Real Techniques/ Bold Metals Collection

Real Techniques have been teasing us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter these last few days over their shiny new launch for 2015, Bold Metals Collection was romoured to launch on the 31st of January, but it seems they hit Boots website here in the UK today! Shop the whole collection here, or if you like the sound of a particular brush I've linked them all below for you.

The Bold Metals Collection is very special and I am dying to get my hands on them, well one brush in particular. If you own some of the original collection you'll probably think these are pretty steep on the pricing, however it is justfied as these are weighted pro style brushes, if you are looking to get a brush collection get these, staple basics but such high quality you cant go wrong.

Sam & Nic Chapman the sisters behind Real Techniques have worked tirelessley to bring you this collection, over a years work has gone into the design, shape, useage, and the softest bristles yet.

The original RT brushes are super soft so I am really excited to see just how soft these are. The tapered handles make them easy to keep in a pro belt, great news for MUA's. The weighted handles give you greater control whilst applying your make up, and the colour of the bristles allow for precise pick up on the bristles as you can see how much is on the brush.

The collection consists of 6 brushes:

Arched Powder Brush £25 for application of pressed or loose powder.
Tapered Blush Brush £24 Apply powder or cream blush perfectly with this tapered brush.
Triangle Foundation Brush £22 Created with perfect angles for application round the eyes, nose and contours of the face.
Flat Contour Brush £22 Use to apply contouring products to create depth and dimension to the face.
Oval Shadow Brush £15 Use for blending cream or powder shadow to the eyelids.
Pointed Crease Brush £12 Perfectly angled to allow for precsion application of shadow to the eyelid crease.
Angled Liner Brush £10 Great for applying gel liner or shadow as liner. Angled for ease of use around the eyes.

I have my eye on the angled foundation brush, which ones are you lusting after?

xXx

 



Happy New Year/Hello 2015/Top Posts

Personally I cant believe how quickly this year has gone, this time last year I was stood on Waterloo Bridge in London ready to watch the fireworks.

 

This year I am wrapped up warm on my sofa in the house that was nothing but a dream last year, amazing how things pan out.

 

I wanted to say thank you all for your continued support over the past year, who'd have thought that 3 years after starting this blog that i'd be well established and have so many amazing readers and folowers, I've had some fab oppertunities and I still love blogging just as much much as I did when I first started out.

 

I've had a look back over the years posts and these were the top ten that you loved the most...

 

Teeth Whitening

 

Beauty Works Ombre Hair

 

Ombre Hair Makeover

 

Louboutins

 

GHD Bird Of Paradise

 

Clarins True Radiance Foundation

 

Clarins Brazil Summer

 

Orange Lip Trend

 

Sigma Lip Glosses

 

Clarins Cream Blushers

 

Thank you all so much, without you all reading my blog would be pointless.

 

Happy New Year to you all, see you in 2015!

xXx

Burts Bees/Honey Pot

I'm not usually a huge fan of plain lipbalms or chap sticks, so many of my friends always have the little tins of Vaseline or something in their bag but I'm more of a gloss kinda gal.

 

I had this in my stocking this year and it's actually swayed my opinion a little, to start with how cute is the little honey pot?! Burts Bees is a very popular brand due to it's all natural ingredients, packed with willow bark, beeswax, shea butter, almond oils, and lanolin, perfect for keeping lips moisturised and supple, especially during this cold weather.

 

This little gift set has the Honey Lip Balm, the Beeswax Lip Balm with Vitamin E and Peppermint whilst I love the honey one I'm not keen on the peppermint one at all, it's really moisturising I just dont like the smell of it.

 

The Hand Salve is lovely, a solid balm that melts on contact with the skin, melts in really quickly and leaves hands smooth as silk, I will be purchasing the full size version of this.

 

Burts Bees offer products for all ages and ailments, head over to the website now by clicking here there's some fab savings to be had given the sales too.

xXx

 



Real Techniques/Nic's Picks

I'm a huge fan of Real Techniques, I have so many brushes and in my opinion they are the best on the market. This limited edition set is fab, and I love the metallic finish on them, it gives them a real luxury feel.

 

The set consists of 5 brushes, 3 of them are limited edition cuts, meaning you;ll only find them in this set and that they have been cut exclusivley for this set. I've been trialling these over the festive period and as expected they are fab.

 

Made from the same cruelty free ultra plush bristles these do not let down on the qulaity or standard you'd expect from Real Techniques.

Brushes from left to right are:

Duo Fibre Face Brush-Perfect for applying powder and blending & bronzer application.

Cheek Brush-Evenly applies colour to the cheeks for a more dramatic look.

Angled Crease Brush-I LOVE this one, its cut to perfectly hug your lid crease, perfect smoke!

Base Shadow Brush- for applying your neutral, base shadow tones.

Eyeliner Brush-I have been usingthis in my shadows after dipping in water for a dramatic effect.

 

These wont be around for long so grab them if you see them, I know Boots are now sold out but you can read up on them by clicking here they were selling for around £30.

xXx

 



Chanel/ Fragrance & Fashion

I adore the iconic Chanel bottle, and my old faithful Coco Madmomoiselle was on my Christmas wish list, as was the cute Chanel inspired clutch bag. I was lucky enough to get both of them.

 

The clutch bag is actually quite big, as far as clutch bags go, it has a chain inside too so you have the option of wearing it over the shoulder if you want to. The nude/pink hue means it'll add some girlie detailing to practically any outfit.

 

The clutch bag is avaliable online here and Chanel is avaliable in all major departtment and drugstores.

 

I need a night out to take my bag out and wear my perfume!

xXx

 



Dermalogica Skin Care Kit/4 Week Update

I took the plunge at the beginning of November and decided to see what all the fuss was about, if you missed my post catch up by clicking here you'll have no doubt heard about Dermaologica and know that it's very pricey, so is it all it's hyped up to be?

Read on the hear my thoughts after using it for 5 weeks....

I have noticed a huge improvement in the amount of time it takes for blemishes to disappear, literally I no longer have to suffer the mountain range on my face for a whole week, it comes and goes within a few days maximum, seriously impressed.

I have to be honest and say that after 6 days of use, as this picture shows I had a breakout, after speaking to some Dermalogica specialists they advised it was just all the dirt and debris coming to the surface and to bear with the products to see the benefits...

So the shot on the left shows my skin 6 days in, I was really annoyed having this erupt on my face but I stuck with it. The picture on the right is 2 weeks in, I have to say I think my skin tone shows some improvement in this shot already, the texture appears smoother, although those pesky pores are still visible! I hate my porous skin!!

I found at around the 3-4 week point that my skin became a little dry, I was using the Skin Prep Scrub everyday and having reduced this to three times a week the dryness has gone.

The Active Moist is a beautiful moisturiser that helps keep shine at bay and is a beautiful base for make up, I love it. Active Toner is a totally genius concept too, the spray application is so refreshing and I love putting it on.I'm not a fan of lavender but the slight hint of it in these products really does give you a salon/spa facial feeling, every time.

Here we are 5 weeks later.....


My make up looks flawless, it's given me almost an airbrushed effect, weather it's simply blurring the imperfections or it's genuinely healing my skin from the inside out I'm not sure, but I like it, and it's given me skin confidence I've never had before.

I have even gone foundation free, OK well a dusting of my trusty Ben Nye Banana Powder but almost make up free, it's a big step for me!

I will now have to look at investing at the full size products, although I do love my skin kits as they are perfect for keeping one set at home and taking one set with me in my gym bag.
 
My wish list for full size products consists of:
Special Cleansing Gel £27.50
Multi Active Toner £27
Active Moist Moisturiser £44.10
Skin Prep Scrub £28.20

My Dermalogica Specialist also gave me a sample of the Skinperfect Primer £38.40 which is possibly one of the best primers I've ever used, damn it, that one is on the wish list too.

Are you a Dermalogica lover?
I am seriously impressed, yes these products cost a lot of money, but they actually work so I can definitely vouch for the fact that in this case you are getting what you pay for.

xXx

Beauty Works/ Ombré Double Volume Hairpiece

I reviewed Beauty Works Double Volume a while back, including a video demo of how simple and easy it is to use. If you missed it catch up by clicking right here.

I recently wore this fab ombre piece from Beauty Works* and the feedback I had was incredible! Loads of you asked if I'd had my extensions put back in and said how nice it looked, I love the colours in this and as always it's of great quality.

The hairpiece features 2 comb grips and a drawstring that hold it all in place and I always add a few bobby pins round to keep it extra secure. 

It's made me miss my long hair so much, I adore this hairpiece!

Shop the Ombre collection via the Beauty Works Website, my particular hairpiece is 4T/27 Colour Combo  but there are many to choose from in straight or curled, mine is straight and it looks perfectly styled straight out of the box.These retail at around £40 and as long as you look after it it'll serve you well.

Have you tried Beauty Works Hair? 

Order now on next day delivery to have party perfect hair for Christmas and New Year! 

xXx

*PR Sample

Glitter Lips/Ultimate Party Lips

Glitter Lips by Beauty Boulevard have taken the beauty world by storm. You'll have seen these everywhere lately and Glitter Lips are the original company to have treated us to this glittery goodness. Featured on ITV & in Cosmopolitan Magazine it's creating quite an impression.

Each kit contains everything you need to get the perfect sparkly lips, you get a special glue, a double ended applicator and the pot of glitter. 

I have three shades, Diamond In The Buff which is a nude hue with an iridescent glitter through it, in the light it turns almost a green colour and its perfect if you want something that's not too over the top but you still need a little sparkle. 

Sparkling Rose is a beautiful fuchsia pink shade with iridescent glitter running through it, great if you want a bolder shade but aren't quite brave enough to go red.

Ruby Slippers is a very bold red shade with golden glitter running through it, perfect for the party season.

Diamond In The Buff which is a nude hue with an iridescent glitter through it, in the light it turns almost a green colour and its perfect if you want something that's not too over the top but you still need a little sparkle. 

Head over to Facebook and LIKE the glitterlips page to keep up to date with all the news, shop the entire collection at the Glitter Lips Website. Kits retail at just £12.50 each.

Which one is your fave shade? 

xXx

Ministry Of Whitening/ Tooth Whitening

I love the look of white teeth, and I think a smile can be a persons best feature so it's important to look after them as you only get one set.

I've used home whitening kits in the past but they can be so time consuming with results taking up to 2 weeks to show, and the whitening strips can be so strong they cause sensitivity too so it's really only ever a good idea to go to a professional. 

My friend and I recently visited the Clothes Show, having done some research we already had our hearts set on visiting Ministry Of Whitening whilst we were there, you should expect to pay anything between £120-£300 for cosmetic teeth whitening, and the Clothes Show always offers fab discounts, £69 is all we paid for our treatments and they were worth every penny. 

You don't look the most glam whilst the treatment is being carried out, but Ministry Of Whitening put our safety first. We had to clean our teeth with a hard bristle brush and a cleansing treatment before the whitening process could start, then we were handed a mouth guard made of soft silicone filled with a custom amount of the whitening gel to match the size of our teeth, we then had to hold these in our mouths for 20 minutes whilst the gel was activated by the UV light.

I literally couldn't wait to see my before and after as your teeth are measured on the whitening scale before the whitening process beings, I was around 2 on the scale to start with and my friend was around the 5 mark. 

The treatment itself is totally pain free, I was worried about it causing sensitivity but it was actually really relaxing, the glasses made it hard to read anything though so it was just a good chance to sit and relax. 

I am delighted with my results and I cant recommend Ministry Of Whitening highly enough, I've also been given some aftercare products to use at home to continue to lighten, and care for my new smile. 

My aftercare products consist of the Brightening Powder which acts as an exfoliator gently and effectively lifting any stains off the teeth, I also have the 2 Step Teeth Whitening Foam Kit that helps to remove daily stains and give a whitening boost to the teeth every day, I love the foam consistency of the products and they leave your teeth feeling really clean and fresh.

The whitening pen also contains a small amount of whitening gel which is great for nights out and just when you want an extra boost. This kit retailed at around £30 at the show which offered great savings on the retail prices.

Onto my results....

I went 6 shades lighter, and with use of my aftercare products they are getting whiter everyday, I LOVE my results.... my friend went 11 shades lighter and hers look fab too.

Check out the Ministry Of Whitening Website right Here, like them on Facebook for any offers and promotions. 

Huge thank you to Ministry Of Whitening for my new smile, I will be back in a year or so to get them topped up!

xXx

Ted Baker/Cosy Winter Nights

Who said cosy can't be chic? 

I was desperately in need of a new dressing gown and my better half kindly treated me to this one by Ted Baker in Debenhams. 

I love the ribbon detail to the sleeves and the 'Wrapped In Ted, Ready For Bed' motif in the back. The gown has subtle embossing of the T logo and bows all over it, it's super luxurious. 

It's super soft and cosy and comes complete with a snuggly hood. 

Here's to looking fabulous even when your relaxing! 

Shop it right here

xXx

Christmas With Clarins/Party Make Up

Christmas party season is upon us, and what is already an expensive time of year for many of us I've put this post together to showcase a few staple products that will carry you through the party season. 

 

Clarins have been kind enough to get me party ready using just 3 of the products from their beautiful Ladylike collection*, here's how I created my party look.

 

These are the gorgeous Ombre Matte Shadow's and I have the shades Nude Beige and Sparkling Grey, as with all Clarins shadows these can be used wet or dry however my look was created using the shades dry as I didnt want my look to be too intense. But I have swatched the shades wet and they look amazing.

Blending over the whole eye socket and up to the brow bone I used the Nude Beige shade to create the perfect base, then taking a soft shadow brush I lightly took the Sparkling Gray shade across my lid crease and then down along my lash line. I adore the Sparkling Gray and my only niggle would be that Nude Beige could use a little sparkle in it.

Then using a dampened angled brush I used the Sparkling Gray to line my lower lashes, and it stayed put all night. The colour pay of is really godd with these shadows and I'm really excited to try the Sparkling Gray with a wet brush, I think it may give a really foiled effect.

The Rouge Eclat lipstick feels lovely on the lips, the deep berry red shade of Red Fuschia will be my go to red this year, I LOVE it.

 

Here's my complete party look.....

 

Head over to the Clarins Website now to rab your beauty essentials, hurry they are giving away a fab free gift when you spend over £60 too.

xXx

*PR Samples