Harajuku Girls just wanna ....... Shop!!

So today I really wanted to write a review of my CHI collection as I visited the hair fairies last night and discovered some things about the condition of my hair that i thought anyone using CHI or looking to try out CHI may like to know. However, that is on hold until the weekend as I made a few purchases today i am super excited about!! (i'm sad I know) .. if i have enough time i will make sure I post a blog about CHI but i'm off out soon so not much time.

So here is my first purchase which I am LOVING!


Its Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Fragrance! How cute is this?! I actually seen these last month when i was on my way to Berlin but didn't have enough time to have a proper look. They have just launched in the UK so I was so happy when i stumbled across them in my local Boots! I picked up Love/Sweetstuff which is described as 'Caring and free-spirited, Love is always off in her own little world. Stepping out in a striped mini-dress and street-chic red kicks, Love wears her heart on her sleeve. Her scent is an unforgettable bouquet of pink pomelo, rose, and creamy vanilla orchid' ....(what is pomelo? I am not sure) ... I actually thought the fragrance may be a bit naff as to me its more of a novelty but i was pleasantly surprised when they all turned out to be really lovely and very wearable! I also bought G/Leader of the Pack (I'm assuming this is supposed to be Gwen) for my friend - this is more coconutty and really reminds me of being on holiday - lush! I actually ended up with this one all over me because as i was putting the tester back on the shelf, the shelf collapsed and the bottle fell on the concrete floor. I thought the bottle was fine until i picked it up and it practically drowned me in its suncream-esque fragrance! Although i did get a couple of compliments about smelling so nice when i went to the next shop so it wasn't all bad!!

Aside that I also picked up a new lippy from Barry M. Now I do admit, I am a bit of a make up snob at times and I don't usually get sucked in by anything too gimmicky (How ironic after buying Harajuku Lovers! lol). But when it comes to high street/drugstore brands ... Barry M is one I always go for (along with Gosh, Too Faced and Revlon). So today I picked up shade 136. I never quite suit a nude so I tend to go for something with a bit more of a gold shimmer in it and this one is just perfect for me. Here it is in the tube and then on my lips. (apologies for the blurring it was on my camera phone)


It went really well with my look today with Macs 'all that glitters' and 'sable' on my eyes. In fact this lipstick is almost like the lipstick version of all that glitters.

I then headed to TK Maxx where I picked up quite a few bargains so here is a few of themI bought the St Tropez auto-bronzant complete tanning system for only £12! It has Steps 1-3 of the St Tropez tanning process so thats the body polisher, moisturiser and bronzing lotion. Now I am not a big fan of St Tropez, I usually wear Fake Bake or an American brand called Sunbrushed (which is amazing - must let you all know about it soon) ... but at that price I was not leaving it on the shelf!! Is anyone spotting I love a bargain yet?! lol. I will use it as my back up when my other tans run out!
I also bought some 'beyond bronze' factor 30 ... good for the summer hols. These days i keep my factor high as I don't want to risk wrinkles, leathery skin or skin cancer! These were only £1 each reduced from £8 - amazing!! And just as a bit of a joke item i bought a Massive bronzer compact for 50p ... i probably won't use that too much as the product does not look very good at all but i thought the size of it was hilarious (and again, i did say i don't 'usually' go for gimmicks!!)

The final bargain I picked up was Elizabeth Ardens Green Tea cooling body spray ... its just so fresh and lovely! Just a spritz or 2 of it and you're feeling nice and sparky again .. the smell is so calming too! Nice.

So sorry for another long and pointless post! I promise i don't always spend time at the shops ... can't afford it for a start but luckily this is pay week - hurrah!

I will post over the weekend about the CHI products as promised, hope you will find that interesting!

The search begins ...... and mini haul!

So after the warm/cool debate ........ i decided for myself i must have a warm skintone and lucky for me the Mac assistant agreed with me when i went in to have a look in store today! yay!
However she did say i should still wear my NC foundation but break it up with NW concealer and powder to set so that i don't end up looking too golden yellow! I still haven't chosen a new foundation yet but i did pick up some Chanel pro lumiere samples and my friend bought YSL perfect touch and it looked great on her! So now i know I am warm toned (sorry but i had been needing confirmation of that for like 2 months before i could move on with my life! lol) i can begin the search for the perfect foundation to give me flawless beautiful skin.

So my little look around the shops turned into a bit of a shopping spree ..... and here is what i got!

• I picked up a cute pair of little purple pumps fromCoast in the sale ..... normally not the kind of thing i would go for but they were so cheap (£16) that i could not leave them in the store!
• Chi Volume Boost and the infamous Chi silk infusion ... this is my second bottle of this in the past month but again its going so cheap in Sally's just now that i would not dare leave it!
  
• RMK eye make up remover ...again another sale item. I have never tried this before but i have just run out of eye make up remover so nice timing!
• YSL Faux cils mascara in black ... love this!
  
• Urban Decay Velvet rope set - i have been hearing about these eyeliners from everywhere at the moment ... they are just so gorgeous and creamy and such a lovely colour selection - so wearable. love love love!
• My beloved Nars Orgasm. Its a kind of peachy pink blush with a gold shimmer going through it ... hmm lush!
• Mac select cover up concealer in NW20 and Mac select sheer pressed powder in NW20 ... i have never tried either of these so i am hoping they work well. I bought the powder because the other night i dropped my studio fix in the toilet while getting ready to go out for the night - whoops!! Hopefully this will be better than studio fix as it could be a bit cakey. I also bought Patina eyeshadow but didn't get a picture of this as i put it in its palette then misplaced it in the house somewhere .... so at the moment i desperately want to try a look with it but can't find it!!! idiot!
  
• Finally, i bought a candle from Nars called Shangri-la .... ooh it smells so gorgeous

So all in all quite a good spree i would say. I have a few other things I am on the look out for when i finally decide on a new foundation .... like Estee Lauders signature palette in 'Amber Honey' ... I've always thought of Estee Lauder as a brand for older woman but i am really drawn to this palette ... has anyone else used or uses Estee Lauder?
What do you think of it?
Rate or slate?!

xx

Too cool for school?!

So .... first post on my blog! wow! Here goes ..........

Since around about Christmas time I have been looking for a new foundation. I normally wear Mac Studio fix fluid in NC25 .... however i find it can be a bit thick ... look patchy after a while ... and tends to make me look a little on the jaundiced side!

So being an NC this would mean i am a cool skin tone, which is exactly what the Mac assistant advised me when i purchased the foundation. (Bear in mind i have been wearing this shade for around 3 or 4 years now). Now, I have red hair, quite a deep auburn in fact. I have blue eyes and very pale skin - in fact i never tan nor even burn but i do have a multitude of freckles! I am rarely seen in my naked ghostliness however as I am a major fake tan addict so i always have a bit of colour about me ...... sorry Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud - i just don't do pale!!

So already i think i am sending mixed messages according to the following chart:

Cool: Eyes are typically blue or grey. Haircolor typically blonde, brown or black. Skin has definite blue and pinkish undertones. Cool-toned people look best in colors such as blue, red, pink and purple, or "gem-tones". Usually look best in silver jewelry. In natural light, the color of the veins on the underside of your wrist are bluish. You can wear a white shirt and it is flattering on you.

Neutral: Eyes may be any color. Hair may be any color. Skin has unspecifiable undertones, such as pink, olive or yellow. Those with neutral coloring can wear just about any color clothing and look good. Can wear gold or silver jewelry (no preference as to which looks better)

Warm: Eyes are typically brown, green or hazel. Haircolor typically brown, black, red, auburn, blonde or strawberry blonde. Skin has yellow/orange or olive undertones. Warm-toned people look best in earthy-toned clothing, such as browns, yellows, oranges, yellowish green and ecru. Look best in gold jewelry. In natural light, the color of the veins on the underside of your wrist are greenish. You are most flattered by an off-white, cream or ecru shirt (i.e. pure white makes you look washed out)

So blue eyes = cool ......BUT .... auburn hair = warm

But to add more confusion ... I suit both autumnul tones(warm) and 'gem-tones'(cool) ..... i get away with gold jewellery (when i have fake tan on) and silver jewellery but suit gold clothing better than silver clothing!!????

I am sooooo confused!!!

All i know is that with my current foundation I don't look as sparkling as i should and can look washed out in photos. I also wear Nars Fiji from time to time but again i am not sure whether that shade is warm or cool. I guess i should ask the assistant next time about that one but i am not sure they ever really get it right either!

This week I am hoping to pick up a new foundation so kinda need to know whether i am aiming for warm or cool tones ... i am looking to pick up one of the following foundations so if anyone can rate or slate then go ahead:

Chanel pro lumiere
Estee Lauder double wear
YSL - can't remember the name but it has its own brush attached

So cool or warm, what is your take on this - does it even really matter?