Viva La Guilty Pleasure!

I like to tell myself that my tastes have matured. In some ways they totally have, in clothes, for example. In fragrance too, but only to an extent. Whilst I love Jo Malone, Tom Ford & Elie Saab, I'm still a little prone to a spritz of a Britney perfume every now and then. I am not ashamed of this ;-) sometimes the occassion just calls for it!

Another favourite, but total guilty pleasure perfume of mine is one I was kindly given for christmas. It had been on my wishlist for a long time and whenever I was in a fragrance dep and I saw it's big pink bow on the shelf I would be sure to have a spritz. There's something so unashamedly gorgeous about this scent, it's sweet but not over powering, and feminine without being too floral. It's youthful, cheeky and fresh. And while I wouldn't be seen dead in a pink velour tracksuit with 'Juicy' embroidered across the butt, I would quite happily bathe in this stuff!

Juicy Couture 'Viva La Juicy' has top notes of Wild Berries, middle notes of Honeysuckle and Jasmine, and it settles down to base notes of Vanilla, Caramel and Amber. It seems to last fairly well on my skin but it is more the initial spritz of this that fills me with happiness. If you've been reading my blog a while you'll know how happy perfume makes me!

Yes, not the most sophisticated of fragrances, but one I love regardless. Do you have any guilty pleasure perfumes?

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.

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?