A haul post ... yes, really!

I haven't done one of these in a long long time.

After tiring of haul posts and feeling a little embarrassed by past haul posts (I mean really, the amount of money I used to waste on pointless products only to be thrown to the back of my make up drawer was ridiculous) -  I tend to stick to posting about products I know and love now or have been sent for review purpose giving honest opinion rather than a declaration of 'I bought this!'

Last week I was in need of some serious cheering up so I popped by my local Chanel counter where I was greeted by fellow blogger Sian.  I had been eager to try the new Vitalumiere Aqua foundation so I let Sian loose on me allowing her to make me over.  It's a well known fact now that I hate having my make up done and I am never happy with it so Sian had a lot to live up to.

Well, our girl pulled through ... not only did she make me feel and look lovely, she had me sold on most of the products although I only walked away with 2.

I had mentioned a while ago that as my skin ages it seems to require a lighter foundation rather than the heavy full coverage I had been used to.  Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is described as an Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Foundation with an SPF15.  It literally feels as light as a feather on the skin and creates a dewy, radiant finish.  Only a pea sized amount is required but it builds easily if you feel you need a little bit extra (for a night out for instance).  The finished effect is a radiant, fresh, glowing skin ... I don't feel the need to powder so I apply my blush and bronzer directly over it.  I haven't gone without powder in years so this is quite a personal achievement for me.

Sian matched me to B40 Beige which is perfect when I am wearing fake tan but will probably need to invest in a lighter shade for when i'm without.  When I say invest I mean it - £31 for 30ml is a lot of cash to part with but the flawless, light finish is worth it.  A word of warning for oily skin types however, I am not sure the dewy finish will work with oily skin so you may want to steer clear or pick up a sample first.

Sian also tried Chanel Bronze Universal on my skin ... a product I have always toyed with the idea of purchasing but convinced myself i'd hate it.  Well, it was just lovely on, it looked so naturally sunkissed and applied seamlessly over my new foundation.  Instead of opting to buy this, I decided to go for the lip colour Sian used on me.

It was Chanel's Coco Rouge in Camelia - a gorgeous medium warm pink with a slight sheen to it.  My usual lip shades go from nude to peach to orange to bright pink to red to berry.  I had nothing in my collection like Camelia ... a justified purchase don't you think? ;)

I have to say these are probably the best products I have bought in quite a while in terms of getting my money's worth.  I have worn both products nearly every day and I am sure this foundation will become a staple in my make up collection if not my holy grail!

Who else has fallen in love with this foundation?

x

MAC Tartan Tale

Last night Ann from Girlinthecityglasgow and I hopped down to our local MAC for a preview seminar of their Christmas collection, Tartan Tale.On the surface this looks like a lovely collection with shades that are suited to all seasons and not just winter. There are eye & lip palettes, as well as lip and liner sets. This years brush sets are also better than the last few offerings from Christmas sets.

I guess I have an added interest in this collection as it is a nod to Scotland but is the collection really any good?

Exlusive to Tartan Tale is the plaid embossed eyeshadows but nothing else about the packaging points to Scottish inspiration other than product names and the make up bags which comes in a set. There are 2 blushes, a bright pink very similar to dollymix and another pale peach. These didn't stand out to me as being unique or special enough to merit a purchase. I also didn't give the nail polish a second look simply because I am not a fan of MAC polish.

Let me show you what I picked up.

First up is Glamora Castle eyeshadow. This is a lovely grey blue with a lovely sheen to it. It's quite an unusual shade, not quite grey or silver and not quite blue, just a lovely blend. I usually shy away from shades like this but I am loving blue for the eyes just now and I think this will create a muted, wearable blue eye for daytime.

I also picked up the Violet My Love liner bag set which comes with a fluidline in Macroviolet - a lovely plummy colour, a liner brush, Zoomlash Zoom mascara and Violet pigment. I chose this set ultimately for the fluidline and the fact I was determined to pick up one of the tartan bags. I adore the crest on the bag.
Some swatches below of the pigment, shadow and liner. Left to right; violet pigment; glamora castle shadow; macroviolet fluidline.I also didn't take much notice of the lippies but there is a very nice dark berry in there which I think would be lovely for winter and also a very blah nude which is just .... blah!

If there is anything I would go back for it is the pearlglide liners in a dark blue and emerald green (unsure of actual names). They are utterly gorgeous and smooth and creamy on application.

MAC are also selling tartan christmas cards this year with profit going to Mac Aids fund. They are £5 for a set of 5 cards, I recommend any make up loving girl picking them up for friends and family. As Mac say themselves, Tis Noble to Give :)

What do you have your eyes on from this collection? Any must have lust haves?

x

Shoe Haul!

This haul is a bit of a mixed bag on the shoe front but keep in mind it is a collective haul over a couple of weeks (mostly from my holiday).

I'll start with boots, shall I?

I bought all 3 pairs of boots while on holiday in the sun! I found them in a little shop with no name and they were all amazingly cheap. The first pair of boots are these navy suede (imitation i presume) slouch boots with a ringlet detail. They are ankle length with a small heel but can be pulled up the leg further. They only cost around 30 euros and I like that they look a bit lazy but glam at the same time. They are also quite versatile and a few different looks can be achieved by tying the straps in different ways or pulling the boot up. I will wear these with leggings, skinny jeans and with tights and a casual day dress. Next up are more of a night time boot. Purple peep toe ankle boots, in a velvet like material with stud effect detailing on the heel. The stud effect on the heel is printed on - remember I said these boots where cheapies!! :) Again, they cost around the 30 Euro mark. I think these will be nice with leggings or worn with tights and a dress or maybe dressy shorts and if I am brave enough bare legs!
The final of the 3 are much more casual and I now refer to them as my 'bondage boots'. They are a grey suede like material with brown leatherette belted straps across the ankle and foot. They remind me of the All Saints boots but at 45 Euros they are a much cheaper option! I have been wearing these very casual and slouchy with skinny jeans or leggings.
Just before I left for my holiday I chucked out a few pairs of ballet pumps, so of course I had to replace them with something!! Yes, another pair of flats were the answer, this time from Topshop. I love the T-bar and stud detailing which I think set them apart from your average ballet pumps. I bought a pinky nude shade as I figured these would go with everything.
Today on my way home from work, loaded with cold and seriously needing to get back on the couch wrapped in a blanket - I somehow managed to detour past Kurt Geiger. To make me feel less guilty about spending money I made sure I bought something practical - a pair of work shoes. These Carvella black patents with side strap detailing and small heel are great for work and are the perfect combination of sophisticated and sensible.
My last purchase is actually a pair of French Connection trainers. I was drawn to these as they remind of Converse which I love but they were like a girly version with the bronzey gold metallic, ribbon lace and stud detailing. These are perfect for weekends kicking about and keeping it low key.
So now might be a good time to say that I am trying to curb my spending habits. With a new house to think of I need to count the pennies so this may be the last haul I post for a while ... fingers crossed!

x

Sunday browsing ....

Today, like most Sundays, I went to the shops but I was adamant it was strictly window shopping. The past while I have been spending quite a bit as I have had weddings and nights out galore and now I have 2 holidays coming up. I have pretty much I need now but did this stop me purchasing? No.

To be fair, I only bought a couple of things but they were kinda cute so thought I would show you.

First purchase was this cute little straw bag with floral detailing. It reminds me of a bag I wore as a child but now they seem to be 'in' for adults - yay! This was from Topshop and was £10 in the sale. My justification for buying is I need a nice clutch bag for Ibiza but this also has a strap so fantastic for dancing the night away!
The next purchase is a cute charm necklace. I love russian dolls - love them! I was instantly attracted to this although I do still wonder what the Eiffel Tower has to do with a russian doll - never mind, it's cute!
Only a couple of things I know but what do you think? Cute or Crap?

x

Just an ickle haul!

I was in desperate need of some new make up bits and bobs so tonight I headed into town after work for some late night shopping.

I started off at Lush. Ok, ok, I've been shopping in Lush for years, i'm not a super fan but I mostly use it when buying gifts for others and occasionally get myself some smellies for bath time. I have never tried any of their skincare and i have to say it was the power of YT that sucked me into this purchase! Dressjunkie's recommendation of Baby Face cleanser encouraged me to buy it this evening. Recently, I have been all over the place with cleansers so I'm hoping this works well with my skin. I also picked up Sweet Japanese Girl, which is an exfoliating facial massage bar which contains tea trea, apparantly great for blackheads.I then headed to Mac where the girls where just so rude and dismissive that I walked straight back out again! ..... and off to Boots I went where I picked up a 3 for 2 offer on make up range Pure. I haven't tried Pure yet, it all seems a bit overpriced in my opinion but I thought I would give the Kajals a go ... they are £11ish each so even on 3 for 2 it was hardly a bargain but I am looking forward to trying these out. I picked up Black, Sophisticated Brown and Midnight Blue.
I was really excited about the black and blue but after I swatched them I could see how pretty the brown is, more like a bronze. Finally I headed to Space NK to replenish my Nars Laguna which hit pan ages ago. I managed to get a hold of Laguna fine but the lipgloss and blush I wanted where sold out - typical Space NK! Instead I bought a new Balanced Foundation in shade Fiji ... which is a favourite of mine for Summer and I also picked up a Shu Uemura lipstick. My final stop was the newsagent where I picked up a copy of Marie Claire which was giving away a free James Brown Intensive Hair Mask ... favoured by Kate Moss no less! I would be a little more excited by my freebie if Kate Moss' hair ever looked nice but it never does!!

Anyway, this lot should keep me amused until the next shopping trip!

Has anyone else tried the lush products or kajals - any tips?

x

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

More Illamasqua ... haul time!

Sorry to bore you all but I am just really excited by Illamasqua right now. It is fast becoming my favourite cosmetics brand. The day after it launched in Glasgow, I went back to purchase a few more things.

While I was there, I was assisted by the lovely Sian who is a fellow blogger! Check out her blog, she is one talented girl! It turns out that I had met Sian just over a year ago - she had tried out some products on me just before my wedding when she worked at Bobbi Brown. She is the reason i love bobbi brown creamy concealer and bobbi brown apricot blush!

So moving on to the haul ...Here we have under eye concealer, Rich Liquid Foundation and Powder Foundation. I think these are all in shade 205. This is only from memory as the shade details have rubbed off the back (only flaw so far with the packaging). I will be doing a seperate review on the Rich Foundation which is immense .... as are the powder and concealer. The powder is so smooth and as Sian described, mousse like. It glides on the skin and covers blemishes up instantly and naturally without looking caked. The Pressed Powder... wow! This is so finely milled and I literally dust it over my face as if it were fairy dust ... well bit of an exaggeration but that is how fine and soft it is. My usual powder of choice is Mac's pressed powder. Never again. Illamasqua wins this hands down. Mac is cakey in comparison.

So next up we have powder blusher in 'unrequited'. This is quite a warm pink, somewhere inbetween barbie and baby pink. Its so soft on the cheeks. A little similar to Benefit Dandelion but way nicer and much better pigmentation.

I also picked up a sheer lipgloss in 'Devine' .. i think.. again the name rubbed off (please fix this Illamasqua, i hate not knowing the names of what i'm wearing). I already have an intense gloss which I love so thought I would try a sheer this time. In its tube it is electric, almost neon pink but on the lips it is much less so, very wearable.

I loved Baptiste nailpolish so much, I just had to have another one so i picked up this bright coral/orange in 'Whack'. Again, this colour is almost neon and it just looks fabulous on your nails, perfect for Summer! I have this on my hands and tootsies just now (just one coat) and i love it!

So there we have my Illamasqua haul. I am still waiting on the Sirens collection coming to the Glasgow store so as soon as it arrives I will be there ... with bells on!!

So what do you think of my purchases? What is on your Illamasqua wishlist?

xx

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