It's Madness I Tell You!! LOTD

Tonight I am going to see Madness in Belfast:) I'm very excited about this lol. Here is the look I will be wearing. I fancied bringing out the blue in my eyes.

Face

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light

Mac MSF natural

Cheeks

Mac Bluser in Coygirl

Lips

Mac Nude Rose Lipstick

Eyes

Estee Lauder DW Stay in In Place Cream Shadow in Antique Gold

Mac Woodwinked all over lid and under lower lash line

Mac Shroom in inner corner and under brow

Mac Black Tied along upper lash line

Clinique Mascara

Merry Christmas

I'm taking the opportunity now to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year:)

I am on a night shift tonight, so tomorrow I will be very tired but will try my best to fight through it for the kids:) At least I'm not working on Christmas Day this year. I'm not sure when I'll get back to my blog so I hope you get everything you want and have a lovely day, whatever you are doing.

Thanks to everyone who reads, comments on and follows my blog. You make me so happy:) Here's to more followers in the new year:)

Interesting Fact of the Day

Sarah Breedlove, hair straightener inventor and first self-made millionairess was born on this day in 1867.

Check out what Wikipedia has to say about her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Breedlove

A truly inspirational woman:)

Love/Hate Relationships Number 2

Here is the 2nd installment of my love/hate relationships:

Love

My bed.

Hate

The fact that I regularly lie in it too long in the mornings and have no time for make up!!

Love

Fresh, clean hair.

Hate

Washing it!!

Love

Smooth, moisturised skin on my body.

Hate

Actually applying the moisturiser!!

Note the fact that all these love/hates focus on my lazy side lol:)

Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin

This is another book I borrowed from the library. For me it's case of try before you buy. In this instance I am going to buy this book for myself. It's a truly great book with lots of beautiful pictures and lots of step by step make up looks.

I am a sucker for beautiful pictures in make up books and this book certainly delivers that. Aucoin makes up many many people in this book, most of whom are famous and there are also some unknown but extremely beautiful faces in there too. His mother also features in this book.

There are many every day looks and smoky eye looks but there are also very different make up looks such as Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, Madame Butterfly and Elizabeth I.

Whether you are new to make up or a seasoned user you will love this book. It's well laid out, full of colour and easy to follow.

Aucoin makes up many different types of people in this book, from young to not so young and covering many different skin tones. There really is something for everyone in this book.

One of my favourite pictures is of 3 very beautiful women, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jody Foster and Meg Ryan all wearing the same make up. This was done for Vanity Fair and it's interesting to see how they all look with the same make up.

This book gets a huge thumbs up from me:)

LOTD

Well it's actually the look of Monday night but lets not split hairs. I have been feeling a bit under the weather since then and that's why this is only going up now.

Monday night was our work's Christmas night out (well one of them anyway) and we went to a chinese for a meal and a few drinks. A lovely night was had by all. The food was delicious and so were the beers:)

Here's the breakdown of my outfit:

Top - Next
Skirt - Next
Tights - Next
Boots Primark
Belt - Next

I felt very comfortable in this outfit. The boots are quite flat so my feet thanked me for that:)

30% off Body Shop Purchases

Does this sound like something you'd be interested in?

The Body Shop are offering up to an amazing 30% off purchases, with their exclusive vouchers which can be found here:

http://www.passthexmasparcel.co.uk/

This is a great offer and a great time to treat yourself or your family and friends:)

Enjoy!!

Love/Hate Relationships

I thought it would be fun to find out share some love/hates with you and find out what your love/hates are. So here goes:

Love

Long nails.

Hate

When they hinder my ability to use things in little pots eg lip balm and moisturiser.

Love

Clean make up brushes

Hate

Cleaning them grrrrrr.

Love

My make up collection.

Hate

The amount of money I have spent on it lol.

Love

Lipgloss

Hate

When the wind blows my hair into it lol:)

These are just a few. I have lots more to share in a future post. So what are your love/hate relationships with make up and beauty products? Or anything else you may have a love/hate relationship with xx

Cosy Toes

It's peeing down outside and it's so cold here I decided to treat my toes to a little something. These caught my eye this morning in Marks and Spencer. I hate when my feet are cold and I thought these would be excellent at keeping my little tootsies warm. I was absolutely right of course;) My toes are loving me now. These slippers feel like heaven when you put them on. They are extremely comfortable and so cosy.

These cost me £12. I love Marks and Spencer!!

Short of Cash?

Need a beauty fix? Then check out your local library. I did and here are my first 2 books.

First of all I got The Body Shop Book. This was published in 1994 so it is quite dated and it turns out that I already own a copy of this!! Oops! I do this all the time so I am glad this time that it's not a repurchase but only a borrowing:) Phew!

It's a lovely book, set out in 10 chapters covering lots of skin, hair and makeup advice. I haven't read through it again yet but I'm off to bed shortly to do just that:)

Secondly I got the book Face Up by Ruby and Millie. This was published in 2000 so still somewhat dated. It is a very basic book and I am glad that I didn't spend any money on it. However it is a nice read and would be useful to the beginner. In my opinion it would have been better with lots more photos and lots more make up looks.

I now have on order some Kevyn Aucoin books. Looking forward to those. Oh and by the way I do already own an Aucoin book but I haven't ordered that one lol (apart from the fact that that one is very hard to come by these days and the library don't have a copy).

Have you any good make up books to recommend to me?

FOTD

This is my FOTD using my new Sleek Graphite palette. My first thoughts are "Wow" at the pigmentation. I did suffer from a bit of fallout. The shadows are really easy to blend as well. All in all I am impressed with Sleek. I need to try more:)

I have a tutorial of this look coming up on YouTube soon so keep an eye out for that:)

Recent Mac Purchases

As promised here are my most recent purchases from Mac:)

From left to right we have Dazzleglass Creme in Perfectly Unordinary, Bare Canvas Paint, Cleanse Off Oil, Nude Rose Lustre Lipstick form the D squared collection.

In the front is Lip Liner in Stone and a 109 brush.

Impressions so far of my purchases are:

Perfectly Unordinary is beautiful. Very subtle and a great lip gloss for every day wear. Bare Canvas paint has not been tried yet, neither has the Cleanse Off Oil. The Nude Rose lippie is gorgeous but very like Hue in my opinion. Hue is one of my favourite lipsticks of all time so this is not a problem for me. The lip liner in Stone is a lot more brown toned than I imagined. I bought this because so many YT gurus said it's great for making your lips look bigger. I have resisted buying this for a long time but finally caved. Lastly the 109 brush is as yet unused.

Have you tried any of these?

A New Addition......

.....to my blusher palette:)

My new baby is on the bottom right. It's Coygirl from Mac and I have been after this for a while but every time I have tried to order it it was out of stock. I am now in love with this and it was worth waiting for:) There is no point of me trying to do swatch pics as I need a much better camera. I am currently working between my phone camera and a really old Fuji camera. I would love a better camera but I need to save a few pennies first lol!

Finally just in case you are interested here is the line up of my other babies starting at the top left:

Dollymix, Pink Swoon, Empty space

Well Dressed, Tenderling, Coygirl

I have also got Pinch 'o Peach which I love and needs to be depotted. It will finish off this palette nicely. It is my oldest blusher from Mac and the first one I ever bought (it's years old lol). I just need to get off my backside and have a mammoth depotting session:)

I have a few more Mac purchases appearing in a post tomorrow:)

How To Blow Dry Your Hair Straight

New YouTube video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkxppQYtG3M

Free Nails Inc Nail Polish

December's issue of Glamour Magazine has a free Nails Inc Nail Polish with it. As far as I can tell there are 4 different colours. I spotted this in Tesco today and they only had one choice of colour there. Luckily for me it's exactly the kind of colour I'm loving at the minute:) The colour is Elizabeth Street. The magazine costs £2 and the polish is worth £10.50 so definitely worth picking up for the nail polish. I may pick up another colour if I see it. I have been known to visit several shops when I'm on a mission to collect certain freebies *blushes*.

Glamour is a magazine I would by quite often anyway so it's impossible to resist when it has freebies lol:)

I have never tried any Nails Inc products so I'm looking forward to trying this polish:) Have you ever used their polishes before? Do you like them?

At Last!!

Finally I have managed to get my hands on some Sleek palettes:) Hooray!! I have been after the original palette for ages but every time I go into the Superdrug which stocks them they have always been pawed over by the world and it's wife. Apart from being gross **yuck** it's really annoying that I haven't been able to pick one up which is in a usable condition.

However that problem seems to have gone. Sleek is now being stocked in another Superdrug (the one in Castle Court for anyone near by) and they seem to be keeping them sealed (hooray for sellotape!). I only know this second hand at the minute though as I rarely go into Belfast and as my mum goes in regularly I asked her to see if she had any better luck than me. Thanks Mum:)

So today I got my 2 beautifully sealed and untouched by Joe Public Sleek palettes. The one on the left is Graphite and the one on the right is the Original. I can't wait to play with these babies lol:) They are great value at under a fiver each. Each palette has 12 eyeshadows inside. If they are as good as all the reports I have heard then these bad boys are a total steal:)

Have you tried Sleek palettes? Are you a fan?

Pet Peeves

I thought I'd do a post on they types of product that annoy me. Not because they are rubbish (that is a whole other story) but just because they have something about them that annoys me. Probably irrationally but anyway:)

The first type of product that makes it's way into my most annoying list is little pots of stuff. Especially lip balm. I love these products but they really annoy me when my nails become too long to dip into the pot. I hate it when my nail becomes clogged up with the product and I also hate how the product looks when I use my nail the other way round (told you it was irrational didn't I lol).

Next up is oil and water products that have to be shaken before use. The reason they annoy me is that I don't really see the point. The product usually has began to separate again before I am finished which means I have to shake again. I am also convinced that the water part gets used up quicker than the oil part because it's at the top of the bottle (yes another irrational reason lol).

I have pictured the Boots Botanics Eye Make Up Remover because I thought it was worthy of a mention here. Despite the fact that this product annoys me it does do a brilliant job at removing all my eye make up and it's cheap. I will repurchase it and learn to live with my little annoyances:)

What type of products annoy you?

NOTD

Nails of the day:) Here we have OPI's Bubble Bath. It's a gorgeous soft pink. I actually bought this for my mum ages ago and whilst visiting her today I painted her nails. Of course I painted my own as well. I love this colour. The polish has such a lovely smooth and shiny finish too. A winner all round in my opinion. Now I only wish I had got one for myself lol:)

Have you tried any OPI? What is your favourite nail polish of the moment (any brand)?

Cute Make Up Bag

I saw this make up bag in Next last week and couldn't resist it. I thought it was really cute and of course I had to have it. I do need another make up bag though, honestly (crosses fingers behind back). It was only £4.50 and I thought it would be ideal for storing my every day make up. I always think this is a great idea and soon after the bag becomes so full that it necessitates me buying another one, or at least having a good clear out and deciding what I actually need in my every day make up bag.

What things do you find hard to resist?

They're Back!!

That's what the sign said at my local Body Shop today. I had heard rumours that some old favourites would be making a come back so I was very excited to see that sign:)

Here is what I bought:

All are old favourites of mine- Banana shampoo and conditioner, Green Apple Bath and Shower Gel and I also got 2 samples. One of which I asked for which was the Cucumber Cleanser and the assistant gave my daughter her own sample of Satsuma Body Lotion which I have never tried before but it smells devine! For anyone who doesn't know the Body Shop will give you a sample of any product you ask for. They have little sample pots which they will fill up for you. An awesome way of trying out their stuff before buying as I find their stuff can be quite expensive. So definitely worth remembering if you want to try something:)

Here's the pics of my little splurge:) I also get 10% off in the Body Shop with a work scheme so it makes it even more attractive.

I used to use Banana Shampoo and Conditioner years ago. I also used the Cucumber Cleanser way back then too. I was in love with The Body Shop when it first opened. My best friend at the time had a part time job in it so I would get loads of advice from her on what products to use and she also let me use her discount. Bonus!! We had many a night out together, staying over at each others houses and removing our make up together with our Cucumber Cleanser and we also loved the Cucumber Toner. We both had an "Against Animal Testing" sweatshirt and thought we were so cool wearing those. The Body Shop stood for so many things that we as teenagers believed in. It was awesome. We also loved using the Banana Shampoo and Conditioner and loved the smell of our hair after we'd used them. I'm hoping the new versions are just as good if not better. They certainly smell the same way that I remember them to smell. The Green Apple Bath and Shower Gel also smells the same way I remember it to.

I was lucky enough to be able to visit The Body Shop HQ in Bognor Regis and take a tour. I lived in England for a few years in my early 20s and was able to do this while I was there. I was totally in my element on this tour. I thought it was fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not sure if you can still do this but if you can I'd thoroughly recommend it. I also remember a lady who was on my tour complimenting me on my clear skin and saying I was a great advert for Body Shop products. She certainly knew how to make a girl feel good about herself lol.

What are your memories of Body Shop products? Anyone else been on the tour? I'd love to know xx

Free Jemma Kidd Lipgloss With Bodyform

Everybody loves a freebie and this offer is brilliant because you don't have to spend much to get it!! Bonus for me is that I use Bodyform anyway so I can stock up on these and they will be used.

The Deal

Bodyform are giving away a Jemma Kidd Make Up School Lipgloss worth £10 with promotional packs of Bodyform. I got mine in Tesco where they are currently on offer 2 for £2. They normally retail for £1.30 per pack so this is a good deal anyway without the lipgloss. Add the lipgloss in and it's an awesome deal:)

There are 2 shades to collect so I got both of them. The lipglosses are limited edition and are both really wearable pink shades. Check out what it says on the Bodyform website here

http://www.bodyform.co.uk/Pages/General/FlashContainer.aspx?id=57194

I have never tried any Jemma Kidd products. It's not easily accessable to me and I think it's quite expensive. These lipglosses are quite small and I don't think I'd spend £10 on one of these. However I am open minded and who knows these lip glosses could lead me on to a Jemma Kidd addiction:)

Have you any Jemma Kidd recomendations for me?

Vanity vs Laziness

A quick post to ask you all which one wins?

For me it's laziness most times. Yes I am the one who will take the extra 10 minutes in bed and skip makeup some days:) I regularly do the morning school run sans makeup. Wait a minute who am I trying to kid? I ALWAYS do the morning school run sans makeup. Heck sometimes I even do the home time school run without it lol!! I figure there isn't much point in rushing to look good for the morning school run. I like to come home and apply my make up somewhat more leisurely:) I have even been known to take the kids to school with my pj top still on under my coat but shhh don't tell anyone;0

I must add that I do always wear makeup to work but on occasions when the extra 10 minutes in bed becomes 20 minutes I have been known to take my make up with me and apply it at work:)

So do you prefer to never leave the house without your makeup on or do you love your bed just a little too much? Fess up here:)

Amazon Delivery

Today I came home from a long day at work to be greeted with a parcel from Amazon!! I was so excited as I ordered a few days ago and have been eagerly waiting the arrival of this:)

Yes it's panacea81's book (Lauren Luke Look Like a Star). I have to say that Lauren Luke holds a special place in my heart as she was the first make up guru I came across on Youtube. I remember the first times I watched her and the pug was snoring in the backgound. At that stage I didn't know what was making the noise and had visions of a person asleep in the room lol!. I have also tried several of her looks and been complimented on how well I looked on those occasions:) I am so happy for her. She has done so well for herself and is an inspiration to us all.

On first glance (I have only had a chance to briefly flick) the book looks great. It's bright, colourful, well laid out, nicely written and is a nice size of book. It's paperback too which I love. There are lots of tips, looks and celebrity looks. I paid £9.34 for it on Amazon and it came in about 4-5 days (seemed like forever to me lol).

I'll do a more in depth review when I have devoured it cover to cover. I'll be off to bed with this baby tonight. Have you got this yet?

New Hair Colour

Yesterday I got my highlights done again. I was badly in need of this. I normally go a bit darker for winter but this time I have gone quite a bit darker than normal. I'm loving it so far!! I love how straight the hairdresser can blow dry it:) I can never get it looking this good without my trusty GHDs lol. Next task is to tint my eyebrows a bit darker as I think it will look good with my new darker hair:)

How To Make Short Nails Look Longer

OOTD and FOTD

Here is my first LOTD with my recent purchases from Next. I went out last night to see a friend who moved to Australia 21 months ago and is home for a wee break at the minute.

I am wearing

Shirt-Next
Denim Mini-Next
Leggings-Next
Over the knee boots-Primark (a complete bargain at £14.68!!)



Make up consists of:
Face:
Estee Lauder Double wear light foundation
Rimmel pressed powder
Mac Bronzer
Illamasqua Nymph Blusher

Eyes:
Mac Amber Lights
Mac Antiqued in the crease and under lower lashes
Mac Vanilla under brows and in inner corner
The Body SHop eyeliner (the new bronze one)
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black

Lips:
By Terry Baume de Rose
Mac Myth on top

I had been wearing this make up all day and just added some oomph to be eyes prior to going out. I had a nice night and it was lovely to see my friend again:)

My New Bag

I have been hankering after a nice big bag for a while. I saw one in M&S which I thought I wanted but after closer inspection I changed my mind. Well, it's a girls prerogotive isn't it lol:) I then came across this one in Next. It's perfect. A large tote and I love the colour. It's a welcome change from my mountain of black bags. It was £25 which I think is reasonable.

I am having a bit of a Next frenzy at the minute. I am loving the winter collections. They are totally me. I have been waiting a long time for this lol:) I'm loving the skinny jeans, over the knee boots, converse boots, jumper dresses, biker boots, (boots feature a lot in my faves) checked shirts. I love love love it all:) Expect some more OOTD posts xx

It's All True

Yes, of course I'm talking about ByTerry's Baume De Rose SPF15. All I can say is WOW!!! This stuff is amazing. It smells like roses (absolutely divine), it goes on really well, it lasts for a really long time (significantly longer than any other lip balm I own) and it has no bad taste (think Mac Tendertones and the latest lip balms - Yuk!!). It is so moisturising on my lips and if you have very dry lips you will notice a difference pretty soon after starting to use this. It will be great for the winter.

It is extremely pricey though. At £31 for 10g it is 31 times more expensive than most other lip balms I own. I bought mine at Space NK, a shop I had managed to avoid my whole beauty junkie life until quite recently. In some ways I'm glad I did (my pocket is certainly glad) but in other ways I'm wondering what other treats I have missed out on. I am now lusting after some high end shampoo/ conditioner etc. I'm saving my pennies for a future spree:)

I will definietely repurchase Baume De Rose. It truly is amazing. It can also be used on cuticles and as per my previous post on using my lip balm on my cuticles I have seen a marked improvement in my cuticles using this balm on them.

Anyone else tried this?

Waste Not Want Not

Thought I'd share this tip with you. When I am applying lip balm from a pot I hate the amount of it that is left on my finger. This annoys me no end (I'm easily annoyed lol) so what I have started to do is rub what is left onto my cuticles. So far this has been working well and the cuticles of my left hand are in much better condition now. I just have to remember to apply my lip balm with my left hand now and again so that I can apply the leftovers to my right hand:)


So what beauty tips do you have to save on wastage?

OOTD and FOTD

Today we all went out for dinner in honour of my little boy's 8th birthday on Saturday and my stepdaughter's upcoming 18th birthday in October. I decided to wear a skirt for this momentous occasion. I never wear skirts and probably haven't worn one for years. Thankfully my work uniform consists of trousers. I wore my new denim skirt that I bought in M&S last week (see earlier blog post) and also my new M&S boots. My cardigan, vest top and tights are all M&S too (OMG I must be getting old when I have an entire ensemble from M&S!!). The boots were extemely comfortable and easy to walk in. I felt very feminine wearing a skirt and am now looking forward to wearing it again rather than avoiding skirts like the plague lol!!

My make up was the same as I wore in my recent YT video review of the ELF eyeshadow base. A few people complimented me on it and requested a tutorial which I recorded today. However it's over 10 minutes so I still have a bit of editing to do. Anyway I am wearing:

Face

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in 010

Estee Lauder Cream blusher in Minute Spice

Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder

The Body Shop Blush Trio (the new pinky one from the AW range)

Eyes

Estee Lauder Doublewear Stay In Place Eyeshadow Base

Estee Lauder Doublewear cream shadow (the pink one)

Mac Rose Pigment on lid

Mac Vanilla pigment as highlighter

A Collection 2000 eyeshdaow in the crease

Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Zero

Maybelline Great lash mascara in black

Lips

In the video I had on Mac Underage Lipglass but here I am wearing my new favourite lipstick Nars Venice

Haircut and Quick Makeup

I got my hair cut on Thurs and this is the result. Ok it's basically the same cut I always get but the hairdresser dried it to the wrong side. I was going to stop her but then I thought what the heck. It's nice to try something slightly different. I have to say I do like it but it took a wee while to get used to having more hair over the left side of my face rather than the right. I will probably go back to the normal parting once I have washed it. I am such a creature of habit lol:)

I am also wearing my quick make up face. This consists of me hurriedly applying the following:

Face:

Avon Magix as a base

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation (my new fave)

Estee Lauder cream blusher

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Wet 'n Wild Mega Glow on my cheeks

Eyes:

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base

Mac Paint Pot in Rubenesque over the lid with the Rimmel powder on top to set

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black

Lips

Nars Sheer Lipstick in Venice

What is your failsafe quick makeup?

Marks and Spencer Haul

I decided to treat myself to a few non make up related goodies in Marks and Spencer today:) I saw a few of these items yesterday in a different M&S but resisted the urge to splurge. However with 24hrs to think about it I decided I needed a few of the things I had seen.

First up we have this denim skirt. I have been after a denim skirt for a long time and all the ones I have seen have been just a tad too short for a lady of my age:( So when I saw this yesterday it was love at first sight. It is a good "sensible" length, coming to just above my knees. I will be wearing it with black opaque tights. It is part of the new Indigo range and I have to say there are quite a few items from this range that I have my eye on but I must be good and resist lol.

The skirt cost £25 and comes with a belt. I think it will look great with my next purchase. I am not normally a skirt wearer but I have decided I should start wearing skirts. We shall see lol.



Next are these boots. These are also love at first sight. These boots are totally me. I'm sure I will get lots of wear out of them either with leggings or the skirt.

I was originally eyeing up a pair of knee highs yesterday but when I saw these today I just had to have them. They are £29.50 and also come in brown.

They come to a couple of inches above the ankle and have a bit of a heel on them. Not too high that I'll break my neck in them but a height that I'll be able to walk easily in. I definitely dress for comfort first.

Finally I spied these jeans which are also part of the Indigo range. I love the colour of these and the fit. I tried these on in the shop and they looked great on. They are boot cut and sit just below the waist. They cost £15 which I think is an absolute bargain!!

I'm in love with M&S right now. I'm such a granny lol! Do you like M&S clothing? What items do you love from there?

FOTD

Here is my face of today.

I am wearing:

Face

Avon Magix as a base (the original one not the tinted one)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation in 1.0

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Estee Lauder Cream Blush (as a blush base)

Wet 'n Wild Mega Glow on my cheeks with the bronze part only used as a contour

Eyes

Estee Lauder Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base

Estee Lauder Cream Shadow (the pinky one)

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow in 23 Berry Ice and 13 Pale Moon

Gosh Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Metallic Brass

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black

Lips

Carex

I love the glow that I get from the Wet 'n Wild Mega Glow. This is such an awesome product. I'm also loving the Gosh Velvet Touch eyeliner at the minute. These are so creamy and apply so easily, no drag, and they last all day:)

A Drink For Dry Skin

I suffer from dry skin and I'm on the eternal search for an amazing product that will hydrate my skin. I am a big fan of Clinique (I have been for many many many many years lol) and I recently got a sample sample of Moisture Surge Extra in a Clinique Bonus Time. For anyone who doesn't know what Clinique Bonus Time is where have you been?!! lol Bonus Time is when Clinique run a special promotion whereby you receive a goody bag or box with any 2 purchases. I am a complete Bonus Time addict and always wait for one to be on near me before I purchase anything. Details of future Bonus Times can be found here: http://www.clinique.co.uk/stores_events/se_bonus_time.tmpl



What Clinique say:

"Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief


All Skin TypesNew and improved formula offers longer hydration for up to 12 hours. With new micor-molecules Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief allows quicker and more efficient moisturisation.

Gives an immediate moisture boost and plumps up skin's resistance to fine, dry lines. Moisturises and soothes dry skin; intensifies benefit of moisturiser. Instantly refreshes skin; leaves it feeling smoother and softer. Calms skin. Comfortable and versatile for all skins; lightweight; absorbs quickly. Helps protect against environmental irritants.Use after 3-Step Skin Care (and following your favourite Clinique booster lubricant) for an immediate moisture boost. Can be applied daily. Pat all over face. Apply throughout the day as needed, even over makeup. Use as refreshing, moisture-intensive 5-minute mask."


I have been loving this stuff as a night time treatment. I use my regular cleanser, toner and moisturiser and leave the moisturiser to sink in for about 5 minutes. Then I apply the Clinique Moisture Surge. It is like a gel and it applys really nicely and sinks into the skin well. It's marketed as "thirst relief" and it really is just like giving your skin a drink. It feels instantly hydrated and soft. I have used this in the past but I think that Clinique have improved the formulation.

It is pricey though at £30 for 50ml but it will last a long time as a little goes a long way (depending on how you use it of course). I think it is worth the price tag and have already purchased a jar in preparation for my sample running out.

I think I want to try Youth Surge next. I'm hoping for a free sample in a future Bonus Time:)

Have you tried this or any other of the Clinique skin care products? What are your thoughts?

Review- No17 High Gloss Nail Polish in Risky Red

This is the colour I was sporting in my recent YT video "How To Paint Your Nails Red". Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Wfmuei88A




What Boots say:

"17 High Gloss Nail Polish is a high shine, colour intense polish for maximum impact in a variety of shades."

This stuff is amazing, especially for the price and it comes in such a wide variety of colours there must be one to suit every person and every mood.

It costs £2.91 and quite often Boots have offers or free gifts on the No17 range. Currently it is a free bronzing kit when you spend £5.

I wore this for 5 days (yes 5 days!!) before a chip appeared. It was the tiniest chip I have ever seen and it probably wouldn't have mattered on a less colourful nail polish but on this gorgeous red it was glaringly obvious. I have never had this long out of a nail polish before although I am quite hard on my nails. This time I "looked after" them mostly by not washing any dishes. This would be my biggest downfall and the reason my nail polish tends to not last too long.

This is definitely well worth checking out and would be a great colour for a Christmas party:) A little early I know but anyway...

Have you tried any of the No17 nail polishes? What is your favourite colour?

Birthday FOTD

Here is my birthday FOTD:) Please excuse the eyebrows. I desperately need to wax/tint them but more important things keep getting in the way lol:)

I am wearing

Face:

Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation NW15

Clinique Loose Powder

Body Shop Blush Trio in Cool Dusk (love love love this)

No7 Concealer

Estee Lauder Cream Blush as a base

Eyes

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Eyeshadow Base

Mac Paint Pot in Rubenesque

Body Shop Eye Trio in Sundown Glow

Clinique Gel Eyeliner in Black Honey

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black

Lips

Clinique Vitamin C Lip Smoothie in Nude- tricious (love love love this as well)

I have had a lovely day. Nothing too exciting lol. Out for the day with the kids and a few drinks with a friend in the evening.

If you would like any reviews of the above products let me know:)

It's My Birthday!!

It's my birthday today and for the occasion my husband has been working on somewhere to store my huuuuge collection of books.

So here it is, my very own library:)



This is half of it and I have the same amount of shelves again. It's fantastic and I love it!!

The Body Shop Eye Definer Review

All this talk of The Body Shop on other blogs lately has inspired me to do a review on the Eye Definer Pencil in Black. This was recently given away as a freebie with In Style Magazine so if you haven't got your copy yet then go get it!! I only bought one and I chose the silvery eyeliner. For anyone who doesn't know In Style September edition included 2 free Body Shop eyeliners and there were 3 different combos to choose from. Black/Gunmetal, Black/Aqua and I think the other one was Black/Green but I may be wrong on that.



Here is a picture of the black eyeliner. Sorry the quality of the pic is pants but it is so hard to photograph a pencil lol!! I need a much better camera for that (dream on).






The eyeliner itself is amazing. I have used it on several occasions and am very impressed with it. It applies very easily after I have warmed it up on the back of my hand and it has staying power in the waterline!! I find it difficult to get a pencil to stay on my waterline but this baby is up to the job:)



The best feature of this pencil is that when you open it for the first time you will find that it is not sharpened to a sharp point iykwim. It appears to have been sharpened to a fine point and then the point has been chopped off. I think this idea is genious!! I hate new pencils that are so pointy you have to blunt them down a little or risk injuring your eye!! Top marks to whoever thought of that:)



These retail at £7.30 which is quite a good price for a great quality eyeliner. However if you're quick you can still get them free with In Style magazine. It costs £3.30 and you get 2 eye pencils. A complete steal:) In fact I'm now contemplating rushing out and getting the other colours myself before it's too late lol!!

Bargain Alert

St Ives Apricot Scrub is now half price at Tesco. I know a lot of bloggers and Youtubers love this stuff. I have bought myself the gentle one. I have never used this before and am looking forward to trying it out. Half price was to good an offer for me to resist!!

11 Years Ago.....

....today I got married:) Can't believe so much time has gone by. Time certainly flies when you are having fun!!



We recently revisited the scene of the "crime" on our way to our holiday destination this year:) Here I am with my kids:)

Superdrug Promotion

I recently got an email about Superdrug's summer promotion. It looks really good and definitely worth a mention.


‘FEELS LIKE SUMMER’ BEAUTY AND HEALTH CARE CAMPAIGN AT SUPERDRUG
12/08/2009


This summer, Superdrug offers amazing tips and feel-good treats at an incredible low price. “Feels like summer” is an inspirational campaign which provides Superdrug customers with great hints on the latest fashion styles and beauty trends.

By signing up at www.superdrug.com/summer customers get not only professional advice on beauty and health care products, but they also receive amazing discounts and the chance to win incredible prizes.

Here is a sample:

Sign up and will GET:
15% off purchases at the new www.superdrug.com when you spend £35
5% off Wahanda Spa treatments
30% off Touchnote.com (valid until 31st Oct)
Discount off OnTheBeach.com holidays (valid until 31st Oct)
40% off Weight Watchers online subscription with the three month plan (until 31s Aug)
Sign up and enter to possibly WIN:
A £200 Dorothy Perkins shopping spree (1 offered every weeks – 2nd Sept)
Free MP3 music downloads from 7digital.com (ends 28th Aug)
Festival Tickets (draw is on 14th Aug)
One of three £1,000 holidays from OnTheBeach.com (draw is on 20th Aug)
A Revlon beauty bag worth £100 (draw is on 31st Aug)
1000s giveaways from Touchnote (ends 18th Sept)
A year’s gym membership with Fitness First (potential prize from 17th Aug)
· 10,000 3 day Fitness First guest membership for you and a friend (from 17th Aug)
Wahanda £500 spa and wellness experience

Michael Page’s experts in professional services describes Superdrug as “the customer's favourite, up-to-the-minute health and beauty shop, loved for its value, choice, friendliness and fun.”

Sign up now at www.superdrug.com/summer you will benefit from the exceptional “Feels like summer” discounts, tips and prizes.


So what are you waiting for? If you're not in you can't win!

MAC FOTD

Today's look is using mostly good old faithful Mac:)

I am wearing

Eyes:

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base

Mac ES Surreal on lid

Mac ES Meadow on crease

Mac ES Vanilla as highlight

Clinique Gel Eyeliner in Black Honey

Maybelline Great Lash black

Face

Mac Select Tint in NW 20

ELF Complexion Perfection Powder

Mac Just a Pinch Gel Blush

Elf Duo Bronze and Blush compact

Lips

Avon Lipstick in Sequins Pink

I was wearing this look in my latest YT video. Not at the start though, just at the end:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfNQrT4nj1k

Mineral Make Up - Ok to Sleep In?

I'm not a huge fan of mineral make up (although I do own a lot of it lol) but I was curious about the claims that it is ok to sleep in. Don't get me wrong though, I have always been a religious remover of makeup before bed (even when alcohol has been consumed) and the thought of going to bed in makeup just makes me feel uggghhhhh. Lately, however, I have been feeling the lure of trying this out. I work shifts and with increasingly busy nightshifts sometimes I just come home in the morning and want to collapse straight into bed. It's all I can do to brush my teeth lol!

So recently I have been putting this to the test. I still remove all my make up when I'm going to bed at night but I have been sleeping in my mineral makeup after nightshifts - oooh the shame.

I have to say that I have had no adverse reactions to this. My skin is neither better nor worse for this practice. My pillows are still clean and my makeup is still on my face when I get up. It's not exactly as perfect as it was when it was applied but it is definitely still there and the proof is in the cotton pads I use to cleanse my face.

Have any of you tried this? Do you like mineral makeup in general?

FOTD With Goodies From Jazzydevil:)

This look was created using some of the stuff I received from the lovely Jassydevil. Check her out at http://www.youtube.com/user/jassydevil and subscribe if you don't already. Also check her blog here http://jassydevil.blogspot.com/

I am wearing this in my latest YouTube video. I love the colours she picked for me. They are fab:)

On my eyes:

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Eyeshadow Base

Astor Eye Artist Eyeshadow in 940 Bazaar Chic

Catrice Multi-Coulour Rouge (I have the highlight part under my browbone and inner corner)

Clinique Gel Eyeliner in Black Honey

Mac Kohl Pencil in Teddy on water line

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black

Face:

Essence Forget It 3 in 1 Concealer

TM from M&S

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Catrice Multi-Colour Rouge as blusher

Primark Lip Balm

Essence Lip Gloss on Top

Check out my YT video to see all the goodies she got me or check out my previous blog post:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QKJh6TCDac

FOTD with Body Shop Shimmer Cubes

As you know I was sent some items from The Body Shop to try. I have been using these Shimmer Cubes for about a week now and I have to say that they are amazing. The colour payoff is great, they last all day when applied on top of a good base and there is no fallout.


I have looked at these many times in The Body Shop and always passed on them. For one they are very expensive (£15.65) and for two the word "shimmer" kind of put me off. I'm a bit old really for too much shimmer but actually these aren't as shimmery as they sound iykwim. I would say they are on a par with Mac's frost finishes.


These are the shimmer cubes I was sent - Shimmer Cubes Palette 06 and each individual cube has a name. Starting from the top left we have 01 Honeycomb, 02 Dark Chocolate, 03 Marshmallow and 04 Choc Chip. My favourite from this palette is 01 Honeycomb and that is what I have on in my FOTD pic. It really goes well with my blue eyes and helps them stand out.



I have applied it on top of my HG eyeshadow base - Estee Lauder Doublewear Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base. These pics were taken towards the end of the day and the eyeshadow is still fresh looking.


What The Body Shop says about these


"This product contains:Marula Oil - Is a very effective moisturiser that also helps to condition the skin over time. Also provides essential fatty acids that help to repair the skin's moisture barrier, thus helping to restore moisture, smoothness and suppleness. Provides women in areas often struck by famine and droughts with the rare opportunity of regular work and income.
-
-
Marula oil comes from the marula tree, native to Southern Africa. The oil is rich in oleic acid, essential to the maintenance of healthy-looking skin. The Body Shop trades with the Eudafano Womens Cooperative in northern Namibia, which helps women in rural communities who have very few opportunities to earn money. The trade with our company has helped more than 750 women and their families to benefit from this traditional, yet underutilized natural resource."

The fact that these help women have regular work and income would make me consider buying these again.


At £15.65 I originally thought these were expensive but when you think that that is actually less than £4 per shadow then it actually is good value for money. Much cheaper than a Mac eyeshadow and I have bought plenty of them lol.

These shadows can also be used wet which makes them very versatile as more dramatic looks can be achieved this way.

Overall I would recommend these eyeshadows to anyone. They apply very easily and blend well. I am in love with mine at the minute:) Have you tried Shimmer Cubes? What do you think of them?

Next Goodies

I'm back from my holidays and had a fab time. Thanks for all the lovely comments. Today I treated myself to a few nice things in Next.

First I got these really cosy slippers. It's been raining really badly here all day and has got quite a bit colder. I actually put the heating on for the first time in ages. It really is cosy slippers, pjs and dressing gown weather lol. Anyone who wants to go out in that is mad. The slippers are very comfortable and cosy and I love them. They were £8.

Then I saw this cute bracelet. It is very much "me" if you know what I mean. It consists of 8 separate bracelets with a charm on each. You can wear as many or as few as you like. I love wearing them all and they make a really nice sound on movement. They were a bargain at £7.50.

I also got a couple of lip balms. One strawberry and one mango. I'll report back on how I like them. Have you tried any Next lip balms?