Monday 31 May 2010

12 Likes, 1 Love and 8 Hates

I like to Travel and explore.
I like to talk (or should that have been LOVE!).
I like to Read.
I like Coffee, and particularly enjoy a Starbucks with friends.
I like Musicals (and of course Glee!).
I like hearing my Goddaughter Sienna say “Auntie Leanne….”
I like listening to music.
I like Lip Gloss and Nail Varnish.
I like people playing with my hair.
I like lie-in’s and duvet days.
I like SATC
I like laughing until you cry.



I Love The Boy, My Family and Friends.

I hate people who are constantly late!
I hate Spiders
I hate eating meat, so I don’t.
I hate people who judge books by their cover.
I hate ironing, so I don’t.
I hate not being able to talk to my Nana.
I hate arrogant people
I hate being without my iPhone,  my watch and perfume



An ode to Women everywhere, especially those having "Charlotte" days. XxX

I Am Woman

-Artist: Helen Reddy from "Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits": EMI ST 11467
-peak Billboard position # 1 for 1 week in 1972
-Words and Music by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton


I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again


CHORUS
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman


You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul


CHORUS


I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long long way to go
Until I make my brother understand


Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong


FADE
I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman

Like, Love, Hate Tag.

I saw this on the gorgeous snowdrop85's blog, if you haven't already found her check her out she's one of my favourites youtubers too.


The rule is 12 likes, 1 love and 8 hates.

I like trips to the hairdressers and coming out feeling fresh and new.
I like escaping into a bubbly bath with a good book.
I like watching movies at home or in the cinema.
I like writing lists.
I like freshly painted nails.
I like daydreaming.
I like cocktails!
I like making plans and looking forward to them.
I like Coffee Cake and Chattering in Starbucks.
I like Cath Kidston.
I like laughing.
I like flowers.





I love my daughters.


I hate being nagged.
I hate loud noise.
I hate seafood.
I hate woodlice
I hate arrogance.
I hate housework but...
I hate mess.
I hate ornaments.

I'd love to see yours!

Sunday 30 May 2010

SATC2 Arabian Eyes

Nic and I went to see SATC2 last night (which was really good) I was paying particular attention to the SATC ladies and their fabulous makeup (and clothes of course!!). So when I came to watching s few YouTube videos this morning,  I noticed a few of my favourite YouTubers had created Arabic themed make up looks (and not all of them recently!)

Here are a few of my faves;-

The lovely Nic from pixiwoo shows us how to create a cut-crease in purple/plummy shades.

DulceCandy87's Arabic look is wearable and appears to be quite easy to replicate, although I will report back when I have tried it!

Marlena from Makeup Geek TV tries out a colourful Arabic look with gold and bronze tones.

Enjoy!

Wednesday 26 May 2010

Konad. You know, I think its love!


Well, after much faff I got my (official) Konad kit together and started experimenting! (Pics courtesy of The Boy, who is a very patient man and puts up with me and my craziness. Thank You! x)

First attempt; I'm a Tiger, hear me roar - I already had on the InStyle/Nails Inc colour in Beach (a lovely vibrant coral) on my nails and I was desperate to try out the M57 plate. This includes some animal prints and a fishnet pattern, all of which I was dying to try. I used Special Konad polish in white and began stamping.  You can see from the pic that I made a mess of a few nails, but on the whole I was pleased with the result. Not bad for a first go!



Second attempt; - Boudoir - for my second experiment I chose the Nails Inc/Diet Coke shade in London, mainly as I wanted a colour that was almost flesh tone, to show of the fishnet pattern.  I used a dark purple Special Konad polish, but to be honest its so dark, you'd think it was black.  This pic was taken before a slight clean up operation around the nails and obviously, I made a slight cock up on the little finger (mainly), but not so bad I wanted to take it all off and start again. Imperfection I can live with and do on a daily basis. This is my (current) favourite!


Third attempt; Girlie Vamp - I went with a base colour of Blackest Black by Revlon and the Konad Special polish in white to create this look.  You know, I think this is my least favourite of them all.  Nic thinks its because its too girlie for me and she's probably right. In her words, I like the vampy look (yeah, that's vampy not trampy!!).  I cant remember what plate this is. But I found that the designs on the french tip plates are quite wide and I have quite a small nail bed.  As you can see from the pic, the bow just about fitted on my little finger, so for me the design was a little obscured. I will try and get pretty hands, elegant fingers and wide nail beds in my next life!


Fourth attempt; Game for anything! - This is how I look this evening. Yeah, I know its lazy, but I painted over the whole design above with Rimmel Black Pearl. Then as I was hard pushed for time, I used the Konad Special white polish and the M57 plate (I love this one!!).  It looks a bit like a Zebra.Simple and quite striking.  I think that I'm getting the hang of it.  Hopefully I'll have another go over the Bank Holiday weekend, when I have a little more time to play about.  Need a few jolts of creative inspiration, so feel free to suggest some ideas/colour combos to me.

Right enough post bathtime blogging..  I'm off to dry this hair before it turns into a crazy 70's afro ;o)

Saturday 22 May 2010

Obsessive Cosmetics Disorder - Its an illness you know?

This is my photo of shame.  If you had asked me, I'd have said "I don't have that many nail varnishes". Oh how wrong I was!

The sad thing is - this isn't all of it! I've found at least another 10 or so that were lurking around.  As you can see I'm a particular fan of dark colours.  Purples, blues, greens, black. I love them all.
I have quite a few OPI and Nails Inc (which I have added to recently),  I am also loving China Glaze and Essie which I have been buying from Ebay.  I think I'll save particular favourites for another post, as there are simply too many to go into now.

 Wonder if I'll find anything fabulous in NYC. I think so ;o)

Lead us not into temptation....

Don't QVC  know that I am saving up for a big spend-fest in New York? Why do that have Bare Escentuals at Anniversary Prices  this weekend, when I am trying not to buy anything!?!? Talk about testing my resolve.


That being said there are some lovely things, the Bare Escentuals 3 Piece Morocco Eye Collection being one of them. I just love the Eclipse liner/shadow. Gorgeous!


Now I'll just close the website window without saying "add to basket". Promise! ;o)

Thursday 20 May 2010

Enabler Alert! Nails Inc Offers...

Just a quick heads up on a fab offer Nails Inc have at the moment.

If you spend £35 (easily done!) you can choose a free pair of rather nice sunglasses, you can choose either Sophia, Audrey or Trieste but better still if you join the Ultimate Reward Scheme you'll receive 10% off your order and all future orders, a free nail polish, a Birthday gift in your birthday month and you'll collect points on your orders so for each £10 you spend you'll receive 1 point, collect 5 points and you'll get £5 off your order and 10 points will get you £10 off your order.

It cost's £5 to sign up to the reward scheme for a year but my 10% discount more than paid for that.

Last night I ordered (I swear no more nail polish for me for...a while...!)5 polishes and a cuticle remover , got a free pair of Trieste sunglasses and joined the scheme for £40.94 (including postage) - Bargain!! I also now have 4 points!

Hope that helps someone! If you do place an order don't forget to tell us what you got!

Expect a Nails Inc heavy haul post coming soon .....

Monday 17 May 2010

Ooops!

Popped into Boots this afternoon looking for Revlon Strawberry Suede that everyone is raving about and they had a 3 for 2 on! Bonus! Well, it would be rude not to, never mind that it is more cost effective to purchase this way.....anyhoooo, this is what I got


(L-R) Revlon lip glosses in Peach Petal (150) and Coral Reef (170). Revlon Matte lipstick in Strawberry Suede (005) and the No7 Anniversary Compact.

I decided that I had more than enough No7 Microdermabrasion scrub in stock, so I opted to use my £5 voucher on something else.  The compact features a light pink highlighter, 2 eye-shadow's ( I love the green shade, it appears to be shot with gold, which gives it an almost olive appearance on the skin) and 2 lip glosses.  Just to warn you, all the products in this set are quite shimmery, in case you don't like that kind of thing. I happen to think a bit of shimmer in the right place can look great, I just don't want to look like a disco ball in the office!


And after all that, they gave me another £5 voucher for my trouble. Any ideas what to spend it on? I've run out of ideas and inspiration.

Sunday 16 May 2010

Yay! Elemis easypay's on QVC today.

That was a bit of a tongue twister!

I noticed on the QVCUK website that today certain Elemis products are on 3 easypay's. Maybe its something to do with their Get Gorgeous weekend.  Even my pre-holiday budget can stretch to the fabulous value of the Elemis 3 Piece Tri-Enzyme Skin Smoothing System. I'm pretty sure that the serum,  which is usually £95 (OMG!!!) on its own, has been instrumental in balancing out my skin and I have noticed a difference since it ran out.  Isn't that just typical, you find something that works and it costs an arm and a leg! However, £19.16 a month for 3 months is a total bargain!

Not that I have been encouraging anyone in particular to purchase this kit (What? Me? Never!), but I do know Nic is going to do a review on her experiences.  There are a few other Elemis items in this offer and if you are a fan of the iconic PCMC, the first easypay is a fab £24.50 (+PP).  Other live shows today are at 5pm and 11pm. Happy Shopping.

Ebay/Konad Trauma.

So I've been excitedly awaiting the arrival of my Konad kit, ordered from Ebay on the 20th April. It finally arrived yesterday (bloody volcanoes!) and to my utter disappointment they were very obviously fake!! Totally gutted.  The Boy has contacted the Ebay seller and will post more when I know the outcome.

Suffice to say I'm not happy with being ripped off with counterfeit goods and as this is the first experience I have had with this kind of thing, its particularly annoying .

 Note to self:  if something looks too good to be true on Ebay, it usually is!!

Leanne’s 10 products that she can’t live without!


      Perfume.  Now this may seem a bit strange to some, but I have worn perfume every single day for as long as I can remember.  It began at Duty Free shopping at the airport. Mum would treat herself to a bottle of something lovely and I would get something too!  It’s a tradition that I still perform to this day and rest assured, as long as the airlines/American government allow it – I will be purchasing a lovely new scent on the way to New York.  I never did like the “Charlie”, “Exclamation” or those perfumes aimed at teens and I hold my Mother fully responsible, when one Christmas I was treated to a bottle of Sun, Moon, Stars by Karl Lagerfeld.  I smell it now (although it is not so easy to find on the High Street anymore) and it takes me right back to that Christmas morning.  Scent is such an evocative sense.  And I love it when people tell me “Oh, you smell nice”.  Every woman has her own signature scent, mine being Contradiction by Calvin Kline.  I spray this perfume and I’m enveloped in a cloud of happy memories of fab nights out and feeling of total contentment.  Even the name is so me! A total contradiction.  That being said, I wear LOTS of other scents from different perfume houses.  My family dutifully purchase Boots vouchers for me at Christmas and I will brave the sales to stock up on my perfume quota for the year.  My Dad thinks I’m crazy, I think I’m frugal.  I’m game for trying pretty much any scent, as long as it’s not too floral.  I prefer the heavier, muskier blends.  Other particular favourites include Dior Addict, Calvin Kline Euphoria (Thanks LWM for introducing me to this!),  YSL Cinema and Givenchy Ange Ou Demon and yes, I do wear these in the daytime.  I know that would not be to everyone’s taste as many people would think these are evening wear. But hey, didn’t I say I was a Contradiction?!!

2.       Lip Gloss/Lip Balm.  Ok, so anyone reading this who knows me will know everything I am about to say is the truth.  I am addicted to lip gloss/lip balms! I just love them and my handbag is never without, hmm lets think, at least 6 variants of gloss – What? A girl needs choices!  A bit cliché I know, but I love Lancome Juicy tubes! I like the semi-stickiness that some people seem to hate. I find that it has quite a bit of staying power.  I’m not a snob though. I will literally try any lip gloss/balm going.  Other faves in my vast collection are the Stila Lip Glaze and Philosophy (hell yeah, I’m a Philosophy Girl) flavoured lip shine.  They both come in a variety of colours and flavours, so I’m totally spoiled for choice.  For lip balm, I don’t go to sleep without a layer of Body Shop lip butter (currently using Nut butter) covering my lips and providing a moisturising treat overnight. Well, that’s if The Boy doesn’t get to it first!  He always wants to kiss me when I’ve just put that on...

3.       Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment.  I love it, FACT.  I really should approach QVCUK about receiving commission for the sheer amount of people I tell about this.  I buy it for my friends as presents, I let them have a try of mine when they come and visit me (that was how I got Caroline hooked!) and yes, I have been known to tell random strangers how much I wouldn’t be without this product.  I just think it makes such a difference to my hair.  It’s softer, shinier, and smoother once I have had the Ojon treatment on.  I sometimes sleep in it (although not if I’ve got decent bedding on my bed!) and I can feel the difference when I come to wash it out. I have used other products from the Ojon range, usually from the TSV’s. And whilst they are really nice, the one thing I go back to time and time again is the Restorative Hair Treatment. Try it and tell me you don’t love it!

4.       No7 Microdermabrasion Scrub.  God bless Boots for their £5 vouchers, ensuring that I have never paid the full £10 odd for this product!  I really enjoy a good scrubby scrub and I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think this is one of the best on the High Street.  I purchase others from time to time (although I do love the Philosophy version, I’m not prepared for pay the £50 for it!), try them and still reach for the No7 one.  It’s like Ronseal, does exactly what it says on the tin and I wouldn’t be without it. 

5.       Bare Escentuals Flawless Definition Mascara.  This was another part of a kit purchased on QVCUK and Alison Young raved about it.  I was a bit “meh” about trying it when it arrived, but wow, I’ve been converted.  Glossy, black, separated lashes that look perfect for day, or can be amped up for night.  I think that £21.50 for a duo is a bargain. I’ve spent more money on High Street rubbish; I’ll be putting in an order when I’m due for replenishment.

6.       Eyelash Curlers.  As I was talking about mascara, seems the perfect juncture to add this in.  I use the Body Shop ones and find them to be really good at providing a decent amount of curl. They are less than a tenner and I really think that make a huge difference in opening up the whole eye.

7.       Philosophy Purity Cleanser and The Great Mystery.  I have to include these both together, as I love them both equally.  Purity is just a great all round cleanser. It takes off eye makeup, it doesn’t make my skin feel tight, just really, really clean.  As for the Great Mystery, it’s the one minute facial. I use this in the morning with a muslin cloth to wake up my skin. It smells divine and really fresh.  I’m Normal/Combination skin type and I think both these products suit my skin’s need perfectly.

8.       Body Cream.  I get quite dry and skin on my body, particularly my elbows, so I love a rich body cream.  Current favourite is the Body Shop Monoi Body Balm (the smell reminds me of Elemis!) but I am also very partial to L’Occitane Shea butter body cream.  As always, the Body Shop body butters are still in my top 3, proving that you don’t have to spend a tonne of money for gorgeous, smooth skin.

9.       Philosophy high foaming shampoo, bath and shower gel.  These have long been an essential in my house and the source of much controversy when smelly boys have been using my lovely shower time goodies to wash themselves with!!  What the hell happened to Lynx?!  Because these gels are so beautifully fragranced there is no disputing their usage as soon as the bathroom door opens.  The Boy, Bro and Dad (when I was still living at Home) have all had a go with whatever I was foolish enough to leave in the bathroom.  Silly old me! Anyways, I love all the Philosophy range, especially the food scented varieties.  Special mentions must go to Pumpkin Spiced Muffin, Vanilla Birthday Cake and Chocolate Covered Cherry.  You can usually get a matching scented lip shine to accompany the shower gel – Bonus.

10.   Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer.  Normal/Combination skin + hormones = occasional breakouts ;o( this little pot of magic covers the little buggers and enables me to face the world, even with TOTM skin!

Apologies for the War and Peace style post. I just got a bit carried away!

Friday 14 May 2010

Went to London in search of Milan....and came back with London!?!


So, I'm back after my brief sojourn to London.  Pictured above is the Nails Inc/Diet Coke nail varnish in "London", not quite sure how I managed to get it into my head that it was called "Milan", which must now be the only colour from this collection that I haven't got.  But there you go!  (Nic, don't worry, I got you one too!!) Thank god the Boots at Euston had it in stock.

As I mentioned previously, the colours do seem very similar to other Nails Inc shades. Below is China Town and New York.


And this is Paris and Piccadilly Circus. As the lighting is not so great (sorry!) my camera doesn't seem to pick up the very slight changes in colour between each shade. Rest assured, they certainly aren't identical.  However, if you already have colours like this, you may not want/need to rush out and collect them all. I'm still glad I got mine though. Think I'll give myself a manicure over the weekend and take "London" for a spin.

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Time for a Diet Coke break!

Ladies (and Gents if you are so inclined), if you live in the UK and like Nails Inc, get yourself down to Boots to grab a bargain.  Buy 2 bottles of Diet Coke and you will become the proud owner of a limited edition nail varnish by Nails Inc & Diet Coke.

I popped into to Boots at lunchtime (ok, I made a visit just for this!) to have a nosey at the colours they had in stock.  As it turns out, the Liverpool store (in Clayton Square) had all but the greige colour, it's called Milan I think.  The colours pictured here are Paris (L) and New York (R).  As I am trying to be more adventurous with colour I thought I would go for these.  I decided against the red shade, which I think may have been London (?) as I wanted something a little more spring like.  And whilst they are lovely, I don't think they are terribly unique to the Nails Inc colour palette. Paris is very similar to Piccadilly Circus and New York is not so very far from China Town, which I discussed in my previous post.  That is not to say that this is not a great deal.  I mean, who doesn't want an £11 nail varnish for "almost" free?!

I'm heading down to London tomorrow for work, so I've promised Nic that I'll keep my eyes open for a sighting of Milan. In the meanwhile, I guess I'll be having lots of Diet Coke breaks...

Monday 10 May 2010

Cosmo says "June's HOT Beauty Trend is - Bright Pink Nails" So who am I to argue?!

Cosmo is THE style Bible and I have been flicking through its pages for as long as I can remember. I just love it! So obviously when they said that one of the hot beauty trends for June is hot pink nails, I simply obeyed. Even though it is only May!!


For those of you not familiar with this Cosmo feature, they show you 3 beauty trends for the month and give you 3 options - Today... Payday... Oneday...  I always like to have a little browse at the products and when I read that particular feature I thought "I'm sure I've got something in my collection that would work". Considering I am on a strict spending ban until I go to New York (Have I mentioned that I'm excited about that?? No, well I am!) I thought I would be good, even though their today option (Star Gazer polish in 104) was a meagre £2.


Anyway, I trawled through my abundant collection (oh dear, that's another post!) and came across this Nails Inc polish in China Town. Its a vibrant shocking pink, with a gorgeous sheen of blue iridescence running through it, which is probably not very clear in the picture.  Its not a very "Leanne" colour at all.  In all honesty, I prefer dark nail varnish, irrespective to the time of year.  This little gem was lurking in the back, no doubt sourced from a fabulous QVCUK set and then quickly discounted. And given my recent "swapsies" with Nic, its lucky it survived in my collection at all!   I gave it a go and to my total surprise, I love it even though my nails are probably a little too short at the moment to show it off fully.  The weather was grey and miserable in Liverpool today, but my nail polish was as fresh and zingy as a spring morning. 


I'm sure this would look equally lovely on tanned tootsies this summer in a pretty pair of sandals. Maybe I should try to be a little more adventurous with my colour choices.  At the moment my dalliance with China Town is about as exciting as it gets...for now!

Nic's 10 Things I Cannot Live Without.


1. GHD's! Forget The Wheel or the Internal Combustion Engine, this invention has revolutionalised my life! The days of hour long blow drys and crappy straighteners with various attachments (crimpers anyone?) before every night out, only to hit fresh air and have it all ruined, are thankfully over! Shameful though it is to admit I haven't blowdried my hair in the 6/7 years that I've had my GHD's, I just blast it dry and add heat protectant before straightening and I'm good until my next wash. Fabulous!

2. Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation SPF15 in Porcelain. This foundation is so easy to apply, I use fingers or a foundation brush, it melts into my skin and becomes a part of it for that 'yes my skin is fabulous' appearance.

3. Benefit Coralista - I know! Who doesn't love this? It's such a refreshing change from the usual pink tones and goes with everything - or at least thats what I tell myself when I reach for it every day!

4. MAC eyeshadow in Motif. I had this shadow as part of a loot I bagged on ebay, I would never have bought it otherwise as it looks a tad Dijon-ish in the pan, it's quite a sheer duochrome so when the light hit's it you get a beautiful light pink shimmer. I simply adore it, I tend to reach for it when I'm just looking for something quick but interesting to wear with a bit of brown eyeliner but it's also fabulous as a highlight or a base for a brown smokey eye.

5. Smashbox no 21 bent eyeliner brush. Makes applying gel eyeliner a breeze! I can get a super skinny line or thick line and it's perfect for creating a wing with a lovely sharp point. I just did a swap with LeanneOCD and she gave me another of these, yay!

6. Bare Escentuals Warmth. This is perfect if your looking for a healthy, natural 'inner glow' effect rather than the sunkissed look that you get from bronzer. I find it especially good during the transition from winter to summer to add a little colour without changing my foundation.

7.ELF Studio Brushes. I have all of the studio brushes from ELF, I prefer the face brushes to the eye ones but at £3.50 each you really can't go wrong. They're synthetic, cruelty free (as is the entire ELF range), they wash well and dry very quickly too which is a huge bonus for me.

8.OPI Nail Envy. My nails grow quite quickly and are strong but a couple of them have a tendancy to break off at a certain point so I end up having to file them all down to match. Nail Envy stops that from happening and gives me perfect nails within a couple of weeks. I've been neglecting my nails recently so they look awful right now but it's good to know I have this ready to fix me up!

9. L'occitaine Verbena Body Ice Gel. I have tried many cooling body lotions but this one is by far the best. I bought it towards the end of last summer and It doesn't just cool you down it freezes you! The cool feeling lasts a good long while too so you don't have to constantly reapply it. Admittedly we didn't have the hottest summer last year so I haven't had chance to give it the ultimate test of hot summer nights or boiling days but I have faith, it does a perfect job after my volcanic lava temperature baths so I know it's a hard worker!

10. Elemis Tri-Enzyme Facial Wash. I started to use this facial wash at the beginning of this year and the difference it has made to my skin is incredible, I'll dedicate a post to explain more about that soon!

and a Bonus No 11, Threading! I'm adding this in as an extra because it isn't really a product but I absolutely can't live without my brow taming appointments. Perfect brows everytime and no more over enthusiastic plucking mishaps!

Which products do you refuse to live without?

Sunday 9 May 2010

Looking ahead

Wow, aren't we going to be busy little bloggers!  We've got lots of posts in the pipeline, so here goes...


Coming soon we have;
*Philip Kingsley review
*The Nail Varnish Mountain - both Nic and Leanne spill the beans on their collections and select a few faves.
*10 products we can't live without!
*Our Lust List's - beauty shopping list's ahoy.
*Konad nail stamping review

NYC Baby!!

The Boy surprised me last week, telling me that he is taking me on a Pre-30th Birthday trip to New York in early June, a measly 4 weeks away!  This means I need to organise my NYC Lust List ASAP!

The question is, what are my "essential" NYC purchases? Any ideas??

Nic, don't forget to give me your shopping list......

I am so excited!! ;o)

Monday 3 May 2010

Want! Add it to the Lust List...


I can't wait for these OPI Shrek Forever After nail laquers to hit the shelves in Summer 2010....drooool!

Money saving dupes?

Just been doing the usual and trawling through my favourite Youtubers videos.  I've been watching a filthygorgeousmakeup tutorial on Lilac and Lavender eyes, which was a really pretty look.  Apart from the lovely make-up, my beady eyes did notice that she used the ELF Studio Blush And Bronzer Compact which is apparently a dupe for NARS Laguna Bronzer and Orgasm Blusher duo.

 Now, I have neither the NARS or ELF products to compare them, but they do look pretty similar, even down to the packaging! Hmmm they do say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.  When looking at the price points, I can honestly say that I would be more likely to purchase the ELF product at £3.50,  than the NARS one at £28.50.

  Considering I have fair skin and I'm reasonably scared of looking over-cooked with bronzer, I really wouldn't want to waste £30 on a product that I wasn't totally sure I would use (although I have been totally guilty of that in the past. Who hasn't done that before though, right?? Somebody? Anybody?).  I think I may have to make some purchases in the line of duty (of course!) and re-evaluate.

What other product dupes are you aware of? And more importantly, which do you prefer?

April Favourites: All things Bright and Beautiful.

My favourite look for April has been light and natural on the eyes and cheeks with bright lips, it's been perfect for the recent sunny weather we've been having here in the UK. When most of your face is covered in over sized sunglasses you need to make a statement with you lips! My most loved colours are MAC's Love Lorn, a bright but wearable pink, and Strawberry Suede, a beautiful corally pink colour, from Revlons matte collection.

If my lips aren't looking their best I tend to give lipstick a miss. Lipstick on dry skin? Yuk! But lets not let that get us down when there is Clarins Crystal Lip Balm, I have it in Crystal Coral which has enough colour payoff to be seen but is sheer and glossy enough to camouflage less than perfect lips. These balms are packaged just like a lipstick and are reminiscent of 'Push-Pops' (remember those?) the formulation is super smooth and moisturising. I'm actually inspired to use this product, while boring old Chapstick is left to fester at the bottom of my bag, because - well because it looks so good! I'm such a sucker for packaging but my lips are all the better for it and that's what counts! Right?

My original purpose to be at the Clarins counter was to pick up the Liquid Bronze after reading a few very good reviews on it. The light lotion is super easy to apply, smells pleasant enough on application and best of all doesn't attack you two hours later with that 'Granny's old biscuit tin' smell. The colour is so natural looking even I keep forgetting it came from a bottle, it's light enough for my fair skin and buildable over a few days so you can't mess it up! It's everything I want in a facial tanner, love!

Which leads me nicely to a facial exfoliator (a must before applying any faux tan!) L'oreal Perfect Clean Exfoliator which comes with a soft flexible gadget called a "Scrublet" to gently work the product into the skin for a good thorough scrub. Far from just being a gimmick I suspect it may be this little fellow that does the hard work rather than the product so I've been using it with my daily face wash as a gentler exfoliation. I love my little Scrublet, he's a keeper!

April has been a beauty and makeup success for me, I'm looking forward to seeing what May brings - hopefully more sunshine! What did you love in April?

Sunday 2 May 2010

Bank Holiday Blues

So what do us Brits usually do over a Bank Holiday? Well, lets face it, its bound to be raining so its usually a spot of DIY to pass the time.

We've been doing a spot of DIY in our house today which turned out ok, what I didnt plan on was loosing my nails!

Now, considering I was (past tense) a nail biter since I first had teeth until I went to Uni, having to sit and file down my nails this evening has traumatised me greatly. I have spent a lot of time, effort, not to mention money in getting those little babies to grow long and strong. OPI Nail Envy, Nails Inc Kensington Gardens growth treatment and Nails Inc A&E - you name it, I've tried it.

In all honesty looking at them as I type, they are in no way reminicient of my nail biting days. They are just shorter than I'd like and it was probably my own fault as they were "naked" today. Stupid me! They broke whilst hauling bits of broken bed around our flat and out to the car *sniff, sniff*

Partially the reason I am so gutted, is that I am expecting a delivery of Konad nail stamping goodies (courtesey of Ebay) any day now. And I was desperate to try out the plates for the funky french manicure. I have no idea what it will look like now my nails are shorter, just hope that if I keep slapping on the growth and strenthening treatments that I will be able to fully road test the plates soon. I'm sure some of the plates I ordered will suit shorter style nails. Will obviously report back.

Its just typical isnt it!

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