What's on my face right now.

As new products make their way into my hands, my make up/skincare routine has changed steadily over the past few months.  This is what I'm loving right now...

Dermalogica Microfoliant

This was thrust into my hands by my mother last time I went to visit, as I lamented the cost of a good cleanser.  Her sensitive skin doesn't need a daily exfoliator, but mine definitely is starting to show the benefits.  It's a funny old product - a water activated powder that promises to even skin tone, reduce uneven pigmentation and clarify.  And it seems to be working pretty well so far! Fingers crossed in a few months my spot scars will be gone and my concealer can be thrust aside.

Illamasqua Skin Base (#8)

As soon as I heard about this foundation I had to get it, but I decided to hold tight and wait until I could get into a store rather than guessing my shade online.  And boy I'm glad I did, as I was matched with a shade about 4 up from what I'd imagined! 

I know a lot of people have had issues with this, primarily due to flaking, but my combination/normal skin loves the stuff.  This may be due in part to the fact that I use a primer first, but the finish is fantastic and lasts ALL day.  One of the main selling points to me was that this doesn't contain SPF.  I don't know why so many foundations do as there will be so little protection from the little blob of foundation, and there is no way it will provide the same coverage as a good sunscreen. By eliminating the spf, the dreaded 'flashback' white face is avoided...hello cameras!!

Mac Prep & Prime Skin

Whilst on the subject of foundation/primer - this is my current 'go-to' primer.  It's my second tube and I am still loving it - just one pump covers my entire face and smoothes my skin perfectly before I apply foundation.  And it definitely cuts down the 'mid-afternoon shine' that has blighted me many a time.  Will it be another re-purchase when this one runs out? I think so!

L'Oreal Lash Architect 4D

I am a cynical mascara purchaser, to say the least.  Being a natural redhead I am 'blessed' with blonde lashes and brows, so a black mascara is never far from my clutches.  I'd heard a few good things about L'Oreal's latest offering and I am so glad I picked this up.  This adds the perfect amount of volume, length and colour without clumps. 

My mascara application method? As much as possible!

I bought this when on offer in Boots (which may be over but is still on at Superdrug) and got a free colour infallible eyeshadow to replace the Mac Brule I smashed a few months ago - thanks magnetic palettes! I am also a big fan of this shadow, which does in fact seem to last all day without a primer...pretty good for a 'drugstore' product.

Mac 'Musky Amethyst'

The only item I picked up from the Semi Precious collection that debuted a few weeks ago, this lipstick is a bit of an unseasonal purchase, but I had been after a rich plum/berry lipstick for about a year and this fitted the bill perfectly.  It's a frost finish so perfect lips are a must, but the colour is exactly what I was after, and the finish means it can be worn as a sheer stain or layered up for a rich vampy pout.  Perfect with soft dewy skin and I can see this sticking with me right through winter.

What are your beauty must haves right now?

My A/W Round Up - Part Two

So here is part two of my round up of the autumn/winter shows and the rest of the trends I picked up on...

Menswear

Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander Wang, Hermes, Paul Smith, Marc by Marc Jacobs

A particularly dominant feature of the Chanel show, menswear inspired pieces popped up in a number of different collections.  Peg leg and relaxed fit trousers are still as popular as ever, and were accompanied by flat boots and oversized coats and jackets, and even quiffs at Dolce & Gabbana.

Checks

Moschino Cheap & Chic, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Sonia Rykiel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino

Once again, checks were a key part of the autumn winter collections.  From the bright red checked coats and capes at Moschino C&C and Burberry, to classic tartans at Sonia Rykiel and Jean Paul Gaultier, there are a million and one ways to work the check this autumn.

Volume

Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Erdem, Alexander McQueen, YSL, Louis Vuitton

Egg shaped coats, oversized sleeves and tulip skirts were just a few ways volume was introduced to the autumn/winter collections.  Not a necessary unique trend, but it is interesting to see how the focus shifts from skirt and coat hems to the oversized shoulder and sleeve details as seen at Lanvin and Stella McCartney or the exaggerated hips at Louis Vuitton.

Winter Brights...

Bottega Veneta, Versace, Burberry, House of Holland, D&G, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Usually the reserve of spring and summer, the catwalks were dominated by vibrant oranges, pinks, greens and purples.  Whilst Burberry and Versace displayed dresses and outerwear in bold brights, House of Holland  and Bottega Veneta  offered up sugary sweet tweed separates and dresses.  I'm particularly taken by Burberry's coats - would anything else be better at brightening up a winter day?

...Winter whites

Chloe, Prada, Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Anna Sui

Yet again proving this is a season of contrasts, white also made a big appearance - in dresses, coats and suits.  How amazing is the YSL suit, and the bow neck Chloe cape...beautiful!

So that's my offerings for the next season...what is standing out for you so far?  And how do you think they will translate these designs to the high street?

My A/W Round Up - Part One

A little later than I may have hoped - but at least it's here!  After scouring the shows, this is my round up of the recent autumn/winter collections and the key trends that really stood out for me.

Arts and Crafts

Christopher Kane, House of Holland, Matthew Williamson, Rodarte, Chloe, Preen

Crochet, patchwork and quilting were a strong feature in a number of collections - though often in a rather unconventional way, such as Christopher Kane's crochet print latex.  Clearly handmade will be featuring in a big way, and I can see this easily translating onto the high street - an easy way to give a nod to the trend will be in the House of Holland tights, in the same print as the crochet dresses.

Polka Dots

David Koma, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Lanvin, YSL, Gucci

What Marc Jacobs does often dominates the mood of the season, and this time what he did (in a big way) was polka dots....whether printed or embellished, on the clothes or on the accessories.  Spots then started popping up all over the place, on delicate layers of sheer chiffon or on tough patent leather, in London, Paris and Milan.  A definite trend that can be worn by everyone...in whatever way you fancy.

Drama

D&G, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Gucci, David Koma, Dolce & Gabbana

Definitely not for shrinking violets! Voluminous material, fur (though I wish it was fake), feathers, sequins and pom poms have been brought together to add a bit of drama to nightwear.  I especially loved the chiffon dresses covered in stacks of flowers at Gucci and can't wait to see who is brave enough to sport one on the red carpet.

Wet Look

Christopher Kane, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Giles, David Koma, Alberta Ferretti

Leather is always a dominant factor in the autumn winter collections, but this time around latex and pvc also played a rather large role.  Latex paillettes were built up on dresses at Prada and took the place of polka dots on a number of pieces at Marc Jacobs.  And at Christopher Kane had a special material produced to create sheer patterned dresses and separates.  Overall, wet is definitely a look for those brave enough to sport it!

Vermillion

Gucci, Alberta Ferretti, Lanvin, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Moschino Cheap & Chic

One colour, over all others, was definitely vermillion - whether in flowing silk, voluminous dresses or structured coats.  This bright tomato red will be the perfect antidote to dull winter days, and I expect it to dominate the high street come September.

Puritan

Preen, PPQ, Giles, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Marc by Marc Jacobs

In stark contrast to the latex, leather and lace that dominated many catwalks, there was a little puritanical vibe showing through - high necklines, white collars and simple, modest shapes.  So if obviously sexy styles aren't your kind of thing, this could definitely be the look for you. 

So that's part one of my trend round up...anything caught your fancy so far? What are you looking forward to wearing come September? 

New Hair!

So as soon as the email dropped into my inbox the other week, I was both intrigued by and keen to try the new John Frieda Precision Foam Colour. 

I hadn't dyed my hair for a while and although I had a few highlights put through my lower layers just over a month ago (courtesy of Wahanda and Lisa Shepherd London) with the cold weather I started to feel the 'dullness' creep through.  And what better antidote to this?  A full head of glossy colour...and the best colour of all of course...red!

I was after a nice rich auburn (not Cheryl Cole bright!) so when I saw this shade in the John Frieda range I decided to give it a whirl.

My hair is super thick and is getting rather long but having read a few reviews I decided to brave it and only get one box, as this apparently produces up to 2 litres of foam.

Application was pretty easy - after tilting the bottle a few times, you just give it a squeeze to produce the foam and apply to your hair as you would a shampoo.  I found this pretty easy but was a little worried when my hair definitely didn't look as foamy as it was 'supposed' to...however I put this down to the sheer amount of hair on my head, not the foam itself!

So...onto the results!  The dye washed out pretty easily, and I applied the conditioner supplied - for once my hair didn't feel matted and sucked of moisture as it usually does with box dyes.  And the colour?  Exactly as it was on the box...and how often does that happen?!

So this is what it looked like before

And...this is how it looks now (albeit messy and unbrushed after a day at work)

Hello shine!

So..what do you think?  Will you be giving this a go...or sticking to your tried and tested methods?  Let me know :)

Review - Xen-Tan Perfect Bronze

So this is a very belated review of something I received a long time ago...sorry! You may remember at the end of June Xen-Tan were holding daily competitions on their facebook page and I was lucky enough to be one of the 3 winners on the first day, where a bronzer was on offer.

I have to admit I was a little sceptical of this bronzer as I've previously used Fake Bake's version which usually ended up as a bit of a sparkly mess - would another fake tan company be able to produce something better?

So I was relieved to see a much less glittery affair, and a pretty natural colour, even for my pale skin.

Xen-Tan vs Nars


I'd previously been using Nars Laguna so was keen to see how this compared. Whilst Laguna comes out quite pigmented, the Xen-Tan is much more sheer. As I am so fair it took me a while to get the knack of applying Laguna without looking too bronzed, whereas this is much easier to build up and produces a much more subtle tanned effect. This might be frustrating for those of you with darker toned skin, but I think it's ideal for anyone who wants a subtle buildable glow without looking tangoed.


Xen-Tan Perfect Bronze - right, Nars Laguna - left

All in all, this has taken pride of place in my make up bag and I will probably be pretty upset when it runs out - which brings me to the only bad point - the price! At £20.95 this is not a bargain buy but personally, if like me, you are a bronzer lover this is well worth splashing out.

Review - L'Oreal Perfect Clean

Whilst perusing the shelves of Boots a few weeks ago, my attention was grabbed by the new range of L'Oreal cleansers - not just because they were on offer, but because of the funny little 'scrublet' attached.

As I am a big fan of face scrubs (I use them a couple of times a week alongside my usual routine) I decided to pick up the gentle scrub and see how well this little scrublet perfomed.


First off I was surprised by the texture of the scrublet -for some reason I was expecting something a little rougher than a rubber pad covered in soft bumps, but it turns out it works perfectly in harmony with the scrub - which is definitely as gentle as it promises.

I've been using the scrub every other day after cleansing and it really does manage to do what I need it to. The scrublet makes it super easy to apply meaning you don't end up finding granules in your hair, eyebrows, nose, anywhere! It also helps to get rid of all the extra dirt and smooth out my complexion without drying your skin out.

Once my current cleanser runs out I will definitely be trying the others in the range...I definitely love this little scrublet and it has served me well :)

Have you tried any of the cleansers in this range?

Review - Eve Lom Cleanser

Yes - I'm still here! Still missing a memory stick but going to persevere over the next few days to get back into the swing of things...it will just take a bit more effort!

I just wanted to offer my 2 cents on this famed cleanser - I was given it a while ago (sadly my bank balance doesn't quite stretch to £50 cleansers) and after seeing a few reviews raving about it I decided to crack on and see how it worked for me. I've now finished the tub and this is my verdict...



I've always had pretty 'normal' skin and have only had to worry about the odd spot here and there - I've always claimed it's to make up for the fact I was born with red hair :) However since working in an office I've been struggling more with spots as well as dull, tight skin - air con and heating are not good. So I was on the lookout for something that would bring back my nice bright clear skin and was hoping Eve Lom cleanser would do just that.

At first the routine was a lot to take in and I was a little apprehensive about the facial massage described on the leaflet - thankfully this was only supposed to be done about once a week - not daily as I had feared. I decided to only use it in the morning as that is when I like to take time to look after my skin - at night I just remove my make up with a wipe and collapse into bed.

Once I got the knack of the routine - apply, steam with the muslin cloth 3 times and remove - it became part of my daily routine and didn't seem like such a chore. My skin started to look much smoother and even but I was still suffering from the odd spot - not good, but I hoped after a while they would start to disappear. Did they? No. Even when I avoided moisturiser (as recommended on the pot) I wasn't rewarded with clear skin and it didn't feel good.

I've since read that apparently you're only supposed to use it once a week if you suffer from spots but I didn't see this anywhere on the packaging and if I were to pay £50 for this I'd want to use it more often and get my money's worth.

All in all, I wouldn't be able to part with my own cash for this, especially as since I've gone back to my old routine (Philosophy Purity cleanser and Neutrogena Visibly Clear toner) my skin has started to really improve.

I think for someone with totally normal or dry skin this would be a dream and they would see a real change and improvement in the texture of their skin. I can't deny I had a real glow - but if I'm having to slather on the concealer to hide my spots - what's the point?

I do however love the concept of using the muslin cloth and am tempted to try Liz Earle - any other recommendations?

Review - Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen

Another one of my goodies from Eyeko was the Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in black.


I've been a bit wary of pen eyeliners since I splashed out on Mac's Penultimate Eyeliner last year and being bitterly disappointed. The colour payoff is pretty poor and it takes a lot of work to get a decent line. Not only this, but I'd also end up with flaking eyeliner after a few hours...not good.

So this offering had a lot to prove!

First impressions were good, the nib of the pen is much larger and is nowhere near as dry as the Mac pen, which means it doesn't take as much work to get some decent colour. It has a much nicer, glossier finish - looking more like liner than felt tip. It also goes on a lot smoother, though it is still not as easy to get a nice straight line as it is with liquid liner - but I don't know if that's just me. It took a couple of sweeps and a bit of correcting to get a good flick, which is much more than I'm used to. However, despite taking a bit of work to get right, once the line was there, it wasn't moving. It lasted all day with no smudging and took a bit of effort to remove in the evening. This is where I think pen eyeliners really come into their own.



Top: Eyeko Graffiti, Bottom: Mac Penultimate liner

All in all, this is a liner that will stay in my make up bag, and whilst it won't usurp my L'Oreal Super Liner, I'll definitely reach for this when I want my liner to stay put all day long. And for anyone considering the Mac Penultimate liner - get this instead, and save your precious pennies :)

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen retails for £5.

Review - Revlon Colourstay Mineral Mousse

I actually bought this a couple of weeks ago but wanted to give it a bit of time in order to review it properly - so I've been using it everyday since.

I love the regular Colourstay so when I saw this on offer in Boots I decided to pick it up and try it out, just to make a change. I usually use Colourstay for Oily/Combination skin in Sand Beige, so I chose the shade 030 - Light. To be honest I was a little surprised by the lack of choice when it came to the colour - despite Halle Berry advertising the foundation, there is definitely nothing suitable for darker skintones which seems a little odd.

Anyway, onto the foundation itself. I'll be straight - the first time I used it, I hated it. The texture was odd (in between a thick liquid and a mousse - much heavier than Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse) and I wasn't quite sure how much to use. The answer? A lot. This definitely seems to be the kind of foundation you can't scrimp on, and I quickly learnt that more is more.

This is about how much I use - a decent blodge...to me at least.



When it comes to application, it goes on pretty well - like the original colourstay it dries quickly - very quickly, so you have to be careful to apply a little at a time, blend, then apply a little more. Coverage is pretty good but there's only so much you can put on, so I did have to touch up with concealer. The finish is definitely very matte (great for oily/combination skintypes, not so great for dry skin) and its staying power is pretty impressive.

But would I buy it again? Probably not. Although it is long lasting and the squeezy tube is a million times better than the glass bottles, to be honest I'm not really a fan of how it looks on my skin. I'm all for a bit of matt coverage but I feel as though it makes my skin look dull and one-dimensional.

Awful picture - but this hopefully gives you an idea...



So next time, I'll be picking up my usual - I'll be happily stubborn for a while longer :)

Review - Barry M Lip Lacquers

I'd been waiting for Barry M's lip lacquers to come into Superdrug for a few weeks so when I saw them at the weekend I was just a little excited. For a lipstick lover like me the colours were so appealing...oh who am I kidding? I just loved how much they looked like giant crayola pencils :)

It was a tough choice, but I narrowed it down to two colours - No.2 (Cherry Red) and No.5 (Ballet Pink).




With Flash


Without Flash

So my initial thoughts? Well, the consistency is great - they're super soft and creamy, much softer than I'm imagined.

My favourite of the two is most definitely Cherry Red - the colour I'd been lusting after for a while. It's super pigmented and glossy with a slight glitter running through, which gives it a great finish. For anyone who's slightly wary of gloss (myself included) it's a nice mix of colour and shine.

However, Ballet Pink was a bit different - after swatching the reds I was expecting a nice light pink, with the same kind of colour payoff. Instead, it's much more of a light sheen of frosted pink, and it needs a good few coats to get any real colour. However teamed with a nice warm pink gloss, it looks lovely :)

Has anyone else picked up any of these crayons?

Review - Lush Big Shampoo

After reading several reviews about Lush Big I was intrigued...so when I walked past Lush I HAD to see what all the fuss was about!

As there's already been so many reviews of this I'll try not to be too repetitive, and just let you know how well it works on my hair - which is mid-length, pretty thick and naturally curly.

Because of my hair type I was a little apprehensive about trying this as I can rarely get away with a non-moisturising shampoo, but I decided to dive in and give it a go - the length my hair is at the moment means it rarely gets as much volume as I'd like, and backcombing is not good!!!

The application is pretty basic, simply take a small amount and rub into your hair as you would a normal shampoo. I was pretty impressed by how much this lathered - even with the hard water down here. I followed with a little conditioner and set about blow drying...the moment of truth!

All I can say is wow! My hair is very very thirsty and holds onto water like anything, which makes blowdrying a pretty arduous task. However, this time it took half as long as usual - drying super fast and straightening really easily. As I wanted to give it a proper review, I didn't put any products in my hair after washing...yet it still ended up super soft and shiny - perfect.

As I only wash my hair a couple of times a week I'll probably use it every time, but if you wash it more often I would probably use it every other time - it is pretty clarifying and if your hair is coloured, I think it may strip it quite quickly.

Big Shampoo retails for £9.90 and it's a bit thumbs up from me :)

Review - Lush Mint Julips

Whilst popping into Lush to pick up a Big shampoo (review coming up!) I was drawn to the new sugar lip scrubs.

This time of year, what with cold weather, wind and central heating, my lips tend to take a battering and I'm constantly slathering on carmex by the tube, so I thought I'd see if I could find something that would keep them nice and soft.

The scrub I chose was Mint Julips, which is peppermint and chocolate, but if that doesn't float your boat there is also Bubblegum and Sweet Lips (vanilla and chocolate). The concept is pretty simple - apply a little with your finger, rub your lips together and lick it off! As it's all natural, it's fine to eat...and it tastes rather lovely.

I was really impressed with this - my lips feel lovely and smooth, and although I've only been using it for a day or so I really feel as though this scrub has improved their condition. It's a little messy, and is probably best to apply it in the privacy of your own home - simply to avoid walking around looking like you've just shoved a donut in your mouth :)

The scrub retails for £4.50 and I'd definitely recommend it :)