Products of the month: May 2013

♥ L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in 301 Dating Coral ♥
Superdrug were having a 3 for 2 promotion recently and quite frankly it was rude not to take full advantage of it. I was looking for an easy to wear peach lippie and I found the L'Oreal stand fully stocked for a change. After covering my hand in a gazillion swatches (hashtag bloggerprobz) I settled on Dating Coral which is a pretty peachy coral shade that's not too bright and not too boring. It gives my lips a gorgeous finish and this has become a staple in my makeup bag. It looks fab paired with the L'Oreal Glam Shine Miss Candy gloss in 701 Bubble Pink.

♥ China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat ♥

This top coat is an absolute life saver. It applies evenly to give a high gloss finish and has a super speedy drying time to leave your nails smudge free. The amount of times I've done my nails, applied this then gone out and I've never had a polish mishap! Worth every single penny.

♥ Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pretty Powerful Pink ♥

I bought this on a complete whim and at first I wasn't sure about it. Then recently I picked up an elf lip tint (see below) and instantly knew it'd look great paired with a pop of pink of the cheeks and a gorgeous combination was born. Pretty Powerful Pink gives a lovely fresh faced, natural look and its been my go cheek colour for the past couple of weeks.

♥ elf Mineral Moisturizing Lip Tint in Blush ♥

I added this to my basket in my last elf order and I have to say I really like it. It's like a mini lippie which is a winner for me - no mess! I find it hydrates whilst adding colour and a nice sheen to my lips. It has a sweet taste to it too which is a bonus.

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Which products have you been loving this month?

My perfect base

In my quest for flawless looking skin, I think I've finally stumbled across my HG base. A bold statemet I know. To put it simply ladies, I've given up on foundation. I am yet to find a foundation that is the perfect shade, the perfect finish, and has the perfect longevity. I always return to my old faithful - Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream. I first discovered this back in 2011 and have been using it pretty much religiously ever since. I did cheat on it on a few occasions with a couple of foundations, but I always find my way back to it. 

Don't get me wrong, the BB Cream isn't perfect on its own. I still need to conceal my dark circles and blemishes. I've recently been using Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in the shade Porcelain on my under-eye area and any blemishes. I think this is in the running for most amazing concealer but that's another post entirely. Once I've concealed, I apply Missha BB Cream in shade #21 Light Beige with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Instant perfection. My skin looks radiant and pretty much flawless. I've been skipping powder and using Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray which gives such a lovely, luminous finish whilst ensuring my makeup stays put all day.

I always purchase Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream via this seller on eBay for great prices and super quick shipping.

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Do you prefer BB cream over foundation? Have you found your perfect base? Let me know :)

Countdown to IMATS London 2013!!

It is just over 3 weeks until IMATS returns to London for what is undoubtedly the beauty event of the year. I think having to wait an extra 5 months due to the change of date has made me even more excited! At least there will be no pesky snow this time around! To add to the excitement, the lovely Bicky and I will be shacking up at Chez Do Not Refreeze for the weekend which I am super excited about!!

If you're a long time reader of my blog you'll know that I've been to IMATS a couple of times before, back in 2011 and of course last year, and I'm thrilled to be attending again this year. For 2013, there is a change of venue - the Olympia National Hall in Kensington which looks huge and very light which will be nice, especially if its going to be a sunny weekend. Fingers crossed!

Talking of all things new, there are a few new exhibitors on the list this year, and whilst the list may not be set in stone yet, I'm particularly interested at seeing both Bobbi Brown and NARS attending this year which are brands I'm starting to get into so it'll be nice to have a look at their offerings as its a bit of a trek to get to either counter for me at home.

I cannot wait to visit Charles Fox, PAM, Guru Makeup Emporium and Love Makeup this year as they always have a myriad of brands to peruse so I'll definitely be taking a look and stocking up on a few goodies there.

I'm super happy that Crown Brush are exhibiting again this year as I never come away from their stand empty handed. I'll also be looking forward to snapping up a few bits from Royal & Langnickel and Bdellium.

As always, I'll be snapping plenty of photos and I'll be paying lots of interest to the Student Competition which runs across Saturday and Sunday, as well as the incredible talent being showcased by the various make up schools in attendance. There were some truly amazing sights to behold last year so I'm excited to see this year's efforts.

IMATS always has a fab schedule of talks and demonstrations from the various exhibitors and this year looks to be no exception. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Emmy award winning Kevin James Bennett for Royal & Langnickel deliver his talk 'Tracking Trends for Fall 2013' on the Saturday and Einat Dan for Make-Up Artist Magazine discussing Fashion Make-Up to Avant-Garde on the Sunday.

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IMATS London is taking place on:

Saturday 22 June 2013 from 8:30am - 5:00pm
Sunday 23 June 2013 from 10am - 5pm

One day ticket £45.00
Two day ticket £70.00

You have until Thursday 20 June to purchase tickets. If you're undecided, I'd absolutely recommend it, even if you go for just one day. IMATS is a brilliant, inspiring experience and I'll guarantee that you'll absolutely love it!

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Are you going to IMATS? If anyone fancies meeting up, send us a tweet! 

NOTD: Birds Egg Nails

On a recent trip to Superdrug, I spent my last pennies on the highly sought after Confetti top coat from L'Oreal. I was now finally able to recreate pretty birds egg style nails!

Step one: Apply a base coat. I used China Glaze's Strong Adhesion Base Coat

Step two: Apply two coats of Bourjois So Laque! Bleu Model

Step three: Apply one coat of L'Oreal Color Riche Polish in Parisienne Gardens (You can skip this step but I wanted a real pastel shade and the combination is pretty)

Step four: Apply one coat of L'Oreal Color Riche Confetti Top Coat

Step five: Apply a top coat. I used China Glaze's Fast Forward Top Coat

Et voila! Effortlessly chic and on trend nails.

♥ ♥ ♥

What do you think? Have you tried this trend?

NOTD & How To: Aztec Nails

I seem to have my creative nail hat on at the moment! I've tried something new and went for an Aztec design on a pastel base and I really loved the results.

So many people have said to me that this design looks really hard and must have taken a lot of patience. I didn't find it difficult thanks to Barry M's fab nail art pens, but time and patience was most definitely needed!

Here's a simple step by step of how I created my Aztec themed nails:

001. Start with a base coat. I used China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat.
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002. Paint your base colour. I used two coats of Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Greenberry.
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003. When your base is completely dry, use the Barry M Nail Art Pen in black to create three lines. The first should be about a third of the way down the nail (imagine if you were creating a freehand French manicure and where you'd want the white part of the nail to end). The second should be two thirds down the nail and the third should be half way between that line and the end of your polish.
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004. Fill in the tips of your nails using the same nail art pen.
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005. Whilst that is drying, create the zigags at the base of the nail.
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006. Take the silver nail art pen and fill in the space between the two black lines toward the base of the nail.
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007. Now take the white nail art pen and create dots before the section you have just filled in.
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008. The tips of your nails should now be dry so take your white nail art pen and create zig zags and dots. You could do stripes or diagonal lines - whatever takes your fancy! If you're looking for inspiration there's tonnes of amazing ideas with a simple Google Images search.
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009. Give your nails time to dry then seal with a top coat. I used China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat.

Et voila! Simples!

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Have you tried Aztec design before? If so, send me your links. If not, will you be giving it a go?

Current Obsessions: Coral

It's no secret that coral is my favourite colour and now Spring has sprung I wanted to show you the items I've been loving lately to inject some much needed colour into my every day look.

1. Sleek Blush by 3 in Lace
This made an appearance in my March favourites because it was my go to blush palette. Whether I wanted a shimmer or matte finish, this palette had me covered. The colours are so insanely pigmented and last all day on me. This is currently £9.99 and part of a 3 for 2 deal in Superdrug.

2. Forever 21 Polka Dot Hairband
I'm loving being able to jazz up my hair and this recent addition to my collection is no exception. It's cute, it's coral and I really love it - you can see it in action in a recent face of the day.

3. Topshop Blush in Head Over Heels
Is there anything Topshop makeup cannot do? I am seriously loving everything I have tried from them and their cream blushes are the best I've tried (and trust me, I've got lots!). When they added a new coral shade to their repertoire, I snapped it up. A lovely cream to powder finish this is super easy to apply leaving a lovely flush of colour that lasts all day.

4. George at Asda Coral Canvas Pumps
On a recent dash to Asda for DVD night munchies with friends, I saw these for a mere £6.00. They are so comfortable and even survived a very wet trip to Alton Towers! I was tempted to pick up another pair but they're sold out in store and online :(

5. Accessorize Diagonal Zip Cross Body Clutch
This was an absolute impulse buy when I visited the Trafford Centre a few weeks ago. I walked through the door and BAM! there it was. Instant love. It's been everywhere with me since.

6. Illamasqua Nail Polish in Lament
I love a coral nail polish and I practically wore this over the whole of summer last year and it's quickly taken on a reappearance this year. A beautiful bright clean peachy coral, this shade is perfect for brightening up my talons! You can see it in action in a rather colourful post here.

7. River Island Coral RI Embossed Purse
Of course if one buys a coral bag, one simply must have a coral purse to go with it. Another Trafford Centre purchase, I picked up the last one on the shelf. I would say I'm sorry, but that'd be a teensy weensy white lie. It's a lovely slim line purse with plenty of space for cards, change and must have purse paraphernalia!

8. Dior Addict Lipstick in Model

I can't believe how long I've had this gorgeous lipstick - I picked it up on a bloggers day out in 2011 - and it's still going strong despite being one of my most worn lippies. A beautiful pink toned coral, I wear this pretty much all of the time. If I can't decide on a shade, Model is always my go to product of choice for a glossy, coralicious pout!

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Are you loving coral? Let me know which colours and products you are loving for Spring!

Review: MUA Power Pout in Broken Hearted

If there's one thing that I've watched with intrigue over the last few months, its high street budget makeup brands falling over themselves to produce affordable dupes of high end products. Specifically I was interested in dupes for Clinque's Chubby Sticks. I own one and I love it, but do I really want to pay £16 per shade when I want to add to my collection? Not really. MUA have hit the nail on the head with their latest offering in the form of new Power Pout.

Identical to Chubby Sticks, the Power Pouts are colour intense tints and balms. Having compared the websites, it would seem MUA are trying to mirror the Chubby Stick Intense range and I think they've done a fab job. I've not tried the Clinique's latest offering to compare however I do love the Chubby Stick in Two Ton Tomato that I own. Having said that, I prefer Power Pout! 

I own Broken Hearted, a rich, deep, raspberry pink. It's easy to apply, feels moisturizing, gives even colour and has a glossy finish. Power Pout have a slightly minty scent but I don't find them as overpowering as the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. I find once applied, the colour stays put. After a while, the gloss can vanish but the stain remains even and the colour doesn't fade away. 

I think I'm definitely going to have to invest in some more!

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Have you tried Power Pout? Do you prefer them to pricier alternatives?

NOTD: Leopard Print Nails using Barry M's Nail Art Pens

Products

China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat

Seventeen Lasting Fix Polish in Pink Grapefruit

Barry M Nail Art Pens in Silver and Black

China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat

I found the black pen super easy to work with but the silver pen was a bit more tricky. Maybe it's the polish, or maybe I just got a dodgy one? Even so, it made doing nail art a whole lot easier. Well done Barry M!

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Have you tried the new nail art pens from Barry M?

Whatever you're doing this Bank Holiday Monday, have a fab one!

LOTD: Stellar

Finally it would seem Spring has sprung. You've taken your mighty fine time haven't you? On a beautifully warm and sunny day off I popped out sporting a bit of a coralicious look and I felt it was finally acceptable to wear a super bright lippie!

Base: Missha BB Cream in #21
Mascara: Clinique High Impact Mascara & Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
Liner: Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Vow
Lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar
Headband: Forever 21
Tee: George at Asda
Cardi: Dorothy Perkins

I was a tad wary of these as the ones I'd tested in store smelled awful - really chemically - but I think thats because they were testers. Thankfully mine smells quite nice! I was a bit disappointed with the colour range, even though there are quite a few. The only one that tickled my fancy was Stellar which really impressed me.

The bright hot coral-red colour certainly packs a hefty punch. It applies well but you certainly need to take your time because its a bit of a pain to fix up if you go wrong. I found it lasted about 2-3 hours before the gloss faded to leave a lovely stain on my lips.

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Have you tried the Apocalips range yet? Which colours would you recommend?

Review: MUA Gel Liners

It's been a while since I've picked up makeup from the high street. Nothing has really taken my fancy but when I saw the MUA stand stocked up I picked up a few things, and these gel liners were two whimsical purchases.

I'm so glad I bought them as I think they're a brilliant addition to my gel liner collection! I bought On Move, a gorgeous shimmery brown - think budget dupe for Bobbi Brown's offerings! - and Tribe, a beautifully stunning vibrant blue. Both are easy to apply thanks to the great creamy formula. Once applied these babies stay put, even on the waterline. I'm talking 12 hours without smudging, transfer or fading. I'm sure they would have lasted a lot longer given the chance but this is the longest I've worn them for. I found that they take some serious elbow grease to remove - even when using Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution!

I really like the packaging. At first I was wondering why there was such a long handle. I removed the label and found the top part unscrews to reveal a handy liner brush which makes these perfect for on the go or travelling.

The best thing about it? It's only £3.00. That's 62% cheaper than the Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liners and a whopping 82% cheaper than the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liners. Bit of a no-brainer really eh? If you only pick up one, get Tribe. It's absolutely gorgeous!

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Have you tried the MUA liners? Would you? Let me know what your favourite high street bargains are!