The Gloss Goss

Chanel Spring 2012 Makeup

2012-01-27T18:08:00.004Z

Chanel's spring 2012 collection hit my local Chanel counter today. I was lucky enough to snap up one of the much anticipated Blush Horizon De Chanel which was lucky as they were selling out fast! This collection is gorgeous!

Blush Horizon
A very pretty, fresh, peachy pink. I have never been a fan of Chanel blushes as I find they apply streaky but this release has a fantastic texture to it. If you remember the gorgeous Guerlain blush from last year.. this is a similar color, just a tad more pink toned.
Bagatelle Glossimer
A pretty, blue toned, pink gloss with gold shimmer.
Flirt Rouge Coco Shine
A juicy coral-pink lipstick with a little shimmer to it.

For better swatches and product photos click here to go to The Beauty Lookbook. She does the best swatches!

In my opinion, this is by far the best make-up collection of Spring 2012. It offers the widest variety of limited edition items (eye shadow, eye liner, lip liner, sheer lipstick, lipstick, lipgloss, powder & blush!) and is the most constant quality wise. There is one must-have item for me and that would be the Blush Horizon De Chanel.

Will you be purchasing anything from Chanel's spring line?

Guerlain Cruel Gardenia Meteorites

2012-01-26T07:14:00.003Z

Guerlain Cruel Gardenia Meteorites
Highlighting Powder

From the spring 2012 collection there was only one item only I had my eye on.. this gorgeous rose patterned, pale pink highlighting powder!
It has a very fine texture to it. It looks frosty when you run your fingers over it but when you apply the product with a brush.. it gives a lovely, ethereal glow! Gorgeous!!

Many of you will have noticed the pattern and coloring is incredibly similar to the Rose Rendezvous highlighter Laura Mercier released for winter 2012 which I reviewed here. Here are some comparison shots.

(Post will be updated with better swatches tomorrow. The top line is Guerlain.)

Similar yes but not the same. Cruel Gardenia is pale pink with a slight opalescent quality to it's shimmer. Rose Rendezvous is a more warm toned rose gold.

Fabulous highlighter. I think paler skin types will appreciate this the most due to it's pink sheen. I still think Dior Amber Diamond is the best highlighter out there but this is right up there on the list. (The list is 1. Dior Shimmer Powders (Amber Diamond <3) 2. Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous 3. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks 4. Guerlain Cruel Gardenia..) Is it a must have? I don't know.. it depends on your preferred color for highlighters. It's lovely to have but in general I reach for warmer toned golds and pinks more.

UPDATE- Many of you seem concerned that the rose pattern would vanish if you were to use the product. This is not the case as the pattern is etched quite deeply into the powder. It would take a lot of use to make the rose shape vanish completely. I have used the Laura Mercier quite often and as you can see, it still looks new. So don't let that put you off!

What do you think? What do you prefer.. pink toned or gold toned highlighters?

Spring Collections 2012- Lancome & Dior

2012-01-24T09:33:00.000Z

Lancome Spring 2012

Roseraie des Delices

I went for the Sweet Marmalade and Cotton Candy lipsticks. They have a gorgeous texture which gives lips a very juicy looking sheen. The small bullet packaging is to die for! I also went for the Green Petal gloss which is a sheer green gloss with a tiny bit of glitter to it. A great gloss to layer on lipstick.. it wont give you color but it should make your teeth appear whiter.

Dior Garden Party 5 Eyeshadows Garden Pastels & Garden Roses

I didn't buy these (pastels are so not my thing!) but my friend who did has kindly let me photograph and swatch them for you. The usual array of shimmering, pearl finish eye shadows by Dior.

*One light swipe..*

DKNY Sweet Delicious

DKNY Sweet Delicious Pink Macaroon, DKNY Sweet Delicious Tart Key Lime & DKNY Sweet Delicious Creamy Meringue. I read about these here and I can not wait to try them as they sound amazing!

Definitely a soft pink and mint green trend for the majority of this year's collections. The rest of the Spring 2012 make-up collections are released next week and in early February. The only thing I am desperate to try in person is the striped Chanel blush. Spring collections don't excite me that much as I much prefer the rich golds and bronzes that summer brings!

What spring products are you lusting over? What seasonal collection is your favourite? Are you a winter, spring or summer girl?

My Current Make-up Storage

2012-01-23T08:03:00.009Z

Current Make-up Storage & Organization

This is how I currently store my personal make-up collection. It's tucked away next to a chest of drawers in my bedroom.

*Click images to enlarge*

This has been a much requested post by my readers. I'm too lazy to do an in depth make-up collection post (also requested quite often) but this gives you a vague idea.

Lips

I store all my lip products in this small box by Cath Kidston. I'm a bit of an organization freak and like to keep my glosses, lipsticks & balms separate.. the 3 draws are perfect for me. Click here to buy the box online.

Clearly I favour a sparkly gloss!!

Face & Eyes

I store the rest of my make-up in a 3 drawer, plastic box from Muji. To organize my products a little better I bought some Muji trays and slipped them in the drawers. (The 2 colorful, cardboard drawers are from my previous WHSmith storage box and I plan to replace them with Muji ones when I remember!)

To be quite honest I could quite happily throw away 80% of what I have. Maybe I will do just that when I have my next clean out. The things I like and use the most could easily fit in one drawer. To make life easier I keep my most used/daily make-up items in a little basket by my mirror.

*My most used/daily make-up*

I hope those of you who requested this post aren't too disappointed. Storage can be a bit of a boring topic!
How do you store your make-up? Any storage brands you love?

This Week's Favourites

2012-01-21T20:22:00.001Z

Favourites This Week

Bobbi Brown brushes, Lush Flying Fox shower gel, Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey whipped body cream, Fox's Ginger Crinkles, the spring/summer make-up offerings, my iphone, Primitives By Kathy notepads, Marlies Dekkers lingerie, my new Louboutins, Lisa Carrier candles, Kiehl's Abyssine eye cream, online shopping, pasta bakes, Amouage Dia perfume, Edward Bess make-up (esp. the 'Capri' quad), my Konjac face sponge, Tiziano Ferro's latest album, Lip Fusion lip plumpers & the weathers not that bad.

Primitives By Kathy

I am a big list writer and I much prefer writing things down on paper than on the iphone or computer. Things seem more real when they are written on paper.
I bought my Primitives By Kathy stuff from the 'Talisman Of Woodstock' shop in Woodstock NY but you can find them on eBay and amazon too. Great, inexpensive brand with lovely notepads and inspirational wall plaques.

Tiziano Ferro- La Differenza Tra Me E Te
His latest album L'amore È Una Cosa Semplice is amazing!

This Week On Glossy's Wardrobe..
My new Loubs get reviewed here.

Shoe Porn click here to read more.

For more info on my new ASOS dress click here!

What were your favourites this week?

Bobbi Brown Haul- Shimmerbrick, Concealer & Brushes

2012-01-20T16:44:00.002Z

Bobbi Brown Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick
& Face Touch Up Stick/Concealer

The gorgeous peachy pink 'Pink Quartz' has been on my radar for a long time. I love to use BB shimmer bricks as eyeshadows as I find with a little primer underneath, they last all day. They also make wonderful face & body highlighters!

*In daylight*

Face Touch Up Stick (Concealer)

I noticed that even though they aren't dark in color, I do currently have puffy, under-eye bags. I wanted something to even out the skin tone and as my Soap & Glory concealer is MIA, I got a new one at the Bobbi Brown counter. I was matched to shade 3.5 which I think is a perfect match. (BB always has a nice range of shades to chose from and I am a BIG fan of their foundations!) I patted it on with my fingers and it blended into my skin seamlessly. I then set it with a little powder and it lasted pretty much all day! It totally disguised the puffiness of the bags. Just compare yesterday's post with today's and you will see the difference.

FOTD

As you can see I went for a very natural, 4 minute look today and applied everything with my Bobbi Brown brushes.
Face- Chantecaille foundation, Bobbi Brown concealer, Rimmel translucent powder & Edward Bess 'Capri' quad as bronzer.
Eyes- Bobbi Brown Pink Quartz shimmerbrick as eyeshadow & Estee Lauder mascara.
Lips- Edward Bess 'Bare Rose' lipgloss

Bobbi Brown Brushes

Pretty much all of my old brushes were looking shabby and shedding like mad. I have tried many brands over the last few years but as far as face brushes go.. I'm going back to what I know works best for me and that is Bobbi Brown.

These brushes are expensive but they are great quality and they are very gentle on skin.If my memory is correct, when I first started using make-up (and stopped using the useless brushes that come with cheek products) the first face brush I ever owned was the Bobbi Brown 'face blender' brush. It lasted years!

*Current brush collection*

Other brands I recommend for good quality, long life brushes are Laura Mercier, Hakuhodo and Illamasqua.

What brand of brushes do you use? Are you a Bobbi Brown fan?

Face Of The Day- Edward Bess & Chantecaille

2012-01-19T19:32:00.002Z

*Photos taken after about 6 hours wear*
*Click to enlarge*

Products Used
Chantecaille foundation, Edward Bess 'Capri' Quad Royal as bronzer/blush, Rimmel translucent powder, Estee Lauder mascara, Revlon eyeliner, Chantecaille black eyeshadow, Mac 'espresso' eyeshadow on crease & Edward Bess lipstick 'Night Orchid.'

Still not feeling very well but I managed to look presentable today. Loving my Edward Bess stuff! Have ordered the brown eyeshadow trio as my Mac espresso is just not preforming as I would like it to.

Hope you like! What did you wear today?

Edward Bess Haul

2012-01-19T08:16:00.000Z

Edward Bess Haul

In true Glossy style, I find it impossible to just try one thing when I discover a brand. I always end up getting excited and then this happens..
This is all The Beauty Lookbook's fault!! She has been blogging about Edward Bess make-up for a long time and her swatches have had me lusting over so many things!

Ultra Slick Lipstick
Forbidden Flower & Night Orchid

I picked up two of the lipsticks. I went for my usual type of colors in the nude/peach family. These have a great texture to them! They don't deposit too much product but they still give you color. (Does that make sense? I'm trying to say it doesn't feel like your wearing lipstick when you put these on!) They make your lips look healthy because there is a slight shine to them. Gorgeous colors!!

Deep Shine Lipgloss
Bare Rose

(Please forgive the cracked lips.. everything is still falling apart due to the antibiotics I'm on.)

Love this gloss. The texture is lovely and non sticky but it has a nice weight and good amount of pigment to it. It's not one of those watery glosses that disappears in a few minutes. I am a big fan of doe-foot applicators, I absolutely loathe brush applicators which is why I only purchased the one gloss to try. Now that I know it's doe foot I plan on getting more!

In an Edward Bess video I remember him saying the lip products are designed to be layered. Yesterday I wore Forbidden Flower with Bare Rose on top and they felt great together. It wasn't like I had too much on my lips. I also noticed the gloss stayed put even after I had a coffee which I wasn't expecting.

Compact Rouge

Love Affair & Island Rose

Love, love, love these. They can be worn on both lips and cheeks. I bought them mainly for use on lips as I fell in lust with the shades when I saw them in some swatches. You remember how in the old days women used to use lipstick as blush? Well these are like that.. a lipstick type texture. So not at all sticky & waxy like the Stila & Bobbi brown counterparts.

Quad Royale, Summer In Capri

Not showing you a photo on my face (as explained before.. am ill, look horrible!) but omg I love this! It's four separate shades designed to be blended together and applied on the face as an all over powder. Personally I find it works best as a more luminous blush/bronzer/highlighter. I applied it where I would normally apply bronzer then added a bit of bronzer to contour and it made my skin look really healthy and bright. A total miracle as I'm quite literally green!
I'm having a friend in the states track down the Monte Carlo quad and send it over because it looks gorgeous!! Just check out The Beauty Look Book's post here to see photos and swatches.

First Impressions Of Edward Bess

I absolutely love the products I have. I am already planning on picking up a few more items. Because yes, I do need more make-up and more specifically.. his make-up!

You should really visit the official Edward Bess website here. The video tutorials are fantastic and give you a chance to see some of the products in action. He is also very pretty, with lovely hair so I automatically like him!

The range is currently only available at Zuneta for Brits & Europeans. Not a bad thing as Zuneta are very generous with the samples and provide unbelievably fast shipping!

Are you a fan of Edward Bess? What products can you recommend and more importantly.. what items do you want?!

Currently Using- Face, Body & Hair

2012-01-18T19:41:00.004Z

Face
Kiehl's oil free face wash cleanser, Kiehl's Abyssine eye cream, Kora Organics Soothing moisturizer, Kiehl's Abyssine cream (this is only 2 days old so can not comment yet) and the occasional Apivita face mask. If I get a vicious pimple I put Origins 'On The Spot' on it.

The Kiehl's face wash is fantastic. It's very kind to sensitive skin! I have been using the Abyssine eye cream for almost 3 weeks now and started using it because I can see fine lines developing under my eyes. Obviously it's too soon to see if the cream is fading those lines but it has made a noticeable difference to my eye area. The skin looks much healthier and brighter. Really impressed. I like it so much it prompted me to get the face cream as the Kora one is almost empty.

Body
Lush Flying Fox shower gel, Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey body polish and whipped body butter. My fake tan of choice is Xen-Tan as it delivers the most natural looking olive tan. I also use the occasional Lush bath bomb to make baths more pretty.

Yes the Soy Milk & Honey Body cream is holy grail status. This is my second tub and as you can see it is super-sized! LOVE IT!!! I love the body polish as well but it is too expensive for regular use so I will go back to Soap & Glory for body scrubs as their 'The Breakfast Scrub' smells equally delicious!! Flying Fox is still the gel of choice. I broke my promise not to shop in Lush more than 1 time a year.. this is my 3rd bottle in less than 2 months!
*The last victim!*

Hair

Organix Vanilla Shampoo & Conditioner, Macadamia healing oil treatment and Kiehl's Creme with silk groom.I apply the Macadamia oil a few hours prior to washing my hair. When my hair is towel dry I apply Kiehl's Silk Groom to my ends and upwards avoiding the root area. I have been using the Silk Groom for years and years it is the only thing that stays the same in my hair routine!

Brand New Products
Kiehl's Calendula toner & Paul Mitchell Moisture Mist.
Heard great things about this toner so thought I would give it a try. The Paul Mitchell Awapuhi moisture mist is designed for hair, face AND body. Am curious to explore the whole PM range! Awapuhi is Polynesian wild ginger and apparently great for dry hair. I managed to order the shampoo and conditioner from Amazon which haven't arrived yet!

So in summary I am using a lot of Kiehl's products at the moment. Discovering the Soy Milk & Honey whipped body cream really made me rediscover the brand. I can not wait to get started on my Paul Mitchel stuff! I've also ordered stuff online from Organix's Awapuhi range as this thing sounds so bloody great and you all know how much I love my South Pacific inspired products.. ;)

What are you using at the moment? Any new discoveries? Any recommendations? Also has anyone come across the Awapuhi range?

This Week's Favourites

2012-01-14T19:02:00.001Z

This Weeks Favourites

Jack Black lip balm, Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter, Victoria's Secret pijamas, The Big Bang Theory, Fox's ginger crinkle biscuits, Marlies Dekkers lingerie, Crest White Stripes, Lush Flying Fox shower gel (yes..still!), Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub, Lisa Carrier Candles, Kiehl's Abyssine eye cream, The Green Mile, my Mulberry scarf & online shopping.

Lisa Carrier Candles

I was given this trio as a birthday gift and I am in absolute heaven. They smell so, so good! I don't know what the scent is (I tried googling it but came up with nothing) but it is sweet and musky. A bit like a candle version of Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb.

Stephen King
The Green Mile

The Green Mile is one of my all time favourite movies and I am so glad I decided to read the book as it is just as enjoyable, emotional & soulful as the film. It's made me see Stephen King in a whole new light. I was not a fan of his writing before as I always found him over descriptive and a bit gratuitous when it comes to his horror work.. but reading this has prompted me to order a few more of his lesser known books.

Mulberry Scarf

My mum gave me this lovely, super soft scarf for my birthday. It may just be the softest thing I have ever felt. I don't know what it is made of but it makes cashmere feel rough! I am dragging it around with me everywhere I go like a comfort blanket. Very snuggly!

Update- If you read my other blog or follow me on twitter you will know that I have a kidney infection. It's week 2 of pain, nausea and antibiotics. After leaving the house the other day (yes I'm an idiot but I was so bored of being stuck indoors..) I've taken a few steps back in my recovery. For obvious reasons there is not much I can blog about .

*Lots of magazine reading..*

What are your favourites this week? What are you reading right now?

Mini Reviews- Maybelline Baby Lips, 14 Hour Lipstick & Naked 2 Palette

2012-01-13T14:01:00.002Z

Maybelline Super Stay

14 Hour Lipstick

14 hours? I don't think so! We all know lasting powder depends on what you eat/drink/do during they day. I would say there last around 2-3 hours.. mostly because the color leaves a stain behind when it wears off.
There is a large selection of shades to chose from with several different finishes. (Some are almost matte whilst others have a pearl finish.) Fantastic range of pink shades. All have a synthetic berry scent which is quite strong. The formula is opaque and highly pigmented but there is just something cheap about the texture. I can't put my finger on it.. but I've worn enough lipsticks to know a cheap formula when I feel one!
I find them to be quite drying and I think they make lips look dry. Your lips need to be in very good condition prior to applying this product or it will emphasise every crack & crease. Mixed feelings from me. I very much like the colors & pigmentation but hate the scent and formula.

Maybelline Baby Lips

Yet another new product by Maybelline. This is a moisturizing lip balm with SPF 20, which comes in 6 flavors. 2 are sheer and 4 have a slight tint to them. Reviews of these have been quite mixed. Personally I like the product. Effective but not the best I have ever found. (I would say the product is good but not in the same class as Jack Black's, Burt's Bees or Carmex.) It does leave my lips feeling a tiny bit waxy. I have some of the tints which I am in the process of photographing & swatching for the blog.

*Both Maybelline products I picked up in the US. They should make it over to the UK & Europe in spring/early summer. If you are desperate to try them there is always ebay.*

Urban Decay- Naked 2 Palette

A PR company kindly sent me the new Naked 2 palette. I know you are sick to death of seeing reviews & photos, so I'll keep this short. These are my favourite colors..Like it but it's not something I would buy for myself as I wouldn't use all the shades. Better colors than the other one (in my opinion!) Like the mini lipgloss that comes with it but would have preferred a mini primer. I do recommend for people who love and wear neutral shades regularly.

Hope you enjoyed my mini reviews. Have you come across any of these products? Any thoughts?

Jack Black- Intense Therapy Lip Balm

2012-01-11T16:26:00.002Z

Jack Black

Intense Therapy Lip Balm

Hands down the best lip balm I have come across so far! I find it to be fast acting and provide long lasting relief against chapped lips. I also think it leaves my lips looking considerably more plump and hydrated. There are currently 5 flavors to chose from and they all contain SPF25. I went for 'Natural Mint' which is lovely & refreshing and 'Lemon & Chamomile' which is more mild. I first heard about the lip balm here on Vex's blog. A total surprise as I wouldn't have thought to try a men's brand.. great find Vexy!!!
You may remember this post on my favourite lip balms. I would say this balm would come top of my personal list. Discovering it did prompt me to throw away almost all of the other plain lip balms.

Click here to visit the Jack Black website. You can buy Jack Black lip balms at Sephora in the US and it's not too hard to get hold of them the UK. Just use google.. it should come up on Amazon.

Have you tried this balm? Any new balm finds this winter?

Product FAIL- L'Oreal Magic Smooth Souffle Blush

2012-01-09T16:21:00.002Z

Now for a product I really do not like at all. The L'Oreal mousse blush that is part of the 'Magic Lumi' collection. Actually.. all 4 of them!

L'Oreal Magic Smooth Souffle Blush

All four of the blushes are all named Angel-esque names like 'Angelic' & 'Celestial'. I guess it sort of goes with the whole 'luminous' theme of the collection.The Good

-The texture/feel of product is positively dreamy.
-errr.. the names are.. cute?!

The Bad

-Not very pigmented once blended in properly. A modest swipe gives you a hint of color and not much more. You have to use quite a generous amount to get a pop of color and if you do it this way.. you would finish a pot in no time at all.
-If you do try to build up color it starts to look very patchy.
-They are incredibly shimmery. You don't see it when you look at the product but once the mousse is spread on skin, the silver shimmer reveals itself and there is a lot of it. It is very finely milled but it is verging on disco ball territory. It's just too much and glaringly noticeable in all lighting conditions.

Not a patch on Maybelline's mousse blushes! The colors would be soo nice if the formula was more pigmented and less shimmery.
Although the purchase turned out not to be a total waste. I decided to keep Celestial Dawn (my favourite shade of the 4) just in case I ever have to do fancy dress as an angel/fairy and my friend who works as a night club dancer took the other 3 off me. She said the shimmer was perfect for her work make-up. So clearly there will be people out there who like them!

What was the last product disappointment you had? What are your opinions on mousse blushes in general? A fad or something that could work?

New Colors & Updates On My American Finds

2012-01-06T13:54:00.001Z

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush '30' & '40
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter 'Strawberry Shortcake'

The USA hauls I posted around Christmas turned out to be a huge hit with my readers. I'm so glad you liked what I picked up. I expressed in those posts that I would like to get my hands on a few more shades of the products. I did and here they are...
I am thrilled with the three new members of my collection. Strawberry Shortcake is one of the most popular Revlon lip butters so I was desperate to get my hands on it and see if it lived up to the hype! It is a very beautiful shade and yes it may just be my favourite!

As for my collection of Maybelline Bouncy blushes, there are two clear winners with me.. 60 & 15! I use them almost every day and they work really well together. I think the other shades require more summery weather and will get more use when winter is over. Great product!

If you live in the States and have not seen these products in your local CVS it is because there is no room on the Revlon & Maybelline displays for them yet. Look for 'new product' isles and sections and they should be there.

Click here if you want to see my original post on the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes. Click here for the original post on the Revlon Lip Butters with lots of pictures & swatches.

Anyone had a chance to try any of the products yet??

Creamery Creek- Goat Milk Soaps

2011-12-31T11:52:00.002Z

A brand I discovered last year and would like to share with you is this lovely company that sells handmade, natural, goat milk soap bars. It's always nice to have a bar soap option as well as a shower gel. I love how traditional a bar of soap looks in the bathroom!!

The reason goat's milk is used in these soaps is because its PH level is closer to ours. This makes the product more suitable for sensitive skin types. As I have eczema a lot of products can be hit or miss but this is very kind to my skin. Goats milk is a very good exfoliator due to the lactic acid. Your skin will be left squeaky, clean and soft after using it. If you have allergies you can use this soap as it doesn't have the protein that causes cow milk allergies.

*My 4 favourite scents!*

Personally I find that if I use the bar soap every day I my skin gets a little too dry. Moisturizing is a must for me after using them as my skin is so squeaky clean and exfoliated. I shower daily with Lush Flying Fox shower gel (loove) and I reserve these soaps for when I have a little more time to pamper myself properly! They are more what I will use if I take a nice long bath.

I placed my order just before xmas and they arrived before the big day. I also asked to be sent some fancy shapes so I could gift them as Christmas presents. Just email Kim & Shelley and they are so helpful and willing to provide you with whatever you would like (if it's in stock!)

*Some yummy samples that came with my order*

A fantastic product to buy if your skin is suffering an allergy and needs a bit of tlc (they do a unscented version for the hyper sensitive!) Great for children and really great to have on standby in your guest bathroom. I also happen to think they make lovely gifts. Highly recommended! Great products and great service! Click here to go to the Creamery Creek website to browse & buy the soaps!

Have you ever tried these lovely goat milk soaps? Who else loves bar soaps? Any one else have any products that are eczema friendly?

Kiehl's Creme de Corps- Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter

2011-12-29T21:07:00.002Z

I think I have found a new Holy Grail body product...

Kiehl's Creme de Corps
Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter

A seriously divine smelling product! This ultra thick and creamy lotion is perfect for dry skins and winter weather. It takes a while for it to sink in fully (this could also be because I slather it on greedily!) but it is very much worth the wait. It leaves skin baby soft and glowing in a non greasy way. Best of all.. the heavenly, milk & honey smell lingers on skin for a good while.. so lovely!
I took it on holiday with me this xmas and it really kept my skin in check. It hasn't irritated my eczema at all which is great. I can't imagine buying another body cream till I require something lighter for summer! I can not believe I never tried the Kiehl's Creme de Corps line before.. what a great, effective moisturizer! It is LUSH!
If you like sweet, gourmand scents more along the lines of creme brulee and honey.. you have to get your hands on a sample of this!!

(I blogged about this before xmas via my mobile but deleted the post as the quality of the photos were rubbish!)

Have you tried this or any version of Creme de Corps before? Any thoughts?

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

2011-12-28T01:40:00.000Z

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

I know you are all sick of seeing posts & swatches of these but I am in the airport, bored shitless in the lounge so humour me!! A new-ish product I really want to come to the UK as soon as possible! I only picked up a few shades at my local CVS as the majority were sold out. :( They are pretty popular!
Lovely, pigmented, shiny looking lip butters that do actually moisturize lips. My current favourite (out of my collection) is Sweet Tart.
A really fantastic product! I want to get my hands on more.. especially Strawberry Shortcake & Creme Brule!

Have you tried these yet? Any favourites??

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

2011-12-27T17:58:00.000Z

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush

A total random find in CVS the other day. I saw these cute little blushes and just had to get myself a few! I have been using them non-stop the past few days and I plan on picking up the rest of the shades (or at least a few more) before I leave!The consistency is that of a cream to powder product. It is a bouncy blush as the product feels a bit like a cream sponge when you touch it. It feels great on skin.. not at all noticeable or sticky.
I apply the product to my cheeks using my fingers on to bare skin or skin with freshly applied tinted moisturiser/foundation. As it is a cream product I would not recommend applying it over powdered skin. Powder always comes after cream! You only need a little swipe of product to get lovely sheer wash of color which you can layer for a more intense look. I would say this product gives neither a matte or dewy finish. It is somewhere in the middle but it does give skin a bit of a glow. Really like this product!!One thing I love about the US is there are so many more products to chose from. We have Maybelline in the UK but not even 1/2 as much of what is on offer in the states. I am a big fan of the Maybelline brand and I really hope these little blushes make it to the UK as I think they would be a huge hit!

Have you come across the Maybelline Bouncy Blushers yet? Any thoughts?

Sephora & Victoria's Secret Shopping

2011-12-24T01:23:00.002Z

Hello from the US!! I'm currently in America spending the xmas holidays with my mum and step dad. And of course, I did a little shopping..

(Just a few items from Sephora. A rollerball version of a perfume I love, some shampoo, a lip balm and a Josie Maran argan oil illuminator)

Buxom Lip Balm 'Waikiki'

A gorgeous lip balm product that adds a tiny hint of color to lips. It's quite moisturizing and I would agree that it plumps lips a little. Since I got it, I have been applying it non stop!

Victoria's Secret Bronzer
'Beach Bunny'

I am really enjoying the bronzer as I forgot to bring one with me. I chose the lightest shade and it is perfect for my complexion right now. It has quite a good texture and it applies very smoothly to skin. I noticed it lasts all day without going patchy. It may be small and cheap but its very good!I also picked up a VS eyeshadow and shimmer gloss.. The eyeshadow in particular is amazing! It is super creamy to the touch (a very finely milled powder) and it looks exactly like the color in the pan, just a bit sheerer. The eye gloss is also fantastic. Very sparkly and non sticky. I would call it a shimmer topcoat that one could used over shadow to add sparkle or alone as a highlighter. Will definitely go back for more!

Next stop.. drugstore cosmetics!

What are you doing for xmas this year? What products can you not get where you live that you desperately want to try?

Soap & Glory Haul- Body Scrubs!!

2011-12-18T21:21:00.001Z

Soap & Glory Haul

Last week I noticed my elbows and knees were a bit dryer/ashier than usual so I figured I needed to get myself a body scrub. Cue a trip to Boots to get some Soap & Glory goodies!Normally I would have just used some sea salt in my shower gel but as it's winter and skin is so raw and sensitive I wanted a proper product with a bit of added moisture to it. I was planning to get Flake Away by Soap & Glory but it was sold out, so I decided to try one of their other scrubs instead. The problem is there are soo many to chose from.. I ended up coming away with 3! I also picked up two travel sized body creams.

Breakfast Scrub

This smells beyond delicious.. a bit like toffee! It contains 'Organic cupuacu (whaat?!) bio scrubs, bananas, almond & honey extracts.' It's quite firm and sticky to the touch with quite firm, small granules to it. It's a little tricky to wash off but it's worth the patience.. it leaves skin very smooth and soft! 100% will repurchase in the future.

Sugar Crush Body Scrub

A very fresh, zesty, sweet smelling scrub, 'with smashed brown sugar, sweet lime, almond oil & macadamia grains.' The product is firm and sticky (although not as firm as Breakfast Scrub or Flake away) with larger exfoliating particles. Not the most effective scrub I have come across but a great for waking up skin and stimulating circulation. I would probably repurchase.

Some Like It Hot
Body Softening Thermal Scrub

This one contains, 'two-sugars, macadamia oil, vanilla seeds, aloe vera, white sand grains and self-activating Therminerals.'

I don't like this particular one. I feel the cream/liquid that carries the scrub particles is too watery to be effective. It warms too much too fast and I also really hate the synthetic fruit smell!

There are 4 more body scrubs in the line, 'Flake Away,' 'The Scrub Of Your Life,' Scrub 'Em And Leave 'Em,' & 'Pulp Friction.' I have tried the first two but have yet to try the last two. From the 5 I have tried.. the two I like the most are 'Flake Away' & 'The Breakfast Scrub' as I like their consistencies the best. I like a more abrasive, finely milled scrub texture.

Travel Sized Body Moisturizers

I really like these body creams but only for occasional use as I get bored of the synthetic, sort-of-fruity smell very quickly. The travel sized versions are perfect for me!
I'm travelling to the US for xmas so one will come on the plane with me and one will go in my suitcase. Sorted!

I'm a fan of the Soap & Glory brand. I really like the concealers, lip plumpers, shower gels, moisturisers and scrubs. I just wish the packaging wasn't pink! I hate pink!!

Have you tried the Soap & Glory scrubs? Which one is your favorite? Any Soap & Glory Favourite products?

Top 11 For 2011- TAG

2011-12-16T20:58:00.003Z

Top 11 Products For 2011

Kanebo Sensai lipstick no9, Mac Gem Of Roses lipstick, Apivita honey lip balm & Lush Flying Fox shower gel. The Kanebo lipstick is the most beautiful red I have come across this year and a great formula in general. Gem of Roses is just a gorgeous, natural pink color that looks like 'your lips but pinker'. Even if Carmex and Burts Bees work better.. I just enjoy using the Apivita lip balm the most. I think it's because it reminds me of my Mykonos holiday! The Flying Fox shower gel is a powerful, unique scent. Not for everyone but it's like aromatherapy for me right now. Very comforting!

Dior Amber Diamond highlighting powder , Chantecaille Future Skin foundation & Chantecaille tinted moisturiser.Self explanatory list. All great products with great textures & finishes.

Revlon lash liner, Chantcaille Faux Cils longest lash mascara, Mac Expresso e/s & Shu Uemura lash curlers.These things are pretty much all you need to create the sexiest smokey black/brown eyes. I have used the Espresso shade so much this year as it just softens black liner to make eyes a bit more sexy. The Revlon liner is amazing. It stays put all day even on the waterline, without getting gunky in the corners. Very good price for such an amazing product. Best pencil eye liner I have ever come across!

I was tagged to do this post by the lovely Irene from Blushing Loves blog. I tag Tina, Nicola, Laura, Nazia, Emma & Sarah and anyone else who wants to do it!

More top 11s for 2011..

My Top 11 Beauty/Fashion Blogs

Liparazzi, Zorannah's Fashion Corner, Glam & Glitter Forever, Make-up And Macaroons, Mouldy Fruit, Blushing Loves, Bubblegarm, Yummy Mummy Beauty Blog, Buy Now Blog Later, Blush Crush & What Laura Loves.

11 YouTube Songs/Videos

(Mostly old and non-English but these were the ones I watched the most!)

James Morrison- I Wont Let You Go

SMS & Elvira Rahic- Za Koga Ove Suze Padaju, Ceca- Gore Od Ljubavi, Mixalis Xatzigiannis- To Kalokairi Mou (Reminds me of Mykonos!), Patsy in an AbFab clip (this is me in 30 years time!), Mixalis Xatzigiannis- To S'Agapo, Jelena Rozga ft. Zeljko Samardzic- Ima Nade, Kitten Saying YumYumYum, The Owl & NZ All Blacks Haka.. all men should learn this.. HOT!

Courting a Suitor With Frederik & Francis

So what were your 11 products of 2011? Feel free to link me to your post if you do this tag!

Mac Haul & Christmassy Manicure

2011-12-11T15:22:00.002Z

MAC Haul

A bit of a random haul. I had some time before a manicure in Selfridges so I ended up at the MAC counter. I tried to veer away from the obvious Brazilian beach bronze shades I normally go for and to embrace slightly cooler tones. After all it is winter and I am getting paler by the minute!

MAC Saint Germain Lipstick

Described by MAC as a 'clean pastel pink' I would say this is the ultimate Barbie Pink shade. It looks warmer in the tube and much more milky when applied to lips. Not the easiest color for a medium/olive skinned brunette to pull off! All I know is when I wore it straight from the tube a few days ago my friend asked me, 'have you been drinking?' Not the reaction I was looking for!I have owned this in the past but have always used it as a novelty lipstick. I never wore it properly or regularly and then it got old. So I have re-purchased it and this time I will try make it work as it is very pretty. I figure if it is applied, blotted and muted with lipbalm/gloss it could be much more wearable than when applied straight from the tube. I'm actually considering melting and mixing it into a little pot to create my own tinted balm. We shall see..

Well Dressed & Fleur Power Blush

Both of these blushes by MAC are from the 'satin' finish range but there is a considerable difference between the two. Well Dressed has a definite sheen to it's finish. Fleur Power is pretty much matte with no dimension to it at all and is even a tiny bit on the powdery side. Fleur Power is also much more pigmented.

MAC Well Dressed Blush

MAC calls this shade 'immaculate pink.' I have no idea what that means but it is very pretty and subtle. I bought it because Laura from Buy Now Blog Later says she is on her third pan.. so it must be good! It's more of a highlighter/light blush on my coloring. Definitely suited to my paler days but gorgeous nonetheless!

MAC Fleur Power Blush

Described by MAC as a 'soft, bright pinkish coral'. I remember reading about it and I wanted to see it up close. I can't believe I never saw it before! I love it! It's the kind of blush that would look amazing both on it's own and blended into bronzer. Use a light hand to apply.. it is seriously pigmented!

Now please don't ask me for photos of the products on my face. I do try but I find it incredibly hard to get the lighting on the face accurate. There is no sense including a photo if it doesn't capture the true essence of the products.

On To The Christmas Manicure...

Still going to Gundega @Cobella Selfridges London. She really is the best nail technician I have ever come across.
This week went for the usual Acrylic (I don't have tips any more.. it's just a thin layer of Acrylic over the natural nail to harden it. I know Gel is healthier but as a personal preference I prefer the toughness of Acrylic) but with a twist. Gundega used clear acrylic on the base of the nail and glitter infused acrylic to the tips brushed downwards into the clear. So the glitter is in the nail not on the surface. Very hard to photograph accurately but they sparkle so nicely in all lighting conditions! VERY ME!!

What were the last things you picked up at MAC? Anyone have any recommendations for me? What's on your nails right now?

Weekly Favourites & More Christmas Gift Ideas..

2011-12-10T13:06:00.001Z

This Week's Favourites

Kanebo Sensai lipstick o9, Chantecaille Future Skin foundation, Dior Lip Maximizer, Hakuhodo brushes, online shopping, Apivita & Carmex lip balms, Christmas themed special dishes in restaurants, TopShop's knitwear, mulled wine, Gran Cafe cakes, MAC espresso eyeshadow, Revlon lash liner, & that every warm drink at this time of year seems to be spiked with booze!

Kanebo Sensai 09- only a week old but already my favourite lipstick in my collection. Great long lasting formula and possibly the most gorgeous red I have come across. It doesn't bleed much which makes it easier to apply than my other beloved red which is YSL Rouge Volupte 16.

More Christmas Gift Ideas..

As you all know, I am a huge fan of the brand Waldo Pancake. I came across this make-up bag and I think it will be perfect as one of my sister's gifts as we have a very similar sense of humour.I also placed a huge order online. I got loads of funny little things.. my favourites being the 'Back away fatty' fridge magnet and 'somebody carry this for me' luggage tags. Great stocking fillers!I can't wrap to save my life so I have gone down the pretty gift bag with festive paper route as usual. I found some great gift bags in the Selfridges Christmas section!

And lastly.. as a beauty addict, is there any better feeling than hitting pan/finishing a product? This week there were 3. Lush flying fox shower gel, Nars Laguna bronzer & Lush Ultrabalm. All great products which I will re-purchase when the time is right. A small word of warning though, the problem with Nars products is that the second you see the metal pan.. the rest of the powder will crumble. After this photo was taken I used the product 1 more time and it completely fell apart all over my cream carpet. Very messy!

What were the last things you hit pan on? What were your favourites this week?

Origins- Face, Eye & Body Creams!

2011-12-07T18:57:00.001Z

The lovely people at Origins sent me some things to test out for the blog. I've had the stuff a while now and I have a little review for you all.

High Potency Night-A-Mins

A really nice cream to use before bed! You really do wake up to more refreshed looking skin. I have noticed a definite difference to the texture of my skin especially around the jaw area. The texture of this cream is great.. lightweight and absorbs super fast. It wasn't too strong for my sensitive skin. Something I would definitely repurchase.

Gin-Zing Eye Cream

A refreshing eye cream that helps de-puff eyes. You apply it and to me I feel a refreshing tingle and after a few minutes you do see a decrease in the puffiness of eye bags. The formula has very subtle shimmer to it which helps create the illusion that your eye area is brighter. It really does make you look more awake. Use very little or it looks too shiny!

Super Spot Remover

I have mentioned this before but it needs to be mentioned again.. really powerful little bottle. It is great for dealing with the occasional pimple from hell. I would recommend this to any woman who gets an occasional pimple (around that time of the month) or to someone who has a small cluster of stubborn pimples. This doesn't make them vanish overnight but it does drastically reduce the lifespan of the pimple.

A Perfect Word Body Moisturizer

A lightweight moisturizer that is seriously effective. It contains white tea which supposedly helps keep skin youthful. I like it but I am a sucker for the Origins Ginger Souffle body cream's scent so I will probably stick to that one. However out of the two this is the better moisturizer!

Great stuff by Origins. I love Origins Ginger souffle and other products in the Ginger line and the original Spot Remover. I never really tried any other products by the brand before now but that I have.. I plan on trying more!

You can buy Origins online here or at most large Boots & Department stores.

What are your favourite Origins products? Has anyone got any recommendations for me from the make-up range?

Amouage Perfumes

2011-12-06T11:20:00.001Z

Amouage Perfumes

For me, this is the ultimate brand of luxury perfumes. Created for the Sultan of Oman using his country of birth as inspiration, Amouage has quite a large following. At first the Sultan used to give the scent as gifts to his friends and then slowly the brand became more accessible to the public. The men's line is actually how I discovered the brand. I was 6, snooping around my dad's bathroom and I came across a collection of amazing crystal bottles with intricate lids. So I (as you do when you are small and like pretty things) took them!
Because it's Christmas and many of you will be considering buying perfume as a gift, I thought I would briefly go over my current collection of Amouage scents to give you a vague idea of what the brand is like.

Amouage Gold
(For women)

One of my all time favourite scents. I have been wearing it years. This is not a perfume for the delicate. It is a powerful, opulent, intense oriental fragrance that is far more suited to colder weather and night time. It's probably very vulgar on a woman under the age of 45.It's most commanding notes to me are, incense, jasmine, amber, myrrh & sandalwood. Pardon my crudeness but it stinks of 'Rich Arab Princess.' It's far stronger than Chanel no5 but if you like that and fragrances like Agent Provocateur Maitresse.. you may like this. Although I must say, I prefer the men's version of this scent on me and will most likely stick to that in the future.

Unfortunately the perfume is no longer sold in it's original, crytal bottles (like my one) but is now sold in these.. Not bad but nowhere near as nice as the original packaging. I don't know why they changed it and I wish desperately they would change it back, as do a lot of other people!

Amouage Dia Solid Perfume
(For women)

Dia is a more feminine, soft scent than Gold but much more complex. It's a far more wearable, youthful scent in both the male & female versions. I think it is my favourite of all the women's scents by Amouage. It's more fruity, more floral but still really sensuous. I really want to get a travel size spray version to travel with but it is always sold out!
Now we all know solid perfumes are never as strong as the proper versions but they are great for chucking in a make-up bag. That's exactly why I have this little thing. It comes with two refills in a little pouch and even though its not as good as the real thing.. it will never leak on my handbag!

Amouage Mini Set
(For Men)

I happen to think some of the scents smell better in the male version (Reflection, Gold) and this mini set is a great way to try all the classics out.

My recommendations for women- Dia, Gold, Gold for men & Reflection for men
My recommendations for men- Gold, Dia & Reflection

Loyal readers of the blog will remember I went through a phase of wearing the men's Reflection scent for a while but I seem to have deleted those posts when I re-organized my blog.

Personally I think an Amouage perfume would make the ultimate luxury perfume gift for a male or female close to you. The packaging and presentation is just so lovely.. you feel spoilt rotten just unwrapping the bottle! Also.. the candles are to die for!!!

Click here to visit the official website. In London you can find the perfumes in the boutique in Belgravia or in Selfridges & Harrods.

Have you ever tried Amouage perfumes? Whats your favourite one? What is your ultimate luxury perfume?

Updates & Current Favourites

2011-12-04T12:34:00.000Z

This Week's Favourites

Sequined Ugg boots, anything sparkly, red lipstick, Soap & Glory Kick Ass concealer, Yankee Candles, Chantecaille products, mulled cider, mulled wine, lebkuchen, Christmas recipes in magazines, cake, good old English tea, online shopping, twiglets, my mini Christmas tree, December /Christmas magazine editions, positive thinking *lies* and lastly.. Harrod's window displays & Swarovski themed Christmas.

Yankee Candle- Christmas Cupcake

Really enjoying this candle!! (Enjoying it so much I went online and bought about 6 others by Yankee Candles!) This is probably as sweet a candle as I can handle.. it's sugary but not too sickly. It's a very realistic scent! It takes about 30minutes before the entire room is scented like yummy Christmas Cupcakes.

Soap & Glory Concealers.. Update!

Really loving the creamier side of the Kick Ass Concealer as it is doing a great job of evening out my swollen eyes! The coverage is pretty darn good. I have tried using it under and over my Chantecaille face products and both ways produces good, natural looking results. I may also get the light shade to blend with medium as my skin is getting paler my the minute.

As for the Trick & Treatment wand.. after a few days use, today was the first day I noticed that it actually contains a lot of micro-fine golden shimmer. It was a freak discovery (different lighting condition) and I was thrilled by this find as I ended up applying it to the tops of my cheekbones as a subtle day time highlighter.
I would say I prefer the creamier Kick Ass Concealer as it really does a great job of covering and evening out the under eye area. The Trick & Treatment wand is just a nice brightening extra to have to hand.

Origins Super Spot Remover

Love this stuff. It really reduces the life span of pimples. I don't really ever get pimples but like most women I am prone to the monthly hormone induced volcano from hell (normally on the nose, hitler or some other highly inconvenient location!) This little is like a miracle for those.

(You will see more on the Origins products I was sent next week!)

That's pretty much it for now. If you like there are some new winter outfit posts up on Glossy's Wardrobe and you can always follow me on Twitter for extra Glossy ponderings!

What were your favourites this week? What do you think of the sequined UGGs? I know they are a bit chavvy.. but do you think I can pull them off?

Christmas Gift Ideas & Luxe Wist List

2011-12-02T20:21:00.003Z

Christmas Gift Ideas

Shopping for loved ones is always a hard task. How many times do we end up buying the same things over and over again. Personally I feel there is nothing wrong with the traditional perfume/chocolate/socks combo.. but I do feel it is important to capture the essence of the person in the gift. Put some thought into the color & feel of the items and you should be ok!

Chocolate (always a good bet), Cashmere socks or jumper, a personalized mug, perfume, candles, a bag charm, a luxurious body cream, a diary, bath oils, something customized.. I know it's cheesy but customized things always mean more. Just getting a few words engraved in a simple trinket can really make all the difference.
Also.. a hand written card for those who mean the most to you. Nothing will ever beat words written from the heart. I know I would rather get a heartfelt letter than a gift.

Organic Island Lipbalm

Was sent this lipbalm to review for the blog and I think it is great. If you have any family of friends who are into their organic quirky products.. this may be for them! Love the balm as it's pretty effective and the shell packaging is super cute. You can buy it here!

*Was sent this product but this has not changed the outcome of the review.*

My Christmas Wish List

Everyone is posting their Christmas wish lists but I actually don't really need anything or want anything desperately. I guess all the nicest possessions in the world can not buy you happiness and what I really want.. I can't have :( (imagine sad love songs playing!) Grinching and feeling sorry for myself aside, I decided to think of being spoilt rotten and this is what I came up with for an ultra luxe wish list..
Amouage Gold travel spray, Mink Coat, chocolates, Diorific lipstick in 013, Origins Ginger Souffle body cream, sparkly earrings, a turquoise/light emerald green bracelet, silver sequined uggs, grey fox tail bag charm, Victorias's Secret pijamas.. and of course diamonds are always acceptable!!

What is on your winter wish list this holiday season?

Chantecaille- Reviews, Updates & Swatches

2011-12-01T19:08:00.001Z

Chantecaille 'The Evening' Duo

Love this eyeshadow duo to death.. it is my daily shadow at the moment. It's very pretty with its Swarovski encrusted lid and the two brushes included are great! I use the angled brush to apply the black to my upper lash line and the fluff blush to smoke it out in the crease. The shadows stay put all day without fading or creasing (I use Nars eyeshadow primer) and the black is my favourite black shadow in my make-up collection. It is fantastically pigmented and layerable.

Chantecaille Les Macarons Palette

I find it hard to find mixed palettes I like but I am beyond thrilled with this one. It has a very nice range of colors for winter when skin is paler and less bronzed.With this palette you get a lovely plum color that I use to contour and as a liner, a gorgeous gold eyeshadow, a pink blush that can also be used on eyes, a cream highlighter (that reminds me of a more pigmented Jemma Kidd Rose Gold highlighter) and a sheer pink gloss.
I just wish they gloss was left out.. I hate glosses in my palettes as they always get powdery. The dual ended brush included is pretty good but obviously not enough to apply all the products. But nitpicking aside, I am really happy with this palette!

Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation

Still loving this. I can never quite decide if I prefer this or the Tinted Moisturiser. I keep getting paler by the days so I had to buy the Future Skin foundation in the shade 'Cream' which I would say is the next step down from 'Sand' out of the yellow toned color options.
I decided to swatch all my products next to each other for you so you get a vague idea of the yellow toned colors for medium skin.
Personally I feel that the Tinted Moisturizer and Future Skin Foundation are the best products out of what I have tried and the only two I would repurchase. The stick foundation is good but I don't need the extra coverage. The concealer is just ok.. I have tried better.

Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara
& Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara

I have finally started seeing results using the Faux Cils Longest Lash mascara. My lashes are slightly longer and definitely in better condition. I have recently acquired the original version which is also great but a more thick formula that offers no lash growing effects. Both smell like rose water which I think is divine! Both are fantastic but personally I prefer the longest lash version as you have more control with the thinner formula. You can layer it up so nicely without it clumping. However I prefer the £33 price of the regular Faux Cils to the £60 of the Longest Lash version!!

*Chantecaille kindly sent me the original Faux Cils mascara. As usual this does not affect the outcome of my review/post.*

Chantecaille Lip Chic- China Rose

Really enjoying this super shiny, juicy looking lip stick. It is more of a balm in consistency but the color does last quite well on lips.

So I have gone from never really looking at Chantecaille to being a huge fan.. all in the space of a month! I would say they are currently my favourite brand of make-up.
Are you a Chantecaille fan? Have you tried anything by the brand? Whats your favourite brand at the moment?

Boots Haul- Soap & Glory Concealer Review.. and more!

2011-11-29T19:50:00.000Z

I did some serious Boot's hauling the other day with all the accumulated points I had on my Boots card. I have now had a few days to play hard with my new goodies and have a few reviews for you.. (with more to come!)

Soap & Glory
Kick Ass Concealer

Now I am not a big user of concealer at all. I don't really get blemishes and I happen to think a bit of darkness around the eye area is sexy. I only conceal when I know I will be photographed, need to look very polished, am ill or have been crying. I really wanted to try this product as I had heard nothing but great things.
This is an exceptional concealer.!! You have 3 different products in one with this. One is a super creamy concealer product perfect for under eyes. The second is slightly darker and firmer and more peachy which is great for color correction & pimples. The 3rd product is a powder to set the cream product and prevent it creasing. I think alongside my Becca concealer it may be the best concealer I have come across. From a price aspect.. at £10 it's pretty unbeatable!

(I bought the medium shade and it is perfect for my coloring)

Soap & Glory
Trick and Treatment

A under eye brightener which I would say is a similar type consistency product as Benefit's Ooh La Lift. However this has a lot more concealing power than Ohh La Lift and is specifically designed to tackle blue/purple eye circles. A really fantastic product. Lighter than the other concealer but still effective. Thumbs up from me this is a post break-up must have item.

(Available only in one shade. It works really well on my coloring but if you are any darker than me it may be too light!)

My Thoughts On Soap & Glory Cosmetics

I think the concealers are brilliant from this line (and in the past I have used and enjoyed the bronzer and lip plumps) but I was not at all impressed by the blushers, lipsticks or eyeshadows. A lot of the powder products lack pigmentation and wont work for anyone darker in color that a light/medium. I would love to try the liquid & pencil eyeliner but they were sold out! A bit of a hit and miss collection but when they hit the mark.. the product is really great!

Clarins
Daily Energizer Wake-Up Booster

This is Laura's fault. I read her post here (check it out.. she says I smell nice!) and had to get my paws on one. I have only used it for a few days but I very much like this. At first I was taken a bit aback by it's fragrance which although pleasant, is a little stronger than I would like from my skincare. Fragrance aside it's a nice refreshing toner that leaves skin feeling fresh without any residue. Lovely!!

17 BB Cream

This is a huge disappointment for me. I picked up the medium shade and it is soo pink toned there is pretty much no way I could pull this off and get sufficient coverage without looking a little 'ill.' I gave it to a friend with medium pink toned skin and it just looked a bit wrong on her too. Sticking with my Chantecaille and officially giving up on BB creams!
Have you tried the new Soap & Glory cosmetics range? Any new finds you want to share with the world? What do you think of the UK's offerings when it comes to BB creams?

This Week's Randomness

2011-11-26T18:39:00.001Z

This Week's Favourites

Chantecaille products, my new Chantecaille palette, Apivita face masks, Lush shower gels, my mum, lebkuchen, sparkly shoes, anything sparkly, all the Christmas lights in London, mulled wine, my big sister, mansize tissues, Maybelline lip stains, Zdravko Colic (he sings my favourite song in the world which is actually a sad love song), Zara's winter jackets & my friends especially those who have been there to pick up the pieces this week!♥

Chantecaille Les Macarons Palette
More information and swatches will be coming soon!

For all Made In Chelsea fans, I leave you with this..

Too funny!!

Sorry that posting is slow.. I am having a pretty horrific week. I don't know how long it's going to take for me to sort myself out.. it feels like forever at this point. Hopefully will post more next week. Have been sent some lovely Origins stuff to review.

What were your favourites this week? Any funny videos you want to share?

Neal & Wolf Smooth

2011-11-25T15:20:00.003Z

Neal & Wolf- Smooth Hair Box

A gift box of three Neal & Wolf hair products that will keep hair smooth and silky. It contains the Ritual Cleansing Shampoo, Harmony Intensive Care Treatment and the Silk Smoothing Blow-dry Balm.
Ritual Cleansing Shampoo & Harmony Intensive Care Treatment- I can not get over how wonderful these products smell! They smell sweet but not in a gourmand way.. they have more of a musky, powdery sweet fruit thing going on. I actually think that would smell great as a hair mist or even body spray. I do think they are gentle enough for every day use but still strong enough to remove hairsprays & gels. The Intensive Care treatment I feel is less of treatment and more of a regular conditioner. It feels really good on my hair (which we all know by now is dyed to within an inch of its life!) and leaves it silky soft. I always say not to judge shampoos & conditioners until hair is fully dry. Well fully dry my hair feels clean, bouncy and smooth.Silk Smoothing Blow-dry Balm- this is not scented like the other two. It's the consistency of a body lotion which makes it very easy to distribute over hair. I do like the fact it's not heavy as I suffer from flat hair so I don't need it to be any more weighed down. I think at £11.95 it's really good value for money as a little goes a long way. I have very long hair but I am pretty confident this bottle will last me a good while!

Smooth hair! And yes I've had a big haircut!

Many of you will be familiar with the brand as a full sized item was given away with Glossybox a few months ago. I have repurchased the conditioner I got with that Glossybox because of how much I enjoyed it. When they got in touch with me to feature the items on the blog, I had to resist the temptation to say, 'Of course.. duhh!' No question about it I am a big fan of the brand.

One of the beautiful images from the Neal & Wolf website with step by step instructions to achieve the look here.

I think this would be perfect for a Christmas gift! You can buy Neal & Wolf products online here at the official website. Giftboxes available at Soho Base & Base Cuts Too in London.

*Products sent to me for review.. as usual my post reflects my personal opinion and was not influenced.*

Andrea Garland- Vintage Tinned Balms

2011-11-22T20:16:00.000Z

Andrea Garland
Vintage Tin Lip Balm & Rosy Beauty Balm

I found these little vintage tins of balm in Liberty London. There were lots of different tins & boxes to chose from. As they are so different.. I felt that one or two would be a nice, unique addition to my cosmetics collection.

Lip Balm

The lip balm I chose was homed in a little tin that used to contain wax polish (for floors!) It's 100% natural and made with Shea Butter, Raspberry Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E Oil and Organic Beeswax. Despite looking & smelling a bit plain.. it's actually a very good lip balm!! I applied some and my lips stayed hydrated for hours. Was pleasantly surprised! I don't want to sound like a sceptic.. but it's an awfully small tin for floor polish so I think this particular tin may be vintage styled or a reproduction. Either way I just love the fact it is so unique.

Rosy Beauty Balm

This smells lovely.. a bit like rose water. It's a multi purpose balm that can be used to remove make-up, cleanse or moisturize. It's a firm balm which softens once you run your fingers over it.
Good for taking with you in a make-up bag as I don't foresee it getting messy. I've been using mine today on my elbows as they get very ashy. So far so good! It's much smoother (less grainy) in consistency than my Lush Ultrabalm but a similar type of product that gives similar results. Great for winter and chapped, dry skin!

And so that you get the most of your tins (as they are quite pricey at £20+).. all products come with a little ticket inside the packaging. You send the tin off along with the ticket and the product gets refilled for you.I would definitely recommend the lip balms. I think the Beauty Balm is nice but I feel the novelty of it will wear off quickly.. whereas the lipbalm is more portable as it's so tiny, so I know I will enjoy it for longer. The range also has a 'Sore Muscle Rub' product which I am keen to try as I do use a lot of Tiger Balm type products. You can find these pretty tins at Liberty in London or online here at the official website.

What do you think? Do you like the look of these? Do you like vintage packaging?

This Week's Favourites.. blah blah

2011-11-19T14:18:00.005Z

This Week's Favourites

Chantecaille face products, Chantecaille Faux Cils mascara, stuff that glitters, tresor paris bracelets, Adriana Lima, Fresh 'Milk Milk' Body Lotion, The Big Bang Theory, Camilla Skovgaard shoes, twiglets, Patisserie Valerie cakes, Waldo Pancake, online shopping & those two new Snow White films look amazing!

Waldo Pancake Stuff..(Another hairbrush I'll probably never use!!)

This Week On Glossy's Wardrobe..

Camilla Skovgaard Sandals
Click here to read more..

Random Blathering..

Sorry about lack of posting but it's hard to be creative when you have a routine that works for you. There are a few posts planned for next week but yes the blog is a bit blahhh at the moment.

The UK evening time TV situation is dire at the moment now that there is no more Downton or Towie. Made In Chelsea ends tomorrow so it's about to get even more boring. I've started watching more of The Big Bang Theory and The Mentalist but newer episodes are rarely on. Anyone got any series suggestions for me? Am I missing something??
Also worth mentioning this site. You can buy some VS make-up and other hard to get items there!

What were your favourites this week? Any ins & outs? Any films you are looking forward to?

Hairsprays from LoveMane

2011-11-14T20:50:00.003Z

The lovely people at LoveMane sent me three hairsprays to test out. Perfect timing as it's party season and the one time of year I am more inclined to make an effort with styling my hair.
I normally just use Garnier or Divines hairsprays.. I absolutely hate that Elnett one that is always being shoved down out throats with all it's celebrity advertising campaigns. The more I try use it the more I loathe it! So I was so happy when I was contacted to try these out.. I love trying different products.

EVO Builder's Paradise Working Spray

This is the spray I would use for keeping all my hair in place if I were to do any backcombing or tied back styles. This is good to make hair BIG.. wonderful to spray into roots for volume! I find it great for keeping those little flyaway bits in check. Not good for spraying on curls as it sort of smooshes them.

Moroccan Oil Luminous Hairspray

This is my favourite spray of the bunch because it gives hair a nice glossy look but still does the job of a hairspray. It's not the strongest holding hair spray but this means it is also easy to brush out without getting that white residue in hair. This is what I would chose for day to day use!

See how glossy it looks?

Even though it kept my hair shiny the curls didn't last very long. Maybe 3/4 hours before dropping. This smells lovely.. very powdery & fresh but a word of warning the smell does linger!

GHD Style Final Fix

This is the spray I would use for keeping curled hair in place as it becomes quite firm after a few layers. Even though it gets a bit crispy it doesn't look white or flake which I think is very important. Who wants white flakes?! This is what I would use as a 'night out' spray for loose hair that has been blow dried or curled. It keeps everything in check and adds a little shine. Lovely!

After 9 hours of London life my dead straight, stubborn hair kept the curl pretty well!

All in all 3 lovely products I am happy to have tried and will most probably repurchase the Moroccan Oil spray and things from the GHD line. You can buy the products here at www.lovemane.co.uk use the following discount code.. lovemaneGG for 10% off! The site stocks some great items like the My Curl curlers and GHD stylers. *I was sent the products to review for my blog.. as usual my opinion is honest and uninfluenced.*

What is your favourite hairspray? Are there any over-hyped ones that have let you down? Do you use different hair sprays for different styles?

This Week's Ins/Outs, Chantecaille Update & More!!

2011-11-13T11:20:00.002Z

Face Of The Day
(Face of the week/yesterday actually.. today is a no make-up day!)

My daily routine this past week has been to go for a very simple, fast natural look. Just enough to be presentable! It takes me less that 5 minutes to achieve and I use my fingers to apply all the products.

(Shit photo but you get the general gist!!)

1. Apply either Chantecaille's TM or Future Skin foundation.
2. Apply Maybelline's dream touch cream blush in peach on cheeks.
3. TopShop's highlighter to the tops of my cheekbones.
4. 2 Coats of Chantecaille mascara with maybe a bit of smudged liner
5. By Terry Or De Rose on lips.
DONE!!

Chantecaille Update..

I'm not sure which Chantecaille face product I love more.. the Future Skin Foundation or the tinted moisturizer. Both are really working for me right now and I'm getting so many compliments on my skin. I've decided the best way to apply both is with fingers. I just prefer the finish and control you get that way. I've also stopped using pressed powder with them (which is a huuuge deal for me) as I have really come to love the glow I get from them. As for the mascara.. after 2 weeks of use I wouldn't say my lashes have grown but they do look nice and glossy. I do also really get a kick from the rosewater scent the mascara has.

Ins

My electric blanket, Chantecaille face products, Maybelline Cream blush, Black Milk Clothing, Godiva Rosace Chocolates, leather, Adriana Lima on the VS show, Harrods Christmas Lights, my Celine fox tail, vicious little black cats & Issey Miyake Gold perfume.

Outs

Downton Abbey is over till next year, no more Mark Wright in TOWIE, the weather, never having enough shoe storage & that there isn't enough chocolate in the world to fix a broken heart.

Godiva Rosace my FAVOURITE chocolate!!!

This Week On Glossy's Wardrobe..

Click here for more on my BlackMilk Clothing haul & here for the limited edition, sparkly charity shoes by Dune. What were your Ins & Outs this week? Any products you are wearing daily?

MAC Holiday 2011 Haul & Review

2011-11-11T12:52:00.002Z

Mac Holiday 2011
Glitter & Ice Collection

Quite a reserved haul from the winter 2011 MAC collection. I haven't bought anything MAC in a while as I am so beyond sick of seeing a new limited edition collection being released every week.

Whirls & Twirls Lipstick

A very sheer glaze lipstick. Not very pigmented but it does leave a nice, frosty pink sheen to lips. This was the only lipstick out of the 6 that I was drawn to as it's quite wintery (due to the frostiness) and suitable for day & night.

Morning Frost Paint Pot

A beautiful frosty, neutral color. When I first swatched it my immediate reaction was that it felt a bit dry and harder to spread that the other paint pots I have. I think that's due to its frosty finish. I would use this on it's own as a cream shadow as it is gorgeous!

Mac Holiday 2011
Dazzlesphere Coral Ornament

A set of 4 glosses.. 2 Cremesheen glosses and 2 Dazzleglasses. I wasn't going to get them but Tamara did.. so I had to! ;) I hate the brush applicator of the Dazzleglasses so I admit I got this purely for the lovely Creemsheens!! 4 beautiful but easily dupable peachy glosses in a generous yet smaller sized tube. A large 'mini' product if that makes sense.

Swatches..

All in all, a nice collection but there isn't anything I would say has 'must-have' status. I could have quite happily skipped it all together but I was feeling in the mood to treat myself. As for the mineral eye shadows and face powders.. I was not impressed. The pigmentation just wasn't good enough for me. As a gift or stocking filler.. I would recommend the gloss & pigment ornaments. They are quite nice! The collection is now available to buy online at the MAC official website and in stores.

Are you planning on getting anything from MAC Holiday 2011? Did you already get anything? What brand released the best Holiday collection this year?

Guilty Pleasures.. My Book Collection

2011-11-08T17:44:00.001Z

My guilty pleasures in life are books, shoes, chocolate, things that sparkle, make-up (duh), Made In Chelsea and good food. I like to live in total excess when it comes to my guilty pleasures! :)

I think the biggest one of the lot for me is books. I am a big reader! I think I turn to books when I'm a bit sad. When things go wrong, I've never been a person who can go out and distract myself.. it just doesn't work for me. Getting lost in a book (or an episode of a great tv show) is one of the ways I can get my mind on something else.

Amazon.uk book haul

A few of these books I bought purely because of their reputation, the others because they sounded like my kind of thing. I like Alice Hoffman (writer of Practical Magic) because she is as close to a chic-flick write I can comfortably get, whilst still keeping within the adult fairy-tale genre (think a more romantic Neil Gaiman.) I think I will start with her newest book The Dovekeepers.

My Custom Made Bookcase

Storage is a serious issue in my flat (the issue being.. I have none.) I had this bookshelf made for me. It's against the living room wall and it houses most of my books and various other bits & bobs.

I have OCD tendencies so of course there is a general theme to each shelf. I'm anal about having my books organized in my way.

(Click the images to enlarge them)

I also have one more, smaller bookcase in the bedroom. I had to give half my books to the charity shop when I moved here last year, which was painful.. but it's all worked out rather well!

I must admit, I am a total book snob! I love historical fiction, fairy tales for adults, poetry.. anything by Tolkein, John Irving, Umberto Eco, Robert Harris, Shakespeare, Paolo Coehlo, Pablo Neruda, Neil Gaiman.. not a big fan of chic flicks.

Anyone else get a bit anal with how their books are organized? What are your favourite books? What are your guilty pleasures?

Copenhagen, Travelling Light & Downton Abbey

2011-11-07T12:33:00.003Z

I spent this last weekend in Copenhagen visiting my lovely cousin. It's the first time I've been back there since her wedding 10 years before. It's a nice city.. quite cold & windy though! The food was quite international.. I don't think I ate anything traditionally Nordic! Breakfast was Continental, lunch Croatian and dinner Vietnamese. We had a lovely time. Short but sweet and back in time for the season finale of Downton Abby! :)

I decided on hand luggage so I could literally get off the plane and get straight into town.
I decided to use my LV Speedy 35 as my luggage. I managed to pack my pijamas, make-up bag, new toothbrush, socks, underwear, change of t-shirt, charger & extra sweater in there and still have room left over! I went for my black Balenciaga as my handbag as black goes with everything. Inside it.. wallet, passport & iphone. DONE!

Make-up Bag Balenciaga Rose Gold Pencil L
(For more information on the bag & make-up bag click here)

The cosmetics I took with me..

Make-up
Apivita lip balm, Chantecaille tinted moistruzer, Chantecaille mascara, Rimmel face powder, Inglot black eyeshadow, elf shading brush, Hakuhodo face brush & Nars gspot multiple.
Other
Chanel no5 perfume, mini deoderant, mini Apivita facewash, mini moisturizer, contact lenses & hairbrush (which naturally was the one thing I didn't use)

I'm getting pretty good at this travelling light thing. I realise I don't really need as much stuff as i previously used to drag around with me. I do love the Nars g-spot multiple as it doubles up as a blush and lip product. Such a gorgeous rose color!!

Downton Abbey

As for Downton last night.. it was amazing!! Sunday night's will be so boring without it. :( I am so happy that at least 2 of the love stories worked out. I love Branson & Sybill together! I am a hopeless romantic and the whole Mr Bates & Anna getting married thing put a huge grin on my face.

As for the script, there were some real one line corkers last night..

Dowager Countess- 'Don't be defeatist dear, it's very middle class'
Lord Grantham- 'If you're turning American on me, I'll go downstairs.'
Matthew- 'You are my stick..'

Some of the tweets I was reading had me in stitches!!
Do you travel light or do you overpack? What did you think of Downton last night? Favourite bits?

Gielly Green- Shampoo & Conditioner

2011-11-07T11:39:00.001Z

Gielly Green
Shampoo & Conditioner

I was very kindly sent a Shampoo & Conditioner to review for the blog. Gielly Green is a boutique salon in London's neighbourhood of Marylebone. I've walked past it many times before and it looks lovely.I did a bit of reading up on the products and they contain no carcinogens, no parabens, no sls and no synthetic fragrances. The range is 95% natural which is impressive!
I really like the packaging of the products. Quite sleek, simple and stylish. I think they look good in the bathroom and quite unisex. I am also a big fan of the generous nozzle. Makes getting the product out easier.

Key ingredients are Argan oil (which we all know is great for hair) Neem oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil and Dead Sea minerals & mud. All are considered good for hair and good for your scalp health. Sea Buckthorn Oil in particular is a very powerful anti-oxidant so great for those of us who live in polluted cites.
I like the products as they are quite kind to my dyed hair. I still have turquoise (& now some lilac) highlights so I can really see that these products are not too strong.. they don't strip out nearly as much color as other shampoos do. They left my hair feeling clean, light and smelling nice. I would say they are gentle enough for every day use and suitable for colored hair. I would definitely repurchase and next time I pass the salon I plan on taking a look at the rest of the line and trying something else.

Manic Panic highlights after 3 washes. Color is still vivid so you can see the shampoo & conditioner are quite mild.

Click here to go to the official salon website where you can look at the services the salon offers and buy the products!

*I was sent these products to review on the blog. My opinion is honest as always. I was not paid for this post.*

Have you ever been to the Gielly Green salon? Do these products sound like something you would like?

Randomness, Favourites & Updates

2011-11-05T16:33:00.002Z

This Week's Favourites

Chantecaille tinted moisturiser, Laura Mercier Illuminator, YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks, NARS gspot multiple, my iphone 4s, recovering from last week's Halloween antics, Godiva chocolate, my amazing mum, Made In Chelsea, By Terry Or de Rose, Cha Cha Moon in Carnaby st, my Celine foxtail attached to my handbag & Harrods current window display.

A week of instagram

Hot chocolate & more chocolate my mum brought over to cheer me up!!

Chantecaille Tinted Moisturizer Update

I absolutely love this stuff. I have been using it just about a week now and I think I found my holy grail product. I'm not sure how it will handle summer humidity but for winter it is perfect. I just dust a little translucent powder on it and I find that it lasts a good 8+ hours.You all know by now I have hysterically sensitive skin.. this is so kind to it. It feels so comfortable when it's on and has not in the slightest bit irritated it. I feel like it does actually moisturize skin because at the end of the day when I wash my face, my skin feels soft and hydrated.
The consistency of the product is similar to Laura Mercier's tinted moisturiser (which I love but am allergic to) but a little bit less thick. It is so easy to blend into skin. It provides sheer-light coverage, depending on how much you use. I would say it's ideal for dry-normal skin types but combination/oily skins should be able to use it in winter with some powder on top.

This week on Glossy's Wardrobe..

New Purchases
Click here to see some new buys..

Snake Print Dress

Click here to see more photos and info..

Illamasqua Halloween Ball
Click here to see more photos..

I would like to leave you with this quote which I have seen on several blogs now as it's really struck a chord with me.
What are your favourites this week? Any quotes you'd like to share? Go on be random..

Laura Mercier Illuminator- Winter 2011

2011-11-04T18:00:00.002Z

Laura Mercier
Rose Rendezvous

This Holiday 2011, Laura Mercier Illuminator with it's gorgeous rose design was too beautiful to pass up. The second I saw it I just had to have it!!

(Flash slightly lightens the product but not by much!)

You may be thinking, 'why Talita? Why, when there is Amber Diamond buy another illuminator?' Well ladies.. unlike all the other Illuminators I have purchased recently which have positively paled in comparison to Dior's Amber Diamond, in my opinion.. this is actually almost the same quality as Amber Diamond! It is so smooth to the touch it's almost creamy! Very richly pigmented, one swipe and you get a thick wash of product. This is the way a highlighter should be.. it's not some glorified shimmer powder. The color is a warm, rose colored gold. When spread out it's a fraction lighter than what you see in the pan but it does look darker and warmer than Amber Diamond on skin.

One swipe

So ladies, if you are a fan of Dior's Amber Diamond and would like a slightly warmer colored version of it.. check this out!! On twitter, probably the most common mentions I get are, 'I blame @TheGlossGoss for buying this...' In this case feel free to blame away.. I take full responsibility!!

What is your favourite highlighting product? Do you go for creams, powders or gels? Have you tried this Illuminator?

Favourite Lip Balms

2011-11-03T14:07:00.002Z

I am a big fan of lip balms as you can get the protection you need (with optional tint/shimmer) without getting the product all over your face when the wind blows. After I did my last post, I decided to sort through my own collection of lip balms and I thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you..

The Good Ones
These are my favourite plain lip balms that do a good job of moisturising..TOP 3..
Burt's Bees Lip Balm- Fast acting & long lasting. One of the best balms I have ever come across. 10/10
Apivita Lip Balms- All of them are great. The Honey & Chamomile versions in this picture are my favourite scents and the ones I think do the best job of relieving chapped lips fast. 9/10
By Terry Baume De Rose- An amazing lip balm. However at £35 it's quite pricey! 9/10
The others.. Mac 'Naked Honey' skin salve, Carmex, Melem, Rosal & Nude lip balms.

No 1 of the shimmery balms..
ByTerry Or De Rose Baume Precieux
This is a delux version of Baume de Rose with rose gold colored flecks inside the balm. GORGEOUS! Again it's not the cheapest product but it is definitely the most gorgeous one.
10/10 for looks 9/10 for effectiveness

The Tinted Ones
The balms that leave a little color behind.. Mac tinted lip conditioners, Burt's Bees lip shimmers, Sugar lip treatment, Lush tints, Apivita lip balms & Korres lip balms. <3 Them all!!

The Ones That I Bought Just For The Packaging..
The Apivita one is the least effective and the most plain scented of all the Apivita balms.. but I had to buy it because it's called 'Bee Princess' which I think is just too cute!!

So ladies what type of lip balms do you go for? What are your favourite plain, shimmery & tinted balms? Have you ever bought something just for the packaging?

Vaseline Creme Brulee- Review & Giveaway

2011-11-01T15:43:00.003Z

Limited Edition to Selfridges
Vaseline Creme Brulee

I actually quite like the scent of this. It's not at all like Creme Brulee though.. it's just a sweet, vanilla cake batter scent that's not that strong. Compared to the other 4 permanent versions.. this is my favourite!The normal tins of Vaseline cost around £1- £1.50. What I don't understand is why this limited edition version (which isn't particularly packed full of flavor or tint).. is £2.99. For what?! As far as I can tell.. it's not like any proceeds are going to charity.
I have never been the biggest fan of Vaseline as I find the product a bit greasy. It only provides temporary relief from chapped lips and I feel dries them out even more! Despite knowing this, I quite often use Vaseline. Lord knows why.. it must be a nostalgia/comfort thing.

I guess this is a bit of a mixed review! Aside from the pricing I think this is one of the nicest Vaseline lip products that has been released. Can't wait to see what they come up with next although I hope if it's going to be double in price.. it's for a reason!

Vaseline Giveaway
I have one extra Creme Brulee Vaseline to give away to one of my readers.
Please comment one time below and tell me..
'what is your favourite lip balm product?'
Giveaway ends 7pm GMT 2nd November
GIVEAWAY CLOSED..
Winner pls email me your full name and address
CP (who's fave is Smith's rosebud salve)

Good Luck!!

Imperial Leather- Skin Kind Shower Gels

2011-11-01T14:19:00.001Z

Imperial Leather
Skin Kind Shower Gels

Imperial Leather very kindly sent me two of the five new Skin Kind shower gels to review on the blog. I was sent the Nourish (white tea & lotus flower) & Enrich (raspberry & lime blossom) scents which are both hypoallergenic and dermatologically approved for sensitive skin.
I must say I was more than happy to try these gels as Imperial Lather is one of those brands that just sends your memories right back to being a kid again. Who remembers the Imperial Lather soaps from when they were younger? The square soap with the gold & read sticker on it? I do!! It reminds me of my mum because whenever I go to her house you'll find one of those soaps in the soap dish!I quite like both of these. I think Enrich (the one with the purple-pink writing on it) is my favorite it's really nice and fruity and I think it's quite pretty looking with the colored beads in the gel. They aren't the most exciting shower gels I've ever come across but they do their job well. They lather nicely, smell pleasant, they don't strip moisture from skin, they leave my skin soft.. what's not to like? Most importantly they don't irritate my eczema! I also think the clean & simple packaging makes them quite man friendly.

As they have 5 new gels in total, I would probably buy one of the other 3 instead of repurchasing these.. just to experiment a little. I also really want to pick up one of their bar soaps next time I go shopping.. just to give my bathroom that nostalgic touch!!
Click here to go to the official website. You can find the range at Boots and most larger supermarkets. Priced at just under £2 I think they are a total bargain!

*I was sent these gels to review. I was not paid for writing this post. As always the post reflects my personal opinion on the items. *

Have you tried these shower gels? Do you remember Imperial Leather soaps from your childhood? What products take you right back?

Chantecaille- Tinted Moisturizer, Foundation & Mascara

2011-10-31T14:54:00.002Z

One of my favourite characters from Made In Chelsea is Millie.. I think she's stunning! She always looks perfectly dressed and her make-up is natural yet glamorous. She's got the right type of glow going on.. something that's not easy to do. Millie's a make-up artist and has her own blog which you can read here. She uses Chantecaille tinted moisturizer so I popped down to SpackNK to take a closer look.

Just Skin Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer

The second I saw the words 'anti-smog' I just had to get it. I don't really wear foundation (unless it's a big night out) but living in such a polluted city, I like to have a bit of something on my face. I am a huge tinted moisturizer fan and this seems to tick all the boxes!

A super sheer tinted moisturizer with SPF15. I would say this offers light coverage, which is just enough to hide a little bit of redness and discoloration.The texture is very light and easy to work into skin. It has quite a satiny feel once it's on which is lovely and it does give skin a slightly dewy finish. I have combination skin so I powdered my t-zone lightly to set it, then went about my day. It looks great on.. like my skin but better!

Lasting power is not bad at around 8 hours. It did get a bit shiny on the t-zone so I powdered once more during the day which is not something I mind doing. It really is the perfect product for daytime and non-fussy evenings! It's easier to apply than my beloved Korres Ginger & Vitamins foundation so I do foresee myself reaching for this quite a lot. I've only worn it for 2 days so I don't know if my super-sensitive skin will break out or not.. but so far so good. Will keep you updated!

Future Skin Foundation

This is an oil-free, gel foundation. It feels insanely gorgeous on skin! The texture feels so different to other foundations. Really light and fresh like a gel.. yet still creamy. I'm not familiar with this type of skin product so I took extra care when applying to make sure it was even. I applied this using a brush then my fingers around tricky bits like my nose. Once it set, I couldn't stop touching my face.. it feels amazing on! It make my skin look completely poreless and bright. I powdered my t-zone as I tend to get shiny there during the day.
This foundation didn't last all day on me but around 6-7 hours. This is probably due to my skin being a bit oily at the moment. I have a feeling it will last longer when it's colder and my skin is dryer. It faded nicely so the lasting power didn't bother me too much.
It's definitely a daytime product. It would not last long on a night out. I think this product is better suited to dryer skin types and mature skin but I like it and will probably re-purchase it.

Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara

This mascara contains ingredients that over time will help lengthen and strengthen lashes. I'm quite fussy when it comes to mascara as I like statement lashes with a lot of volume. I knew this wouldn't be the best mascara I had ever come across just by looking at the brush.. but I am intrigued to see if it does work at lengthening lashes!
I went for the black color. Good for daytime wear and layering with other mascaras for more impact. On it's own it does give a good amount of length and color. Doesn't make lashes go crispy!
I've never gotten into Chantecaille as a brand. It's quite expensive and not often blogged about so I never really wanted to take the risk on their products. I am very impressed with the tinted moisturizer and will definitely repurchase it in the future. The mascara is good but only time will tell if it does help my lashes grow longer & stronger!

What do you like to use on your face during the day? What's your favourite product? Are you a MIC or TOWIE fan?

LUSH Halloween & Christmas Haul

2011-10-28T19:47:00.001+01:00

It's been a while since I bought anything from Lush. Actually, if I'm correct it was October last year when I last picked up a few things! I do love Lush but even for a spendaholic like me, I can't help but feel it's over priced for what it is. It's pretty much a novelty brand and it's hard to justify every bath you take costing £4.. even if it is blue and sparkly!

So here is my LUSH Halloween & Christmas 2011 haul!

How freaking cute is that pumpkin scarf?! I got my three favourite lush shower gels, gingerbread house bubble bar, a melting snowman bath melt, latte lip tint, PowWow lip scrub & ultrabalm.

Snow Fairy, Flying Fox & Glogg Shower Gels

Snow Fairy- Limited edition for Christmas.. this is a favourite that gets re-released every single year. A sugar sweet, candy floss scented gel with lovely shimmer.
Flying Fox- Also known as 'f*cking fox' if you remember my ex's non-favourable reaction to it. Not for everyone as it smells very heavily of jasmine. Personally I love it. The essential oil ingredients are great for ladies who suffer for PMT.
Glogg- Another limited edition item that is making it's return for a second Christmas in a row. Spicy, deep & warm with notes of wine, cloves & oranges. It's in the same sort of family as Flying Fox. I think this & Flying Fox may just be my favourite Lush products!!

Lush Latte Lip Tint

This is surprisingly gorgeous. A sheer wash of brown nude.. perfect for my skin tone!
I love the look of lush lip products but often find the taste unbearable. This is not exactly great tasting but it's more than bareable!

Friends With Benefits Massage Bar

Oh my lord this is one powerful smelling massage bar. It smells like not to sweet cocoa.. ummmmmm!! I am going to really enjoy using this!
If you are unfamiliar with massage bars they are solidified moisturisers. You warm them up in your hands and they start to melt. Then you either wash them off or sleep with them on (a bit too oily to use and then get dressed.) They will leave your skin seriously soft and they all smell great. They are great for massages.. hence the name! This one and soft coeur are almost edible and probably my favourites of the lot.

LUSH Gingerbread House Bubble Bar

Possibly one of the best looking (and smelling) bubble bars EVER!

Click here to read last year's more in depth review on Glogg & The Gingerbread house.

Other Products

Ultrabalm- This is great for a few reasons. Its not too waxy.. it has a bit of slip to it. That means it absorbs into skin better than most oil products. It's a multi-purpose product that can be used on face & body. It also doesn't smell like most other Lush products.. it's quite plain. I've been using it on my elbows (which have a tendency to get ashy) and it's doing a pretty good job.
PowWow Lip Scrub- Nothing remarkable as normal sugar would work just as well. This has popping candy in it so it crackles when you rub it on lips. Fun!
Melting Snowman Bath Melt- Haven't used it yet.. but it smells quite nice. The reviews on it have been mixed but at under £2 its one of their cheaper melts so not something I'll regret trying!
So that's probably it till this time next year. Hope you liked what I got.

Have you picked up any lush goodies recently?

YSL Beaute Holiday 2011- YSL Haul

2011-10-27T20:16:00.001+01:00

Some serious YSL hauling from the Holiday 2011 collection, the new lipstick collection and the normal line. Ugh.. I am such a sucker for that brand!!

YSL Beaute Holiday 2011

I only picked up three glosses from the holiday collection. (I love how I say 'only'.. as if 3 lipglosses is some sort of accomplishment on spending less!) Apparently there are 5 new glosses in this collection but I only saw these 3 displayed. These seem to be the three used in most of the promotional imagery.

44. White Gold Diamond, 45. White Gold Opal & 47. White Gold Topaz

The usual not-to-sticky Golden Gloss texture by YSL. Lovely bits of shimmer that are so fine you don't feel them on lips. I am going to get a lot of use from these. In particular I love the middle shade. The bluish, pink duochrome opalescent color is just gorgeous!
Great looking winter collection from YSL this year! I also love the look of the white highlighter with different colored shimmer panels in it and the black eyeshadow palette but I know I wont use them enough to justify buying them.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre

I picked up 3 of these gorgeous lipsticks and had to seriously restrain myself from getting more. I chose to start myself off with shades 107, 108 & 113. The rest I can discover on another paycheck.

107 described as 'beige pink'- I find it more of a brown-pink nude.
108 described 'golden beige pink'- A sheer, light pink, nude color with stunning golden shimmer running through it. So much prettier swatched/worn than in the tube.
113 described as 'rose'- I think it's a beautiful sheer warm rose which is a bit more fuchsia than a true rose.

These are a sheerer, less creamy, more glossy version of the original Rouge Couture formula. They feel great on lips and seem to last a bit longer which is probably due to the shimmer particles holding on.

Swatches and photos of them on lips coming soon. As I've already expressed.. I hate my camera! No idea how to use it to take flattering photos.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture no6

My holy grail nude lipstick! This pink-nude shade is to die for. It doesn't wash out the complexion and looks great on light-medium skin tones. This is the 3rd tube I've had to buy since this time last year. That's some serious usage! Click here to see it on a previous post with a face of the day. The only other lipstick that comes close in performance & appearance is Burberry Cameo 02. but the YSL is my favourite.

YSL Creme De Blush
no3 Praline

First feature on my blog in November 2009 here. It was limited edition but was relaunched in summer when some brighter shades were created. A great creme product. Very easy to use.. blends into skin like a dream with a powdery finish.
My last one lasted just under 2 years. Even though cream products are supposed to be thrown away sooner, I just couldn't do that with my last one! I used it till the bitter end and I must say the consistency stayed the same. It didn't go off or change color. Great little product!

Did you pick up anything from YSL Beaute Holiday 2011? Has anything caught your eye? Are you a fan of YSL make-up?

NARS Holiday 2011- Review

2011-10-25T19:47:00.000+01:00

NARS Holiday Collection 2011

I picked up 3 things from the new Nars winter collection. As predicted there was the usual winter appropriate array of products. A highlighter, smokey shadows, a red lipstick.. nothing too unique but beautiful to look at none the less.

Arabian Nights Eyeshadow Trio

I am a big fan of the black/smokey eye look so I naturally gravitated towards this trio. There is no denying it is beautiful! Three black shades with red, purple & gunmetal pearls/glitter running through them.

When you swatch them with fingers they maintain their beautiful rich colors however it's not so easy to transfer that intensity to eyes. Once blended out the three shades loose intensity and become more of sparkling grey. You literally have to pack them on with a finger or a dense brush. You'll get nowhere with a fluffy or blending blush. To get the colors to look truer to whats in the pan I recommend using a eyeshadow base and having a lot of patience!

The G Spot Multiple

Described as a rich, gold infused rose I would say this product lives up to its description. The gold it visible but very fine and subtle and the rose color is gorgeous! Sheer, buildable and dewy this is one of the nicest colored multiples I have come across. It also has a fantastic texture.
Apply with fingers (or a creme compatible brush) to the middle of cheeks and work up into the temple. Apply lightly at first, then layer for intensity. Powder after application not before. It's very hard to photograph the color accurately! The image below is in natural, day-time light and is as accurate as I could get to its true color.
I think this would look good on almost everyone but I do think if you have black skin you may have trouble getting it to show as a blush. It would however look very nice as a subtle, rosy highlighter! Very impressed with this product!

Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush

This powder is pretty but I would not call it a highlighter. It is a shimmer powder. Once applied to skin you lose all trace of the golden powder and you are left with extremely finely milled warm shimmer. It can be used to highlight the face but because it's shimmer, the particles do not stay exactly when you put them.

Unless you want a face full of shimmer.. do not apply with a fluffy brush! Use a stiffer face brush with short bristles or a small eyeshadow blending brush to apply to target areas. Beautiful, but is it worth £20? No way! If you want a NARS highlighter, Albatros is far superior. Nothing tops Dior Amber Diamond though. That is the ultimate.. I don't know why I keep buying others as they are never as good!

I have been playing with my items for a few days and all in all I must say I am a very disappointed in the highlighter. However, I am pleased with the other two. I do really love the blush and may even consider getting a back-up. A nice collection but nothing so unique that you will lose sleep over if you skip it.

Did you pick up anything from NARS 2011? Are there any winter collections you are looking forward to?

A Look At Glossy Life..

2011-10-25T18:11:00.001+01:00

Behind The Scenes Of The Gloss Goss..

Last night I had a girls night in, with one of my closet friends Eilise. It was supposed to be pijamas, tea food and Made In Chelsea. Unfortunately for her I was in the mood to experiment some of my potential Halloween looks..

So we went from how we normally look..

To this!

F*cking HATE SLR cameras!
They capture hair on your face you didn't even know you had!

The delivery man nearly had a heart attack when we answered the door. Hated everything I came up with and have decided.. if we dress up for Halloween we're sticking to Vampires. The fake teeth do all the work and you can just do make-up with dark red lipstick. SIMPLES!

As for Lisey, you'll be seeing her more often on my Glossy's Wardrobe blog. You know that friend we all have.. the one that is always wearing a totally fabulous outfit that is always from somewhere like H&M but you can never find anything like it yourself? That's her. Never seen her look bad once.. not even at 4am in the airport. She is also one of those people who requires no make-up to look good. I really should use her more on this blog to show off make-up looks for darker skin. Perfect guinea pig!!

Anyone else experimenting with Halloween looks? Am I the only who hates SLR cameras? It's like, 'Id rather not see the cracks on my teeth thank you very much!' UGH!

This Week's Favourites

2011-10-23T16:10:00.001+01:00

This Week's Favourites

By Terry Baume De Rose, Simple Invigorating Shower Gel, Lipstick Queen Big Bang Lipgloss 'Creation', online shopping, Made In Chelsea, sparkly shit, shoes, new iphone 4s, leather trousers, l'eau d'Issey Gold, being voted Blog Of The Week on Escentual, my friends and Heath Braxton in Home & Away (hot!)

iphone 4s
(the sparkles don't fit properly so I wont recommend the brand)

Lipstick Queen 'Creation' LipglossMitzy's Favourites

Also, if anyone is having trouble with blogspot (like I am) try using bloglovin'. It is so much better than other websites at keeping you updated on your favourite blogs.

Not Loving So Much..

Bad customer service, the weather, people who don't pick up after their dogs, ad breaks, aggressive/pushy tourists, christmas already being shoved down our throats, phone companies who make you 'push 1' for 15 minutes instead of letting you speak to a real person & my gym sending me 'it's been 6 months, are you alive?' emails.. Bugger off!

This Week On Glossy's Wardrobe..
(click colored titles to go to the post and see more photos)

Cavalli Crystal Snake Ring & TopShop Giggle Heart Shoes

Red Zara Platform Shoes & Outfit Of The Day

I'm looking forward to Downton Abbey tonight and more importantly.. Made In Chelsea tomorrow! Loving British TV at the moment! Although one show I can not stand at the moment is xfactor. It is just so trashy and noisy.. total headache material! Are there any shows you just can't miss?

So, what were loving and loathing this week? Are you an iphone or a blackberry person?

L'Eau d'Issey Gold Absolute

2011-10-22T20:53:00.000+01:00

Issey Miyake
L'Eau d'Issey Gold

I didn't think it was possible to love anything more than the salty summer version that was released earlier this year.. I was wrong. I absolutely love this edition!
More warm and woodsy than the the original L'eau de Issey (which I find gorgeous & very complex) there is still sharp bite of lotus that reminds you what perfume it is based on. Even though there are no salt-water notes in the original or this version.. the way the ingredients blend together creates a very aquatic scent. Despite being warmer than the original, I would say that all in all it's still fresh. Quite nice as the market seems to be over saturated with sickly sweet, candy scents the moment. Although it must be said, aquatic scents are a bit like Marmite.. you either hate them of love them.
It's beautiful on first spritz but after 10 minutes on skin it's even nicer! When it settles down there is a soft, musky quality to it which I find very unisex. I know this is the woman's version but I feel there is something more masculine about it than the other previous editions. This the perfect perfume for a winter's day but I would recommend mixing it with a spritz of something warmer to deepen it and make it more glamorous for night-time. I will definitely be buying a back-up as it is sadly Limited Edition for winter 2011.

Speaking of back-ups.. last week I finished bottle 2 of the Summer version. I only have one bottle left which I will save till the warmer weather returns, as it is most definitely a summery scent!
There was something about the salt water note that made this perfume utterly addictive to me. I went through it faster than any other scent I have owned! I hate not knowing if next year's summer version will live up to this year's.

Limited Edition.. A Good Thing?

As much as I love the excitement of coming across a seasonal edition of a perfume I love, I also get frustrated knowing I wont be able to re-purchase it in the future. I also hate how anything LE ends up costing 3x more on ebay. Same goes for make-up, especially with MAC. I miss ripe peach blush, naked honey salve & the tendertones. Ugh! I think that answers it.. I hate limited edition!

Have you tried any new winter scents? What do you think of seasonal scents? Love them or hate that they are limited edition? What limited edition items do you miss?

Sometimes It's Simple..

2011-10-20T14:47:00.000+01:00

Simple Kind To Skin

Invigorating Shower Gel

This is so refreshing to use. Even though it has a fresh, minty scent.. it really calms me down at the end of the day. It's a bit like aromatherapy/sanity restorer in a bottle! I'm not normally the biggest fan of mint but I really enjoy this. It contains no perfumes, colors or other unnecessary ingredients so it's perfect for sensitive skin.
It is amazing.. I will definitely re-purchase! It's a bit of a surprise discovery. I ordered my groceries/essentials online and my choice of shower gel was out of stock so I was sent this as a replacement. Very happy with their choice!!
I never really tried anything by Simple aside from the eye make-up remover but I must say I am incredibly impressed. The best thing about this gel? You can buy it for £1- £2! You can click here to go to the Simple website to read more about their products.

My Top 5 Shower Gels
Kora Organics Body Wash
A little expensive for loyal use but really lovely. The smell is very unusual.. very earthy and organic. It's a very comforting scent. It's also great to know it's 100% certified organic.
Apivita Honey & Vanilla Body Wash
Made from natural ingredients, this is an affordable product that is good to your skin. Smells delicious too!Palmolive Naturals
In particular I adore the Milk & Honey version! I'm sure every one has used it at one point in their life. Divine smelling shower gels that leave skin clean and soft. Affordable too, I always have one in the shower.
Black Orchid also smells gorgeous!
Simple Invigorating Shower Gel
Really refreshing and perfect for sensitive, hysterical skin.
Philosophy
A hit or miss brand when it comes to their flavors (personally I find their chocolate & cake scents too sweet) but truly fascinating looking products. Great to give as gifts and for a bit of a treat.
I think it's worth mentioning again that I have eczema on my upper arms which flares up when I have hay fever or an allergy. The above products are all very kind to my skin and do not irritate it but please remember what works for me may not work for you.

I'm not a person who specifically looks for something that will create a lot of foam. Normally the products that foam the best are the ones that contain the most chemicals. What I look for is products that smell nice, that don't strip moisture from my skin, that don't leave residue and something that doesn't aggravate the eczema on my arms. Scent wise.. I like Milk & Honey, Monoi & warm, exotic floral type scents.

What are your favourite shower gels? What do you look for in a shower gel?

This Weeks Faves & Hot Chocolate Face Mask

2011-10-13T19:10:00.004+01:00

This Week's Favourites

Apivita travel size products, Manic Panic hair dye, Hand Sanitizer (travelling must-have!), Face Masks, No make-up days, Rene Caovilla shoes, Made In Chelsea, Watermelon Martinis, DMSat, Rosal Lip Balm..

Sailing to Croatia from Venice last weekend..

The weather in Croatia.. it was 25˚in Zadar on my last day!
'It's Alive' China Glaze VarnishCute Little Cat In CroatiaPotential flea machine but v.cute!
This song..

Montagne Jeunesse
Hot Chocolate Face Mask

I had to travel these last few days and the amount of flying/sailing/air conditioning I did really made my skin freak out. When I got back to London this face mask was waiting for me, so after snapping a few pics I immediately slathered it straight on.
It is LUSH!! It's a self heating mask which warms up quite quickly when you apply it to skin. It doesn't get too hot but I would say there is a mild tingling sensation as well. I have very sensitive skin so I was a bit nervous trying it but I'm pleased to report it was great for my skin. The consistency is just like molten chocolate and as I'm a huuge fan of orange chocolate I had to seriously resist the temptation to lick it. The brand already have 2 other chocolate masks in their existing range (white and milk chocolate) which I am also a big fan of. I'm pretty sure every woman has used the Montagne Jeunesse masks at some point in her life. The classic chocolate scented masks don't heat up and are a different, thicker creamier consistency. Personally I would prefer the thicker consistency of the original mask with this orange-chocolate scent. Now that would be heaven!!
Did this mask miraculously get rid of my pimples.. no. But it did a great job of calming my skin down, leaving it soft and moisturised. It also felt so lovely to pamper myself a little. Would I recommend it? Yes!

*The orange-chocolate mask was sent to me to review.
The regular chocolate mask that is also pictured is my own.*

I genuinely like the product but before I had received it I was emailed some instructions by the Marketing Executive of Montagne Jeunesse. He wanted me to mention that all their products are suitable for vegetarians and they always prefer to use natural ingredients. He also wanted me to include this linked text.. Hot Chocolate Face Mask.

Personally I loathe it when brands ask you to mention 'key words' or include particular marketing bullshit in your review. (I'm not so much referring to the above company as the requested info was pretty harmless.) The whole point of a review is that the blogger voices their own opinion on the product and chooses at their own discretion, to include relevant links. Ironically enough it's usually the very low cost brand's PR who seem not to be aware of this. You would never, ever catch brands like Illamasqua, Korres, L'Oreal, Garner, Body Shop.. trying to influence blogger's posts. By insisting that certain phrases are mentioned, it is very possible to turn a honest review into a neutral advert. Like my disclaimer says, I will always be brutally honest on this blog. I want to be 100% clean legally. If in future a company sends me a product and wants to 'ensure' that I mention something.. I'll make it perfectly clear as I did above.

What were your favourites this week? Name your favourite fragrance for a face mask! I also love a good peel-off face mask.. who's with me?

Manicure, Pedicure & Turquoise Highlights

2011-10-05T18:37:00.004+01:00

Manicure- Gundega @ Cobella Selfridges

I still only go to one place for my manicures and that's to Gundega at Cobella salon in Selfridges London. Today I was just going to get my usual plain Acrylic manicure but I decided to let her have fun and give me a little design on the tip area.

(Apologies for shit photos.. new camera who's flash never seems to want to work)

I can't believe she did that design by hand! What's great about the pattern is that it can be removed with acetone nail varnish remover and I still have a nice, shiny manicure underneath.I have very weak natural nails (all of my family does) so I always have a layer of Acrylic covering the natural nail. Personally I am not a fan of gel as I feel it isn't as durable as acrylic. Not for everyone but it works for me!
I've blogged about Gundega before.. you may remember she was the one who gave me red acrylic tips last year. Of course she does regular/plain manicures as well but now and then, I love letting her go wild and creating something unique for me. Closer to Halloween I am thinking glittering black tips...

Pedicure- 'It's Alive' by China Glaze

This is a limited edition shade for Halloween 2011. I got my polishes online from ebay as the brand isn't easy to come across in the UK.I got a couple of other shades including the glow in the dark one which I can not wait to use. I love how it glows in it's bottle! For the best swatches of this Halloween collection click here to see The PolishAholic's post.

Hair- Manic Panic 'Atomic Turquoise'

Something a little bit different. I've had turquoise highlights for just over a week now and I'm really liking them! I haven't been feeling too happy with my hair color recently. I was blonde in summer and the semi-permanent color the hairdresser used to turn it brown never softened. It's far too dark for my personal tastes. I saw London Make-up Girl's post on Manic Panic here and it inspired me to give a more unusual color a go to brighten it up.

I used a normal bleach kit from Boots to bleach the selected strands of hair platinum first. Then, I applied the Manic Panic to the towel dried bleached area. I left the Manic Panic on for 3 hours and washed again. VOILA! For the record my pillowcases are all still white. I haven't experienced any issues with color transfer/staining. It's hard to take a photograph which shows it off well.. it looks far better and more vivid in real life.

(wavy from plaits)

I chose to apply it to the under-sides of my hair so that the color flashes through in a less obvious way than regular highlights. Sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't. People aren't expecting me to flick my hair and see bright blue hair. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it.. it seems to be a bit hit!!I find that it fades to a ghoulish green at about the 3rd wash. So I would say a 3 hour Manic Panic top up is required every week. I bought my Manic Panic from here.

What do you think? Anyone else experimenting with fun hair colors this autumn?

Halloween Look- Corpse Bride

2011-09-22T11:23:00.000+01:00

I love the character of the Corpse Bride from Tim Burton's film. She is a great little thing to take inspiration from when it comes to Halloween.
Obviously I don't have a heart shaped face or her plump lips, so I just used her as a vague guideline to create my look.

So the final result was this. Yep.. I think I make a terrifying dead person.I didn't commit fully to doing this look. Those stray hairs hanging about my forehead are killing me! Obviously I didn't exactly have a costume lying around so I stayed a corpse and didn't quite become a corpse bride but I think you get the general idea!
To complete the look you would need a wig and a wedding dress and to also paint your hands with the same foundation shade as you use on your face.

Turning Into A Corpse..

The bride has white blueish-green skin, chiseled features, blue/purple bruising around the eye area and a dark red lipstick.

You will need.. pale foundation mixed with green primer, powder, lots of eyeshadow for eyes & face, dark lipstick & lashes.

Good Things About This Look..

1. It's fast!! The whole thing took me 35 minutes. Because your eyeshadow is your blush, contour, shadow & eyebrows.. it's a pretty easy look to do if you are in a rush.
2. You don't even need to be too careful where you put your contour color as it all just helps you look more dead! Don't forget the hollows of your cheeks and on your nose to emphasise any bumps. I don't know why but I feel it adds to the corpseyness.
3. It's photogenic. Because of the thick base and strong shadow color, even in blurry photos it should look good. The only time this look could fail you is if you use a ridiculously professional dslr camera. Then the images are too clear and any unblended edges will look to sharp. The first picture of me in this post was taken with my NikonD90 the rest with my normal Casio. I would suggest to stick to a normal camera!!

When I asked what your favourite posts on The Gloss Goss were a few people brought up the wearable Halloween looks from last year. We still have a whole month before Halloween so..
What wearable Halloween looks would you like to see here?

Giveaway

2011-09-19T13:40:00.002+01:00

Apivita Giveaway

As you all know I am a bit obsessed with this Greek brand at the moment. I got some mini/travel size products and thought I would do a giveaway. One lucky reader will win the items in the below picture with an added surprise.
If you are curious about the brand, the products are available in Greek pharmacys and online at the official website here. They ship very quickly!

Rules

To enter the giveaway, comment below and tell me what your all time favourite The Gloss Goss post is.
Competition is open to everyone who reads & subscribes to The Gloss Goss.
Please only enter one time via the comment box below.
Entries that just say 'enter me' and nothing else will be ignored.
Competition closes 21st September 2011 7pm GMT and then this post will then be updated with winners name.

Also if you haven't already, please check out my fashion blog Glossy's Wardrobe. Just did a night's out outfit post with a male friend for some man style. I think at the moment I'm posting there more than here. There is only so much make-up you can blog about!The boys and girls will be getting more and more involved in future posts and I have finally (ok sortof) learnt how to use my Nikon so the images should be getting better!

Just want to say a huge thank you to my readers. Your support on both my blogs has been amazing. It was a great welcome back to the blogging world. Good luck on the giveaway!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

Contest Winner- Alpha Blonde

Please email me with your full name and address!(69 entries, -1 for my reply= 68)

Tom Ford Make-up Haul

2011-09-12T17:23:00.004+01:00

So the Tom Ford collection has been released and despite swearing I would resist it.. I couldn't! Just like Tom Ford himself, it's all very sexy. Too sexy!!
When you work with make-up it's hard sometimes to just let go and stop analysing if something is worth buying or not. I realised I was never going to win this particular battle. This is designer make-up. You buy it for the same reason you buy a designer bag. Not because it's better but because it's prettier and most of all... because YOU WANT IT!

Tom Ford Lipstick
Spanish Pink & Sable Smoke

I purchased 2 of the new shades and photographed them next to Pink Dusk for comparison. Love the consistency of these lipsticks. They apply so smoothly, are very creamy and are highly pigmented.
Spanish Pink is a gorgeous nude pink. Similar to Pink Dusk, it's milky looking once applied to lips but there is enough pink in there to prevent your skin from looking washed out.
Sable Smoke is a brown toned, milky nude color which works really, really well on my medium skin color. It is the closest to a concealer nude I will ever be able to pull off. The brown tone ensures you don't get washed out. The photo below was taken in sunlight and I feel that in certain lighting the color looks like a very fleshy peach. Truly gorgeous!
Sable Smoke may just be my holy grail nude shade. If you like YSL Rouge Couture 6 & Rouge Voluptes 2 & 4 type shades.. this could be for you!

Tom Ford Blushers
Love Lust, Savage & Wicked

It must be said the blushers look 10x better in real life than they do in my photos. I went for 3 shimmery shades with similar finishes. The shimmer is exceptionally fine so it doesn't look glittery/chunky but they are shimmery on skin. Quite pigmented, so apply with a light hand and layer for intensity. I can not decide which is my favourite!! I love them all! I've been wearing Love Lust today and already had some compliments, which always makes me feel better about spending a stupid amount of money.
Love Lust- Looks like a soft baby pink but in evening lighting is more of a soft coral. The most shimmery on skin in dim lighting.
Savage- Does not look like much in sunlight but oh good god in indoor/evening lighting it is so stunning! It is a bronze rose color. If I'm being specific the powder is bronze but the shimmer is rose. Gorgeous!!
Wicked- Very pretty cool pink color with warm shimmer. Would look more than amazing on tanned skin.
My initial impressions are that some of the blushers are a bit powdery/chalky looking. This is not a problem for my coloring but something that could be a problem for darker skins. I would recommend going in store to buy the blushes (as opposed to online) because some of the lighter shades are actually more wearable for darker skin colors.

Tom Ford Eyeshadows

My initial impression of the Tom Ford eye shadow quads is that they are gorgeous and feature some unique shades but the glitter in some of them is too much. Considering the price range, I would imagine the Tom Ford make-up audience to be more middle aged/mature and as a general rule, mature eyes and glitter don't go hand in hand. I find that glitter/shimmer in shadows emphasises wrinkles and settles into fine lines. (I recommend satin type finishes.) I also feel that considering the price, the pigmentation of the shadows throughout the palettes was not consistent enough.

Tom Ford Burnished Amber

The prettiest palette of the lot. I am a huge sucker for these warm, rich, jewel type colors. I think however they would look even better on green eyes. I know for a fact my mother is going to end up with this palette. I know this because she already pointed it out to me!

Cognac Sable

Even though the orange shade in the right top hand corner is a bit chunky with glitter, I think is a very pretty, wearable palette. Probably the best for my brown eyes. The pigmentation is very good and out of the entire Tom Ford collection it's one of the best quads quality/consistency wise. In my personal collection I don't have any comparable eyeshadow colors, so for me, the two above quads were more than worth buying!

Cocoa Mirage & Sahara Haze

Out of the collection I would say that Cocoa Mirage is the palette that features the most matte shades. There are 3 mattes and one satin type finish. A very nice neutral palette.
Out of the quads I got, Sahara Haze is the worst texture & pigment wise. The greyish shade in the top right hand corner barely transfers to my skin. This is the only shadow quad I could have done without buying but the shades were so different I really wanted it.
I think value for money wise the eyeshadow quads are the most reasonable. £65 for 10g of product breaks down to £21(ish) per 2.5g shadow. Chanel charge £21 per 2g shadow and Dior £20 for 2.2g.

Packaging- Gorgeous. I prefer this dark, dark aubergine brown packaging to the original white but it does smudge. Finger prints everywhere!!
Pricing- Lipstick £36, Blush £45 & Eyeshadow Quad £65. A brand that makes Chanel, Burberry & Rouge Bunny Rouge look cheap! Personally I feel the range is too expensive, especially as the gorgeous packaging smudges.
My recommendations- I think if I had to recommend anything it would be the blushers! I would recommend going in store and seeing the items in person before buying. Buying online could result in a very expensive mistake!

So ladies & gents opinions please! Did you get anything from the Tom Ford make-up collection? Hands up.. who loves Tom Ford??

Opatija

2011-09-10T12:25:00.002+01:00

A bit of a cultural post. I just came back from my home town of Opatija and thought I would show you some of my favourite things about the town. I've bumped into several other bloggers who were holidaying there so I thought id give you a little tour..

A little background history. The town of Opatija was built around a 14th century benedictine abbey Opatija Sv. Jakova and from this abbey the town got its name.The symbol of the town is statue of the maiden with a seagul. On this spot on the rocks used to sit a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary but it was destroyed after the second world war. A new Virgin Mary statue has been made and can be found in St Jakova church's courtyard.

Hotel Milenij

The coffee shop on the outside terrace must be my favorite daytime coffee haunt.

It has a nice selection of cakes but that's not why I go there. I go because I think it has the best view in the town!

Something you don't see in London!

Also a really nice place to grab a cocktail in the evening if you don't want to go to a bar. If I had to stay in a hotel in Opatija.. I would most likely stay here or in Hotel Mozart as they are both central, beautifully built and have nice views.

Gostiona Istranka

A traditional style restaurant where you can try some authentic Croatian food. The proud owner!

Freshly made pastas, lovely goulashes, bean dishes and fresh fish feature on the menu. (No tourist food like pizza here!) The daily specials normally reflect the season and there is something for everyone.
I'm a creature of habit so I eat here almost ever day if I am feeling too lazy to cook. My favourite dish is the Lovački Gulaš (venison goulash) served with freshly made gnocchi.

Then of course you need to wash your food down with something. There are two brands of beer than seem to dominate the Croatian market. Karlovačko & Ožujsko and normally it's not a case of either/or. Pretty much everyone has a favourite.

Take A Walk..

As for swimming, unless my cousin's children are with us, I don't go to the two beaches in the town. Lido beach is ok but I think Slatina is vile. It's started to look a bit like one of those mass tourist beaches.Rather than lie too close to strangers, I take walk on the lungomare (beach promenade) towards the next town of Icici and try find myself a nice private spot. Normally about 10 minutes into my walk I find a good spot. I'll let you in to a little insider secret.. the water is clearer up there and the sun hits stronger so if you want a tan, follow me!

Click here and here for more info on the multi-way 'Deto' dress I am wearing.

If you walk in the opposite direction to the village Volosko there are some gorgeous old/ruined properties by the sea to see. The town of the Volosko has some great coffee shops, a shisha bar and some amazing restaurants with the award winning, Plavi Podrum being the best.

Lots to see and do here, there are often concerts in our open air cinema and throughout the year there are several festivals. National park Ucka is also nearby and if you like photography this may be the place for you. The cemetery is seriously stunning with amazing stone angels and tombs.
Leaving you a picture of the pink sunset on my last night :)

What do you think? Have any of you visited Opatija before?

Illamasqua- Theatre Of The Nameless

2011-09-10T11:11:00.000+01:00

So.. Illamasqua have done it again! Another irresistible collection with a tantalizing name for all of us to drool over.

Theatre of the Nameless Collection

I purchased Belladonna lipgloss, Berber pigment and Ambition blusher. I also got some sealing gel so I could mix it with Berber and make my pigment a liner if I wanted to. Once the second blusher is in stock online I will probably pick that up too!

Swatches
Belladonna lipgloss, Berber pigment & Ambition blusher

Belladonna Intense Lipgloss

A deep, raspberry pink gloss. Very opaque consistency so the color covers all of your natural lip.
Slightly lighter and milkier on lips than it appears in the tube but a very wearable, rich color for Autumn 2011. I LOVE IT! It works really well with my complexion and hair color!
A bonus to this shade is the blue toned pink will make teeth appear whiter!

Berber Pure Pigment

Quite possibly one of my favourite pigments by Illmamsqua! This rich, sparkly reddish/copper shimmer will make all eye colors pop. Just make sure you add a lot of black mascara to contrast! I very quickly smeared it on and around my eyes with some black shadow to see the vague effect it would have.The color is great because its very pigmented so there is no way the red color could be mistaken for a eye-infection/sore eye. It's too pigmented to be anything other than make-up.
I put it on my lips on top of lip balm to create a seriously sparkly yet wearable autumn lip.
Personally I find Illamasqua pigments incredibly easy to work with. They produce far less fallout than other brands I have tried and they respond better to mixing solutions and water. If applying a pigment to my eyes I always mix it with something like water to make it more vivid and easy to apply. I wear contacts so can't risk any bit of glitter travelling in my eye!

(Poor quality photo to try show you how it sparkles!)

If you like the look of the pigment but are scared to go for the red color try 'Ore' a gorgeous glimmering gold.

Ambition Blush- I am having issues trying to photograph Ambition accurately in it's packaging and on skin. This picture is a slightly darker version of it. It applies lighter on skin than the color in the pan.It looks neutral in the promo images but in real life it is a gorgeous muted neutral pink with fine gold shimmer that applies very softly to skin without being glittery. Not to strongly pigmented but layerable. Very, very nice. Will probably be my everyday blusher for a good long while!

All in all I very much like the collection. It's not as big a hit with me as Dystopia was, where I ended up buying everything released. What I do love about Illamasqua is the pricing. Yes its a bit more expensive than something you would find in the drugstore but its much more affordable than the bigger brands like Mac, Dior and Chanel. Considering the amount of product you get and the strong pigmentation they are famous for, I think the brand is very good value for money! A small haul there wont completely break the bank!

What did you get from The Theatre Of The Nameless?

Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask

2011-09-07T15:05:00.003+01:00

Carol's Daughter

Monoi Repairing Hair Mask

I have been dying to try this product ever since I discovered the brand on the American Sephora website. I love the smell of Monoi, in any shape or form so it was only a matter of time before I got my hands on this!!
My first impressions are that this product smells exactly how a Monoi product should. After using this mask, there is a soft scent that lingers softly in your hair. Not something you can quite put your finger on (a powdery, soft clean smell) but just enough.

For those of you who don't know what it is, Monoi is Tahitian geranium flowers that have been soaked in coconut oil. It is renowned for being extremely hydrating and good at repairing skin damage. In more commercial beauty products it is often blended with vanilla oil to give it a bit of sweetness but unless a blend is stated, Monoi oil should not smell sweet. It should smell vaguely musky and floral.
I have used this product twice now and am astounded at how my hair reacted. I noticed a difference after the first use. As well as being shinier and incredibly soft.. my hair looks so much thicker. I have incredibly thin, weak hair (a lot of it) and this is one of the best treatments I have ever used along with the Apivita hair mask.
If only the tub was a little bigger in size! I have very long hair so I am probably going to run out in no time at all. I think using the mask once every 3 washes (I try to wash my hair every 2/3 days or it gets too dry) should be sufficient for my needs, although you could use it more regularly as it doesn't make hair greasy or weighed down at all. It washes out very well and leaves no residue behind.

Carol's Daughter is a brand that's designed for African American hair but I know by the reviews on the official website and on Sephora that a huge variety of people, with different hair types can use their products. There are so many products I would love to try.. I just wish it was available in the UK.

As for the body products...
With names like 'love butter,' 'almond cookie' and 'sweet honey dip chocolate brown sugah scrub,' I could not be more curious if I tried!

Have you ever heard of the brand Carol's Daughter? What foreign (unavailable to your country) brands have you always wanted to try?

I'm currently in Croatia, visiting my batty old grandmother (who has been known to get the priest to give her her last rights so that we rush over here like idiots.. only to find her very much alive!) Yesterday she asked me 'how old are you now? 15?' which I was happy to go along with but then she found out I'm 25 and went on a 'you should be married with 3 kids by now' tirade. She then contradicted herself and told me 'stara koka dobra juha,' which roughly translated means old chicken good soup. I'm now avoiding her (and her wet, suction cup kisses) and trying to swim and tan as much as I can before I leave.
Speaking of foreign brands.. I have found an amazing (and seriously cheap) bronzer out here which i'll share with you when I'm back this weekend!

Tarte Cheek Stains- Blissful & Tippy

2011-09-05T11:11:00.003+01:00

Something we can not get in London but that I have always wanted to try are these Tarte cheeks stains. My mother kindly got me two from the US. She picked out the shades Blissful and Tipsy which are both orangy/coral in the tube. Very much my colors!
Both sheer down a considerable amount on skin and are very wearable. Blissful becomes shimmering, sheer pink coral and Tippy becomes a very peachy, pale shimmering pink. They have a dewey finish on skin.
The finish on skin is something you will feel. They aren't sticky but they are sort of balmy. It's not annoying as I have come across thicker/stickier feeling cheek cremes (Bobbi Brown & Mac) so if you like cream cheek products this may be a product you could handle.
The product is a firm, gel stick. It is so hard to photograph them properly so the swatches below were as accurate as I could get on my skin.

Tarte Cheek Stain- Blissful

Tarte Cheek Stain- Tippy

They last a good couple of hours before fading. I wouldn't say these two shades are particularly pigmented but I have seen other Tarte shades that pack one hell of a color punch! There is something for everyone.
Now I do like these a lot but they do need a considerable amount of playing with until you find a way to make them work for you. I think they are best applied on clean, bare cheeks or cheeks that have been covered with a water-based foundation. Then they don't streak. I find they do look a bit streaky/patchy when worn over moisturiser.
They aren't my favourite cheek product but I do plan on using them on low-key days when I need a bit of perking up but don't want to wear a full face of make-up.

Have you ever tried these Tarte cheek stains? Any thoughts? Are there any products sold abroad you wish were sold where you live?

This Week's Favourites

2011-09-03T09:31:00.002+01:00

This Weeks Favourites

DuWop Lip Dual, Chanel Illusion D'Ombre shadows, Korres Peach blush, Lancome Hypnose mascara, Sugar lip treatment, Issey Miyake Eau d'Ete 2011, Tom Ford lipstick & Paul & Joe eye gloss duo.

DuWop Lip Dual 'Relic'

Here is a closer look of the limited edition lip duo I am loving right now. It's by DuWop and can still be purchased at BeautyBay.
I really love the dark rose shade. It applies exactly how it looks in the photograph just slightly sheerer. A great, polished lip color that is not too much for day time. It actually works very well mixed on top of other products. For example it looks amazing blended on Tom Ford's Pink Dusk lipstick.
That's how it is packaged. I do think the Isla Sirena collection by DuWop should have gotten more coverage as the packaging was very unique and the products were very good. I picked up a peach/turquoise eye duo with INSANE pigmentation!

Loving this week..

Brown hair, Apivita products, Doc Martin DVDs, Kingdom DVDs, Kora Organics, Godiva 'Rosace' chocolates, Roobios tea and lastly... Amazon shopping! I picked up some great, hard to find DVDs. The best buy by far was the Stephen Fry box set.Stephen Fry, The Definitive Collection- this has pretty much all of his finest documentary work. My absolute favourite thing he ever did was the tv show, 'The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive.' It changed the way many people saw depression and educated people on what exactly it was. I think it was incredibly brave of him to speak about his depression and let himself be filmed during some of his lows. Stephen Fry- I think as a human being he is utterly amazing. Not only is he interesting, intelligent, educated, a great actor and a great author.. he pushes boundaries. I may not agree with his thoughts on the Catholic Church (not positive) but I found his arguments so passionately communicated, I have nothing but respect for his opinions. He is probably my ultimate hero. If I ever had to compile a list of my greatest inspirations or people I would love to meet, he would unquestionably top both lists.

What are your favourites for the week? Any other Stephen Fry fans?

Tom Ford- Pink Dusk Lipstick

2011-09-02T09:36:00.000+01:00

This is the first time I bought a Tom Ford lipstick. I originally avoided them because I felt the shade range was quite limited for a brand that was so expensive (£35 for a lipstick?!)
As time passed, the more established blogs I read kept featuring them and I started getting pangs of regret for never even swatching them properly. As the hype built up for the rest of the Tom Ford make-up collection, I started having a insane longing to try one of the lipsticks. Could I possibly wait a whole 6 days till the new range would be available in London? No!
I had to buy one then and there and there was only one color it could be.. Pink Dusk! From the original offerings, this was the only one that had my name all over it. It is a creamy, milky, yellow pink than could fall into the 'fleshy' nude category.
Not the most unique color, probably very dupable but the consistency is amazing. It is so creamy, smooth and long wearing I think it's almost worth the price. It's thick enough that on everyone it should look on the lips as it does on the tube.
Over the last 4 days of constant wear I did not experience any drying at all. It doesn't add any moisture to lips but it also doesn't take any away. And lets not forget to mention the slightly vulgar, chunky, gold & white packaging! I love it! It makes a very indulgent treat but I honestly think it should be priced lower.
As for the new collection, it is previewing 3rd September in Selfridges & Harrods London. From the promo images I have seen I think it looks bloody amazing! '

Have you tried any of the Tom Ford lipsticks?