Holly Sharpe Illustrations & Limited Collection For Marks & Spencer

Hey everyone and Happy Sunday. I hope you have had a great weekend so far. Apologies for not blogging this week until now, but it was my first week back at work after a long break, I had a couple of birthday celebrations to attend and we have been putting together some bedroom furniture at home which is still ongoing today.

For this post I want to talk about the fabulous designs of fashion illustrator Holly Sharpe and her Limited Collection which has now launched as of Jan 9th in Marks & Spencer stores as well as online for SS14.

Holly's illustrations I first noticed when perusing the Hey Sailor website.

This Exotic Girl A4 Print is the design that really caught my eye when I first saw her work.

Well now I am chuffed to see that this very design has been applied to Holly's Limited Collection with M&S.

There are lots of fabulous items including make-up, nail polish, an iPhone 5 case, a wash bag and an eau de toilette.

I have an iPhone 4 which makes me sad so no phone case for me :( I will however be popping into M&S very soon, especially as my birthday is this month. The Eau de Toilette I think will be my must have as the scent sounds scrumptious and I can then keep the beautifully designed bottle.

A lot of the shades in this collection appear to be taken from Holly's 'Exotic Girl' illustration which I think is such a great way of reminding us to be inspired and creative when applying our make-up and painting our nails.

I wish Holly the best of luck in her career and this M&S launch. I am sure it will be off the shelves in no time. Well done to M&S for choosing to work with such a talented artist.

Will you be picking up any items from this Holly Sharpe Limited Collection at M&S? With prices starting at £5 how can you resist? Let me know your favourites in the comments below.

Love to you all

Make-Up Face Product Favourites For 2013

Hi lovelies and Happy Thursday! Today I am going to do my first ever favourites post. I know it's rare for a blogger not to have favourites posts, but I just tend to review products as I use them. The end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 however has got me thinking about products that I continue to use frequently. So here is my pick of favourite make-up face products for 2013.

Milani Glimmer Stripes All-Over Colour 05 Honey Glimmer

I picked up this multitasking product at Poundland in the summer. You can find that post here. I use the lightest 2 shades together or separately as a highlighter on my brow bone, cupids bow and tops of my cheeks. The darker shades I swirl together to use as a bronze blush. Swirling all of the palettes shades together gives lovely luminous bronzed glow to the cheeks so no need for a separate bronzer and highlight. I am just careful when using it in this way to make sure not to apply the product far below my cheekbones or too high. I can also create simple or smokey eye looks with this palette. I usually use 1, 2 or 3 of the shades. I think this palette may be discontinued, but I have seen it on Ebay and Amazon. I just wish I had picked up the other shaded palettes from this collection when they had them in Poundland. 

Chit Chat Foundation Oatmeal

This foundation I picked up in the same haul post mentioned above. This has a very light to medium coverage depending on how heavily you apply it. I love to use my fingers with this product. It's not runny or stiff. The formula is a cream texture that is very easy to work with. It has a clean and fresh scent when I sniff the bottle, but I don't feel that I notice any scent when applying it. I have never had any streaking or clinging to dry patches with this product. It actually feels quite moisturising. This shade is oatmeal which matches my pale skin very well. It's quite yellow toned. At the time I noticed another shade which was more pink toned, but I don't actually know the shade name. I would certainly pick this up again as it's so inexpensive and great for everyday wear. This 30ml tube I would say has lasted about 4 months as I have tried other products too.

Illamasqua Powder Blusher Expose

This is a gorgeous warm toned blush that works well both with my pale skin and with fake tan. It is quite pigmented so it's best to add a little at a time and build it up as desired. It gives a very natural, healthy glow. I have worn this shade through all seasons. I would definitely say it's an all skin tone shade. I am not sure if Illamasqua are discontinuing this blusher, but it is showing on the Debenhams website linked above. It has sold out, but hopefully you can pick it up in store. It is more on the expensive side of £18.00, but I will never get bored of using this blush and it is unmistakable in quality by the way it feels and looks on the skin.

E.L.F. Studio High Definition Powder Translucent

In my January 2013 E.L.F. Haul I picked up this product even though I still hadn't finished my previous tub because I love it that much and at 50% off I just couldn't resist. I have very dry skin and for a long time I didn't think that powder on my face was a good idea, but trust me with good skincare and the right products you can wear it. In the above haul link you will see my full review, but for flawless skin this product is magic. The only downside is that the tub does look messy, but as it's translucent it won't leave colour pigment wherever you are applying it so don't worry :) This tub is £6.00, but E.L.F. always have great sales so keep an eye out for those!

I have used a few face primers and concealers too, but I didn't feel that I loved them enough to put them into a yearly favourite. I will however let you know if I find exceptional products of this nature in 2014.

I am writing other favourites posts too including other make-up products and skincare so keep an eye out for those.

If you would like make-up looks using any or all of these products please let me know in the comments below along with any questions about them you may have.

Love to you all

Poundland Make-Up Haul

Hello you sweet peas. Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day to Dad's out there. Sadly my Dad has passed so I can't spend today with him, but I hope you are having a wonderful day with your pops. I visited Poundland on Friday. One of my favourite shopping trips I have to say and here are the make-up beauties I picked up.

Chit Chat Foundation Oatmeal, 30ml for £1.00

I hope you can see here that it blends out nicely. This is a yellow toned foundation. I did see another shade that was pink toned from this range. I am not sure if they are the only two shades. There appears to be no scent with this. I was in desperate need of picking up a new foundation, but as I was short on time this seemed like a good option to try. This seems very lightweight as it is described.

Famous By Sue Moxley Lipgloss Edit, 6ml for £1.00

I could not find this on the website for a link sorry. This smells sweet like those twist up lipstick type of sweets you used to get. This is a beautiful iced baby pink lipgloss with I believe pink and lilac glitter reflects within the gloss.

Milani Glimmer Stripes All-Over Colour 05 Honey Glimmer, 12.8g for £1.00

These are the shades swatched as they are in the pan in the first photo. The two lightest shades don't show up too well when swatched.

I am not sure if you can see it well enough here, but this is a swatch of all the shades in the palette merged together. The effect is a very subtle, soft golden bronze shimmer. This palette is meant for the face, cheeks & eyes. I think this would also be beautiful on areas of the body such as the collar bone, arms and down the front of the legs to highlight a tan. This does not appear to be on the website either, but there were a few palette shades in this range.

What bargains have you found lately in Poundland or other pound shops? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

FOTD: Will you be MesmerEyezd?

Ello ello beauties. How are you all on this dreadful rainy day? I feel for any of you that have had to venture out in this today. I have been sent some coloured contact lenses for free to review so I have this FOTD post for you :)

MesmerEyez Muliti-Purpose Solution, Lens Case and Lenses in left: Jade Green (Intense Range) & right: Royal Blue (Illusionz Range)

Left: Jade Green, Right: Royal Blue

I went for the Jade Green lenses for this FOTD as my eyes are already blue so you will hopefully see more of a difference.

 

This Jade Green shade is a little less intense than I had expected as I thought it was more of bright emerald green, but I still really like it. I quite like the misty effect that the lenses appear to have around the pupil area as it makes my pupils look a little smaller so that I think you notice the colour more. The edging of the lenses are very defined so I think that makes them look less natural than they could be, but I guess if you want your eyes to really pop it adds to that effect.

These were really easy to use for me, but then I am a contact lens wearer at least four days a week. You simply wash and dry yours hands, peel back the foil seal to the packet each lens is in and ensure that the lens is the correct way up for insertion into the eye. It's very easy to tell as the side with deep colouring is the side that will be on show. It should basically sit on the tip of your forefinger like a bowl with the edges curving inwards. Use the middle finger of your other hand to lift your top lid slightly and pull down with the middle finger of your hand with the lens to open the lower lid just a little and insert the lens with your forefinger. I can place mine straight onto the centre of my eye, but if yours need adjusting just look in different directions and the lens should slip into place. Blink a couple of times too as this sometimes helps.

The lenses I have are meant to last for 3 months once opened. To look at all of the fantastic range from MesmerEyez check out this link and use the colour studio to try the shades on the model. There are a variety of styles that are natural, intense, sexy or even wild. So if you fancy a change or just want something crazy to make those eyes pop these lenses could be a new addition to your night out.

3 Month lenses cost £19.99 (cleanser and lens case included). To purchase check this link.

Other products used in this FOTD are:

Helen É Cosmetics Stage Foundation Ultimate Performance Liquid Make-up For All Skin Types (Monroe - Very Fair Skin)*

Helen É Cosmetics Miracle Concealer*

E.L.F. Studio Translucent Matifying Powder

E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer

HD Brows Brow Beater

BellaPierre Cosmetics Lash Building Mascara Black

E.L.F. Studio Mist & Set

*Both Helen É Cosmetics were PR samples previously reviewed here.

Removing the lenses with clean hands pull down the lower lid gently, pinch the lens at the sides and pull out. You can look upwards if it makes it easier. Remove make-up AFTER removing lenses.

To store the lenses rinse to clean before placing in the lens case with solution for at least 6 hours. Rinse before placing the lenses into the eyes on next use. Change the solution in the lens case every week even if not in use. The lens case is labelled left and right, but I think it could be bolder so that it's a little easier to see.

I have been wearing these today for four hours and they have not bothered me at all. There is no irritation or discomfort. It is recommended to wear these for a maximum of 8 hours so I could not wear these to work as it's almost 12 hours for me from getting up to getting home. I would still wear them on a special occasion or night out though. These are not prescription lenses. They are only for cosmetic use.

 Many thanks to Amazing PR for sending these out to me. I have always been curious to try coloured lenses so thank you.

Are you a fan of coloured lenses? Do you have any favourite colours, styles or brands? Let me know in the comments below.



Love to you all 

 

Lips Of The Day: Sexy Pout Temporary Lip Tattoos By StarGazer

Hey loves. Happy Sunday to you. I have the house to my self today so I thought why not try out some temporary lip tattoos as you do. 

StarGazer Sexy Pout Temporary Lip Tattoos In Top: Red Hearts, Left: Red Cheetah & Right: Pink Tiger

I was sent the designs Red Hearts and Pink Tiger quite some time by StarGazer for free. They did not ask me to review them at the time, but I gave the Red Hearts design a go and was unsuccessful.

Kat from Touch Media recently sent the Red Cheetah design along with the Temporary Eye Tattoos which I recently reviewed here. I hate being beaten and not understanding how a product works so I gave this design a try.

Application:

• Ensure your lips are dry and clean as well as free from any other other lip products like lip balm or make-up.

• Pop the lip shapes out of the packaging. Snip to adjust the design to fit your lip shape and size. I found these designs quite large for my lips and although there are guidelines on them telling you not to cut from the top of the top lip or the bottom of the bottom lip I cut all around both in the end as they were just to large and an awkward shape to fit to my lips.

• It's not in the instructions, but you must peel the plastic from the front of the design and place the sticky side against your lips.

• Press a damp cloth or flannel against the design and try to keep the tattoos in place. This was a little difficult to do. I will warn you that it does feel weird and you will be trying not to drool (nice).

• You will see the design start to slip away. Gently peel off the backing after about 30-40 seconds of dampening. Use your cloth or flannel to gently press against the design now on your lips to mould it to your lips.

•  I applied the top lip first, but it's up to you which way you do it. Apply the design to your other lip in the same way trying not to let your top and bottom lips meet as these tattoos take 5 minutes to fully dry and seal.

• I applied these before any of my other make-up as I thought it would be easier. I had a little overlap on one corner which I managed to manoeuvre in place and then I applied the rest of my make-up. 

• To remove use gentle make-up remover or baby oil. Oily food may cause the design to be removed.

As you can see the design could be a little bigger on my lips, but I found it difficult to size and get a great fit. Nice attractive ring around the mouth (not).

Open mouthed to show you how it looks on the inner parts of the lips.

 

I do think these are a really fun and creative way to make your make-up stand out. However I think these are too fussy to apply and get the right size and shape for your mouth. I have been wearing the look while writing this post and already it's peeling from my lips dues to the saliva in my mouth as I haven't even had a drink. They are meant to last all day, but I don't see how they will stay in tact. I have one more of the designs to try which I will probably reserve for a Halloween look on my blog this year as I wouldn't feel comfortable or attractive when out in public and these start peeling away.

Other products in this LOTD/FOTD are:

Pure BB Cream (Light)

Helen É Cosmetics Miracle Concealer*

 

 E.L.F. Studio Translucent Matifying Powder

E.L.F. Studio Cool Bronzer

 

NYX Cosmetics Eyeshadow Base (White)

 

E.L.F. Mineral Eye Liner (Black)

 

 No7 Exceptional Definition Nutrient Enriched Mascara (Black)

HD Brows Brow Beater

*This Helen É Cosmetics Concealer was a PR sample that I reviewed in a FOTN post here.

There are many designs of these temporary lip tattoos which are available for £4.00 each here.

Are you a fan of temporary lip tattoos? Do you know how to make them stay on the lips for longer without peeling? Are there any products from StarGazer that you recommend? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

E.L.F. 50% Off Haul

Hi there gorgeous Beauty Addicts. I hope you are all doing good. Today is my first day back at work after two weeks off for the festive season. Did you have much time off or were you back into work mode straight away?

Just before Xmas I bought some things from E.L.F. (eyeslipsface.co.uk) as I needed to replace some products and wanted to take advantage of such a good discount so here is what I picked up.

Left: Studio Translucent Matte Powder £3.75, Link

This product looks lightly pigmented, but it does go on clear. I don't use the sponge it comes with. Instead I use a large powder brush and sweep it over my face after foundation and concealer to set it. This is a great product for those on the go. The compact is very slim and clicks shut so you know it's secure. It is not hard to open like some compacts can be. The mirror is so handy too. I use this every day as part of my make-up routine unless I am using the product to the right.

Right: Studio High Definition Powder (Translucent) £6.00, Link

I prefer the effect that this product gives, but it can be a little messy to open and close. Thankfully the powder particles are translucent so you are not left with coloured pigment all over the area where you apply your make-up. When I apply this I tip the container upside down, shake it side to side, tip it the right way up, open it and use the same powder brush that I use for the above product in the same way. I have tried the sponge, but it doesn't sweep over my make-up as I would like. I think this product is amazing. It really gives you a soft focus effect. I think it would look great on anyone as it just gives a softer look to the skin and makes my base make-up look a little more flawless. This now also comes in Colour Shimmer. A nude skin-tone shade and Colour Corrective Yellow which describes itself. I did think about getting the Colour Shimmer shade, but I am waiting for reviews on it as I don't know if I want a colour powder. The Colour Corrective Yellow shade I am unsure on. I believe yellow correctors are meant to tone down redness and even out skin-tones, but please correct me if I am wrong. I guess if you suffer with rosacea or have quite blemished skin then it may work well, but again I am waiting to see reviews on this.

Left: Studio Brush Shampoo £3.75, Link

I have already previously reviewed this product here so I won't harp on about it. Mine had run out so I had to replace it.

Right: Studio Powder Brush £3.75, Link

I still have one of these and it cleans up really well, but the top feels a bit loose so in case it comes off I thought I may as well get another while the sale was on. This brush is fantastic at applying my foundation. It is made from synthetic fibre and the brush hairs fan out into a flat top. They have movement, but are still quite dense. I apply my foundation section by section. I put my foundation on the back of my hand and dab the brush into just a little product for each part of my face. I then stipple the product on and voila I get a nice even finish. Sometimes I add more product to areas that are a little more red. 

Right: Studio Makeup Mist & Set £3.75, Link

I have already bought this product a few times, but I haven't used it for quite a while as I was waiting to order more things. I previously reviewed this product here.

Left: Studio Bronzer (Cool) £3.75, Link

I have always wanted to try this bronzer, but because I have so many already I felt too guilty to buy another. Because this was reduced to 50% off though I felt like it was okay to try. 

Swatches Described In Photo As In Palette

I think this is a nice palette to have. These matte shades I think are perfect as they are not to dark a bronzer for my pale skin tone. I wanted to get this palette also because I think it will double up as a great eyeshadow palette. Perfect for travellers and so compact with again a good sized mirror.

Top: Mineral Eye Liner (Black) £3.00, Link

I had to replace my previous one of these as I was rushing one day and twisted up too far before applying it. Needless to say it snapped off. It was my fault so I can't blame the product at all otherwise I wouldn't have bought another one. I also have this in the shades Coffee, Midnight & Ash. There is another shade called Metallic Purple too. I think this is such great value. It goes on very smoothly to create a thin or thick line. A great product for those who are new to using eye liner or just not that confident with it.

Bottom: Studio Matte Lip Color (Rich Red) £3.75, Link 

I already have this product in the shades Coral, Tea Rose & Praline I believe. There are other shades of Natural and Nearly Nude, but I thought I would go for something bold. I have yet to try this shade, but the ones I already have from this range are so easy to throw on for an every day look. This shade I will need to take more care when applying though or I will look like a clown.

 Top: Mineral Eye Liner (Black)

Bottom: Studio Matte Lip Color (Rich Red)

The lip color looks more fuchsia pink than red to me, but it is still a very nice bold shade.

All prices shown in this post so far have been the full price. For this haul with my 50% off discount including delivery I only paid £18.70 which I think is blooming brilliant for 8 products.

So that's everything cherubs. I hope these reviews were helpful. Did you take part in this 50% off sale? What are your E.L.F. likes/dislikes and why? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

 

June 2012 GlossyBox

Hey you little stunners. I hope you are all doing good. Today I have my June GlossyBox to show you with my initial impressions.

Left To Right:

GlossyBox Serie Exclusiv Pro Beauty Brush, RRP £15.00

This goats hair blush brush feels nice and soft. I will give this a try and see how well it applies my make-up.

MeMeMe Cosmetics Sensuous Nail Gloss, £4.50 for 12ml

This is described as a peach shade. I would say it's more of a nude cream almost skin tone shade.

BM Beauty Summer Warmth Bronzer, £8.00 for 4g

This product is described as a medium, golden mineral bronzer. I would say this is a very golden slightly rose brown bronzer. I think it would be a great eye colour and a highlighter, especially at the tops of cheeks. It is also suggested to mix it with body lotion to create a shimmering bronzing cream. This has a sheen to it rather than a shimmer though.

Caudalie Eaux Fraiches (Zeste De Vigne), £26.00 for 50ml

Out of the three fragrances in this range this one is a very citrus and zesty scent. I can definitely smell the mandarin in this. Really refreshing and a generous size. When I sprayed this a lot came out so be careful of this.

Vichy Dermablend Ultra-Corrective Foundation Cream Stick, £19.00 for 12g

I always love trying out new foundations in the discovery of the perfect complexion. I love that they have included a good variety of 6 sample shades with this starter kit. Each shade has a suggestion for the skin tones it will suit which is very helpful. I have noticed a lot of changes in the pigmentation of my face so it will be interesting to see if this covers just enough, not enough or way too much. Red veins are something on my face I find really difficult to cover with just foundation and concealer so I can't wait to see how this works.

Overall I think this is a nice box. There isn't anything that I am disappointed with so far, but the Vichy samples are the thing that has really caught my eye.

If you want more information about GlossyBox please check out this link.

Which products did you get in your June GlossyBox? Did you like them?

Love to you all

99p Stores Fate Blusher Quartet

Hey All. On Friday it felt like I had a long weekend in front of me and whoop it's nearly gone :( Oh well it's a nice sunny day at least. I want to share with you today my 99p Stores bargain.

Swatches As In Compact

I think this is a bargain palette for 99p. The blusher shades are very subtle, but very buildable. They all have a little shimmer in them, but it's only a hint. The brush is very stubby and not a good shape. I tend to use my own brushes so this does not bother me.

Top Left: A very soft, pastel, baby pink shade.

Top Right: A very pigmented bronze shade that has a little fallout.

Bottom Left: A soft, rose pink shade.

Bottom Right: A peachy shade.

I think this is a really nice palette for coming into spring. You can build the shades to be as obvious or as subtle as you like. The shades in the palette are cooler than some I have been using in winter. This is a nice palette for someone just starting out with make-up as the shades are not too heavy.

Have you found any make-up bargains lately? Do you look in places like the 99p Stores, Poundland, Savers for your make-up?

Love to you all