Vitality Boutique/Bluewater Haul

Ello me loves I'm back. If you check a couple of posts back you will notice me having a little moan at the lack of exhibitors etc at the Vitality Boutique at Glow, Bluewater where I attended on Friday. I will not moan any further, but show you the products I picked up there and the wee shopping spree I had in Bluewater afterwards :)

The Elizabeth's Daughter and Kenco Coffee samples were given to me when walking around. The Bare Minerals Mascara I got for free as I had a voucher emailed to me prior to the event. All the other products came in the free goodie bag.

Rebecca Louise Khaki Brown & Grey Scarves. Also Mulit Leather Strap Bracelets in Pink, Black & White. 

I got these at the show at two items for £10.00. I bought one of these bracelets in grey for my friend which I gave to her before I left for the day. Check out the Rebecca Louise website to see the range of products, link.

So that was all that I bought at Vitality Boutique. Now onto the Bluewater shopping ..........

Flutterbyes Skull Bracelet £8.00

I just couldn't resist. I love this style of bracelet and the skulls just make it awesome I think.

Flutterbyes 'Best Mum' Plaque £3.00

I have been really enjoying living with my fella, but I do really miss my Mum as we lived together just the two of us for so long. I saw this and knew I had to get it for her as she loves this kind of thing.

Check out the Flutterbyes website in this link.

Forever21 Black/Silver Sweater Top £16.75. This feels amazingly soft.

Forever21 Neon Pink/Black & White/Pink Crop Top Bras £3.90 each. These come in one size. I haven't tried these on yet, but I hope they will fit. I use this sort of thing for lounging at home rather than wearing a bra. The straps on these are detachable and they have moulded cups which I hope will give some extra support.

I had to check out the new store at Bluewater and let me tell you I had a great time in there. There are so many things I wanted, but I am going on a shopping trip with a friend in a few weeks so I was trying to hold back. You can check out the Forever21 website here.

H&M Black Imitation Suede Wedge Platform Court Shoes £19.99. I have been keeping my eye on these for ages so I just had to pick them up. Aren't they just gorgeous and such a bargain price. Check them out on this link.

So that's the lot. I had a great shopping trip with my friend, but I did forget to pick up my Cath Kidston mug :(

Have you done much shopping lately? Anything you think I might like link it below :)

Love to you all

NOTD: They Remind Me Of Snow

Hey again loves I'm back for the second time today. I really love what I currently have on my nails so I thought it unfair to keep it from you. Here is a wee post to let you see what I used.

Firstly I applied one coat of my Alessandro pro White as a base. I then applied three coats of my E.L.F. Nail Polish in the shade White. This is a very thin formula that doesn't come out as opaque as I would like which is why I applied three coats. I then topped off the look with three coats of this Revlon Nail Enamel in the shade Star. I used this product before in a New Year's Eve NOTD, link. I love that this glitter shade is made up of both glitter and larger particles. When the light catches it I can see reflects of blue, silver, green and purple. Overall I think this look is perfect for the chilly weather as I think it has that sparkly snow wintry feel to it.

E.L.F. Nail Polish in White from eyeslipsface.co.uk for £2.50.

I have found the Revlon Nail Enamel in Star on cosmetics4less.net for £2.50, but I picked mine up from Poundland last year I think it was for just £1.00.

Are you into glitter on your nails? Which nail combinations are your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

OOTD: Vitality Boutique/Bluewater Shopping

Hey Everyone. The sun is shining and there is no rain, yay :) I paid a visit to the Vitality Boutique at Glow, Bluewater yesterday and let me tell you I was not impressed. Now I have to say that the disappointment is partly my own fault as I thought that the exhibitors that were going to be at the Vitality Show were also all going to be at the Vitality Boutique. Alas this was not the case. I have enjoyed attending the Vitality Show in London for the last few years, but thought I would attend Glow at Bluewater this year for a change. It was pretty empty when I attended with a friend yesterday. They were giving away free tickets which annoyed us more than anything as we had pre-booked ours online. I cheered myself up with a couple of treats, but not as much as I was expecting so it was handy being in Bluewater so we enjoyed a little retail therapy afterwards. I will show you all of the products in a haul. 

We also had a fab lunch at Browns. I hadn't been there before, but I like the atmosphere in there. I think it would be a great place to go in the evening as the bar reminds me of Cheers. They have a piano too and a lot of space for dining. For lunch I had a cooling juice drink with sausage, mash and caramelised onion gravy, yum :) We also stopped off a bit later at a coffee shop (I think it was Costa?) where I had a hot chocolate and some tiffin, my favourite :)

I thought I would show you what I wore yesterday as I keep intending on doing OOTD's, but never quite get around to it.

Blazer Closed

Blazer Open

I had to add this in because I look like I'm falling, ha ha ;)

H&M Black Blazer ~ Review here. Some shades still £19.99, others £7.49 in the sale.

Primark 'My Dippy Tee' Grey Marl ~ Haul review here. £5.00 at time of purchase.

New Look Dark Red Ponti Treggings ~ Review here. £16.99.

Primark Black Studded Biker Boots (chains removed) ~ Price unknown as had a long time.

So that's it lovelies. I hope you enjoy the rest of today. Are you thinking of visiting the Vitality Boutique at Glow, Bluewater? Have you already been? If so, what did you think of it?

Love to you all

NOTD: China Glaze Hook And Line

Hello Cherubs. Are you having a good weekend so far? I do hope so. I have just painted my nails and thought you might like to see the shade.

I applied one coat of my Alessandro Pro White as a base coat, followed by two coats of this China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Hook And Line from the Capitol Colours The Hunger Games Collection. I received this in my May 2012 JolieBox. I could have got away with just one thick coat of this nail lacquer, but I forgot to cover my nail tips so I went over it with another coat. The finish is even and smooth. This shade did not impress me when I first saw it in my JolieBox, but on applying it today I do quite like it. It's not a really fun colour, but it does hold it's own. In my initial thoughts in the link above I describe this as grey putty, but today I see it as glossy cement. It looks like a khaki grey in the photo and looking at it now it does have a green tinge to it, but it's definitely more grey. If you like classic, easy to wear neutral shades you will like this one. I sealed the look with a spray of my Elegant Touch Rapid Dry Nail Spray.

I found this Nail Lacquer on sallyexpress.com for just £1.65.

Have you got any China Glaze favourites? Is this the kind of shade you would wear? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

September 2012 GlossyBox: Illustrated By Maggie Li

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all doing great. Today I have the products from my September 2012 GlossyBox to show you. This limited edition box has been designed by London-based up-and-coming illustrator Maggie Li.

Lady Gaga Fame Black Fluid Fragrance, £25.00 for 30ml, £32.00 for 50ml & £61.00 for 100ml

Inspired by the artist’s statement “If you don’t have any shadows, you’re not standing in the light".  First of its kind, the black-to-clear perfume is an innovation in fluid technology. 

I was really excited to see this fragrance in my GlossyBox. Some may say Lady Gaga is weird, odd or too out there, but I find her intriguing. This smells very seductive as I expected, but very wearable. It comes across as dark, warm and sexy. I only found a hint of black when spraying mine that went clear.

Left: Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum, £29.00 for 10 x 1ml

Gives a mild freeze-like effect supporting the reduction of visible facial contractions. Liposomes work to fill lines instantly and a ground-breaking oxygen carrier boosts glow and radiance for fresher looking skin with a 3D plumping effect. 

I will give this a try, but I am a bit worried about the freeze-like effect as I don't want to look like I've had plastic surgery. This is so expensive at £125 for 50ml, but it you like it you might think it's worth it.

Right: Rodial 5 Minute Facial, £10.95 for 10 x 1ml

The 5 minute Facial is a lifting and decongesting mask that targets age spots and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines by stimulating the skin’s natural collagen. 

I hardly ever use face masks because I just forget to. I will try these out.

Left: Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream, £20 for 15ml

For soothing tired eyes, smoothing away dark shadows and reducing the appearance of fine lines.

I have already reviewed this product in my July 2012 Empties post here. 

Right: Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex, £29.99 for 50ml

This advanced optical micro-filler blend helps eliminate shadowing and reflection so the appearance of lines and wrinkles is significantly diminished - in an instant.

I will give this a try. I'm always up for trying out new skin care.

L'Oreal Professional Mythic Oil Milk

Conditioning for fine to normal hair.

I like the bottle this comes in. It looks classy and expensive. My bottle says for all hair types, but I thought this was aimed at fine to normal hair?

Left To Right: L'Oreal Shampoo & Conditioner

NEW Mythic Oil Shampoo: refreshing cleansing experience, leaves hair feeling tamed, manageable and looking shiny.

NEW Mythic Oil Conditioner: creamy texture nourishes the hair to leave it feeling silky smooth and soft to the touch.

These sachets also say for all hair types. For information on all of these L'Oreal Mythic Oil products please check out this link. £15.95 for 125 ml.

So that's it my loves. I think this is a good box. It is a shame that I have the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream as I have already tried it. 

For more information on the UK GlossyBox click here and for the US GlossyBox click here.

Have you received a September GlossyBox? If so, were you impressed by the products inside?

Love to you all

 

I'm On Instagram :)

Hey lovelies. This is just a quick post to let you know that I am now on Instagram finally. I have been meaning to join it for a while and I think I am going to get very snap happy which is the idea I guess :) 

If you fancy following me on Instagram my username is vickyayles

I look forward to checking out photos on there as I'm so nosey, hee hee ;)

Love to you all

 

 

Jewellery Trend: Ring Stacking

Hey Beauts. I have been rooting around in my jewellery recently and rediscovered my love for ring stacking. Here are a few pic's of my fave ways to wear the trend. 

The gold rings were from Primark. I believe the others were all from Dorothy Perkins.

Are you a fan of ring stacking? What jewellery trends are you a fan of? Let me know in the comments below. 

Love to you all

My First Ever BB Cream

Hi Loves. I hope you are having a great day. I was sent a product by Touch Media PR as they thought it would appeal to me. Carry on reading if you want to see my thoughts.

The product is the Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream For All Skin Tones

Swatched

Blended Out

Now BB Creams are something I have wanted to try, but for some reason I just never got around to it. This BB Cream is described as a multi-tasker that will not clog pores like other waxy versions of BB Creams on the market. It is meant to give a natural and flawless coverage with oil-control properties, resulting in a matte finish. Providing all day hydration and an even skin tone that is revitalised, more radiant, soft and supple. It also has SPF30 and is said to help reduce the formation of lines and wrinkles. It does say that it gives visibly fairer skin which is the one thing I guess that put me off picking up a BB Cream before as lets face it I'm fair enough as it is, ha ha ;) I haven't noticed my skin getting any lighter yet, but I will let you know if I notice a difference in time.

Now onto the application and my thoughts. After applying my usual face care routine I squeeze some product on to the back of my hand and with two fingers I pat dots onto my face and smooth it around. I do this all over a bit at a time and down my neck. There is no need to apply lots of this in one go as a little spreads very far. When I feel like a need a bit more coverage I sometimes apply a second layer over the areas needed. It looks slightly green/brown like fake-tan when I first apply it, but don't worry as it does seem to just transpire into my own skin shade. I have tried this with and without applying a face moisturiser first and I can get away without applying moisturiser on my dry skin when using this. It does settle into what I would say is a semi-matte finish as it really does have a radiant glow which I like. I apply concealer and set my face with a translucent powder. I find this BB Cream does even out my skin tone really well. It definitely has more coverage than a tinted moisturiser. I did consider trying to apply this with a make-up brush, but I simply thought what's the point of using one when this applies so effortlessly on the skin and evenly. There is no patchiness and it lasts well throughout the day. It has a subtle scent to it which is pleasant, but I don't notice it once it's applied. Here is a link to ginvera.com for more information on this product. 

You can pick up 25ml of this product from janiro.co.uk for £20.00 +p&p. I think that the price could be a little lower, but to be honest I haven't put this baby down since I received it. I think it's a really great mix for me because it does even out my skin tone and give me buildable coverage that is semi-matte, yet radiant. I can see me picking this up when my tube runs out.

This product was sent to me for free, but my opinions are true and my own.

Have you tried this wonder product? What are your thoughts on it? What other BB Creams have you tried? What do you love/hate about them? Have you noticed their whitening effects?

Love to you all

Roger & Gallet Blogger Evening

Hey Lovelies. I have quite a big post for you today so I'm going to get straight to it. I went to a blogger evening on Monday at the St Martins Lane Hotel. I had a lovely time perusing products from Roger & Gallet. I also met some real sweethearts while I was there. Here are the pics :)

I had a wee glass of the bubbly on arrival :)

The lovely Steph on the right that invited me along.

The book celebrating Roger & Gallet's 150th Anniversary.

Don't you just fancy an orange right now?

This product really caught my eye. This is the Bois d'Orange Invigorating Eau Sublime Or. It's a fresh fragrant water with golden shimmer.

I tried some on my hand while is there and I couldn't stop looking at this pretty shimmer. I asked if this would interfere with fake tan if you wanted to highlight your bronzed glow and I was informed that it should be fine as it's water based.

Now for the guys .....

I did ask if if women also like to wear some of the more masculine ranges and I was told yes. I asked because I know that some women quite like the more masculine ranges from Molton Brown too. 

Now onto my goodie bag ......

I love the design which is taken from the anniversary book shown above.

Left To Right:

Rose Imaginaire Fresh Fragrant Water

This does not have that old fashioned aroma that I find some rose scented products can have. It's very delicate and womanly. Lovely for daytime freshness.

Fleur d'Osmanthus Foaming Shower Honey

I would describe this as a very comforting scent. It's like fresh linen.

Bois D'Orange Moisturizing Refreshing Fragrant Body Lotion

This cream feels really nice, but then all of the creams that I tried at the evening did because they sink into your skin nicely without leaving a sticky residue. This has a refreshing citrus scent.

Bois D'Orange Refreshing Fragrant Bath & Shower Gel

This is from the same range as above so it has the same scent.

Bois D'Orange SPF15 Nourishing, Repairing, Protecting Hands & Nails Cream

A lovely citrus cream from the above range.

The two samples I picked up at the evening shown in the above photo are:

Eau Des Bienfaits Fragrant Body Mist

This still has a citrus scent, but a more grown up version than the Bois D'Orange range making this more day to night I would say.

Fleur d'Osmanthus Fresh Fragrant Water

I like this. It's soft and comforting like the Foaming Shower Honey above.

I really want to say a special thanks to Julia Ward also who I spoke to at the event. I got so much information from you Julia and you were a real pleasure to talk to. You were so welcoming and really took the time to show me the products.

Steph Marston you are also a real sweetheart. I hope you continue to enjoy London :)

Feel free to check out the Roger & Gallet range on roger-gallet.co.uk and roger-gallet.com

You can also find stockists in your area and get a perfume or bath & body diagnosis to see what range they suggest would most suit and appeal to you.

I admit that I had not heard of this brand before being invited along to this blogger evening, but I'm glad I went. I would have been disappointed if the brand was more about the soaps, but Julia said that they are steering more away from those and into the other products. I will let you know how I get on with the products of course.

If you have tried their products what do you think of the Roger & Gallet brand? Did any of you reading this post attend the evening? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all