Beauty, Bargains and Beyond

I think I have found the cutest beauty product of this summer.  I was browsing in Harvey Nichols this week and I couldn't help but find myself in the MAC section and came across the limited edition range of their great Prep + Prime Fix+ Setting Spray in 5 different Summer scents including a Watermelon version. Now anyone that knows me knows my favourite scent is Watermelon Lemonade see my post here , so there was no way I was leaving the Watermelon version behind, I also picked up the pineapple version as well as it's such a lovely scent.   I think they have only recently come out with this range and as soon as I passed the stand in Harvey Nichols I zeroed in on this range.   The scents are so fruity and smell so lovely and fresh.  There all come in fantastic packaging as well and as they are minis they are great for on the go.   I use these not only to set my makeup but also as a face mist to freshen up and cool down throughout the day and night. There...

I recently took advantage of a 15% discount at Harvey Nichols and picked up some Charlotte Tilbury products that have been on my wishlist for a while. Here's what I purchased: The Rock N Kohl Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil Eye Cheat For Bigger Brighter Eyes - I'm always looking for products to enhance my eyes, so can wait to try this as the formula is so soft (this was £19 before the discount). Lip Magic Rejuvenating Smoothing Propolis Balm - I always have really dry lips no matter how many times I apply lip balm.  This was expensive, but I thought it was worth a try (this was £25 before the discount). Lip Lustre Luxe Colour-Lasting Lip Lacquer in Ibiza Nights.  This is a lovely shimmering gold coloured lip gloss that works great on its own, but also goes perfectly on top of Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Stoned Rose that I already own (Ibiza Nights was £16.50 before the discount). The girls on the Charlotte Tilbury stand were lovely and helpful as always and the one...

Here's another Beauty Haul.  This time I went to the York Designer Outlet and popped into The Cosmetics Company Store.  When I've visited in the past the shelves always looked a little bare but this time they had plenty of products and I was like a kid in a candy store, I could have bought loads.  I managed to control myself (a wee bit) and only buy the following items. Ojon Rare Blend Tamer  (see my review of this product here ) - £9.50 (RRP £12.50).  This is an instant frizz fix that I can't live without.  It tames my frizz for most of the day even when I go to the gym.  Ojon Rare Harvest - £11.25 (RRP £15). Fortifying Hair Juice (sounds abit weird!!) which protects fragile hair against future breakage.  I thought I would try this out as my hair does tend to break quite easily when I brush it even with The Wet Brush or Tangle Teezer so I thought it was worth a try.  I haven't used it yet but will report back when I do. ...

I bought a few things from MAC when I was in LA as they work out cheaper than buying them in the UK.  Here's what I bought: I bought an eyeshadow called Sumptuous Olive which is a lovely shimmery golden khaki colour.  I am really loving this type of colour and it is really versatile. This was $15. I bought 2 lipsticks.  I had been thinking about buying Plumful  for ages.  This is a lovely berry colour and is so wearable, I know I will get loads of use out of it. This is a lustre lipstick. This was $15. I also bought Can't Resist which is a sheen supreme lipstick.  This is a lovely red bronze colour that is so shiny its almost like a gloss.  This was $17. Here are the swatches: Plumful, Can't Resist, Sumptuous Olive As a side note I bought them in the Mac store near Hollywood Boulevard, which is in the same building as the Dolby Theatre where the Oscars take place.  If you watched the Oscars recently, where the  stars were ...

Here is my first Use it or Lose it Challenge of 2014.  If you haven't read my previous posts on this subject them check out my first post here .  I basically pick out some products that I haven't used either ever or for quite some time and try them out and decide if I want to keep them or if I can part with them, as I will probably never get round to using them. First off are 3 mineral eyeshadows from MAC.  They all look very similar so I am going to try them all out and see if they are actually the same or if they are different enough to keep.  They are called Cloudy Afternoon, Snow Season & Mineral Mode. Next on the list is an Illamasqua Powder blush.  Its a coral colour called Lover and I just want to check if it suits my skin tone and also whether its similar to any of the blushes I use regularly. I picked a NARS nail polish called Purple Rain.  I really like the colour but I find it difficult to apply really dark colours to my shor...

Its a bit late but I wanted to provide an update on the October Use it or Lose it Challenge.  This time I chose 11 products to try, to see if I liked them enough to keep or if I should get rid of them.   The products I decided to use or lose in October were: Here are the results: Vanitas Versace Perfume 4.5ml - I like this perfume so I will definitely be keeping it.  It has a light floral smell that is not too overpowering so can be worn through the day. Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds Eye Liner in Smokey Diamond - This one was easy to apply and gave my eyes definition so I will keep this one.  Its a smokey grey with a bit of shimmer in it. Elf Shimmer Eye Liner Pencil - This worked well so I will keep this one.  Its pretty similar to the one above but has a softer tip so is easier to apply. Avon Super Shock Gel Eye Liner in Black - This was too thick and too dark and it looked like I had a black eye when I applied it even with a l...

After the success of Septembers Use it or Lose it Challenge, where I chose 8 products to try to see if I liked them or not (I decided to get rid of 3 and keep 5),  I thought I would pick another set of products to use in October.  For anyone that missed Septembers challenge update the link is here . The products I have decided to use or lose in October are: Vanitas Versace Perfume  4.5ml - I received a trial size in a beauty box ages ago and never got around to using it.  I did a post on my perfumes awhile ago and promised that I would use more of my perfumes. Avon Glimmerstick Diamonds Eye Liner in Smokey Diamond - Another product Ive had ages and not used.  I must admit I have hooded eyelids so I'm not sure eyeliner works for me but I'm going to try a few of my eyeliners in October and see if they are worth keeping.  The other eye liners I will try are: Elf Shimmer Eye Liner Pencil - I cant find a name on the pencil but its a smokey gre...

I am going on holiday later this year, so I thought I would do a wish list of the things that I want to pick up at the airport.    I definitely want to pick up a new perfume at the airport to take advantage of the duty free prices.  I really want another Chanel perfume and the one at the top of my list at the moment is Chanel Coco Noir.  I also want to pick up a few Mac items as the duty free price seems pretty similar to the US price.  I want to buy an eyeshadow called Sumptuous Olive (a gorgeous golden olive colour) and a lipstick called Plumful which is a lovely medium pink colour.  I also want to try the Mac Face & Body foundation, so if I can find a suitable match for my skintone then I will pick some up. I think I will also pick up a Chanel eyeshadow (Illusion D'Ombre Epatant) and some nail polish (Taboo or Bel-Argus).               ...