Dior Summer 2012 Make-up

I swore I wouldn't buy another bronzer this year but that promise went down the pan the moment I laid eyes upon the new Dior summer collection. Oh my God could you get a prettier summer collection?? Everything was beautiful.. everything! I settled on the predictable items I normally go for, something bronze, something shimmery and something coral.

Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder
003 Zenith

This is a soft bronzer that is a mix of a peachy blush and a bronzing powder in one. It is a bit more illuminating than a standard bronzer would be. no1 and 2 have pink undertones and no3 and 4 have a yellow undertone. I went for no3 as it is perfect for pre-summer/early summer skin. Great texture and a great color on me!

Diorskin Nude Glow Sun Powder
002 Amber

This is the usual matte Dior bronzer in new packaging. I really like the new look and I feel like the texture is even better than before. I always go for the o2 shade when I am not tanned as it is much softer on skin than in the pan. I would say that the old version of this would be my most purchased bronzer. The quality and longevity of it on skin means I always go back to it. I would say the Dior bronzers are better than the Guerlain ones. Despite loving both brands passionately.. if I could only chose one bronzer it would be this one.

Riviera Nail Varnish

I quite like Dior's nail varnishes. I don't find them as long lasting as OPI brand but they are far better than MAC or Chanel nail varnishes which seem to chip and peel instantly! I do enjoy the vibrant colors they have been releasing the last few summers and this year I picked up Riviera. A gorgeous hot coral. My kind of shade!!

1 Couleurs Eye Gloss
560 Tan

Not a bad eye gloss at all. You don't really see the sparkles unless you are in sunlight or evening lighting conditions but the general wash of color it gives is gorgeous. It's pretty long lasting when worn over a base but I wouldn't really use this product if I was planning on doing layering with other products. It's best used alone.

Has anything from Dior's latest collection caught your eye?

Loving Right Now

Diptyque Opoponax candle, Idina's Locket candle by Jonathan Ward, Diptyque Vetyerio perfume, Molecule 01, Juicy Couture perfumes, Nanoblur, Bobbi Brown concealer, LOVE dresses & jumpers, sushi, passion fruit & watermelon martinis, London life, Revlon eyeliner, knuckleduster rings, St.Tropez fake tan mousse, my new black Lady Dior bag, big 'the morning after' breakfasts, Gielly Green salon, Kersastase Cristalliste shampoo, conditioner & serum & Armani luminous silk foundation for nights out!

LOVE Brand

If you read my Glossy's Wardrobe blog you will know I am obsessed with LOVE at the moment. In particular I'm loving their chunky knit jumpers and asymmetrical maxi dresses.. I must have about 7 of those dresses! I have been going out a lot recently and they are what I normally what I end up wearing because I really like the way they fit my shape.After seeing my posts the brand kindly sent me the Aqua asymmetrical maxi dress which you can buy online at their official website here. I wore it to a nightclub opening and it was a huge hit with everyone! By far my favourite dress at the moment! ♥

London Life

What are you loving right now?

Guerlain Terracotta 2012- Sun In The City

As usual, every single year no matter how I swear I will restrain myself.. I end up buying everything from the Guerlain's summer Terracotta collection. It's normally the make-up collection I enjoy the most during summer and despite immense shoppers guilt, I never regret anything I buy!

Golden Glimmer Powder

This is a soft gold powder highlighter which is hard to photograph but pretty much like a sheer version of what you see in the pan. The powder is shaped with a wave running through it.. very pretty! Not as amazing as last year's monoi scented Terra Inca but still lovely to have if you like your true golds.

Brunette & Blonde Bronzer

These swatches do not do the products justice but give you vague idea of the warmth/tone.
They are much prettier and more dimensional in real life!

These two are deeper versions of the usual blonde and brunette mosaic bronzers. These translate a little darker and more orange toned to skin than the original shades. They were brought out for darker skin types but I'm pretty pale at the moment and they don't look at all muddy or too much on me.. I really like them!

Sun Shimmer Highlighter Blush

Two gorgeous, shimmery liquid blushes. One pump gives you a very generous dollop, so remember to apply lightly!! You can always layer for intensity. I like to apply these with my fingers. As they are liquid you should really apply them on foundation or clean skin.. not on powder. You can however use a powder product on top once they dry to set them. I like the sheer shimmery color but I would advise not to apply them too central on the face (on the 'apple' of the cheeks) as their 'flushed' color combined with the shimmer could make you look a bit sweaty in the wrong lighting. Stick to using them on the cheekbone area. I really like both but my favourite is the orange shade!

Jambes De Gazelle

First thing.. oh my God this smells amazing! Just like orange blossom! I never thought I would like this type of product as I always find instant tanners a bit hard to apply but once you blend this on your legs (or arms) it really does give you a streak-free, natural, sunkissed color. LOVE it! It's fool-proof!

Terracotta Touch
Glow Enhancing Perfector

I've bought these before and was thrilled to purchase them again. I use these under my eyes and on top of my cheekbones to add a bit of light. Similar to YSL Touche Eclat these do offer some minimal coverage but they are highlighters not concealers! The golden pigments are invisible which I prefer for this type product. Currently I am pale so using the 01 blondes shade. Can not wait to get a bit of a tan then these will really shine! This is my must-have item from this years collection.

Terracotta Sun Tan Booster- I also bought both sun creams. The SPF30 for the start of summer and the SPF15 for the rest of it. I haven't used them yet but will keep you updated! All I can say is they smell nice and the packaging is nice, generous & travel friendly.

All in all a gorgeous collection but I do feel that you need to have a tan to let these products shine to their full potential. Can not wait for summer!!

Must Haves- Terracotta Touch, Jambes De Gazelle & Sun Shimmer blush in the orange shade.
Nice To Have- The pink liquid blush.
Skip- Bronzers if you already have one you love and the Golden Glimmer powder wont be for everyone!

Has anything from Terracotta 2012 caught your eye?

LUSH Gorilla Perfumes

My new obsession.. LUSH Gorilla perfumes! I never liked the scents made by Lush's discontinued sister brand B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful so I am quite surprised by how much I like these! I find the spray perfumes last 1-3 hours and the solid perfumes to last less than an hour at best, even when layered under the spray version. This doesn't bother me at all as I enjoy applying them and I use them more as aromatherapy/ pick-me-ups than as perfume. Don't be scared of the color in the solid sticks.. once blended it disappears!
Tuca Tuca- A little bit like parma violets mixed with vanilla. Very soft, powdery and girly. Not really my normally style. I'm not sure why I bought it but it is quite nice.
Orange Blossom- This really smells just like the real thing. Lovely!
Lust- A jasmine heavy scent. My favourite of the bunch as it is quite literally Flying Fox shower gel in a perfume! My friend Sammie actually discovered is and we have both been obsessed with the solid stick ever since. For those of you who don't know, Jasmine is incredibly good for relieving symptoms of pms. It's also great for depression.
Breath Of God- Herbal and cool with a real salty kick to it. This is a real summery, by-the-beach smell. Not for everyone.. in fact I can imagine most people hating it. If you like aquatic scents you may like this.
Vanillary- Not at all as sickly sweet as the name would suggest. It's lovely! This smells like softly sweet, milky, tonka bean. Like most Lush products marketed as vanilla scented there is a little something musty about it.

I have quite a few (as you can see) but there are two clear winners which live in my handbag and get the most use. Lust & Orange Blossom in the solid form. I've bought them for my mum and sister and they love them too! I'm still using Flying Fox shower gel and now I can get my jasmine kick at any time with Lust!

Have you tried any of LUSH's Gorilla perfumes? What do you think?

Loving Right Now & New Purchases..

Loving Right Now..

Marc Jacobs make-up bag, Bobbi Brown Natural Finish foundation, Elizabeth Arden summer bronzer, Bobbi Brown brushes, Bourjois 3D lipglosses, Illamasqua Test lipstick, YSL Rouge Volupte 19, NARS eye primer..

Whole Foods, pink lipsticks, Starbucks perfect porridge with sugar & cinnamon, Made In Chelsea, The Hunger Games books, Chicisimo, LOVE clothing, Godiva chocolates, The Connaught restaurants, my turquoise Chanel, YSL Youth Liberator eye cream, Suqqu blushes, LUSH Flying Fox shower gel, Gielly Green salon, Ben & Jerry's The Vermonster, Dutchy Originals soups, & Zara clothing.. far too many nice things at Zara at the moment!

New Purchases

Kerastase Crystalliste Shampoo & Conditioner, Kerastese Crsytalliste serum & Vita Liberata medium mousse tan. Far too soon to review any of these new purchases properly but I will say the serum has the most gorgeous smell & light texture to it.. it gives hair a gorgeous shine!

Have you picked up anything new recently? What are you loving right now?

The Balm- Cabana Boy Blush & Cheater Mascara

The people behind the Find Me A Gift website very kindly sent me some products to review on the blog. You can find pretty much all of the best The Balm products on there, which is great as Harvey Nicks has stopped selling the brand (why?!) and it's quite hard to find in the UK.

Cabana Boy Blush- I really like this blush. It's not a color I would normally pick out for myself but I am really enjoying using it.. I think it would look amazing on tanned skin! The consistency of the powder is wonderful. Very smooth to apply and quite pigmented. Use a light hand as this deep pink is quite strong! I am a big fan of The Balm brand cheek products and I would highly recommend trying this, the 'Down Boy' blusher and the 'Mary Lou Manizer' highlighter.
The Cheater Mascara- Aside from hysterical name and packaging.. this is an ok mascara. It's hard to review mascaras as we all look for such different qualities in them. This one gives you natural but defined, deep black lashes. I wear contacts and have super sensitive eyes and it didn't irritate them at all. I wouldn't buy it for myself as I like much more dramatic volume & length. Not for me I'm afraid!

*I was sent these 2 products to review but I am already quite familiar with the brand. I was not compensated and the views on the products are entirely my own. If you need more specific links to the products, you can find them here & here.*

Are you a fan of The Balm? What's your favourite product?

Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection

Illamasqua very kindly sent me a gift bag of goodies from their new collection Human Fundamentalism. I did attend the London event but I felt really ill and had to leave after about 5 minutes.. so I am thrilled they still sent me the products to play with!!
Apocalips lipstick has been the best selling item and I am worryingly ecstatic to have a green lipstick in my collection! I do have some favourite products out of what I was sent..
Vernau eyeshadow is a fantastic crease & blending shade. It's yellow toned which means it works really well to soften & warm up darker shadows. If you like bold, bright colors.. Stance nail polish is an amazing bright fuschia. I really like it but not as much as I like Collide which is my favourite Illamasqua product EVER!! I love the Neutral Palette. It's the perfect palette of complimentary shades and I am obsessed with 'Vintage' shadow which is the shimmery, deep gold color. It's so beautiful.. I'm sure it would look great on anyone but I think it really works with my brown eyes!!
I also very much like the Au Skin Base. It's a sheer foundation/base that adds a bit of warmth and glow to your face. I'd like to compare it with another product on the market.. (v.temping to say its a bit like my Super Skincare TM or Estee Lauder Double Wear) but because of it's texture it's incomparable. I really like it and I like the shimmer that runs through it.. it's not too OTT but enough to make you glow. However if you have very oily skin or big pores you may not enjoy this!
You will see more about these products in the future and hopefully I'll be able to get them in some face-of-the-day photos for you!
Click here to shop online at the official Illamasqua website. The website has recently been updated and the product swatches are better than ever!

*I was sent these products by Illamasqua. It was my choice to review them and my thoughts are entirely my own. I was not compensated for my post.*

Did you pick up anything from Human Fundamentalism? Any recommendations? What has been your favourite Illamasqua collection so far?

Gratefulness

My travelling has been postponed due to a cyclone hitting Fiji. Thousands of people were left stranded and there have been 5 deaths. It really puts in perspective how we can take nothing, not even the weather for granted. I feel truly blessed that my best friend Sammie, my mum and I weren't already out there.

In my quest to become a better, more positive person, I have been trying to end each day by saying 3 things that I am grateful/thankful for. Sometimes I manage to find 3 things about the day that's just passed. Of course there are more difficult 'bad' days when my depression kicks in and I'm like, 'everything about today is shit!' but I still try to give thanks for 3 general things. Positivity is a bit like lighting a candle in a dark room.. it really makes a difference.

"There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle.'- Robert Alden

1- I'm grateful that the kind of things we worry about in the UK are things like the weather being a bit chilly and 'pastie tax'.. when other countries are dealing with much bigger tragedies.
2- I'm thankful that today was a positive, constructive day and that I spent some quality time with my mum & uncle.
3- I am thankful for the stranger I met on my way today. We only exchanged a few words but she really encouraged me. It's so rare you meet someone that makes you smile!

I shared my 3 things for today with you and I really hope you comment below with yours!

Coca-Cola Lip Happiness

Coca-Cola Lip Happiness Balms

I was sent these lip treats the other day to review for the blog. I drink a lot of regular Coke so the flavoring is my sort of thing and I love the pin-up style packaging! I absolutely loved the 'Lip Refresh' balm! It's a non-sticky balm with a really heavenly consistency that goes on very smoothly and has a cooling effect. It's also pretty decent as a lip balm! I don't actually like Vanilla coke but I really like the flavor of this balm.
The 'Lip Pop' gloss tin I didn't care for that much. It's a very hard, gel-like gloss. Combining the texture with my long nails.. it was hard to transfer any of the gloss to my lips. The flavor and general look (pretty tin, sparkly gloss) is spot on but I would skip it!There are 3 flavors available (regular cola, vanilla & cherry) and 3 products in the range (Refresh-, Splash & Pop) and I will definitely be seeking out the other 2 Refresh balms and trying a Splash! You can find these products at Boots stores.

I love Coke! It has to be the regular, full sugar version though. Never been much of a Sprite person and I'm allergic to Fanta (more specifically the yellow coloring in it!) I think the only soda drink I like more is Root Beer but as that's not easy to find in the UK.

What's your favourite soda? What flavor Coke is your favourite? Hope you are all having a great week!