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Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Bonjour Bourjois!






It's not easy buying blusher when you don't have the skin tone to carry off the majority of shades. This is probably why I probably only own about 3 blushers, compared to stacks of eyeshadows I seem to have falling out of every drawer. I have heard a lot about the new Bourjois Cream Blushers, and it was after seeing Ruth Crilly talk about shade “01 – Nude Velvet” that made me really want to try it.

Admittedly, Ruth isn't particularly pale, however what I liked is that when she applied it, the effect it gave didn't immediately take over the whole look, as some blushers can. This can especially be the case, when you are working on a pale canvas.

The colour is undoubtedly the best thing about this product. All too often blushers on pale skin either look too childhood doll like (too pink), or too muddy (too orange/brown). The colour of this blusher is a light terracotta shade, which really does blend in nicely to the cheek. I find this blusher incredibly easy to apply, and can be worked in with hands with barely any effort at all. I like to blend it out with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

I also feel that because it's a cream blusher, it is a lot more natural looking that a powder blush. As much as I love both formats, the cream blush effect really does look a lot more effortless and played down, so is definitely suitable for everyday wear.

Pricewise, £7.99 isn't bad considering how impressive the product is. The packaging also features a lovely little mirror, which is ideal for on the go touch ups.

To sum up, I think this is a great natural looking blusher that is ideal for everyday, when a heavier blusher can sometimes feel too much. The colour isn't offensive, and the finish is buildable and blendable. I would recommend swatching it to double check this shade is for you, however as far as I'm concerned - this is pale suitable. If you'd like to purchase this online, you can do so here.



Friday, 24 May 2013

Scrub A Dub A Dub




Whilst I like to use my Dove exfoliating soap on a daily basis to keep my skin smooth, every once in a while I like to use a more heavy-duty scrub. The reason for this, is that it really helps keep the skin smooth, particularly on the legs and arms. I also think a body scrub in general helps improve the skins texture, and can make you feel extra squeaky clean. The scrub I've been using faithfully for around the last two years, is the St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Body Scrub.


The scrub contains 100% natural granules, that are quite fine however there are quite alot of granules in just a small handful. This means that you really do get quite a nice thorough scrub, because there are alot of exfoliating particles. There is nothing I hate more with scrubs, than when they don't contain many exfoliating granules as it can be difficult to get good results. Thankfully with St Ives this is not the case! The scrub also has a really lovely scent to it. I wouldn't say it's "Apricoty" as such, or that is overly fragranced. The smell seems quite natural, and pleasing to the senses.  

One aspect I like about this scrub, is the fact although it is quite thorough and invigorating, it does not irritate my sensitive skin, or cause it to peel or turn red. I do tend to moisturise my legs after use, just to be sure I am not drying the skin out... however I do feel this is quite a good product to use on skin if you tend to be irritated by certain cosmetics. I think the fact is not perfumed definitely helps this fact.

Price wise, you can pick this scrub up for £5.09 at Superdrug, which is not bad at all really when you compare this with other brands. St Ives have been established for 25 years now, which is another great reason to trust in them. It's all well and good paying £30+ for a scrub, but if that's a little steep for you as it is for me, then there's no reason to miss out on an indulgent treat for your skin. 


A little goes along way with this scrub, so don't think 300ml of product won't get you very far as you'll be surprised. I think this scrub works brilliantly on leaving my skin ultra smooth and re-vitalised, and doesn't leave a sticky residue either like some scrubs do. All in all, it's definitely something I have to repurchase once it's all gone!






Tuesday, 14 May 2013

May Freebies




Just a quick heads up, that there as some great beauty steals in this months Elle & Marie Claire Magazines. Firstly, grab a Benefit mascara in Elle, worth around £10. As it's travel sized, it's perfect for trying out to see if you would like the real thing... and great for traveling with too! 

Marie Claire is giving you a choice of 3 items as a free gift. Either a lipstick, the super shock black eye liner, or an eyebrow pencil which is what I chose. I have been on the look out for a new eyebrow pencil, so for me this is perfect! The Supershock range is highly rated however, so this is a perfect chance to grab yourself a discounted product that you are sure to love!

If you buy both, you will also recieve a generous sample of the L'Oreal mythic hair oil, as well as some Clarins primer. There is even a sample of Alien by Thierry Mugler (see last post). This month is definitely a great one for freebies!

Sunday, 7 April 2013

Better Late Than Never....




Some of you die-hard Pale Skin Make Up fans (lol) may remember that a while back I won tickets to The Clothes Show Live. I did film a fashion show of The Britain's Next Top Model finalists, however youtube decided to go all Naomi Campbell on me and block my video in 183 countries. Well good news! I finally fixed the issue and now it's available to watch in HD.... check it out folks!




Friday, 22 March 2013

Just A Quick Heads Up....

I thought I'd tell you that I currently have a couple of ebay auctions that may interest some of you out there! Firstly, I am selling shades 003/004 of the Dainty Doll Foundation that I featured in a previous post.

You can check this out here for Shade 003:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300876545470?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649


And here for shade 004:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300876547077?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649



 



Secondly, I am selling a *brand new still in box* Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum Pen. This is a very exclusive product that would normally set you back £78 plus postage from the Rodial Website. I am starting this auction at 99p so this is an amazing opportunity if you are a fan of Rodial, or are just looking for a new eye cream.

You can find the auction here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300879137183?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649

As always, thankyou for reading my blog, and stay tuned for the next post!

Monday, 21 January 2013

Snap, Crackle and Pop?!






Gone are the days of only having one possible finish with nail polishes. The crackled nail effect has been around for a little while now, and perhaps one of the most noted brands that have done this is OPI. I was lucky enough to receive their Gold Shatter nail polish as part of the Elle goodie bag from the Clothes Show, for which I paid £2 for and got around £30 worth of products essentially for free. Not to mention a tonne of Elle Magazines! To buy this normally however, it would set you back £11 plus postage if like me, you don't live near an OPI stocklist.










I first applied my trusty collection 2000 basecoat, followed by 2 coats of a black Barry M nail polish. I should say that normally I would never wear a black nail polish on it's own against my pale skin, as I find it incredibly draining. However, given I was pairing it with a gold polish, I felt black would be the best option as not that many colours would work with such a bold top coat.

After letting my black nails set for a good 20 minutes so that they were touch-dry, I applied the gold overlay. I really wasn't sure what to expect, and was fascinated to see the polish literally break away from it's itself infront of my eyes. However, I noticed some nails struggled to separate and had started to dry with just one split down the middle, so I had to push some of the polish away myself in order for it to give the crackle effect. This was a little disappointing, as on my thumb in particular... it had really worked well, yet a couple of my nails had hardly moved so the results were a little uneven.


Overall, I am not sure whether I like this product or not. It's not what I would typically go for within a nail polish look, however it's always fun to try new things and different effects. I think it's definitely down to personal taste whether this look is for you or not. As for the price point, £11 is quite steep however I think you can definitely tell within the quality of the brush and the way the bottle is designed also, it feels more luxe that my regular high street bottles that's for sure! This is definately a product for those who like to mix things up.

Interested in buying this polish? You can find it here

Monday, 14 January 2013

How I Store My Make Up!

Recently, I've been re-arranging my room. It's no secret that I love my make up, and over the years I seem to have acquired quite alot of it! From palettes to polishes, eye shadows to lipglosses... where on earth do I keep them all so they are all in one place and organised?

Well, take a look!.....




Firstly, I use a multi-draw storage box to keep the majority of my products, which are organized according to what part of the face they are for... i.e a "Lips" draw and a "Face" draw, for foundations and powders. I realise this makes it look like I own an alarming amount of make up, but infact this draw stands at less than a meter high and is fairly lightweight (something I was eternally thankful for when moving between/out of my uni accommodation!).  As you can also see, I keep a clear glass case on top for any extras (mainly along the lines of Hairspray, handcreams and anything else that's generally too bulky to keep in the draws).


Here is the contents of the 6 draws as they currently stand...



 

More recently, I also decided I really wanted a separate brush and nail polish holder, preferably a clear plastic one. I have seen so many bloggers and youtubers with them, which made me want them even more as they fit pretty much any room and any colour scheme. I got the brush holder from muji for around £8 including postage. The nail polish holder I bought from Amazon for around £13.





Remember The Clothes Show post I did? (If not, go check it out.. it's about 3 posts back!) well I ended up with some really lovely carrier bags which I decided to use to my advantage and create my own little "Nail Shelf"... with the addition of some Dior perfume to keep the polishes company.









And that pretty much concludes how I store my make up! How do you store yours?

Monday, 10 December 2012

The Clothes Show Live - Part 2 (The Goodie Bags!)

As promised from my previous post, I am now going to talk about the amazing and unbelievable Goodie bags myself and my Cousin each received from The Clothes Show Live. Before I start, I really want to thank Sleek Make-up so so much for choosing my entry as the winner, as well as for the products we received. The whole day was incredible and it wouldn't have happened for either of us without them, so if you are reading Sleek... THANKYOU! The ladies on the counter were also super lovely and shook both our hands, they made us feel like royalty!

Firstly, let me show you everything I accumulated over the whole day (minus the bags) arranged on my bedroom floor....





Sleek Goodie Bag:

Myself and Vicky each received the following products for free as part of the competition we won. Given we are such massive Sleek fans, and the nearest Superdrug that stocks Sleek is a 2 hour train ride away.... well, lets just say we screamed then Vicky let out a few choice words not suitable for broadcast in this blog. We just could not believe our luck!!

Our bags each contained... 

- Make-Up Brush Set (7 Pieces)
- I Divine Palette (Original)
- I Divine Palette (Storm)
- Glo Face & Body Highlighter (Bronze Baby)
- Cannes Eyelashes
- Rio Eyelashes
- Glossed (Bitten)
- Glossed (Whisper)
- Pout Polish (The Afterparty) 
 










Barry M Goodie Bag:

The Barry M stand was absolutely scrumptious, with rows upon rows of products in every shade imaginable. The following bag cost just £10 for £70 worth of products! I don't think I saw a single person in the entire NEC who didn't have one of these hanging off their arm! Considering just *one* Dazzle Dust eyeshadow is normally £5 alone, there was no way I wasn't going to buy the goodie bag!

I noticed the contents of the bag varied as my cousin got some entirely different products/shades to me. Here is the contents of mine...

- Barry M travel/product case
- Dazzle Dust (Shade 209) X2
- Dazzle Dust (Shade 75)
- Kohl Pencil (Shade 13)
- Kohl Pencil (Shade 15)
- Kohl Pencil (Shade 20)
- Pink Glitter  Eye Crayon
- Bright Turquoise Lengthening Mascara
 
- Face & Body Shimmer Powder
- Limited Edition Lip Gloss
- Nail Paint (Shade Retro 1 Pink)
- Nail Paint (Shade Retro 3 Red)
- Nail Paint (Shade Retro 5 Purple) 


 
 Model's Own Goodie Bag:

This was another fantastic £10 for £70 worth of products offer. This time, you picked the 2 nail polishes that went with the rest of the bag. To say it was difficult is a massive understatement! Even the girls behind the counter who served us didn't know what they would pick! The stall stretched for about 40ft in a massive square, with rows and rows of colour co-ordinated polishes, with a gigantic model of a silver glittery nail polish on the roof of the stand.The stall sold pretty much every polish imaginable... from neutrals, to pastels, to brights and then to glitters. It was insanely difficult choosing, however I went with two colours I didn't already own from my nail collection at home.

- Nail Polish (04 Hed Kandi)
- Nail Polish (Red Red Wine)
- Shapeitbuffit Nail Buffer 
- Nail Art Pen
- Straight Cosmetic Scissors
- Powder Eyeshadow (Pearl Pink)
- Powder Eyeshadow (Bright Turquoise)
- Hi-Definer Pro-Eyeliner
- Lipgloss
- Moisturising Lip Balm (Bubblegum Flavour)

- Lip Liner Pencil (Red)
- Eye Liner Pencil (Black)
- Eyeshadow Applicators X4



 Collection 2000 Goodie Bag:

I have always been quite fond of Collection 2000, as I think over the years their products have become cult classics, especially their concealer which I use on a daily basis! The CSL Goodie Bags were being sold for an incredible £5 for £20 worth of products, which included their best selling mascara. Again, the lady who served us (we bought 3 bags in total) was incredibly lovely which can't of been easy given how manic each stand was. The stand was also selling a massive range Collection 2000 products at heavily reduced price.

Here's what my bag contained...

- Bedazzled Eyeshadow Palette
- Multiplier Volume & Definition Mascara (Ultra Black)
- Nail Smash Top Coat (1 Black Smash)
- Hot Looks Nail Polish (5 Siren)
- Volume Sensation Lipstick (Satin Bow)



     

 
 Bomb Cosmetics:

Now, many people have heard of Lush... but have you heard of Bomb Cosmetics? They may not be as well known, but do just as amazingly fragrant bath products. I have long been a fan of their Strawberry fields shower scrub (fans of Lush's Snow Fairy will LOVE it). However, it is about £8 plus postage on the website which has always put me off ordering it this way. The nearest shop to me that sells it is a fashion boutique on Lincoln's Steep Hill which is an hour away from me! When I saw Bomb had a stand I jumped at the chance of re-purchasing it. They also had masses of absolutely devine, colourful soaps and bath bombs which really brightened the whole arena. As I went to pay for my Strawberry Fields, I was informed it was 2 for £10 so I thought I'd try Shower Power too.





 And finally, some other bits we recieved from the ELLE and Cosmpolitan bags. Their Goodie Bags were priced at £2 for Elle and I think it was about £3 for the Cosmo bag. This is an incredibly steal as not only did each bag come with aload of products, but Elle is normally £3.90 an issue so it was a massive bargain just to get the two issues included. As Elle is also my favourite magazine, this left me understandably overjoyed! There are some amazing products in these bags, including the OPI nail polish which currently retails for £11 plus postage which I essentially got for free! I should note the St Tropez tanning cream will be going straight to Vicky, I am staying true to Pale Skin Make Up don't worry!

This is just a selection of what the bags contained....










I hope you enjoyed this post! Where you at TCSL? What did you think? Or have I interested you in going next year? Let me know!