Reiss Alma Bag

The dreaded maternity clothes shopping has started and I have to say it absolutely sucks.

There is so little out there that is actually stylish or fashionable in any way for pregnant ladies.  Topshop give it a good bash but it can be a little overpriced, although their jeans are the best I have found.  H&M is only good for leggings and longer length t-shirts in my opinion but who wants to be stuck in leggings for months on end?  New Look, well everything I have found there just looks so mumsy! I know there is a bit of irony in that statement.  Isabella Oliver has some beautiful things but the prices are just ridiculous unless it's for an occasion.

Anyway, I am trying to counteract frumpy maternity clothing through clever use of accessories and that is where the Reiss Alma bag comes in.  I first saw this gorgeous, feisty looking bag on fellow Scottish make up artist' Kirstin's instagram.  She commented that it was the colour of MAC Lady Danger ... and as one of my favourite lip pies ...  I was sold!

This bag is still quite pricey so I had to make sure it was still practical enough for motherhood.  It has a long strap so can be worn over my shoulder or over my arm for a more sophisticated look.  Being able to change it up is great for juggling all that comes with looking after a baby.

 It is made from a lovely soft leather and the gold detailing is so very chic.  There are also adequate pockets inside for phone storage and some extra lippies.   It will also look fabulous while I am on the tourist trail in Paris!

The Alma bag is on sale at the moment in Reiss so grab it while you can!

Royal Raspberry

I've had an emotional rollercoaster of a week, I've experienced death, births and new beginnings ... a poignant week in my life that won't be forgotten for a long time but thankfully for all the right reasons.  

One constant in my week which has been my lipstick. Sad but true.  I found a stash of Barry M lipsticks hidden away in a drawer which meant I was able to reacquaint myself with some old favourites.

Barry M's lip paint in 141 Royal Raspberry is a gorgeous deep raspberry shade erring on the gothic side of blackened red.  It has a slight shimmer to it, almost appearing metallic in its tube.  I have worn every day this week and haven't found it drying at all.  It's pigment is lovely and quite long lasting.  When it does begin to fade their is still enough stain on the lips to maintain colour but I still love to reapply to make sure I keep that shade of deep glistening raspberry.

Barry M Lip Paints are £4.49 from Superdrug or online at the Barry M website.

It was a long time coming but yesterday I eventually got round to sorting out my barnet.  I had it re-dyed and trimmed which really gave it a little boost of shine and bounce again (no, I didn't go for multicolour unfortunately :( ).  Instead of my usual blow dry finish, Stacie, my hair fairy, tried out a conical wand on my hair to give me some voluminous waves.

The result had a bit of a 70's feel to it which I loved.  Stacie used the Diva Conical Wand from Sally's.  It has quite a thick barrel which is perfect for big waves.  It's priced at around the £40 unless you have a Sally's membership which will get you a bit of a discount.

So far I've never invested in my own conical wand but after seeing my hair like this, I think I might buy one for myself.

Are conical wands still making an impact on you?  Share your wavy hair tips?

x

Japonesque Lip Palette

... Painstakingly decanting my kit lippies into my new Japonesque 36 lip palette.

It's just too much to carry around lots of individual lippies in my kit.  It's heavy and takes up far too much space so this is a perfect solution.  

The Japonesque palette is a handy and very lightweight item however it does feel a little bit flimsy for the price.  I paid about £23 for it and I can imagine it won't be long before it breaks on me which is a little disappointing.  BUT ... I could be wrong.

I have so many more lipsticks to decant and will probably need a few more palettes but I would like to see how I go with this one first before purchasing more.

I have tried to make this a multi choice palette ranging from reds, oranges, peaches, pinks and nudes.  The brands also range from MAC, Estee Lauder, Shu Uemura to Barry M and Rimmel.  Hopefully it works as a one stop shop until I can arrange all my other lipsticks.

Does anyone else use these palettes?

x

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

Girl About Town

This one is a bit of an oldie but it's still a goodie!

I remember MAC's Girl About Town becoming famous in the UK when it was worn by Cheryl Cole but many other celebrities have sported this shade before and after her including Beyonce and Kim Kardashian.

One of MAC's amplified shades, Girl About Town is a vibrant dark fuschia pink which has a glossy yet opaque full coverage on the lips.  It's really long lasting and feels creamy on the lips.

Thanks to it's celebrity following, it has become a bit of a MAC classic and although I have owned this shade for a long time it's only now that I have realised what a pretty colour it is.  I wear it during the day with minimal make up and at night usually with a golden subtle smokey eye.

I am sans camera this week so I'm afraid I have had to make do with my iphone and photobooth. This was the best of a bad bunch!

I am still adoring bright lips at the moment and find it hard to resort back to nude or paler lip shades.  I just feel like there is something missing without an eyepopping lippie these days.

If you don't want to shell out the price on a MAC lippie, you might find Barry M's Cerise Pink (144) a good alternative.  It differs very slightly but is hard to tell the difference on the lips.

x

A bewitching new lippie

I have been dying to blog about my new lipstick since I bought it a couple of weeks ago and had hoped I could get some good photos for you to drool over.  Alas, time has been precious these past few weeks and with a busy work schedule it's been difficult to capture the beauty of this wondrous new shade in my collection.

Max Factor Colour Collections lipstick aim to target their colour range at specific skintones, fair, medium or dark.  I chose a medium collection lipstick ... Bewitching Coral.   I have been whipping out the summer brights already in an attempt to bring a bit of sunshine into my dreary, wet and cold days and this is definitely going to be one of my summer staples.

It is a gorgeous bright pinky coral that really illuminates skin.  It definitely suits better with a tan and is very longwearing.  The texture feels wonderfully moist on the lips and glides across my smackers giving a smooth colour blocked finish.

It was so hard to pick up this shade in photos and admittedly these are very bad quality (quick iphone pics).  This 'face of the night' was taken before a night out .... where I teamed Max Factor bewitching coral with a gorgeous The Body Shop sparkle liner in gold.  I applied it on my lower lashline and winged it out under my regular liner.  I think this eyeliner may be a seasonal item only as I can no longer find it on their website.  I hastily applied my make up so it is a bit messy but I really love this look and hope to recreate it again with a little more finesse.

This was one of my first Max Factor purchases in a longtime, the last time I purchased I think it was their Lasting Performance foundation when i was 15!!  I would definitely re-purchase these lippies and for around £7-8 they are quite good value ... plus they are currently on a 3 for 2 offer at Boots :)

Has anyone tried the Max Factor Colour Collection lipsticks?  What's your favourite?

Berry Lips

I haven't always been obsessed with lipstick. 

In fact I only started wearing it properly about 2 or 3 years ago.  Before that I was attached to my lipgloss... preferably a Lancome juicy tube. 

These days I prefer a brighter, bolder definition on my smackers and since my last post  was about taking care of your lips I thought I'd show you one of the shades I have been getting great wear from at the moment but definitely needs a smooth lip.

It's Estee Lauders Extravagant Berry.  The sister to Extravagant Red which I wore in this post.  Estee Lauder lipsticks really are gorgeous in both colour choice and moisturising qualities.  This colour in particular is very long wearing.  It fades subtly through the day but it takes hours before a reapplication is required.

This is a gorgeous winter colour and I am trying to make the most of it before all the bright spring/summer colours are more acceptable to wear ... can't say I haven't started wearing them already.  In fact there is one gorgeous colour I am dying to share and I will get round to it soon.

 

These photos are pretty bad quality wise but I am sure you get the jist of what a gorgeous colour this is.  

I seem to go through stages of either lipstick or eyeshadow for that burst of colour to the complexion and just now is a definite lipstick phase.  It's such a simple and easy way to completely change your look.

Is anyone else getting their bright lippies ready for the spring/summer?

x

The extravagance of fur and red lipstick

My Saturday was spent recovering and reminiscing from the night before when my husband and I went to see one of favourite ever DJ's Laurent Garnier.  Fortunately for us we were still feeling relatively fresh the next day and made it out to lunch with friends.  We went to a Brazilian restaurant in town called Tropeiro for a real meat feast and left stuffed and practically rolling home. 

For some reason I keep insisting on dressing for spring.  When I look outside, it looks fairly mild and I see no frost, snow or rain ... so surely it can't be that cold?  WRONG! It's blimmin' freezing out there and I never know until it's too late and there's no going back to change into something warmer.  Thankfully we had the car today but I really need to keep in mind that winter is still well and truly with us.

Trousers:H&M; Striped top: H&M; Leather jacket: Zara; Faux fur stole: H&M; Wedge shoe boots: Dune; Belt: Massimo Dutti

In my last post I wore my fur stole and hat to glam up an otherwise drab outfit.  This time the outfit was fine but I wanted to change up the look of my leather jacket as it has studded shoulder detail.  I decided to wear my stole over it to hide the studs and went for a bright red lip just to make things a bit more interesting.

I played up on my rings today with my Vivienne Westwood skull ring, Ydeltuyt armour ring and my Thailand silver filigree style ring.

 The red lippie of choice was Estee Lauder's Extravagant Ruby.  A true red lipstick that emulates the glamour of a 50's pin up girl.  I have a drawer full of red lipstick, all slightly different from the other and all equally as loved as the next.

 

This is definitely my favourite for retro appeal ... it came out with Lauder's Christmas Collection and has a gorgeous gold glitter coating around the lipstick but doesn't transfer to the lip (kinda wish it did!).

In other news I bought a fantastic new lipstick this week that I just HAVE to share with you all so there will be a blogpost coming soon! 

x

Bright , Bold, Beautiful

This autumn/winter I am loving bright, bold lips.

From Mac Impassioned to Illamasqua intense lipgloss in Indulge to Estee Lauders Extravagant Berry ... bright and/or bold lips is definitely the look I am favouring at the moment.

This is actually a look I favour more for daytime, sticking to my usual smokey eye for nights out. With a bold lip, I do try and keep the eye as clean as possible although I do occasionally smoke it up with neutral shades.

My absolute favourite bright lip of the moment is from The Body Shop. Their colourglide lip colour in Cherry Sparkle (60) is a gorgeous cherry red with hints of orange. It's a sophisticated and fun colour that goes well day or night.

(an old & v blurry photo of me wearing cherry sparkle)

Body shop lippies can sometimes be a bit drying so I try not to wear this too many days on the trot, giving my lips time to recover in between wear.

What are your bright lip faves?

x

Estee Lauder's Extravagant Christmas Collection

Tom Pecheux is quite possibly the best thing to happen to Estee Lauder. His pure colour collections are strong, modern and outstanding.

Following on from the Blue Dahlia collection, Estee Lauder now present their dazzling Christmas collection which is just as gorgeous. The collection features 2 palettes - a lip and and an eye palette, 2 lipsticks, 2 lipglosses that compliment the lipstick, 2 nail polishes and a mascara.

Reds, berries and golds feature strongly which is especially fitting for the Christmas season. It perfectly mixes brights with neutrals which gives the ideal palette for creating both subtle and dramatic looks with only a few products.

So, you wanna see?

I was kindly gifted these products for review purposes and hope to do some fotd posts soon using them as it really is a wonderful winter collection.

The first of the 2 palettes is the eye palette 'Extravagant Gold'. There are 5 shades of golds, champagne and browns. Great for a smokey eye or an everyday neutral.
Next is the lip palette with one true red lip colour surrounded by 4 sheer glosses that compliment the red in gold, champagne, berry and an utterly gorgeous coral.
The 2 lip colours are absolutely gorgeous, covered in a gorgeous gold glitter which doesn't transfer onto lips (i almost wish it did). The 2 shades available are Extravagant Ruby and Extravagant Berry. Extravagant Berry is my absolute favourite, it is the perfect balance between goth and glamorous and will definitely be my winter lipstick of choice.

Extravagant Berry

After searching for months for a perfect berry, it lands on my lap out of the blue. Berry lovers, you will definitely want to get your hands on this.

Extravagant Ruby

To compliment the lipstick we have 2 beautiful glosses in star ruby and extravagant plum. I wore star ruby on it's own today and I loved it. A lovely sheer pinky red on it's own, I imagine it will top up Extravagant Ruby lipstick wonderfully.

Star Ruby (L) Extravagant Plum(R)

Finally, I was given one of the nail polishes - 'Extravagant Night'. A glitter infused purple berry shade. What I like about this is that instead of being a gold shimmer, it is actually an infusion of silver sparkle throughout ... like little sparkling stars in a winter nights sky.
I really like this collection, it's sophisticated and modern and gives us just the right mount of sparkle needed for a Christmas promotion. The colours are so versatile that I will be packing them in my suitcase for my winter sun holiday. The gold neutral eye palette and coral in the lip palette will adjust well to lazy days on the beach as much as it fits perfectly into a backdrop of a winter wonderland.

What products do you think are a must from this collection?

Will they make it onto your Christmas list?

x

Show Orchid

I am loving bright lipsticks at the moment but often find them hard to wear and your lips need to be in tip top shape to carry them off.

A while ago I raved on twitter about my new favourite pink lipstick and finally I am getting round to showing you all what it is.

I present to you Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss Stick in Show Orchid.

The pure colour glosses are a relatively new addition to Estee Lauder lip range and this particular shade comes as part of the gorgeous Blue Dahlia collection which I previously blogged about here and here and here.

Show Orchid is a gorgeous blue based bright pink which looks iridescent in it's tube. The point of the pure colour gloss lipstick is that it's basically a lipstick and gloss in one go. It gives a sleek, smooth, high shine finish without the gloopiness of a lipgloss. When applied this lipstick literally feels like it is melting onto your lips and feels super moisturising which is helpful for keeping lips in lovely condition to show off the gorgeous colour.

The formula contains Prismatic pearls add multi-dimensional volume and amplified light reflection which helps create a fuller looking lip. Always a win in my eyes.For being a bright lipstick, it's not overpowering and is surprisingly easy to pull off without being too 'in your face'. The glum photo above doesn't do justice to it's vibrance or colour but you can see the lovely glossy pigmented lip it creates.

Has anyone else tried this range yet? What brights are you lusting after?

x

Toffs are careless ...

I may have done a silly thing while I was in London but right now just let me bask in the infatuation of my new Tom Ford Lipstick.

Yes, I spent 35 smackers on this. I tried to convince myself not to but the packaging was so pretty right down to the etching of Tom's initials on the lipstick itself... and after all it was my birthday - I was allowed to treat myself.

This new Tom Ford line carries 12 shades that Tom deems universally flattering to all women. I was stuck between 'Total Coral' (used in the promo pics) and 'Blush Nude' for at least 20 minutes but figured if I was going to spend the money on it I was going to take the one that would be used the most - Blush Nude. I used the cost per wear method - if I can wear it for every £1 it cost then it would be justified so that's 35 times I need to wear this lippie - watch me!

These beautiful lipsticks contain murumuru butter, soja seed and chamomilla flower oil - something that the SA quoted when I initially gasped at the price - this is obviously what we are paying for.

Is it worth it? Well, I don't know, it looks so damn pretty I still haven't swatched it never mind worn it!!

x

Beaute Masochist

Someone left a comment on my previous post asking me to recommend a dark red lippie. It couldn't have come at a better time as I have been planning on posting about this product for ages so without further ado ...

A few months ago I purchased Beaute weightless lip creme in Masochist from Coco Beau website. I had seen this product on a couple of blogs and I fell completely in love with the colour.

Red lips can be hard to wear and is often difficult finding a shade that suits and isn't too bright. Bright lips also often means heavy lips, you can literally feel the product lying there.

Masochist is a beautiful deep blood red that is described as a Helmut Newton red. It virtually does feel weightless on the lips. I am tempted to say it is a one shade suits all kind of colour as this looks equally lovely whether I embrace the pale or fake tan. With regards longevity, what red lipstick doesn't need a mid-day touch up? Well, this is no different although I can drink and eat comfortably before I have to re-do.
It applies like a lipgloss, so it comes in a tube with a little sponge bud applicator. This is actually very nice for smoothing over the lips and gives a much more moisturising finish.
If you need further convincing of how gorgeous this colour is - check it out on Gossip Girls, Leighton Meester. She looks stunning. The contrast of the lips against the dress is so striking.
One downside of this product is the price. £22 for 3g so it is a fairly small tube although I guess it is the equivalent of a full lipstick. Still, it is a fairly new brand so it is a steep asking price. However, in saying that I will re-purchase this - quality, colour and the sheer beauty of this product will win over price everytime.

What are your recommendations for a dark red lippie?

Does anyone else love Masochist?

x

Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayons

Barry M's latest addition to their ever growing cosmetics line are Lip Lacquer Crayons.

These chubby colourful pencils come in 5 different shades: Scarlet red, Cherry red, Mandarin, Party pink and Ballet pink. When I was offered the chance to review these, I jumped at the chance to try out Cherry red as thought this would be best suited to my colouring.

I have been using quite a few different lip pencil glosses recently so I thought it would be good to see how these compare to the other brands with similar products. These pencils, or crayons as Barry M like to call them are supposed to create a high shine lacquered and glamorous finish.


The packaging of these pencils look similar to kids crayons, in other words crayola ... but a more sophisticated version. Barry M are slated a lot for their packaging but these pencils are pretty cute and I love the little swirly design at the bottom end of the crayon.

As for the colour and quality ... well, I love it! If any of you follow me on twitter you may have seen my tweet about loving the new lip colour so much I couldn't stop looking in the mirror!! Like Barry M promised, the colour glides on smoothly and with great colour intensity. The pigmentation really is lovely and long lasting. I spent the day wearing this on Saturday. I managed to eat breakfast, go for coffee and drinks before lunch before I noticed this needed a full re-touch. Pretty good.
It is difficult to see in the photos as the colour is coming out much more pink but the Cherry red is definitely in the red family and not pink. The shade is just gorgeous and doesn't look as 'in your face' as other reds, so I felt safe to wear this throughout the day. There is an element of glittery shimmer too, something I don't normally like. In this case though, I would describe it as Disco Shimmer. As much as it can be worn through the day, this would look wicked dressed up for a night out! :)
The best thing about this product as with all Barry M products is the price. £4.95. The colour is gorgeous and the texture is smooth. As well as being long lasting it doesn't feel at all drying. It's the perfect bold statement lips without being too overpowering. Simply amazing value for money!

Mandarin lip lacquer crayon is next on my hitlist - It looks like a fantastic shade for Summer!

Have any of you tried the lip lacquer crayons yet? What was your verdict? Are you a fan too?


Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review however the opinion stated in this post is entirely my own, honest thoughts on the product and it's value for money.

Lipstick Queen

I have always walked past the Lipstick Queen display at Space NK, showing little regard for it. As a brand, I had always thought it was a bit gimmicky and over-priced so simply ignored it. However, when I noticed these little sets were on sale for £11 I thought it was a good time to try it out!



This is the Five Minutes of Fame Pop Art Lipgloss collection, in particular the 'Berries' collection, I do believe there is also a 'Nudes' collection. The Berries collection contains 5 mini lipglosses with combined brush applicator.




From left to right; shades 2(watermelon pink), 5(pale peach), 11(vibrant purple), 14(gorgeous grape) and 15(sexy wine).

The Positive: The colour selection is lovely, although the pale peach is almost invisible on the lip. The rest of the colours are lovely and vibrant without being too sheer for a gloss but also not so intense. As a gloss it isn't too sticky although my hair would still be attached to my lips if it was a windy day so it's not completely void of stick. The formulation is quite thick which for me is a good thing, i like to feel my lipgloss on my lips.

The Negative: I hate the brush applicator. The consistency of the product is quite thick so I find the brush on applicator creates streaks so you don't get a clean, polished finish. I also always manage to go outside my lip line and make a mess of my face with this brush - this never happens to me!

I also find the product really drying on my lips and after about 20 minutes or so the gloss seems to have disappeared so I do feel the need to keep re-applying. After trying these glosses out my lips became chapped and very dehydrated so I have had to avoid using them too often.

So was I right when I initially dismissed this brand? I think I probably was. I still find it gimmicky and for the quality of product you receive, it is definitely overpriced. I will continue to walk on by the Lipstick Queen displays and I won't be in a hurry to repurchase.

Keep in mind, this is my own opinion and experience with this brand.

x

Sleek Cherry Lips ... Oh! and the Graphite Palette too!

I stopped by Superdrug today looking for nothing in particular but ended up at the Sleek stand. Everyone has been going on about the new limited edition Graphite Palette but I hadn't really planned on purchasing as sleek shadows do nothing for me at all. However, once I seen it I thought for only £4 or so it really didn't matter if I ended up disliking it like. You see, the colours are the perfect smokey eye palette so the concept is ideal, the shades are spot on but I have yet to test the quality which for me never seems to sit well on my lids. Anyway, here is the palette - I haven't swatched them or tried them out yet but I am sure you have seen it on everyone else's blogs by now anyway.
What I have been on the lookout for recently is a lovely berry shade of lipstick. Once upon a time I only wore dark berry shades on my lips but since switching to mostly pinks, I find it hard to adjust to seeing myself in darker shades.

I have been determined to get just the right shade but while picking up the Sleek palette I had a look at their True Colours lipsticks... they are only £3.44 (I think?) so again I thought if it doesn't suit it's hardly a loss. I picked up the shade, Cherry. I also picked up what I thought was a darker shade but when I came home it turned out I had 2 of the same Ugh!
The lipstick comes in sleek, black compact packaging which is nice and doesn't look as cheap as it costs. As for the shade itself ... well, I take it as a good sign when my husband arrived home and told me 'Now, that's a red that suits you!' Cheeky so and so!
The lasting ability of this is particularly good - I have had it on since about 5pm, it's now 9.30 and I only touched it up to take a quick photo - other than that it was looking pretty reasonable. Certainly for a product as bargainous as this - I think it's great!

Has anyone else tried Sleek lipstick? What shades do you like?

x