Bioscultpure experience! Plus a henna tattoo or two.

My friend who threads my eyebrows so marvelously has recently rented a space in a salon local to me. Things seem to be going well for her and I am so pleased, it's not often you find a thoroughly talented and knowledgeable beauty therapist (we've all had a bad experience with one whether it be leaving a wax appointment still with hairs on our legs or wonky eyebrows with a dodgy tint.)

She offered me a biosculpture treatment for free as she was training her sister. Obviously I jumped at the chance, my nails have gotten into an unkempt state recently and I was so thankful when I left with them looking 100% better. Biosculpture is just another brand similar to Shellac or Gelish. A gel treatment that doesn't offer extension, just a shiny coat on top of your existing nail length. My friend told me that Biosculpture helped nail growth and protected the underneath, so when I go for a soak off they will be in no worse state than when I came in. (I can assure you, I'm not sure it's possible for them to get into a worse state than they already were!)

I opted for the shade 'Prince' from the Royal collection. A turquoise, mid blue with sparkle running through it. I thought why not choose something different, and I've been really enjoying the colour! In the sun it looks like the sea on an exotic island- at least I can daydream that I am on holiday!!

I also left with a henna tattoo or two. Her sister is a trained henna artist and used natural brown henna, I've got a peacock feather on my right wrist and a mandala on my left arm. I love how they look a few days on, slirghtly worn and faded, that's the beauty of henna in my opinion.

Let me know if you have ever had Bioscultpure/Shellac/Gelish and which you think is best.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Lychee Luxe Lipglass.

 M.A.C. Tinted Lipglass in 'Lychee Luxe', £13.50 for 4.8g.

You may remember that I surprised myself a couple of months ago at how much I liked my first Lipglass from MAC (you can see a review and swatches of Pink Lemonade here.) Well, I soon gave in and ordered another, with the good-enough-to-eat name 'Lychee Luxe'.

For once, the website seemed to describe the shade of this quite aptly as a 'pinky coral with golden shimmer'  -it's a red infused coral which makes it perfect to wear during this transitional season and throughout autumn because it's got more depth and is quite intense. This makes me happy as it's no secret what a coral girl I am, and I'm not ready to give them up yet! The gold shimmer specks are obvious when you're up close but they're not too chunky, the gold creates a warm sheen when the gloss reflects the light.

As with all lipglasses, the consistency is thick and balmy, and it's because of this that people's opinions of them always seem so split. It is also quite gloopy but it's due to these factors that you get impresive pigmentation and a long lasting finish. Whilst these are nice layered on top of lipsticks, these pack enough punch to be worn on their own and unlike the negative effects MAC lipsticks have on my lips (always dry and worse for wear the next day), this isn't the case with the lipglasses, which is another bonus.

I think I'll purchase a couple more of these over time, I've definitely got my eye on Russian Red and Eclectic Edge. (I wish I'd bought True Babe, why are the best colours always Limited Edition?!)

Do you own this shade? Are you a lover or a hater of The Mac Lipglass?

GOSH Bronzing Shimmer Powder!

GOSH Bronzing Shimmer Powder in '002 Pink', £8.19  for 9g.

Realising I hadn't bought anything from GOSH (aside from their glitter pots for nails) in a couple of years I thought it time I re-acquaintenced myself with the range exclusive to Superdrug in the UK. I used to be a big fan of their pressed powders back in the day, great for pale skin!

This is GOSH's version of the shimmer brick (similar products available from Bobbi Brown and 17 to name two), technically classed as a bronzing powder I wouldn't personally use it in this way as the colour strips are much more suitable to be used as a blusher on my complexion. The sparkle shimmer would not be appropriate if you're looking for a contour or all-over bronzing shade.

Initially there are some chunky glitter particles on the top surface of the product. These do translate onto the skin and aren't very flattering as they are green/irredescent and very obvious, however after the top surface has been used these chunky particles are no longer visible in the product. Instead, a more natural (yet still shimmery) sheen can be seen and the finish is much more satisfactory and wearable!

With primer and foundation I find this product wears well for about 6 hours. After this it does become a bit patchy and worn looking on my skin.

The colour you achieve when the product is swirled together is a dusty, dirty pink colour. It's nice for everyday, and is mostly flattering if you work indoors, as the sparkle on the cheeks isn't very flattering in summer weather. Instead, this could also be used in the evening to add a highlight to the cheekbones, or to add a little shimmer on top of a matte cheek colour.

The packaging is really impressive, I love how flat the product is, considering there's 9g of powder the case isn't bulky, instead it is sleek and protective. I like that you can see through the plastic to see the product inside, and my favourite is the click shut/push button mechanism. It keeps it secure and it so easy to use (so much better than Illamasqua packaging, does anyone else get really annoyed/break nails opening that stuff?!)

Overall I do like this product, and don't think it is too bad for the price. However I wouldn't recommend it as a bronzing powder, more a shimmer blush if you're after one that is a good everyday pink colour. It's nothing overwhelming or must have, but not a bad product from GOSH!! I also bought a lipstick and a nail varnish, so expect reviews to come on those :-)

Thanks for reading, have yourself a lovely Saturday! I'm back to cleaning and sorting stuff out now, we have Dan Smith (from LA Ink) staying with us next week and I want our place to be a bit more organised (I've been on a selling rampage on eBay!)