Bare Faced Chic

Summer is here!! Whoooo! I have spent 3 long sunny days in the sun this weekend which is very unusual for us up here in Scotland. Fingers and tootsies crossed that it lasts!

Like most of us, I am always searching for the perfect foundation. Recently, I have tried so many that my skin is starting to punish me and I am having quite a few outbreaks. I like a full coverage, I like to hide my freckles, even though I get told off for this constantly. However, in the Summer heat, I have finally realised a heavy foundation is just too much and whether I like it or not I need to unleash the freckles.

Firstly, you should know this - I don't do tinted moisturiser.

I tried this years ago and it just didn't do enough for me. My face felt completely naked and it didn't compliment my other make up very well. This is why I always stick to foundation even in warm weather.

A few months ago whilst browsing in Superdrug, I came across ME ME ME Radiant Minerals Natural Illumination Foundation which they say will 'Even out skin tone & improve skins clarity'. They can make this statement as being a liquid mineral foundation it contains mineral pigments which are kinder to your skin allowing it to breathe and enhance its own natural luminosity. All this all for around £6-£7. This can never be a bad thing.
In honesty, I bought this foundation as a bit of a brand experiment, I never thought it would deliver the results I longed for. Wow, was I surprised?! It really did make my skin luminous and dewy with a lovely sheen that literally made me 'glow', not in an oily, chip pan kind of way ... but in a radiant kind of way - just like it says on the bottle! Yes, you could see my freckles, was I bothered? No. My skin simply felt lovely and although sheer it made the skin appear flawless. In my opinion, this is what a tinted moisturiser should be.

You can see me wearing it here. Word of warning, concealer is still a definite must with this foundation but then I never go anywhere without my concealer so this isn't an issue for me. As for the staying power, I wore this today while out sunning it in the park and I would say it still looks pretty reasonable at the end of the day. I like that I am doing my skin a bit of a favour by using something lighter while still brightening my complexion.

For the price, I would definitely recommend this for a cheap, light summertime coverage.

x

Schwarzkopf OSIS+ Design Mix - Light

I was lucky enough to be asked to review some new products from the Schwarzkopf Professional range.

There are 6 producs in this collection, Light, Strong, Smooth, Gloss, Matt and Rough. I asked for 4 of the products to review, Light, Gloss, Matt and Rough. However, disappointingly I only received 2 out of the 4 ... the matt and the light. The cheeky wee postman must have dipped his hand in the package, thought his barnet was looking a little more slick these days!! ;)

Osis+ Light - white with blue beads

These products can be used in conjunction with one another to give different effects and styling possibilities. Unfortunately, i wasn't able to do that as I had planned on using the Light and Rough together along with the Gloss. My husband was going to road test the Matt and Rough together.

So from my Husband's point of view, he simply thought the Matt on it's own was 'alright' ... From my point of view the Light on its own was just 'alright' ... I was looking for something to help volumise and give my hair some extra body but I am afraid without the other complimentary products this just didn't happen.

It did make my hair feel soft, shiny and smooth but no volume and no control just a nice silky feeling - similar to that of CHI silk infusion. I applied a small amount when wet the first time I used it then the next time I applied once hair was dry. To be honest whether applied to my wet or dry hair the end result was pretty much the same.

I would recommend this product for giving some extra shine and life into hair and it certainly helps if your hair is prone to tugging. Overall, it made my hair feel healthy and shiny but I did feel like something was missing.

x

Holding back the years ...

... Ok so that make me sound like some warped Mick Hucknall lover ... but really I'm not ... honest!

This week in the news we read about the story of a young girl who was gifted with Botox for her 18th from her very own Mother! In her own words, she said she couldn't 'think of anything worse than looking old'.

Well, I agree with that... but I am 28 and age is catching up with me at a faster pace than I ever thought imaginable. At 18 I would never have dreamed of the concept of going through any kind of procedure to maintain my youthful looks and 10 years on I am glad to say I still feel the same. However, ask me in another 5 years time and I probably will have changed my mind!!

That said, I haven't been totally oblivious to the fact that as each day passes another little line starts to surface from the depths of my skin. I have always been on the lookout for anti-wrinkle serums but up until now the furthest I got was the Boots No.7 Protect & Perfect range. That is until I was sent this:
Its the PRIORI Coffeeberry Natureceuticals Day Complex - woah that's a bit of a mouthful!

This light cream is said to provide superb anti-ageing benefits; fighting free radicals, reducing fine lines and wrinkles as well as brightening the skin. Well, I couldn't resist, it was selling itself already! It contains 98.5% nautural ingredients infused with sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, argan oil, beeswax and shea butter... thats a lot of oil! It also contains Pomegranate and Grape Seed extracts as well as aloe vera extract to calm and soothe the skin. I won't go too much into the scientific stuff but it also contains Silica which is said to be light diffusing, thus drawing attention away from imperfections and wrinkles. Ok, so it isn't quite blitzing those ridges, instead it helps give the illusion they are not there. I can live with that ... for now.

I have been using this cream for just over a week now and I can honestly say I can see some sort of difference. The formulation is very light but only a couple of pumps are required. There is a definite Vanilla scent to this product but with clear undertones of the coffee berry. I put this on first thing in the morning before my make up routine... the first thing I notice when i apply it is the refreshing tingle all over my face, it feels like it is literally waking up my skin. I don't care for the smell too much but once my make up is on I would never notice it so this isn't a problem for me. It dries pretty quickly and I instantly notice a lovely glowy sheen to my face. Don't worry this doesn't show through your make up.

My skin has been going through a pretty bad phase just now with lots of little spots but using this seems to have reduced them or somehow magicially 'hidden' them. Another thing this product boasts is one of its celebrity fans, Michelle Trachtenberg of Gossip Girl (Georgina), however, I think I put her youthful skin and looks down to her .... well, youth!! The only downside to this product is the price, £54.85 but I guess it is a reasonably sized tube and a little goes a long way. This can be purchased at www.cosmestore.co.uk.

So far, this is a winner for me but I guess after a week it's still hard to tell. I will continue to use this product and keep you posted on the results.

x

The Body Shop - 20% Discount

You might remember a few months back I attended a Body Shop Beauty Bloggers Event? It was a fantastic day and we were all given some great treats and I have to say most of the products we received were real winners!

Well, today the lovely girls at The Body Shop got in touch as they are offering a 20% online discount to all bloggers and anyone who is an avid reader of beauty blogs.. They are offering this discount on a select choice of their fabulous products up until the 18 September 2009. Wow!

The codes below are against each product and can only be used once per online transaction. Discount codes are in BOLD.

Code: BLOG_SHIM for 20% off shimmer cubes.

These eyeshadow cubes are amazing! Check out some of my previous posts for looks I have created using the cubes... my particular favourite is the smoky eye. Love!

Code: BLOG_CAM for 20% off Camomile waterproof eye make up remover.

Most of you who have tried this will agree it is a fantastic product and really gets rid of all traces of eye make up whilst being kind to this sensitive area. It smells lovely too!

Code: BLOG_SCRUB for 20% off Vitamin C Cleansing Face Polish

I was lucky enough to have been sent this product after my skin consultation with The Body Shop. I use it once or twice a week and I find it leaves my skin feeling refreshed, smooth and soft.

Code: BLOG_MIST for 20% off Vitamin E Facial Mist

This is a wonder product for me. I try to carry it around wherever I go. It is perfect for travelling and keeping your skin hydrated while flying or just while you are on the go. It can freshen up a make up look and keep skin feeling soft and moisturised.

Hope you all get some goodies with these codes ... the products on offer really are fantastic and I can't recommend them all enough.

Enjoy xx

Festival Glam - Part 3

I haven't got round to doing a festival post for a few weeks now. I had lots of ideas on make up as I want to simplify my make up routine as much as possible without scrimping on 'glam'. Anyway, I got sidetracked on this when I started thinking 'what the heck am i gonna wear????'

Whenever I have been to festivals in the past I have always been really impressed with the togs on show and how some girls manage to look so effortlessly chic while covered in mud and swigging from a can of lager! sweet. Despite the fact I am camping I am not going to stress myself out too much about having a capsule wardrobe for the weekend. I want to look and feel good and if that means taking way too many clothes with me - then so be it.

I was messing about on Polyvore earlier and have come up with a few looks that are all pretty simple and easy. Some are casual, others a little more feminine and floaty. I will be using these for my own inspiration when shopping for festival gladrags!

Festival Fashion 6 by saskiathesalsafairy featuring Dorothy Perkins accessories

This is my favourite of the looks, the floaty dress with obi belt and cowboy boots. The aviators realy add a bit of sass to it!

This is a great look, so cute and effortless. Anyone can pull this look off and it's super comfy too for all the jumping around and dancing!

This is a little bit Ms Kate Moss if I do say so myself but no-one can deny that she is a winner at festival chic! She always looks effortlessly stylish. I am not sure if i could flash my tree trunks in hotpants so I have mixed this up with skinny jeans.

Festival Fashion 2 by saskiathesalsafairy featuring Anthropologie accessories

This is such a quirky little look with an oversized hooded dress, bare legs and some patterned wellies. Team with raybans and you are ready to rock!

Festival Fashion 5 by saskiathesalsafairy featuring Alexander McQueen scarves

Another look with an oversized jumper, this time with shorter boots and an Alexander McQueen scarf. So Rock Chic!

Finally I have a cute, girly set. This dress looks so comfortable and easy to wear, who says you can't be girly and roll around in the mud?!

You will notice all these looks feature sensible footwear that cover the whole of the foot. I am taking no chances that it may rain and I certainly don't want muddy tootsies!! Accessories play a big part in all my outfits, they can change up a look so easily.

I hope these sets have been of some inspiration to you xx

NOTD - Barry M Mint Green

Here is my Nail of the Day (or yesterday), take a good look as it's for one day and one day only! Never again will green nail polish grace my folicles! I took one look at my nails once applied and instantly thought "Grotbags". Nothing about this colour made me feel classy, elegant or sophisticated - all the things I'm not ... but aspire to be. Maybe my age is catching up with me and it is becoming a little bit more difficult to be as daring as I once was? Who knows - I just know this colour is not for me.

On a positive note the colour applied really well with only 2 coats required. It is smooth and the finish has a lovely shine. It is a pretty colour in the bottle but unfortunately made me look like a Halloween reject!

How are you finding green nail polish? Love or Loathe?

xx

Review: Barry M 3 in 1 Intense Black Mascara

Anyone who knows me will tell you I am super fussy when it comes to mascara. I have the lightest eyelashes that really need darkened, lengthened and volumised which usually involves lashings and lashings of mascara.

Good mascaras for me are Chanel Exceptionnele, Lancome Hypnose and the infamous L'oreal Voluminous. I have a drawer full of the stuff but I rarely use outwith these.

In the last month I have tried out Rimmel Sexy Curves, Rimmel Glam Eyes and Maybelline Lash Stilleto. I found them all so rubbish that I couldn't even be bothered to review them on my blog. Usually I would but since I am so pernickety over mascara I just felt my opinion wouldn't always be a fair one. So, having ruled out cheap mascaras in my life, I was surprised as anyone to have fallen for this hidden little gem!

At Barry M on Wednesday, we all received Barry M's Intensive Black 3 in 1 mascara. This retails at £5.95. Sad to say but I was immediately sceptical due to the price tag - bad experiences in the past with cheap mascaras have clouded my thinking. However, I was creating a look for my niece and used this on her lashes - I couldn't believe the effect it gave so next day I set about trying it for myself.

This is called the 3 in 1 mascara as it claims to Volumise - Lengthen - Curl. The consistency of this mascara is not quite as thick as others I use so again I thought it would be no good for me but once on the lashes it really did everything it claimed to on the packaging! It lengthened, it curled and it volumised! I usually apply up to 5 layers of mascara or more but I found after only a couple my eyelashes looked in tip top shape. However, me being me kept on applying ... now this is the bit i love, no matter how much i applied it didn't seem to clump or make my lashes appear brittle or caked. I have never used a mascara that has kept the lashes looking clean and fresh after so many applications of it. Hopefully these photos will give you an idea of how it looks, sorry I do not know how to crop photos to only show my eyes and close ups only come out blurry.
Due to the price tag as you would expect the packaging looks fairly cheap, silver plastic with pink flashes where Barry M's name is printed. The mascara wand is slightly stubby and the bristles, although quite stubby and short - there are lots of them which i really think makes the difference.
The longevity of the mascara is amazing too, I applied at roughly noon on Saturday and here it is at midnight after sitting in the dark watching a movie and rubbing my eyes from time to time. I did not reapply the mascara at all during the day, I didn't feel the need to, which again is rare for me! This is a mobile photo so is blurry but I'm sure you get the idea.
It feels so light on the lashes, so much so, at one point I had to check in the mirror as I thought in a moment of madness I had forgotten to apply mascara!! I thoroughly recommend this mascara to anyone and think it will be great for anyone who isn't used to wearing it or who doesn't like anything that feels too heavy on the eye. This is going to be a a definite re-purchase for me and will be a product I will be sure to keep stocked up in my mascara drawer.

Hats off to Barry M - I'm sorry I ever doubted you.

Review: Barry M Natural Dazzle

I know this review has been done quite a bit already by other bloggers but thought I would let you know my experience with it.

This has been described by others as a dupe for Nars Laguna. It isn't. The only similarities are the packaging and that it is a bronzing product. Here is Barry M on the left and Nars Laguna on the right - colours are very different.

I have also noticed the Natural Dazzle being described as a warm colour - I disagree with this. It has a lot of red and blue-ish undertones which to me is cool - I don't really suit cool colours. It is almost a plum-like colour compared with typical bronzing products.
The compact itself; look how dirty mine is, a sign it has been well used already ;)
I've probably mentioned before, I am naturally very pale. When I first started using this compact I was pale and wearing no fake tan so this is how the experiment began. On my pale skin, as a bronzer it looked dreadful, I did not look bronzed at all - more red, dirty and very bad at applying make up! Then I tried as a contour which I could see would work but on my pale skin it still looked dirty. I really had to buff and blend it for a while to make it work for my whiter than white skin.

However, this didn't put me off. A week later and I was faux tanned for my trip to Italy I decided to try again and the results were far different as you can see... (sorry not trying to be camwhore but want to try and show the definition it can give)
Again, I did not use it as a full bronzer as i really believe the colour is no good for that so I used it as a contour and the results were great. It really adds some definition to the face and helps to accentuate the cheekbone area. I used in conjunction with a dusting of my Laguna and blush and loved the results. I have now been using everyday so was super happy that we were given another one of these at the Barry M event! Although at £9.50 I wouldn't have begrudged paying that if I had to!

I will have to make sure I am tanned to wear this product and will avoid when pale. I hope at some point Barry M expand this range and include other shades more suitable for pale skin types.

Hope this was helpful, let me what you think of it too xx

Hotfooting it in Florence - shoe haul!

Ok so just a quickie to show you some of my Florence purchases. I am sure you all realise by now I love love love shoes so here is what I brought home from Florence to add to my collection.

First up, my new babies .... nude peeptoe studded heels from Burberry.Look at the studded detailing - lush ....
The next 2 pairs of shoes I am not so sure about now that they are home but lets see what you guys think of them. I can't remember the name of the shop they were from but it looked like an Italian version of Barrats or Dolcis.

I picked these as they looked a little 1950's pin up when I tried them on. They look quite clumpy but are very comfortable to wear.
Again, this next pair just made me think of 50s pin up again. They have an almost oriental style design on them and are very similar to shoes that Dune sold last year. I can imagine tottering around in these poolside with big sunnies, a sunkissed glow and a lovely kaftan .... yeah, like thats ever gonna happen! I'm guessing these are gonna take some practise to walk in!
Lastly, I picked up these cute little trainers. They really remind me of a pair Kurt Geiger are selling just now. I wore them today for the first time, they are so comfortable and look great!
What do you guys think?
xx

Farewell Firenze! Warning: Slideshow Geek!!

I got back from Florence yesterday and instead of having a romantic, relaxing 5 days away it was somewhat more stressful and a bit of a struggle. Before I left I came down with a nasty little bug which in all honesty, I thought would be gone within 48 hours at least. Oh no ... it lasted the whole holiday!! I was ill on the plane going to Italy and had to go to bed as soon as we arrived at our apartment. Our apartment was great, perfect location with Miu Miu on one corner of the street and Valentino at the other corner and the Duomo just yards away. The flat itself was a mix of old and new and had quite a vintage Italian feel to it.

Out of the 5 days we managed to salvage 2 and even then they were hardgoing for me. Day 2 was especially difficult as Garrath managed to lock us out of our apartment quite late on in the evening ... there were tears and panic but we managed to get in touch with the owner who had to travel from his home in Prato (about 40 mins away) to let us back in!! We laugh about it now....!!!

We did a couple of shopping days which took real effort on my part (so unlike me) and the rest of the time was spent chilling out around the city. Unfortunately, not as many sites were taken in because of my bug so I was glad this was our second visit to Florence. Big thanks to Daisy at Cupcakes and Cherries for recommending the Pizzeria at Piazza Santo Spirito, it was amazing. It was the only meal I could eat and enjoy the whole holiday ... such a great buzz about the Piazza, thanks!!

Anyway, thought I would show you a couple of holiday snaps before I share any of my haul with you. Some of the pics, I look a bit ropey despite being packed in slap!!

A highlight of the holiday ... Jem theme tune playing in the window of Balmain! Truly, truly, truly amazing!!! ;)

The Ponte Vecchio Bridge - where Garrath proposed ... awwwwMe, trying to pose with the Ponte Vecchio in the background. This was the night we got locked out of our apartment..... after the tears! Look at my spooky double hand ...Garrath strolling through the city
Me outside Sephora where i picked up a few bits and bobs!

A girl dressed as 'A Rose Romance' in Mac at CoinIn the Roberto Cavalli Cafe My childish sense of humourScary close up of the happy - even though we don't look it - couple!!xx

Nails Inc

Hey guys, guess who's back?!

Lots to update you on from Florence but while I am waiting on my camera battery charging I thought I would do a quick review of Nails Inc polishes.

I own 3 Nails Inc polishes; South Molton Street, Tate and In Style Coral. Two were free from a magazine, the other my sister passed on to me ... she probably got this free from a magazine too. Well thank goodness for that!! If I ever paid £10.50 for one of these polishes I would be running back to the shop the next day to demand a refund! I hate them.
The first polish I tried was South Molton Street. The colour was icky and gloopy on my nails and did not give a good finish at all. At the time I thought this was because it was a pale, neutral colour whereas I am used to darker colours on my nails so I didn't think too much about it.

Next up was Tate. I tried this just last month for the first time. Let me start this on a positive note ... I love the colour of Tate, its a lovely berry red shade that is not too bright nor too dark. However, it took me 3 coats until the colour was evenly distributed on each nail. It took an age to dry and the overall finish looked messy.

Last week, I bought In Style magazine, purely for the free Nails Inc polish in In Style Coral. I chose this as my holiday polish and jetted it off to Florence with me. Again, it took at least 3 coats before i seen any colour pay off and even then it was still streaky, gloopy and a messy finish. It took ages to dry and had chipped within 24 hours! I wouldn't have minded so much but even the magazine that it came with wasn't that good!!

Overall, i think the finish of these polishes look cheap and they are of very bad quality. Chipping within hours of application is a big no no for a polish that costs over £10! For anyone who has not tried these then i do not recommend at all. For anyone who is a fan ... is there something I am doing wrong?

Anyone looking into buying Nails Inc, I would suggest you stick to the cheap and cheerful Barry M who really gives Nails Inc a run for their money!

x

Bye bye for now!

So, tomorrow I am off to Florence to celebrate my 1st wedding anniversary. I first visited Florence 2.5 years ago when hubby proposed to me so i think it's apt that we return to celebrate! I would go into detail on my romantic proposal but worry I would have you all gagging so I will pass on that one, lol.
I am so excited about going but disaster struck yesterday when i was hit with a bug! Had to call in sick to work today and spent all day in bed. Still not feeling too hot to be honest. Still haven't packed at all so there will be a busy rush to get everything done this evening. I had hoped to pack light but i'm pretty sure that won't work out! No offence, but there is no chance i will be on here blogging over my holiday, will be too busy soaking up the delights and culture that Florence has to offer. Will hopefully be picking up plenty of inspiration for bloggint though! However, I may take the occasional trip to Twitter to keep up with everyone going to the Barry M event. Can't wait to see you all there!

So bye bye everyone, see you all next week! xx

Curly Sue

I am having trouble styling my new shorter hair. I never seem to get the volume and when I do it requires a lot of product therefore my hair feels a bit sticky and straw-like. A while ago I picked up a cheap, slim pair of curling tongs from Sally's which I thought would be good for shorter hair so today I tried them for the first time.

To be honest, my hair just looked messy in the end. Even with shorter hair I think I need a thicker barrel on my tongs to give my locks some va-va-voom. Here are the results, what do you think?
Apologies for the vacant expression ... duurrrgh! I kinda think my hair turned into a bit of a birds nest but i still went out looking like this!!

Make-up wise, today I tried a couple of old things and a couple of new things. Here is what i wore (this look literally took me under 10 minutes)

FACE:
MAC SFF in NC 30 (old, hated this for a long time, i liked it today)
MAC Select Cover up in NW25
Illamasqua Pressed Powder
Illamasqua Blush in Excite
Barry M Natural Dazzle bronzer to contour (New ... and i liked it ... a lot!)
Nars Laguna to bronze the face

EYES:
Korres bronze all over the lid
MAC Mystery in the outer v and crease
UDPP liner in zero in water line and smudged on lashline
Diorshow Mascara

LIPS:
MAC Oak Lipliner
Barry M 101 lip paint

Make up and hair? pretty ugly or just pretty?

x

Matalan Haul and new Make-up storage

Today I popped into Matalan to have a look at their shoes. Marie from Marie-loves had picked up a pair of orange Christian Louboutin copies so I thought I would try and get my hands on a pair. Unfortunately they had none, I'm guessing everyone caught on to this before I did and snapped them up el pronto!

So while I browsed the rest of what was to offer, my husband wandered off and stumbled across a real find! He even used the words 'make-up storage' when he came rushing back asking me to come look! He really is well trained ;)

He had been looking at the Colin and Justin range at Matalan and found an ideal set of drawers in a pale grey colour - matches our room perfectly! Not only this the range was on a 3 for 2 offer. The drawers cost £35 so in the end i bought 2 sets of drawers and a big storage box. Probably a bit pricey in the end but I have been needing a solution like this for a while and have no dressing table in my room.
I have already filled up the drawers, but have literally thrown everything in so it still looks a bit of a mess. The big box will be used for hairdryers, straighteners, tongs, rollers and some styling products. Before I bought this storage I was using individual boxes for everything and stored them under my bed which was a bit of a pain so hopefully this will be a lot better.

So, back to the rest of the haul. I love stripes but I wasn't really digging the nautical look but looks like I have had a change of heart as the first 2 items purchased were these 2 D&G inspired nautical t-shirt(£10) and vest(£8).
Next up ... these multi-colour snakeskin flat gladiator sandals. I am sure these area copy of something but cannot think who ... am i right? Can someone remind me?I went into Kurt Geiger later in the day and they had very similar sandals for about £75 ... these were only £12!! bargain.

Finally I picked up a few bits and bobs of jewellery but I will just show you my favourite. These swallow earrings. So cute ... and only £3! I believe Juicy Couture do a similar version.So what do you think of my make up storage and bargains?
x