited Edition)

I popped into LUSH last week to pick up my annual bottle of Snow Fairy. I know it must be a love/hate scent because Snow Fairy is so sugary that it wouldn't appeal to everyone, but I do enjoy it's sickly sweet aroma. I don't however enjoy its sickly sweet aroma for more than 100ml. This gets a bit much and a bit samey very quickly, and while it is a treat to have, I'm always happy to see the back of it. Talk about a fickle relationship, eh?
I was really interested in buying Glogg but apparently missed the boat on that one as it isn't being sold this Christmas (even though it's on the website?) Instead the sales assistant showed me Ponche and Twilight. While I wasn't too fussed on the orange/tequila Ponche I was happily surprised at how much I liked the first whiff of Twilight. Infused with Lavendar and malt it seemed like the perfect night time shower gel. While it has the strong, herby scent of lavendar it doesn't have that nana smell that so many products have, it's got a bit more punch without being overwhelming or intoxicating. I've used it every day since.

I trotted home with my two 100ml shower gels a very happy girl. I am an absolute shower gel addict- I LOVE them! I think I've got 5 or 6 in regular circulation at the moment. The only downside to these two shower gels is that they contain parabens. I think it's a real shame that a company such as LUSH who champion cruelty free and natural ingredients are still including parabens which have such a bad stigma attached to them. If it wasn't for this fact I'd give these products a double thumbs up!

Counting down to December 1st...

When Ben told me the other day that he had ordered my advent calendar I was baffled and confused. Firstly, why was he ordering my advent calendar? Just go down Tescos, innit. And secondly, why was he ordering it in October?

As soon as a Selfridges box arrived (damn, I love them yellow boxes) I opened it up to discover an advent calendar, but not just any advent calendar, it's one from Ciaté. If you've not heard of Ciaté before, they're a nail polish brand with the cutest packaging- sweet little bows adorn every rectangular bottle and their shade range is to die for, they are also famed as founders of the 'caviar manicure.'
So, each day on the countdown to Christmas I will open a little window to discover a mini nail polish, how cool is that?
I only wish they hadn't included the contents on the back. Despite this I'm really excited to see what colours I'll get each day, bring on December!

December Favourites 2011 #TheBodyShop #MAC #YSL

The Body Shop Limited Edition Spiced Pumpkin Shower Gel £4 for 250ml

This was the perfect scent to wash with to make me feel ultra festive! A luxurious smell of spiced pumpkin pie, it was warm and sensuous and made me smell like christmas. Of course, post- Christmas it isn't as exciting to use but I'm using it up before I get started on my LUSH goodies. The smell lingers on my skin and makes me feel all cosy! I'm already looking forward to what seasonal LE Shower Gel they'll bring out next December.

M.A.C eyeshadow in Coppering, £11.50 for 1.5g

I have a weird relationship with M.A.C. eyeshadows, some I adore, some I really cannot bear- mainly the formula of some shades (generally the very light shades?) being chalky/ having very little colour pay off.

I must say, the formula of this is perfect; it's smooth and soft, so pick up on the brush is effortless and it blends so well. The shade is something pretty different to what I normally use, as it is red- brown, orange toned so originally I thought it might be hard to pull off, but I have been opting to use it a lot of the time because I think it's something a bit different, a varient on the usual browns I use almost everyday. It doesn't appear too heavy on the eye, as it produces a lovely warm copper colour.

It looks gorgeous with red lips and used in the crease of a smokey eye.

I'm really pleased I got this because it is a bit different to the usual, it blends gorgeously and I have managed to create a few different looks with this!! I'd definitely recommend!

Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss no. 45, £21 for 6ml

As mentioned in my post about the YSL 2011 Holiday Collection (here) I was lusting after the glosses. Although I adored the fuschia (no. 47), I opted for no.45 a translucent gloss with fine glitter particles that shimmer pink and purple. It looks like snow in it's tube so again, made me feel christmassy and is my most prized lipgloss. I absolutely love it, either on it's own or on top of lipstick. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! 

Photos just don't capture it's beauty!


What were your December favourites? Link me up!

Boxing Day NOTD #NARS

NARS Nail Polish in 'Arabesque', £13.50 for 15ml.

Hello lovely girls! How are all of your food babies? My ever expanding belly is a little uncomfortable to say the least today!

Just a quick NOTD to show you my new NARS nail varnish from my boyfriend to me for christmas yesterday. It's my first NARS Nail Varnish and hopefully not the last!!

 

Anything pink and sparkly appeals to me, and this nail varnish is a sheer gloss with very fine ballet- pink glitter particles. The photos show about three layers of Arabesque on top of a layer of pink polish. As you can see, this week has not been kind to my nails and I bit most of 'em off. New week new start though, my nails will be looking good again in no time!

Did you all have a lovely christmas? I feel so lucky to have had Eve, Day and Boxing off work, it's been so nice to properly relax and enjoy the festive period. I made full christmas dinner yesterday from scratch, and was so proud of myself. Ben told me the roast potatoes were the best he'd ever tasted!!

We had potatoes roasted with fresh thyme and rosemary, honey roasted parsnips, yorkshire puddings (Ben had beef so that's the excuse for those!), sage and onion stuffing, braised red cabbage in balsamic vinegar, and brussel sprouts, peas, carrots and brocolli all baked in a cheese sauce.

Evening nibbles;

Can't wait to see some christmas pressie posts!

As for me, posts I have coming up include; LUSH, Illasmasqua, NARS, YSL, Benefit, Dainty Dolls (Nicola Roberts makeup line), and more. I think I'm also going to do a December favourites post as well this month.

Beauty Christmas Gift Idea

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick £22.50

Not only have they been voted Number One best lipstick on the market by Dominique Major of The Independant, but the YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks have packaging that can be customised...

Image from the YSL Facebook fan page

 Take one lipstick in the shade of your choice, and get it engraved with your personal message. This makes a standard piece of makeup more special and personable and perfect for any female friend or family who likes a bit of luxury. Due to its metal casing, YSL products can be engraved, and because these Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks are square shaped it makes it easy to do this.

 

I went and got one for my mummy as part of her pressie this Christmas, then my boyfriend liked the idea and we got one for his mam too!! 

Apologies for the photos, it was so hard to capture the engraving, it's much more obvious in real life!

I really like this gift because I think it's a bit different and unique, I'm looking forward to giving it and I'd be absolutely chuffed to get this!

Have you got any great gift ideas to share with me?

Yves Saint Laurent 'Look Noel' 2011 Holiday Collection

I've got quite a lot to say about Yves Saint Laurent at the moment so I've decided to split it into two posts; one with a description and review of their Christmas '11 collection, and the other with YSL gifts I bought & reviews of the contents of my free makeup bag I got.

The only christmas collection that has truley excited me this season is the YSL Noel Christmas Collection. I work opposite YSL and it was becoming murder having to walk past this absolutely stunning collection everyday and remain resistant. Eventually I caved, but I remained sensible and only purchased one item when I could have easily purchased at least 4 items.

Image contains promotional photographs and some of the items in the collection (not all items are pictured here)

 The collection includes;

Two main focus palettes;

• Limited Edition Highlighter -The White Tuxedo Palette- Palette Blanc Terriblement which is the palette I chose to buy. I'm a complete sucker for highlighters and illuminators and the beauty of this palette drew me in, it was love at first sight because it looks and sparkles like freshly fallen snow (photographs don't do it much justice!). Consisting of three stripes; one pure white with dense white sparkle, pink toned glitter stripe and cool/blue toned shimmer stripe it means we can either stroke a highlighter brush up and down, or swirl to mix them together. The results are stunning and I love the finish it gives, the first day I applied this a stranger even asked what I had used on my cheekbones! It's different to any other highlighters I have, and as much as I'd like to say I'll save this for special occasions, I am beginning to use it nearly everyday! It is packaged in the YSL gold casing, but as a special addition is it is wrapped in a miniature black cumberband, linking the inspiration of the tuxedo throughout the products.

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• LE Eyeshadow- The Black Tuxedo Palette- Palette Noir Terriblement (View Here) is the perfect smokey eye palette. Consisting of 5 colours, the centre stripe is a pure sparkle white, and is surrounded by two black variants either side. It looks like a tuxedo and is packaged also with a cumberband surrounding the case. Lloyd Simmonds is a MUA for YSL and has quoted;

“Black is a color. Without black there is no line. At Yves Saint Laurent, black is rebel, potent, yet all so elegant. It is alive, it is the supreme emotion. Its force comes from the interior. It is light itself.” 

So while some may deem this palette as a bit of a cop- out, as it contains 4/5 shadows in black I believe it encompasses what YSL stand for; classic,stylish, stunning. To me, the palette is an artwork in itself, but that may be the makeup junkie/Art History graduate in me speaking!

• Two miniature eyeshadow palettes that embody classic winter/seasonal shades; Ombres Duolumières Noel 39 and 41 (View Here). 39 is rich gold pigment and a contrasting dark shadow. 41 is the same but with pure silver pigment. Combined both shadows are embossed with the YSL symbol and are accompanied with two miniature applicators. Both are beautiful, I was really tempted by 39 as I'm really into golds at the moment. The are soft and buttery in texture so would blend brilliantly.

• 3 LE lip gloss shades in Sparkling Transparent White, Sparkling Snow White and my personal favourite (which I need in my life) Sparkling Fushia- a stunning purple with fine holographic glitter particles. All add a frosted, icy finish to the lips and are shades that are completely different to any others I've seen recently.
• 8 shades of the bestselling Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks, these have also recently been voted the best lipstick on the market by The Independant. Shades include beautiful purples, burgundy reds and roses.
• Two nail varnishes- one gloss black finish and one matte black finish- Manucire Couture N°6 Terriblement Noir Duo- to create the YSL black manicure pictured in the campaign photographs. As striking as this take is on the classic french manicure, I do believe this look could be created with a cheap black varnish- using a matte top coat and then keeping it glossy for the tips.

The collection is inspired by the iconic YSL Le Smoking Tuxedo. This was created in the 60s and caught attention because it was a tuxedo for women, therefore breaking traditional boundaries of male and female dress, and in turn offering empowerment to women. We can thank the androgynous fashion that we all adopt now to Le Smoking Tuxedo.

Photography by Helmut Newton, 1975

The collection embraces everything that is winter and what winter should be; glamourous, exciting, using deep hues and daring colour. I think it is forward thinking and a new/improved version of the 2008 Autumn Androgyny collection. I adore the contrast between the black and white, laced with seasonal metallics and then the warmth from the deep magenta and purple accents found in the lipglosses and lipsticks. Sophistication is the word to decribe the collection, (compare this to the M.A.C. Glitter and Ice holiday collection which I found to be completely uninspiring and tacky this year) and that is why it is so appealing, it is a product of the YSL brand and it really is something special.