Beauty Advent Calendars 2013

I'm not going to mention the 'C' word, but as it's fast approaching I thought I would feature the calorie free alternative to the traditional advent calendar. 

Selfridges £84

This has to be THE ultimate in luxury of all the beauty advents. Filled with 24 luxurious miniature treats to guarantee a beauty-filled festive season, it's a must-have for all beauty fans.  

The 2013 calendar contains a selection of fragrances, make-up and skincare from some of the world's biggest beauty brands including Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, Kiehl's, Victor & Rolf and more, all yours for £84.

'Ciate' £42 Selfridges Exclusive

Every girl's diary can now be filled with a daily dose of delectable mini nail treats, as behind each door lies a very colourful surprise. Gorgeously packaged with seventeen of Ciaté's bestselling miniPaint Pots, four mini Caviar blends, and three extremely special exclusive Paint Pot glitter shades you'll not find anywhere else, ever.

Available online at Selfridges right now! 

Boots £30.00

The lovely people at Boots are treating us to their first ever beauty advent this year.

Wake up every morning to a new beauty treat and fill the month of December with gorgeous gifts to pamper yourself. Featuring brands such as; Soap & Glory, Nails Inc, Paco Rabanne, Juicy Couture, Rimmel, Mavala, Umberto Giannini & more!

Available on line at Boots.com right now! 

Benefit Countdown To Love £50

This one is full of lovely products, and I know it's pricey but if your a Bene-babe it's worth the money, I know what's in it if you want a spoiler message me and I'll let you know! 

It's available at Benefit.co.uk but only while stocks last so be really quick! 

Are you going to treat yourself to beauty goodies instead of chocolate this year?

xXx

Happy Birthday To Me!

I turned 28 on the 11th of October, after a long travel back from Gatwick airport I have to admit I was really not feeling my birthday this year. 

My boyfriends parents really made an effort for me and took me out for a lovely meal in the evening. 

I wanted to share a few snaps of some of the gifts I was lucky enough to receive, and of course the obligatory 'What I Wore' picture, I've popped a link under the pic so you can shop my outfit. 

Yummy!

Harajuku Bear from my man

Super Cute Panda jumper from the boyf 

Huge bouquet delivered to work from my girl friends :) 

Gorgeous Betty Jackson Statement Rope Necklace

Cute mesh & sequin dress by Quiz Clothing Black Glitter Heels from Schuh

With Christmas fast approaching I will be doing a lot more outfit posts, looking forward to that. So many dresses :) 

Hope your all well, despite this miserable UK weather! 

xXx

Body Shop Honeymania Perfume & Soap

I have the best friends! 

I was lucky enough to receive couple of bits from the Body Shop's newest collection.....

Honeymania, to be honest when I first heard about this I wasn't sure at all, but I have to say the sweet, floral, yet light scent is beautiful. 

I have the EDT and the cutest bar of soap.....

 The perfume doesn't have a huge amount of staying power, but I tend to use Body Shop perfumes for day to day anyway, this does not make this scent any less yummy!

Next time your in The Body Shop, have a smell, you'll either love it or hate it, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. The range consists of body butter, shower gel and much more. The EDT is £8.50 and the soap is just £2, bargs!

xXx

Benefit 'Hoola' Blusher

It's no surprise Hoola is the UK's number 1 selling bronzer, it's not shimmery, it's not glittery, it's a solid plate of natural bronze colour, perfect for adding a natural looking sunkissed glow to your complexion. It really doesn't look exciting in the box, although again the packaging really appeared to me the little bamboo details and the green handled brush in the box really add to the Hawaiian feel of Hoola.  

The brush in the box is perfect for making the blush portable and make up friendly, as it really protects it from getting smashed or cracked, and whilst I was on holiday it added a gorgeous glow to my sunkissed skin, i even swept it across my decolletage. Now I'm home and the tan is fading fast its still giving me a hint of healthy colour into what'll soon become my pasty winter complexion!  

Here's a couple of shots showing Hoola on my skin.....

Don't hide away from this even if your fair though, you can keep this as toned down or make it as dramatic as you want, if you are going to invest in a bronzer, this is the one!

Hoola Swatch

Head to your local Benefit counter to grab yours now, or shop it online right here it's £23.50, and I'd say you'll get at least a good 6 months use out of it.

Are you a Hoola Gal?

xXx

That Dress

Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram will know that I recently returned from my holiday in Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh to be exact. 

What a beautiful place, and the people there are simply wonderful. 

A lot of you have been emailing me about the outfits I wore on holiday, three of them in particular, so I thought I'd combine them into one post for you. 

So many of you have asked me 'where did you get that dress' eBay, and it was a steal at just £13.99 it's perfect for short girls like me, at 5ft 2 I can wear flip flops with it and it doesn't drag on the floor! It's a lovely figure hugging material, but it doesn't make you too hot which was perfect in 40 degree heat! This dress really oozes holiday glam and I had so many compliments when I wore it on holiday.
Get your own right HERE

I featured this playsuit a little while ago, it's from Lipsy and was £40, seen on lots of the TOWIE girls, and Una from the Saturday's. The bright colours and cool material make it perfect for holiday night's out. I teamed mine up with a pair of wedges, brown or nude would go perfectly with this one. Very online is the only place that still have these in stock. 

These shorts always get a lot of attention, the girly crochet material actually makes them look like a skirt from the front,
 also known as the garment that's sent the blog world into a frenzy this summer... the skort (skirt/shorts) the elasticated waist makes them super comfy to wear too :)
I picked these up from Forever 21 on Oxford Street for £15, you cant buy them anymore, so I have found some alternative's for you...
these  & these
I teamed mine up with a plain vest top, and wedges. Although if I am going on a night out I add heels and a statement necklace. 

I hope this helps those of you who want to invest in my holiday outfits, I love getting dressed up in the evenings, not that I need an excuse.....

xXx

Benefit 'Rockateur' Blusher

The newest little box of blush from Benefit is gorgeous!

I have developed a real addiction for these lately, and this did not disappoint.

At first glance it looks like a shimmery solid pink, but it really has so much more to offer. The shimmer is just an over spray for decorative purposes, it's not embedded all the way through.
The texture of this is a first in comparison to all the other Benefit blushers, it's almost spongy, it's not a gel or a solid powder its in between.

The shade I would describe as a beautiful rose gold, personally I think it would suit any skin tone, on even the fairest complexion you'd achieve a natural pinky glow to the cheeks, and on medium/dark skin tones you'd get a beautiful golden glow, with a real sheen of pink. It is a very buildable colour so you can vary it depending on the desired result.

If you've never owned one of these Benefit blushers you wont know this but you get a cute little brush in the box, and there's a mirror in the lid. I love a well packaged product, and the little lace details and the hints of pink on the box make it to pretty to hide away, this one needs to be on show on your dresser.

My only niggle is the fact that Benefit charge the same price for this one as they do for all their other blushers, yet the Rockateur is 5 grams of product, in comparison to the standard 8 grams on all the others! 

Available now at Benefit counters nationwide, and on the Benefit Website priced at £23.50, these blushers last months though so they are worth the money.

What do you think of Rockateur? Will you be buying it? 

xXx

L'Oreal Colour Riche Collection Privee Lipstick 'Cheryl'

Collection Privee is a collection of 6 different 'nude's' suitable for every hair color and skin tone. 

The Campaign is headed by Julianne Moore and a few other names you'll know. 

L'Oreal's latest lippie launch is gorgeous. And to be honest I long for every shade. 

Here are the shades: 

I have brunette hair and a warm complexion so I went for the 'Cheryl' shade, I love it. 

Will you be trying any of these nude shades? 

xXx

Vera Wang Pink Princess

I've just come back from holiday, and you know what that means...Duty Free Shopping!

I bought a few bits and I've decided to feature them in separate posts, I have a couple of make up bits to share with you too, so keep an eye out for them soon. 

I picked up this 50ml bottle of Pink Princess for just £25, got to love a barg! 

I LOVE the glittery bottle and the little crown lid is super cute. 

The fragrance is sweet & floral, notes of pink grapefruit, marshmallow, sweet amber & honeysuckle, it's an unusual fragrance, but very girly. 

This is a limited edition so if you see it grab it while you can! 

xXx

Phillips VisaPure Facial Cleansing Brush

I was so excited when Phillips asked me to review their new VisaPure Facial Cleansing Brush, I have always longed for a Clarisonic, but these cleansing brushes are expensive, and lets face it none of us want to pay for a product that doesn't work or deliver visible results, right?

I've only been using the VisaPure for a week, and I am hooked, it gives a real deep clean, without being harsh on the skin.

Phillips claim it to be '10 times more effective than hand cleansing' and I have to say after test driving this little wand of genius I agree, it really does clean every nook and cranny, sweeping away every last trace of make up and dirt.

I was not overly convinced that it'd be easy to hold and use when I first opened the box, but I was wrong, it's really sleek and smooth. 

If you've ever looked into getting a facial cleansing brush before you'll have noticed that you have to use specially designed products in order to use the brush, not with the VisaPure! It's designed to compliment your current skincare routine, and for me that says it all really. Phillips believe the product works so well without the need of adding in additional expensive skincare products.

I'm currently using The Body Shop's Tea Tree skincare system, and I like the fact that the tea tree face wash keeps bacteria at bay on my brush head.

There are some great features this little pink wand of goodness has to offer, I LOVE the timer feature one minute split into three x 20 second sessions. 

I split my face into 3 sections when using the brush, I do my left cheek, right down onto the neck area and up to my underneath my eye area (never on the eyes), then repeat on the right hand side, and then onto my T Zone. I love how clean and fresh my skin feels at the end of the minute. You can choose from 2 speeds, I use the slowest speed on all area's except any where I have breakouts or if I fancy a deeper weekly exfoliation I will use the faster speed all over. I've also noticed how much better my moisturiser sinks into my skin, and I feel like I'm getting the very best out of my skincare now I'm using this brush. 

This shows the VisaPure in operation in speed one & two, the lights are not visible when the brush isn't in use. 

The charging stand allows the VisaPure to air dry after each use and keeps it all neat and tidy, I have to be totally honest when I first opened the VisaPure I really did think it looked like something that you should maybe be hiding in your underwear drawer, but it is sleek and girly in it's design so you shouldn't be afraid to display it in your bathroom. 

The charging stand allows air to pass through and dry the brush head. 

The VisaPure is waterproof so you'll be able to use it in the bath or shower without having to worry, and the protective cap means you can take it on your travels with you too! 

For me the only negative is the plug, it comes with a 3 pin plug so you have to charge it in your bedroom, I think this is a major flaw in the design as a 2 pin bathroom shaver plug would be a lot more convenient. 

After speaking to fellow Bloggers this beats the Clarisonic hands down apparently, the smaller brush heads mean greater precision, along with the cheaper brush head costs (£8 for VisaPure, £21 for Clarisonic) 

You get 2 brush heads with the VisaPure a sensitive one (white and pink below) and the normal cleansing brush (white below) although you can also purchase the exfoliating head (white and grey below)

I'm officially a facial cleansing brush convert, I will never be without one now! 

Boots currently have the VisaPure on offer with almost £15 off, so if your thinking of investing...do it now! 

Boots VisaPure Offer They usually retail at around £150. 

Do you own a cleansing brush? 

xXx

Make Up Brushes.....How often do you clean yours?

My essential make up brushes, a mix of MAC, Real Techniques and EcoTools

The brushes you use to apply your make up everyday harbour bacteria and germs ewww gross! So it's really important to keep them clean.

I will confess that until recently I have always used baby shampoo to clean my brushes, which keeps them clean, but it doesn't help my oily/combo skin looking flawless.

Enter.....No7's Make Up Brush Cleanser, it's just £8 for a generously sized 185ml pump bottle. This brush cleanser is suitable for both everyday & deep cleansing of your brushes. If your using a brush for shadow and need to change the colour this stuff is perfect for a quick drying spritz and you'll have a clean brush to work with, or for your monthly deep clean you can grab a bowl of warm water and dispense a pump into your hand, working it through the brush to make a nice soapy lather, and rise off.

It really does leave your brushes squeaky clean & looking good as new.

How often do you clean your make up brushes?

xXx

How Expensive Is Your Face?

Ever look at your make up collection and wonder how much it's worth? 

What about the products you use everyday, your staple face products. 

I thought this would be a really fun post to do, for my 12 hour work/gym face I like to use longer lasting products, and although I use the same products on the weekend I do add in my special higher end products if I'm going out or to a special occasion. I have a hoard of make up (as I'm sure you do too) and it's strange to think of how many of the products we actually use! 

 Here are the products I use everyday.....

Base & Face Products

Benefit Porefessional is IMO the best primer on the market, although the only stinger is the price, but again it does last ages! Really smooths skin and conceals pores providing a great base for make up, as well as combating shine. 

My beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear, is something I wear everyday, it keeps my skin oil free, matte and looking fresh, I wear the shade Fresco, and a bottle of this lasts me a good 5/6 months wearing just one pumps worth everyday. It also has an SPF factor in it, so you know your skins protected every day. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer is my newest cosmetic purchase, I've been on the hunt for a decent concealer for a while now, and this stuff works really well. Always apply liquid concealers with a soft brush and buff in for an even finish, I will do a tutorial on this really soon. 

Ben Nye Banana Powder is something I've been using for years, a firm fave of Kim K's make up artist it's great for setting powder without sitting in the fine creases on your face. It locks make up in place all day and the yellow tones really evens out sallow skin tones for a flawless finish. I mix it up with Bare Minerals All Over Face Colour in Warm for a goldeny tone, this really adds a hint of colour to my face and stops me looking pasty! 

My trusty day time blush is my Dior Rosy Glow, one sweep with the little brush in the compact is all you need for a natural pinky rosy glow to the cheeks. It smells like roses and it's barbie esque hue is just stunning. 

Face & Base Costs: 

Benefit Porefessional £24.50 

Estee Lauder Double Wear £28.50

Bare Minerals Warmth Powder £19.00 

Ben Nye Banana Powder £8.00

Dior Rosy Glow Blush £30.50 

Total £110.50

Eye Products

I do keep my eyes pretty simple during the day, as you know I love a smokey eye on a night out, but that would be too much for work. 

Here are my staple eye products that I wear day to day.....

Mascara I tend to stray from one brand to the next but I really love is the new one from Max Factor the Wild Mega Volume, it's a real steal at just £6.99 a tube too, I've just bought my second one, I love the effect it has on my lashes and it holds up well during the work day and then through my gym session. 

Bare Minerals Prime Time in 'Original' is something I have used for years, it's a beautiful golden shimmer that I wear on it's own to work, weekends though it clings onto your eye shadow and makes the colour really pop. I love this stuff and wouldn't be without it. 

My eyebrows don't leave the house without some definition on them, I alternate between the HD Brow Palette and my Christian Eyebrow one, the Christian one has been going strong for about 18 months now, and you can see it still has loads left. 

I also use my Front Cover Cosmetic Baked Peal box everyday, I use the sparkly nude colour as a bottom lash liner and I love it. 

Eye Costs: 

Max Factor Wild Mascara £6.99

Bare Minerals Prime Time £16.00 

Maybelline Smoky Eye Pencil £5.99 

Total £28.98

Lip Products

Last but by no means least are the lip products I use daily, these do change depending on the season bur I alternate between various shades of these products. 

MAC Mineralize Lipstick currently I'm wearing 'Lady At Play' but I have so many different shades I am forever switching it up. 

My YSL Coral Intuitive lippie in shade 15 has also been on my lips alot this past couple of months, I love it and it smells divine, but i cant help but feel it doesn't have much staying power, so I'm going through the stick pretty quickly. It's great for day to day wear though. 

I also wear MAC glosses alot, again I've been wearing loads of different shades this past couple of months, but great for everyday wear. 

Lip Costs: 

MAC Mineralize Lipstick £20 

YSL Rouge Volupte £26 

MAC Gloss £17.50 

Total £63.50

Combining all my products together gives a grand total of £202.98, I'm actually surprised it's not higher to be honest, and although to some of you that may seem a huge amount of money think of the usage you get from the products, I know I couldn't be without these bare essentials! 

How expensive is your face? I'd love to hear your totals! 

xXx