REVIEW: BENEFIT POWERFLAGE POWDER CONCEALER

So a few weeks ago I swapped a few Boots points for Benefit's Powerflage. It costs something like £19.50 here so not really something that I was prepared to swap money for...horray for reward points!SO yes, I got this last week I think, and have been using it pretty much every day since.High time for a review then and I shall keep it short and sweet.First impressions, it's tiny. The outer

MEETING XSPARKAGE

I really love watching YouTube make up channels don't you?Always inspires me & I am forever learning new techniques or finding something else I simply MUST buy!Anyway, so yesterday I was on my lunch break & doing my usual rounds of make up stores in Westfield. I decided to pop into Inglot to check out the matte nail polishes I have been eying up for a while when I spotted Xsparkage from YouTube!I

THE ONE MAC PIGMENT I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT...

I love Mac pigments immensely and have aquired quite a few over the years.However, despite the fact that I am phyiscally drawn to colours such as Violet, Teal and the INCREDIBLE Old Gold, there is one humble colour that I pretty much use on daily basis.It is the understated but oh-so-invaluable "Naked".If you like me, adore bright OTT colours, then this is a pigment that you might tend to

MINI GUIDE TO THEATRICAL MAKE UP SHOPS IN LONDON

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!Over the weekend I made a trip to Covent Garden to hunt down the infamous Ben Nye palette.First and most obvious stop was "Charles Fox". If you've never been you're in for a treat as I always am in awe when I step into the store. They just have SO much stuff and it makes such a nice change from walking into Superdrug or Boots.Charles Fox basically specialise in

NOTD PLUS A SMALL WEEKEND MUTTER...

It's sunny today! *rejoices*If you follow me on Twitter you will know that I was desperately trying NOT to play with my Konad nail stamp last night. Unfortunately I couldn't help myself and this is the results:It's just so hard to not be a perfectionist about it! Thankfully I could stamp and scrap off what I was not happy with. Having said that there are still bit's that irritate me...It just

GRUMPY? IT'S TIME FOR LUSH'S "HAPPY FOR SAD"!

I am sick of this weather. SICK OF IT.Umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses, umbrella, sunglasses...ARGHHHHHH!!!See, here in Blighty we have a a special kind of Summertime. It rains...our weather folk tell us it's going to be a heatwave to help us with our stiff upper lips, they

COLOUR CRAFT: BEN NYE vs MAC...WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

Mew..good evening!I was going to make this a "MOST WANTED (BUT NOT YET BOUGHT!) entry but to be frank there is only one thing I want this week and that is the"BEN NYE LUMIERE PAINT PALETTE".Mac might not have enticed me to purchase anything from the Colour Craft range but they sure as hell have reignited my fascination with Ben Nye! The price has always put me off but ah feck it...I think I will

QUESTION: DO YOU LIKE MAC PAINT POTS?

See, I'm not sure that I do...no really, I don't think that I do, and after purchasing my third paint pot (Rubenesque)...I have decided to give up.Unless of course you can tell me why I should persevere!The reason I say this is because whilst I absolutely adore the colours available, every time I've tried to use one, it's ended up looking a mess by the end of the day. They swatch lovely, see *

DAY OFF = MAKE UP HAUL (Mac, Illamasqua, Benefit, China Glaze)

Today was a lovely day as I had the day off *grins*.I took the day off work as I was invited to attend a beauty event which was very exciting as I saw some very intriguing and delightful new products!Will blog more about this later on in the week ;)I also bought make up...Of course she did! Nothing new there!So yes, tonight is a haul entry and this is what I purchased:1) Illamasqua Intense Lip

New Garnier Pure Active - Review

I think we can all agree that there is nothing worse than an outbreak of spots before a big event or even at all really!!!! As the old saying goes 'prevention is always better than cure', however here's the answer in one - prevention & a cure together!!!! The skincare experts at Garnier have now developed a maximum strength solution - NEW Garnier Pure Active. It is a medicated skincare range with instant effective action, delivering results from day one. It helps to fight against the appearance of spots and reduce the appearance of marks left on the skin, which for myself is one of the most annoying things about an outbreak, even after you have managed to banish the spot itself the tell tale signs of it's existence are still there for over a week!!! I have been putting this to test for the last week (Garnier Pure Active Spot-On Roll-On, Garnier Pure Active Deep Pore Unclogging Wash & Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub) & the improvement has been vast, my skin has cleared up rapidly after a pesky outbreak last week, the marks have faded way too, which is a bonus seeing as I have my Birthday bash at the end of the week!!!!
A maximum concentration of 2% purifying salicylic acid formula works to deeply cleanse skin and clear pores to fight spots, whilst the herbasoothe active ingredient, derived from blueberry, respects and cares for the skin.
Over all an excellent product range that will be staying put in my bathroom cabinet for sure! Details of the range below -

Garnier Pure Active Spot-On Roll-On (RRP £7.49)
Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub (RRP £4.99)
Garnier Pure Active Deep Pore Unclogging Wash (RRP £4.99)
Garnier Pure Active Spot Purifying Toner (RRP £4.99)
Garnier Pure Active Spot Fighting 24hr Moisturiser (RRP £5.99).

Check out the website - NEW Garnier Pure Active

Instant Eye Lift In a Pencil - Benefit High Brow!

No need for a surgeon's knife with a few tricks of the trade & Benefit's range of wonder products!!!! Check out their Brow Lift Pencil, the linen-pink colour leaves eyes looking more youthful taking years away instantly!!! Simple apply just under the arch of your eyebrow & blend, the make-up experts over at Benefit have even been kind enough to include a make-up lesson with it for you as well!!! £13.50

Golden Summer Skin - Urban Retreat's 24 Carat Body Shimmer

The ultimate accessory to your tan as well curve-defining sparkling skin is Urban Retreat's 24 Carat Body Shimmer. It is a blend of apricot kernel oil, lemon zest, lavender and jasmine which hydrates your skin and leaves a subtle glow that will glisten on those warm summer evenings! Simply spritz over the arms and legs, spray in a downwards motion on the full length of your legs to create a longer & leaner look. Definitely a must have for this summer!!! £12.00 (Available at Boots & Urban Retreat)

I am engaged!

Yes, yes as many of you already know via Facebook and Twitter, I finally got engaged! We- as well as our families are thrilled and excited and we are definitely looking forward to a new life together as husband and wife (still feels weird to say!)I am beyond happy right now and I want to thank everyone for their well wishes. I know I hardly blog these days with all the stuff that's going on in my

REVIEW: BARRY M'S NEW LIP GLOSS WAND

I wrote a blog entry a few months ago about how I wasn't much of a lip gloss girl but my word has that changed!I have no idea why but I seem to be happily handing over money in trade for glosses...lot's of them! Maybe it's a 30 thing, who knows *throws hands in the air*This Saturday I was perusing the Topshop Flagship store in Oxford Street and dabbled away with the new Barry M lip gloss wands.

BEAUTY HEAVEN & HELL (part 1)

Right so tonight I thought I would do a round up of what's in, what's out, what's pissing me off, what I am LOVING right now..you get the picture ;)So on we go!BEAUTY HEAVEN1) Mac 226 eyeshadow blending brush...this brush is a MUST. GO get it before you regret it. If you find blending brushes like the 222 too large to really work with, or say if you use more than 1 colour on your lids at any

Creating Perfect Summer Skin!

Get sun-kissed & summer-glow gorgeous this summer with these few simple make-up tips! Make-up for the summer should be natural & minimal giving the effect of a healthy bronzed complexion, keeping it on a minimal scale also makes this perfect for even the fairest of skin tones as well, so everybody can have glowing summer skin that even Jennifer Aniston would be envious of!
First step is to use a tinted moisturiser, normal liquid foundation is too heavy for this as a very sheer coverage is required to keep it natural, go for a shade darker than you would normally opt for in a foundation, as you can go a little darker with such a light coverage, apply a very light amount all over the face & blend well with a make-up sponge, make sure you blend throughly around the jaw line & lightly down on to the neck. If you have any blemishes apply a little concealer over the top of your tinted moisturiser (making sure the colour matches), again blend well & use a concealer brush for a perfect finish.
Next take a golden skin highlighter liquid & blend over the top of your cheek bones where the sun would normally catch, then use a bronzer & brush over the cheek bones as well as the forehead area & blend throughly along the jawline too. When choosing a bronzer it is best to go with a shimmer brick that has a combination of bronzes, golds & warm pinks as it will give a more natural colour, remember we want 'golden' not 'burnt orange'!
For the eyes just go with a light golden wash of colour, choose a loose powder in light gold or a warm nude for a natural look & blend over the lid & into the socket line then take a light golden highlighter just under the brow bone, finish them off with your favourite mascara.
For the lips stay with a gloss, opt for a tinted lip-balm to keep them soft & keep the colour to either a light beige or gold. As a finishing touch take some bronzer over your collar bone & chest area for some added bronze sparkle!
To keep everything in place & hold your natural summer look use some finishing spray. We want to keep everything dewy and finishing powder is too heavy & matte, so go for Skindinavia's Make-Up Finishing Spray. It keeps the makeup hydrated & holds it firmly in place all day long!!

REVIEW: SLEEK MAKE UP

Hello!So tonight was going to be a FOTD but seeing as I have just got in from the MONSOON like weather outside (minus umbrella) well, you can imagine what my make up is looking like right now!SOOO plan b is a review of the Sleek Cosmetic products I purchased earlier this week.A quick run down of Sleek = cheap as chips make up line available from Superdrug for around the £3 mark.See, cheap can

Get the Perfect Summer Glow With L'Oreal's Nutrisummer Face

As we all know, the safest way to build a beautiful tan this summer is to fake it all the way!!! Try out L'Oreal's Nutrisummer Face, a moisturiser with a gradual self tanning agent, it absorbs & blends easily into the skin leaving you with a natural light colour. The perfect companion for any girl this summer & with some of the top beauty editors' seal of approval its defintely worth a shot I think! £5.50

Natural Summer Make-Up!

Summer is here & even the celebs are keeping it natural, here's a few of my favourite make-up looks this week -

Thandie Newton



Looking fresh & gorgeous, to get this look go for a sheer minimum foundation, nude eyeshadow & just a thin application of black liner on the top lid with lashings of mascara, then opt for a sheer liptint gloss, try Clinique's Superblam Moisturizing Gloss in 'Lilac' for bold colour but subtle finish.

Natalie Imbruglia


Perfect & sublte but still very glam, again go for a natural foundation & choose a light golden brown shadow & just lightly blend over the sockets, use a brown eye pencil to define & finish with some mascara. Go for a nude Lipstick, try L'Oreal's 'Blueberry Crystal' for luscious natural lips, it suits just about any skin tone!

Erin O'Connor



This is perfect for those hot summer nights, natural foundation with a dewy glow on the cheeks & smokey eyes, to get this wash a light golden brown over the lids & socket line & with a pencil line the eyes then use a dark brown shadow to go over the lash lines & blend out with a cotton bud to create a smokey effect, again apply lashings of mascara! For the cheeks apply a cream blusher in a warm peach to give that dewy finsh, try Mac's Cream Blush in 'Lilicent', finish off with a natural pink gloss.

IF YOU'RE A NAIL POLISH PERFECTIONIST...STEER CLEAR!

Konad Nail Stamping Kit. I've mentioned it a few times in some of my entries. I said I would review it and I never did. This is because it drove me INSANE. In fact I still have bald patches from where I tore my hair out the first time!All that aside, I decided to give the demon stamper another go tonight.You see, we have sports day at work tomorrow. It's all that team bonding yadda yadda stuff...

Revlon's New ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick

If you haven't already, try out Revlon's new ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick, food-proof lipcolor with a built in ultra-conditioning topcoat. Everything in one step with this product so no need for any top coat application at all, also another great bonus is that it doesn't dry out the lips which some long wear lippys can do, so luscious long lasting lip colour all day!
Also it will stay comfortable and wears perfectly for up to 12 hours, it won't feather or fade so no touch ups required, even after meals - perfect for that hot date out on the town!
The new Ultimate even made an appearance on the red carpet just after it's launch, being sported by Cameron Diaz (in Top Tomato shade) at the premier of My Sister's Keeper, so with the a-list seal of approval what's stopping you bagging one for yourself!
Available in 20 shades from Pinks, Plums, Nudes to Browns & Reds. When applying, use a thin layer to bare lips and wait until dry.
Check out Revlon's new Micro Site for the new ColorStay Ultimate where you can get more info on the products as well details on various competitions - www.revlonultimate.co.uk

A STORY FROM A MAKE UP OBSESSED MOTHER...HOW ESTEE LAUDER WON OVER FOOD!

Tonight is story night me thinks *nods solemnly*.I haven't told a make up story since the disaster with the eye gel...and I still LAUGH to myself about that one!Today I was on the tube and for some reason remembered this story my mum told me ages ago about make up.She told me how she once found £5 on the ground back in the early 80s (I think). Back then £5 was big money and it was enough to cover

Prod. Review: Smooth Away Hair Removal

Ugh. Cali weather sucks, even though I heard Arizona had it worse at 116 degrees, my sensitive skin isn't having it. Thanks to this insane heat, I had a severe case of prickly heat & heat rash on the back of my legs (as some of you know from my Facebook), in which I actually had to see a doctor and get medication for it (steroid cream and Hydroxyzine). The itchiness was annoying and learning how

COLOUR CRAFT & NAKED HONEY MAC COLLECTIONS

Good evening! Hope you had a good weekend?In a nutshell my weekend was lovely. I went to see the new Johnny Depp film, "Public Enemies" which I loved...lots of red nail polish and red lips :)Sunday I went to one of my regular haunts for brunch, a delicious patisserie in the West End which have the most incredible pastries, before heading to Wembley for the Oasis gig where I dodged flying beer and

Recession Pampering - Montagne Jeunesse Facemasks!

Perfect for a recession-beating & girly night in to Pamper yourselves before heading off on holiday this year are Montagne Jeunesse soothing face masks!

Crystal Mask - Add a sparkle to your skin with their warm exfoliating Crystallized Honey and Passion Flower masque.
This sensational skin treat conditions and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and the smell is cotton candy to die for!

Fudge Sauna - The divine smell of this new Hot Vanilla Fudge Sauna face masque will send you into the stratosphere! With rich Mediterranean clay, this masque provides a feast of benefits including deep cleansing.

Red Hot Earth Sauna Masque - One of the original favorites! Try this new and improved indulgent formula with rich clay extracts to draw out impurities and clear excess oils. A complete deep cleansing and moisturizing treat.

Montagne Jeunesse has over 50 fun pampering Me-Time Treats, available from leading supermarkets & drugstores. Prices Vary - From £1.99 for 3

BEAUTY MUST HAVES (from friends) part 2

Right, so today's recommendations come from my best friend Helen.Helen is a very no fuss girl who likes beauty rituals with products that do the job. She loves natural products and has a very simple approach with her make up routine too, hence why she hasn't really recommended any make up!Here are Helen's top 5 MUST HAVE products:1) Avene Facial Sun creamShe said this is so good she uses it at

INCOCO WINNERS!

EEEE almost forgot to annouce the winners for the Incoco giveaway!Thanks everyone for entering, was fun to run my first giveaway and I am sure I will be doing more soon :)The following entrants will each receive one set of Incoco Nail Appliques in "Sinderella"1)Jordy2)CosmeticsmileI shall be contacting both of you today so please check your inboxes and I hope you like the nail appliques!Winners

MY FAVOURITE NAIL POLISHES

Apologies for the lack of entries over the last two days...I really do try to blog every week day so will try and get some entries in over the weekend to make up for it!Tonight I thought I would get a quick "My Favourites" in there and seeing as I seem to be obsessed with nail polishes at the moment I figured this would be as good one to blog about!I have lost count of how many polishes I own but

Body Shop - Free Mango Body Butter This Weekend!

Here's an offer too good to pass up this weekend, The Body Shop are giving away a free 200ml Mango Body Butter with every purchase over £25, plus on top of that you get free standard delivery, what more could a girl ask for?!!! Mango Body Butter is an intensive, creamy all-over body moisturiser, rich and smelling sweetly of summer with added Community Trade cocoa butter and sweet almond oil. Check out the offer at The Body Shop Offer ends Midnight on Sunday 12/07.

Bobbi Brown New Summer Shimmer Brick for Body.

Bronze up from head to toe with Bobbi Brown's new 'Shimmer Brick for Body' (£50), it is a light weight silky powder that can be applied all over for an instant sun-kissed summer glow and the price may be a bit steep for a bronzer but it will last & last making it worth every penny! There are 3 bars of colour that blend together so they can give a soft subtle summer glow to any skin tone, for best results apply with the 'All Over Body Brush (£50).

Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner Review

Hello my lovelies! How are you all doing? I know I am a slacker! Forgive me! :)Did anyone see Michael Jackson's Memorial at the Staples Center? I thought it was such a sweet tribute to the King of Pop, and the montage of him and his daughter's words brought me to tears. I am an 80's baby, and I grew up loving his songs, watching "Thriller" over and over again- my favorite song is "Rock with you",

MOST WANTED (BUT NOT YET BOUGHT!) part quatre

I haven't done one of these in a while and as my spending allowance for this month is looking dangerously low (I dare not check the damage I have done this month!) I have decided to devise another "wishlist"...probably should scratch that to "need" but ah well!Anyway, here is a list of my recent wants, needs, MUST HAVES:1) S Factor ProductsZoella's blog has got me started on these products. I've

Skindinavia - The Original Make-Up Saver

Over the last week I have discovered a fantastic product that answers every woman's problem of trying to keep our make-up lasting for longer - Skindinvia, "The Original Makeup Saver". The formula is a lightweight, breathable mist with a proprietary time-released cooling (cryogenic) technology that chills the makeup surface to resist melting, creasing, and colour loss. A second pigment wetting technology blends makeup for maximum coverage. The result is makeup that looks as fresh as when it was applied, even 16 hours later. No more clumping, caking, creasing, sliding, or fading!!!
The mist is easily applied once your make-up is finished simply hold about 8 inches away from the face and spray 2-4 times over your make-up, it instantly feels fresh & leaves your make-up feeling weightless! I have found that my make-up has really gone the distance each time it has been used, with less excess oil build ups on the foundation surface meaning less touch ups are required throughout the day.

They have also just expanded the product line with seven new makeup-finishing mists to address a variety of makeup problems women experience. The new products include -

1 - Jet Set Makeup Finish: Reinvigorates makeup color during travel or active use.

2 - Mineral Makeup Finish: Controls drying, settling, and shine on mineral foundation.

3 - 10 Years Younger Makeup Finish: Keeps makeup hydrated and out of wrinkles.

4 - No More Shine Makeup Finish: Absorbs oil and controls excess shine.

5 - Cool Flash Makeup Finish: Chills makeup in warm temperatures (and during hot flashes), avoiding meltdown.

6 - Bridal Makeup Finish: Holds makeup texture for photography and high stress conditions.

7 - Dance! Makeup Finish: Holds makeup while dancing, clubbing, or performing

The products are also formulated for sensitive skins, dermatologist & allergy tested as well as cruelty free - not tested on animals. Available from www.skindinavia.com

Summer Essential - New Piz Buin Active Sun Care!

Well there may have been a fair share of rain about over the last few days but the sun has been pretty hot so far this summer, so I've been trying out the new PIZ BUIN® Active sunscreen, it claims to - keep on working so you can keep on enjoying your time in the sun!
PIZ BUIN® Active is a long lasting sunscreen, with cutting-edge technology, the Active Spray with stands up to 80 minutes of sweat and water contact, so you can have as much fun in the sun as you like! It has a light & non-greasy formula which absorbs into the skin in seconds, which allows you to receive full protection quickly & easily plus the spray is excellent for getting to those hard to reach places!
I used the spray myself the other day & found it was not only easy to apply & very absorbent, it also carried less scent than many other sun protection products, which is certainly good for your perfume choice! Also there is nothing worse than have to smear cream all over & wait for it to dry before you get on with your day in the sun & who wants white lotion smears all over them?! With the spray it's just quick light mist sprayed over any exposed areas on the skin & you're ready to go, definitely the way forward in sun care! Most importantly is really does give excellent protection in the sun, having fair skin myself I'm pretty susceptible to going very pink in the sun but there was no pink-patches in sight! It will definitely packed in my holiday toiletries bag this year on my way to Barcelona!
aPIZ BUIN® Active is available in two products – Active Spray and Active Lotion – both of which feature PIZ BUIN’s Helioplex™ sun filter technology with resilient, photostable UVA and UVB protection against both burning and the ageing effects of the sun. £14.67 - Boots Currently have it on offer Buy 1 get 1 Free

TKMAXX HAUL - AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES & MODELS CO

Hey everyone...hope you all had a lovely weekend!The sun thankfully decided to hang around in London so we had a lovely sunny two days which were utter bliss :)Anyway, today's a haul post. In fact I've been pretty norty and have bought quite a few things over the weekend but this entry is today's TKMaxx find.I actually went to TKMaxx to get some conditioner and hair treatment stuff. There was an

REVIEW: NEAL'S YARD REMEDIES GERANIUM & ORANGE BODY BUTTER

My dad recently gave me a set of Neal's Yards goodies...he knows I adore the stuff and mmmm he got me some yummy products I must say!I adore Neal's Yard Remedies and I sometimes feel like they are one of those companies that often get forgotten about but they truly make some of the best bath oils about. Visit them alone just to try the soothing bath oil...it's soooo good.I'm really into my

INCOCO NAIL APPLIQUE GIVEAWAY!

Ok so I was going through my make up stash and I've got a few Incoco Dry Nail Applique packets floating around.As you know I recently got gel nails which I am LOVING, so thought I might do a teeny tiny giveaway on my blog.If you don't know what Incoco Dry Nail Appliques are, basically it's real nail polish, but in sticker form. You apply them to your nails and your manicure should last about 2

Perfect Summer Cheeks - Jemma Kidd Contour & Flush!

Perfect for a healthy summer glow this season is Jemma Kid's Contour & Flush Creme Duo, the bronze tone gives you a sunkissed effect as well as contouring the cheek bones while the light pink gives pinched healthy flush! For best results apply the bronze first in dabbing motions around & just under the cheek bones to define & contour, then apply the pink to the apple of your cheeks (soft fleshy part when you smile) & softly blend with the bronze for a perfect finish!

RETRO LUSH HAUL!

Super quick blog but my Lush retro Lush parcel arrived yesterday! WOOO!Am very impressed with the mail order service provided as I placed my order on Sunday night and my items arrived Tuesday morning...horray.SO yes...here is a peek at what I ordered.Pay close attention to the green soap as this is no mere mortal soap. Oh no. This little innocent green bar has the power of immense seduction.I was

Fake Tans for Free and Nails for Nothing - New Website Launch

www.oddjobswap.co.uk is simple – it's a website created to help you swap the talents and abilities you have with other people locally.
So, if you can apply an amazing fake tan but can never manage to get your nails just right you could use the website to find someone who's great at manicures and pedicures, and make them bronze beautiful in return. You get fantastic nails and they save themselves the cost of a salon tan – it's a win-win situation.
How www.oddjobswap.co.uk works -
Registration is easy, just go to www.oddjobswap.co.uk and fill in the online form. And you don't need to pay costly membership fees to access the website either – ITS FREE at the moment! This gives you access to their online database of fellow oddjobbers.
You can go online whenever it suits you, so it's convenient and you don't have to spend hours ringing round to get quotes, stay in for appointments or wait for firms to call you back. Just link up to get the jobs you need done at the click of a mouse.
How www.oddjobswap.co.uk was born - it is the brainchild of Peter and Julie Bruce, who were thinking of ways to boost community spirit and beat the credit crunch at the same time.
'I'd grown up in an area that had such a strong sense of community spirit and I was wondering where that sense of togetherness had gone,' says Julie.
'We wanted to create something that would bring people together and have a positive impact. With the credit crunch, it's easy to think you can't afford to get work done, but oddjobswap.co.uk looks for the positives, letting people benefit from one another's skills without having to spend loads of money.'
Check out the website to see what you can offer & what you can gain in return!